The third book in D. M. Cornish's Monster Blood Tattoo trilogy (which, confusingly, appears to have been re-named The Foundling's Tale when Penguin repackaged it) is due out on Thursday!
Because I'm pained* that the trilogy hasn't picked up the momentum that it deserves -- I think maybe partly because it doesn't appear fit into an easily marketable category, though the Steampunk Craze really should give it a push** -- I talked it up today over at Kirkus.
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*Like, physically pained. To those of you who haven't read them: You're Anakin, I'm Padme, and YOU'RE. BREAKING. MY. <voice="excessively throbby">HEART</voice>.
**Another book in that category? Jenny Davidson's The Explosionist. That book is just plain awesome, and not nearly enough people have read it.
I agree with this comment, and your Kirkus review, 110%. These books are wonderful, and while I understand not everybody is going to be interested in such lavishly detailed worldbuilding or patient enough to learn the Half-Continent's unique vocabulary, I believe that D.M. Cornish is the most scrupulously and prodigiously imaginative fantasy author since Tolkien. Yet without being in any way derivative of Tolkien, which is where many similar attempts at worldbuilding have fallen down.
My own copy of Factotum is muscling its way through the post to me at this very moment (I can't say "winging", as no book with 800 pages in it could possibly be considered light enough to wing!) and I am adrool with anticipation. I love Rossamund. Europe fills me with glee. I crush on Sebastipole. I too would be gutted if this proved to be the last story of the Half-Continent!
Posted by: R. J. Anderson | 08 November 2010 at 12:07 PM
I am SO excited! Eep! I'm also #1 on my library's hold list. I would buy my own copy, but I'm sadly poor at the moment, so it will have to wait. But I can't wait!
Posted by: Maureen E | 08 November 2010 at 12:17 PM
YOU are the BEST.
This book should be talked up EVERYWHERE.
Posted by: tanita | 08 November 2010 at 12:40 PM
I have not heard of this trilogy but it sounds intriguing and that cover of Factotum is gorgeous.
Posted by: Christy (A Good Stopping Point) | 08 November 2010 at 01:46 PM
I am so, so with you on both the Monster Blood Tattoo trilogy and Davidson's Explosionist--awesome, awesome books that are criminally unknown.
Why!?!
Posted by: erin | 08 November 2010 at 02:57 PM
This is one of the few book series that my husband ADORES. He wrote to the author to tell him that he was enraged that an article he read declared it "Victorian Steampunk", when in my husband's opinion "it's clearly Baroque Biopunk." Mr. Cornish was amused.
Posted by: Alys | 08 November 2010 at 03:31 PM
Explosionist sequel this month!!!!! ::flaily hands::
(I'm looking forward to it, can't you tell?)
Posted by: Sarah, not Sarah | 08 November 2010 at 06:01 PM
That cover is amazing - Jenny should have covers like that on her books. Although it does defeat that whole argument that a cover can hold you back because if something this pretty is not getting attention then the world is a wrong wrong place.
Posted by: Colleen | 09 November 2010 at 06:16 PM