Pretorius: The Legacy of Frankenstein: Book 2

by Robin Bailes

The Legacy of Frankenstein continues....
In the countryside of middle England, a pair of monsters are hunted.
In the woods around the village of Chaymouth, an inhuman figure lurks.
In a London laboratory, a young scientist teases out the secrets of life itself
And out of the past emerges a name forgotten by all but a few. Not dead, only waiting.
PRETORIUS.

Pretorius picks up directly after The Legacy of Frankenstein, following Henry, Peggy, Anne and the creature as a new horror enters their lives. While other books in the Universal Library series can be read in any order (although you will get more out of them by reading sequentially), Pretorius is very definitely a sequel and it is advised that you read The Legacy of Frankenstein first.
The Universal Library is a series of novels inspired by classic horror films and their monsters.

326 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 5, 2025

About the author

Robin Bailes is the writer and presenter of the web-series Dark Corners, based around comic reviews of old B movies and serious retrospectives of cult classics. Robin's love of old movies, and particularly the Universal horror cycle, was established by an old collection of Famous Monsters of Filmland (the seminal fanzine created by Forrest J. Ackerman), nourished by a film buff family, and is now inspiring a series of comedy/horror novels beginning with The Mummy's Quest and now running to 4 titles. The books are informed by classic horror, and are peppered with references to old movies and cult literature. The books are also a reaction to Universal Studios' baffling and uninspired efforts to turn their legacy into a comic book franchise. The latest title is The Immortal Dracula.
Outside of Dark Corners, Robin has written and directed the comedy/drama web-series Coping (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5XG...), among many other intriguing and diverse projects, as he attempts to make a living from writing. He also volunteers at the Cinema Museum at Elephant and Castle in London, and can be found behind the cafe for most silent film screenings. You can learn more about Robin (if you really want to) on his website, robinbailes.com.
Twitter: @DarkCorners3, @robinbailes
Facebook: Dark Corners of This Sick World

Reviews

[Steve Chaput · Rating 4 out of 5]

The legend continues

This is the latest book on the Universal series. Inspired by the legendary monster films produced by that studio.

This one picks almost directly after the previous book, which I recommend you read, but it’s not necessary as much of that book is revealed in the early chapters of this.

I hope that Bailes will return to this series as I’ve enjoyed every single one.

[Steven Streeter · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Legacy of Frankenstein books have had a lot less of the humour of the first 6 books in the Universal series, and this one could have used a bit more humour. The story was a little over the place, and the twist of Eve's origins at the end I got early on. And some small editing issues. Having said all that, as a horror story, with a sympathetic Adam, this was a good read. The last 3 chapters (well, before the funeral), I read in one go. I could not put it down. This was a decent-paced book and the subtleties if Adam's character were awesome.

So, I recommend the whole series, but you need to read the first Frankenstein book to get this one.