The Dratsie Dilemma

San Andreas Shifters #4

by G.L. Carriger

A heartwarming urban fantasy from New York Times best selling author Gail Carriger about redemption, destiny, and the enduring strength of found family (and caffeine).

Once upon a time, Trick went up against the sea and lost. Badly. Or so he thought.

What the sea decides to keep, it keeps forever.

Trick is a dratsie shifter, a river otter. He is charming, loads of fun, and a little bit slippery. He’s running from a past he can’t forget, and he’s landed unexpectedly in the chaotic comforting embrace of a small-town cafe and the world’s queerest pack of werewolves.

Unfortunately, it turns out the past has also refused to forget Trick. It washes up on his doorstep and gets instantly tangled up in marine biology conferences, twelve mermaids thrift shopping, and specialty cappuccinos.

That past is grumpy, sexy, and wearing a very sparkly tail. (Don’t you dare call him a fish.)

Trick was just starting to feel like it was all going to be okay. But sometimes the sea decides to spit up a merman who has been looking for Trick for over a decade. Trick will have to decide whether he starts running all over again or faces up to heartbreak and the childhood best friend who betrayed him.

"Carriger manages to keep things fresh and progressive in not only the contemporary urban landscape but in the diversity, humor and warmth she uses to complement some of the weightier elements..." ~ The Novel Approach (The Sumage Solution)

"Carriger has created a world that’s uniquely her own in the shifter-verse that I thoroughly enjoy visiting and can’t wait to see what comes next." ~ Boy Meets Boy reviews (The Omega Objection)

This delightful gay shapeshifter series is perfect for fans of TJ Klune, Alexis Hall, or R Cooper. The San Andreas Shifter books stand alone and do not need to be read in any order, but if you’re a stickler, this book comes after The Enforcer Enigma (and newsletter exclusive short story Vixen Ecology).

Delicate Sensibilities?

This paranormal romance contains M/M sexy times, horrible puns regarding oceanography, and clumsy mermaids in high heels. If you get offended easily, then you probably will. The San Andreas Shifter stories include blue language, dirty deeds, and outright admiration for the San Francisco Bay Area. Not for the faint of heart (or mouth or tongue).

By G L Carriger

The San Andreas Shifter series (start with The Sumage Solution)

The 5th Gender

As Gail Carriger

The Tinkered Starsong series (start with Divinity 36)

Crudrat

The Finishing School series (start with Etiquette & Espionage)

The Delightfully Deadly stories

The Parasol Protectorate series (start with Soulless)

The Supernatural Society stories

The Custard Protocol series (start with Prudence)

The Claw & Courtship stories

Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Shapeshifters, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, M M Romance, LGBT

332 pages, Paperback

Published December 1, 2024

About the author

Author also writes as Gail Carriger

Reviews

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

A great addition to this series! Humor, angst, romance, separation, second chance. Excellent writing. Loved it.

[Stacie Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ordered this direct from the author, hence my review is a bit early. I have read almost all of this author's books starting way back with Soulless. I say this to state that this review is not tied to that.

This book is like a warm hug and needed in my current life. It's about loss, found family, plus merpeople and otter shifters. This does have some racy parts, but it's not the focus of the book. I see frequent rereading happening and once there is audio it will be a comfort listen like another of this author's books, 5th Gender. This is a same sex romance and deals with characters that are introduced in previous books in the series.

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

4 stars

This is the fourth book in the San Andreas Shifters series, but it can be read as a standalone — which is good, because I haven’t read the other books! While Trick lives with the wolves in their house, and they are a presence in his life, the focus of this book and the central romance is all about Sato and Trick. Trick grew up as the youngest in a large, boisterous, criminal family. Sato was one of his few points of stability, someone predictable, sane, and safe, and someone he could rely on. Sato was his first crush, his first kiss, his first lover, and watching Sato go away for three years of training was hard.

If you like unusual shifters, stories of devotion, cute and charming characters, and tsundere characters who love with their whole hearts, this is the book for you. Now, I’m off to get the other books in this series …

Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.

[Sarah A · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fourth full book in the San Andreas Shifters series - been waiting for this for a while and it definitely didn’t disappoint.

