Lamplighter

Today's review, if you hadn't gathered from the handily provided picture above, is of Monster Blood Tattoo: Lamplighter, the second volume of the strikingly original teen fantasy series by Australian writer and illustrator D. M Cornish. Anyone who has read my review of the first book in this series, Foundling, should be aware of how much a fan I am of this author's work. I'd like to start off this review by saying that I was very happy to find Lamplighter even more entertaining and fantastic than the first book. This bodes well for Volume 3! But let's not get too ahead of ourselves...

Picking up almost immediately from the last novel, we find our diminutive and strangely-named hero Rossamund settling into his new career as an apprentice lamplighter. The job of the lamplighter is to keep the lamps along the many roads and highways on the Half-Continent well lit. This is a lot more dangerous than it sounds. Often, the lamplighters find themselves in remote locales and all too frequently at the mercy of bizarre and deadly monsters. It's not a popular job either, and they seem to receive little support from anyone, so from the outset it's pretty clear that Rossamund is going to have his work cut out for him.

Cornish takes the opportunity here to explore the institution set up around the fictitious trade of lamplighting. More than half the novel is set in the labyrinthine school where these young boys are all too briefly trained in this thankless trade and, with the hindsight provided by this interview with the author, it's clear that the Gormenghast books work their influence here more strongly than ever. We are introduced to a myriad of new and sometimes grotesque characters, each one uniquely sketched (both literally and descriptively) and equally memorable. My favourite would have to be the damaged but well-meaning Numps. We also get to re-meet some of the more interesting characters from the previous book (the much-anticipated return of the Branden Rose is very welcome in particular). And, of course, what would this book be without monsters? Cornish brings forth a whole new slew of fascinating and original creatures, aided by both his wonderful drawings and magnificently evocative and easy-to-read prose.

I don't want to go into too much detail for fear of spoiling it for anyone interested in reading the series, but the author also builds on the themes of morality hinted at in the previous book and we also get to learn more of Rossamund's curious origins. I'm not being over the top when I say that this book is outstanding and that it more than exceeded my already high expectations, and all I can say is that my appetite for the third book is well and truly whetted. Lamplighter was an absolute pleasure to read.