The Isle of Blood (The Monstrumologist, #3)

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The Isle of Blood (The Monstrumologist #3)

4.34 of 5 stars 4.34 · rating details · 1,079 ratings · 208 reviews

When Dr. Warthrop goes hunting the "Holy Grail of Monstrumology" with his eager new assistant, Arkwright, he leaves Will Henry in New York. Finally, Will can enjoy something that always seemed out of reach: a normal life with a real family. But part of Will can't let go of Dr. Warthrop, and when Arkwright returns claiming that the doctor is dead, Will is devastated--and no...more

Hardcover, 558 pages

Published September 13th 2011 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (first published 2011)

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May 06, 2012 Stephen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, house-like, horror, ya, mystery, sherlockian, audiobook, ebooks, weird-and-new-weird

The study of Aberrant Biological Specimens...aka...monsters...

...is the purview of the Society for the Advancement of the Science of Monstrumology. Professor Pellinore Warthrop is the world’s foremost monstrumologist and, together with Will Henry, his teenage ward, the pair investigate the strange, mysterious and deadly biological phenomena of the 19th century.

A cross between Sherlock Holmes, the X-files, and the adventure tales of Jules Verne, with an added blanket of “lovecraftian” dread dra...more

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Nov 27, 2011 Crowinator rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, horror-and-psychological-thrillers, books-i-own-kindle, 2011-reads, literary, memorably-scary-or-disturbing, other-monsters, historical, favorites, favorites-read-in-2011, characters-i-love, everything-is-turning-out-so-dark

I don't know if I can write a review that captures this book (always a problem for me with this amazing series) but it was a wholly absorbing, disturbing, meaningful experience, I can say that. This is one of the best stories out there, though I think it's struggled to find a (large enough) audience that gets its mix of literary/philosophical musing and outright gore and slow-building dread and shrieking horror. I think this series is becoming quite Lovecraftian, especially in its frame tale of...more I don't know if I can write a review that captures this book (always a problem for me with this amazing series) but it was a wholly absorbing, disturbing, meaningful experience, I can say that. This is one of the best stories out there, though I think it's struggled to find a (large enough) audience that gets its mix of literary/philosophical musing and outright gore and slow-building dread and shrieking horror. I think this series is becoming quite Lovecraftian, especially in its frame tale of the author seeking the answers to Will Henry's "true" life. Just incredible stuff.

OLD COMMENTS:
Just learned, to my dismay, that this will be the last book published in this amazing, scary, heartfelt, literary horror series because sales were not "good enough" for S&S to continue publishing them. I don't want to be a child and cry "not fair, not fair", but I totally feel like it -- so many terrible books are being published with large, hugely publicized runs, while series of such incredible quality like this one are falling under the radar. Yes, there are still a lot of wonderful books being published out there, too, but I am really going to miss Will Henry's and Dr. Warthrop's adventures. This is one of my favorite series and I'm disheartened to hear that it won't continue.

UPDATE: I hear S&S just agreed to publish a fourth book in the Monstrumologist series! Stephanie's write-in campaign was a success! I saw Rick Yancey's post on Facebook celebrating the news. Here's an excerpt: "It gives me great pleasure to admit I underestimated the power of this bond we share with the written word. I have just received confirmation that one week after the campaign began, Simon & Schuster has reversed its decision and will publish the fourth volume of Will Henry's journals. Monstrumology lives. I didn't bring it back to life - so don't congratulate me. Toast yourselves, honorary monstrumologists, for YOU did it. In the words of Eliot Ness, 'Never stop. Never stop fighting till the fight is done. Here endeth the lesson.'"

YAY!
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Feb 20, 2012 Orrin Grey rated it 5 of 5 stars

Rick Yancey's Monstrumologist books are some of the most impressive horror novels I've ever read. There, I said it. The second book wasn't quite as good as the first, but I think this one knocks it right back up to the top.

I've mentioned in my reviews of the previous volumes how incredibly gruesome, gory, and grim these books can be. Surprisingly, given the nature of the monster being hunted in this one, this may be the least gruesome (or maybe I'm just getting used to it), but it also pays off...more

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Dec 06, 2012 Rain Misoa rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Horror Fans and people who have hearts made out of ice.

