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InCryptid #3.4
Waking Up In Vegas
Where does a journeyman cryptozoologist-slash-professional ballroom dancer take her former enemy and current boyfriend for the last stop on their continent-spanning road trip adventure?
Vegas, naturally.
When Verity Price and Dominic De Luca roll into Las Vegas, Nevada, what should have been an easy end to their working vacation quickly turns into something a lot more complicated, and a lot more important, since without the efforts of a family friend, Dominic may not be able to stay with Verity for much longer.
They're almost home. Now it's time to see if they can't beat the house odds and make it the rest of the way before things finally decide to start going horribly wrong.
Vegas, naturally.
When Verity Price and Dominic De Luca roll into Las Vegas, Nevada, what should have been an easy end to their working vacation quickly turns into something a lot more complicated, and a lot more important, since without the efforts of a family friend, Dominic may not be able to stay with Verity for much longer.
They're almost home. Now it's time to see if they can't beat the house odds and make it the rest of the way before things finally decide to start going horribly wrong.
43 pages, ebook
First published May 24, 2016
4 people are currently reading
733 people want to read
About the author
Seanan McGuire
521 books17.2k followersHi! I'm Seanan McGuire, author of the Toby Daye series (Rosemary and Rue, A Local Habitation, An Artificial Night, Late Eclipses), as well as a lot of other things. I'm also Mira Grant (www.miragrant.com), author of Feed and Deadline.
Born and raised in Northern California, I fear weather and am remarkably laid-back about rattlesnakes. I watch too many horror movies, read too many comic books, and share my house with two monsters in feline form, Lilly and Alice (Siamese and Maine Coon).
I do not check this inbox. Please don't send me messages through Goodreads; they won't be answered. I don't want to have to delete this account. :(
Born and raised in Northern California, I fear weather and am remarkably laid-back about rattlesnakes. I watch too many horror movies, read too many comic books, and share my house with two monsters in feline form, Lilly and Alice (Siamese and Maine Coon).
I do not check this inbox. Please don't send me messages through Goodreads; they won't be answered. I don't want to have to delete this account. :(
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
January 3, 2017
I have absolutely loved this journey through the (many) short stories that are a part of the InCryptid world...and I'm a little sad to see them end.
This was a great book, and one where I'm not sure I could have been so nice at the end of it as Verity was. Those assholes deserved worse for what they tried to do.
But my love for Dominic is firmly cemented, and now I can't wait to start Chaos Choreography tomorrow with BBB UF Buddy Read Wednesday group.
This was a great book, and one where I'm not sure I could have been so nice at the end of it as Verity was. Those assholes deserved worse for what they tried to do.
But my love for Dominic is firmly cemented, and now I can't wait to start Chaos Choreography tomorrow with BBB UF Buddy Read Wednesday group.
December 9, 2016
Before Verity takes Dominic home to meet her parents they have one last stop to make. They've already faked Dominic's death but that will come to nothing if they don't set him up with a brand new identity so that the Covenant can't track him down later.
There is nobody better at creating new identities than her Uncle Al and since he's based in Las Vegas it is also the perfect opportunity for the couple (and the Aeslin mice!) to let their hair down and have a little fun. Of course gambling and drinking aren't the only things Vegas is known for so it could also be the perfect place for Verity and Dominic to tie the knot but first they have to survive the nightlife unscathed.
I will never get enough of this world and this story gives us another sneak peek into Verity and Dominic's cross country road trip. It's good to see them getting to spend time together as a couple and the Aeslin mice also get a chance to shine as they make the most of their access to room service and cable TV.
There is nobody better at creating new identities than her Uncle Al and since he's based in Las Vegas it is also the perfect opportunity for the couple (and the Aeslin mice!) to let their hair down and have a little fun. Of course gambling and drinking aren't the only things Vegas is known for so it could also be the perfect place for Verity and Dominic to tie the knot but first they have to survive the nightlife unscathed.
I will never get enough of this world and this story gives us another sneak peek into Verity and Dominic's cross country road trip. It's good to see them getting to spend time together as a couple and the Aeslin mice also get a chance to shine as they make the most of their access to room service and cable TV.
February 1, 2017
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
Verity is trying to bring her boyfriend Dominic home without her parents killing her. For her, this plan involves getting secretly married by Elvis.
