Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

He failed to save his twin brother through alchemy, but young Victor Frankenstein eagerly delves back into the sinister sciences in this sequel to 2011's This Dark Endeavor. Three weeks after Konrad's death, Victor plucks a mysterious box from the still-warm ashes of the books of the Dark Library. Demonstrating tremendous hubris, Victor aims to return Konrad to the living world and still win Elizabeth, Konrad's grief-stricken love and the boys' childhood friend. When Victor uncovers a way into the spirit world, he finds that Konrad is in neither heaven nor hell but in an alternate version of the house, where eons collide, a ravenous mist lurks outside, and groans arise from below. Elizabeth and Henry Clerval soon join Victor on his journeys to the other realm and on his mission to build a body for Konrad, based on ancient drawings and monstrous bones discovered in caves beneath the castle. As in the first book, the trio realizes the high cost of their quest too late. Victor is a fascinating if sometimes unlikable character, ambitious, brooding, reckless and obsessive in his pursuit of knowledge and power; Printz honor-winner Oppel skillfully portrays him as both a troubled teen and the boy who would become Frankenstein. Addictions and lustful encounters add another layer of sophistication to the gothic melodrama. A standout sequel and engrossing ghost story. (Horror. 14 & up)

ALA Booklist (Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2012)

Just three weeks after This Dark Endeavor (2011), 16-year-old Victor, his cousin Elizabeth, and his friend Henry are grieving the loss of Victor's twin, Konrad. But the discovery of Wilhelm Frankenstein's occult instruments allows the trio to enter an afterlife version of Chau Frankenstein in which Konrad still exists. There they learn of a possible way to "grow Konrad" anew. The result of this ungodly tinkering is Oppel's most repulsive creation yet: a baby made out of mud and a thatch of Konrad's hair who grows at an alarming rate but has no conscience because it lacks Konrad's soul. When faced with the unwieldy list of rules regarding navigating a ghost world, readers might miss the visceral, realistic-seeming alchemy of the first volume. That said, everything readers love about Oppel is here: his fierce intelligence; baroque but concise prose; developed, unsentimental characters; and ability to keep his eye on the prize this case, the stubborn, yet somehow still likable, character of Victor and his slow road to becoming Mary Shelley's mad scientist. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: With the first volume set to be a motion picture, awareness of this dark, entertaining series from a YA star will only grow. So be prepared.

Horn Book

Oppel's second imagined Frankenstein origin story (This Dark Endeavor) begins after Konrad's death, as Victor mourns his twin brother's loss and rejects alchemy. Discovery of an ancient text revives Victor's hopes, and he attempts creation of a replica body for Konrad's spirit to inhabit. Oppel's impressive storytelling ability, vividly descriptive language, and further development of complex characters keep the narrative engaging.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

He failed to save his twin brother through alchemy, but young Victor Frankenstein eagerly delves back into the sinister sciences in this sequel to 2011's This Dark Endeavor. Three weeks after Konrad's death, Victor plucks a mysterious box from the still-warm ashes of the books of the Dark Library. Demonstrating tremendous hubris, Victor aims to return Konrad to the living world and still win Elizabeth, Konrad's grief-stricken love and the boys' childhood friend. When Victor uncovers a way into the spirit world, he finds that Konrad is in neither heaven nor hell but in an alternate version of the house, where eons collide, a ravenous mist lurks outside, and groans arise from below. Elizabeth and Henry Clerval soon join Victor on his journeys to the other realm and on his mission to build a body for Konrad, based on ancient drawings and monstrous bones discovered in caves beneath the castle. As in the first book, the trio realizes the high cost of their quest too late. Victor is a fascinating if sometimes unlikable character, ambitious, brooding, reckless and obsessive in his pursuit of knowledge and power; Printz honor-winner Oppel skillfully portrays him as both a troubled teen and the boy who would become Frankenstein. Addictions and lustful encounters add another layer of sophistication to the gothic melodrama. A standout sequel and engrossing ghost story. (Horror. 14 & up)