Recommended to Rain by: Library

Shelves: must-own

Oh, my feels... they have been shot. I don't even think I can write up a review that's coherent. Though, I can try. (To the best of my non-existent abilities.)

I am IN LOVE with this series. I am. I think Rick Yancey did a magnificent job with the writing, plot, and characters. Though not as gruesome as the first in the series, The Isle of Blood is still as gripping and as exciting at its previous installments. This one specifically killed my feels. I was left... in shock. Especially with the ch...more

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Jul 20, 2012 Eva rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, e-book

Petualangan Will dan Dr. Warthop kali ini sudah menyeberangi batas2 benua, dari Amerika ke Britania Raya di Inggris, dan ke Arab di Asia. Semuanya bermula dari kemunculan seorang laki2 Inggris yang dikirim oleh Dr. Jack Kearns, karakter yang sempat absen di buku kedua serial ini, nampaknya Jack tidak ingin terlalu lama menghilang di balik layar dan ingin segera mengejar skor. Tidak tanggung2, Dr. Kearns meracuni pria malang bernama Mr. Kendall dan menyuruhnya membawa sebuah paket misterius untuk...more

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Jan 02, 2012 Samantha rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Teens, Adventurous Readers, Gothic

Shelves: teen-read, reviewed

I was walking in my mom's bedroom a few months ago and saw this book sitting there. I didn't recognize it so figured it must be new. I picked it up, saw that it said "An Advance Reviewer Copy" and asked her about it. She had found it online and sent for it. I eventually started reading it, but ending up taking a break and I'm so glad I picked it up again to finish.

First off, I have never read the first 2 books. I have never heard of this series. Usually I don't start in the middle of a series....more I was walking in my mom's bedroom a few months ago and saw this book sitting there. I didn't recognize it so figured it must be new. I picked it up, saw that it said "An Advance Reviewer Copy" and asked her about it. She had found it online and sent for it. I eventually started reading it, but ending up taking a break and I'm so glad I picked it up again to finish.

First off, I have never read the first 2 books. I have never heard of this series. Usually I don't start in the middle of a series. I have a huge problem with reading books in sequential order. However, for some odd reason, I made an exception for this book. I figured if it was REALLY a good book, it should be able to stand on its own, and surprisingly it did. I found slight references to the previous books in the series, but none that left me completely in the dark. I was able to keep reading without having to go crazy about whether those set these events in motion.

The prologue and epilogue remind me of The Series of Unfortunate Events. The author is trying to figure out past events and uses past documents to relate the story. We follow along in Yancey's investigation.

The thing I really love about this book is the writing style. Yancey's choice of diction is truly impeccable. I have grown accustomed to not being able to really pick out any literary elements as I have picked up in past English classes. In The Isle Of Blood, it was never-ending. Besides being one of my favorite sentences in the entire book, there is also a fine example of alliteration: "But you cannot say Pellinore Warthrop was not finally, full, furiously alive."
I found this simile and was thoroughly impressed: "On the fourth day the horizon before us turned black and the seas tose, driven by a stiff wind that pushed against the Dagmar like a giant hand pressing upon her chest." This line really enabled me to experience the adventure alongside Dr. Warthrop and Will Henry. The entire book was so descriptive, I never found myself struggling to form a mental image. It ran smoothly and gracefully like a movie in my mind.

This book also kept me surprised with all the allusions. Some of the ones I caught were: Sherlock Holmes, Mythology (Medusa, Charybdis and Icarus), Frankenstein, The Odyssey, Romeo & Juliet, The Lady & The Tiger (I had to read my freshman year in English), Biblical and I'm sure others are still lying about. Every time I found one I would get a little rush at the fact of having read them and the wonder they add to the story.

I was constantly on the edge of my seat and could not stop reading (being backed up on school work made me stop for at least a month or two). I had this book with me everywhere I went. I would read in my classes (even the ones I'm not allowed to read in), at lunch, and even while transitioning from class to class. This book is like none other I have read before. Even when a lot of action wasn't really happening, I found descriptions that thrilled my imagination and awakened my senses. Underlying every moment of the book was a pushing....one that just kept me reading and never wanting to stop reading. I also found myself wishing the story would never end!

