I've been a fan of Seanan McGuire for quite some time, and when I learned she was doing a new urban fantasy series, I was tremendously excited. I had already read and loved her October Daye series, but I admit that it does have its moments of being really flipping dark, so I was looking forward to a lighter series. Plus, there are monsters!
The first book in the series, Discount Armageddon, introduces the family of Prices, who are cryptozoologists that make it their mission to study and, when they need to, protect cryptids, which are essentially the stuff of myths and legends. Sasquatches, dragons, gorgons, etc. - all of them exist, and most of them have integrated into society, though in hiding.
The main character of the books changes throughout the series - we start with
Verity, then move on to her brother Alex. There are several short stories available for free on Seanan's website, and they give a better sense of background for the family as a whole, as well as the society in which they grew up.
I'm not saying that everything is peaches and roses for everyone - there are several heartbreaking moments that come up, and it's to Seanan's credit that you care about the characters, even when they only appear in a short story. The novels tend to be a little lighter than the short stories, but they all build a rich world and characters that are worth investing in.
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