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Out of Abaton #2
Lord of Monsters
Pinocchio can't believe the Moonlit Court is his home! With royal banquets, a regal wardrobe, and a whole new set of rules, Pinocchio has a lot to adjust to in his new life as prester alongside Princess Lazuli.
But before they can get comfortable in their thrones, a fancy dinner at the palace is interrupted by an unwelcome guest-a monster! And this isn't just any monster; it's a manticore, a beast that was imprisoned centuries earlier. Desperate to locate the prison and make sure none of its other monsters were able to escape, Lazuli, Pinocchio, and the knights of the Celestial Brigade set out to save Abaton from these ancient beings.
Their journey requires intelligence, strength, and a dash of the magic only presters control. But when Pinocchio tries to use his powers, they have an unintended effect: he is turning back into a wooden automa. And if he's not careful, he may lose his humanity forever.
The second book in the Out of Abaton series continues John Claude Bemis's reimagining of Pinocchio in an action-packed adventure that celebrates friendship, empathy, and the power of being yourself.
But before they can get comfortable in their thrones, a fancy dinner at the palace is interrupted by an unwelcome guest-a monster! And this isn't just any monster; it's a manticore, a beast that was imprisoned centuries earlier. Desperate to locate the prison and make sure none of its other monsters were able to escape, Lazuli, Pinocchio, and the knights of the Celestial Brigade set out to save Abaton from these ancient beings.
Their journey requires intelligence, strength, and a dash of the magic only presters control. But when Pinocchio tries to use his powers, they have an unintended effect: he is turning back into a wooden automa. And if he's not careful, he may lose his humanity forever.
The second book in the Out of Abaton series continues John Claude Bemis's reimagining of Pinocchio in an action-packed adventure that celebrates friendship, empathy, and the power of being yourself.
- GenresMiddle GradeFantasy
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2017
6 people are currently reading
138 people want to read
About the author
John Claude Bemis
14 books62 followersFrom the author website;
I’ve always been fascinated by trains. My grandfather hopped trains all over the country in his “hobo days” and filled my head with curious stories of America’s lost past. Those stories, I suppose, were the beginnings of my first novel, The Nine Pound Hammer.
I grew up in rural eastern North Carolina by a swampy creek on the Neuse River. Yes, I’ve been bitten by a water moccasin, but fortunately not by an alligator. When you live in a county with just one stoplight, you learn how to entertain yourself. As a kid, I read a lot, played in tobacco barns, swam in the river when the jellyfish weren’t too thick, and learned violin and guitar.
Eventually playing classical violin in youth orchestras and playing electric guitar in a bunch of terrible rock and punk bands led me to American roots music. I’m partial nowadays to vintage country or blues, Cajun or bluegrass, anything with a fiddle or a musical saw. Some friends and I formed a band Hooverville and put out a pair of CDs of original songs. They’re fun to listen to if you like that kind of music.
At UNC-Chapel Hill, I studied Art History and Elementary Education. I taught elementary school for twelve years, mostly 4th and 5th grades as well as being a Gifted Education resource teacher. I got a chance in the classroom to teach the books I loved so much as a kid and discovered a lot of incredible new children’s literature along the way. But something seemed to be missing from my class’s bookshelf: fantasy based on America’s folklore.
Through old-timey music, I became fascinated with the way America’s myths have been passed down through songs. Drawing on the legend of John Henry’s struggle against the steam drill, I thought about how Southern folklore could be turned into epic fantasy. This passion grew into my first novel, The Nine Pound Hammer, a story set in a mythical 19th-century America full of traveling hoodoo conjurers, cowboys, swamp mermaids, and steamboat pirates. The adventures continue in The Wolf Tree and The White City, the other books in the Clockwork Dark trilogy.
I live the small-town life in Hillsborough, North Carolina with my wife, Amy, and daughter, Rose. We spend a lot of time hiking on the trails around our house, going into town for chocolates and coffees, or encouraging our overweight cat Max to run around some.
I’ve always been fascinated by trains. My grandfather hopped trains all over the country in his “hobo days” and filled my head with curious stories of America’s lost past. Those stories, I suppose, were the beginnings of my first novel, The Nine Pound Hammer.
I grew up in rural eastern North Carolina by a swampy creek on the Neuse River. Yes, I’ve been bitten by a water moccasin, but fortunately not by an alligator. When you live in a county with just one stoplight, you learn how to entertain yourself. As a kid, I read a lot, played in tobacco barns, swam in the river when the jellyfish weren’t too thick, and learned violin and guitar.
