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A review by stephen_arvidson
The Final Descent by Rick Yancey
5.0
“Beginnings are endings
And all endings are the same.
Time is a line.
But we are circles” (excerpt from The Final Descent)
The haunting and tragic conclusion to The Monstrumologist series opens with a broker seeking out Dr. Warthrop in order to sell him the greatest find in human generations, the keystone of all things monstrumological—T. cerrejonensis, a highly venomous reptilian creature thought to be extinct for over a century, the last of its kind—but Warthrop dismisses it is as a fraud without ever viewing the specimen. His apprentice Will Henry, now sixteen and becoming “the most aberrant of aberrant lifeforms without love without pity without hope”, takes it upon himself to acquire the priceless specimen via ruthless measures inspired by the late-John Kearns. With the unhatched monster egg now in his possession, Dr. Warthrop realizes it must be nurtured and safeguarded with the utmost precision—no matter what the costs, including but not limited to the destruction of his and Will Henry’s relationship.
Interestingly, the book’s literal monster, T. cerrejonensis, takes a backseat to the true monster: Will Henry. The maturing apprentice is now perpetually at odds with Warthrop, the man who made him what he is. Fans of the previous books will be appalled at seeing Will Henry surpass the callousness of his own master as he tussles in bloodthirsty fashion against an Italian mafia for not only possession of the rare creature but also in retribution for the murders of those near and dear to his heart. As for Dr. Warthrop, he will finally open his eyes to the monster that he has created—the most terrifying monster of all. While some readers will condemn Will Henry’s actions, others might even wonder if Rick Yancey himself has gone too far, as he unblinkingly—and with his usual expert prose—leads readers into humanity’s darkest of hearts.
Readers looking for a cheerful ending to this dark series may want to pass on this book, for they will be sorely disappointed. However, those willing to see through to the inescapably heartbreaking end will need to prepare themselves. Expect to weep for Will Henry, for Pellinore Warthrop, and for the end of Monstrumology as we’ve come to know it over the course of these four beautifully conceived tales. Probably no two characters in modern literature are as intricate and distinctive as Will and Warthrop, an unlikely pair from beginning to end—and this final installment brings their relationship to disturbing new levels, and not to mention, woeful.
The Final Descent is most unlike the preceding novels in how it swerves maddeningly between memories and time periods, while the story itself is less narrative and more meditative, with numerous short chapters devoted to poetry and philosophy. Yancey has woven a near-perfect tapestry that tugs mercilessly at the fabric of our souls and leaves his readers haunted by the phantom monsters lurking within ourselves. The Final Descent is a fitting end to a series that always sought to be much more than a tale of monsters and the feverous men who hunt them.
And all endings are the same.
Time is a line.
But we are circles” (excerpt from The Final Descent)
The haunting and tragic conclusion to The Monstrumologist series opens with a broker seeking out Dr. Warthrop in order to sell him the greatest find in human generations, the keystone of all things monstrumological—T. cerrejonensis, a highly venomous reptilian creature thought to be extinct for over a century, the last of its kind—but Warthrop dismisses it is as a fraud without ever viewing the specimen. His apprentice Will Henry, now sixteen and becoming “the most aberrant of aberrant lifeforms without love without pity without hope”, takes it upon himself to acquire the priceless specimen via ruthless measures inspired by the late-John Kearns. With the unhatched monster egg now in his possession, Dr. Warthrop realizes it must be nurtured and safeguarded with the utmost precision—no matter what the costs, including but not limited to the destruction of his and Will Henry’s relationship.
Interestingly, the book’s literal monster, T. cerrejonensis, takes a backseat to the true monster: Will Henry. The maturing apprentice is now perpetually at odds with Warthrop, the man who made him what he is. Fans of the previous books will be appalled at seeing Will Henry surpass the callousness of his own master as he tussles in bloodthirsty fashion against an Italian mafia for not only possession of the rare creature but also in retribution for the murders of those near and dear to his heart. As for Dr. Warthrop, he will finally open his eyes to the monster that he has created—the most terrifying monster of all. While some readers will condemn Will Henry’s actions, others might even wonder if Rick Yancey himself has gone too far, as he unblinkingly—and with his usual expert prose—leads readers into humanity’s darkest of hearts.
Readers looking for a cheerful ending to this dark series may want to pass on this book, for they will be sorely disappointed. However, those willing to see through to the inescapably heartbreaking end will need to prepare themselves. Expect to weep for Will Henry, for Pellinore Warthrop, and for the end of Monstrumology as we’ve come to know it over the course of these four beautifully conceived tales. Probably no two characters in modern literature are as intricate and distinctive as Will and Warthrop, an unlikely pair from beginning to end—and this final installment brings their relationship to disturbing new levels, and not to mention, woeful.
The Final Descent is most unlike the preceding novels in how it swerves maddeningly between memories and time periods, while the story itself is less narrative and more meditative, with numerous short chapters devoted to poetry and philosophy. Yancey has woven a near-perfect tapestry that tugs mercilessly at the fabric of our souls and leaves his readers haunted by the phantom monsters lurking within ourselves. The Final Descent is a fitting end to a series that always sought to be much more than a tale of monsters and the feverous men who hunt them.