Review: The Isle of Blood by Rick Yancey (The Monstrumologist Book 3)

When Dr. Warthrop goes hunting the “Holy Grail of Monstrumology” with his eager new assistant, Arkwright, he leaves Will Henry in New York. Finally, Will can enjoy something that always seemed out of reach: a normal life with a real family. But part of Will can’t let go of Dr. Warthrop, and when Arkwright returns claiming that the doctor is dead, Will is devastated–and not convinced.

Determined to discover the truth, Will travels to London, knowing that if he succeeds, he will be plunging into depths of horror worse than anything he has experienced so far. His journey will take him to Socotra, the Isle of Blood, where human beings are used to make nests and blood rains from the sky–and will put Will Henry’s loyalty to the ultimate test.

Like many fans of Rick Yancey's Monstrumologist series I was truly gutted when I read that his publisher had decided not to extend his contract beyond three books. From what I could make out, this decision came quite late, after Mr Yancey had completed the third book, thus not giving him the opportunity to finish telling the story of Will Henry. Of course, this rather low moment was followed several weeks later by a massive high when it was announced that Simon and Schuster had decided to extend the author's contract to a fourth and final book in this most fantastic of horror series. With my objective hat on I can sort of understand why the series has not sold as well as the author and publisher had hoped: it is simply too good. It would appear that there is more money in selling a multitude of Twilight wannabes, rather than truly literate, complex horror stories that have more in common with Shelley's Frankenstein and Stoker's Dracula than most of the mass-market (but top selling) rubbish that has saturated the market in recent years, especially in the US.

The Isle of Blood is nothing short of being a masterpiece of horror literature, and is definitely my favourite in an already outstanding series. It is the kind of book that takes over all of your waking thoughts, and then invades your dreams, turning them into the most horrific of nightmares. And I had thought the first two books in the series were pretty damn scary! I think what makes this book stand out as my favourite is that this now really is Will's story. Despite Will being the narrator, the first two books were very much about his mentor, Pellinore Warthrop. This is a man who is incredibly driven, but also tragically haunted, a man whose personality is so complex it almost puts the likes of Sherlock Holmes in the shade as a literary character. In The Isle of Blood Will is abandoned by his mentor, and with him taken out of Warthrop's sphere of influence for the first time we start to see what makes him tick as a person in his own right. However, when given the opportunity to live a normal life, with an adopted family and a proper education, what will he choose? Has he already spent too long with Warthrop?

Anybody who has read the first two books in this series will already know that Will has been to some pretty dark places so far. However, they are as nothing compared with the darkness that faces him in The Isle of Blood, and the life-changing decisions he is forced to make. The horror in this book is not just about monsters as the events that seem to unfurl like a tsunami, carrying Will along with an unstoppable force, had a huge impact on my emotions and scared me more than some of the more horror-laden scenes. Perhaps this was the teacher part of me, witnessing a first hand the tragic loss of innocence that this eager and bright young man experiences.

Rick Yancey has so far provided us with two incredibly nasty monsters: the anthropophagi of the first book and the wendigo of the second. Both of these pale into insignificance in comparison with the magnificum of this book. Without giving too much away this is an organism that could have devastating consequences on a global scale, simply by the briefest of contact with a tiny amount of fluid known as pwdre ser (even typing that simple phrase is enough to send shivers down my spine now - google it and be even more afraid). To say any more would be to spoil the story as you really need to read this in its entirety to fully experience the impact this creature will have on your thoughts.

Before I sign off I wanted to bring you a moment of humour from this book that made me chuckle out loud. Will Henry's narration is laced with a number of dry, and very dark, bon mots, and this is a perfect example of such. When asked by Warthrop whether he should "cut the torso in half, at the seventh thoracic vertebra", Will Henry narrates:

"I confessed I did not have an opinion; I was only thirteen, and this was my very first dismemberment".

I have no doubt in my mind at all that if the publisher had rebranded this as a series of adult books, with a high profile marketing campaign, then they would have been begging Mr Yancey to write far beyond his contracted first three books. My thanks go to the good people at Simon and Schuster for sending me a copy to review. If you love horror, and feel that other books do not challenge you enough, then please give this series a go before you leave YA behind and move on to books aimed at the adult market.

