Seanan McGuire - Chaos Choreography

Praise for the InCryptid novels:

The only thing more fun than an October Daye book is an InCryptid book. Swift narrative, charm, great world-building... all the McGuire trademarks.

Charlaine Harris, #1 New York Times bestselling author

[Half-Off Ragnarok is] slightly over-the-top fun, a genuinely entertaining good time, [and] an urban fantasy that, despite the title, isnt about the imminent end of the world.

Tor.com

Seanan McGuires Discount Armageddon is an urban fantasy triple threatsmart and sexy and funny. The Aeslin mice alone are worth the price of the book, so consider a cast of truly original characters, a plot where weird never overwhelms logic, and some serious kickass world-building as a bonus.

Tanya Huff, bestselling author of The Future Falls

It would seem that McGuires imagination is utterly boundless. The world of her InCryptid series is full of unexpected creatures, constant surprises and appealing characters, all crafted with the measured ease of a skilled professional, making the fantastic seem like a wonderful reality. The shifting focus of the series [in Half-Off Ragnarok] to a different member of the engaging and consistently surprising Price family is a resounding success, offering a new look at some well-loved characters and a new world of interesting beasts and mysteries to explore.

RT Book Reviews

Exciting... McGuire creates a sense of wonder and playfulness with her love for mythology and folklore, weaving together numerous manifestations of a single theme. Her enthusiastic and fast-paced style makes this an entertaining page-turner.

Publishers Weekly

While chock full of quality worldbuilding, realistic characters, and a double helping of sass, at its core, Half-Off Ragnarok is a book about judging others according to stereotypes, how nurture can overcome nature, and the importance of family.

The Ranting Dragon

Discount Armageddon is a quick-witted, sharp-edged look at what makes a monster monstrous, and at how closely our urban fantasy protagonists walkor dancethat line. The pacing never lets up, and when the end comes, youre left wanting more. I cant wait for the next book!

C. E. Murphy, author of Raven Calls

DAW Books presents the finest in urban fantasy from Seanan McGuire:

InCryptid Novels

DISCOUNT ARMAGEDDON

MIDNIGHT BLUE-LIGHT SPECIAL

HALF-OFF RAGNAROK

POCKET APOCALYPSE

CHAOS CHOREOGRAPHY

SPARROW HILL ROAD

October Daye Novels

ROSEMARY AND RUE

A LOCAL HABITATION

AN ARTIFICIAL NIGHT

LATE ECLIPSES

ONE SALT SEA

ASHES OF HONOR

CHIMES AT MIDNIGHT

THE WINTER LONG

A RED-ROSE CHAIN

ONCE BROKEN FAITH *

*Available September 2016 from DAW Books

Copyright 2016 by Seanan McGuire.

All Rights Reserved.

Cover art by Aly Fell.

Cover design by G-Force Design.

Interior dingbats created by Tara OShea.

DAW Book Collectors No. 1720.

Published by DAW Books, Inc.

375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014.

All characters and events in this book are fictitious.

Any resemblance to persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal, and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the authors rights is appreciated.

Nearly all the designs and trade names in this book are registered trademarks. All that are still in commercial use are protected by United States and international trademark law.

eBook ISBN: 9781101602423

DAW TRADEMARK REGISTERED

U.S. PAT. AND TM. OFF. AND FOREIGN COUNTRIES

MARCA REGISTRADA

HECHO EN U.S.A.

Version_1

For Will, who has felt the sting of reality television and lived to tell the tale.

Dance or Die
Dramatis Personae:

The Judges:

Adrian Crier, executive producer

Lindy OToole, ballroom expert

Clint Goldfein, choreographer

Our Host:

Brenna Kelly

The Dancers:

Season 1: Reggie (hip-hop, winner), Jessica (contemporary), Poppy (ballroom), and Chaz (jazz).

Season 2: Lyra (jazz, winner), Valerie (ballroom), Anders (tap), and Pax (contemporary).

Season 3: Mac (ballet, winner), Emily (contemporary), Malena (ballroom), and Troy (hip-hop).

Season 4: Lo (ballroom, winner), Ivan (ballroom), Will (contemporary), and Raisa (hip-hop).

Season 5: Graham (contemporary, winner), Danny (ballroom), Leanne (contemporary), and Bobbi (jazz).

Dancer, noun:

1. A person who dances.

Destiny, noun:

1. The inevitable or irresistible course of events.

2. The inescapable future.

3. See also screwed.

Prologue

Children know who theyre meant to become. Its on us to see to it that they live long enough to get there.

Enid Healy

The Dance or Die stage, live finale, Los Angeles, California

Three years ago

W HEN WE TOOK THE ST AGE at the start of this season, twenty dancers stood before you, ready to dazzle you with their talent, strength, and personalities. Were down to two, America: the two dancers you have voted all the way to the end. The shows host, Brenna Kelly, towered over the remaining contestants. She was taller than either of them in her stocking feet, and her fondness for sky-high heels when on stage meant that she currently had almost six inches on Lyra and eight inches on Valerie.

The girls clung to each others hands, heads bowed, as the lights and glitter swirled around them. Standing at the center of the stage was so bright it felt like standing on the sun. Valeries thighs ached so badly she was almost shaking. The live finale had opened with the top four doing a complicated jazz number, and had continued from there, never letting up, never relenting. Shed been allowed to rest when the eliminated dancers returned to the stage to perform the judges favorite routines from the season, but even then, shed been changing costumes, doing warm-up exercises, doing whatever it took to stay limber and ready to go. She couldnt afford to miss a beat. Not now, not even with the votes already cast and the outcome already determined.

The show was called Dance or Die. If she didnt win, there was a good chance that Valerie Pryordancer, redhead, innocent human with no connection to the cryptozoological worldwas going to die, or at least cease to exist as more than a dead link on the shows Wikipedia page. Shed been created as a mask, intended to prove that the woman who wore her was good enough to leave the family business and forge her own future, complicated and difficult as it might be. Valerie had fought her way through auditions, grueling rehearsals, backstage drama, and shed done it all to stand right where she was, breathing in this moment.