Chapter 7 was one of my favorite chapters, it really gets the action started. I haven't really read a more disturbing, terrifying, wonderful and absolutely capturing chapter before. I found myself grimacing with a slight rush of Reader-Adrenaline. The description, the action and the gruesome display kept me enthralled.

Thanks to this book, I am rushing to find the first two in the series. I want to see what happens before the Magnificum and Tipota. Overall great book, definitely a re-read =)(less)

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Dec 19, 2012 Rayna Del Rivas rated it 5 of 5 stars

Yancey's most magnificent yet?

My devotion to the Monstrumologist series grows with each superbly crafted novel that Yancey writes. In drafting this review, I wrestle only with this query: is Isle of Blood equal to or greater than the previous installments? I may never figure the answer to that, just as I may never figure out how I will be able to wait for the next one - which appears to be another 9 months from now. Sigh. Simon and Schuster should really rethink their decision to end this unique...more Yancey's most magnificent yet?

My devotion to the Monstrumologist series grows with each superbly crafted novel that Yancey writes. In drafting this review, I wrestle only with this query: is Isle of Blood equal to or greater than the previous installments? I may never figure the answer to that, just as I may never figure out how I will be able to wait for the next one - which appears to be another 9 months from now. Sigh. Simon and Schuster should really rethink their decision to end this uniquely amazing series after the fourth book.

What makes this series so unique is even more evident in Isle of Blood. If you want horror - my goodness, like all the others before it, there are scenes here that terrified and disgusted me (i.e. an infection whereby the infected starts making a nest of his/her body parts). From the moment the Typhoeus magnificum is mentioned, I was in horrified anticipation. Billed as the Holy Grail of monstrumology, I turned each page with increasing dread, waiting for Warthrop and Will Henry to finally find it and face it. Yancey is brilliant in building suspense of this elusive, never-before-captured monster.

"Its name is Typhoeus magnificum, the Magnificent Father, the Faceless One we cannot help but turn and face. The One of a Thousand Faces that is there when we turn to look, and then looks back at us.

"It is the magnificum. It lives in that space between spaces, in that spot one ten-thousandth of an inch outside your range of vision. You cannot see it. It sees you. And when it sees you, it does not see you. It has not conception of you. There is magnificum and nothing else.

"You are the nest. You are the hatchling. You are the chrysalis. You are the progeny. You are the rot that falls from stars.

"You may not understand what I mean.

"You will."

"The faceless one" "the rot of stars" "The magnificent father"- in Warthrop's quest for the Magnificum and in Will Henry's stubborn devotion to Warthrop, Yancey draws a riveting parallel. Not only is the reader accompanying our two heroes on their most perilous and frightening journey yet, but also witnessing a transformation in Will Henry as well. A transformation that by the end of the book, is perhaps as terrifying as the magnificum itself.

And this is where Yancey wins me. Okay, Yancey wins me with his exceptional writing, thrilling plot, and moments between horrific scenes where I unexpectedly laugh out loud. His characters are larger than life, complex - they leap off the page. Even the secondary characters are memorable, the most memorable and enigmatic of whom makes his flamboyant return in Isle of Blood. As added bonuses, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Arthur Rimbaud grace its pages as well.

Isle of Blood plumbs new depths; there is always a compelling philosophical vein running through each book, but in this venture, Will Henry is overwhelmed with an existential crisis. Who is he? Who does he want to be? And is it already too late for him - is he already lost to the violent life of monstrumology?
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May 22, 2012 Alex Watzek rated it 5 of 5 stars

Once again, I am impressed, and maybe even a little awed, by Rick Yancey's ability to create a story that has both an exciting plot and significant literary depth and meaning. This novel has a brilliantly written story with rich imagery and vivid, though sometimes slightly disturbing descriptions that make it as poetic as Shakespeare yet as thrilling as any good horror film. Yancey's frequent allusion to and parallels with historic events and characters (such as Arthur Conan Doyle or Arthur Rim...more

