Scan barcode
dreamerfreak's review against another edition
4.0
O. M. G.
I'll admit it. After reading [b:This Dark Endeavor|9779094|This Dark Endeavor (The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein, #1)|Kenneth Oppel|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1339610786s/9779094.jpg|14668834], I wasn't anticipating enjoying Such Wicked Intent greatly. I'd thought I'd read it, and like it... and forget about it. But Victor didn't agree. And believe me, it's all about Victor.
Still, Such Wicked Intent ends on a slightly more positive note than the last, but it's still Victor, and he's always half mad.
[I received this book for free through First Reads and was not required to write a positive or any other type of review. All opinions stated herein are solely my own.]
I'll admit it. After reading [b:This Dark Endeavor|9779094|This Dark Endeavor (The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein, #1)|Kenneth Oppel|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1339610786s/9779094.jpg|14668834], I wasn't anticipating enjoying Such Wicked Intent greatly. I'd thought I'd read it, and like it... and forget about it. But Victor didn't agree. And believe me, it's all about Victor.
Spoiler
After Konrad's death at the end of the first book, Victor determines to bring him back to life. And so begins our brave trio's adventures in what might just be the afterlife, as they scramble to build Konrad a new body and bring him back. But things are never easy with Victor, and this time he might just have doomed them all - even Konrad.Still, Such Wicked Intent ends on a slightly more positive note than the last, but it's still Victor, and he's always half mad.
[I received this book for free through First Reads and was not required to write a positive or any other type of review. All opinions stated herein are solely my own.]
winterpirate's review against another edition
5.0
Oh dear, my heart. Where to begin?
I picture Oppel thinking something like this: How am I going to beat the rather disturbing three trials from the first novel? Solution- let's have some creepy mud children and butterflies mixed with a little body snatching and maybe we'll even drown someone.
I have to say I rather hated Elizabeth this novel. She can be as religious as she likes, please stop forcing it on Victor, and stop being so self-righteous. I suppose the ending explains some of her stupidity, but I was past irritation when she
Actually, the whole novel made me uncomfortable and I loved it.
I'm sure everyone knows the original story of Victor Frankenstein, who used electricity make his resurrection work.
Update: I'm still waiting desperately for the third but there has been no news...
Update: I guess this was a duology?
I picture Oppel thinking something like this: How am I going to beat the rather disturbing three trials from the first novel? Solution- let's have some creepy mud children and butterflies mixed with a little body snatching and maybe we'll even drown someone.
I have to say I rather hated Elizabeth this novel. She can be as religious as she likes, please stop forcing it on Victor, and stop being so self-righteous. I suppose the ending explains some of her stupidity, but I was past irritation when she
Spoiler
picked up the baby despite Victor's insistence that that is NOT how things work. He was the only one who saw it, maybe listen to him? That child's facial transformation was really disturbing. Still, I felt kind of sad at his drowning. I wanted Victor to help him, but I also wanted him dead. So conflicted.Spoiler
I knew Analiese was bad the moment her face shifted, and I had often wondered about Wilhelm disappearance but I never put the two together. I felt a little sick to my stomach actually, when he ran off with Victor's ring and stole his body.Actually, the whole novel made me uncomfortable and I loved it.
I'm sure everyone knows the original story of Victor Frankenstein, who used electricity make his resurrection work.
Spoiler
So does anyone else feel really shuddery and panicky about that last paragraph?Update: I'm still waiting desperately for the third but there has been no news...
Update: I guess this was a duology?
court4short's review against another edition
4.0
Having read and enjoyed "His Dark Endeavor" previously, I was really excited to find that a sequel had been written. While this book had a many of the same things I loved about the first, the overall theme was different. There was definitely a more supernatural-feel to the plot.
With HDE, you got the feeling that much of it was plausible, despite being a bit outlandish. The books in the hidden library, the ingredients and even the adventures to retrieve them. But with SWI it was something completely different and on a whole new level. It wasn't something I would have expected, but still enjoyed.
Everything tied together nicely, and it kept me guessing and wondering up until the very last page.
With HDE, you got the feeling that much of it was plausible, despite being a bit outlandish. The books in the hidden library, the ingredients and even the adventures to retrieve them. But with SWI it was something completely different and on a whole new level. It wasn't something I would have expected, but still enjoyed.
Everything tied together nicely, and it kept me guessing and wondering up until the very last page.
sapphire_mayo's review against another edition
4.0
I will start this review off with the last thoughts I had at the exact moment I finished this book: "He never fucking learns!" Victor Frankenstein is my favorite hate-able character. He is such a dickhead and so power-hungry and arrogant it is the most frustrating thing in the world to watch him self-destruct (as well as bringing out the worst in everyone around him at the same time).
This book is spent split between the living world and that of the dead, where his twin brother Konrad and other beings dwell. There, Victor and his friends who are close enough to be family, look for a way to bring Konrad back to life.
We get to see obsession and desperation take root in our main characters, and how those desperations cause conflict between them all. It was super fast paced and never dull, I had a lot of moments when I had to close the book and allow myself to breathe.
I will say there is a scene where we see what looks like an attempted rape, so trigger-warning for that.
This book is spent split between the living world and that of the dead, where his twin brother Konrad and other beings dwell. There, Victor and his friends who are close enough to be family, look for a way to bring Konrad back to life.
