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Cadaver & Queen #1
Cadaver & Queen
When Lizzie Lavenza enrolled at Ingold as its first female medical student, she knew she wouldn't have an easy time. From class demands to being an outsider among her male cohorts, she'll have to go above and beyond to prove herself. So when she stumbles across what appears to be a faulty Bio-mechanical--one of the mechanized cadavers created to service the school--she jumps at the chance to fix it and get ahead in the program.
Only this Bio-mechanical isn't like the others. Where they are usually empty-minded and perfectly obedient, this one seems to have thoughts, feelings... and self-awareness.
Soon Lizzie realizes that it is Victor Frankenstein--a former student who died under mysterious circumstances. Victor, it seems, still has a spark of human intelligence inside him, along with memories of things he discovered before his untimely death.. .and a suspicion that he was murdered to keep that information from getting out. Suddenly Lizzie finds herself intertwined in dark secrets and sabotage that put her life, and the lives of Victor and their friends, in danger. But Lizzie's determined to succeed--even if that means fighting an enemy who threatens the entire British Empire.
Only this Bio-mechanical isn't like the others. Where they are usually empty-minded and perfectly obedient, this one seems to have thoughts, feelings... and self-awareness.
Soon Lizzie realizes that it is Victor Frankenstein--a former student who died under mysterious circumstances. Victor, it seems, still has a spark of human intelligence inside him, along with memories of things he discovered before his untimely death.. .and a suspicion that he was murdered to keep that information from getting out. Suddenly Lizzie finds herself intertwined in dark secrets and sabotage that put her life, and the lives of Victor and their friends, in danger. But Lizzie's determined to succeed--even if that means fighting an enemy who threatens the entire British Empire.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published February 27, 2018
49 people are currently reading
3727 people want to read
About the author
Alisa Kwitney
103 books189 followersI'm the author of YA, graphic novels and novels for adults who still feel young, at least most of the time. Recent works include GILT, a graphic novel about time-traveling women of a certain age; Cadaver & Queen, a YA Feminist Frankenstein meets Grey's Anatomy tale, and Mystik U from DC Comics, which features Zatanna and other magical characters in their first year at college. I also co-host a Sandman podcast, The Endless, with Lani Diane Rich.
My first novel, Till the Fat Lady Sings, is also about college and romance and eating disorders. (It was my thesis at Columbia University's MFA Program, where I felt like an outlier for liking comic books and romance as much as literature.) I was an editor at Vertigo, the mature/dark fantasy branch of DC Comics, before going freelance. (I've also written two hormonal werewolf books as Alisa Sheckley.)
I live near the Vanderbilt Estate in Hyde Park, NY, with two dogs and a frightening number of books.
aka Alisa Sheckley
My first novel, Till the Fat Lady Sings, is also about college and romance and eating disorders. (It was my thesis at Columbia University's MFA Program, where I felt like an outlier for liking comic books and romance as much as literature.) I was an editor at Vertigo, the mature/dark fantasy branch of DC Comics, before going freelance. (I've also written two hormonal werewolf books as Alisa Sheckley.)
I live near the Vanderbilt Estate in Hyde Park, NY, with two dogs and a frightening number of books.
aka Alisa Sheckley
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 256 reviews
May 14, 2018
3.5 Stars
Review:
I reread Frankenstein recently and am on a quest to read all the retellings! And this one proved to be a thought-provoking, feminist Frankenstein-inspired story with a twist.
While not a retelling, per se, this story took characters and ideas from the original novel as a springboard and twisted them in really interesting ways to form something new and really highlight some of the thought-provoking aspects of the original. Our main character was Elizabeth, our love interest Victor, except, in this story, Victor was the monster. He was a bio-mechanical---a reanimated corpse, usually made of stitched-together parts from various different bodies, although Victor was mostly intact with just the arm of a stranger to replace his mangled one.
The characters were well-written with flaws but also good qualities. My favorite was Byram because of his dry humor and support of Lizzie. I liked Jack too, despite his small role. Lizzie was the protagonist though, and I loved that she was intelligent, strong-willed, and determined. She didn't let the sexism and all the obstacles in her way stop her from chasing after her goals, which made this a fantastically feminist book. Buuuuuut she could also be so self-assured and focused on trying to succeed that she was uncaring toward patients and didn't listen to them, and she butted her head into things that's weren't her business which put not only herself but also others in danger. So she could be frustrating, but she was realistically flawed (which I like), and she did get called out on a lot of her behaviors by other characters.
Although the pace of the plot was slow, I found myself engrossed by the story. There was so much great stuff going on---mystery, friendship, bio-mechanicals, sinister plans. Oddly enough, I wasn't all that into the romance (though it was plenty believable)---I was more interested in what was going on with the school and the professors, what exactly had happened to Victor, how it would all impact Lizzie, etc.
I had one main issue though. There were a some threads left hanging, things I didn't quite understand, and things I wanted to know more about. It was like so many of those mysterious/sinister parts of the plot about the school just got dropped. According to the author, there's going to be another book that continues the story (albeit with the focus on different characters), so hopefully these will still get addressed. Maybe someone who's finished the book can help me in case I just missed some things? *SPOILER* *END SPOILER*
One other thing I wanted to mention is that Lizzie thought about how Byram was so attractive that he wouldn't even be friends with her if it weren't for his bad foot bringing him down to her level. She mentioned something similar about some boy she had a crush on and got to know while he was ill. I didn't like the implication that having a disability brings a person's value down. I chocked it up to just being Lizzie's beliefs as a product of the time she lived in, but I wanted to point it out so readers could be aware of this kind of thing not just in this book but in life in general.
Last but not least, I wanted to talk about the thought-provoking aspect of this book. I mentioned that Victor was entirely intact except for having someone else's arm. That one little arm, however, had a big impact. *SPOILER* *END SPOILER* I loved that the author used that to explore the concept of souls and memories and whether our body parts retain a bit of ourselves if they're kept alive after the rest of our body has died. I've heard stories, for example, about people who got heart transplants and then started acting like the person the heart originally belonged to, and things like that make me wonder. When we die, if some part of our body remains alive, does part of our soul, or maybe some imprint of it, remain with it? Or in cases like the heart transplants, is there a scientific explanation? (I did read something about cell memory.) But in the case of fictional Frankenstein stories, if someone is reanimated, do they get their soul back? What if they're composed from the parts of a whole bunch of people, do they even get a soul? A whole bunch of souls? Maybe that's why the other bio-mechanicals were mindless---they were confused by having too many souls in one body. This book doesn't go in-depth into any of this, nor does it force any belief on the reader, but it's definitely an interesting part of the story.
As for the audio, I struggle with audiobooks in general, but I thought Saskia Maarleveld did a wonderful job. She read in a way that sounded normal rather than overdramatic, and she did men's voices well and made them sound natural with proper inflection and emotion (those are the two things I usually have the biggest issue with).
Overall, this book gripped me with its mysteriousness and its feminism and its unique twist on the Frankenstein story, and hopefully those loose threads will be wrapped up in the next book!
Recommended For:
Readers who like Frankenstein retellings, feminist characters, mysterious plots, and thought-provoking reads.
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight
--------------------
Initial Thoughts:
A thought-provoking, feminist Frankenstein-inspired story with a twist! Full review soon.
Review:
I reread Frankenstein recently and am on a quest to read all the retellings! And this one proved to be a thought-provoking, feminist Frankenstein-inspired story with a twist.
While not a retelling, per se, this story took characters and ideas from the original novel as a springboard and twisted them in really interesting ways to form something new and really highlight some of the thought-provoking aspects of the original. Our main character was Elizabeth, our love interest Victor, except, in this story, Victor was the monster. He was a bio-mechanical---a reanimated corpse, usually made of stitched-together parts from various different bodies, although Victor was mostly intact with just the arm of a stranger to replace his mangled one.
