Working as a janitor at an insane asylum in rural Idaho has Jim in the dumps. One night, his attempted suicide is rudely interrupted by one of the residents, and he’s recruited to play a game called Cryptofauna. The bizarre contest of worldwide mischief and meddling might actually help the blue custodian discover a reason to life, if he can survive the deadly trials that await…“If Alice and … await…
“If Alice and Wonderland and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to The Galaxy had a love child, it’d be Cryptofauna. This fantasy novel creates an acid dream of lovable characters, tense twists, and a storyworld unlike any I’ve experienced. […] it’s a beautiful story, funny at times, ridiculous in the best possible way, intense and action packed.” – Nico Bell Writes
”[…] a very readable fast-paced adventure packed with fantastic and ridiculous invention.” – Ingenious Cat
“Every so often, you come across a book that leaves you wondering if you should be looking into psychedelic drugs, because you realize that your reality is rather limited. This is definitely one of those books. […] one of the strangest, most intriguing things I’ve ever read.” – Songs Wrote my Story
“Cryptofauna is fantastically strange, it’s so funny and I found myself laughing out loud multiple times. But it’s also deep and poignant and [the] attention to detail is superb.” -Rae’s Reading Lounge
more
When Patrick Canning sent me an email asking for a review, I had to jump on it. Cryptofauna sounded too much like David Wong’s John Dies at the End to ignore. I don’t read many black humor books, but I love David Wong, so I was excited to dive in. Now that I’m done I’m honestly, I’m not sure how to rate it. It’s a mind trip that is reminiscent of David Wong’s John Dies At The End, and Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. The black humor was present, but there was one thing that just didn’t sit right with me.
The most unsettling thing about this book is the casual use of racist remarks. I don’t enjoy reading racist or homophobic slurs, and I don’t enjoy having them thrown casually around in a book. It was done to show how uncouth a character was or someone starting a fight, but I found it completely unnecessary. I’m not used to reading the N-word or seeing the F word (the derogatory term for a gay man) or even referring to people solely by their ethnicity. I assume that the author was doing this for shock value and to add to the black humor feel, but it still didn’t sit well with me.
The characters in this book were unique and fun. They are what I enjoyed the most about this book. It was fun to watch them interact, and I loved how quirky and weird they all were. I loved how every character was there for a reason, and I loved seeing how they handled the twists and turns that the plot had.
The plot was exciting but also jumbled. I can’t help but think this might have been a book that should be read instead of listened to. The narrator was good, but with how jumpy and convoluted the plot was, it was hard to follow when just listening. I ended up borrowing the book from the KU library to use as a reference when I got lost. There were times I had to backtrack just to understand what I just read. This book definitely requires your full attention, and even then, you might appreciate it better high.
Patrick Canning gives his readers a cheerful “Have fun!” before shoving us off a cliff into a bizarre world filled with magic, sock obsession, and some wicked humor. Canning’s unique writing style quickly built up this game of Cryptofauna in what should have been an ordinary world. We learn, much like the protagonist Jim, by trial and error as we stretch our imaginations to accommodate Canning’s clever story. In the middle of the second chapter, I was so utterly confused but eventually, it became as clear as a game like Cryptofauna is going to get. This is definitely a character-driven book and Jim’s Mentor is the absolute worst at being a helpful mentor. The side characters are, for the most part, vibrant and charming and we get some important life lessons delivered using a delightful combination of wit, sarcasm, and nuance.
I do wish that we had more interactions with Jim’s Combination. Cryptofauna had a nice ending but I found myself wanting more, whether that be this book being longer or maybe a second book! I would thoroughly enjoy reading biweekly chronicles depicting Jim and Co.’s exploits.
At this point, I’m sure it is clear that I adored this book. I’m not sure I would have discovered this book on my own so I’m thankful that Mr. Canning reached out. Cryptofauna is a twisty, sometimes confusing, but always funny tale with lovable characters that charm their way into readers hearts. I actually picked up a short story collection of Canning’s on KU after reading Cryptofauna and it was just as funny and absurd (review to come later).
**Thank you Patrick Canning for sending me a copy to read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Adventures in game playing …
Canning brings an interesting story in Cryptofauna to the readers. This is the second book of Canning’s that I’ve read, and though I liked the first one, I liked this one better. The story brings the life the characters, not just the main character, Jim, but those he interacts with. The story brings the reader into the life of Jim, and how he feels his life is void. The story takes over and brings Jim (and the reader) into playing the secret game of Cryptofauna, hence the title. It’s a remarkable story and is unpredictable. I look forward to reading more by this author.
I received this book for free. I am voluntarily posting this review and all options expressed herein are my own.
I am a huge fan of this author’s other book “Colonel & the Bee.” This book is completely different. You literally fall down the rabbit hole with Jim and try to figure out what is happening, who is in charge, and what is this game Cryptofauna which Jim has to play. Parts of the book had me chuckling and parts were quite confusing which makes this book a bit hard to review. There were enough parts, some really good humor and characters which I enjoyed to say I liked it overall.
Steve White, the narrator, is fantastic. He used distinctive voices for the characters, had great comic delivery and was so enthusiastic as he narrated.