News Update: The Monstrumologist Series by Rick Yancey

Last week I wrote a short blog post regarding the news that Simon and Schuster had decided not to extend their contract with Rick Yancey for more Monstrumologist books past the soon-to-be-released third book on the series, The Isle of Blood. The internet was buzzing with angry fans protesting on Facebook, and bombarding Simon and Schuster with letters and emails demanding a rethink of this.


It would now appear that this campaign of love for The Monstrumologist books has been successful, according to a comment left by the author on his Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/AuthorRickYancey where he states the following:

"It gives me great pleasure to admit I underestimated the power of this bond we share with the written word. I have just received confirmation that one week after the campaign began, Simon & Schuster has reversed its decision and will publish the fourth volume of Will Henry's journals. Monstrumology lives. I didn't bring it back to life - so don't congratulate me. Toast yourselves, honorary monstrumologists, for YOU did it."

I think the worst part of the original decision as far as Mr Yancey was concerned was that it took him unawares and he had not completed Will Henry's story. At least this extension will now allow him to do so in a way that he will be happier with. In addition, not only does this show that we as readers do still possess a small amount of power, it also shows that young people can and do love books these days just as much as they have always done. As a celebration of this success, if you know a horror-loving teen who has not yet discovered this series why not buy them a copy of The Monstrumologist this October and celebrate All Hallow's Read.

News: The End of Rick Yancey's Monstrumologist Series?

There has been a lot of buzz on Facebook, Twitter and a huge variety of blogs over the past few days regarding The Monstrumologist series by Rick Yancey. It would appear that Rick had a three book contract with Simon and Schuster US, and due to the number of oustanding reviews garnered by the two books so far, as well as various awards and award nominations Mr Yancey had expected to be given an extension to this contract, especially as S&S knew that he had plans to continue Will Henry's story into further books. However, much to his surprise, he has now been informed that his publisher were not interested in extending his contract. I will give my thoughts on this below, but if you want the full details from the man himself them I urge you to visit The Bookshelves of Doom blog here to read an interview with the author about this matter.

Long time readers of The Book Zone will know how highly I regard these two fantastic horror books, which in my opinion stand out as beacons of quality amongst the plethora of YA horror/paranormal books being released these days, so it was with a great deal of sadness that I read about this. However, my sadness turned to anger when I then discovered that Simon and Schuster had at roughly the same time signed a multi-book deal with Hilary Duff! Yes, that Hilary Duff, the one from countless films, most of which I would prefer to watch paint dry than watch. Yet another celebrity getting a book deal purely on their name, with a publisher hoping that the name will sell books. So sad. As a lover of good stories for kids and young adults I often forget that publishing is an industry like any other, and as such is very much focused on profit, constantly searching for the next cash cow to come along, and in the meantime happy to publish god knows how many below par Twilight wannabe books to keep the cash rolling in.

Supposedly, despite the rave reviews, and the awards, Rick Yancey's books just weren't selling quite well enough for the people holding the purse strings. So quality is losing out to making money yet again, and at the same time yet another so-called celebrity gets paid to inflict their stories on the unsuspecting (and celebrity crazy) public. I may be doing Ms Duff a disservice here, but I doubt it.

I hope Mr Yancey manages to find another publisher for his books so that he can finish his story, and his legion of fans don't get left waiting for the rest of his story, much as we have had to do with Joe Craig's Jimmy Coates series. This reader will definitely be buying the next book in the series and a review will appear on The Book Zone some time in October. In the meantime you can read my review of The Monstrumologist here and Curse of the Wendigo here.

Review: The Curse of the Wendigo by Rick Yancey (The Monstrumologist)

The monstrumologist Dr Wartrhrop and his assistant Will Henry are in pursuit ofthe ultimte predator, a creature that is neither alive nor dead, which starves even as it gorges itself on human flesh...the Wendigo.The doctor is convinced that no such beast exists, until someone from his past convinces him a Wendigo has captured her husband, and he and Will travel to the Canadian wildeness to discover the truth. They finally track down the man only to see him transform into a Wendigo and Dr Warthrop can no longer deny the truth behind the legend. But with the monster now on the loose, it's up to the monstrumologist and his assistant to catch the beast before it's too late...