Eventually playing classical violin in youth orchestras and playing electric guitar in a bunch of terrible rock and punk bands led me to American roots music. I’m partial nowadays to vintage country or blues, Cajun or bluegrass, anything with a fiddle or a musical saw. Some friends and I formed a band Hooverville and put out a pair of CDs of original songs. They’re fun to listen to if you like that kind of music.
At UNC-Chapel Hill, I studied Art History and Elementary Education. I taught elementary school for twelve years, mostly 4th and 5th grades as well as being a Gifted Education resource teacher. I got a chance in the classroom to teach the books I loved so much as a kid and discovered a lot of incredible new children’s literature along the way. But something seemed to be missing from my class’s bookshelf: fantasy based on America’s folklore.
Through old-timey music, I became fascinated with the way America’s myths have been passed down through songs. Drawing on the legend of John Henry’s struggle against the steam drill, I thought about how Southern folklore could be turned into epic fantasy. This passion grew into my first novel, The Nine Pound Hammer, a story set in a mythical 19th-century America full of traveling hoodoo conjurers, cowboys, swamp mermaids, and steamboat pirates. The adventures continue in The Wolf Tree and The White City, the other books in the Clockwork Dark trilogy.
I live the small-town life in Hillsborough, North Carolina with my wife, Amy, and daughter, Rose. We spend a lot of time hiking on the trails around our house, going into town for chocolates and coffees, or encouraging our overweight cat Max to run around some.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 22, 2017
*this review, along with a guest post from the author, was originally published on my blog, She Dreams in Fiction.
Magic and wonder abound in this wonderful addition to John Claude Bemis's Out of Abaton series! Lord of Monsters picks up shortly after the events in the first book, The Wooden Boy. Pinocchio is a real boy now and has been living in Abaton as one of its prester's (rulers) for a few months. His fellow prester and friend, Lazuli (daughter of Prester John, the previous ruler of Abaton), is glad to be home, though she misses her father. Abaton has been a peaceful place for centuries, but with threats from every side, Prester Pinocchio and Prester Lazuli have their work cut out for them.
I absolutely LOVED this book! I had anticipated enjoying it because I was a fan of the first book, but I had no idea I was going to fall head-over-heels for it. Pinocchio, as ever, is steadfast and true. He is desperately worried his new subjects will find out he was once an automa and refuse to accept him as a prester of Abaton. I really felt for Pinocchio. After all, he went through quite a lot to get where he is, but he knows the prejudices against alchemists and their creations, which includes automa. He is also worried that he's not fit to rule because he has no experience in such matters. One of my favorite things about this series is that it really drives home the importance of being yourself and not judging others. Pinocchio doesn't judge someone because they are this way or that, he takes them for who they are. He celebrates it. I think this is a very important lesson that can be taken from Pinocchio and those he cares for. After all, others took a chance on Pinocchio, looking pass the fact that he was an automa. They saw him for the kind, honorable person he is. Again, what a wonderful message!
I was so pleased to be able to see more of the fierce princess Lazuli. We get to see her on her home turf this time! She has been raised as a princess of the Moonlit Court, so she knows how to be proper and present herself according to the expectations of the nobles and her subjects. But Lazuli also finds it difficult to feel comfortable as one of the new rulers. She wants adventure and exploration, not the stuffy responsibilities of the throne. Then chaos erupts when monsters start escaping from their eternal prison and attacking Abaton and its citizens. I had no worries that Pinocchio and Lazuli would rise to the challenge to save their people from destruction, but would it prove too much for them?
Familiar favorites are present in this addition to the series, such as Pinocchio's alchemist father, Geppetto, Maestro the cricket, Mezmer and Sop, the fierce fighters, and even cranky Cinnabar. I loved being able to see them all again! I was even more elated to meet some new, amazing characters as well! Let me tell you, there are some great new additions. For example, we have a slow-moving reptile-ish chimera that has surprising speed when necessary, a spunky little mushroom-esque creature that made me laugh at every turn, three unicorn-like sisters full of gumption, and so many more! Not only were the "good" guys amazing, but even the "villains" were captivating and dynamic. John Claude Bemis is so masterful at creating unique and real characters, and that's even before you take into account they are not all of them human. In fact, in this story, the only human is Geppetto. Think of how amazing a feat it is to create an entire continent of unusual and dynamic creatures so masterfully. Well done, sir!
