Such Wicked Intent

Title: Such Wicked Intent

Author: Kenneth Oppel

Publisher: Simon and Schuster (2012)

Genre(s): Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction

Length: 310 pages

Synopsis:  Nothing has turned out as Victor Frankenstein expected.  His failure to create an alchemical Elixir of Life leaves him devastated, and in the wake of the tragedy he agrees with his father that the entire alchemical library created by their ancestor, Wilhelm Frankenstein, must be destroyed.  And yet, in the ashes of the burned books, he discovers a slim metal box that contains an apparatus designed to speak with the dead.  Despite his promises never again to dabble in such arts, Victor cannot help himself.  He has too many unanswered questions.  That devices is only the beginning, however.  From possession to resurrection, Victor finds himself once again involved in something far beyond his expectations.  But this time, he vows, nothing will go wrong.

My Rating: 4 Stars

My Opinion:
Overall, I quite liked this book.  It picks up where its predecessor left off and continues the adventures of the Frankenstein teens and their friends.  It's more fantastical than the first in this series, and though I quite like that in general, it seems odd for a series that was so strictly scientific to begin with.  The plot was engaging and much more mysterious and diabolical than I was expecting, pleasantly so.  However, the stories, supposedly prequels to Mary Shelley's great work, are beginning to feel episodic.  I understand Victor's youthful impetuousness and eagerness to learn new, ever more powerful means of controlling the world around him, and yet... that only lasts for so long.  There's a sense of a greater purpose and more meaningful adventure lurking in the future, but on its current trajectory, I'm not certain the series will reach that goal.