In the mean time, a sinister plot is taking place featuring the Aeslin mice, still my favourites in the series.
Verity is trying to bring her boyfriend Dominic home without her parents killing her. For her, this plan involves getting secretly married by Elvis.
In the mean time, a sinister plot is taking place featuring the Aeslin mice, still my favourites in the series.
January 28, 2025
Nice! I really hope their homecoming isn't too explosive. And, as always, I love the mice!
December 31, 2020
Verity and Dominic have made it to Vegas and it's time for wedding bells...or at least for an Elvis impersonator. The Aeslin mice rejoice to have an entire casino to hunt in but they aren't the only cryptids or cryptid hunters in Vegas. Not by a long shot...
Still super cute and a reminder of what a badass verity is.
Still super cute and a reminder of what a badass verity is.
January 8, 2017
Not even getting married can be easy for Verity and Dominic. I did love how Al showed that he cared.
January 20, 2017
Awwwww!! I was so awesome! And funny! And cute! And the ending gave me the warm fuzzies!!!!!
August 17, 2023
Waking Up In Vegas is set within the InCryptid universe (by Seanan McGuire). This particular story follows Verity Price and the events of book three. In short, she and her new partner are making their way back home – but still have many adventures to go before that happens.
Okay, this is a story to read if you a.) want to see more of Verity and Dominic and b.) you love the Aeslin mice. It's a lot of fun, but it also helps remind readers of the rarity that travels with the Price family members.
Okay, there's also the whole romantic subplot for Verity and Dominic. Fans of the series already know where their relationship went, but knowing and seeing it are two different things. I hope we get more shorts about their side of the family.
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Okay, this is a story to read if you a.) want to see more of Verity and Dominic and b.) you love the Aeslin mice. It's a lot of fun, but it also helps remind readers of the rarity that travels with the Price family members.
Okay, there's also the whole romantic subplot for Verity and Dominic. Fans of the series already know where their relationship went, but knowing and seeing it are two different things. I hope we get more shorts about their side of the family.
You Can Also Find Me On:
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy
June 8, 2017
5 stars
Nice to see that Verity and Dominic made it to Las Vegas. Also happy that Dominic got a new identity. Wonder when the Covenant will be coming.
Can't wait to read more stories featuring Verity and Dominic!!!!
Nice to see that Verity and Dominic made it to Las Vegas. Also happy that Dominic got a new identity. Wonder when the Covenant will be coming.
Can't wait to read more stories featuring Verity and Dominic!!!!
June 25, 2017
Another amazing short story! So cute, and amazing and yeah, loved it so much! Need to read more!
July 12, 2021
Meet the family
I will begin by explaining what I'm reviewing here. Seanan McGuire has written a lot of short stories in The Incryptid Series. You can find a couple dozen of the older ones listed on the Incryptid Short Stories page on her web site. (Note, she has also published many stories through her Patreon site. They are not listed on the the Incryptid Short Stories page on her website, although many of them are listed in her bibliography.)
The stories are divided into groups, which can be divided into two supergoups: those that occur before Half-Off Ragnarok, and those that occur after. The first supergroup mostly concerns the early backstory of the Healy/Price family in the USA. The post-Half-Off Ragnarok stories are about the present-day (more or less -- 21st century) Prices and cryptids. It is this second group that I'm reviewing here. BE WARNED: spoilers for Half-Off Ragnarok follow.
These are the stories in question:
Verity Price and Dominic De Luca:
The Ghosts of Bourbon Street, free download from McGuire's web site
Snake in the Glass, free download from McGuire's web site
Swamp Bromeliad, free download from McGuire's web site
Waking Up In Vegas, free download from McGuire's web site
Antimony Price:
Blocked, free download from McGuire's web site
Bad Dream Girl, in the Anthology Glitter & Mayhem
Jammed, in the Anthology Games Creatures Play
Survival Horror, in the Anthology Press Start to Play
Sarah Zellaby and Arthur Harrington
IM, free download from McGuire's web site
Istas and Ryan
Red as Snow, in Anthology Hex in the City
Black as Blood, free download from McGuire's web site
White as a Raven's Wing, free download from McGuire's web site
Eliza
Balance, in Anthology Urban Enemies
The Verity and Dominic stories all take place after Half-Off Ragnarok and reflect the state of things as they were left at the end of that book. Half-Off Ragnarok had two main consequences for the future of the Incryptid world: Dominic De Luca is now irrevocably committed to Verity and severed from the Covenant. In fact, the Covenant believes he is dead, thanks to the extraordinary efforts of Sarah, who damaged herself modifying the memories of the participants in Half-Off Ragnarok. So, there are the promised spoilers: Verity and Dominic are now a couple (this will come as a surprise to precisely no one), and Sarah has hurt herself badly.
