How to Read Seanan McGuire's InCryptid Series
Step into the thrilling world of InCryptid, where cryptozoologists dance with danger and monsters are just misunderstood neighbors! Seanan McGuire’s urban fantasy series follows the Price family, a quirky clan dedicated to protecting supernatural creatures from humanity—and vice versa. With humor, heart, and a dash of romance, InCryptid has charmed readers and snagged Hugo Award nominations, making it a must-read for fans of fantastical adventures.
Blending the grit of city life with the wonder of hidden creatures, InCryptid offers a fresh take on urban fantasy. From talking mice to dragon princesses, McGuire’s world is a wild ride that celebrates coexistence and conservation. Ready to meet the Prices and their monstrous allies? Let’s dive in!
The Best Starting Point for New Readers
If you are new to the world of cryptozoology, the absolute best place to start is the very first novel, Discount Armageddon. This book introduces Verity Price, a young woman trying to balance her career as a professional ballroom dancer with her family duty to protect Manhattan's secret cryptid population. Through Verity's eyes, you will learn about the Covenant of St. George—a fanatical, ancient order bent on exterminating all non-human species—and meet the delightful Aeslin Mice, a species of hyper-religious talking rodents who worship the Price family as living deities.
While the series rotates through several main characters and point-of-view narrators, starting anywhere other than book one will spoil major character developments, shifts in family dynamics, and the progression of the overarching war against the Covenant.
InCryptid Books in Publication Order
For the primary novels, following the publication order is the most straightforward and highly recommended way to experience the story. It allows you to follow the natural evolution of the universe's lore and witness character transitions smoothly. Here is the publication order of the main novels as of 2026:
- Discount Armageddon (2012) – Narrated by Verity Price
- Midnight Blue-Light Special (2013) – Narrated by Verity Price
- Half-Off Ragnarok (2014) – Narrated by Alex Price
- Pocket Apocalypse (2015) – Narrated by Alex Price
- Chaos Choreography (2016) – Narrated by Verity Price
- Magic for Nothing (2017) – Narrated by Antimony Price
- Tricks for Free (2018) – Narrated by Antimony Price
- That Ain't Witchcraft (2019) – Narrated by Antimony Price
- Imaginary Numbers (2020) – Narrated by Sarah Zellaby
- Calculated Risks (2021) – Narrated by Sarah Zellaby
- Spelunking Through Hell (2022) – Narrated by Alice Price-Healy
- Backpacking Through Bedlam (2023) – Narrated by Alice Price-Healy
- Aftermarket Afterlife (2024) – Narrated by Mary Dunlavy
- Installment Immortality (2025) – Narrated by Mary Dunlavy
- Butterfly Effects (2026) – Narrated by Sarah Zellaby
Understanding the Subseries Arcs
One of the most unique elements of the InCryptid series is its multi-generational structure. The books are grouped into distinct narrative arcs, each focusing on a different member (or close ally) of the Price-Healy family. Knowing who tells each story can help you navigate the shifts in tone and setting:
The Verity Price Arc (Books 1, 2, and 5)
Verity's story is set primarily in New York City. Her books combine fast-paced urban fantasy action with professional ballroom dancing, romantic tension with a former Covenant assassin, and the comedic antics of the Aeslin Mice who reside in her apartment. Her arc establishes the core conflict between the conservationist Prices and the destructive Covenant.
The Alex Price Arc (Books 3 and 4)
Alex, Verity's older brother, is a brilliant cryptoherpetologist. His perspective shifts the series away from city nightlife to biological study. In Half-Off Ragnarok, Alex works at a zoo in Ohio, dealing with petrifying basilisks and navigating romance with Shelby Tanner. In Pocket Apocalypse, he travels to the harsh wilderness of Australia to study werewolf-like cryptids.
The Antimony Price Arc (Books 6, 7, and 8)
Antimony, the youngest of the three Price siblings, takes over the narrative starting with Magic for Nothing. On the run from the Covenant, Antimony's arc is a high-stakes road trip that takes her into a carnival setting, amusement parks, and deep into the secret networks of the cryptid underground. Her books feature a darker, more desperate tone as the Covenant's threat escalates.
The Sarah Zellaby Arcs (Books 9, 10, and 15)
Sarah is a Johansen (frequently referred to as a "cuckoo"), a species of telepathic psychic ambush predators. Raised by the Price family, Sarah struggles to balance her natural predatory instincts with her human-aligned morals. Her books delve deeply into the alien hive-mind of her species, culminating in the 2026 release Butterfly Effects, where she is taken back to her species' hostile home planet to stand trial.
The Alice Price-Healy Arc (Books 11 and 12)
Alice is the grandmother of Verity, Alex, and Antimony. For decades, she was lost in the dangerous dimensions of the multiverse. Her books, beginning with Spelunking Through Hell, trace her journey across inter-dimensional portals to find her lost husband, Thomas Healy, offering a cosmic-scale expansion of the InCryptid universe.
The Mary Dunlavy Arc (Books 13 and 14)
Mary is a Crossroads Ghost who has acted as a loyal friend and babysitter to generations of the Price family. Her books, beginning with Aftermarket Afterlife, explore the afterlife mechanics of the universe, the consequences of the war against the Covenant, and her new role working directly for the living soul of the Earth (the anima mundi).
Chronological Order, Caveats, and the Decimal System
In addition to the main novels, Seanan McGuire is an incredibly prolific writer of short fiction. She uses a precise decimal system to indicate where these short stories and novellas fit chronologically. For example, a short story marked "0.5" takes place before the first book, while "4.5" fits between books four and five.
Many of these stories are available for free on the author's official website or through her Patreon, providing crucial backstory about the ancestors of the Price family (such as the early days of the Covenant rebellion in the 1920s) or checking in on side characters. While hardcore fans love reading the series in strict chronological order—inserting dozens of short stories between the novels—we strongly advise against this for your first read-through. The short stories assume you already understand the mechanics of the world, and starting with them can be overwhelming and disorienting. Stick to the publication order first, then circle back to the decimals to fill in the gaps.