Customer Reviews

Lamplighter (Monster Blood Tattoo, Book 2)

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

You can like the first book in a new fantasy series. You can love a first book in a new fantasy series. You can compare that book to the works and worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien or Philip Pullman, if you've half a mind to do so. But no matter how much you love a book, when you see that its sequel is a whopping 711 pages long you may find yourself somewhat reluctant to pick it up. I'm a busy reviewer. I get sent a lot of books to read and I'm only able to review a tiny portion of them. If a book is 711 pages long then it better earn my trust. I'd better be sure that there isn't any needless information there. For all its length this had better be one heckuva lean, exciting, entrancing read. So I hefted this tome (there's no other word for it) around with me and found pretty quickly that not only is Lamplighter, the second book in the Monster Blood Tattoo series, good, it happens to be even better than its predecessor. If Cornish tackled the idea of creating an original world and laying down the foundations in his first book, the second speaks to human prejudice, ignorance perpetuated, and maybe even the author's Australian roots in this remarkable middle book in an increasingly multilayered world.

When last we saw of young Rossamund Bookchild he had successfully arrived at Winstermill, the fortress of the lamplighters. The boy is to learn the dangerous job of keeping the Empire's roads lit at all times, despite the omnipresent fear of monsters on all sides. Because he has arrived a little late Rossamund is considered a bit of a laggard by his fellows. His status changes substantially, however, after a young noblewoman by the name of Threnody also arrives to become a lamplighter (the first female ever, perhaps). She and Rossamund strike up an uneasy friendship and good thing too. Dark machinations are afoot at Winstermill. The Master-of-Clerks has taken over in the Lamplighter-Marshal's sudden absence. Rossamund finds a creature of despicable origins in the bowls of the fortress. And suddenly he and Threnody are bundled off to serve their first posts, but in a place as dark and dangerous as any in the Empire. Between parsing his own thoughts on monsters and trying to keep alive, Rossamund soon finds that the strange secrets from the past have a way of coming to light.

Generally the second book/film in any trilogy is going to be your weakest part. What percentage of people can honestly say that The Two Towers is their favorite book or The Empire Strikes Back their favorite Star Wars movie? But Lamplighter is surprisingly strong and engaging for all that it's a stepping stone to a conclusion. Maybe Cornish is helped by the fact that you never quite know where the storyline is headed until you're almost to the end of the book. If Rossamund was a mild sedorner (monster lover) at the end of the first book, he's made leaps and strides in that direction by the finale of the second. True, Lamplighter ends on a very "To Be Continued" note, which I usually despise. But in spite of this cliffhanger the book stands tall on its own two feet. Villains have been fleshed out and identified properly. Heroes are also named, though Rossamund is increasingly anxious over the moral complexities of people like Europe. And he finds himself wondering about his friend Sebastipole, "Could he be what Rossamund considered a good man and still do this? Could a man be wrong for doing what he thought was right?" And on top all of this, the book's theme has been polished and defined.

It took me a little while to realize it, but D.M. Cornish shares much in common with his fellow Australian writers. As I read this book I was reminded of John Marsden's remarkable "picture book" The Rabbits, as illustrated by Shaun Tan. In that book, a group of native animals are colonized violently by an invading species. Now look at the Monster Blood Tattoo books. Cornish has given us a set of assumptions and then turned them slowly on their head. In the first book you acquired Rossamund's own "learned suspicions" as pertaining to the "fact" that all monsters are evil and must be destroyed else they will destroy you. Now in the second book we get a glimpse of the true stakes of the battle. Humans, it seems, have been encroaching on the monsters' land for years. They destroy them regularly, even creating disgusting zombie-like creatures to fight them, and the monsters respond violently to this. As the book continues, you even got a glimpse of how little the humans even know about monsters. Their ideas about monster birth is a kind of spontaneous regeneration involving mud or maybe the buds on trees. These people know so little about their foes that they would rather kill them than learn anything about them, and it has been this way for centuries upon centuries.

