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Cryptofauna #2
Cryptonalia
Jim and his friends have only just gotten a hang of the bizarre game known as Cryptofauna when something new gets thrown in the mix: Cryptonalia. The mysterious, once-a-century get together offers a slew of seemingly-impossible events and attracts a field of ferocious competitors more than willing to kill or die (as the case may be). There’s also a twenty-foot moon goddess and enough wine to flood the Roman Colosseum twice over. This could get tricky.
283 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 9, 2021
3 people are currently reading
380 people want to read
About the author
Patrick Canning
8 books237 followersPATRICK CANNING is the author of the novels For Your Benefit (2024), Cryptonalia (2021), Hawthorn Woods (2020), The Colonel and the Bee (2018), and Cryptofauna (2018).
His work often blends genres, combining elements of humor, adventure, fantasy, and mystery into stories with imaginative settings, quirky characters, and typos.
Patrick lives in Chicago with his Australian Shepherd, Hank. When he isn’t writing, he enjoys walks on the lakefront, being excited/worrying about AI, and eating his bodyweight in potatoes.
@catpanning (Instagram)
His work often blends genres, combining elements of humor, adventure, fantasy, and mystery into stories with imaginative settings, quirky characters, and typos.
Patrick lives in Chicago with his Australian Shepherd, Hank. When he isn’t writing, he enjoys walks on the lakefront, being excited/worrying about AI, and eating his bodyweight in potatoes.
@catpanning (Instagram)
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 10, 2024
Reread 9/10/24
Patrick, I neeeeed more, yesterday please 🙃
Wow, just wow. For a hot minute, I was thinking of just writing 50 wows for this review and leaving it at that. I don’t think I have the words to do this book justice, but I will try, if not through a meandering path, which quite honestly suits the game of Cryptofauna perfectly, anyway.
For years, I’ve had a top 5 favorite reads “of all time” list. The most recent book on that list was published in 2012, so it’s safe to say it’s pretty hard to break into that list. I added two more books a few years back, and so I had a top 7. But it’s a tight list that’s hard to break into, even more so because I read over 300 books a year. That’s a lot of books that, while I do love many in their own ways, and relegate them into favorites of their genre, they don’t break the list... until Cryptonalia (and subsequently, the first book, Cryptofauna, without which we would not have a Cryptonalia.)
I know you’re thinking, that’s all well and good, Rae, but perhaps you should get to the review. But if you read this book, I would hope you would nod along with this nonsense of a review. I’ve read books that made me laugh. Jonas Jonasson and Jenny Lawson come to mind. They are funny authors that I adore. But Cryptonalia is always on, there is constant wit, and it’s so incredibly clever that you find yourself rereading passages to join in the fun all over again.
I received an advanced copy, and then I purchased the ebook and then the paperback. While I was reading the ARC, I highlighted text, made notes as I do, and in reflecting on this review, I have no idea how to parse out all these notes, of which there are many. (Which makes me glad I have it digitally so I can keep the paperback pristine).
Cryptonalia is more than just wit and laughing out loud. There are a lot of historical details in this that is so well-researched. There’s a glorious run-on sentence a quarter of the way in that I’m still thinking about. And, of course, there are the characters. They all contribute so much to the game. From the present and the past, their lives are so rich that I feel like a team member. Even Mars, the dog, contributes so much to the storyline. It’s not just the team members you grow close to either, because other players are so rich and endearing, especially Bart, one of the longest players.
Okay, wow, (again), I just realized how long this review is and if you’ve made it this far through all the swooning, kudos. I hope it’s obvious through all my bumbling that Cryptonalia (and its predecessor) are in the favorite reads list of all time. If you like quirky, then make this your next favorite.
Patrick, I neeeeed more, yesterday please 🙃
Wow, just wow. For a hot minute, I was thinking of just writing 50 wows for this review and leaving it at that. I don’t think I have the words to do this book justice, but I will try, if not through a meandering path, which quite honestly suits the game of Cryptofauna perfectly, anyway.
