Mundie Moms

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Book Review: This Dark Endeavor: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein


Published by: Simon & Schuster
To Be Released on: August 23rd, 2011
Source: ARC from publisher to review
5 stars- I Loved It! It's A Must Read

Victor and Konrad are the twin brothers Frankenstein. They are nearly inseparable. Growing up, their lives are filled with imaginary adventures...until the day their adventures turn all too real.

They stumble upon The Dark Library, and secret books of alchemy and ancient remedies are discovered. Father forbids that they ever enter the room again, but this only piques Victor's curiosity more. When Konrad falls gravely ill, Victor is not satisfied with the various doctors his parents have called in to help. He is drawn back to The Dark Library where he uncovers an ancient formula for the Elixir of Life. With their friend Elizabeth, Henry and Victor immediately set out to find assistance from a man who was once known for his alchemical works to help create the formula.Determination and the unthinkable outcome of losing his brother spur Victor on in the quest for the three ingredients that will save Konrad's life. After scaling the highest trees in the Strumwald, diving into the deepest lake caves, and sacrificing one’s own body part, the three fearless friends risk their lives to save another.

Action, suspense, brotherly love, romance, adventure, jealousy, desire, and betrayal are just a few of the things that make This Dark Endeavor feel like you're reading a beloved classic. With it's perfectly paced story line and well developed, believable in-depth characters, this story about young Victor Frankenstein is both engaging and intriguing.

I was hooked form the moment I started reading this book. Everything about it captured and held my attention. I really felt drawn to Victor, Elizabeth and Victor's brother Konrad. They're closeness, and imaginative adventures had me wishing I was there to accompany around their Chateau Frankenstein in the beautiful outskirts of Geneva. There's a rich history both with the family Chateau and the surrounding area that I devoured. I also really liked the Frankenstein family. Victor's parents are high class, outstanding citizens who are also quite liberal and well educated for their time. I should say it was uncommon for a women to be liberal, have a voice and be as well educated as his mother is. That intelligence is passed on to Victor.

What starts out as a quest to save his brother leads Victor down an enticing, darker road that many of taken and few have walked away from unscathed. It was so easy for me to sympathize with Victor's motives for doing what he does. He's a very passionate character, who will do anything to save his beloved brother from dying of a mysterious illness. One of the things I loved about the brothers is their bond and the way they balance each other. Konrad is the laid back, easy going brother who's slow to temper, unlike Victor. Victor is a complex character who's head strong, stubborn and very competitive. One of my favorite characters is their distant cousin Elizabeth, who of course not only has the eye of both brothers, but she's well educated, loves an adventure and can be just as hot tempered as Victor. She's also a very strong heroine.

I wish I could talk about the plot with out giving away spoilers. I love the way the story is written. It's flawless, and well paced which made for a story I read in one sitting. Kenneth does a great job with how he writes a couple of his scenes, which could have easily become a little bit more gruesome had they been written differently. These scenes flowed effortlessly into the story's over all plot and were written into the story for a reason. One of the other things I really like about the story is that each scene has a purpose in the over all telling of Victor's story. It was really refreshing for me to read a book that didn't just feel well written, it felt complete.

Kenneth Oppel has done an amazing job at bringing to life what Victor Frankenstein's life was like as a teen. Staying true to the feel of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, I felt Kenneth captured the feel of this 18th century story beautifully with his detailed setting, the feel of the book and the characters themselves. There's something about this era that's always intrigued me and This Dark Endeavor has definitely fueled my need for more. You don't need to be die hard fan of Frankenstein to pick this book up. I wasn't a huge fan of Frankenstein, but I really loved this book. It's a fantastic story that I recommend picking up. In fact, it's one I think teachers can use in conjunction with Frankenstein in their classrooms.


Find out what inspired Kenneth Opal to write This Dark Endeavor watch his interview with Simon & Schuster here

7 comments:

  1. I can't wait to read this book! I love this totally original take on Frankenstein. Delving into his history as a teen is brilliant!

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  2. I must have this! I'm not a fan of Frankenstein, but I love Kenneth Oppel's Airborn series, and this just sounds fantastic. I'll definitely have to add it to my wish list. :)

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  3. Heather- Kenneth's writing is fabulous. I seriously loved the way this story is written.

    Ren- If you like his Airborn series, I think you'll really enjoy this one. It's a fantastic read.

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  4. This sounds good. I, too, am not a fan of Mary Shelley's beautifully written but too-creepy-for-this-MM story but perhaps this twist on it allow me to enjoy it more.

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  5. Sophie- I think you'll really enjoy it. I'm not a fan of Mary's Shelley's Frankenstein, but this book is one I thoroughly enjoyed. I'm really hoping he writes a sequel.

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  6. Sounds amazing! It is now on my TBR list. Great review. :0)

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  7. Tracy- Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. :)

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