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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
I rather enjoyed the storyline of this book, though I found the main character to be too naive for my liking. However there were several other interesting people who I wish I knew more about.
Will have to get around to reading the other books in the series.
Will have to get around to reading the other books in the series.
Young Adult fantasy/horror, with plenty of violence.
I had some trouble getting into this book, but it was well worth the effort.
It's set in a fantastic world where monsters roam and people have body-modification surgery to become better at defeating them. Rossamund, an orphan child, wishes to become a sailor or a monster fighter, but instead is offered a position as a Lamplighter. He doesn't think this is nearly as exciting, but on his journey to begin his training, he encounters a number of adventures.
(This is fine for the middle school library, but unless you have a good core of [b:fantasy lover|84136|Fantasy Lover (Dark-Hunter, #1)|Sherrilyn Kenyon|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171050604s/84136.jpg|2384]s, it may not be circulated much.)
It's set in a fantastic world where monsters roam and people have body-modification surgery to become better at defeating them. Rossamund, an orphan child, wishes to become a sailor or a monster fighter, but instead is offered a position as a Lamplighter. He doesn't think this is nearly as exciting, but on his journey to begin his training, he encounters a number of adventures.
(This is fine for the middle school library, but unless you have a good core of [b:fantasy lover|84136|Fantasy Lover (Dark-Hunter, #1)|Sherrilyn Kenyon|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171050604s/84136.jpg|2384]s, it may not be circulated much.)
Another lovely children's/Teen fantasy novel narrated wonderfully by Humphrey Bower.
This story follows young Rossamund Bookchild, a foundling boy, who has finally been chosen to leave Madam Opera's Estimable Marine Society for Foundling Boys and Girls, where he was left as a swaddling child with only a bit of hat box, on which was scrawled 'rossamund,' as a providence.
Bound for what would sound to be a rather dull life as a Lamplighter, Rossamund soon finds himself on an adventure instead. He bumps into quite a few interesting characters on the way, some helpful, some up to no good and some who would like to suck the marrow from his bones. Will he ever begin his life in service to the Emperor as a lamplighter, or does destiny have something else in mind for him.
I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook and was surprised to see the number of negative reviews of it. While I enjoy a little bit of literary play, it seems not everyone does. Cornish peppers his wonderful novel with all sorts of fun words and new descriptors. I loved Rossamund's Thrice High and the various names of the bogles and other monsters.
I have seen that Cornish is compared with Tolkien quite a few times, but I really think he is more like Carroll, his words are not new, not a different language as Tolkien delighted in, but a slight and often humorous and fun twisting of our own tongue.
A thrice high, to me quite obviously, was a tall hat. A leer was a fellow with strange eyes who could see far and through...it's quite obvious and fun. A pugnator, pugalist fighter, all these words can be easily worked out if one has an open and thoughtful mind. A bogle, a boggart.
Overall, I'm a little sad that I couldn't use the handy lexicon or view the various maps included in the print book, but I loved each chapter beginning with a dictionary entry. I just happened to pick this audio book up by happenstance and from the first I was invested in Rossamund's story and Cornish's world.
This story follows young Rossamund Bookchild, a foundling boy, who has finally been chosen to leave Madam Opera's Estimable Marine Society for Foundling Boys and Girls, where he was left as a swaddling child with only a bit of hat box, on which was scrawled 'rossamund,' as a providence.
Bound for what would sound to be a rather dull life as a Lamplighter, Rossamund soon finds himself on an adventure instead. He bumps into quite a few interesting characters on the way, some helpful, some up to no good and some who would like to suck the marrow from his bones. Will he ever begin his life in service to the Emperor as a lamplighter, or does destiny have something else in mind for him.
I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook and was surprised to see the number of negative reviews of it. While I enjoy a little bit of literary play, it seems not everyone does. Cornish peppers his wonderful novel with all sorts of fun words and new descriptors. I loved Rossamund's Thrice High and the various names of the bogles and other monsters.
I have seen that Cornish is compared with Tolkien quite a few times, but I really think he is more like Carroll, his words are not new, not a different language as Tolkien delighted in, but a slight and often humorous and fun twisting of our own tongue.
A thrice high, to me quite obviously, was a tall hat. A leer was a fellow with strange eyes who could see far and through...it's quite obvious and fun. A pugnator, pugalist fighter, all these words can be easily worked out if one has an open and thoughtful mind. A bogle, a boggart.
Overall, I'm a little sad that I couldn't use the handy lexicon or view the various maps included in the print book, but I loved each chapter beginning with a dictionary entry. I just happened to pick this audio book up by happenstance and from the first I was invested in Rossamund's story and Cornish's world.
The world building in this book was amazing. The monsters, different jobs, the actual area itself. It was quite amazing and fun to get swept up into learning about it. This wasn't one of those books that took baby steps to get you into it. It just placed you right in there and mainly treated you like you ought to know these things. Good thing that in my copy, there was a few appendixes to help me through the different names that were used.
I thought that this was a good adventure and coming of age story. It's just another book that shows a journey of a person into adulthood and learning how to hold ones own in the world. It used a familiar formula. Orphan that was teased and made fun of. Really, I probably wouldn't have kept reading it if it hadn't been for the world that I want to learn more about.
The characters were interesting also. So many of them have pasts that aren't explained, and they will eventually be explained, so that's another thing to keep me reading the series through to the end. My favorite was Europe. I really wanted her to stay longer for Rossamund to make a different choice than what he ended up making. Though, with the title of the next book, I should have expect what choice he would make. I also want more of Fouracre. Even a bit more from Pounditch, no matter how much of a little shit he is for tricking poor Rossamund.
