Book review "Foundling" - D.M Cornish
Title: Foundling
Series: Monster Blood Tattoo
Auther: D.M Cornish
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction
Pages: 433 (including appendix and glossary)
Rating: 5/5
from the blurb
The vast lands of the Half-Continent bear the scars of centuries of conflict between humans and monsters. Only the hardiest souls now travel the inland ways: merchants, Imperial messengers and - bravest of all - the monster-hunters. To be a hunter takes great cunning and extraordinary skill, for the creatures are as deadly as they are varied. Bogles, rever-men, grinnlings and nickers - any one can kill a human quicker than thought.
Not that Rossamund Bookchild should worry. The orphan boy with the girl's name lives safe within the walls of the Madam Opera's Estimable Marine Society for Foundling Boys and Girls. Safe, at least, until the da he is recruited into the service of the Empire by a strange man with blood-red yes. This is his story.
Foundling is the first of a three book series called Monster Blood Tattoo. It is about a “foundling” boy burdened with a girl’s name, Rossamund (but he’s no longer bothered by it). At the beginning of the book he is living in an orphanage fighting against the daily bullies in his life but is often looked after by his kind mentors, who are very protective of him. Rossamund dreams to be a vinegaroon (sailor). When the time comes to be chosen for a career Rossamund’s life takes a more interesting and dangerous turn in which he’ll be confronted with monsters and dangerous humans.
The Monster Blood Tattoo series is unlike any fantasy series I have read before. D.M Cornish has so detailingly created his half-continent it is hard to believe it imaginary. What surprises me most is that D.M Cornish has created a word or phrase for every element “fantastic” or otherwise. The use of neologisms in this series is incredible and proof of the amount of thought that D.M Cornish has put into his books (the second is out now). Everything has a name or phrase to describe the people, places and objects in the story. Things such as potives, biggins, sethnicons, and people who are leers, fulgars and lamplighters. All are explored in great detail in the glossary and with examples from the glossary highlighted at the beginning of each chapter so the reader can follow any new word introduced as they read along.
However, the neologisms were good but at times frustrating. I was often confused and, although I was enjoying each new word; I found it difficult to remember. Each time I came across one of these fantastic new words I would quickly forget it because another would quickly follow suit. The glossary was there, yes, but I would get irritated by the idea of flicking to the end of the book to discover what it meant.
Overall; I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It was exciting, and even though at times too detailed, the adventures of Rossamund and Europe were fantastic and gripping. After reading the second book now I have found myself enjoying the language of D.M Cornish.