If you’re puzzling over the title of this rib-tickling, lip-smacking urban fantasy by Jess Simms, here’s the scoop: A “cryptid” is an animal whose existence or survival is disputed or unsubstantiated, such as the yeti. Or in the case of Cryptid Bits, it could also be a werewolf, a vampire, or a chupacabra. A dragon running for the State House of Representatives. The Gorgon Sisters Hair Salon. Or maybe brownies who are on strike for better working conditions in the hospitality industry.
All of these and more show up in Fairy District, the setting for this delightfully fresh and original story. As readers join the narrator for a whirlwind tour of this fair (?) land, they’ll want to buckle up for an eclectic blend of adventure, travelogue, history, music, politics, pop culture and magic. It’s a highly readable and eminently entertaining collection of “around town” stories, observations, events, interviews, ratings, and um… creatures.
You may even find yourself swaying to the crypt metal rhythms of Banshee and the Siouxsies or sampling some homemade goodies at the BAKEAid Festival (proceeds go to assist striking brownies). There’s also sweetbread and haggis. Besides. Cryptid Bits showcases some of the best world-building talent I’ve seen in years, haggis notwithstanding.
Cryptid Bits isn’t a fantasy in the traditional sense, which concentrates on imaginary elements (the fantastic) and may include magic, the supernatural, alternate worlds, superheroes, monsters, fairies, magical creatures, mythological heroes—essentially, anything that an author can imagine outside of reality. Much of that appears in this light and luscious read. But it also offers up side-splitting parodies of current events, pop culture, and politics, to name a few.
Smart and sassy, Cryptid Bits is an eclectic blend of faerie fiction, tongue-in-cheek humor and wry wit. Told with a twinkle, the story is warm, whimsical, and all heart. Example: The dragon’s opponent in his bid for the state house is “George Saint.” Hilarious!
Fans of Harry Potter and/or Percy Jackson will enjoy Cryptid Bits. You may laugh so hard in places, you’ll snort lemonade out your nose (don’t ask how I know that).
So if you want to take a load off and lighten up, then grab a copy of Cryptid Bits. Pour yourself a cuppa. Pull up a chair. Sit down. Put your feet up. Dive into this book. It’s a “Calgon take me away” moment that’ll warm up your funny bone and smooth out those laugh lines. I loved it (except for the haggis)!
My Rating: 4.5.
