4.5 stars 
 This is the start of a new series. I've read book 1 of the Toby Daye series, and also book 1 of the Newsflesh series (written under Mira Grant), and I can truly say that this one is it's own thing. It does have what I've come to expect from McGuire's work - a very creative, well-crafted, and realistic world (and I think that the "realistic" part is of supreme importance when your world is inhabited by talking tribal mice, harpies, and boogeymen). 
 Verity Price is young, living out her dream of a professional ballroom dancing career, and also comes from a long line of cryptozoologists. This means that her family studies and tries to conserve the creatures that are mythology for most "normals": Sasquatch, harpies, boogeymen, gorgons, shifters, even some dragon princesses.Her family has been in hiding for generations, since her great grandparents split with the Covenant - a group dedicated to wiping out "unnatural" creatures. 
 Verity encounters a solo Covenant Hunter, cryptids start vanishing, and there's some weird lizard people in the sewer. And I'm stopping here, because I am not going to spoil anything for you. 
 I had a lot of fun reading this one. I liked the action (Verity has been in training her whole life and has an interest in parkours). I also get Verity. She is young, on her own for the first time. She wants to carve out her own niche, but at the same time she has this family calling. I loved all of the descriptions of the different creatures and how Verity interacts with them. I'm reserving judgement on Dominic, the Covenant Hunter. 
 I also must give a shout out to the Aeslin Mice - talking tribal mice who have been with the Price family for generations. They are very religious, and their ceremonies tend to coincide with events from the Price family history. I am not going to spoil it for you, but I can't be the only one who wants some of these celebrations on a t-shirt. 
 I will definitely be reading the next one.