Menagerie

August 17, 2015
An alternate world where cryptids (protohuman hybrids) are second-class citizens provides the perfect context for this deftly told dark fantasy, which reflects on what makes humans human. During the horrifying “reaping,” human parents slaughtered a million cryptid children, but some who appeared human were saved. Twenty years later, Oklahoman Delilah Marlow, who was raised as a human, shows a cryptid side that she never knew she had. She’s stripped of her rights and forced to perform as a sideshow attraction in a traveling carnival whose human handlers often act more bestial than their charges. Though Delilah resists her enslavement, she learns from Gallagher, her gruffly sympathetic handler, that she has a major role to play in cryptid culture. As depicted by Vincent, Delilah is magnificent in her defiance of injustice, and the well-wrought background for her world sets the stage for her future adventures in this captivating new fantasy series.

Starred review from September 15, 2015

Delilah had no reason to think she was not an ordinary young woman until she went to Metzger's Menagerie. While her friends stare in fascination at the gryphons, mermaids, and werewolves on display, Delilah notices only the horrible cruelty of the handlers to their charges. Before Delilah knows what is happening, she has transformed into a terrible creature herself and killed one of Metzger's employees. She should have been imprisoned or worse, but the menagerie actually offers to buy and exhibit her. Those with fae or supernatural qualities are no longer considered human after all--denied all protections of law. Soon Delilah will see the worst of humanity, but she will also find allies. VERDICT This is a dark tale of exploited and abused others, expertly told by Vincent (author of urban fantasy series for teens and adults, including the "Shifter" series). The worldbuilding is hinted at with faux-news items inserted between sections rather than drawn in detail, leaving room for further stories in this alternate America where humans and supernatural creatures have a devastating history and an uncertain future.--MM

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2015
This novel begins a dark and moody new series set among circus freaks and cryptids. In Vincent's story, the creatures from various world mythologies are very real. Werewolves, sphinxes, Minotaurs, and many others populate the pages. But the main character, Delilah, is one of the most puzzling, because she lives most of her life convinced she's human. Only when a vicious act sparks her instinctive violent reaction does her true nature reveal itself: she is a most rare cryptid. The response by law enforcement is swift and brutal. She's declared nonhuman, stripped of all rights, and sold as property to a traveling carnival. Over the course of several weeks, she's caged, brutalized, and terrorized. However, with the help of her handler, Gallagher, she also discovers the truth of her nature and gets the chance to blaze a path to aid her fellow cryptids. Delilah is an intelligent protagonist who's easy to root for, especially as so much seems set against her. There is extraordinary injustice in this world. Cryptids are legally property, and they're treated horribly by nearly all humans, enduring a miserable existence only they can understand. Vincent summons bold and vivid imagery with her writing, especially with the otherworldly aspects of the carnival. There are many named characters and many mythologies to catch up on, which slows the pace somewhat. The shifting point of view can be jarring, since Delilah tells her story in the first person, while all the other narrating characters are presented in the third. And while the ending is suitably bombastic, it feels more like a pause before the already-scheduled sequel. Fans of paranormal fiction and of Vincent's previous work (The Stars Never Rise, 2015, etc.) should enjoy the unusual premise of the novel, but the violence throughout may limit its appeal.

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