The characters were well-written with flaws but also good qualities. My favorite was Byram because of his dry humor and support of Lizzie. I liked Jack too, despite his small role. Lizzie was the protagonist though, and I loved that she was intelligent, strong-willed, and determined. She didn't let the sexism and all the obstacles in her way stop her from chasing after her goals, which made this a fantastically feminist book. Buuuuuut she could also be so self-assured and focused on trying to succeed that she was uncaring toward patients and didn't listen to them, and she butted her head into things that's weren't her business which put not only herself but also others in danger. So she could be frustrating, but she was realistically flawed (which I like), and she did get called out on a lot of her behaviors by other characters.
Although the pace of the plot was slow, I found myself engrossed by the story. There was so much great stuff going on---mystery, friendship, bio-mechanicals, sinister plans. Oddly enough, I wasn't all that into the romance (though it was plenty believable)---I was more interested in what was going on with the school and the professors, what exactly had happened to Victor, how it would all impact Lizzie, etc.
I had one main issue though. There were a some threads left hanging, things I didn't quite understand, and things I wanted to know more about. It was like so many of those mysterious/sinister parts of the plot about the school just got dropped. According to the author, there's going to be another book that continues the story (albeit with the focus on different characters), so hopefully these will still get addressed. Maybe someone who's finished the book can help me in case I just missed some things? *SPOILER* *END SPOILER*
One other thing I wanted to mention is that Lizzie thought about how Byram was so attractive that he wouldn't even be friends with her if it weren't for his bad foot bringing him down to her level. She mentioned something similar about some boy she had a crush on and got to know while he was ill. I didn't like the implication that having a disability brings a person's value down. I chocked it up to just being Lizzie's beliefs as a product of the time she lived in, but I wanted to point it out so readers could be aware of this kind of thing not just in this book but in life in general.
Last but not least, I wanted to talk about the thought-provoking aspect of this book. I mentioned that Victor was entirely intact except for having someone else's arm. That one little arm, however, had a big impact. *SPOILER* *END SPOILER* I loved that the author used that to explore the concept of souls and memories and whether our body parts retain a bit of ourselves if they're kept alive after the rest of our body has died. I've heard stories, for example, about people who got heart transplants and then started acting like the person the heart originally belonged to, and things like that make me wonder. When we die, if some part of our body remains alive, does part of our soul, or maybe some imprint of it, remain with it? Or in cases like the heart transplants, is there a scientific explanation? (I did read something about cell memory.) But in the case of fictional Frankenstein stories, if someone is reanimated, do they get their soul back? What if they're composed from the parts of a whole bunch of people, do they even get a soul? A whole bunch of souls? Maybe that's why the other bio-mechanicals were mindless---they were confused by having too many souls in one body. This book doesn't go in-depth into any of this, nor does it force any belief on the reader, but it's definitely an interesting part of the story.
As for the audio, I struggle with audiobooks in general, but I thought Saskia Maarleveld did a wonderful job. She read in a way that sounded normal rather than overdramatic, and she did men's voices well and made them sound natural with proper inflection and emotion (those are the two things I usually have the biggest issue with).
Overall, this book gripped me with its mysteriousness and its feminism and its unique twist on the Frankenstein story, and hopefully those loose threads will be wrapped up in the next book!
Recommended For:
Readers who like Frankenstein retellings, feminist characters, mysterious plots, and thought-provoking reads.
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight
--------------------
Initial Thoughts:
A thought-provoking, feminist Frankenstein-inspired story with a twist! Full review soon.
October 12, 2020
I can't. I can't do this. I'm not strong enough.
DNF around the halfway point, counting it as read and slapping it with a one star.
[The image wasn't working, so just imagine the "look how they massacred my boy" GIF from The Godfather in here. I have faith in you, you can do it.]
Ugh. The one retelling that actually bothers to include Henry Clerval, and I still get stuck with an instalove-y Victor/Elizabeth romance, where Elizabeth is turned on about pulling the sheet over Victor's bottom half down when she's literally trying to heal his injuries . There was some weird 'not like other girls' stuff going on with Elizabeth too, but that might change later on so I can't really comment on it. What I can comment on is that I tried to skim to the end, and got to the page where Clerval called Elizabeth a bitch and a whore, and burned Victor's face with a lit cigar so uh yeah, I'm dnf-ing this one for good, y'all.
(Also the relationship between Elizabeth and Victor is kinda sorta necrophilia? Like, he's reanimated but in some stage of decay that crosses a line for me. So I'm just saying that we could've gotten Clerval and Victor but instead we got...that.)
DNF around the halfway point, counting it as read and slapping it with a one star.
[The image wasn't working, so just imagine the "look how they massacred my boy" GIF from The Godfather in here. I have faith in you, you can do it.]
Ugh. The one retelling that actually bothers to include Henry Clerval, and I still get stuck with an instalove-y Victor/Elizabeth romance, where Elizabeth is turned on about pulling the sheet over Victor's bottom half down when she's literally trying to heal his injuries . There was some weird 'not like other girls' stuff going on with Elizabeth too, but that might change later on so I can't really comment on it. What I can comment on is that I tried to skim to the end, and got to the page where Clerval called Elizabeth a bitch and a whore, and burned Victor's face with a lit cigar so uh yeah, I'm dnf-ing this one for good, y'all.
(Also the relationship between Elizabeth and Victor is kinda sorta necrophilia? Like, he's reanimated but in some stage of decay that crosses a line for me. So I'm just saying that we could've gotten Clerval and Victor but instead we got...that.)
February 24, 2018
Want to see more from me? Check out my youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfer...
Thank you to Harper Collins for sending me a copy for honest review
Lizzie Lavenza is the first female medical student to be enrolled at the prestigious Ingold School in England during the 1800s. She faces a lot of prejudice and quickly realizes she will need to work twice as hard as her male counterparts. Upon arriving, she meets a former student named Victor Frankenstein who was murdered a few months earlier. Victor is now a Bio-mechanical - part human, part machine. As time goes on, she discovers a sinister plan that the head professors of Ingold are planning that involves the Queen of England and these new Bio-mechanical soldiers.
I absolutely love retellings, so I was very excited for this Frankenstein retelling! The book was very quick to read and enjoyable. At times, I did find it to be a bit slow, but I enjoyed it none the less. I liked the banter between characters, especially Lizzie and the three boys. The romance was really well done in my opinion and I really enjoyed the slow burn of it. The idea of the bio-mechanicals was also a really cool concept. One major downfall I found was that the ending felt a bit too rushed, but overall it was an enjoyable read!
Thank you to Harper Collins for sending me a copy for honest review
Lizzie Lavenza is the first female medical student to be enrolled at the prestigious Ingold School in England during the 1800s. She faces a lot of prejudice and quickly realizes she will need to work twice as hard as her male counterparts. Upon arriving, she meets a former student named Victor Frankenstein who was murdered a few months earlier. Victor is now a Bio-mechanical - part human, part machine. As time goes on, she discovers a sinister plan that the head professors of Ingold are planning that involves the Queen of England and these new Bio-mechanical soldiers.
I absolutely love retellings, so I was very excited for this Frankenstein retelling! The book was very quick to read and enjoyable. At times, I did find it to be a bit slow, but I enjoyed it none the less. I liked the banter between characters, especially Lizzie and the three boys. The romance was really well done in my opinion and I really enjoyed the slow burn of it. The idea of the bio-mechanicals was also a really cool concept. One major downfall I found was that the ending felt a bit too rushed, but overall it was an enjoyable read!
April 22, 2020
Not bad for a Frankenstein retelling.
