Review: A Cold Legacy by Megan Shepherd

Book Description:

Hardcover, 400 pages
Published January 27th 2015 by Balzer+Bray/HarperCollins

After killing the men who tried to steal her father’s research, Juliet—along with Montgomery, Lucy, Balthazar, and a deathly ill Edward—has escaped to a remote estate on the Scottish moors. Owned by the enigmatic Elizabeth von Stein, the mansion is full of mysteries and unexplained oddities: dead bodies in the basement, secret passages, and fortune-tellers who seem to know Juliet’s secrets. Though it appears to be a safe haven, Juliet fears new dangers may be present within the manor’s own walls.

Then Juliet uncovers the truth about the manor’s long history of scientific experimentation—and her own intended role in it—forcing her to determine where the line falls between right and wrong, life and death, magic and science, and promises and secrets. And she must decide if she’ll follow her father’s dark footsteps or her mother’s tragic ones, or whether she’ll make her own.

With inspiration from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, this breathless conclusion to the Madman’s Daughter trilogy is about the things we’ll sacrifice to save those we love—even our own humanity.

Reviewer's Copy: ARC

Source: Harper Collins(Thank you!)

My Thoughts:

Warning: For readers, who have not finished The Madman’s Daughter and Her Dark Curiosity, now is the time to turn back. There would be spoilers for people who haven’t read the first two books. You have been warned.

A Cold Legacy manifested the genius of Shepherd’s writing: the lurking darkness, the electric atmosphere of the setting, whether it was on a tropical island, high society London or the Scottish moors, and most importantly, the brilliance and madness of her characters. Though I have never set foot on Scotland, I felt like I just spent a three-week vacation there, and jumped back in time, in the process.

Juliet was mad, brilliant and fierce. As she struggled and moved forward through the problems that she encountered, being threatened, followed and attacked, she became stronger and steadier. Juliet retaliated, in bursts of blood and darkness. For a long time, she thought that Dr. Moreau’s blood and craziness ran in her veins. Watching from the sidelines of Juliet’s life was unsettling, thrilling and heart-pounding. There was never a dull moment. Her way of thinking, coupled with her heritage, was deadly. With Juliet, there were always surprises and shockers.

The love triangle that was so palpable in Her Dark Curiosity was long gone. Juliet was now engaged to Montgomery. However Edward’s presence was like a cloud blocking out the sun. The possibility of the emergence of the Beast was just too dangerous to ignore. Juliet felt a connection to the Beast, since they were both “dark” creatures, and had gone through her father’s hands. They had a deeper level of understanding, empathy and similarities, that Juliet would never be able to share with Montgomery.

The physical, psychological and emotional situation that Edward was in broke my heart into a million tiny pieces. I am always drawn to dark, vulnerable characters, especially the ones that were suffering emotionally. I was sad for Edward and wished that I, myself, could give him a chance to live a normal life. Out of all the characters, aside from Juliet, Edward was the one I felt emotionally invested in. Though A Cold Legacy did not have the "spark" that made me love The Madman's Daughter and Her Dark Curiosity, I still enjoyed it. The ending was not what I expected it to be but nevertheless I found it satisfying and just to end the trilogy.

One of the things I liked about A Cold Legacy was that the minor characters were given a chance to shine. Lucy Radcliffe, Juliet’s socialite best friend, was seen in a different light. Underneath the surface was a bold Lucy who braved the Scottish moors, left her comfortable and luxurious life behind, for love. One of the characters close to my heart, Balthazar, was finally “humanized” while highlighting his origin. Although he was made in a laboratory, he had a pure heart and conscience. The way that his mind worked, as well as his personality, was thoroughly explained.

A Cold Legacy is an atmospheric, chilling, and unpredictable retelling of Frankenstein. Readers are in for a treat with the twists, revelations and surprises. I highly recommend this series to readers who enjoy retellings, "old world science fiction," and historical stories.

Rating:

4 Cupids = Strong book love.
I really enjoyed this. I recommend this!

Interested in the series? The reviews of the previous books can be found here:
The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd
Her Dark Curiosity by Megan Shepherd