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Jan 07, 2012 Darren Hartwell rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror

Like many fans of Rick Yancey's Monstrumologist series I was truly gutted when I read that his publisher had decided not to extend his contract beyond three books. From what I could make out, this decision came quite late, after Mr Yancey had completed the third book, thus not giving him the opportunity to finish telling the story of Will Henry. Of course, this rather low moment was followed several weeks later by a massive high when it was announced that Simon and Schuster had decided to extend...more Like many fans of Rick Yancey's Monstrumologist series I was truly gutted when I read that his publisher had decided not to extend his contract beyond three books. From what I could make out, this decision came quite late, after Mr Yancey had completed the third book, thus not giving him the opportunity to finish telling the story of Will Henry. Of course, this rather low moment was followed several weeks later by a massive high when it was announced that Simon and Schuster had decided to extend the author's contract to a fourth and final book in this most fantastic of horror series. With my objective hat on I can sort of understand why the series has not sold as well as the author and publisher had hoped: it is simply too good. It would appear that there is more money in selling a multitude of Twilight wannabes, rather than truly literate, complex horror stories that have more in common with Shelley's Frankenstein and Stoker's Dracula than most of the mass-market (but top selling) rubbish that has saturated the market in recent years, especially in the US.

The Isle of Blood is nothing short of being a masterpiece of horror literature, and is definitely my favourite in an already outstanding series. It is the kind of book that takes over all of your waking thoughts, and then invades your dreams, turning them into the most horrific of nightmares. And I had thought the first two books in the series were pretty damn scary! I think what makes this book stand out as my favourite is that this now really is Will's story. Despite Will being the narrator, the first two books were very much about his mentor, Pellinore Warthrop. This is a man who is incredibly driven, but also tragically haunted, a man whose personality is so complex it almost puts the likes of Sherlock Holmes in the shade as a literary character. In The Isle of Blood Will is abandoned by his mentor, and with him taken out of Warthrop's sphere of influence for the first time we start to see what makes him tick as a person in his own right. However, when given the opportunity to live a normal life, with an adopted family and a proper education, what will he choose? Has he already spent too long with Warthrop?

Anybody who has read the first two books in this series will already know that Will has been to some pretty dark places so far. However, they are as nothing compared with the darkness that faces him in The Isle of Blood, and the life-changing decisions he is forced to make. The horror in this book is not just about monsters as the events that seem to unfurl like a tsunami, carrying Will along with an unstoppable force, had a huge impact on my emotions and scared me more than some of the more horror-laden scenes. Perhaps this was the teacher part of me, witnessing a first hand the tragic loss of innocence that this eager and bright young man experiences.

Rick Yancey has so far provided us with two incredibly nasty monsters: the anthropophagi of the first book and the wendigo of the second. Both of these pale into insignificance in comparison with the magnificum of this book. Without giving too much away this is an organism that could have devastating consequences on a global scale, simply by the briefest of contact with a tiny amount of fluid known as pwdre ser (even typing that simple phrase is enough to send shivers down my spine now - google it and be even more afraid). To say any more would be to spoil the story as you really need to read this in its entirety to fully experience the impact this creature will have on your thoughts.

Before I sign off I wanted to bring you a moment of humour from this book that made me chuckle out loud. Will Henry's narration is laced with a number of dry, and very dark, bon mots, and this is a perfect example of such. When asked by Warthrop whether he should "cut the torso in half, at the seventh thoracic vertebra", Will Henry narrates:

"I confessed I did not have an opinion; I was only thirteen, and this was my very first dismemberment".

