Book(s) Review: The Monster Blood Tattoo Trilogy, By D. M. Cornish

"Foundling", "Lamplighter ", and "Factotum", the books of the "Monster Blood Tattoo Trilogy", can be considered my favorite books. Unlike most trilogies, the second, in my opinion, was the best. Shit, almost cried at the end of it.

The Setting: 
This series is based on the adventures of Rossamünd Bookchild, a "foundling" (orphan) left upon the steps of a Foundlingery on a Half-Continent encompassed by oceans (as most continents are), a fantasy world full of alchemy, piracy on the high seas, "monsters", extreme sciences, and polarized wealth distributions reminiscent of the Industrial Age in England. It is an era of revolution, sciences are on the cusp of total renaissance; the poor are angry and afraid; the rich are oppressive, acrimonious, and vulpine; in the end, it is an almost perfect replication of current United States' society (When I review Dragon Age II, I will talk about how two of the three major periods of the game are almost perfect recreations/allegories of world events). There is a constant threwd above the society (threwd is a term used in the book for abstract fear, dejection, despair, weariness, et. al), one alleviated temporarily immediately after removal of nickers or bogles (different sized monsters, human size + and human size -, respectively) by lahzars (specifically fulgars and wits), calendars, or skolds, hunters of these beasts, using different means of entrapment/killing.

The Archetypes: 

I believe this to be of special notice, I did not define the terms above as to keep the sentences simple enough to follow without over-complicating things. Thusly,

• Lahzars: Monster Hunters who have surgically implanted (in certain domains of the world, since this is not a legal endeavor universally) artificial organs to grant special tools to combat the monsters. Examples include:
• Fulgars: Ones who have had such organs (combinations) implanted that they can control electricity, commonly referred to as lightning, through their bodies, such as flinging bolts, creating orbs of electricity, and charging skin, sometimes to the point of fatal charges for those in contact.
• Wits: Ones who have had such organs implanted that they can use their minds to instill fear, confusion, anxiety, and possibly death if used strongly enough.
• Calendars: Female Monster Hunters who dress flamboyantly and colorfully (as to attract attention for hiring and identification purposes) who are highly trained in melee combat.
• Threwd: This is what you could call, in the most approximate term, "unease".
• Bogles and Nickers: The monsters of the trilogy, the only distinction between the names is the size, their forms vary widely.
• Skolds: Monster fighters who use potives instead of artificial enhancements as weapons.

Other Important Terminology:

• Factotum: A close approximation of the middle ground between "apprentice" and "servant", in regards to Lahzars, they are usually in charge of their treacle mixing (see below).
• Treacle: A concoction specific to each lahzar's needs, used to keep the body from rejecting the artificial organs, as well as maintaining homeostasis with the organs inside.
• Lamplighters: Soldiers recruited through the empire, used to light the roads when night falls, as to aid travelers and warriors in transit and defense.
• Leer: Soldiers with chemically altered eyes, they come in two types: Laggards and Falsemen.
• Laggards: Simply men who can see farther through the enhanced aid.
• Falsemen: Men who can see the emotional changes in others, usually employed to detect lying and other moments of countenance treachery, Rossamünd has a very long, destructive journey with one, that culminates at the end of Book Two.
• Potives: Simply "potions", bottles of different mixed chemicals, usually thrown. Can be gaseous, acidic, explosive, or other combinations.

An important note, specialized terminology, diction, jargon, etc. of the book is Germanic, so some of these names and labels are self-explanatory for you Deutschlanders.

Honestly, I've not a damned clue when or why I was inspired to read this book, I can tell you it was before 2009, however. At the time, I just enjoyed the book, no big deal, in my opinion. I believe I'd forgotten about it until I went to Barnes & Noble and saw Lamplighter, then I remembered I had read it. 

Regardless, Onwards:

