Monster Blood Tattoo

[cathschaffstump]

And now, in my ongoing pursuit to spam you today, here’s my third post this morning.

I finished the second book in the series of Monster Blood Tattoo books last night: this one Lamplighter. One the most promising areas of fantastic writing currently seems to be the blending of historical literature with fantastic elements, and Lamplighter does this with the precision of a planned military campaign. Apparently writer D.M. Cornish spent the last fifteen years creating the universe these books take place in. The books are rich in detail as well as characterization.

Of course, a book is only as good as its main characters. The protagonist of the books, a young foundling named Rossamund Bookchild is set into the world with Dickensian like prologue. Rosamund enters the service of the lamplighters, but on his way to his apprenticeship has several wayward adventures he survives through courage, luck, and ability. The world around him is populated by colorful and classical characters, echoing the societies of Austen’s world, or Forester’s Hornblower. There are rules, roles, and classes.

There are also monsters. Rossamund finds himself questioning the blanket morality that all monsters are bad and deserve killing. These complicated moral issues interweave the action, adventure, and backdrop.

I can’t recommend the book highly enough. Books like this are a fresh breath of air in the YA and MG market, where we tend to clone what’s selling as an industry. It treats all its readers to morally complex issues, yet maintains a simplicity toward what is heroic and what is not. I hope you will all scurry out and and buy Foundling. Foundling is a fine book, but remember–you need to get to Lamplighter, where both Rossamund and the world come into their own.

Catherine

Originally published at Writer Tamago. You can comment here or there.

Comments

[brian-ohio.livejournal.com]

I've picked this book up in the bookstore, but never purchased. I think I will now. Thanks.

[kizmet-42.livejournal.com]

I love your spam.

I have a 12 year old daughter who is a very reluctant reader. She liked the Spyderwick Chronicles (she listened, not read) and in general, seems to like fantasy rather than contemporary fiction. Would you recommend this series to her?

[cathschaffstump.livejournal.com]

It's a very thick book. If you're daughter loves layers and detail, she'll be okay. If not, I recommend it as exactly the kind of book parents and kids could plunge into together.

There are good female role models in the books.

Catherine

[kizmet-42.livejournal.com]

Ok, then that's not the book to draw her into reading. We'll get it on cd if she thinks it looks interesting.

Right now, anything over 100 pages is "tooooooooooo long." I don't know how to deal with someone who thinks of reading as a chore.

[krysta-3.livejournal.com]

Ooh! Those books sound awesome! I'm a library assistant in a middle school library and that sounds like just the sort of book I'd like to see on our shelves.

As to the comment above pertaining to book thickness, kids are really starting to get into thicker books lately. Thank you J.K. Rowling and Christopher Paolini for helping kids conquer their fear of thick reads.

Thanks for the great titles! I'm passing this on to our librarian.

[cathschaffstump.livejournal.com]

The first book isn't too bad--around 300 pages.

The second book is a cool 600.

With awesome illustrations and appendices too.

Catherine

[thebluelady.livejournal.com]

I was lucky enough to get a leak of the first book at comic con 2007. I just recieved this one in the mail a few days ago and can;t wait to launch into it.

[cathschaffstump.livejournal.com]

That's exactly where I received Foundling as well.

Catherine