I have no doubt in my mind at all that if the publisher had rebranded this as a series of adult books, with a high profile marketing campaign, then they would have been begging Mr Yancey to write far beyond his contracted first three books. If you love horror, and feel that other books do not challenge you enough, then please give this series a go before you leave YA behind and move on to books aimed at the adult market.(less)

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Nov 28, 2011 Maria Kramer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror, historical

The modern master of Gothic horror returns...and there was much rejoicing. In this volume, Dr. Warthrop actually leaves his assistant Will Henry behind with his former teacher as he embarks on the most dangerous mission of his career -- to find Typhoes Magnificum, the Questing Beast of monstrumology, which has never been seen. Will finally gets to experience normal family life, and leaves it behind to save the doctor when he is reported to have died in action. Along the way, Will confronts the g...more

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Oct 09, 2011 Nicole Politi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Dr. Pellinore Warthrop is in the business of hunting the organisms that pose the highest risk to humanity. He is the Monstrumologist and thirteen-year-old Will Henry is his assistant. Then the opportunity to hunt the top prize, the Faceless One, arrives in the form of a prank. John Kearns sends Warthrop the nidus ex magnificum - the nest of the Magnificum – by way of one Mr Kendall. One touch of the nidus leads to infection. Infection to Oculus Dei (the eyes of God) and henceforth to death. Mr K...more Dr. Pellinore Warthrop is in the business of hunting the organisms that pose the highest risk to humanity. He is the Monstrumologist and thirteen-year-old Will Henry is his assistant. Then the opportunity to hunt the top prize, the Faceless One, arrives in the form of a prank. John Kearns sends Warthrop the nidus ex magnificum - the nest of the Magnificum – by way of one Mr Kendall. One touch of the nidus leads to infection. Infection to Oculus Dei (the eyes of God) and henceforth to death. Mr Kendall, the curious delivery man, becomes one of many victims in the race to find the Magnificum.

Yancey, once again, delivers a riveting story full of horror, suspense, and excellent character development, as well as an exploration of the human psyche. The most surprising and satisfying developments belonged to Will Henry. His transformation from assistant to apprentice, from witness to catalyst is extraordinary. Let me tantalize you with the following passage from Will Henry’s folio:

I suppose we cannot help it. We are all hunters. We are, for lack of a better word, monstrumologists. Our prey varies depending on our age, sex, interests, energy. Some hunt the simplest or silliest of things–the latest electronic device or the next promotion or the best-looking boy or girl in school. Others hunt fame, power, wealth. Some nobler souls chase the divine or knowledge or the betterment of humankind. In the winter of 1889, I stalked a human being. You might think I mean Dr. Pellinore Warthrop, I do not. That person was me (p 172).

Meanwhile, Yancey paints Warthrop as vividly as ever. The reader will be sucked into his sphere along with Will Henry and at the conclusion, all three come face-to-face with the Magnificum.
Is it any wonder the power this man held over me–this man who did not run from his demons like most of us do, but embraced them as his own, clutching them to his heart in a choke hold grip. He did not try to escape them by denying them or drugging them or bargaining with them. He met them where they lived, in secret places most of us keep hidden. Warthrop was Warthrop down to the marrow of his bones, for his demons defined him; they breathed the breath of life into him; and without them, he would go down,as most of us do, into that purgatorial fog of a life unrealized (p 420).

If there is one book you read this year, it should be The Isle of Blood. Assuming, of course, you have read The Monstrumologist and The Curse of the Wendigo. And if you have already read these first two books in the series, I’m sure you have already picked up The Isle of Blood and need no urging from me. Then we will all face the horror of waiting for the fourth installment.

Library copy (print) | September 13, 2011 | Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers | 560 pages | ISBN: 978-1416984528 | Ages 14 and up | $18.99(less)

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Sep 30, 2011 JJ rated it 4 of 5 stars

You guys, my love for Pellinore Warthrop is reaching slightly hysterical levels. To the point where I've seriously considered writing my Teddy Bear a letter that says "Dear Bear: I love you, but it's not you, it's Pellinore Warthrop." I have to keep reminding myself "He's fictional, he's fictional, he's fictional..."

The best draw of these books (aside from the pitch perfect diction and tone) for me is how deftly-drawn the relationship between Will Henry and the doctor are. Oh god, it makes me FE...more

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Sep 28, 2011 Jennifer Rayment rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Good Stuff

Get a real kick out of the prologues in this series & this one was my favorite
A lot more humour in this which I really enjoyed - laughed out loud quite a few times
Dr. Warthrop comes across as more likeable & human in this one
Fast paced story most of the time
Not as much icky gory stuff like in the first two installments in the series (Boys will love that, 40 yr old Mom's, not so much LOL!)
Main characters are very realistic, warts and all
Unique
Like the play on charact...more

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Aug 07, 2011 Aleeeeeza rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-read, arc-netgalley-galleygrab

Soooo. The Curse of the Wendigo, the second book in the Monstrumologist series Blew. Me. Away. I was expecting this last instalment to blow me away, too, and I'm glad to say that in many ways, it definitely did.