I was honestly surprised that the whole story encompassed one journey. Perhaps I was expecting more, but it was like Lord of the Rings in that way. Just one huge journey, except no twenty page long speech about one little twig or leaf. It was a wonder I got through that trilogy because of how bored I got while reading. But, let's not get to that since it's a whole other story for me.
Overall, I really did enjoy this book. It was fun and a perfect afternoon read for me. I completely intend to continue reading the rest of the series.
I thought that this was a good adventure and coming of age story. It's just another book that shows a journey of a person into adulthood and learning how to hold ones own in the world. It used a familiar formula. Orphan that was teased and made fun of. Really, I probably wouldn't have kept reading it if it hadn't been for the world that I want to learn more about.
The characters were interesting also. So many of them have pasts that aren't explained, and they will eventually be explained, so that's another thing to keep me reading the series through to the end. My favorite was Europe. I really wanted her to stay longer for Rossamund to make a different choice than what he ended up making. Though, with the title of the next book, I should have expect what choice he would make. I also want more of Fouracre. Even a bit more from Pounditch, no matter how much of a little shit he is for tricking poor Rossamund.
I was honestly surprised that the whole story encompassed one journey. Perhaps I was expecting more, but it was like Lord of the Rings in that way. Just one huge journey, except no twenty page long speech about one little twig or leaf. It was a wonder I got through that trilogy because of how bored I got while reading. But, let's not get to that since it's a whole other story for me.
Overall, I really did enjoy this book. It was fun and a perfect afternoon read for me. I completely intend to continue reading the rest of the series.
A very quirky fantasy filled with monsters, orphans, vicious lady bogle hunters and much more! I was surprised at how meticulous the world building was, far unlike anything I have ever read in the YA Genre. It made me think very much of Harry Potter while still having it's own distinct flavor and charm. I look forward to diving into the second volume.
Video review can be found here: http://youtu.be/vFdS2Ij9YvM
Video review can be found here: http://youtu.be/vFdS2Ij9YvM
This was pure listening pleasure. The narrator is the master of all kinds of British (and even some French and German) accents and he makes this a fun and easy thing to listen to. Which is quite an accomplishment when you think of all the made up words in this world. The author (an Aussie I found out after a bit of reading!) has dedicated quite a bit of his life to creating an imaginative and thoroughly original world.
It is a world of monsters. Of boggles and grindlings (sp?) with various levels of intelligence and aptitudes, of acidic oceans with varying colours, of dwindling civilizations, of gruesome monster killers and potent potives.
Into this scary world we are plunged, into the life of young Rossamund, the boy with the girl's name, who is a foundling at Madam Oprah's Marine House, a home for foundlings and orphans. He has been educated to be a Vinegaroon (a sailor aboard the vinegar seas) so when his is told he is to be a Lamplighter (someone who trudges the inner roads lighting lamps for a living) he is less than impressed.
This is the story of his adventures on his way to his first employment. He meets scoundrels and aristocrats and evil monsters and the occasional helpful monster. He learns that all is not as it seems and he gains a bit of confidence in himself.
I thoroughly enjoyed this and I heartily recommend this to others, one of my favourites for the year
It is a world of monsters. Of boggles and grindlings (sp?) with various levels of intelligence and aptitudes, of acidic oceans with varying colours, of dwindling civilizations, of gruesome monster killers and potent potives.
Into this scary world we are plunged, into the life of young Rossamund, the boy with the girl's name, who is a foundling at Madam Oprah's Marine House, a home for foundlings and orphans. He has been educated to be a Vinegaroon (a sailor aboard the vinegar seas) so when his is told he is to be a Lamplighter (someone who trudges the inner roads lighting lamps for a living) he is less than impressed.
This is the story of his adventures on his way to his first employment. He meets scoundrels and aristocrats and evil monsters and the occasional helpful monster. He learns that all is not as it seems and he gains a bit of confidence in himself.
I thoroughly enjoyed this and I heartily recommend this to others, one of my favourites for the year
adventurous
medium-paced
Wow. And, um, wow again. I am seriously impressed by this book. It has many of the elements of a Proper Fairy Tale–the young hero sets out on a journey, not knowing his true identity, etc–but they are treated in such a masterful way that I never felt annoyed by them. Rossamund (the ‘u’ needs an umlaut, but I don’t know how to add them :( ), our hero, is both endearing and interesting. And the world-building! Good grief. It’s impressive in the Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell way–I found myself comparing the two several times. Cornish’s drawings are gorgeous and contribute greatly to the sense of the Half-Continent as a real place, inhabited by real people... Full review: Foundling
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I cannot possibly say too many good things about this book. The worldbuilding is incredible, as it ought to be given that Cornish spent something like ten years developing it. Rossamund is a great main character, full of pluck and determination. It’s a massive and consuming book and I oh so very highly recommend it. As an added bonus, Cornish is the author of probably my favorite quote about writing fantasy as a Christian. [2010 in books]
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I cannot possibly say too many good things about this book. The worldbuilding is incredible, as it ought to be given that Cornish spent something like ten years developing it. Rossamund is a great main character, full of pluck and determination. It’s a massive and consuming book and I oh so very highly recommend it. As an added bonus, Cornish is the author of probably my favorite quote about writing fantasy as a Christian. [2010 in books]
It was a bit difficult to get into at first. There were so many strange words that the reader is introduced to that it takes a good long while before the text stops being interrupted to explain what they mean. But once I got over that bit, I easily fell into the rhythm of the story and could hardly put it down! The characters are so distinct and interesting, that even the worst off of them you can't help but like for various reasons.
Looking forward to picking up the next two books when I have the chance!
Looking forward to picking up the next two books when I have the chance!