Though we were in a slightly more familiar kind of environment in The Wooden Boy, the world of Abaton is anything but ordinary. It is books like Lord of Monsters, with its vivid imagery and stunning landscapes, that those with visual minds and overactive imaginations find themselves completely immersed. I want to go to Abaton. I want to see the chimera and elemental folks. I want to venture to the deepest caverns and the tallest cities shrouded in mist. I want to climb aboard a floating battleship and explore this wondrous land! Not only is John Claude Bemis amazing at creating great characters, but his also masterful and building a world you want to dive right into.
Lord of Monsters is full of wonderful characters, beautifully vivid landscapes, exciting adventures, and an immeasurable amount of heart. If you want to get lost in a book, I highly suggest you read Lord of Monsters today!
Magic and wonder abound in this wonderful addition to John Claude Bemis's Out of Abaton series! Lord of Monsters picks up shortly after the events in the first book, The Wooden Boy. Pinocchio is a real boy now and has been living in Abaton as one of its prester's (rulers) for a few months. His fellow prester and friend, Lazuli (daughter of Prester John, the previous ruler of Abaton), is glad to be home, though she misses her father. Abaton has been a peaceful place for centuries, but with threats from every side, Prester Pinocchio and Prester Lazuli have their work cut out for them.
I absolutely LOVED this book! I had anticipated enjoying it because I was a fan of the first book, but I had no idea I was going to fall head-over-heels for it. Pinocchio, as ever, is steadfast and true. He is desperately worried his new subjects will find out he was once an automa and refuse to accept him as a prester of Abaton. I really felt for Pinocchio. After all, he went through quite a lot to get where he is, but he knows the prejudices against alchemists and their creations, which includes automa. He is also worried that he's not fit to rule because he has no experience in such matters. One of my favorite things about this series is that it really drives home the importance of being yourself and not judging others. Pinocchio doesn't judge someone because they are this way or that, he takes them for who they are. He celebrates it. I think this is a very important lesson that can be taken from Pinocchio and those he cares for. After all, others took a chance on Pinocchio, looking pass the fact that he was an automa. They saw him for the kind, honorable person he is. Again, what a wonderful message!
I was so pleased to be able to see more of the fierce princess Lazuli. We get to see her on her home turf this time! She has been raised as a princess of the Moonlit Court, so she knows how to be proper and present herself according to the expectations of the nobles and her subjects. But Lazuli also finds it difficult to feel comfortable as one of the new rulers. She wants adventure and exploration, not the stuffy responsibilities of the throne. Then chaos erupts when monsters start escaping from their eternal prison and attacking Abaton and its citizens. I had no worries that Pinocchio and Lazuli would rise to the challenge to save their people from destruction, but would it prove too much for them?
Familiar favorites are present in this addition to the series, such as Pinocchio's alchemist father, Geppetto, Maestro the cricket, Mezmer and Sop, the fierce fighters, and even cranky Cinnabar. I loved being able to see them all again! I was even more elated to meet some new, amazing characters as well! Let me tell you, there are some great new additions. For example, we have a slow-moving reptile-ish chimera that has surprising speed when necessary, a spunky little mushroom-esque creature that made me laugh at every turn, three unicorn-like sisters full of gumption, and so many more! Not only were the "good" guys amazing, but even the "villains" were captivating and dynamic. John Claude Bemis is so masterful at creating unique and real characters, and that's even before you take into account they are not all of them human. In fact, in this story, the only human is Geppetto. Think of how amazing a feat it is to create an entire continent of unusual and dynamic creatures so masterfully. Well done, sir!
Though we were in a slightly more familiar kind of environment in The Wooden Boy, the world of Abaton is anything but ordinary. It is books like Lord of Monsters, with its vivid imagery and stunning landscapes, that those with visual minds and overactive imaginations find themselves completely immersed. I want to go to Abaton. I want to see the chimera and elemental folks. I want to venture to the deepest caverns and the tallest cities shrouded in mist. I want to climb aboard a floating battleship and explore this wondrous land! Not only is John Claude Bemis amazing at creating great characters, but his also masterful and building a world you want to dive right into.
Lord of Monsters is full of wonderful characters, beautifully vivid landscapes, exciting adventures, and an immeasurable amount of heart. If you want to get lost in a book, I highly suggest you read Lord of Monsters today!