I read The Isle of Blood on my laptop, and this eARC was 562 friggin' pages long. And lately I've discovered that reading humongous books on my laptop puts me in a really bad mood. However, I wanted to read this book badly enough that I decided to just give it a go. And surprisingly, the...more

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Oct 24, 2012 Crystal rated it 4 of 5 stars

Each of these books has taken a different approach to telling a story, and surprisingly I have enjoyed them all. The first book was a classic monster hunter story, the second book was mainly about character development of Dr. Warthrop, and this book was about Will Henry's character development and the darkness within all men.

I was expecting a ton of gore, so I was a bit thrown off that there didn't seem to be too many scenes that fit that agenda. Near the beginning and near the end there are a c...more

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Oct 17, 2011 Jan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror-fiction, teenbooks

This third book in the Monstrumologist series had me quaking in my boots. You see, I've read the first two and Yancey holds nothing back in bringing the gore and the horror. But although gore often equals cheesy, Yancey's prose is so beautifully constructed that one is swooning at the literary quality and simultaneously turning green at what is being described. I've never read anything like it.

But I was somewhat surprised to find that the gore element is more restrained this time around. Isle of...more

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Jan 25, 2012 Sinn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Reading these books, I honestly wonder whether they were truly meant for children. They are wonderful and well written books; however, I sometimes wonder if the subject matter and writing style might be too advanced for young adults. That being said, I was extremely excited to find that my local library had this book sitting on the shelves. After reading The Curse of the Wendigo earlier last year, I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book! I find them to be thoroughly engrossing and all consu...more Reading these books, I honestly wonder whether they were truly meant for children. They are wonderful and well written books; however, I sometimes wonder if the subject matter and writing style might be too advanced for young adults. That being said, I was extremely excited to find that my local library had this book sitting on the shelves. After reading The Curse of the Wendigo earlier last year, I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book! I find them to be thoroughly engrossing and all consuming!

This book picks right up after the events of the previous book. While there is mention of some of the previous characters, the incident in the monstrumarium, seeing von Helrung, and Lilly Bates again, this book appears to stand on its own. As with the other books, this one starts out with a visitor on the doctor's door step. However, this package brings something entirely different to Dr. Warthrop. The contents of the package will cost Will his finger, find Warthrop in an asylum, and the doctor and his young apprentice across the world. Honestly, this book is very hard to describe without giving too much detail away.

When this book opened up, I was surprised to find that Will Henry's voice had definitely aged from the previous book. It was obvious that he grew up some between the two books. I felt that the author did an amazing job expressing that while keeping Will's voice intact. Further, I was also able to fully see that, while the story takes place in his childhood, Will is a man looking back on these experiences from a point of understanding and introspection.

Will's time with Lilly's family is another stark reminder of the life he is living with the doctor and his inability to fully be a child again. I felt it was a bold move by the author. While Warthrop is not physically abusive to Will, he can be seen as neglectful. The contrast between the family life and life with the doctor was really apparent. However, I also felt the author did a good job of showing that Warthrop, in his own right, loves and depends on Will Henry.

I rather enjoyed that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had a cameo in the book! It was lovely and quite entertaining!

I find Yancey's writing style to be very dense. These books remind me a lot of Victorian authors. Since they are sent in the lately 1800s, I feel this is a very effective way to pull the reader into the period. It also gives it a little more authority. The dense writing, diction, and subject matter makes me wonder whether these are truly young adult books. They all dig deeply into the basest parts of human nature. This one more so than the others. The author peals away the layers and challenges readers to find where the line is between humanity and monstrosity. In a lot of ways, that seems like a hard thing to take on as a teenager. It is hard to watch Will Henry go through many of the things he encounters in this book. I cannot imagine how a young adult would feel reading this book. As an adult, I also feel the "sick" nature of Warthrop and Will's relationship. While I fully understand that Warthrop loves Will, there is a level at which it is completely wrong.