Rossamünd Bookchild (Bookchild was an arbitrary name given after he was left on the foundlingery steps) is the protagonist of the trilogy, and the... well, the fucking protagonist, so it starts with him.
The story begins with Rossamünd in a foundlingery, " Madam Opera's Estimable Marine Society For Foundling Boys And Girls", waiting, along with the others, to be "scooped up" by people passing through looking to recruit young men for various professions, lamplighters, vinegaroons (sailors), and sometimes habilists (scientists). Rossamünd is constantly made fun for his "girly" name, and is specifically hounded by the "bully" of the bunch; usually getting into physical altercations, broken up only by his few friends in the foundlingery, the masters of the institution itself.
One day, Rossamünd and his antagonist are engaging in their daily joust, when a stranger appears in the shadows of the room; both boys, knowing this is an opportunity of being taken away from the foundlingery, intensify their efforts, in an attempt to appear more apt for whatever position the man can offer (They suspect vinegaroon). At the end of the battle, and shortly afterwards, the stranger approaches the masters of the halls, Rossamünd is called in, and the stranger wishes to offer him a position as a lamplighter, employed by the empire.
Reading the description of lamplighter, one could possibly not be impressed, "Scoff! I say, lighting lamps is not difficult! How can a book come of this menial profession! Harrumph!" WELL YOU'D BE WRONG, STEREOTYPICAL BRITISH GUY, LIGHTING LAMPS IS NOT EASY (At least not in this universe). The Lollipop Guil- I mean, "Lamplighter's Employ", does involve simply lighting lamps amongst the conduits ("highways, main roads), but it also entails, in the areas of the lamps and along the roads designated, that they fight off monsters and shit.
With trepidation, Rossamünd agrees to the offer.
Rossamünd is then shipped off upon the Hogshead to reach his destination, with supplies from his masters. It is then that Rossamünd discovers that the ship is actually a slaver and black-trade vessel(specifically monsters), before he is enslaved completely to the captain Poundlich, the ship is attacked by Imperial Navy Rams; in the chaos Rossamünd is thrown ashore on a riverbank, from which he attempts to continue his journey to the Lamplighter's Housing, "High Vesting".
Through the wilderness, he continues, and stumbles upon powerful monsters, who almost kill him, almost, if not being saved by "Miss Europe", the Branden Rose, and her factotum, Licurius. Miss Europe slaughters a monster who was not involved in the attack, showing no hostility, it is this first encounter that Rossamünd shows a sympathy not characteristic of the common persons of the story.

The trio is then set upon by a more dastardly group of monsters, in which Licurius dies, and Miss Europe is severely injured from doing a explosive finale. Rossamünd is then technically employed as Miss Europe's factotum, after successfully brewing her treacle, at least until she can get to her lahzar-artz (The doctor who performed the implantation of her powers/organs, I made the word up myself, I done good). They continue into town, after resting, where Rossaümund takes up the typical factotum duties, hiring staff for the upcoming travels, moving bank accounts and claiming bounties, etc. En route to the docks, Poundlich, the asshole captain, believes he is the one who "ratted" out his cargo to the navy, and then ties him to a crate in the hold, and leaves him there (Who the fuck does that?). It is then that Rossamünd discovers that the hidden cargo is actually monsters and severed body parts, and the one inside the crate he is attached,is a glamgorn (friendly, human-like monster) called "Freckle". Poundlich then moves, and is then forced to pursue the escaped Rossamünd, right into the company of Miss Europe and their new "driver" Fouracres (What is with the names in this book?), and is promptly murdered by Miss Europe, who killed him softly.
Nah, he screamed and shit his pants.
Via his encouragement, Miss Europe aids in freeing Freckle from the hold, who had hinted that Rossamünd's name has a "special meaning", soon to be revealed.

When the trio reach Rossamünd's original destination, the Highmaster waiting for his arrival had left a week before, traveling further up the road in order to wait there. It is then that he and Miss Europe part ways, her leaving him an abundance of supplies necessary to reach his destination, along with a letter further expounding on herself, it turns out, she is "Europa", duchess-in-waiting for the throne of the city of Naimes.
He finally arrives, is written in and moved in to the boarding, it is here that a letter of duress is given to him from the foundlingery, saying that the master will be leaving shortly for his boarding.

End of Book 1!

My bit: Now, at the time I had read this book, I was still a little "amateurish" in my tastes and analyses of books I'd read, I'd simply read them, and put them on my bookcase. Of course, in retrospect, due to the retrospective analysis and looking glass of book two, and then subsequently three, I see what I missed. I really loved all three of them, and this one was surprisingly "high class", even for me, at the time.

Unfortunately, it has also been so long that I can not remember enough to give you an in-depth analysis of what I thought about the characters and their personalities.

However, I can quite surely attest this is how I looked at the end:

I like this a lot.

I truly apologize, my friends, but at this time, I do not have the resources to review the second book, i.e. Wikipedia does not have a summary to refresh my memory enough to go as in depth as I wish. How can I talk about the frustratingly-difficult-to-read (frustrating as in, "Dammit, you idiot! She likes you!") love-story debacle without knowing the girl's name!?

Fortunately, for you, my dear, beautiful readers, I care about you, so I will find the book, and skim it to make a fitting review for one of the books that almost made me cry. (Only two ever)

I will post the updated version, withThe Book Two Review, Lamplighter, alongside with other posts, as to keep the blog moving.