This time last year I reviewed Rick Yancey's The Monstrumologist, a dark and twisted gore-fest of a book for older teens, perfect for horror-loving readers weaned on books by the likes of Darren Shan. It took me a little while to get into that book, as it was unlike many of the teen horror stories I had read previously: the book is narrated as if it is the journal of a recently deceased elderly man and as such the voice and language is far more mature than you would find in many books for readers of this age. It was most definitely a book worth persevering with though as it now definitely ranks amongst some of my favourite horror books, and I have been waiting impatiently ever since for the sequel.

The Curse of the Wendigo finds young Will Henry still living with the moody and unpredictable Dr Warthrop. Warthrop's world is thrown into disarray very early on in the story when he discovers that Abram von Helrung, one of the world's most eminent monstrumologists, intends drop something of a bomb-shell in an address he plans to make to the gathered experts at the Annual Congress. Despite being a monster hunter, Warthrop does not believe in the likes of vampires and werewolves, creatures he firmly believes a nothing more than myths, and a statement of belief by von Helrung would undoubtedly threaten the legitimacy of the profession. Shortly after receiving news of this he is visited by his ex-fiance, Muriel Chanler, who informs him that her husband, one of Warthrops oldest friends, has taken himself off to Canada in search of the Wendigo, one of these so-called mythical beasts that von Helrung claims dies exist. The wendigo, or lepto lurconis, is believed by some to be a spirit that can possess humans and create in them an insatiable cannibalistic appetite, made all the worse by the way that the more it eats the more is starves.

Despite his estrangement from his long-term friend Warthrop is compelled to make the journey with Will, deep into the Canadian wilderness, and what they eventually find there is not a pretty sight at all. It is not creating a spoiler to say that they find the missing John Chanler, but his physical and mental condition nothing short of terrifying. The journey back to civilization is a long and harrowing one, fraught with danger, and the monstrumologist and his assistant barely make it back alive. However, a safe arrival home is not the end of the story, as when Chanler is taken to New York to recuperate, conveniently at the same time as the Annual Congress of Monstrumologists, the horrors really begin.

This is a very different story from its predecessor: the pace is much more exciting for a start. In the first book in this series there were many scenes where the plot tended to drag a little, even though these scenes helped build the tension that later explodes towards the latter third of the book. Many less confident readers would not get this far though, as I am sure they would not have had the patience that I did. The Curse of the Wendigo however gives a much greater adrenalin rush throughout, as the action scenes are more frequent. This is not at the cost of the build-up of tension though, as the story still has you sitting on the edge of your seat, fearing for the characters and what may happen to them net, especially as it seems that no-one can be considered safe in one of these stories.

Another welcome 'improvement' on The Monstrumologist is in the character-building. We saw a great deal of Will and Warthrop's characters in that first book, but we now see them develop even further. We are also treated to a greater entourage of characters than we saw previously, especially when the story reaches New York and we get to 'meet' a host of colourful creations in the form of the various monstrumologists who have gathered in that great city. Mr Yancey displays great skill in showing the tensions and/or respect that exists between this group of men, many of whom are both friends and rivals. The author uses the characters, their dialogue and their surroundings to create a wonderful sense of place - as a reader I found it very easy to picture in my mind the New York of November 1888.

The Monstrumologist was a particularly gory book, and this book is no different in this respect, although this time the horror hit me on a much deeper level than before. Again, I feel that less confident readers will definitely struggle with this book, book more mature horror lovers with strong stomachs will absolutely love it. The Curse of the Wendigo was published at the beginning of October, and my thanks go to the generous people at Simon and Schuster for sending me a copy to review.

Review: The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey

"These are the secrets I have kept.
This is the trust I never betrayed.But he is dead now and has been for more than forty years, the one who gave me his trust, the one for whom I kept these secrets.The one who saved me...and the one who cursed me."

