The Humane Society for Creatures & Cryptids
by Stephanie A. Gillis
The Lambros family has never fit in with the town of Pandora, even from the very beginning. Since their ancestors immigrated from Greece with magical creatures in tow, the townsfolk have never trusted them and that hasn't changed in the centuries since. Now, Melpomene, Calliope, and Thalia struggle to live their every day lives. When new girl, Asha Singh moves to town, everything changes. Thalia, once determined to escape Pandora upon graduation, finds herself growing closer to the heiress of the new resort in town and puts her plans on hold as their relationship develops. All the while, a man has entered the grounds, sent by their mother to help prepare for the newest creature en route to the house. His intentions come into question as he tries to befriend the distrustful Calliope, whose own abilities with the animals seem something out of a fairytale. With their mother missing, Melpomene struggles to keep the house together amidst the changes in the town, the newcomers to their lives, and the impending threat of their secret life being exposed to the community and the world. As the three sisters deal with their own personal problems, the divide between them grows wide when they need to band together the most or else it may end with one of them in the hands of their greatest enemy.
SPFBOX – Our Reviews
John Mauro
The Humane Society for Creatures & Cryptids by Stephanie A. Gillis defied my expectations and delighted me in every way. For some reason I had expected this to be a typical low-stakes cozy fantasy. But I wouldn’t classify this book as cozy fantasy at all—I would describe it as a low fantasy thriller overlaid with plenty of family/relationship drama.
The Humane Society for Creatures & Cryptids is centered on three sisters living in the small Colorado town of Pandora. The Lambros sisters, Melpomene, Calliope, and Thalia, manage a secret shelter for mythical animals, rescuing them from harm and taking good care of them. But the local population scorns the Lambros sisters, viewing them as witches.
Each of the three sisters takes turns with point-of-view duties, as we learn more about their own personal struggles with the family’s unique situation. There is also a fourth perspective coming from Asha, a new girl who moves into Pandora as the daughter of wealthy businesspeople. Asha quickly befriends and falls in love with the youngest Lambros sister, Thalia, to the disapproval of her parents.
I love all four main characters in The Humane Society for Creatures & Cryptids, each of whom is given a unique voice and well-developed persona. Beyond their individual struggles, there are also plenty of mysteries to discover about the family and their history as caretakers of these mythical creatures. The narrative strikes just the right balance between relationship drama and higher-stakes thrills, making it a true page turner for your humble reviewer. Overall, The Humane Society for Creatures & Cryptids is a lot of fun and a delight to read. Highly recommended.
