Horn Book

In their third (and darkest) adventure, Pellinore Warthrop and Will Henry's hunt for the Magnificum takes the monstrumologist and his apprentice to the Socotra, the Isle of Blood. Along the way they dodge spies, befriend literary icons, and test the boundaries of their complex relationship. One final book should bring the series--a wonderful mix of period fiction and gothic horror--to a satisfying conclusion.

Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

When an obscure, slimy, flesh-colored pouch is delivered to Pellinore Warthrop's door and renders the deliverer into a bloody, pulpy zombie-like mess, the Monstrumologist has but one course of action open to him. He leaves his apprentice, the steadfast, loyal, brave Will Henry, in pursuit of the sender, none other than Jack Kearns, who readers will recognize as one of the world's most famous serial killers. Word on the street reveals that the strange pouch is a nidus, created by the crème de la crème of all monsters, the magnificum that draws human prey up into the sky, shreds it, then drenches the land below with a rain of blood. Through a series of events that involve murder, romance and Arthur Conan Doyle, Will Henry finds his way to London and Pellinore, and the two embark on a journey to an island off the coast of Africa to find the famed monster. Articulately literary, horrifically grotesque and mind-bendingly complex, Yancey's trilogy conclusion might be the best of the Monstrumologist trilogy. His 19th-century dialogue and descriptions run even smoother than the previous two titles, and his characters have grown deeply complex. He deftly blurs lines between science and the supernatural, and what results is a long, dark-night-of-the-soul journey for both Will Henry and Pellinore that is certain to turn the hearts and the stomachs of every reader who dares open its pages. (Horror. 14 & up)

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

When an obscure, slimy, flesh-colored pouch is delivered to Pellinore Warthrop's door and renders the deliverer into a bloody, pulpy zombie-like mess, the Monstrumologist has but one course of action open to him. He leaves his apprentice, the steadfast, loyal, brave Will Henry, in pursuit of the sender, none other than Jack Kearns, who readers will recognize as one of the world's most famous serial killers. Word on the street reveals that the strange pouch is a nidus, created by the crème de la crème of all monsters, the magnificum that draws human prey up into the sky, shreds it, then drenches the land below with a rain of blood. Through a series of events that involve murder, romance and Arthur Conan Doyle, Will Henry finds his way to London and Pellinore, and the two embark on a journey to an island off the coast of Africa to find the famed monster. Articulately literary, horrifically grotesque and mind-bendingly complex, Yancey's trilogy conclusion might be the best of the Monstrumologist trilogy. His 19th-century dialogue and descriptions run even smoother than the previous two titles, and his characters have grown deeply complex. He deftly blurs lines between science and the supernatural, and what results is a long, dark-night-of-the-soul journey for both Will Henry and Pellinore that is certain to turn the hearts and the stomachs of every reader who dares open its pages. (Horror. 14 & up)

Starred Review ALA Booklist

Starred Review After fighting off headless hordes in The Monstrumologist (2009) and a face-eating specter in Curse of the Wendigo (2010), Dr. Pellinore Warthrop and his trusty 13-year-old assistant, Will Henry, are enjoying a rare moment of tranquility when they receive a most horrific package: a nest woven from human body parts and dripping with pwdre ser he rot of stars." It is the revolting work of the typhoeus magnificum, aka the Unseen One, aka the holy grail of monstrumology, a creature so ravenous it will eat itself. And it must be found! The relationship between Will and his master has never been more complex: Will, subservient for so long, finds his rebellious streak when Warthrop takes on a new, more qualified assistant, while Warthrop's mountainous ego threatens to destroy them all. The middle section, a good 300 pages steeped in British and Russian espionage, lumbers on occasion. But once a human finger falls from the sky on a mysterious island off of Egypt, the horror comes roaring back. This is more ponderous and unwieldy than its predecessors, but Yancey's skill as a stylist cannot be denied. Purportedly, this is the final entry in the Monstrumologist series; Pellinore Warthrop at mad genius! ll be terribly missed.