For years, I’ve had a top 5 favorite reads “of all time” list. The most recent book on that list was published in 2012, so it’s safe to say it’s pretty hard to break into that list. I added two more books a few years back, and so I had a top 7. But it’s a tight list that’s hard to break into, even more so because I read over 300 books a year. That’s a lot of books that, while I do love many in their own ways, and relegate them into favorites of their genre, they don’t break the list... until Cryptonalia (and subsequently, the first book, Cryptofauna, without which we would not have a Cryptonalia.)
I know you’re thinking, that’s all well and good, Rae, but perhaps you should get to the review. But if you read this book, I would hope you would nod along with this nonsense of a review. I’ve read books that made me laugh. Jonas Jonasson and Jenny Lawson come to mind. They are funny authors that I adore. But Cryptonalia is always on, there is constant wit, and it’s so incredibly clever that you find yourself rereading passages to join in the fun all over again.
I received an advanced copy, and then I purchased the ebook and then the paperback. While I was reading the ARC, I highlighted text, made notes as I do, and in reflecting on this review, I have no idea how to parse out all these notes, of which there are many. (Which makes me glad I have it digitally so I can keep the paperback pristine).
Cryptonalia is more than just wit and laughing out loud. There are a lot of historical details in this that is so well-researched. There’s a glorious run-on sentence a quarter of the way in that I’m still thinking about. And, of course, there are the characters. They all contribute so much to the game. From the present and the past, their lives are so rich that I feel like a team member. Even Mars, the dog, contributes so much to the storyline. It’s not just the team members you grow close to either, because other players are so rich and endearing, especially Bart, one of the longest players.
Okay, wow, (again), I just realized how long this review is and if you’ve made it this far through all the swooning, kudos. I hope it’s obvious through all my bumbling that Cryptonalia (and its predecessor) are in the favorite reads list of all time. If you like quirky, then make this your next favorite.
December 16, 2022
Review originally published at https://amanjareads.com/2022/12/15/cr...
Thank you so much to author Patrick Canning for providing me with a copy of Cryptonalia in exchange for this honest review.
Cryptonalia is the direct sequel to Cryptofauna, both books are humorous action adventure fantasy novels that follow a semi-depressed janitor named Jim as he navigates a world-wide game dictated by ancient gods.
At this point in the series Jim has collected his group of friends that help him try to change the world for the better. It's never fully clear how this game is supposed to accomplish that but they're trying their hardest. Since they defeated their rival in the first book they are able to accomplish their goals without any direct opposition.
The beginning of this book begins with a handy little recap of the first. I love when sequels do this. It's often been a year or more since I read a first book in a series and I'm sorry but I forget what happened! I also have a full summary of Cryptofauna if you forgot the finer points as well.
It was a little difficult for me to get back into the swing of this absurdist journey. Mostly because there are a lot of characters with weird names to keep track of. After a few chapters of struggling to remember who's who and how they all go together Jim splits off from the group on his own journey. This is when things start to really pick up.
Only having to focus on one main character smoothes out the pacing and allows the reader to sink into the wackiness. Jim is vaguely aware of the upcoming Cryptonalia, a sort of Cryptofauna olympics that only takes place every century, but he is focused on restoring his jinn to his proper form instead of training.
By the time Jim reunites with his group you'll be ready for the addition of these characters and be able to go along for the ride. And what a ride it is! As with the first book this addition is fast paced and doesn't allow for a lot of breathing room in between missions.
Entering Cryptonalia involves participating in bizarre challenges against other Operators. The creativity that author Canning put into these challenges is awe inspiring.
The first challenge is fairly simple on the surface, a Mad Max style road race involving all sorts of vehicles from hearse to cement mixer. It's entertainment pure and simple. But the second challenge is far more complicated. It's more fun to read how it plays out than to read me gloss over it so trust me on this one. But that challenge is the reason I read that whole night instead of breaking at a chapter.