Cadaver & Queen has been on my mind, and TBR, since 2017. In it, you will meet Elizabeth and Victor. Now Lizzie, I liked her. She was spunky, entertaining, and just interesting from the very start. Then there's Victor.. and I was kind of getting Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde vibes from him towards the end of the book. Mostly because of the whole switching from Victor to Jack during certain situations.
Other than that, I actually missed getting to know Will and Byron better in this one. Maybe I will get more of them in the next book? Not sure though. Then there's Aggie, who was an interesting side character. I loved her because of how honest she was and she didn't sugar coat anything to Lizzie. The whole your job isn't more important than mine, when it comes to nurses vs. doctors, was a super important topic. Both are important but they are equally important when it comes to their jobs.
In the end, I really liked this book and I'm hoping that I can get my hands on the next book in this series.
Cadaver & Queen has been on my mind, and TBR, since 2017. In it, you will meet Elizabeth and Victor. Now Lizzie, I liked her. She was spunky, entertaining, and just interesting from the very start. Then there's Victor.. and I was kind of getting Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde vibes from him towards the end of the book. Mostly because of the whole switching from Victor to Jack during certain situations.
Other than that, I actually missed getting to know Will and Byron better in this one. Maybe I will get more of them in the next book? Not sure though. Then there's Aggie, who was an interesting side character. I loved her because of how honest she was and she didn't sugar coat anything to Lizzie. The whole your job isn't more important than mine, when it comes to nurses vs. doctors, was a super important topic. Both are important but they are equally important when it comes to their jobs.
In the end, I really liked this book and I'm hoping that I can get my hands on the next book in this series.
Want to read
March 7, 2018A YA reimagining of Frankenstein.
I just received a free copy of the hardback book from Harper Collins for review. Thanks!!
I just received a free copy of the hardback book from Harper Collins for review. Thanks!!
July 28, 2018
I really enjoyed this historical sci-fi take on the classic story of Frankenstein more than I expected to like it. Bio-mechanicals (reanimated corpses who perform menial tasks and follow orders), a top of the line British medical school, a female American student, and Victor Frankenstein - a once great student who has since died a been transformed into a bio-mechanical who still seems to be himself - doesn't that sound like a cool story? It totally was and I loved getting to know our cast of characters and discover this alternate history world set in 1903. I'm really looking forward to the companion sequel Corpse & Crown which retells Oliver Twist.
April 18, 2018
This book was one of my most anticipated reads for the year. I mean look at that Cover! Intriguing right? And a Frankenstein retelling! Psh.. Heck Yes!!
However, it fell a little short for me. The idea of the story was definitely there and intriguing, but as I got reading, I felt the story start to get a little choppy, Jumping from here to there, or having conversations with characters that were unnecessary.
Then by the ending, I had all these things come up... that were never answered or explained. The ending literally felt like a well... I need to end this, so this is going to happen. It didn't leave me satisfied, left too many things unanswered, and was extremely rushed. There was easily about 50 pages more that could have been written to tie everything up nicely.
The idea was there, it was good, but I felt it wasn't executed as well as it could have been. So I'm giving it 3 🌟 🌟 🌟 Stars.
Photo taken by me! Visit my Instagram for more!
However, it fell a little short for me. The idea of the story was definitely there and intriguing, but as I got reading, I felt the story start to get a little choppy, Jumping from here to there, or having conversations with characters that were unnecessary.
Then by the ending, I had all these things come up... that were never answered or explained. The ending literally felt like a well... I need to end this, so this is going to happen. It didn't leave me satisfied, left too many things unanswered, and was extremely rushed. There was easily about 50 pages more that could have been written to tie everything up nicely.
The idea was there, it was good, but I felt it wasn't executed as well as it could have been. So I'm giving it 3 🌟 🌟 🌟 Stars.
Photo taken by me! Visit my Instagram for more!
January 23, 2022
Un re-telling ben fatto, interessante e sufficientemente dark da essere anche un pò inquietante, della storia del dottor Victor Frankenstein e della sua mostruosa creatura. Resto in attesa del secondo capitolo della saga.
***
A well written, interesting and dark enough to be even a little disturbing re-telling of the story of Doctor Victor Frankenstein and his monstrous creature. I look forward to the second chapter of the saga.
***
A well written, interesting and dark enough to be even a little disturbing re-telling of the story of Doctor Victor Frankenstein and his monstrous creature. I look forward to the second chapter of the saga.
February 27, 2019
Cadaver and Queen was a lot of fun! I was engrossed throughout the entire story, beginning from page one. It’s a very unique and unusual story. Character development and world-building were consistent, and the story flowed very well. I could actually play it out like a movie in my mind. I will read the sequel very soon. I recommend this to any YA reader who likes a fast paced and consuming read.
August 4, 2018
Update: wait...there's a sequel now?!
Ohhhh this was actually fun and not what I was expecting! It kinda reminded me of Stalking Jack the Ripper and some Frankenstein. Victorian era sexism really does piss me off. The romance was kinda cheesy but I actually didn't mind it. Lots of mystery and science which I'm always a sucker for. Pretty decent for a sci-fi/fantasy stand alone.
Ohhhh this was actually fun and not what I was expecting! It kinda reminded me of Stalking Jack the Ripper and some Frankenstein. Victorian era sexism really does piss me off. The romance was kinda cheesy but I actually didn't mind it. Lots of mystery and science which I'm always a sucker for. Pretty decent for a sci-fi/fantasy stand alone.
unread-high
March 8, 2018I've heard this called a Feminist Frankenstein Retelling? I am so here for that!
November 18, 2018
Rating 4 Stars
I have to say I kept low expectations for this one so since it turned out to be pretty good I'm impressed. This a really interesting, almost steampunkish twist on the classic Frankenstein and this one was not a dud.
I have to start off on how I really liked Elizabeth. She had the strive and the will to learn to be a doctor in a time when it was unheard of for women to really be in many professions. Despite all the bullying and the professors banning her from classes, she still was determined to pass and become the first full fledged female doctor ever. Her affinity for engineering was great as well added even more to her character and I just overall liked her and rarely found her annoying.
Victor Frankenstein is not the one we know of from Shelley's work. In this tale he is truly the "monster" as well as the doctor. Well, not precisely doctor since he was a studying to be one before he was murdered and turned into a biomechanical, but he still had a lot of knowledge from the classes he had took and now he gets to return as a student to finish his schooling and officially become a doctor. I liked his sweet disposition and how he really did not brood much despite being now part machine. His affection and protectiveness for Lizzie was cute and I appreciated that he never questioned her desire to be a doctor and actually helped her by tutoring her on things she was banned from learning. His alter-personality, Jack I don't have much to say about only that he was cheeky and for a criminal he seemed like a decent guy so no issues there either.
Will and Byron were not in the book enough to really access them as characters but I did wish they were in the book more. Them and Lizzie made a cute trio against all the assholes who bullied them and the professors being as much dickheads as the students. Aggie, another friend of Lizzie's I did not like at first since she was so standoffish but once I got to know her and what she does as a nurse in training, it gave me more respect for her. I appreciate that Aggie made a point to show how much nurses do and how their jobs are equally as important as a doctors, even more so in some cases. So, in the end I really did not have any problems with the protagonists and side characters of this story. I really look forward to meeting them again in the sequel.
As for the antagonists that was a issue with me. I still don't get why these professors were totally okay with murdering someone and using their body to experiment on. It's so immoral and wrong and it's not addressed if they just rationalized it in the name of science and also why they wanted to turn the queen into a biomechanical as well. She in this time was just a figure head with no real power so I'm just kind of scratching my head and wondering why this was all okay at the end and the professors were not punished for what they did to the queen and Victor. I guess all the characters are at fault for that in a way even Lizzie who still respects these men and still wants to learn under their tutorship despite how horrible they were to her and how they basically made Victor what he is. He was a jerk before but still really not okay. I also did not get when this was all exactly happening. I'm guessing 1800s since that's when Queen Victoria reigned but I don't know nothing was really specified and I honestly thought at the very beginning this was taking place in the 1900s due to how Elizabeth's clothes were described but I guess not? Anyway Kwitney should have paid more attention to this.