Trick entered the scene in book 3, where we got to know him as a scared gay otter-shifter on the run from his family and others and now working in the coffee shop near the Werewolves home and serving up in the most inclusive way possible to all shifters and members of the LGBTQIA+ community as well as anyone else who turns up.
Now Trick is the center of the story, even if he doesn’t yet realize it.

There’s a marine biology conference happening and whilst Alpha werewolf Alec is preparing to present, a whole pod of mermaids are preparing to invade to seek scientific advice! And one of the mermaids is a merman who’s also on the lookout for his long lost love - Trick!

Beautifully written! A lot less adult content and less sex scenes than previous books. Lots of twists as well jump from the past to the present.

I just wish this community were real or that more real world people were as welcoming and supportive and inclusive and awesome as they are.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marvin the Merman has always been my favorite of the San Andreas Shifters ever since I first met him in Gail Carriger's short story Marine Biology. (It's free when you sign up for her newsletter The Chirrup.) He always sparkles. It was interesting to see a more serious side to him. Also learning more about merfolk.

But that Epilogue was what I love most about this series. “You’re the strangest merman I’ve ever met.” Marvin patted his shoulder. “I know, honey. But just look,” he gestured widely at the massive barbecue. “We like adopting strays.”

[Sandy Kay]

Trick's love interest isn't Kettil? WHAT? It's some childhood friends to enemies to lovers?

Dammit! I wanted to read about the adorable otter shifter and the grumpy bear! They're great in the other books. But what was set up and I was anticipating apparently didn't work out for the author, so...

Nope. No thanks. Not it. (Though possibly is safe for me? But, they've been apart a LONG TIME, sooo maybe not. Unsure. Read other reviews).

[FashionablyEvil · Rating 2 out of 5]

Can’t say I recommend this book unless you’re a huge fan of the San Andreas shifters series and are eager to revisit the characters from that series. This one has no plot to speak of, a huge misunderstanding between the two MCs that is painfully stupid and contrived, and is mainly concerned about performing queerness than it is telling a story. It probably works better if you read Sato (one of our MCs) as neurodivergent/on the spectrum, but even then, his attachment to Trick made me deeply uncomfortable and he has no character growth to speak of. Also, he spent years living among humans and has never seen people in military uniforms? Missed all of high school biology? Trick is all surface, no substance. Normally I enjoy Gail Carriger, but this one was definitely a miss for me.

[Cadiva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful entry in this unusual and funny shifter series

This made me laugh while it was also squeezing my heart tight with emotions.

I love the San Andreas Pack, they're a true bunch of misfits who've found a real home and a family that truly cares.

This book focuses on a lesser known shifter, the river otter, a Dratsie, who's name rather does sum them up, as there often the subject of plenty of "oh drat" and other insults given their propensity for dodgy behaviour.

It also gives us another merman, someone who's very different to the Alpha-mate Marvin.

I loved Trick and Soto alike, each having a lonely childhood only made bearable by their friendship and the solace they found in each other's company.

There's a bit of a mix between flashbacks and current timeline which helps to demonstrate the connection between them while also highlighting how much each has been hurt by bad timing and feelings of abandonment.

I also rather liked the pod of mermaids that Soto is forced to hang around with now his baby half sister is one of the leaders of their people.

The secondary plotline is a clever one, looking at climate change and fertility rates and I was howling at some of the antics from the pod.

I really hope there's still more to come from this series, it's definitely a favourite in the urban fantasy/paranormal romance sub-genre.

[Allyourpagearebelongtous · Rating 5 out of 5]

A comforting romance with found family and moderate tension

One of my long time favourite authors, whom I trust to deliver stories with a variety of healthy relationships, acceptance, and plenty of quirky humour. Once again, that is what I got, and it warmed my heart. 

This new addition to the San Andreas Shifters was a little more character focused than previously, with the meta plot taking a backseat in favour of developing the main characters and giving them space. I liked this, their story needed time.

While this can be read as a standalone, I would recommend starting from the beginning. Knowing the dynamics of the world and the characters adds to the fun and the feeling of family. 

