The Bearded Scribe Press—Discovering Tomorrow's Top Speculative Fiction Authors Today!: Monstrumologist

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Book Spotlight: The Final Descent (The Monstrumologist, Book 4) by Rick Yancey

Hello again, Beardies!

Can anyone please tell me where the last seventeen months have gone? It’s hard to believe, but that’s how long it’s been since I presented our first-ever Book Spotlight on Rick Yancey’s Monstrumologist Series. At the time, I believed it to be a trilogy, and complete. I was saddened, as I always am at finishing a series I’ve loved, and (although my research at the time turned up nothing) I remember wondering if a fourth book could possibly be in the offing. As it turned out, I was right. Rick Yancey had, in fact, planned a four-book series, but just before the publication of The Isle of Blood, Simon and Schuster decided not to publish the fourth volume.

Simon and Schuster may have heard enough from Will Henry and Dr. Warthrop, but Mr. Yancey’s legions of fans had not. Outraged, the fans mounted a campaign to resurrect the series, reaching out to the publisher through letters, blogs, and social media. Shocked by the outpouring from the readers, Simon and Schuster reversed their decision, and Book Four, The Final Descent was finally released in September of this year. And so today, Book Spotlight comes full-circle. Before I start really waxing philosophical, though, let’s talk about The Final Descent!

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Book Spotlight: The Monstrumologist Series by Rick Yancey

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Hail and well met, Beardies!

Welcome to the first edition of Book Spotlight, which I’m really excited to write as a regular feature for The Bearded Scribe! As a librarian, I feel that the best writers start as readers, and many times I have heard authors, asked for advice on writing, say something along the lines of “Read as much as you can.” With this in mind, Book Spotlight is a chance for me to tell you about the books that have influenced my writing the most—and sneak a plug in for my all-time favorite reads as well. So, without further ado, let’s get to it!

Today’s Book Spotlight is a three-for-one special: Rick Yancey’s The Monstrumologist Series. When I’m choosing books for the library, I usually have to go on others’ opinions—reviews, more often than not, or award lists. This series has gotten plenty of good buzz in both places. The first book, The Monstrumologist, bagged a Michael L. Printz Award Honor in 2009, while the second, The Curse of the Wendigo, was named a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and a Top Ten Amazing Audiobook for Young Adults. With all the starred reviews and hardware piling up around these books, I had to buy them for the library (and read them for myself)!