We all know that it’s dangerous to think in terms of black and white. For instance, a person might think that there is no place for monsters on the TV show 24. I am here to say that most definitely, there are a lot of places where monsters would make that show a lot better. For example, imagine a scene where a terrorist is chasing Jack Bauer down a hallway with a huge killer virus bomb when suddenly a monster jumps out and kills the terrorist by breaking him in half and then eats his feet or something. That would be awesome. (Incidentally, I would volunteer for that part, even though the TV show really stresses me out and I need the Diabolical Dr. Francois to watch it with me. I also don’t happen to eat feet, but could pretend for a movie. Maybe they could make special effects feet out of cake or donuts.)
What I’m trying to say is that in real life things are often more complex than we like to think. Even more complex than what Jack is having to deal with every week in sixty minute bites. Sometimes the people you don’t expect to be mean, cruel and devious turn out to be worse than you could imagine. Sometimes authority has to be questioned. Sometimes things aren’t exactly as they may seem.
That is exactly the case with these two books, Foundling and Lamplighter by D.M. Cornish. A third book in the series is expected sometime this year. I was introduced to this series by the excellent book blog, Speculative Fiction Junkie. The books follow the adventures of the unfortunately named Rossamund Bookchild and are definitely the most entertaining young-adult fiction that I’ve read since Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy. I wish that I could get through this review without mentioning Harry Potter, but although these are definitely a lot different, I think it’s safe to say that if you have read all of the Harry Potter books and wish there were more, these books are for you and you should go get one now. Now!
Like the Phillip Pullman and J. K. Rowling novels, the protagonist of these two books is an orphan. The orphan, Rossamund, lives in a world of magic and strange technology. The world that Cornish has imagined is amazingly complete and compelling. The world of Rossamund is inhabited by monsters of all shapes and sizes. Mankind is at war with the monsters, and any people who are found to be friendly with monsters are hanged for the crime. Our young hero Rossamund is earnest to a fault and loves to read pamphlets detailing the adventures of sailors. He dreams of a life of adventure sailing the seas, but as an orphan, his choices are limited. Eventually he is chosen to become a Lamplighter.
Lamplighters tend the lamps that run between towns throughout the empire. They are a cross between public servant and anti-monster military force. In Foundling, we follow Rossamund on his way to join the Lamplighters. He gets mislaid and has a great adventure finding his way into and out of trouble. Along the way he meets a fascinating woman named Europe who is a monster-killing mercenary. He also meets and finds himself forced to make friends with a monster.
If in Foundling it becomes obvious that not all monsters are bad and not all humans are to be trusted, the theme is expanded upon in the second book, Lamplighter. In a nutshell, Lamplighter follows Rossamund and a rather willful girl Threnody as they are trained to be Lamplighters and assigned to their first post. As could be expected in a sequel, characters from the first book make an appearance in this one. This book is so suspenseful that I could barely contain myself while reading the last fifty pages. The ending is shocking and leaves the reader with more questions than answers.
A few last details: The books are beautifully illustrated by the author and have their own jargon and language. I takes a little while to get used to the language, but once you do, it’s smooth sailing. It also must be noted that the books are amazingly imaginative and well-written. While they are marketed for young adults, they will certainly appeal to adults who enjoy fantasy and adventure. Here is the official site.
Creepy Factor: 4 out of 5
Suspense Factor: 5 out of 5
Weird Erotic Tension Factor: 1 out of 5 (I’m giving one star for mild romantic tension)
Funny and/or Strange Factor: 4 out of 5
Final result: Great adventure, mean monsters, deep characterizations, friendly monsters, cool illustrations, hard lessons, strange monsters, and enormous suspense all in one place. The second book is rather long but you’ll never notice it. I love these books and can’t wait to read the next one! (P.S. I don’t usually get into author blogs, but D.M. Cornish’s is here.)
Foundling by D.M. Cornish – Speak – 2007
Lamplighter by D.M. Cornish – Putnam – 2008
Get Foundling on Amazon
Get Lamplighter on Amazon
Thanks for reading another one of my book reviews. See you next time!
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Thanks for the shout out, and I’m really glad you enjoyed these books as much as I did. I really can’t say enough good things about them.
Can I just say ‘ooooooh’ and ‘drooool.’ These books sound fantastic. Love the sound of them and your enthusiasm for them is infectious. ‘scuse me – I have a wishlist to update.
OMG! I’ve already read the 2nd book so I know enough to not read the 1st but i love this series! When i went on wikipedia it said something about that early this year, D.M. “my-man” made a deal with the Jim Henson Company! I believe he’s thinking of making it into a film! but why the jim henson comp.? I mean, wouldn’t it be cartoonish? it would be more appealing to fans and to oblivious audiences if it was ilm with realistic actors and stunning animation. I really hope this series is a bestseller, otherwise the chance is hopeless. I would prefer if the book was at least as goodly animated as the Golden Compass.