Verity and Dominic are driving from New York to Portland in a rented U-Haul truck so that Dominic can be introduced to Verity's family. They are driving because Verity has a colony of Aeslin mice to transport -- not easily accomplished by air. Also, Verity is taking the scenic route, to introduce Dominic to various folks. The first story in this series, The Ghosts of Bourbon Street, is a crossover, in that it also belongs to McGuire's Ghost Road series -- you meet Rose Marshall, the main character of those books. Some other old friends show up: the Carmichael hotel in Chicago, and the Swamp Bromeliad in Buckley Township, Michigan. This series of stories ends as intended, with Verity introducing Dominic to her family in Portland.
Most of the Antimony stories have no obvious relation to the events of Half-Off Ragnarok. One may suppose they occur before that. If you have read the first three Incryptid novels you have sort-of been introduced to Antimony, because she features heavily in Verity's recollections of growing up, as the annoying little sister who excelled in such Price family staple skills as extreme survival, setting traps, and demolition. Now, introduced to Antimony in person, we see that she has complementary memories of Verity and Alex as the older siblings who her parents (in Antimony's view) always seemed to value more than her. Antimony becomes a roller-derby skater in these stories. A word about the anthologies: I read only one non-McGuire story. Several reviewers of Glitter & Mayhem, mentioned the story about the dancing princesses, so I read that on, too. It was OK. Jammed appeared in Games Creatures Play, which appears to be out of print. I couldn't easily get a copy, so I listened to the audiobook version. Survival Horror is in the Anthology Press Start to Play -- I read none of the other stories. The Antimony stores were a fun intro to Antimony, whom I now look forward to encountering in the novels. They also introduce her cousin Elsinor Harrington, whose father is an incubus, making Elsie a succubus.
That brings us to Antimony's other cousin, Elsie's brother Arthur (Artie). We have actually heard quite a bit about Artie in the novels because he and Sarah are hopelessly in love, and Verity also tends to phone Artie when she needs geek skills. IM is really all about whether Sarah is going to recover.
Istas is a kind of fun character. We met her in the Verity Price novels, where she works as a cocktail waitress at the place where Verity works, and fights at Verity's side. She's a sort of werewolf/werebear (as is her main squeeze Ryan). But what's fun about her is her very direct, uncomplicated way of thinking and speaking.
The final story, Balance, is about a cuckoo who, as far as I know, appears nowhere else in the Incryptid world. I didn't enjoy this story as much as the rest.
In summary, these stories are a good way to meet the Price/Harrington families. I give them four stars, except for Balance, which rates only three.
I will begin by explaining what I'm reviewing here. Seanan McGuire has written a lot of short stories in The Incryptid Series. You can find a couple dozen of the older ones listed on the Incryptid Short Stories page on her web site. (Note, she has also published many stories through her Patreon site. They are not listed on the the Incryptid Short Stories page on her website, although many of them are listed in her bibliography.)
The stories are divided into groups, which can be divided into two supergoups: those that occur before Half-Off Ragnarok, and those that occur after. The first supergroup mostly concerns the early backstory of the Healy/Price family in the USA. The post-Half-Off Ragnarok stories are about the present-day (more or less -- 21st century) Prices and cryptids. It is this second group that I'm reviewing here. BE WARNED: spoilers for Half-Off Ragnarok follow.