Anyway great book that made a unique twist on the Frankenstein tale and I look forward to the next one.
I have to say I kept low expectations for this one so since it turned out to be pretty good I'm impressed. This a really interesting, almost steampunkish twist on the classic Frankenstein and this one was not a dud.
I have to start off on how I really liked Elizabeth. She had the strive and the will to learn to be a doctor in a time when it was unheard of for women to really be in many professions. Despite all the bullying and the professors banning her from classes, she still was determined to pass and become the first full fledged female doctor ever. Her affinity for engineering was great as well added even more to her character and I just overall liked her and rarely found her annoying.
Victor Frankenstein is not the one we know of from Shelley's work. In this tale he is truly the "monster" as well as the doctor. Well, not precisely doctor since he was a studying to be one before he was murdered and turned into a biomechanical, but he still had a lot of knowledge from the classes he had took and now he gets to return as a student to finish his schooling and officially become a doctor. I liked his sweet disposition and how he really did not brood much despite being now part machine. His affection and protectiveness for Lizzie was cute and I appreciated that he never questioned her desire to be a doctor and actually helped her by tutoring her on things she was banned from learning. His alter-personality, Jack I don't have much to say about only that he was cheeky and for a criminal he seemed like a decent guy so no issues there either.
Will and Byron were not in the book enough to really access them as characters but I did wish they were in the book more. Them and Lizzie made a cute trio against all the assholes who bullied them and the professors being as much dickheads as the students. Aggie, another friend of Lizzie's I did not like at first since she was so standoffish but once I got to know her and what she does as a nurse in training, it gave me more respect for her. I appreciate that Aggie made a point to show how much nurses do and how their jobs are equally as important as a doctors, even more so in some cases. So, in the end I really did not have any problems with the protagonists and side characters of this story. I really look forward to meeting them again in the sequel.
As for the antagonists that was a issue with me. I still don't get why these professors were totally okay with murdering someone and using their body to experiment on. It's so immoral and wrong and it's not addressed if they just rationalized it in the name of science and also why they wanted to turn the queen into a biomechanical as well. She in this time was just a figure head with no real power so I'm just kind of scratching my head and wondering why this was all okay at the end and the professors were not punished for what they did to the queen and Victor. I guess all the characters are at fault for that in a way even Lizzie who still respects these men and still wants to learn under their tutorship despite how horrible they were to her and how they basically made Victor what he is. He was a jerk before but still really not okay. I also did not get when this was all exactly happening. I'm guessing 1800s since that's when Queen Victoria reigned but I don't know nothing was really specified and I honestly thought at the very beginning this was taking place in the 1900s due to how Elizabeth's clothes were described but I guess not? Anyway Kwitney should have paid more attention to this.
Anyway great book that made a unique twist on the Frankenstein tale and I look forward to the next one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 8, 2019
"It is dangerous to be right on matters in which the established authorities are wrong."
All right. Since it's been a few weeks after reading this, I've had time to mull over this book. At first, I absolutely loved it. Because it was a refreshing read after a string of disappointments, I live for these kind of gothic, mild-horror retellings, and the writing was quite engaging! So why did I eventually rate it lower and remove it from my initial placement on my favorites shelf?? Because this ultimately was a bit rushed in a lot of places. It should have taken more time to dig into the details, to expand upon secondary character arcs so that they stood on their own instead of being mere plot devices, and honestly it should have been a bit longer to develop that super-rushed and confusing conclusion.
Now this isn't to say that it's a drag of a read! I really enjoyed a lot about this book, of which I shall get into first:
L I K E S:
- the retelling aspect of this was so neat and quite unique imo
- V I C T O R
"It’s easy to think well of yourself when the world keeps telling you how wonderful you are. You don’t know what you might become if everyone started to treat you as though you were defective."
- yes please always give me tortured souls struggling with the lines between humanity and monster/beast like yes that's one of my top story aesthetics in any genre
- and yeah okay the romance was a bit instantaneous and cliche but darn it I still loved it all right
"I can’t make you a respectable offer of marriage, Elizabeth, and so this can go no further. But if I could . . . and if you weren’t under the influence of an opiate . . . I would kiss you from the top of your head to the soles of your feet."
- the first half of the book was developed pretty well!! Things were well-paced, the mystery was growing nicely, and I was super excited to see how things ended
- the writing wasn't terrible and while it didn't stand out it also didn't stand out . . . you know what I mean. It wasn't abnormally poetic or magnificent, but it wasn't awful and thus did the job of telling the story nicely as far as the writing style went
"That’s the thing about getting older. You think you have all the time in the world, and then one day you look up and you don’t have any more time at all."
- I am squeamish about irl medical stuff and even visual but I like it in my books for some reason
- Lizzy's roommate was an underutilized character and there needed to be more of her
- hello Jack we needed to know more about you
- the friendship trio of Lizzy, Will, and Byram was gold and there was not enough of it
"Will went along with Byram because he loved his friend, and in the end, love was the reason why all sensible people did reckless things."
(not gonna lie I kinda low-key ship Will and Byram okay)
- I also loved the professor's daughter!!
- definitely needed know more about her, especially regarding that twist in the finale!!!!
D I S L I K E S:
- pretty much 90% of the plot was where the reader is expected to just accept skeletal explanations (sometimes literally ahahaha) and move on
- uh no I need more than that okay
- literally needed soooo many explanations on soooo many things!!
- aka reason #1 why this needed to be longer so development could be given on everything
- like a lot of the plot hinges on certain reveals that just don't make sense
- even the retelling aspect didn't do much to cover these flaws, unfortunately
- Lizzy honestly really wasn't a super great MC and I loved Victor's chapters more than hers
- she was just so stuck-up most of the time
- except around Victor cause obviously he had to fall in love with her so she had to be nice around him
- not as much girl power/fierce friendships as I expected and what this book needed
- there was A LOT thrown into the mix near the finale and compared to the rest of the book it really didn't make much sense
So, yes, there was a lot that needed to be explained in this book on so many levels, but honestly I really thought the writing and the skeleton of the plot was good enough to keep that annoyance to a minimum for me cause I was so caught up reading this and enjoying it. It wasn't until after I'd finished this and after I'd had time to really think on things that I noticed the flaws. Which, in my opinion, it does point a bit to the power of the storytelling in here if the first read has you so caught up you really don't notice things. A mediocre read for me is where I can't help but notice flaws while I'm reading. And at least with this I was given enjoyment in the moment of reading instead of being annoyed while reading.
All right. Since it's been a few weeks after reading this, I've had time to mull over this book. At first, I absolutely loved it. Because it was a refreshing read after a string of disappointments, I live for these kind of gothic, mild-horror retellings, and the writing was quite engaging! So why did I eventually rate it lower and remove it from my initial placement on my favorites shelf?? Because this ultimately was a bit rushed in a lot of places. It should have taken more time to dig into the details, to expand upon secondary character arcs so that they stood on their own instead of being mere plot devices, and honestly it should have been a bit longer to develop that super-rushed and confusing conclusion.
Now this isn't to say that it's a drag of a read! I really enjoyed a lot about this book, of which I shall get into first:
L I K E S:
- the retelling aspect of this was so neat and quite unique imo
- V I C T O R
"It’s easy to think well of yourself when the world keeps telling you how wonderful you are. You don’t know what you might become if everyone started to treat you as though you were defective."
- yes please always give me tortured souls struggling with the lines between humanity and monster/beast like yes that's one of my top story aesthetics in any genre
- and yeah okay the romance was a bit instantaneous and cliche but darn it I still loved it all right
"I can’t make you a respectable offer of marriage, Elizabeth, and so this can go no further. But if I could . . . and if you weren’t under the influence of an opiate . . . I would kiss you from the top of your head to the soles of your feet."