You would think that this would mean that Rossamund was destined to do something to end all of this conflict. I'd like to think he could bring monster and man together in peace, but in truth I'm not sure if Cornish is really aiming that high. It seems like it will be enough for him to simply have Rossamund defeat the villains of the piece in the end. Then again, maybe it's all connected. Hard to say. I guess we'll just have to see what Cornish has up his sleeve in the last installment. One thing I will say (and this may be a tad spoilerish so avoid the rest of this paragraph if you care) is that I made a mistake in reviewing Lamplighter's predecessor Foundling. In that review I said something along the lines of "never have I had such a clear sense that a character's parentage is not the point of the series." I might have as well have said, "I believe the next novel in this series will be written with Cheerios rather than words", since that's roundabout how off-base I was with that assumption. It's not immediately apparent at the start, but Rossamund's parentage may be the sticking point on which this entire series hinges.

Second novels have the luxury of getting to begin with an already well-informed bang. Lamplighter begins with excitement, heroism, blood, and women kicking monster-butt. Because the book assumes that you've read Foundling, it brings up multiple references to the occurrences in the previous book. A word to the wise then, do not begin this series with this book. It may be stronger than the first novel, but you need to understand this world completely from the first book to get anything at all out of the second. As for the new characters you meet, they're fun. You can't help but love poor sweet Numps, the seltzerman who is no longer quite right in the head but turns out to be a good friend to Rossamund. Or Threnody, the young noblewoman who wishes to be a lamplighter and who has such a crush on Rossamund that it shows itself in biting remarks, snipes, and a lot of pouting (which he never catches on to, sweet boy). What's more, characters from the previous book are better fleshed out, which is helpful.

As in the second, Lamplighter retains Cornish's ear for a well-turned phrase in his world's particular vernacular. "Move your ashes, scrub!" sounds like a real enough sentence to me. Descriptions too remain sparkling and bright. Cornish isn't afraid to use delightful words in average sentences as with, "A susurrus of deep displeasure stirred about the boys." And then the names have multiplied here and become delicious. There's Sourdoor, Epitome Bile, Bellicos, and more.

It has been said many many times before regarding other series, but I don't think one more time is going to hurt anyone. Having finished this book at long last my sole regret is that I don't have the third. Perhaps Mr. Cornish will be kind enough to make the final book in the trilogy a good 1,000 pages at least so that I don't have abandon Rossamund and his world quite so soon. Someday I like to think that children's literary scholars will take some time to pick apart Cornish's histories and theories regarding conflict and how it is perpetuated by a society that would perhaps prefer peace if they considered the matter. Until then, you'll just have to enjoy the books on their own. It's a brilliant little number and hopefully will garner the fan base it so desperately deserves.

If you've already read Foundling (Book 1 of the Monster Blood Tattoo series), then you are indeed in for a treat. As much as I liked Foundling, and I loved it and rave about it to anyone who will listen, Lamplighter, is even better. Cornish is one of those rare, master storytellers, who weaves his magic so deftly and so thoroughly, that before you can blink an eyelash, you have totally entered his endlessly inventive, complex, detailed world. You experience the entire range of Rossamund's emotions from alienating loneliness and mind numbing fear, to the excitement of finding a new friend.

Cornish has a way with words, that is evocative of the atmosphere of the Gormenghast novels, as well as the work of the great Jack Vance, but he does all this with his own unique style. He invents words, because our vocabulary simply cannot begin to describe the uniqueness of the denizens and way of life of the Half Continent. This is just part of what makes the book so compelling, charming and so very palpable. It is very, very difficult to not just sit to read it all in one big, long gulp.

Cornish has great psychological insight into Rossamund, and the interaction with all of the other characters in the book. Life indeed is not all black and white, and some of the worst monsters, in fact are human.

In addition to purchasing the first hardcover edition, I'm also listening to the audio book version. First I listen to a chapter or two, then I read the same chapters in the book. I'm going slow, savoring it like the finest meal and I desperately wish it would never end.

Thank you D.M. Cornish for bringing such great pleasure, such an adventure, into my life.

