A review by marcasdeb
The Language Construction Kit by Mark Rosenfelder

informative lighthearted medium-paced

4.0

Even more so than Peterson's Art of Language Invention, if you are not one who is already invested in the idea of creating languages, or even worldbuilding, this book will provide little in the way of interest or benefit. But for those of us who have been bitten by the same bug that got into Tolkien and the rest, The Language Construction Kit is almost required reading. Every concept is well-explained with clear examples from natural languages, and Rosenfelder provides examples from his own world of Almea and the languages therein (which is itself remarkable in its own complexity and thoroughness), specifically Kebreni. He doesn't just explain concepts and leave it there, he gives the reader inspiration and encouragement through his own conlanging work. One immensely helpful aspect of this is the Further Reading section he gives at book's end, a several page-long repository of books for the reader to go off and read for themselves, chosen to expand and develop the knowledge they gained over the course of reading the LCK. If The Art of Language Invention got the conlanger on their feet, The Language Construction Kit lets them take their first strides.