- the first half of the book was developed pretty well!! Things were well-paced, the mystery was growing nicely, and I was super excited to see how things ended
- the writing wasn't terrible and while it didn't stand out it also didn't stand out . . . you know what I mean. It wasn't abnormally poetic or magnificent, but it wasn't awful and thus did the job of telling the story nicely as far as the writing style went
"That’s the thing about getting older. You think you have all the time in the world, and then one day you look up and you don’t have any more time at all."
- I am squeamish about irl medical stuff and even visual but I like it in my books for some reason
- Lizzy's roommate was an underutilized character and there needed to be more of her
- hello Jack we needed to know more about you
- the friendship trio of Lizzy, Will, and Byram was gold and there was not enough of it
"Will went along with Byram because he loved his friend, and in the end, love was the reason why all sensible people did reckless things."
(not gonna lie I kinda low-key ship Will and Byram okay)
- I also loved the professor's daughter!!
- definitely needed know more about her, especially regarding that twist in the finale!!!!
D I S L I K E S:
- pretty much 90% of the plot was where the reader is expected to just accept skeletal explanations (sometimes literally ahahaha) and move on
- uh no I need more than that okay
- literally needed soooo many explanations on soooo many things!!
- aka reason #1 why this needed to be longer so development could be given on everything
- like a lot of the plot hinges on certain reveals that just don't make sense
- even the retelling aspect didn't do much to cover these flaws, unfortunately
- Lizzy honestly really wasn't a super great MC and I loved Victor's chapters more than hers
- she was just so stuck-up most of the time
- except around Victor cause obviously he had to fall in love with her so she had to be nice around him
- not as much girl power/fierce friendships as I expected and what this book needed
- there was A LOT thrown into the mix near the finale and compared to the rest of the book it really didn't make much sense
So, yes, there was a lot that needed to be explained in this book on so many levels, but honestly I really thought the writing and the skeleton of the plot was good enough to keep that annoyance to a minimum for me cause I was so caught up reading this and enjoying it. It wasn't until after I'd finished this and after I'd had time to really think on things that I noticed the flaws. Which, in my opinion, it does point a bit to the power of the storytelling in here if the first read has you so caught up you really don't notice things. A mediocre read for me is where I can't help but notice flaws while I'm reading. And at least with this I was given enjoyment in the moment of reading instead of being annoyed while reading.
March 9, 2019
Honestly this just probably wasn't the book for me. I really wanted to give this 2 stars because I have read worse but when I think of it, there just wasn't anything I liked.
Cadaver & Queen begins with Elizabeth Lavenza and her first day being enrolled at Ingold medical school. She knew it wouldn't be an easy time as the only woman, but she'll stop at nothing to prove she belongs there. At Ingold, cadavers are turned part mechanical and reanimated to service the school and soon Lizzie stumbles across one that appears to be faulty. Only Victor is more than Bio-mechanical and appears to be self-aware, and not just a mindless obedient machine. When Lizzie finds out that Victor is an ex-student who died under mysterious circumstances, she dives into the mystery and comes across tons of secrets at her school.
The thing is, I don't really care that much about gothic horrors or even the story of Frankenstein, and I don't think I like historical fiction that much anymore either. So take my opinion as it is, and how I should have just skipped this one.
The rest of the story and the characters didn't help me find some newfound love for the genre either. I actually hated Lizzie SO much. So no other women are allowed to train to be doctors at this school, and all of the other women train as nurses. Instead of Lizzie you know, befriending or even caring about them, it's all about her and how she is not like the other girls. Literally. The only reason Lizzie is allowed to be there is because her father was some important scientist (all the info we get on her family). She constantly looks down on the women training to be nurses and really does think she is better, and smarter than them ignoring that no one else was given the same privilege she was. No, instead she blames them for wanting to be nurses and looks down at the very job. There is a bit where she is just rude as hell to her roommate (for no actual reason, it was wild) and goes on and on about how useless they are. Of course she later learns how huh, nurses are important to the team but a little too late for that. Her half-assed friendship with her roommate was also so fake.
It seemed like all the friendships in here were just bland. She instantly ends up making two friends and I don't think I could ever tell them apart. They were just there to make comments about Lizzie being so much smarter than everyone else. Because of the time period, half of the comments toward Lizzie from everyone else were of the nature of: "You're a woman, you can't do that!" (which makes no sense coming from the teachers when they let her into the school in the first place) and Lizzie going: "Rude sir, I can too!" I know, I know, historical fiction but come on.
Oh god. The romance? No, stop. It was so rushed and honestly just kind of creepy. All it takes is one look and they are in love? Wait, Lizzie what about your studi- oh nevermind who cares. Her entire personality was how focused she was on her studies but cute monster boy now so whatever.
There is a mystery in this book and a couple of other side plots and they were either thrown out with one line or just not dealt with at all. Seriously, some dude in the way just randomly dies with one line and I was confused for 10 minutes. I would say it sets up nicely for a sequel but it just felt like the story was cut in half.
Maybe I just read through this too fast but this book just felt overall way too rushed, and way too short. (Not like I wanted to read any more of this though.)
Cadaver & Queen begins with Elizabeth Lavenza and her first day being enrolled at Ingold medical school. She knew it wouldn't be an easy time as the only woman, but she'll stop at nothing to prove she belongs there. At Ingold, cadavers are turned part mechanical and reanimated to service the school and soon Lizzie stumbles across one that appears to be faulty. Only Victor is more than Bio-mechanical and appears to be self-aware, and not just a mindless obedient machine. When Lizzie finds out that Victor is an ex-student who died under mysterious circumstances, she dives into the mystery and comes across tons of secrets at her school.
The thing is, I don't really care that much about gothic horrors or even the story of Frankenstein, and I don't think I like historical fiction that much anymore either. So take my opinion as it is, and how I should have just skipped this one.
The rest of the story and the characters didn't help me find some newfound love for the genre either. I actually hated Lizzie SO much. So no other women are allowed to train to be doctors at this school, and all of the other women train as nurses. Instead of Lizzie you know, befriending or even caring about them, it's all about her and how she is not like the other girls. Literally. The only reason Lizzie is allowed to be there is because her father was some important scientist (all the info we get on her family). She constantly looks down on the women training to be nurses and really does think she is better, and smarter than them ignoring that no one else was given the same privilege she was. No, instead she blames them for wanting to be nurses and looks down at the very job. There is a bit where she is just rude as hell to her roommate (for no actual reason, it was wild) and goes on and on about how useless they are. Of course she later learns how huh, nurses are important to the team but a little too late for that. Her half-assed friendship with her roommate was also so fake.
It seemed like all the friendships in here were just bland. She instantly ends up making two friends and I don't think I could ever tell them apart. They were just there to make comments about Lizzie being so much smarter than everyone else. Because of the time period, half of the comments toward Lizzie from everyone else were of the nature of: "You're a woman, you can't do that!" (which makes no sense coming from the teachers when they let her into the school in the first place) and Lizzie going: "Rude sir, I can too!" I know, I know, historical fiction but come on.
Oh god. The romance? No, stop. It was so rushed and honestly just kind of creepy. All it takes is one look and they are in love? Wait, Lizzie what about your studi- oh nevermind who cares. Her entire personality was how focused she was on her studies but cute monster boy now so whatever.
There is a mystery in this book and a couple of other side plots and they were either thrown out with one line or just not dealt with at all. Seriously, some dude in the way just randomly dies with one line and I was confused for 10 minutes. I would say it sets up nicely for a sequel but it just felt like the story was cut in half.