Dan S. Tong
Chicago, IL USA

The second book in D.M. Cornish's Monster Blood Tattoo series, Lamplighter, is as engrossing as book one and should grab middle grade students' attention just as much. [ISBN: 978-0399246395; Putnam Juvenile; May 1, 2008; Ages 9-12]

Lamplighter has enough adventure-filled pages to keep boys interested in reading it. With the addition of Threnody to the cast, girls will also find this a good read. Threnody is a valiant young girl determined to make it in a man's world. As the first female ever to be allowed to be a lamplighter, she plays a strong counterpart to Rossamund, our protagonist.

Rossamund is an orphan who has received the king's bullion in payment for services he has yet to render. He is now obligated to work at dusk and dawn, to light and douse the lamps that line the King's Highway. This would be a simple enough job to carry out were it not for the monsters who inhabit the land and attack and feed upon travelers. Because of this, lamplighters are also trained as soldiers. Not only does Rossamund's life hang in the balance every time he goes out to do his job, he also faces dangers within the city walls. It's there he must face people in high places, political "monsters" also intent on doing him harm.

At one level, Lamplighter is a fantastic adventure story that should be made into a film. At a deeper level, it's the story of a boy trying to discover who he is and where he fits in the scheme of things. The power of Lamplighter is that it's written in such a way that it'll be easy for kids of all ages to identify with Rossamund's fears, challenges, failures, defeats, and victories. Monsters are monsters, regardless of what shape they come in. They are things in life that scare us, especially when we're young. It's wonderful to see someone like Rossamund face his fears--though sometimes in spite of himself and this makes it all the more comical to watch--and by trial and error overcome both the fears coming at him from the outside world and those emanating from his own insecurities.

The cast of characters in Lamplighter is well put together. It was wonderful to meet again Rossamund's old school teachers as well as Lamplighter's Agent Sebastipole, who first recruited Rossamund into the King's service and Europe, the Branden Rose, the powerful and feared teratologist. These friends play a much more significant role in Rossamund's life this time around.

In Lamplighter we also meet Lamplighter-Sergeant Grindrod as a gruff taskmaster who does have the welfare of those under him in mind. A most intriguing character shows up in Numps, who is thought to be a madman by many and it's up to Rossamund to decide whether or not he is. There are new comrades-at-arms and friends from the most unlikely places that cross Rossamund's path throughout the story. Rossamund's life is touched one way or the other by these encounters and so, by default, is the reader. Through it all, with old and new friends and enemies coming in and out of Rossamund's life, Cornish still manages to keep the spotlight on Rossamund, the rightful protagonist in the story.

As he did in book one, Cornish takes back story and extra information that could easily slow down the storyline and puts it in the Explicarium at the end of the book. This "glossary of terms and explanations including appendices" goes on for 114 pages. It is there for readers to explore if they want to.

At a time when the online conversation is whether a Newbery winner "should offer readers delight and instruction in equal measure," here's a title that unassumingly but assuredly manages to deliver both. Lamplighter (Monster Blood Tattoo, Book 2)
Reviewed by ChildrenComeFirst.com and posted at amazon.com with permission: http://www.childrencomefirst.com/lamplighter.shtml

As far as sequels go, 'Lamplighter' carries itself splendidly.

'Foundling' featured the series of setbacks that prevented orphan Rossamund from beginning his career as an Imperial Lamplighter. 'Lamplighter' features Rossamund's adventures as a Lamplighter upon the increasingly dangerous Conduit Vermis.

This one seemed a little more mature than the first, and is indeed a good deal longer. There are several likable new characters introduced, including the impetuous Threnody and the charming (and pitiable) Mister Numps. Sebastipole (seen briefly in 'Foundling') is developed more fully as a character. Grotius Swill and Podious Whympyre take up the mantle of 'Foundling's' Poundinch for characters the reader loves to hate.

The storyline is a good deal darker than the 'Foundling', but the increasingly darkening atmosphere only serves to make the tale better. Expect plenty of theroscades (battles with monsters) and lots of potive-launching (chemical warfare.)

In true Cornish style, the detail of the worldbuilding remains fantastic. The Order of Imperial Lamplighters is wonderfully depicted, and the level of Authorial effort is truly astonishing.