So begins the journal of Will Henry, orphaned assistant to Dr. Pellinore War throp, a man with a most unusual specialty: monstrumology, the study of monsters. In his time with the doctor, Will has met many a mysterious late-night visitor, and seen things he never imagined were real. But when a grave robber comes calling in the middle of the night with a grueso me find, he brings with him their most deadly case yet.  

Critically acclaimed author Rick Yancey has written a gothic tour de force that explores the darkest heart of man and monster and asks the question: When does a man become the very thing he hunts? (from book cover)


I started reading this some time ago, and then rather stupidly left it at a friend's house when we were visiting, so only managed to get it back and finish it over the last week. If you have read my earlier posts you will remember that I was moaning about the differences in cover design between the US and UK versions of this book. I wrote at the time that the UK design "is 'cartoon-ish' in nature and may attract younger readers who could find some of the content a little too dark." Having finished the book I stand by this statement completely - it is a very dark and pretty terrifying book in places. Rick Yancey is an exceptional writer whose descriptive writing is outstanding, and for this reason many passages of the book contain some extremely graphic details regarding the monsters' attacks, parasitic infestation, fatal injuries, and so on. If this were a movie, it would definitely have an 18 certificate.

The vocabulary used in the book is also more suited to older readers. The book is written as if it is the journal of the main character written as an old man about his experiences as a boy. For this reason the language is not that used by a 12 year old boy, but by someone with a much more accomplished use of language and a much wider vocabulary. For this reason it took me a little longer to 'settle into' the book than normal, as I was initially finding it difficult to get into the mind of Will Henry, the main character. However, a little perseverance brought its rewards, as I was soon in that wonderful position of not being able to put the book down. The story pulls you in, page by page, and like a good psychological horror film you are left with a growing sense of unease as you progress through the book. In fact, there are some scenes that made me distinctly uncomfortable because I was enjoying reading them, yet part of me was feeling guilty for that enjoyment.

If you are a big fan of Mr Yancey's Alfred Kropp trilogy then beware - this book is very different, principally due to the lack of humour. In fact, it is only in the last third of the book, when a distinctly nasty character is introduced, that i finally found myself chuckling occasionally, but even then the humour is very dark indeed. The chapters are also very long in places and this may cause younger readers some frustration or boredom.

Overall, I can highly recommend this to older readers who have grown up on a diet of Darren Shan - this will take you to new levels of horror reading and could be your springboard into reading horror novels written for adults. If you do enjoy it then it is certainly worth your while to investigate the writings of HP Lovecraft and Edgar Allen Poe in the future.

Having a grumpy moment

As a teacher of Graphic Design I really appreciate attractive book packaging and so I become a little disappointed when I feel that the covers of UK editions are not as attractive as their US counterparts.

Fortunately this doesn't happen too often but two books that have recently landed on my doormat have caused me to frown more than a little. The first of these was Scott Westerfeld's "Leviathan". Don't get me wrong - the cover of the UK edition is a stunning illustration by Keith Thompson, who also produced the beautiful black and white illustrations throughout the book. But I really did fall in love with the cover of the US edition when I first saw it. There is something about the Steampunk aesthetic that really appeals to me, and I feel that the US cover (on the left) is a stunning example of this.

The other book cover that has me slightly disappointed is Rick Yancey's "The Monstrumologist". Not only are the covers widely different in design, but these differences seem to add a little confusion as to who the target audience actually is. Now I've made my thoughts on age-banding very clear in a previous post so this possible confusion isn't my issue here - I just think the cover of US edition (left) is far more in keeping with the Gothic, dark tone of the story (or as much of it as I have read so far), evoking images of mad Victorian scientists and illicit experiements. The UK cover is fairly generic of many recent UK horror book covers (Darren Shan's Demonata series?); it is "cartoon-ish" in nature and may attract younger readers who could find some of the content a little too dark.

I guess there will be a lot of people out there who will disagree with me; after all, it is really just a matter of personal taste, but it would be interesting to hear the publisher's reasoning for making changes such as these. And why the need to add the subtitle "The Terror Beneath" to "The Monstrumologist"?