Maybe I just read through this too fast but this book just felt overall way too rushed, and way too short. (Not like I wanted to read any more of this though.)
July 9, 2019
Anno 1903, ambientazioni gotiche, paranormal, un mistero da svelare e un pizzico di romance leggermente sofferto che condisce il tutto...
Ecco perchè, secondo me, Regina di ossa ha tutto quello che si può desiderare da un fantasy leggero che si fa leggere in poche ore.
La storia si svolge a Ingold, accademia di medicina all'avanguardia dove i cadaveri vengono rianimati e "riparati" se danneggiati per poter svolgere lavori umili o essere potenziali soldati. I biomeccanici, questo è il loro nome, non hanno coscienza, intelligenza o sentimenti... tranne uno, Victor, ex studente di medicina ucciso in condizioni poco chiare.
E sarà proprio con lui che la protagonista Elizabeth si rapporterà, tentando di svelare il mistero che avvolge l'accademia e di rivelare com'è davvero morto Victor.
Ho adorato tutto di Regina di ossa, che ritengo essere un fantasy perfetto, leggero, che stuzzica la curiosità del lettore anche grazie al suo essere una riscrittura della storia di Frankenstein, ribaltandone però i tropi principali.
Il mistero è ben congegnato e, sebbene non sia difficile risolverlo, ho trovato comunque interessante leggere dei progressi dei personaggi e delle loro intuizioni ed investigazioni.
Non manca neanche una leggera suspance, principalmente dovuta all'ambientazione ma anche all'aura di stranezza e paranormale che aleggia intorno ai protagonisti, Victor in particolare, che fra l'altro è il mio personaggio preferito della storia sia a causa delle riflessioni che provoca (cosa ci rende umani? cos'è che determina ciò che siamo?) sia per la scelta del suo assemblaggio.
Ben pensata anche la parentesi femminista, portata avanti da Lizzie e dalla sua determinazione di essere medico in un mondo di uomini in cui le donne erano solo infermiere o madri.
I protagonisti sono ben caratterizzati, hanno difetti ma anche qualità, e non manca neanche l'umorismo e l'ironia pungente che rende il tutto più completo.
Il lettore si ritrova dalla parte del mostro, del diverso e dello sconosciuto, ma non lo percepisce mai come tale anzi, parteggia per esso (Victor, Lizzie, Byram, Will... ognuno di loro ed altri) e per le ingiustizie subite.
Il tutto è contornato da uno stile leggero e scorrevole che permette di leggere facilmente Regina di Ossa.
Ecco perchè, secondo me, Regina di ossa ha tutto quello che si può desiderare da un fantasy leggero che si fa leggere in poche ore.
La storia si svolge a Ingold, accademia di medicina all'avanguardia dove i cadaveri vengono rianimati e "riparati" se danneggiati per poter svolgere lavori umili o essere potenziali soldati. I biomeccanici, questo è il loro nome, non hanno coscienza, intelligenza o sentimenti... tranne uno, Victor, ex studente di medicina ucciso in condizioni poco chiare.
E sarà proprio con lui che la protagonista Elizabeth si rapporterà, tentando di svelare il mistero che avvolge l'accademia e di rivelare com'è davvero morto Victor.
Ho adorato tutto di Regina di ossa, che ritengo essere un fantasy perfetto, leggero, che stuzzica la curiosità del lettore anche grazie al suo essere una riscrittura della storia di Frankenstein, ribaltandone però i tropi principali.
Il mistero è ben congegnato e, sebbene non sia difficile risolverlo, ho trovato comunque interessante leggere dei progressi dei personaggi e delle loro intuizioni ed investigazioni.
Non manca neanche una leggera suspance, principalmente dovuta all'ambientazione ma anche all'aura di stranezza e paranormale che aleggia intorno ai protagonisti, Victor in particolare, che fra l'altro è il mio personaggio preferito della storia sia a causa delle riflessioni che provoca (cosa ci rende umani? cos'è che determina ciò che siamo?) sia per la scelta del suo assemblaggio.
Ben pensata anche la parentesi femminista, portata avanti da Lizzie e dalla sua determinazione di essere medico in un mondo di uomini in cui le donne erano solo infermiere o madri.
I protagonisti sono ben caratterizzati, hanno difetti ma anche qualità, e non manca neanche l'umorismo e l'ironia pungente che rende il tutto più completo.
Il lettore si ritrova dalla parte del mostro, del diverso e dello sconosciuto, ma non lo percepisce mai come tale anzi, parteggia per esso (Victor, Lizzie, Byram, Will... ognuno di loro ed altri) e per le ingiustizie subite.
Il tutto è contornato da uno stile leggero e scorrevole che permette di leggere facilmente Regina di Ossa.
July 26, 2018
3 stars.
Cadaver & Queen follows Elizabeth Lavenza, who has enrolled at Ingold as its first female medical student. From class demands to being an outsider among her male peers, she will have to go above and beyond to prove herself. So when she stumbles across what appears to be a faulty Bio-Mechanical—one of the mechanized cadavers created to service the school—she jumps at the chance to fix it and get ahead in the program. However, this Bio-Mechanical isn't like the rest: while all the others are usually empty-minded and perfectly obedient, this one seems to have thoughts, feelings, and self-awareness. Elizabeth soon finds out it's Victor Frankenstein—a former student who died under mysterious circumstances. Victor still has a spark of human intelligence inside him, along with memories of things he discovered before his untimely death, and a suspicion that he was murdered to keep that information from getting out. Now, Elizabeth finds herself caught up in dark secrets and sabotage that put her life, and the lives of Victor and their friends, in serious danger. But Elizabeth's determined to succeed—even if that means fighting an enemy who threatens the entire British Empire.
Well, this book was quite fun to read. A feminist, Frankenstein retelling? Sign me up. It wasn't as great as I was hoping it would be—it was a bit slow at times and, for such a short book, some parts of the story kind of dragged. That being said, I still enjoyed it. Lizzie was a great main character, and Alisa Kwitney did a great job at making her feel very real—flaws and all. I loved watching her excell in a man's world and taking no shit for being a woman in the medical field, and she's clearly very good at it.
My main complaint, besides the pacing, was that there was a lot of things left unanswered. I won't go into spoilers, but I had more questions than answers by the end of the novel, so I do hope Kwitney answers them in the companion novel (which I do plan on reading once it comes out, because this one was really interesting). Even so, it didn't bring down my enjoyment of the novel all that much—it's just a bit annoying, is all.
All in all, I would definitely recommend Cadaver & Queen. It was a lot of fun, and I'm excited to see where the author goes with the companion novel.
“It is dangerous to be right on matters in which the established authorities are wrong.”
Cadaver & Queen follows Elizabeth Lavenza, who has enrolled at Ingold as its first female medical student. From class demands to being an outsider among her male peers, she will have to go above and beyond to prove herself. So when she stumbles across what appears to be a faulty Bio-Mechanical—one of the mechanized cadavers created to service the school—she jumps at the chance to fix it and get ahead in the program. However, this Bio-Mechanical isn't like the rest: while all the others are usually empty-minded and perfectly obedient, this one seems to have thoughts, feelings, and self-awareness. Elizabeth soon finds out it's Victor Frankenstein—a former student who died under mysterious circumstances. Victor still has a spark of human intelligence inside him, along with memories of things he discovered before his untimely death, and a suspicion that he was murdered to keep that information from getting out. Now, Elizabeth finds herself caught up in dark secrets and sabotage that put her life, and the lives of Victor and their friends, in serious danger. But Elizabeth's determined to succeed—even if that means fighting an enemy who threatens the entire British Empire.
Well, this book was quite fun to read. A feminist, Frankenstein retelling? Sign me up. It wasn't as great as I was hoping it would be—it was a bit slow at times and, for such a short book, some parts of the story kind of dragged. That being said, I still enjoyed it. Lizzie was a great main character, and Alisa Kwitney did a great job at making her feel very real—flaws and all. I loved watching her excell in a man's world and taking no shit for being a woman in the medical field, and she's clearly very good at it.
