The series is over. I've finished all three books and loved each of them. If you haven't heard of these or read my previous reviews on the first two books, you should definitely go back to check them out from the beginning. You can see all three books on Amazon by clicking here.
A Cold Legacy continues the story of Juliet Moreau and her quest to find her true self amidst the chaos that seems to follow her wherever she goes. In this installment, which has a strong tie-in to the story of Frankenstein, Juliet and her friends escape London and hide from the law in the north with Elizabeth, at her estate. What Juliet finds however, is that even here, things are not normal. Elizabeth, it turns out, is related to the original Frankenstein family and holds the only written evidence of re-animation, bringing the dead back to life. This of course, just feeds into Juliet's obsession that she is fated to be just like her father, and her curiosity leads her to places she shouldn't go, even though her friends warn to to stay away. I found myself getting angry at Juliet at times because her inner thinking and decision making was just so frustrating. This happened in the other books too, but it doesn't take away from the quality of the story.
Hemsley is the re-animated child in the story, brought back to life by Elizabeth years ago. He is fascinating to read about and really brings the Frankenstein feel of the story home. His one white eye, inhuman strength, lack of pain, and temper all worked together perfectly to create his persona. I felt both empathy and horror when reading about him.
All of our beloved characters are still with us for this story. Balthasar, Montgomery, Lucy, and Sparky the dog; but I warn you, this is the last book and there is quite a bit of violence and some heartache to be had throughout. That being said, I was satisfied at the end and wouldn't have minded another book to continue the story to see if everyone ended up happy with the choices they made.
Highly recommended if you love horror/romance that brings back pieces of an old classic monster tale. A great series by an author whom I will definitely read again. If you want to know more about the author, Megan Shepherd, click here to visit her website.
Enjoy your reading!
I cannot express how much I am enjoying The Madman's Daughter series. I've chosen to listen to the books on Audible since I drive forty minutes to and from work each day and each book is about 10-12 hours of listening. However, with both of the first two books, I found myself listening at every chance I got, including walking on the treadmill, on my Amazon Echo while cooking, and while waiting to pick up my children from their various activities.
I think what I love about these books the most is that they each connect to a classic that is reminiscent of my childhood, whether I read the original or saw a film based upon it. The first book, The Madman's Daughter, was loosely based on the story of The Island of Dr. Moreau. The second installment, Her Dark Curiosity, brings what can compare to Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde. Finally, the conclusion of the series, A Cold Legacy, will connect to the story of Frankenstein. I'm so looking forward to starting it this afternoon. If you haven't read the first book, you may not want to read ahead, although I have done my best not to spoil.
Her Dark Curiosity continues to focus on the life of Juliet Moreau, daughter of the infamous mad scientist Dr. Moreau. She has returned from the island and discovered that she has been followed by Edward, a man she cared very much but who also has a much darker and more dangerous side. The story revolves around Juliet trying to cure him and keep him from the chaos that ensues when he loses control. As the story progresses, a conspiracy is uncovered, other island members return, and Juliet continues to be torn about her own inner self and between the two men in her life. We are introduced to a few new and very well written characters, including Elizabeth, who seems will have a larger roll in the third book, and we also see a just end to a few characters who are quite deserving of their finale (in my opinion anyway). Murder and mayhem are in no short supply and a few disturbingly gory sections had me both amazed and horrified at the same time. I was enthralled each time I listened to the story and I can honestly say that there wasn't one moment where I was bored or distracted. I was so excited as the end approached and I started to figure out which classic story the next book would originate from. Don't read the synopsis on Amazon if you want to figure it out for yourself. It's much more fun that way.
I highly recommend this entire trilogy. Rarely do I come across a series where I can truly say that the second book was as good as the first, if not better. I have high hopes for the third and I am sure I won't be disappointed.
I am a lover of horror and monsters and things that go bump in the night. Not the slash em' up kind of horror, but the scary kind of horror that keeps you on the edge of your seat with ghosts and creatures of the night. When I was young, I loved watching movies like Mysterious Island, 10,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and other adventures. One of these was The Island of Doctor Moreau, the original story by H.G. Wells. I remember the story clearly and when I fell across The Madman's Daughter and realized it was the story of Doctor Moreau's child, I had to grab it to see what they came up with.
This book was so much fun and the pace didn't allow for much down time. There were moments in the story where I was anxious, surprised, and even completely appalled at what was being described. Juliet was perfect as Dr. Moreau's daughter. She was strong, yet also unsure of herself, constantly questioning whether she was stable or cut of the same cloth as her father. She desperately wanted to believe that he had some good in him. She was terrified and curious and then terrified and disgusted at her own curiosity. The pure horror of what the island is could put anyone over the edge but Juliet somehow manages to keep herself together, even after she realized how dire the situation really is and that her life may end on the island if she doesn't find a way to escape.
Dr. Moreau himself is a genius of the mad scientist type. He is portrayed as both brilliant and insane, and truly believes that his experiments are just and acceptable. The details of the experimentation and the creatures on the island are not always easy to read about but also give the story that dark edge which is both difficult to read but fascinating at the same time and really pays homage to the original story. The creatures/humans were both creative and disturbing but also instilled empathy and compassion from both myself as the reader and from some of the characters in the story.
There is a bit of a love triangle in the story and I'm usually not a fan of this, but it works in this book and it doesn't overpower the rest of the story. Both male leads were written very well and I actually loved the direction they both took in the story. The romantic plot line was a little bit tiring due to Juliet's constant back and forth and there were a few moments where I wanted to slap some sense into her but the way it ended (to be continued) was both unique and a bit surprising. I had some theories but I didn't realize exactly what was going to do happen until just before the end.
The Madman's Daughter gets a five star rating from me. I have already bought the second book and can't wait to get started to see what happens next. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes this genre.