I'm so glad Trick got his story told as a full-length novel. He deserves the space. I was unused to the flashback narration, but it unfurled the story and the perspectives beautifully. I hope that Sato will have a chance to grow more interests in the future now that his long quest is over. 

Would recommend (to read in publication order) 
Will read again 

⭐ 4.5
🌶️ 2
🧅 1
🤢 0

[Mollie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of Gail Carriger and really love that she continues this series and expands on her universe. To be honest, I did forget some of what happened in previous books but there was enough to fill in my gaps and encourages me to go back and re-read the previous works to enhance my enjoyment of this. There was no big twist of being pulled apart at the end which was a delightful surprise for me. Trick and Sato are a very sweet couple and their interactions expand on the entire world and where Carriger can go with the series next. Go read her books and support an independent author!

[Beth Skye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and compelling

Once again Ms. Gail has led me into a world of FEELINGS.
Unlike the previous novels in this series there is less verbal conversation and more internalized thoughts and feelings. My eyes were filled with tears and of sadness and joy and hope and love.
She has created another book in this universe where you travel along with the characters who with struggle, then great happiness, find their home.
I recommend 100%

[Ky Webber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore it 10,000%

Gosh I love this series! I love all of Carriger’s many books and this is another delight. Do yourself a favour and jump on in for the finest of fond found families.
(Spoiler below)


Please write Meimei and Luckie their own novel! I’d take a novella, too, dear G.C.!

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Light and fluffy page turner. With explicit bits so if you’re a Gail Carriger fan trying to decide if you’ll like this urban fantasy series too step away and go read Legends and Lattes instead if you’re looking for a new light read that doesn’t have nc-17 scenes.

[emily curtis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable story that is well written with likeable characters and good world building. The narration is very good as well.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another great read in this series and I seriously loved Sato.

and I loved that we got to see all of the characters from the previous books. that was so fitting for this one.

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been waiting what seems like years for this (having tinkered starsong helped), and this was very different to what I’d imagined (but significantly better of course). Minor quibble about Trick’s handwriting which goes from excellent on the menu board to poor on the scone label.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked Trick’s story, even though I was expecting a different love interest, and a different narrator. Darcy Stark did a good job though and I liked Sato. It was good seeing Trick’s past and there is more humour in this book and less danger (but still some action)

[Kaje Harper · Rating 4 out of 5]

We met Trick, the otter shifter, in the previous book in the series. I did a reread of the series before this one (not a hardship) and was glad, given the largeish cast of characters by now (as Alec is building his pack by wide acceptance of everyone around, and force of character.)

I admit, I was expecting (not having read the blurb with a favorite author) to see Trick matched up with our reticent police bear shifter, but instead we meet Sato - a merman like Marvin (the Alpha-mate) but different in that he's a warrior and not infertile. However Sato, like all male offspring of mermaids, was sent to his father to grow up among humans after the age of 10, and in that sudden ripping away of all he knew, to be placed with a man who'd given any affection he was capable of to the mermaid he'd never see again, Sato was desperately lonely. Enter young Patrick (Trick) - a friendly, irrepressible, affectionate boy next door, and Sato was hooked. From then on, there was no one for him except Patrick.

But Sato's warrior nature meant he was called home to the sea, no refusal possible. The two young men lost each other, between Sato's call, and Trick's desperate escape from his childhood home. After all this time, there is a lot of loss and fear and distrust built up between them. Unpacking what happened isn't easy.

It's a bit tempting to be annoyed with Trick, once he realizes what happened in the past. But that would be unfair, because trauma digs in deep claws that can't be easily pulled by logic. I felt for him and for bewildered Sato. I considered tagging this ace-spectrum, and might have tagged it neuroatypical, except this is more about species. Sato only wants Patrick and is confused about wider emotional relationships, but this may be a feature of Mermen, more of fated mates than of demisexuality.

There is a fair bit of humor mixed in this series, and this book is no exception (with mermaids who don't understand human culture well, in town for a marine conference.) There is also some angst, and less sex than the prior novels. That was fitting, given the two main characters. I liked the resolution, I do adore Alec and Marvin, and I would read another if our poor closeted, self-confused bear might get his book.

