The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancy: Basically gothic monsters that will definitely eat your face

The Monstrumologist 

by 

Rick Yancy

              Monstrumology is the study of monsters. For Will Henry monsters are very real and very bite-y. Will is the assistant to the ‘best’ (read as 'only') Monstrumologist in the . . . let’s go with area. Because I’m not entirely sure where we are. Maybe it’s the United States, maybe it’s London, maybe we’re in an alternate reality, I have no idea. Anyway, as said assistant, Will Henry helps the Monstrumologist with various cases ranging from dissecting dead monsters to killing live ones. The book begins with a grave robber bringing them a gruesome specimen which leads to more terrifying monsters and other gothic creep-fests. It kind of reminded me of The Last Apprentice by Joseph Delany. Except we’re probably in Victorian times. And they switched out witches and werewolves for some truly freaky original monsters. At least, I think they’re original . . . let’s admit it, if they aren’t Greek or Roman monsters I’ve got nothing.

Note From the Editor: The suffix –ology is Greek for "the study of."

Characters

Will Henry: Don’t ask me why everyone feels the need to call him by his first and last name every single time, because I have no idea as to why it's a thing. Okay, joking aside, this is how you write child characters’ you guys! Will was mature and had a lot of responsibility on his shoulders, which he dealt with like an adult, except for a few perfectly understandable breakdowns, which mostly aimed at the Doctor for being a brat. When I started the book, and found out that the narrator was only twelve years old I almost put it down. But Will was an intelligent and strong character who wasn’t as bratty and whiny as every other twelve-year-old in the world.

"But Kat!" people say, "That’s not realistic at all!"

Honestly, why do people want ‘realistic’ characters. You realize that ‘realistic’ characters would be really boring. Real twelve-year-old surrounded by monsters? Yeah, he’s dead. Real fourteen-year-old wizard fighting ancient want-to-be dictator? Say goodbye to Harry Potter numbers five through seven. Will Henry might not have been realistic, but at least I didn’t have to face palm every time he made a decision.

Doctor Warthrope: also, known as Doctor Definitely-Not-Sherlock. No, seriously. I’m surprised there wasn’t a pipe and a Doctor Watson. Actually, I think there was a pipe, and technically Will Henry’s dad would be Watson. Warthrope is an egotistical git, but we love him for it. He’ll work for days on end without food for sleep and then have massive breakdowns where he won’t get out of his bed for days. Still he’s got to have a heart somewhere down there otherwise he wouldn’t have taken Will Henry in. And, can I say, their relationship was adorable.

Likes

This was finally a horror/monster book that was good: I read a lot of horror books last Halloween. And quickly decided that they aren’t for me at all. In my defense, it was because they weren’t scary at all and the characters were about as clever as a sack of bricks. The Monstrumologist, doesn’t suffer from those same problems.

I’m a sucker for the setting/writing: because really in books like this the writing is part of the setting. I told you it was kind of Victorian. Well, the frame story is that Will Henry is writing his adventures down near the end of a very long life. Given that, everything is written with Victorian posh vocabulary and in the driest tone that is entirely hilarious. And, for the record, I have no idea where this obsession with Victorian settings came from. But, dang, was it a good choice for this tale of monsters and men. Someone should really do some research into why the Victorian era is so fitting to terrifying beasts and paranormal monstrosities. I think it would be interesting.

I really liked the villain: Which makes me sound like a complete psychopath but... oh well, the damage is done. It’s too late to save my reputation anyhow. Look, I know that sympathetic villains are all the rage and all, goodness knows I love them, but there’s something special about a pure evil villain.  And the terrifying part was that he continually proved himself to be indispensable and it was a really freaky place to be put in. Stuck fighting monsters with a dude who is almost or just as bad as them. For all you know, he’ll kill you just as easily as he’ll kill the monsters he was hired to exterminate. Terrifying. In a good way.

Dislikes

There are literally no female characters

 I don’t really have anything else to say about that. They just weren't there. I mean Will’s mum exists, but she’s dead before the book even starts. So really Yancy, what gives? I guess, on one hand, all the characters were doctors and policemen and monster hunters; which, I’ll admit, weren’t exactly lady-friendly professions. So, I guess I’ll let it slide. But, there better be at least a few gals in the next one, man.

I was actually really surprised by this book. I sort of picked it up on a whim. Heck, I barely read the blurb. But there you go, a little hidden gem book. Apparently it’s a series, which I can totally get behind. Maybe the second one will have even more monsters.