This book deserves to be read by anyone and everyone. Giving this a '5' was easier than breathing.

Lamplighter is the second book in the Monster Blood Tattoo series (MBT) and is a good continuation of the series. Cornish is able to further expand on an already remarkable world and add enough new things to keep readers of the first book interested, which is no easy task. Cornish continues to show his mastery of character development by further unfolding the mysteries and personalities of each of the beloved cast.

While meant for a somewhat younger audience, Lamplighter is still able to appeal to all generations because of Cornish's writing talent and imagination. I have recommended this book to friends, all of whom have loved it. So, I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves depth and personality coupled with imagination. If you have not yet read the first book, read that first as it is vital to understanding what is going on in the second.

Happy reading, and enjoy.

Following his adventures in Foundling, Rossamünd is now a lamplighter apprentice, accompanying his fellow Prentices and a new arrival, a haughty young woman, as they learn the tools of their new trade. But all is not well: the number of monster attacks is on the rise, and Rossamünd begins to suspect some nefarious scheming within Wintermill, home of the lamplighters. Unlike Foundling, this book does follow a quest or journey, and the plot is weaker for the lack of direction. A darker, grittier sequel, peopled by vivid characters (many wonderfully complex, but a few simplistically evil), and foreshadowing changes and revelations to come--Lamplighter suffers a bit from middle book syndrome, but it remains an engrossing and enjoyable read. I look forward to the final book, and I recommend both the series and this installment.

As a sequel, Lamplighter is in many ways similar to Foundling, and fans of the first book will have a similar experience with the second. The Half-Continent remains the same vast and intricate setting, although Cornish forgos a bit of world-building for plot-building, a welcome change. The wonderful ambiguity of the first book--where the divide between humans and monsters is not as clear as it once seemed--carries through and expands into a foundational aspect of the story. Unfortunately, this sequel has a different sort of plot: in Foundling, Rossamünd set out to begin his career but his journey was waylaid; it had known end point, and so his journey had purpose and direction. Lamplighter, on the other hand, is open-ended, and without a known ending the plot seems to go nowhere. Compounded by the length--600 pages given to the story, the other 100 to appendixes--the book feels unfocused and overlong.

Nonetheless, Lamplighter is a fun read. The reader may not know where the story is headed, but each step forward is engaging. This is a much darker and more violent sequel, but the violence serves a purpose and death is treated with solemn respect. Even with less world-building, the Half-Continent remains intricately imagined and detailed. The large cast of characters are vivid, each faulted, ambigious, and likable in turn, many brought to life by Cornish's illustrations. (Human villains, on the other hand, are a frustrating, unrealistic sort of evil for the sake of evil, and their presence drags on the rest of the book.) Best of all is Rossamünd--young and foolish, goodwilled and clever, he is a likable, admirable protagonist and his journey and growth is a joy to read. Lamplighter builds on the series's ambigious separation between good and bad, human and monster, to foreshadow a great revelation for Rossamünd; older readers may find it predictable by the time it arrives, but this revelation makes for a strong conclusion and creates a bold beginning to the final book in the trilogy.

Monster Blood Tattoo is not the best children's/young adult fantasy series, but with a magical world as detailed as our own, colorful characters who stand slightly larger than life, and an ambigious nature that challenges both character and reader preconceptions, the series so far is imaginative, enjoyable, and well worth picking up. Without the strong opening of an introduction or the strong conclusion of a finale, Lamplighter suffers a bit as the middle book in a trilogy, but it holds reader interest and builds up to a huge revelation which sets the stage for the final book. I look forward to that conclusion, and I recommend this series. Lamplighter doesn't stand alone, so begin with Foundling and introduce yourself to the complex, marvelous, threatening world of Monster Blood Tattoo.