My main complaint, besides the pacing, was that there was a lot of things left unanswered. I won't go into spoilers, but I had more questions than answers by the end of the novel, so I do hope Kwitney answers them in the companion novel (which I do plan on reading once it comes out, because this one was really interesting). Even so, it didn't bring down my enjoyment of the novel all that much—it's just a bit annoying, is all.
All in all, I would definitely recommend Cadaver & Queen. It was a lot of fun, and I'm excited to see where the author goes with the companion novel.
December 17, 2021
Ok, allora.
Non ci siamo.
Ci tenevo davvero che mi piacesse questo libro, a leggere la trama non vedevo l’ora di buttarmi in questo romanzo gotico.
E invece non ha funzionato affatto. A parte la difficoltà iniziale a comprendere il periodo storico, non c’è davvero nulla di ben definito.
È stata una lettura molto rapida perché effettivamente il libro è molto breve, pur avendo circa 320 pagine, sono scritte in carattere grande, con spesi margini. Per questo la quantità di eventi inseriti nella narrazione la rende una lettura rapida e frettolosa, perché non c’è praticamente mai un’approfondita analisi di ciò che succede, di ciò he i personaggi provano. Solo azioni, e anche prese molto alla leggera.
Elizabeth scopre origlia tutte le conversazioni segrete e importanti e… non fa nulla. Si scopre della regina, e tutti la prendono molto alla leggera. Victor scopre di essere stato assassinato dal suo amico, e chissenefrega.
Boh. Un tentativo di inserire un intrigo (che sarebbe stato super interessante) ma che ha fallito alla grande.
Trovo che sia stata trattato tutto con troppa leggerezza, la relazione principale è poco interessante e non c’è questa grande emozione. Per lo più i due protagonisti sembrano un po’ troppo bambineschi.
In generale poco verosimile, succedono cose non poco preoccupanti e i personaggi la prendono alla leggera.
E poi ci sono cose buttate dentro a caso senza senso. Il braccio che ha dei ricordi e una personalità(?). La telepatia alla fine( wtf?). Per non parlare delle non curante finali; l’infermiera che non riesco a fermare il sangue e non pensa di cercare la ferita finché non le viene chiesto da dove sta sanguinando(???).
Alla fine trovo che le idee erano buone, ottime anzi, solo eseguite in modo proprio sbagliato.
Non ci siamo.
Ci tenevo davvero che mi piacesse questo libro, a leggere la trama non vedevo l’ora di buttarmi in questo romanzo gotico.
E invece non ha funzionato affatto. A parte la difficoltà iniziale a comprendere il periodo storico, non c’è davvero nulla di ben definito.
È stata una lettura molto rapida perché effettivamente il libro è molto breve, pur avendo circa 320 pagine, sono scritte in carattere grande, con spesi margini. Per questo la quantità di eventi inseriti nella narrazione la rende una lettura rapida e frettolosa, perché non c’è praticamente mai un’approfondita analisi di ciò che succede, di ciò he i personaggi provano. Solo azioni, e anche prese molto alla leggera.
Elizabeth scopre origlia tutte le conversazioni segrete e importanti e… non fa nulla. Si scopre della regina, e tutti la prendono molto alla leggera. Victor scopre di essere stato assassinato dal suo amico, e chissenefrega.
Boh. Un tentativo di inserire un intrigo (che sarebbe stato super interessante) ma che ha fallito alla grande.
Trovo che sia stata trattato tutto con troppa leggerezza, la relazione principale è poco interessante e non c’è questa grande emozione. Per lo più i due protagonisti sembrano un po’ troppo bambineschi.
In generale poco verosimile, succedono cose non poco preoccupanti e i personaggi la prendono alla leggera.
E poi ci sono cose buttate dentro a caso senza senso. Il braccio che ha dei ricordi e una personalità(?). La telepatia alla fine( wtf?). Per non parlare delle non curante finali; l’infermiera che non riesco a fermare il sangue e non pensa di cercare la ferita finché non le viene chiesto da dove sta sanguinando(???).
Alla fine trovo che le idee erano buone, ottime anzi, solo eseguite in modo proprio sbagliato.
June 21, 2018
I have no idea why this book has not gotten the hype that it should! I had not even heard of Cadaver & Queen until I was rummaging at the library and I stumbled across the book, with it's eye catching cover and intriguing synopsis. This was a Frankenstein retelling with steampunk elements, a strong female main character, and the best kind of romance!
I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was great, giving personality and voice to each character, and between the narrator and the written words I felt like I was watching the book unfold instead of just listening.
I loved everything about the book and really, really hope there will be more. Keep in mind that this could be a standalone since it was wrapped up nicely, but I would love more. I will keep my eyes peeled for more by Alisa.
I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was great, giving personality and voice to each character, and between the narrator and the written words I felt like I was watching the book unfold instead of just listening.
I loved everything about the book and really, really hope there will be more. Keep in mind that this could be a standalone since it was wrapped up nicely, but I would love more. I will keep my eyes peeled for more by Alisa.
July 11, 2019
4.5 - Voto
.
Maljka - per RFS
.
Certo che era davvero dura essere donne e desiderare di essere emancipate nell’epoca vittoriana!!
La signorina Elisabeth Lavenza ne sa qualcosa. Arrivata da New York a Ingold, nello Yorkshire, le sembra di vivere un incubo. Nessuna donna prima d’ora aveva mai avuto la malaugurata idea di studiare medicina, tutte le donne presenti nella scuola studiavano da infermiere, ma lei no. Era sempre stata un bastian contrario, e questo non le aveva mai reso la vita facile.
Elisabeth, per tutti Lizzie, fa davvero fatica ad inserirsi, sia a causa dei docenti, sia degli altri studenti, che ogni giorno le mettono i bastoni tra le ruote, ma ha una grandissima dote a suo favore: la caparbietà.
L’università di Ingold è un centro di eccellenza negli studi sulla biomeccanica, studi a cui l’aveva già iniziata suo padre, e da cui ha preso spunto per costruire un pezzo davvero unico nella storia della medicina.
Purtroppo però c’è uno scopo dietro agli studi di biomeccanica: riportare in vita con l’elettricità i cadaveri di giovani uomini, per trasformarli in automi obbedienti e senza paura, da spedire in guerra.
Per chi utilizza queste tecniche le persone sono solo pezzi di ricambio e nulla più.
L’incipit della storia è quello che mi ha portato a divorare letteralmente le pagine seguenti. Ci troviamo in un’aula di medicina, con un corpo cosciente su un tavolo chirurgico ma nessuno si accorge di nulla. Chi è questa persona? Perché stanno per operare su una persona viva?
Questa creatura biomeccanica in realtà, sembra aver conservato ricordi, sentimenti… e una coscienza.
Lizzie scopre che si tratta di Victor Frankenstein, brillante studente di Ingold deceduto in circostanze misteriose, e ne è pericolosamente attratta. Ci sarà una bellissima e intrigante storia d’amore, che coinvolgerà tutte noi romantiche, a cui verranno sicuramente batticuori e occhi a cuoricino.
Lei, decisa ad aiutarlo e scoprire cosa gli è accaduto, si ritrova invischiata in una rete di segreti, intrighi e oscuri esperimenti che paiono coinvolgere addirittura la regina Vittoria e la scuola stessa.
È un romanzo ricco di suspance, amore, sentimenti e doppie personalità. A me sembrava un incrocio tra il favoloso e classico Frankenstein ma in versione femminile, e “Dottor Jakill e mr Hide”. Ho amato passeggiare per quelle corsie vittoriane, mi è piaciuto un po’ meno essere una donna di quell’epoca ma la caratterizzazione dei personaggi è fenomenale, in particolar modo quella di Lizzie, di Victor e del prof Makepiece.