[Emilie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating should be more like 4 1/2, I guess. It would have been a shorter book without all those flashbacks. Sato is a merman, like Marvin, except that Sato is a warrior type. He's spent ten years searching for his lost love, Patrick. Trick, as he's now known, has missed Sato for those ten years, but made a life for himself. Trick is an otter shifter, or dratsie, and a barista. He'd been living in his car before the San Andreas Pack adopted him.

Sato became a fighter in order to protect Patrick, but some years after losing Patrick, has become a bodyguard to his sister, MeyMey. He's with a pod of a dozen mermaids including MeyMey, a.k.a. the Paralia (sp?), now a young matriarch of the sea, who have come to shore to attend a marine biology conference. The mermaids aren't in danger per se, but Sato keeps an eye on his sister. Sato comes to land when he can to look for Patrick, but hadn't had any luck.

Alec, the Alpha of the San Andreas werewolf pack and a marine biologist, is dealing with the mermaids and Sato. I reread the previous books once again, though I remembered "Marine Biology" quite well, and a lot of The Sumage Solution. Alec's mate, Marvin the merman, understands mer-culture and can advise, but isn't a fighter. For backup, Alec has his Beta brother Bryan and "brother-in-law" Max, who is a mage. Also, their friend Ms. Trickle is head of the department that handles shapeshifter residents and visitors, and a powerful water-creature herself, a kelpie.

I'd been waiting to read this, because I was interested in Trick, who was introduced in book 3 of the series. Both Trick and Sato have sad backgrounds, except in their friendship and then mating-type relationship with each other. Patrick had to flee his criminal family, and Sato didn't have love as a child, except for that friendship. They're both kind of broken, but there's more hope for them once they have a proper reunion in the present day and look to the future.

[Kirstine Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is about Trick, the delightful little otter shifter (and Max's favorite barista) the pack recently adopted. We already knew he ran from his criminal family as a teen, but now it turns out that he's also been running from the painful memories of the childhood friend and lover who abandoned him.

It is also about Sato the merman. As a kid he was dumped at his human sire's doorstep, and had just moved into this strange box on land, when a wide eyed child from the shitty house next door decided they were going to be friends. And so they were, for many years, until life got in both their ways.

They stayed that way for longer than they usually did. Swimming together, avoiding mankind, the otter and the merman, both of whom had run out of time, neither of whom was ready to grow up.

Unlike the other books, this one has a lot of flashbacks, but not the annoying kid that muddles everything. They make sense, and it is very satisfying when everything finally comes together.

There is a lot of tenderness here, but also cozy pack life, a pod of mermaids who want to attend a marine biology conference on dry land, and the long suffering pack of werewolves who try and wrangle them. Marvin the alpha-mate (and a merman himself) taking twelve chaotic mermaids thrifting for conference attire had me laughing so much I cried.

Oh, oh, and at the conference, one of the mermaids pisses off a mantis shrimp so much that it breaks out of its tank. Also, try and imagine how a few of the mermaids, who are rarely on land, handle high heels.

All ended up well, of course, but I was confused about Trick's family: I spent a lot of time worrying that his scary, shady family were going to pop up again - he had after all left with some valuable "product" of theirs, and had been running and hiding for years. I can't tell if If I'm annoyed or just relieved that they didn't, but it seemed odd.

[Kate Berry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was annoyed and disappointed that the love interest for Trick wasn't Kettil considering it said multiple places in the previous book that it was going to be Trick and Kettil's story. Clearly when the author tried to write it that way, the characters didn't cooperate but I would have expected there to have been an authors note somewhere about it bc it really felt like a bait and switch.

