Second Madman's Daughter Novel Brings New Twist to the Series

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

(Note:  While this review will not contain spoilers for Her Dark Curiosity, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from its predecessor, The Madman's Daughter.  As always, I recommend reading series in order.)

Months after escaping the island of horrors created by her father, the infamous Dr. Moreau, Juliet is back in London.  The 17-year-old has been taken in by an old family friend, giving her the stability to remake her life.  As much as she longs to forget her dark legacy altogether, Juliet finds that at least some of its pieces have followed her back to England.  Edward Prince, now known as Dr. Jakyll, makes a disturbing appearance, as does his alter ego, a vengeful beast.  It can't be coincidence that Juliet's acquaintances are falling victim to a murderer who appears to claw them to death.  As if this weren't enough to deal with, Juliet's barely managing to keep her own inner beast under control.  Her father's corrective serum is becoming less effective every day.  If she can't recreate it for herself, her own animal instinct will surely take over.

As Juliet's world devolves into chaos and violence, she must figure out how to save not just herself, but also all the people she loves most.

Just like The Madman's Daughter spun a classic horror novel (The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells) in a new direction, so does Her Dark Curiosity, the second installment in Megan Shepherd's popular Gothic trilogy.  Weaving elements of Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde into the narrative gives the story another layer of intrigue.  Atmospheric and eerie, the tale is both chilling and exciting.  Juliet continues to annoy with her fickleness, especially when it comes to romance.  Love triangles are almost always irritating—this one is no exception.  All in all, though, I enjoyed Her Dark Curiosity.  The twist at the end pushes the series in a new direction, which convinced me to give the final book a chance even though I haven't been as impressed with the first two as I'd hoped to be.

(Readalikes:  The Madman's Daughter and A Cold Legacy by Megan Shepherd)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language (no F-bombs), violence/gore, and mild sexual content

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find