Even though I was wondering thinking through these things while reading the book, I loved every minute of it! For some, the books might be a little too dense and slow getting started; however, they are amazing and well written. I find myself forcing myself to stay awake and read one more page. I am eagerly awaiting the next book, and I hope my local library gets it soon! (less)

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Sep 15, 2011 Allyson rated it 5 of 5 stars

If you haven't read The Monstrumologist series, you need to! While I know that Yancey has probably written this series for a certain demographic, it bothers me that so many adult horror fans will miss out on this series out of fear of being seen lurking in the teen section at Barnes & Noble. This series is fantastic. If you like monsters--and not just your average vampire or werewolf but real life disgusting creatures that dwell beneath cemeteries and inside the deepest, dark crevices of the...more

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May 13, 2012 Natalie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, for-boys, spooky, fantasy-magic

This is an interesting series, one that I stumbled on by accident. I had just watched this super creepy show about a "wendigo" and the next day at the library I happened to see The Curse of the Wendigo on a shelf and was intrigued. I didn't even realize it was the SECOND book in a series until I was about a third of the way through. I never went back and read the first book, but liked it enough to continue on to the third.

This one was a little slower moving than The Curse of the Wendigo. I thin...more

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Oct 21, 2011 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars

This third installment was more philosophical in nature with most of the monster mayhem occurring in the beginning of the story, and the climax- two bookends propping up Will and Pellinore’s soul searching/trophy hunting trek around the globe. There’s less action overall, but the gore quotient is still high as evidenced in my favorite sentence in the book:

“The only thing in Mr. Kendall’s stomach was Mr. Kendall.”

At one point, it literally rains blood, which is always a great thing to have happen...more

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Sep 12, 2011 TheBookSmugglers rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-favorites

Originally Reviewed on The Book Smugglers: http://thebooksmugglers.com/2011/09/b...

For two years, William James Henry has lived with and served the most preeminent Monstrumologists the world has ever known, Dr. Pellinore Xavier Warthrop. For two years, he has skittered around the abyss of ultimate darkness, narrowly averting the onslaught of Anthropophagi and the madness of the Outiko, all in service to the Monstrumologist, who is the only thing young Will has in the world. In The Isle of Blood,...more

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Feb 27, 2013 Beausephus rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-that-i-tolerate, kids-lit-for-all-ages

Rick Yancey's MONSTRUMOLOGIST series is shockingly violent and brutally frank. However beneath the well-intended turn-of-the-century gore is a story about the relationship between the Sherlock Holmes-ian Pellinore Warthrop- the Monstrumologist - and his ward, the orphaned Will Henry. The father figure issues and awkward silences are more haunting than the monsters they seek out. Perhaps in over correction to the action/adventure tone of the second novel, Yancey seems to be trying a bit too hard...more

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Jun 28, 2012 Brigid *Flying Kick-a-pow!* rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-of-summer-12, 5-star-books, favorites, addicting-as-crack, bromance, young-adult, fantasy, scared-the-shit-out-of-me, steampunk, i-threw-up-in-my-mouth-a-little, i-think-i-just-peed-myself, crime-and-mystery

I'm probably going to rush somewhat through this review. First of all, I have a much longer review to do and I want to get to that. Secondly, I've already reviewed the first two books and I don't have many different things to say about this one ... (Um, also I read the second and third ones so close together that I'm kind of getting them mixed up, but I'LL TRY NOT TO.)

Anyway. This book is fantastic, just like the two books before it. (I'm also quite surprised that this has less than 600 ratings...more

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Dec 12, 2011 Patty Valencia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen-fiction

I actually won this Advanced Reader Copy book from the publisher, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing and I am so HAPPY that I did.