The entire second half of the book is very exciting and leads up to a third installment that has not yet been completed at the time of writing this review, rest assured I'll keep you posted.
This series has proven to stay true to its tone, humor, and excessive word play. I love word play, excessive is a positive in this context. I'm also a sucker for stories about the power of friendship and chosen family.
Please help Cryptonalia be successful by reading and reviewing it as well. I need to know what happens next! And maybe the real Cryptonalia is the friends we make along the way? That, and revolution against the powers that be.
5/5 ladybugs 🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞
Thank you so much to author Patrick Canning for providing me with a copy of Cryptonalia in exchange for this honest review.
Cryptonalia is the direct sequel to Cryptofauna, both books are humorous action adventure fantasy novels that follow a semi-depressed janitor named Jim as he navigates a world-wide game dictated by ancient gods.
At this point in the series Jim has collected his group of friends that help him try to change the world for the better. It's never fully clear how this game is supposed to accomplish that but they're trying their hardest. Since they defeated their rival in the first book they are able to accomplish their goals without any direct opposition.
The beginning of this book begins with a handy little recap of the first. I love when sequels do this. It's often been a year or more since I read a first book in a series and I'm sorry but I forget what happened! I also have a full summary of Cryptofauna if you forgot the finer points as well.
It was a little difficult for me to get back into the swing of this absurdist journey. Mostly because there are a lot of characters with weird names to keep track of. After a few chapters of struggling to remember who's who and how they all go together Jim splits off from the group on his own journey. This is when things start to really pick up.
Only having to focus on one main character smoothes out the pacing and allows the reader to sink into the wackiness. Jim is vaguely aware of the upcoming Cryptonalia, a sort of Cryptofauna olympics that only takes place every century, but he is focused on restoring his jinn to his proper form instead of training.
By the time Jim reunites with his group you'll be ready for the addition of these characters and be able to go along for the ride. And what a ride it is! As with the first book this addition is fast paced and doesn't allow for a lot of breathing room in between missions.
Entering Cryptonalia involves participating in bizarre challenges against other Operators. The creativity that author Canning put into these challenges is awe inspiring.
The first challenge is fairly simple on the surface, a Mad Max style road race involving all sorts of vehicles from hearse to cement mixer. It's entertainment pure and simple. But the second challenge is far more complicated. It's more fun to read how it plays out than to read me gloss over it so trust me on this one. But that challenge is the reason I read that whole night instead of breaking at a chapter.
The entire second half of the book is very exciting and leads up to a third installment that has not yet been completed at the time of writing this review, rest assured I'll keep you posted.
This series has proven to stay true to its tone, humor, and excessive word play. I love word play, excessive is a positive in this context. I'm also a sucker for stories about the power of friendship and chosen family.
Please help Cryptonalia be successful by reading and reviewing it as well. I need to know what happens next! And maybe the real Cryptonalia is the friends we make along the way? That, and revolution against the powers that be.
5/5 ladybugs 🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞
March 26, 2022
It's interesting: I've been reading since I was 18 months old (and I'm now 53!) and I have NEVER come across a series that has taken me on such a rollercoaster ride it's been unbelievable! It feels like if you took your heart, brain, soul and imagination into a blender, spread it out and make sprinkle cookies, yet threw them away in a tinfoil box that came back shining like a thousand patchwork rainbows it wouldn't even be HALF of the fun, exhilarating downright *weirdness* that this series is! I absolutely am sad and angry that I can't relive it over and over again, but hey, here we are, I suppose...
If you do nothing else with your reading time, PLEASE read this book, and if you don't enjoy yourself, I will be TRULY surprised! Enjoy!!!
February 10, 2026
Absolutely loved the second installment in the Crypto-universe! I have to think on it but I may have enjoyed this one even more than the first. I love all the zany characters, and Jim's internal dilemma this book really spoke to me.
I'm really hoping there's a third!
I'm really hoping there's a third!
dnf
March 20, 2023DNF @ 10% I received a copy of this ebook in a Goodreads giveaway.