August 5, 2017
Not since Harry Potter has a book been so magically exciting. You'll get lost in the lush settings, beautiful and strange. Pinocchio is such a sweet, happy-go-lucky character that you can't help but cheer him on. Lord of Monsters is the second book of the Out of Abaton series, but does a nice job of presenting a tidy story all on its own. Bemis has done a wonderful job in presenting a story that is so relevant to our current state of affairs that children will not miss the message of equality: Abaton has imprisoned unattractive citizens who were not behaving as they should and were labeled as monsters. Pinocchio is able to convince the nobles that these "monsters" are every bit as worthy as other citizens, and he is able to convince the monsters that they can shed that monster label, leave the prison, and function as productive members of Abatonian society. Only Lazuli and Pinocchio as children can see the truth of the situation with their young perspective. Pinocchio, as an automa, has the added personal experience of seeing the world as a marginalized person. This book should be required reading for young middle school students.
July 25, 2017
After find the Ancientmost Pearl, Pinocchio and Lazuli have become Preseters (rulers) of the empire. When sinister creatures start to wreak havoc on Abaton, Pinocchio must learn to master the power of the pearl. The pearl, however, is turning Pinocchio back into a wooden puppet. Can he learn to master the power of the pearl before it’s too late?
The plot is intense, well developed, and full of adventure. The characters are engaging, full of life, and well developed. The alliterations to the original Pinocchio story are fun and add a lot of depth to the characters and plot. Fans of fantasy, adventure, and magic will enjoy reading this book.
This book was featured on The Keepers of the Books' "July Weekly Reads #2" episode. For more book reviews, recommendations, or online librarian advice, please visit us at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK3v...
Please Note: A copy of this book was given to us in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed, however, are our own.
The plot is intense, well developed, and full of adventure. The characters are engaging, full of life, and well developed. The alliterations to the original Pinocchio story are fun and add a lot of depth to the characters and plot. Fans of fantasy, adventure, and magic will enjoy reading this book.
This book was featured on The Keepers of the Books' "July Weekly Reads #2" episode. For more book reviews, recommendations, or online librarian advice, please visit us at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK3v...
Please Note: A copy of this book was given to us in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed, however, are our own.
June 29, 2017
I adored this book to the moon and back. There were so many deep sitting themes in here that were presented beautifully amid adventure and sword fights. The idea of tolerance, the idea that we get a choice in who and what we are and are not bound to the messages our physical appearances may send. There are sweet innocent arachnibats, there are manticores and chimeras. This world is LUSH and vividly painted and watching Pinnochio navigate it while terrified that he's going to lose his newfound humanity is so compelling. Like in the old tales there are lies in this adventure, but not all of them are Pinnochio's.
Just makes heart eyes at this story until the end of time. I don't care if you're middle-grade or not, a really good fairy tale retelling is for ALL AGES.
Just makes heart eyes at this story until the end of time. I don't care if you're middle-grade or not, a really good fairy tale retelling is for ALL AGES.
August 2, 2017
A super twisty plot in this follow up to The Wooden Prince, with wonderfully imaginative characters as Bemis grows the world of Abaton! I enjoyed the thrill of transport, and watching the characters grow as they rose to the challenges before them. A very satisfying book. Read my full spotlight--plus the cat's two cents--on my blog!
September 26, 2017
The excellent sequel to The Wooden Prince, Lord of Monsters is jam packed with action, and it weaves mystery with several twists. John Claude Bemis constructs a vivid, magical world and characters with good values. . . some villains excepted. It's a good page-turner, and of course it leaves you ready for the third installment.
September 26, 2021
It lost one star because there were too many ridiculous instances of childishness. For instance, Mezmer's childish behaviour regarding 'her knights', which does not even make sense because it is as if Mezmer became much more childish than she was in the first book.
October 22, 2017
Same issues as book 1. Like the world, no investment in the leads.
July 11, 2022
Wonderful adventure!
May 3, 2025
Non stop epic action. Great read. Very fast.
Read
January 12, 2026vetting - ok
June 1, 2017
Do you like books with monsters and magic? Heroes and epic journeys? On June 6th, 2017 at a bookstore near you, one of the most imaginative books I’ve read in a long while will be released into the world. LORD of MONSTERS is the 2nd book in the OUT of ABATON series, and this Pinocchio retelling is sure to please.
More info and an author interview here: http://thewingedpen.com/lord-of-monst...
More info and an author interview here: http://thewingedpen.com/lord-of-monst...
January 31, 2023
Good book
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews