Watch out, Harry Potter; there's a new kid in town. He's got a girl's name, a heart of gold, and a mighty streak of bravery considering he's just a poor foundling. Yes, a foundling is an orphan, but, unlike Potter, Rossamund Bookchild grew up in a school for foundlings, surrounded by others seemingly like him. Yet Rossamund is different from the others: he's largely introspective and he harbors a soft spot for many of the monsters that stalk the Half-Continent.
Okay, so there isn't really a new kid in town because Foundling's Rossamund doesn't live in the UK or Hogsmeade, but the Half-Continent has its own thrills. A semi-medieval world full of pirates trading child slaves on the vinegar seas and electrified warriors, or fulgars, fighting monsters in the name of the Emperor, Rossamund's land is intriguing indeed.
During his eventful journey from Madam Opera's Estimable Marine Society for Foundling Boys and Girls to his first job as a lamplighter in High Vesting, Rossamund falls in with a particularly adept fulgar, Europe, and a jolly, quick-thinking postman, Fouracres. Undoubtedly, it will be the adventures of this trio that D.M. Cornish explores in the following books, as Foundling is the first in the Monster Blood Tattoo series. But Rossamund has left behind dear friends at school-all adults, the only ones mature enough to appreciate the boy's heart-who are bound to show up again with their own troubles.
Aside from the exciting plot and lovable characters, what really makes this book is the fact that Cornish is an illustrator. Sketches of characters in fantastic costumes and intricately detailed maps of the empire show up occasionally. Plus, the book contains a glossary of words peculiar to the Half-Continent, charts explaining the imperial calendar, and drawings of the many types of boats.
As you say cheerio to Harry Potter and his friends this summer, hop into a landaulet and get ready to explore the threwdish woods because Rossamund Bookchild is waiting.
Armchair Interviews says: If you want to know what those words mean? Get a copy of Foundling and start reading.
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