These are the stories in question:
Verity Price and Dominic De Luca:
The Ghosts of Bourbon Street, free download from McGuire's web site
Snake in the Glass, free download from McGuire's web site
Swamp Bromeliad, free download from McGuire's web site
Waking Up In Vegas, free download from McGuire's web site
Antimony Price:
Blocked, free download from McGuire's web site
Bad Dream Girl, in the Anthology Glitter & Mayhem
Jammed, in the Anthology Games Creatures Play
Survival Horror, in the Anthology Press Start to Play
Sarah Zellaby and Arthur Harrington
IM, free download from McGuire's web site
Istas and Ryan
Red as Snow, in Anthology Hex in the City
Black as Blood, free download from McGuire's web site
White as a Raven's Wing, free download from McGuire's web site
Eliza
Balance, in Anthology Urban Enemies
The Verity and Dominic stories all take place after Half-Off Ragnarok and reflect the state of things as they were left at the end of that book. Half-Off Ragnarok had two main consequences for the future of the Incryptid world: Dominic De Luca is now irrevocably committed to Verity and severed from the Covenant. In fact, the Covenant believes he is dead, thanks to the extraordinary efforts of Sarah, who damaged herself modifying the memories of the participants in Half-Off Ragnarok. So, there are the promised spoilers: Verity and Dominic are now a couple (this will come as a surprise to precisely no one), and Sarah has hurt herself badly.
Verity and Dominic are driving from New York to Portland in a rented U-Haul truck so that Dominic can be introduced to Verity's family. They are driving because Verity has a colony of Aeslin mice to transport -- not easily accomplished by air. Also, Verity is taking the scenic route, to introduce Dominic to various folks. The first story in this series, The Ghosts of Bourbon Street, is a crossover, in that it also belongs to McGuire's Ghost Road series -- you meet Rose Marshall, the main character of those books. Some other old friends show up: the Carmichael hotel in Chicago, and the Swamp Bromeliad in Buckley Township, Michigan. This series of stories ends as intended, with Verity introducing Dominic to her family in Portland.
Most of the Antimony stories have no obvious relation to the events of Half-Off Ragnarok. One may suppose they occur before that. If you have read the first three Incryptid novels you have sort-of been introduced to Antimony, because she features heavily in Verity's recollections of growing up, as the annoying little sister who excelled in such Price family staple skills as extreme survival, setting traps, and demolition. Now, introduced to Antimony in person, we see that she has complementary memories of Verity and Alex as the older siblings who her parents (in Antimony's view) always seemed to value more than her. Antimony becomes a roller-derby skater in these stories. A word about the anthologies: I read only one non-McGuire story. Several reviewers of Glitter & Mayhem, mentioned the story about the dancing princesses, so I read that on, too. It was OK. Jammed appeared in Games Creatures Play, which appears to be out of print. I couldn't easily get a copy, so I listened to the audiobook version. Survival Horror is in the Anthology Press Start to Play -- I read none of the other stories. The Antimony stores were a fun intro to Antimony, whom I now look forward to encountering in the novels. They also introduce her cousin Elsinor Harrington, whose father is an incubus, making Elsie a succubus.
That brings us to Antimony's other cousin, Elsie's brother Arthur (Artie). We have actually heard quite a bit about Artie in the novels because he and Sarah are hopelessly in love, and Verity also tends to phone Artie when she needs geek skills. IM is really all about whether Sarah is going to recover.
Istas is a kind of fun character. We met her in the Verity Price novels, where she works as a cocktail waitress at the place where Verity works, and fights at Verity's side. She's a sort of werewolf/werebear (as is her main squeeze Ryan). But what's fun about her is her very direct, uncomplicated way of thinking and speaking.
The final story, Balance, is about a cuckoo who, as far as I know, appears nowhere else in the Incryptid world. I didn't enjoy this story as much as the rest.
In summary, these stories are a good way to meet the Price/Harrington families. I give them four stars, except for Balance, which rates only three.
June 17, 2016
Oh man I love these Cryptid stories... and yes the Aeslin Mice actually have a bigger role in this one! Verity and Dominic have one last stop on their cross-country road trip... Vegas... and for once it seems like they can let their guard down and have a little fun, well that is until the morning after... so if you've been following the ride you're not going to want to miss this final stop on the journey home!
June 7, 2016
Too short story about Very and Dom stopping in Vegas!
December 9, 2020
Aww. These are good.