This book seemed to be trying to hard to be weird and random. I didn’t find it funny, I just found it cringe-y.
This book seemed to be trying to hard to be weird and random. I didn’t find it funny, I just found it cringe-y.
January 6, 2022
I had no idea what to expect from |Cryptofauna| (this is definitely a series to read in order) and yet it has become one of my favorite books to recommend. Particularly when a reader is looking for something different to try out. I was absolutely thrilled to hear Canning was releasing a sequel for my favorite combo. This time I was prepared with a handful of Canning books under my belt and absolutely ready to follow that lovable batch of misfits and some zany adventures.
Reviewing this series is always a challenge as the rules of Cryptofauna are fluid at best. Cryptonalia is composed of two main acts: Jim and Combo working to save a friend (book one spoiler if I reveal who) and then the Cryptonalia game itself. While I understand why it was written in parts for the story, unfortunately it really made the story feel divided. It felt like two novellas nestled together. I didn't love that pacing issue, but really that is my only complaint.
I adore all the colorful characters that round this novel out into a funny, globe-trotting adventure. We even get to see the Earth's Core! Canning thoughtfully addressed the fractures in the Combo. I would discuss it further but there are some spoilers for book one and I wouldn't do that to you. Just know that Jim's mother-hen attempts to patch the little cracks in the foundation and warmed my heart.
A couple notable things that this book has instigated: First, I can't help but reply "F*** Boise" whenever that location is mentioned in my presence. It has lead to some odd looks and one high five (Montanan). Second, my newest knitting project is a scarf that reads "ALL HUMAN RIGHTS TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED." I plan on wearing it during tough parenting situations.
Wrapping Cryptonalia up in a pretty, concise review is almost impossible. That's the charm of the game Cryptofauna. Canning has a fantastic graphic that describes it best:
"The game is logical only when it feels like it. None of the rules make much sense."
My advice is don't worry about the rules too much and hold on for a fantastic, absurd romp through the world with Jim and his Combo. Cryptofauna is a delightful series that I will revisit again and continue to recommend to friends and strangers. I'm so thrilled that there will be a third to round out the story and wrap up the overarching plot. I'm not quite ready to be done with the jinns, Combos, and butterfly effect influencing that makes up the game of Cryptofauna.
*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Reviewing this series is always a challenge as the rules of Cryptofauna are fluid at best. Cryptonalia is composed of two main acts: Jim and Combo working to save a friend (book one spoiler if I reveal who) and then the Cryptonalia game itself. While I understand why it was written in parts for the story, unfortunately it really made the story feel divided. It felt like two novellas nestled together. I didn't love that pacing issue, but really that is my only complaint.
I adore all the colorful characters that round this novel out into a funny, globe-trotting adventure. We even get to see the Earth's Core! Canning thoughtfully addressed the fractures in the Combo. I would discuss it further but there are some spoilers for book one and I wouldn't do that to you. Just know that Jim's mother-hen attempts to patch the little cracks in the foundation and warmed my heart.
A couple notable things that this book has instigated: First, I can't help but reply "F*** Boise" whenever that location is mentioned in my presence. It has lead to some odd looks and one high five (Montanan). Second, my newest knitting project is a scarf that reads "ALL HUMAN RIGHTS TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED." I plan on wearing it during tough parenting situations.
Wrapping Cryptonalia up in a pretty, concise review is almost impossible. That's the charm of the game Cryptofauna. Canning has a fantastic graphic that describes it best:
"The game is logical only when it feels like it. None of the rules make much sense."
My advice is don't worry about the rules too much and hold on for a fantastic, absurd romp through the world with Jim and his Combo. Cryptofauna is a delightful series that I will revisit again and continue to recommend to friends and strangers. I'm so thrilled that there will be a third to round out the story and wrap up the overarching plot. I'm not quite ready to be done with the jinns, Combos, and butterfly effect influencing that makes up the game of Cryptofauna.
*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews