Seanan McGuire (seanan_mcguire) wrote,
Seanan McGuire
seanan_mcguire
  • Mood: ecstatic
  • Music: Counting Crows, "Margery."

The news is in, and...

...it turns out Alex Price is just as popular as his sister!

I am delighted to announce that Half-Off Ragnarok debuted on the New York Times Bestseller List in position #18, a new high for this series. With every book, we inch a little closer to the top ten, and I couldn't be more delighted.

I was very nervous about this book. I announced from the start that InCryptid was going to be a family affair, but it's still hard to switch protagonists, especially when people seem to enjoy the one you already have. I did see some early rumbles from people who were sure that the books wouldn't be any good at all without Verity there to anchor them, and I have been incredibly relieved and delighted to see my readers embrace Alex with open arms.

I love all the members of the Price family, and more, I love the way I can use them to show different things about one another. Verity doesn't see how much her dance career hurts Antimony, who has never been allowed to pursue anything she really loved in the same way, and Antimony doesn't see how much Verity works and sacrifices for the things that seem to come to her so easily. Having both of them onscreen lets me explore both sides of the story. It's wonderful.

Alex has one more book to go, next year's Pocket Apocalypse, and I hope you'll like it just as much as you did this one. Thank you all so, so much.

It's been a lot of fun so far.
Tags: cheese and cake, dino dance party, good things, halfoff ragnarok, incryptid, pocket apocalypse, publishing news
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ironed_orchid

March 23 2014, 02:19:05 UTC 3 years ago

That is excellent news. As well as Alex, I really loved getting to know the Bakers better.

seanan_mcguire

March 23 2014, 05:22:32 UTC 3 years ago

Yay!

jenfullmoon

3 years ago

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ironed_orchid

3 years ago

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anne_d

March 23 2014, 02:22:33 UTC 3 years ago

Huzzah!

seanan_mcguire

March 23 2014, 05:22:43 UTC 3 years ago

Glee.

wrenb

March 23 2014, 02:28:02 UTC 3 years ago

I really enjoyed it and now my husband is devouring it! Having read all the Incryptid short stories I could find I could have used a family tree that went back a little further, but that's a tiny quibble. And one that only exists because I like connecting the dots in my head (eg Frances named the frickens, so how is she related to Alex who studied them?).

seanan_mcguire

March 23 2014, 05:23:59 UTC 3 years ago

The family tree is a constant bone of contention. Right now, what's in the books is only going to be "people and generations who come up actively in the book itself," because there's just not room to go back as far as we need to. I sort of want to put a family tree up on the website, but that creates the same issue as changing the field guide entry on dragon princesses to read just "dragons": where do you draw the line between "accessibility for fans" and "spoilers"?

wrenb

3 years ago

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jenfullmoon

3 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

3 years ago

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capplor

3 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

3 years ago

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ironed_orchid

3 years ago

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ithiliana

March 23 2014, 02:34:13 UTC 3 years ago

I admit to being a bit lip quivery while missing Verity (LOVED "Ghosts of New Orleans"!!!!), but I rapidly fell head over heels in love with Alex and the others--it was fantastic. I inhaled it in one reading and will be re-reading soon.

And YEARN to get to Antimony's story!

seanan_mcguire

March 23 2014, 17:55:58 UTC 3 years ago

Hooray!

bercilakslady

March 23 2014, 02:53:19 UTC 3 years ago

I quite enjoy getting to see the family from many angles. Congratulations on the list!

seanan_mcguire

March 23 2014, 17:56:08 UTC 3 years ago

Thank you!

hms42

March 23 2014, 02:56:03 UTC 3 years ago

Congratulations!!!

seanan_mcguire

March 23 2014, 17:56:16 UTC 3 years ago

Thanks!

adafrog

March 23 2014, 03:05:29 UTC 3 years ago

That's great. :)

seanan_mcguire

March 23 2014, 17:56:24 UTC 3 years ago

Glee.

jw1776

March 23 2014, 03:13:59 UTC 3 years ago

W00t!

seanan_mcguire

March 23 2014, 17:56:31 UTC 3 years ago

Glee.

Deleted comment

seanan_mcguire

March 23 2014, 17:56:47 UTC 3 years ago

Thank you, honey, that means a lot to me.

lazzchan

March 23 2014, 03:49:49 UTC 3 years ago

I have all the utmost love for Alex.

seanan_mcguire

March 23 2014, 17:56:56 UTC 3 years ago

Me, too.

jeleyne

March 23 2014, 03:53:13 UTC 3 years ago

I simply adore Verity so it took me a while to adjust to the new narrative voice. Part of it may be that I didn't know how Alex's voice "sounds" whereas Verity's has always been very clear thanks to hearing you do a reading from the first book way back when. By the time I was halfway through the book, though, I had become quite fond of Alex. Have to confess, though, that much as I love all the members of the Price family we've met so far, my most-favorite characters are the Aeslin mice. We need a book narrated by the mice! Seanan . . . please put that pitchfork down . . .

hvideo

March 23 2014, 11:50:55 UTC 3 years ago

In an earlier book (prior to Alex's voice) I mentioned to Seanan that there had been an excellent opportunity for a chapter with the Aeslin Mice Voice and that while reading the story I had hoped she would switch to that voice. She indicated that she didn't feel comfortable switching voices at that point, with part of it being an uncertainty about how well the next-book voice switch to Alex was going to go. I can understand wishing to avoid whipsawing the readers with too many changes of voices. Still....

Now that it appears her audience is not having much of a problem with the change to Alex's voice, she MIGHT begin to feel she has a bit more freedom there. There's still a problem that the mice might either distract from the protagonist or become too popular and shift the main flow of the narrative (on HAPPY DAYS it was The Fonz - originally supposed to be a minor, seldom used character, he stole the show).

Of course, the readers have a certain liberty to expand on the Aeslin Mice Voice. Perhaps a filksong titled "Aeslin Mice" (to the tune of "Nashville Cats") needs to be written and sprung on Seanan....

seanan_mcguire

3 years ago

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jenfullmoon

3 years ago

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filceolaire

3 years ago

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jenfullmoon

3 years ago

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idancewithlife

March 23 2014, 03:57:11 UTC 3 years ago

Cheese and cake! Congrats!

seanan_mcguire

March 23 2014, 17:58:06 UTC 3 years ago

Thank you!

groblek

March 23 2014, 04:43:17 UTC 3 years ago

Congrats! I'm glad to hear that Alex has been well-received. I certainly enjoyed the new perspective in the universe, and look forward to seeing more of him (and hopefully Shelby too).

seanan_mcguire

March 23 2014, 17:58:15 UTC 3 years ago

Yay. :)

cgbookcat1

March 23 2014, 14:40:29 UTC 3 years ago

Yay! Congratulations!

seanan_mcguire

March 23 2014, 17:58:25 UTC 3 years ago

Thank you!

badgermirlacca

March 23 2014, 15:05:16 UTC 3 years ago

Oh, terrific news! Congratulations!

I have to agree, as much as I love Verity AND Alex AND all the members of the Price clan, the Aeslin mice are my very favorite characters of all. All Hail the High Priestess of Bestsellerdom!

(cgbookcat1, your icon looks *exactly* like my Gretl. But I hope she's less neurotic than Princess-Don't-Touch-Me.)

seanan_mcguire

March 23 2014, 17:58:37 UTC 3 years ago

Thank you!

sleary

March 23 2014, 15:52:37 UTC 3 years ago

YAY, Kermit flail! Because it is important that your publisher continues to like the Prices as much as we do.

seanan_mcguire

March 23 2014, 17:58:48 UTC 3 years ago

Yes!

queenoftheskies

March 23 2014, 17:06:45 UTC 3 years ago

Hooray! I loved the new book as much as the first two.

seanan_mcguire

March 23 2014, 17:58:59 UTC 3 years ago

I'm so glad!

shanejayell

March 23 2014, 17:39:01 UTC 3 years ago

HUrrah! Looking forward to the next one too.

seanan_mcguire

March 23 2014, 17:59:28 UTC 3 years ago

Yay!

ladymurmur

March 23 2014, 18:17:36 UTC 3 years ago

Congratulations!!!

There is -so much- in the InCryptid universe to explore that just one POV can't possibly take it all in. It took a few pages for me to 'hear' Alex's voice instead of Verity's, but after that it was effortless. Somehow Antimony's voice is never a problem for me - that girl has presence like no other!

seanan_mcguire

March 26 2014, 16:02:07 UTC 3 years ago

Annie's special.

reedrover

March 23 2014, 19:10:28 UTC 3 years ago

Congratulations on your continued success with your series. I enjoyed everything so far, and expect to keep introducing more people to the series. You've made it so accessible to people, with smart and funny dialog and plain old interesting characters. Everyone from my Mom to my friends who only read regency romances (not that I'm judging, mind you) are enjoying this series.

Also, I'll say it again: thank you for the shout out to Square One!

seanan_mcguire

March 26 2014, 16:02:22 UTC 3 years ago

I miss that show so much.

filceolaire

March 23 2014, 23:19:24 UTC 3 years ago

It's not on Google play yet though they do have Discount Armageddon and Midnight Blue-Light special. :(

seanan_mcguire

March 26 2014, 16:02:35 UTC 3 years ago

Aw, I'm sorry.

cailleuch

March 24 2014, 01:04:59 UTC 3 years ago

I really loved the book. ALL HAIL NUMBER 18!!!

seanan_mcguire

March 26 2014, 16:02:44 UTC 3 years ago

HAIL!

soundingsea

March 24 2014, 01:42:28 UTC 3 years ago

I loved Half-Off Ragnarok! Alex is his own brand of awesome. :)

seanan_mcguire

March 26 2014, 16:02:54 UTC 3 years ago

He's a special guy.

museclio

March 24 2014, 15:15:34 UTC 3 years ago

I'm a scientist. While I liked Verity, and liked the books, I *loved* Alex.

seanan_mcguire

March 26 2014, 16:03:04 UTC 3 years ago

That is awesome.

triskelmoon

March 24 2014, 16:53:21 UTC 3 years ago

NYT! YAY!

seanan_mcguire

March 26 2014, 16:03:14 UTC 3 years ago

Glee, says I.
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