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A review by aheartenflamed
Such Wicked Intent by Kenneth Oppel
5.0
I devoured this book in two days. From the first word to the last, I was engulfed in the continued story of Victor Frankenstein and his friends. It soared above and beyond that of the first book, [b:This Dark Endeavor|9779094|This Dark Endeavor (The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein, #1)|Kenneth Oppel|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1339610786s/9779094.jpg|14668834], with a faster paced, dark and twisted plot line that brings the reader into that of the Spirit realm.
In this book we pick up right where we left off, with Victor after the loss of his twin brother, Konrad. Grief stricken and consumed with guilt over his brothers death, Victor and his father burn all of the books from the Dark Library in an effort to rid Chateau Frankenstein from any more empty promises and allure that the study of Alchemy brings. After setting the books ablaze, the next morning Victor goes outside into the courtyard to take one last look at the charred remains. It is then that he notices a book completely unburned.
Victor, being Victor and unable to withstand temptation, slips the book into his pocket. He examines it in the privacy of his own bed chamber and is tempted again by what he finds inside. Instructions to build a Spirit Board and it's promise of allowing its user to converse with the dead. From here the story takes off.
We're brought into the spirit world, uncover more mysteries hidden under the chateau and experience Victors power hungry personality soar to a whole new twisted level. It was a breathtaking ride that kept me hanging onto every word until the very end. New and old characters come together in this novel to bring the reader on a twisted ride between the living and the dead in an attempt to play God resulting in dire consequences. Victor, Henry and Elizabeth each grow (for better and for worse) in this tale and I can only hope that we get to see Victors full transformation into that of Dr. Frankenstein in a third novel.
The final lines of the story sent a chill of excitement down my spine, leaving Oppel both room to begin another story or end the series here (and force you to go read Mary Shelley's [b:Frankenstein|18490|Frankenstein|Mary Shelley|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1381512375s/18490.jpg|4836639] if you haven't already!) :
CHILLS!
In this book we pick up right where we left off, with Victor after the loss of his twin brother, Konrad. Grief stricken and consumed with guilt over his brothers death, Victor and his father burn all of the books from the Dark Library in an effort to rid Chateau Frankenstein from any more empty promises and allure that the study of Alchemy brings. After setting the books ablaze, the next morning Victor goes outside into the courtyard to take one last look at the charred remains. It is then that he notices a book completely unburned.
How could a book not burn?
I swallowed against the heavy thump of my heart. Some birds trilled as they flew overhead. The courtyard was still empty, but it wouldn't be long before the servants came to start removing the debris. I seized a shovel, stepped into the ash, and carefully slipped the blade under the red object. I lifted it out and deposited it on the cobblestone. Kneeling, I saw its cover, wonderfully decorated with scrollwork but bearing no title or name. A book that would not burn.
Walk away.
Victor, being Victor and unable to withstand temptation, slips the book into his pocket. He examines it in the privacy of his own bed chamber and is tempted again by what he finds inside. Instructions to build a Spirit Board and it's promise of allowing its user to converse with the dead. From here the story takes off.
We're brought into the spirit world, uncover more mysteries hidden under the chateau and experience Victors power hungry personality soar to a whole new twisted level. It was a breathtaking ride that kept me hanging onto every word until the very end. New and old characters come together in this novel to bring the reader on a twisted ride between the living and the dead in an attempt to play God resulting in dire consequences. Victor, Henry and Elizabeth each grow (for better and for worse) in this tale and I can only hope that we get to see Victors full transformation into that of Dr. Frankenstein in a third novel.
The final lines of the story sent a chill of excitement down my spine, leaving Oppel both room to begin another story or end the series here (and force you to go read Mary Shelley's [b:Frankenstein|18490|Frankenstein|Mary Shelley|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1381512375s/18490.jpg|4836639] if you haven't already!) :
Spoiler
"You should come in now," Father said, joining us on the balcony. "You'll be soaked in a minute."
"That lightning," I ask him, "what form of matter is it?"
"Electricity," he said. "A discharge of energy between oppositely charged particles. It's a relatively new science, a potent and promising one."
A great fork suddenly impaled the lake. From the sky came a deafening crack, like someone taking a chisel to the very heavens. There was another flash, and about fifty yards along our shoreline a massive oak erupted into a stream of blinding fire. When the light vanished, the tree was nothing more than a blasted stump.
"Come inside, Victor," Elizabeth said from the doorway, and held out her hand to me. But I hesitated.
"Yes," I said, "in just a moment." And I turned back to the storm and thought: Such astonishing power.
CHILLS!