(no subject)

[skygiants]

I'd been hearing good things about D.M. Cornish's Monster Blood Tattoo books from cupenny and daniidebrabant, so I picked up the first one, Foundling.

And Star and Danii were right - there is some very cool steampunky worldbuilding in these books! (The indexes are fabulous.) I am very intrigued by a lot of the stuff going on, especially all the creepy machines made entirely out of living muscles (SO CREEPY) and the full-body inner-organ replacements for MAXIMUM SUPERPOWERS and so forth. It seems like the kind of world that would be a whole lot of fun to play in, basically.

However, the book itself focuses on Our Naive Young Protagonist Rossamund, and . . . I'm sorry, guys, but I find Rossamund really boring. Probably it is just I have seen too many naive young lads going through Coming of Age Adventures and I am a bit jaded on them by now, but - okay, Rossamund's character, as far as I can tell, is composed of three elements:

1. He is an orphan boy . . . with a GIRL'S NAME! So he got picked at school! BACKSTORY ANGST, poor Rossamund. :( (Why is this such a social stigma in this world, by the way? It seems to be intended as a relatively equal society - no one goes 'zomg a female monster hunter!' - so you wouldn't think "YOU'RE SUCH A GIRL" would be so scarring.)
2. However, he is composed of so much innate awesomeness that every non-evil adult he encounters (all of whom are at least five times as interesting as he is) immediately recognizes it and becomes strongly attached to him.
3. Because he Has a Kind Heart. Said heart also instantly allows him to overcome years of ingrained social prejudices, because he's JUST THAT GOOD.

I think he is called clever a couple of times too, but as I did not see any evidence of intelligence in any of his choices, and outright lack thereof in several, I am going to regard this with skepticism. If he has a single personality flaw that we are supposed to notice, on the other hand, the narration does not mention it.

It is an extra shame, because there were a lot of characters I would have loved to follow through this world - most significantly, Europe! Badass and morally ambiguous surgically altered lightning-throwing monster-hunter! Words cannot convey HOW MUCH MORE INTERESTING she is than Rossamund! - but instead it seems we are stuck with Rossamund's coming-of-age for the length of the books, because That's What You Do In YA. Someone please tell me he gets more interesting in the next book? Or at least develops a sense of humor or shred of self-preservation instinct?

(And yes, I did pick up on the monumental hints that he is secretly a half-monster baby or something, but I do not count that as 'more interesting', since I suspect I can predict exactly the kind of angst it will lead to and I do not care.)

Comments

[cupenny.livejournal.com]

Now I'm going to have to re-read these books. (The second one is out, btw!)

Rossamund doesn't change much in the second book, alas. But its worth it for the world-building, new characters and new complications, and MORE EUROPE AND SEBASTPOLE! (Though alas, we don't see Fouracres. Woe.)

I am wondering exactly how the author will be able to name the third book without the title being a spoiler, but... hm. MBT:Rossamund can work, rather than MBT:[SPOILER].

[skygiants]

Star, I think I have been spoiled by Diana Wynne Jones. :( If I am going to have a teenaged boy coming of age, I want him to be a Joris or a Jamie or a Moril or a Mitt! Rossamund just doesn't cut it.

Though I totally will read the next book or two anyways. I really do like the world! And Europe is indeed made of so much awesome. But I have a dark suspicion I will be spending significant percentages going "ROSSAMUND YOU SEEM TO HAVE MISPLACED YOUR PERSONALITY AGAIN."

[cupenny.livejournal.com]

"ROSSAMUND YOU SEEM TO HAVE MISPLACED YOUR PERSONALITY AGAIN."

*cackles!*

Well, look at him as a vehicle for the rest of the story! Which.. works. Even if he Which you get more clues as to both in the second book. And people start suspecting the first, actually. So.

Though I do hope we get Fouracres back in the third book as well.

[skygiants]

Yeah, I sort of figured the basic gist of the series was going to be leading towards Rossamund is a monster! And some monsters are good! And the war against monsters just because they Look Evil is bad! Which is, you know, a good message for YA, but it makes me a bit impatient, because I was getting that from the first chapter, so I am like "can we just skip past the Prejudice Is Bad 101 and get into the trickier political complexities that you are hinting at in the indexes now please?" I am glad it does not take the whole world until the third book to figure out, though, because . . . yeah, it is not that hard to guess. *grins*

I liked Fouracres a lot! I also really want more Dr. Veerhooverhoven and Sallow. Brilliant young doctor and angsty reluctant-but-duty-bound battle chemist, why can't we get their adventures instead?

[cupenny.livejournal.com]

Now, that is what fanfiction is for. *ggls* Writing stories about the poor characters who aren't in the spotlight, and should be! (Or we gang up on the author and make him write a book of short stories focusing on characters such as these.) ... and wait til you meet some of the new chars in the second book. Oh man.

And... heh. I have been tempted to app Europe, but if I ever do seriously consider it, it will be at the end of the series, so I won't get Jossed. *knock on wood*

[skygiants]

True, true. (Man, you so need to read the Company books! TL and I have been telling you this for ages but it is still true. Because aside from the awesomeness that is most of the main characters, Kage Baker has published two or three books of short stories focusing on all the awesomest side characters. Kalugin, the giant Russian who goes down with sinking ships! Latif! Van Drouten! Victor, the Angstiest Cyborg(TM)!)

That would be awesome! I can see your fears about getting Jossed, though . . . but she is SO COOL. Also, has excellent fashion sense! I WANT HER COAT.

[cupenny.livejournal.com]

(I know, I know! I'll have to see about tracking them down.)

Heh- and of course, we all know how well waiting til a bookseries/other canon is finished as to not get Jossed works out! *wry* But she would be such fun in the bar-

I can see her shocking someone on the nose if they tried hitting on her, as she does to Rossamund a time or two.

[skygiants]

(Yes, yes you will. *firm*)

I'm just imagining her and Elle!

[cupenny.livejournal.com]

......................... *is also imagining this*


Poor, poor, poor Security.