I suppose that the Harry Potter books have taken up so much of the reading time of pre-teen and teenagers (plus tons of others!), that this series has nearly been overlooked, but it most assuredly should NOT be. I bought "Foundling", the first book in the series, on sale for almost nothing when it just happened to catch my sight and looked 'interesting', but it proved to be a lot more then that. Once I was into reading that I just knew that I HAD to locate the follow-up books. And I did. I found "Lamplighter" for retail price and said, "No way!" to the price. So I came to Amazon and got a wonderful price on it. This series has very good guys, very, VERY slimy, sleazy bad guys, horrid Monsters, and sadly, good, kind and protective Monsters who are seriously misunderstood. I'm not going into the actual storyline here because I want YOU to buy the books and READ THEM for yourself. The third book in the series is due our mostly likely within the year, and I'm finding it hard to wait, but just found out that the second draft is at the publishers now, August 2009. If you enjoy reading about people with increasing courage under dire circumstances, very believable nasty creeps, people coming to see the Truth behind the socially accepted lies about something quite serious, and you just plain liked the Potter books, the "Monster Blood Tattoos" is the next series for you. But one warning..... if you're anything like me..... you'll be up later then you at night, because THIS series is an absolute page turner. And you won't want to stop! ENJOY!

Lamplighter, the second novel in the Monster Blood Tattoo trilogy, follows the continuing adventures of Rossamünde. He is an apprentice Lamplighter now and undergoing training at Winstermill. His adventures are far from over. The monsters are coming out in force and the Lamplighters are being pressed hard. Even within the safe wall of the fortress, enemies lurk, and plots thicken. Rossamünde struggles with his secret sympathy for some monsters that could get him labeled a sedorner and traitor to humankind.

Soon more turmoil arrives in the person of Threnody, a girl who wants to be a Lamplighter. He makes new friends, and new enemies. Rossamünde suspects that the life of a Lamplighter will never be easy, especially for a young man who harbors his own secrets that may just be the most dangerous secrets of all.

I took an immediate liking to Rossamünde and the people who surround him. He is ambivalent about what he is doing with his life, and his struggle reveals a great deal of the world he lives in. The other characters are also well rounded and wrestle with their own demons. The world of the Half-Continent itself is complex and fascinating. The way Cornish opens each chapter with a definition of a word that will show up later in the chapter is a great way to work the language of this world into the reader's head.

This is the second book in the trilogy, but it didn't read like it. The plot was urgent and well developed. While reference is made to the first book, Foundling, I was able to read and enjoy the story without having read the first volume. I will be watching for the first book to fill in the story, and waiting for the third to come out so I can learn more about this terrific story.

Armchair Interviews says: Highly recommended for fantasy fans.

The first book Monster Blood Tattoo: Foundling was a good read that left me longing for more and waiting for the next book. And waiting, and waiting, and waiting. Finally, after two years the second book came out. When I received it I was glad to see that my wait was rewarded with twice the story. Of course, with two years between I was worried I would not really remember what had happened. As I started reading it became a non-issue. Enough action, mystery and good feelings to make it a well written book. It is the ongoing story of an orphan out to right the world of monsters, but coming against his own questions of who the monsters really are. It is not War & Peace, but it is a novel for all ages of readers.

Rossamund has made it to Winstermill where he will train to become a lamplighter. Shortly after his arrival an attack comes from the nickers and Rossamund and his crew are rescued by a group of calendar girls. One of the girls, a young lady named Threnody, wants to become a lamplighter. The lamplighters have never trained a woman for that position before, but after some serious pressure put on the empire because of who Threnody's mother is they decide to accept her into their ranks.

The two train together, both viewed as outcasts because of Rossamund's late arrival to Winstermill and Threnody's sex, and they form a kind of kinship. Threnody is a wit and has to drink many different things to keep her foreign organs in check. Rossamund entrenches himself in his duties and discovers some awful things going un under the empire's nose.

Wow, what a book. What a tremendous author. The Monster Blood Tattoo books are simply a feat on Cornish's part. He is a master storyteller, inventive and brilliant. His books are superbly detailed and peppered throughout with little imaginative nuggets of dialogue, many that make the reader laugh out loud. I am in awe of this author's work. I hope he writes his final book in the trilogy soon.

(For the record I am predicting now that he titles the last book "Factotum")