I don't think I would have been as disappointed over all if the replacement love interest wasn't terrible. I was looking forward to a grumpy/sunshine dynamic and was ok that the grump wasn't going to be Kettil but then we got Sato instead and he has no character development arc and basically no personality and the relationship between him and Trick seems incredibly unhealthy in a "you're the only thing that matters and I am revolving my life around you and have no other interests but you" way. plus the main issue between them was a dumb miscommunication trope. if we had to have childhood sweethearts torn apart, I wanted it to be better than this. The way it was talked up, it sounded like Trick waited for years and Sato didn't show and then Trick had to go on the run and then come to find out it was a matter of weeks. Also - the story of Trick liberating some victims of child trafficking sounded way more interesting. I would have much preferred the story where it was Trick's family coming back to haunt him than weird mermaid fertility issues that were laughably easy to solve.
Considering how much i love most of the author's other works, this was just epically disappointing in comparison.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sato is the rarest of his race, a rejected child of the sea who turned out to be valuable to his people after all, and is desperate to find Trick again when he finally gets free. Who else will ever understand and love him for himself? Trick is sparkly and cute, an adorable barista with all the charm and attitude you'd expect from an otter shape shifter, but his sparkle is getting brittle, a defense mechanism after all he's been through since Sato left.

The book alternates successfully between scenes from the past and present, as both characters are drawn closer and closer to each other and we realize how desperate they are. The supporting cast includes a pod of mermaids who are hilariously awkward in an incredibly plausible fish-out-of-water way. Also back are the delightfully varied pack of werewolves and accumulated found family. Carriger writes just enough about these characters to let a reader new to the series enjoy the current story, and to remind readers of the whole series who was who. An impressive balance when others would spend ages in awkward recap land!

This book has enough sass and wit to keep any reader engaged, and enough heart that you come out of the experience determined to appreciate the people around you, whether romantic partners or found family, and think hard about sharing your home with any teen who needs it.

[Elizabeth D]

Alas, DNF at chapter 4. I realised I was low-key dreading reading more of this and decided to give it a pass. I reread the first three books to be ready for this one, and I was excited for Trick’s book. The previous booked seemed to clearly set up a likely couple, so I was immediately surprised to be introduced to a new character here instead. Okay, got to recalibrate. (If this is a love triangle, it’s one of my least favourite tropes.) This book is also non-linear with lots of flashbacks. I much prefer linear books, and I realised I had no interest in a big, slow build to the couple breaking up so that they can have their second chance.

Also, the matrilineal, matriarchal society of merpeople that was hinted at not being great in the prequel is on full display as being totally toxic and as bad/worse as a terrible patriarchal society. I don’t need more terribly unjust societies right now, thanks. Although it likely improves later in the book, I had trouble empathising with Sato, and a vicious, violent, unemotional MC doesn’t interest me. I’ll just keep imagining an affectionate San Andreas pack and trust that Trick gets his HEA without me needing to witness it.

Life’s short, so I’m letting this go.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

The latest book in the Shifterverse that started once upon a book with Soulless. The San Andreas series takes place in modern day San Francisco Bay Area and are standalone novels. This one focuses on Trick, an otter shifter, and his love interest Sato, a merman. It can be read as a standalone but I think it’s more fun when you have read the whole series and the other characters are established in your head with their own story lines. I think it will make more sense.

This book is less dialogue and heat, and more introspection and inner monologue. It’s told from both main characters’ perspectives, switching within the chapters.

I loved that Gail Carriger dared to step away from a werewolf mc in a werewolf series and focused on these two newer types of shifters. Newer to the readers, both species are old. Trick was introduced in the Enforcer Enigma and his adoption into the pack. His story continues here.

It’s a slow burn telling the backstory in flashbacks while the present is the mermaids wanting to attend a marine biology conference. Mermaids on land are sexy and absolutely hilarious as they are very clueless but have a massive superiority complex. Sato is part of that mermaid pod as the bodyguard of their leader who happens to be his sister.

Gail Carriger succeeds once again in unique world building, characterization, and story line. The destiny of mermen, merboys?, is quite heartbreaking and as always there is so much depth and vulnerability to the characters and their struggles. Trick and Sato knew each other as kids but will they be able to reconnect as adults?

[Lila · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're like the me, the most difficult thing about this book is that Gail Carriger is a very good writer. So when her characters are put into difficult emotional situations, we definitely feel it. And this book (as with the others in this series) is emotionally intense.

The narrative POV does switch back and forth - and we can tell by the way the writing changes that it is a different character. I love that! Different words, different perspectives. Different cultures. Gail does a very good job with letting "others" be other.

And, naturally, there were some laugh out loud moments. Especially at the end.