March 15, 2018
Oh i so much love this series and in particularity this cast of characters.....i love the fact that those short are not mandatory to understand the main setries but a great fabulous bonus ( most of those being free too)
this is about Dominic and Verity wedding but of course with the Price nothing ever go as planned or in simple kind of way no....
i loved to discover new member of the family ( uncle Al) i just regret that the aeslin mices even if really important don't act a lot ^^
so this is a fabulous bonus instalment
this is about Dominic and Verity wedding but of course with the Price nothing ever go as planned or in simple kind of way no....
i loved to discover new member of the family ( uncle Al) i just regret that the aeslin mices even if really important don't act a lot ^^
so this is a fabulous bonus instalment
November 1, 2025
The fourth of the Verity & Dominic shorts, as they make their slow way from New York to Portland to meet Verity's parents. Longer and with more action than the others, and we finally get to meet the much-mentioned Uncle Al on page. Less contemplative, more active than the other shorts so far, though it still has some feels to it.
May 18, 2018
"Verity is very, very drunk," said Dominic proudly. "I am slightly less drunk."
Verity takes Dominic to Vegas to get married-obviously. First, they need to get his new identity in order and try to stop some slavers from kidnapping the Aeslin mice. Good times all around.
Verity takes Dominic to Vegas to get married-obviously. First, they need to get his new identity in order and try to stop some slavers from kidnapping the Aeslin mice. Good times all around.
May 13, 2019
First things first: searching this to write the review, I wrote it as "Waking Up In Vegans".
That said, it's wedding time for Verity and Dominic, there's action, there's adventure, there's mice. Enjoyable.
That said, it's wedding time for Verity and Dominic, there's action, there's adventure, there's mice. Enjoyable.
August 30, 2018
These Incryptid short stories are some fun!
May 7, 2019
Really liked this one. Verity and the mice are my favorites.
July 25, 2019
I do love a story that centers the mice -- and I enjoyed reading about the cryptid community in Las Vegas. Also, glaives are cool.
August 17, 2019
Lots of fun.
June 30, 2020
I'm just... Kinda mad at Verity on her family's behalf.
January 13, 2021
this was okay. it was just.. kind of too plain? no idea.
May 20, 2023
The end of this one made me tear up and it was just fun besides.
May 9, 2024
Aeslin mice in danger! A cute dress for a wedding! A night in Vegas! A bad ass jinx!
The road trip continues.
The road trip continues.
September 26, 2024
The wedding at last. I need to see the Elvis impressions from the mice!!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
January 11, 2017Another fun little story in the Incryptid universe.
August 27, 2016
Having read the most recent InCryptid novel, I knew how this story would likely end (with Verity and Dominic getting married), but I had no idea how McGuire was going to get her characters to the altar.
This is another fun, short romp in which poor Dominic gets to meet yet more of Verity Price's extended family as they slowly make their way to Portland to meet her parents. This time it's a pawnshop owner named Uncle Al.
I honestly think I'd have been happy with a very tame slice-of-life story that gave us the details of how Dominic's new identity was created and how these two lovebirds finally tied the knot. But of course, it wouldn't be an InCryptid short story without some combat of the life-threatening kind, so there is a bit of that as well. Well written and funny combat as always.
And the Aeslin Mice continue to be adorable.
This is another fun, short romp in which poor Dominic gets to meet yet more of Verity Price's extended family as they slowly make their way to Portland to meet her parents. This time it's a pawnshop owner named Uncle Al.
I honestly think I'd have been happy with a very tame slice-of-life story that gave us the details of how Dominic's new identity was created and how these two lovebirds finally tied the knot. But of course, it wouldn't be an InCryptid short story without some combat of the life-threatening kind, so there is a bit of that as well. Well written and funny combat as always.
And the Aeslin Mice continue to be adorable.
December 5, 2016
Review first published on My Blog.
There is one more thing that Dominic must do in order to stay with Verity, he must become a new person so the Covenant can continue to believe that he is dead. It means giving up his name and identity and there is no one better in the business than Verity's Uncle Al so they are heading to Vegas to get him all setup so maybe they can get married before anything else goes awry.
A fun little tale that seems to wrap up their roadtrip pretty darn nicely. Those Price girls certainly do seem to have a thing for those Covenant boys but it sure seems to work out okay for them.
There is one more thing that Dominic must do in order to stay with Verity, he must become a new person so the Covenant can continue to believe that he is dead. It means giving up his name and identity and there is no one better in the business than Verity's Uncle Al so they are heading to Vegas to get him all setup so maybe they can get married before anything else goes awry.
A fun little tale that seems to wrap up their roadtrip pretty darn nicely. Those Price girls certainly do seem to have a thing for those Covenant boys but it sure seems to work out okay for them.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews