Dean Koontz Frankenstein Series - 5 books: Prodigal Son / City of Night / Dea...

Dean Koontz's Frankenstein #1-5

by Dean Koontz

The complete five book series. From the master storyteller comes a powerful reworking of an all-time classic. Welcome to the mystery, the myth, the terror and the magic of Dean Koontz’s Frankenstein… If you think you know the legend, you know only half the truth… In modern-day New Orleans, Victor Frankenstein is creating a near-immortal race of they are stronger, heal better, and think faster than humans – and not even Victor can stop the engineered monsters he’s set loose. Investigating the series of murders is Detective Carson O’Connor, who is cool, cynical, and every bit as tough as she looks. Her partner Michael Maddison would back her up all the way to hell itself – and that just may be where this case ends up. Deucalion, Frankenstein’s original and flawed attempt at replicating life, has travelled for two centuries with a secret worse than death. When he returns to New Orleans, his path leads him to O’Connor. Together, they must destroy a monstrosity that even Dr Frankenstein could not imagine. And Deucalion’s journey is fated to end in the ultimate confrontation between a damned creature and his mad creator.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Victor Frankenstein, Science Fiction

Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Acknowledged as "America's most popular suspense novelist" (Rolling Stone) and as one of today's most celebrated and successful writers, Dean Ray Koontz has earned the devotion of millions of readers around the world and the praise of critics everywhere for tales of character, mystery, and adventure that strike to the core of what it means to be human.

Dean, the author of many #1 New York Times bestsellers, lives in Southern California with his wife, Gerda, their golden retriever, Elsa, and the enduring spirit of their goldens, Trixie and Anna.

Facebook: Facebook.com/DeanKoontzOfficial
Twitter: @DeanKoontz
Website: DeanKoontz.com

Reviews

[Bronwyn Kruger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic books , bought an old tale up to date and carried on Mary shelleys vision in fantastic style

[Emily Matthews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I read ALL of these in one week. The story was so good. Felt like an action movie.

My only complaint: no love story for Deucalion. He deserved more!

[Eric Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love retellings of classic books. When I started this series, I thought that's what this was, but it's not. I would refer to this series as an "add-on". When I say "add-on" I mean that this story picks up after the events of the original Frankenstein and continues the story in modern day. Having said that, I think this series as great! I enjoyed through all 5 books. Dean Koontz is a master story teller and it comes through in this series.

The plot is fantastic. I would say that it incorporates action/adventure, suspense, thriller, and sci-fi genres all into one nice package. Often times with series of this size there are books that are a let-down along the way (usually book 2 or 3). Not so with this series. They are all page turners. The plot starts us off in New Orleans in the modern day. This is a great location due to the mystery that comes with New Orleans all by itself. It makes the idea of a battle between Dr. Frankenstein and his original monster seem somewhat plausible. I don't like to go into the plot too much because I don't like spoilers in my reviews. But, the gist of the series is the battle between Dr. and monster. It is worth the read, I promise. The plot moves very well in these books and is rich in depth. There are the twists, turns, and surprises that us Koontz fans have come to know and love. There is also some darkness to the plot that can bee seen throughout most of his books.

The characters of this series are wonderful. Some authors make the mistake of trying to cram too many people into the story so that they can fill the content of this many books. Not so with Koontz. There wasn't any time through the series that I had to go back and remind myself of who someone was or what they were doing in the story. He does a good job of keep the core characters at the core and bringing in support characters as needed. It is wonderfully balanced throughout.

The readability of these books is great. They are page turners from start to finish. There aren't any parts of the book where you are willing your way through it so that you can get to the next "good" part. It flows very naturally and makes for any easy read.

The readership of this book would probably be high school and up. It's not that the language is hard to understand or that there are difficult words to get through, but there are some themes that run throughout the book that would make it suitable for an older audience.

Overall, this series was very enjoyable for me. I would put it in my top 10 series of all time right now. It's on the low end, but in the top 10 for sure. Well crafted and well worth the read, especially if you are a Koontz fan.

Overall rating: 5/5

[Mya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember when the Syfy channel tried to make this into a series a while back. They started with the first book, Prodigal Son and well, it actually looked beautiful upon the screen. At that time I didn't know that the show was based upon Dean Koontz's works but swiftly after the show got cancelled, I did find myself wanting to know more about that very different sort of Frankenstein's monster.

Dean Koontz really spins the tale on it's head, breathes new life and motivation into classic characters and introduces a whole slew of new ones with his 5 book series. Frankenstein's monster, Ducalion is a bold sort of hero/anti hero with brooding, mysterious menace but compassion. While Victor Frankenstein is fleshed out to be a maniacal, scheming and flawed millionaire with notions of remaking the world.

Throughout the book there are some notable characters, namely the plucky, street-smart New Orleans cops, Madison and Michael who aid Ducalion in his epic fight to keep Victor from taking over the world with his clones. (He has perfected his life-giving sciences). There's a misguided serial killer, wizened con man, a plump, nostalgic carnie, and numerous other supporting characters. Two of my favorite happened to be Erika Five (Frankenstein's cloned wife of which there are several) and Jocko, a tumor born from a clone who grows into a dwarf. Seriously, I could have read more about their adventures.

So, out of the five book series, I kinda think that it should have ended after the fourth book, as the fifth was looking at a shark to jump. The first four were an epic journey and while there are hints that lead up to the events that happen in the fifth book, the new setting and bizarre reinvention of Frankenstein's new creatures spins the tale from dark fantasy into something with a heavier tang of science fiction.

Altogether, this series was a really good, entertaining and imaginative retelling of an old and treasured tale bundle!

[Stacy Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been a Dean Koontz fan since I was a teenager, however I fell off onto other genres and authors and forgot to go back for decades. This was such a great series to return to! He did a great job of reinventing an old tale and expanding on it. You find yourself rooting for the characters and the characters are developed and likeable. Is there a predictability aspect to the characters, maybe. But that is what I enjoyed about them. An easy read that I did not want to put down. Great series.

[Rachel Locke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series has everything.

These books will bring forth every emotion, no surprise there,lol. Dean Koontz is a master at writing the truth that lies in each of our hearts. The truth about life, love, and the truth about how goodness always defies evil in the end. I used to own every Dean Koontz book over written in hard cover, but lost them all in a house fire. I am currently releasing them all. Because they are worth it.

[Tre'tyy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read and re-read this series more times than I can count

I have read and reread the series more times than I can count And every time It makes me laugh it makes me cry it makes me happy It makes me sad I love it more and more each time I read it A good book is like A true friend You know that no matter what It will always be there for you

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frankenstein - Dean Koontz

What a rollercoaster of a book. This took me nine months to read. The first trimester was getting accustomed to the characters. The subsequent third, was pretty addictive. Then finally, it birthed a very powerful ending, telling a well used theme based on the human condition lust for power, greed and humility. This book(s) I came upon many years ago, I'm so glad I returned to it in 2025

[Margaret Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Winner from Koontz

Dean Koontz's Frankenstein is fabulous! Absolutely thrilling & delightful. Carson & Michael are funny and relatable. Personally pleased that he ended up going with the book format, in spite of his original intentions. A roller coaster ride through the incredible and fantastic. Definitely recommend. You won't want to put it down until the last page.

[Barbara A. Belmar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome series. Once you start you can’t put it down. Dean Koontz is an awesome writer. I think I have read 90% of his books and some of them more than once. He’s like a version of Stephen King without the bad language. I love that evil cannot prevail as long as there are good men to fight and both writers do that in their own awesome way. Both are my favorite authors.

[Sean Tarzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cool book.

It makes a great revival of the legendary story of Frankenstein with a modern, technological twist and some darker, more perverted aspects than the original.

In Dean Koontz fashion, the series grabs you chapter by chapter and brings you along for a riveting ride, introducing you to both repulsive and lovable characters along the way.

[Rosemary Burton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesomeness

Just plain good on so many levels. Characters. Imagery. Plot. Originality. Scariness. Morality. Immorality. Funny. Serious. Love story. Adventure story. Suspense story. It's all there.

[Mike Winters · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this series very much. The story never got old.The characters were great great and and it was exciting and easy to follow. Many hours of reading pleasure can be had with this Siri's.If you're a fan of science fiction. This would have made a great t v series.

[Kenneth Mackenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absorbing reimagining

I started reading this wondering if DK would manage to retell and update the Frankenstein story. It is cleverly done and the characters are believable and likeable. The switch after book 3 is a nice twist.

[Karen McIntosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent series

What a wonderful series. Could not stop reading. Love his writing. Kept me interested until the last page. Read and enjoy

[Sarah Jungels · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing..

Talented writing... long but so good. Took me forever to finish. Did not disappoint- some times hard to be engaged with how long it goes on.

[Sandy Carmichael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome ending to this series. So enjoyed the whole series, hopeful, inspiring.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story!

I could not put these books down. Very vivid imagery throughout. Each book continued the story. A must read for monster fans.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent series. I highly recommend reading the entire series. You won't be disappointed.

[Danny McSpadden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great story

The only thing that took two stars, way to much is told by the bad guys. I just flat do not enjoy wallowing in the mind of a monster or a madman.

[Amaka · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am glad that I discovered Koontz in Cold Fire. He hasn't disappointed me so far. I really enjoyed this series

[Jeff Gilpen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great series!

[Troy White · Rating 3 out of 5]

Classic Koontz, read all 5 and enjoyed.

[Derrick McDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked how totally outrageous the adventure was but it isn't anything compared to the original. It was nice to see where 'The Monster" went off to after Frankenstein's death.

[Brenda Vissering · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always a good read

Good storyline. A bit repetitive at times but good non the less. When is the last snowman going to come out?

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read all 5 books. It's definitely good enough to read them all, but not great literature. I enjoyed them enough to finish the story. I liked Jocko and Erica 5 the best.

[DeWayne Ruggles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not much for writing reviews, but this was a terrific book.

[Carolina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good imaginative series. Book 4 was slow not sure it couldn’t have been combined with 5 into a more straightforward book. Overall I enjoyed it.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good--and add .5 for a total of 3.5 for the usual good writing of Dean Koontz. There was a lot of repetition in the book. It seemed like every time a character was mentioned there was a reminder of who that person was and their contribution to the book was mentioned. I wish it had been sold as one "big ole' book" instead of five different books. They must have broken the book down to dumb it down...most people only have an attention span for 300 pages (or so I've been told), so they chopped it up into five 300 page books that were more manageable for the masses. That way they could also charge for five books instead of just one. I am sure it is a publisher thing...at least I hope it isn't something Koontz pushed for. That is why I give it 3.5 stars instead of 4 stars.

[Boneist · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the issues that I have with Dean Koontz aren't present in this set of books - for example, the endings are much better handled.

However, characters tend to be copied from book to book, and I'm tired of the repetition. There's only so many times the angelic, easy bantering but tough good guys can be used without becoming boring, and we're long since past that!

However, having said that, I did enjoy the books overall. In particular, I liked the byplay between Nummy and Mr Lyss.