It is an amazing story. I absolutely love William James Henry and Pellinore Warthrop. They are both wonderfully written characters with depth and heart. It was awesome following them on their journey. I had many moments where all I could do was sit, smile, and feel mesermized by the beauty of Yancey's words. The story line flows beautifully. It is witty, exci...more

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Sep 26, 2011 Mykl rated it 4 of 5 stars

When considering all three books this is an incredible series. The growth seen in the characters(Will and Dr. Warthop) are tremendous in terms of their relationship and individually. Also, right on target with the changes in Will in becoming an adolescent. In fact character development seemed to be 2/3 of the book and action 1/3. What did not quite work for me was some of the dream sequences for Will Henry. Some seemed a bit too abstract (Perhaps it is this reader?).

Great series in looking at t...more

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Jan 05, 2012 Anachronist rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: simply-the-best-so-far

Synopsis:

Pellinore Warthrop is sent from England a very strange object, called a ‘nidus’ or nest. Allegedly it is made by one of the most unique monsters on earth, a kind of a dragon called Typhoeus Magnificum, aka the "Holy Grail of Monstrumology", a creature so elusive nobody has seen it dead or alive yet. Its nest is also very toxic to humans – a mere touch and you are infected. Small wonder the unwilling courier who brought it to the doctor falls ill and has to be killed. As you can guess it...more

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Jul 31, 2011 Amanda rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was so sad when I read that Isle of Blood was going to be the last in Rick Yancey's bone chillingly awesome Monstrumologist series. Turns out that the series didn't do as well as the publisher hoped, so after three books, they're calling it quites. I really hate to see such a unique, well-constructed and downright scary series end this way. Not only does it seem like there is so much more life left in Will Henry's story, but the story ends on a mild cliffhanger than hints at there being someth...more

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Apr 21, 2013 Nigarsan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: may2013, crime, horror, mystery

The Isle of Blood by Rick Yancey
This book is about a boy named "Will" who is an apprentice to a scientist named "Dr.Wathrop", who study the existence of monster.In this book, they are on an adventure to find the "Holy Grail of Monstrumology", a monster that has many faces of its victims when one of their friends sent them a part of the monster called the "Nidus" that carries a deadly disease that can't be cured.They face many challenges through their journey to finally find this dangerous crea...more

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Nov 05, 2011 Bailey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned

You know, I liked this book. I liked this book a lot. The plot was good, the Arthur Conan Doyle bit blew my mind in an awesome way, the "monster" was a brilliant kind of thing. I love the relationship between Will Henry and the doctor, but I feel like it kind of just went... off. I understand he's (willhenry) what keeps him(pellinorewarthrop) in the light and bla bla bla, but it seems like in every book, there is something that drives the doctor away from Will Henry, and then SOMETHING HAPPENS A...more

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Oct 02, 2011 Kat Goldin rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is not my type of book.. but there are plenty of middle school creepy students who would love it!

Monstrumologist’s is a hard book to get through and a more difficult book to comprehend. I know there are many students in the middle school scope that enjoys a good thriller filled with gross, scary, goosebumps stories and that things that horrify them drive the to read more. This book meets and exceeds all of those description and more. I find this book on the caliber of Stephen King’s books a...more

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2013 Hub Reading ...: The Isle of Blood	1	1	May 18, 2013 08:06am
The Filipino Group: [Buddy Reading] The Isle of Blood (Monstrumologist # 3) by Rick Yancey (Aaron, Blue, Mae, Tina) Start Date: Oct 27	5	22	Oct 31, 2012 09:48pm

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About Rick Yancey

aka Richard Yancey

Rick is a native Floridian and a graduate of Roosevelt University in Chicago. He earned a B.A. in English which he put to use as a field officer for the Internal Revenue Service. Inspired and encouraged by his wife, he decided his degree might also be useful in writing books and in 2004 he began writing full-time.

Since then he has launched two critically acclaimed series: The Ext...more

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Books by Rick Yancey

The Monstrumologist (The Monstrumologist, #1)

The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp (Alfred Kropp, #1)

The Curse of the Wendigo (The Monstrumologist, #2)

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Quotes from The Isle of Blood

“But hope is no less realistic than despair. It is still our choice whether to live in light or lie down in darkness.” — 33 people liked it

“There are those who labor in the darkness, that the rest of us might live in the light.” — 24 people liked it

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The Isle of Blood (The Monstrumologist #3)

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