And though the big "blow up" scene was really frustrating to me, when the book was through (and I was less emotionally invested), each set of actions was in character for both, well, characters. So, well done!

Other content information:
• Gently descriptive MM sex
• Great chapter titles!
* Shifters and merfold and fae, oh my!
* possible triggers of being treated as inferior and/or less than a "real" or valued being

[ERW · Rating 4 out of 5]

I struggled a lot with what to rate this book.

On one hand, I love this author and her writing, especially her skill with dialogue. I also love the larger world of the San Andreas pack and their fabulously gay found family vibe. I also really enjoyed Trick as a character in the last book and was excited to see him in this one.

However, I feel like the flashback-heavy, and largely internal monologue format of the book did Trick and his story no favors. (Full disclosure, second chance, flashback heavy, and lots of internal monologue vs. dialogue are not my thing in general, so I was out of my comfort bubble.) I feel like we spent so long waiting for them to actually meet again that everything was over too fast once they did. Also there was a sad lack of detailed spicy scenes. I definitely missed those.

And while I ended up binging the book and enjoying the story, I can’t help but wonder what a slightly more raw and angsty “Trick was worth coming out for” story would have been like. I guess I will have to fan fiction that one.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

MM paranormal romance in this author's wolf shifter series. The otter shifter barista names Trick, whom we met earlier, has a merman lover named Sato, who has lost contact with his lover he knew as Patrick.
The merman is now guarding his sister Mey's mermaid pod, and they want to go to a marine biology conference in the San Francisco Bay area, coincidentally where Trick is now living. Sato comes along in the hope of finding Patrick.
Trick lives with the werewolf pack, who rescued him from having to sleep in his car. When the two lovers finally reunite, Trick is terrified that Sato will disappear again, and the werewolves play mediator.
I did not love the format of constantly bouncing between the past and the present as a tool to catch the reader up to the situation. Just when things became interesting, there was another time and location shift.
As well, I skimmed some parts that I felt were too wordy, or not relevant to the love story.
Typos: Sentence fragments, sentences that made no sense, collections of words with incorrect and missing punctuation to form "sentences," and "stoney" for "stony" (although this may have been intentional).

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful addition to the San Andreas Shifters series! In addition to being delightful and cozy, on a personal note, I think I related more to Trick as a character than I ever have before to a character in this series. Those of us who are charming and witty and socially adept aren’t typically seen as having hidden depths, but often we use our social graces (unbeknownst to others) as a cover / protective defense mechanism. This is not something I see portrayed often in fiction - usually it’s the introverts and the shy ones who are shown as having hidden depths, not the extroverts who are great at socializing and being shiny and sparkly and fun to be around. I found the author’s portrayal of this phenomenon to be insightful and validating of my own experience.

Plus, I love Trick and it was such a treat to get to read about him more and to see him get his happy ending.

[Shawna M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m a bit torn on how to rate this one. It annoyed me for the first half. Too quippy and frenetic. And one particular bit regarding viral photos/video that had me screaming in frustration. It did leave me warm and glowing in the end, though. I do wish these books went a little deeper with characterization. There are so many characters, and they seem to fall into either stoic and silent or loud and flamboyant. They blur together a bit, for me. Ultimately, it’s a silly little romance with shifter shenanigans. A good enough time if you are looking for a bit of fluff. Personally, I don’t think I quite get what I’m after with these books. These books are fast paced, and I want to linger in the emotions more. I’ve realized that I like “being together” stories more than “getting together” stories.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my heart... We all thought we knew where Trick's story was going, but it took a big ol' turn in this book, and it's going to take me a while to recover. Trick and Sato have so many obstacles to overcome, and their pasts aren't doing them any favors. The flashbacks when they were apart were a bit difficult to get through, Carriger's language a bit denser than I'm used to. I absolutely understand the need to flesh out their history and motivations, but the first part of the book dragged as a result. When Trick and Sato are reunited in Sausalito, the pace picked up as did my enjoyment. All in all, it was very satisfying - especially visiting the San Andreas pack and Ms. Trickle - and I hope we get more books in the series. I'm especially rooting for MeyMey and Dr. Luckie.