The Final Descent

This fourth and final volume of the series (a blend of gothic horror, cryptozoology, and Sherlockiana) features apprentice Will Henry in the throes of adolescent rebellion as he seeks to escape the jealous, domineering monstrumologist Warthrop and wrest the affection of Lilly Bates away from a rival suitor. Yancey has taken some considerable risks here, ones that should thrill his ardent fans.

In the fourth and final volume of the Monstrumologist series (a blend of gothic horror, cryptozoology, and Sherlockiana), Yancey diverges somewhat from his successful formula. In addition to a menacing atmosphere and highly stylized nineteenth-century prose, each previous book (The Monstrumologist; The Curse of the Wendigo, rev. 1/11; The Isle of Blood, rev. 11/11) has featured a plot that pivots on an unspeakably horrible creature and the subtle and nuanced characterization of the monstrumologist and his apprentice, Will Henry. But here the plot recedes into the background (abetted by the disorienting fragmentation of the narrative into three time frames), while the characters take center stage for their last hurrah. To be sure, there is another important monster to be dealt with here, one whose legendary fame ensnares various players in a tangled web that will ultimately decide the fate of monstrumology. But the real monster here is arguably Will Henry in the stormy throes of adolescent rebellion, as he seeks to escape the jealous, inscrutable, and domineering Warthrop and hopefully wrest the affection of Lilly Bates away from a rival suitor. The title and the various epigraphs appropriately reference Dante’s Inferno, reinforcing the book’s darker themes. Yancey has taken some considerable risks here. They will probably confuse casual readers, but they should thrill and horrify—in the best way possible—ardent and loyal fans. jonathan hunt