Monster Blood Tattoo

Praise for Monster Blood Tattoo Book One: Foundling

CHILDREN’S BOOKSENSE PICK, AUTUMN 2006

AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION BEST BOOKS FOR YOUNG ADULTS, 2007

NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY BOOKS FOR THE TEEN AGE, 2007

“I plunged instantly into a unique fantasy world just beyond the familiar, where no one is fully good, where the villains are real and terrifying, and I felt constantly at the edge of a gasp. Might I please have some more? I hope the readers love this as much as I do!”
-Tamora Pierce, author of The Song of the Lioness quartet and The Circle of Magic quartet

“D.M. Cornish has created a remarkable new world, complete in every detail, totally convincing. Even more, he has filled this amazing world with equally amazing characters, startling turns of events, constant excitement, and a rich palette of deeply felt emotions. It’s an epic in the making; and we can all be glad we were present to see it begin.”
-Lloyd Alexander, Newbery Medal-winning author of The Chronicles of Prydain

“…Gives the Dickensian orphan story an original spin… The world building of the Half-Continent is expertly envisioned and peopled with intriguing characters. Cornish has added his own impressive black-and-white portraits to give the characters additional substance. At the close, the protagonist is oised for his next adventure, with enough secrets, promises, and mystery to create impatient demand for part two.”
-Booklist, starred review

“…Inventive debut novel… Rossamund has his share of adventures, encounters a variety of colorful characters, and learns that the world is more complex and perilous than he was raised to believe…Cornish’s world-building efforts show a depth and intricacy reminiscent of the work of J.R.R. Tolkien or Robert Jordan…the unique and fascinating Half-Continent, where ships with organic engines sail caustic vinegar oceans and monster-hunters gain supernatural powers through dangerous surgeries, is a delightful, refreshing standout in a sea of cookie-cutter fantasy worlds.”
-School Library Journal, starred review

“Highly ambitious, Cornish’s fantasy debut boasts a glossary/appendix alone that is more than 100 pages long-and it makes for nearly as fascinating reading as the story itself. Rossamund’s action-packed road story serves chiefly to build and populate Cornish’s remarkable new world, the Half-Continent. His drawings endow both humans and monsters with personality, and detailed maps plus a 16-month calendar year add to the readers’ sense that this milieu has existed for centuries. From the pre-industrial English feel to the sprawling setting and backstory, this book feels every bit as substantial as its heft implies.”
-Publishers Weekly, starred review