We get to see obsession and desperation take root in our main characters, and how those desperations cause conflict between them all. It was super fast paced and never dull, I had a lot of moments when I had to close the book and allow myself to breathe.
I will say there is a scene where we see what looks like an attempted rape, so trigger-warning for that.
beammey's review against another edition
3.0
So, I'm one of the people that liked the first book in the series better. Was this still a good book? Oh yes! I did enjoy it, quite a lot, I just enjoyed the other book more. I do like the cover of this one better though, so it has that going for it. I think the pacing of this book was just too slow for me? And I just couldn't get into it as much as I wanted. I would still recommend it though because it is a very interesting take on Frankenstein and how he became the way he did. 3.5 out of 5 stars. A very well written book.
anniemariek's review against another edition
4.0
Once again, I've come to the point where all I want to do is sit here and rant about how much I wish I could write books like Kenneth Oppel. Though This Wicked Intent did not have as much of an effect on me as the Matt Cruse series or This Dark Endeavor, it was certainly an excellent book.
I like the way Kenneth Oppel writes. He doesn't use flashy, flowery, gorgeous prose. It's not something you immediately look at and say "Wow, that's beautiferific!" (In this situation, "beautiful seemed inadequate, and "terrific" just wouldn't do. And so, "beautiferific".) It's not until after you read the book that you realize that, wait, somebody wrote that. Somebody wrote this book and used nothing more than words to tell the story. Everything was so clear and defined in your head that somehow the narration, in a way, ceased to exist.
I want to be able to accomplish this marvelous feat.
This book makes me look forward to reading Frankenstein later this year in my British Literature class. If you don't already know, this series is a prequel, of sorts, to Frankenstein. The Victor Frankenstein in this book is, well, THE Victor Frankenstein.
Because of this prequel-ness, I pretty much knew ahead of time that this book couldn't have a happy ending. That didn't make it any easier to deal with. I won't spoil it, but...
Victor's disappointment made me sad. It really did. And here lies the heart of the paradox that is Victor. He's not very likable. He's greedy and arrogant and selfish and does some pretty nasty things. He's an antihero.
And yet...I wanted him to succeed. I don't know whether or not I actually liked him, but I felt for him. I was sad when he was sad. Kenneth Oppel had a very difficult character to work with, because he was such an antihero and was pretty much already defined. But Oppel worked with it, and he did a great job with it.
Overall, I recommend this series. Recommended for fans of historical fiction with a sci-fi and/or paranormal twist, or readers looking for something a bit darker and thought-provoking. Four stars!
I like the way Kenneth Oppel writes. He doesn't use flashy, flowery, gorgeous prose. It's not something you immediately look at and say "Wow, that's beautiferific!" (In this situation, "beautiful seemed inadequate, and "terrific" just wouldn't do. And so, "beautiferific".) It's not until after you read the book that you realize that, wait, somebody wrote that. Somebody wrote this book and used nothing more than words to tell the story. Everything was so clear and defined in your head that somehow the narration, in a way, ceased to exist.
I want to be able to accomplish this marvelous feat.
This book makes me look forward to reading Frankenstein later this year in my British Literature class. If you don't already know, this series is a prequel, of sorts, to Frankenstein. The Victor Frankenstein in this book is, well, THE Victor Frankenstein.
Because of this prequel-ness, I pretty much knew ahead of time that this book couldn't have a happy ending. That didn't make it any easier to deal with. I won't spoil it, but...
Victor's disappointment made me sad. It really did. And here lies the heart of the paradox that is Victor. He's not very likable. He's greedy and arrogant and selfish and does some pretty nasty things. He's an antihero.
And yet...I wanted him to succeed. I don't know whether or not I actually liked him, but I felt for him. I was sad when he was sad. Kenneth Oppel had a very difficult character to work with, because he was such an antihero and was pretty much already defined. But Oppel worked with it, and he did a great job with it.
Overall, I recommend this series. Recommended for fans of historical fiction with a sci-fi and/or paranormal twist, or readers looking for something a bit darker and thought-provoking. Four stars!
mountie9's review against another edition
5.0
Positively brilliant sequel to Oppel's This Dark Endeavor. Plenty of fast paced action, twists and turns. Had me on the edge of my seat and I had no idea what was going to happen, even after having read Mary Shelley's tale. All of the characters are richly developed and feel so very real. Once again Oppel doesn't write down to his readers and he has created a dark gothic tale for readers 13 plus. The ending is left open so even if Oppel doesn't write another story, you feel satisfied with what happened.
nerfherder86's review against another edition
4.0
Great sequel! Even creepier than the first book, [b:This Dark Endeavor|9779094|This Dark Endeavor (The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein, #1)|Kenneth Oppel|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1339610786s/9779094.jpg|14668834], with Viktor Frankenstein now desperate to bring his brother back to the living world, from the spirit world. Once again he enlists (reluctantly) his friends Henry and Elizabeth in his mad scheme, and things get creepy and very surpernatural. I am very curious to see where this trilogy goes in the final volume!
extrikated's review against another edition
4.0
The sequel does justice to the first book, and while it's just as exciting and action-packed, it is more fantasy-based, and because of that, I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the first one. Some story lines seemed a tad too dragged-out, and I didn't find Victor as sympathetic as in the first book. (Maybe that's the author's goal; more ambition makes Victor less reasonable and rational.) I'm excited for the third one, whenever it comes out!