Leggetelo, perché quest’autrice merita davvero e finalmente non è “il solito” fantasy con vampiri, licantropi e affini! Credo anche che, in quest’ultimo anno Frankenstein voglia dirmi qualcosa dall’oltretomba (se possibile dato che è un redivivo): è già la seconda rivisitazione che leggo di questo romanzo!
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Maljka - per RFS
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Certo che era davvero dura essere donne e desiderare di essere emancipate nell’epoca vittoriana!!
La signorina Elisabeth Lavenza ne sa qualcosa. Arrivata da New York a Ingold, nello Yorkshire, le sembra di vivere un incubo. Nessuna donna prima d’ora aveva mai avuto la malaugurata idea di studiare medicina, tutte le donne presenti nella scuola studiavano da infermiere, ma lei no. Era sempre stata un bastian contrario, e questo non le aveva mai reso la vita facile.
Elisabeth, per tutti Lizzie, fa davvero fatica ad inserirsi, sia a causa dei docenti, sia degli altri studenti, che ogni giorno le mettono i bastoni tra le ruote, ma ha una grandissima dote a suo favore: la caparbietà.
L’università di Ingold è un centro di eccellenza negli studi sulla biomeccanica, studi a cui l’aveva già iniziata suo padre, e da cui ha preso spunto per costruire un pezzo davvero unico nella storia della medicina.
Purtroppo però c’è uno scopo dietro agli studi di biomeccanica: riportare in vita con l’elettricità i cadaveri di giovani uomini, per trasformarli in automi obbedienti e senza paura, da spedire in guerra.
Per chi utilizza queste tecniche le persone sono solo pezzi di ricambio e nulla più.
L’incipit della storia è quello che mi ha portato a divorare letteralmente le pagine seguenti. Ci troviamo in un’aula di medicina, con un corpo cosciente su un tavolo chirurgico ma nessuno si accorge di nulla. Chi è questa persona? Perché stanno per operare su una persona viva?
Questa creatura biomeccanica in realtà, sembra aver conservato ricordi, sentimenti… e una coscienza.
Lizzie scopre che si tratta di Victor Frankenstein, brillante studente di Ingold deceduto in circostanze misteriose, e ne è pericolosamente attratta. Ci sarà una bellissima e intrigante storia d’amore, che coinvolgerà tutte noi romantiche, a cui verranno sicuramente batticuori e occhi a cuoricino.
Lei, decisa ad aiutarlo e scoprire cosa gli è accaduto, si ritrova invischiata in una rete di segreti, intrighi e oscuri esperimenti che paiono coinvolgere addirittura la regina Vittoria e la scuola stessa.
È un romanzo ricco di suspance, amore, sentimenti e doppie personalità. A me sembrava un incrocio tra il favoloso e classico Frankenstein ma in versione femminile, e “Dottor Jakill e mr Hide”. Ho amato passeggiare per quelle corsie vittoriane, mi è piaciuto un po’ meno essere una donna di quell’epoca ma la caratterizzazione dei personaggi è fenomenale, in particolar modo quella di Lizzie, di Victor e del prof Makepiece.
Leggetelo, perché quest’autrice merita davvero e finalmente non è “il solito” fantasy con vampiri, licantropi e affini! Credo anche che, in quest’ultimo anno Frankenstein voglia dirmi qualcosa dall’oltretomba (se possibile dato che è un redivivo): è già la seconda rivisitazione che leggo di questo romanzo!
February 29, 2024
Atmosfere uggiose Inglesi, c@daveri, medicina e misteri.
La protagonista della storia è Elizabeth, newyorkese sbarcata in Inghilterra per frequentare una prestigiosa scuola di medicina. Orfana di madre da quando era piccolina , è cresciuta a pane e medicina nel laboratorio del padre.
Da subito dopo il suo arrivo ad Ingold, le è chiaro che non sarà facile, tra insegnanti che la ignorano, studenti che la guardano male e compagne di stanza diffidenti.
Ma Lizzie non molla e si impegnerà nel dimostrare quanto vale.
Will e Byram, due studenti come lei, le saranno di grande appoggio.
Tra lezioni di medicina, anatomia e turni in ospedale, Lizzie incontra Victor.. un biomeccanico, un c@davere riportato in vita. Ma lui non è come gli altri, non spazza i pavimenti o si aggira per i corridoi ciondolando. No in lui c'è qualcosa di diverso.
Un olone di mistero aleggia fra le aule di Ingold e pare che la regina ne sia invischiata, insieme Victor e Lizzie cercheranno di capirne di più.
Questo libro è una piccola perla, una storia ben costruita e intrigante. Le ambientazioni ottocentesche, le trame all'interno della scuola...catturano l'attenzione del lettore fin dal prologo.
Il romance non è un punto centrale della storia ma che nella parti un cui è presente è davvero ben scritto. Lizzie e Victor non sono sdolcinati e stucchevoli ma sanno come farti affezionare a loro.
Super apprezzata la parte scientifica e di mistero presente nella storia.
La protagonista della storia è Elizabeth, newyorkese sbarcata in Inghilterra per frequentare una prestigiosa scuola di medicina. Orfana di madre da quando era piccolina , è cresciuta a pane e medicina nel laboratorio del padre.
Da subito dopo il suo arrivo ad Ingold, le è chiaro che non sarà facile, tra insegnanti che la ignorano, studenti che la guardano male e compagne di stanza diffidenti.
Ma Lizzie non molla e si impegnerà nel dimostrare quanto vale.
Will e Byram, due studenti come lei, le saranno di grande appoggio.
Tra lezioni di medicina, anatomia e turni in ospedale, Lizzie incontra Victor.. un biomeccanico, un c@davere riportato in vita. Ma lui non è come gli altri, non spazza i pavimenti o si aggira per i corridoi ciondolando. No in lui c'è qualcosa di diverso.
Un olone di mistero aleggia fra le aule di Ingold e pare che la regina ne sia invischiata, insieme Victor e Lizzie cercheranno di capirne di più.
Questo libro è una piccola perla, una storia ben costruita e intrigante. Le ambientazioni ottocentesche, le trame all'interno della scuola...catturano l'attenzione del lettore fin dal prologo.
Il romance non è un punto centrale della storia ma che nella parti un cui è presente è davvero ben scritto. Lizzie e Victor non sono sdolcinati e stucchevoli ma sanno come farti affezionare a loro.
Super apprezzata la parte scientifica e di mistero presente nella storia.
April 7, 2018
Listen I could literally sit around and read Frankenstein retellings all day every day. I'm not exactly sure why because the original novel is really very so-so for me, but I just love all the retellings so much! And somehow they still all manage to be different enough to be interesting. This one features all the familiar faces [plus a guy with a club foot named 'Byram', one guess who he's supposed to be lol] and is set in a steampunk-ish world where the process of bringing bodies back to life is a well-known thing and not something Victor managed on his own.
I guess some people will think that is too much of a deviation but personally I liked the transformation of Victor from creator to creature just because it's something different than what we are used to and made for a good story in my opinion. I will admit that it's kind of weird to have Victor not be his dramatic mopey bastard self all the time but there's still enough of him in there to recognize I think. I even liked the typical YA romance that would usually drive me up the wall. Incredible ;)
I guess some people will think that is too much of a deviation but personally I liked the transformation of Victor from creator to creature just because it's something different than what we are used to and made for a good story in my opinion. I will admit that it's kind of weird to have Victor not be his dramatic mopey bastard self all the time but there's still enough of him in there to recognize I think. I even liked the typical YA romance that would usually drive me up the wall. Incredible ;)
February 28, 2018
Cadaver & Queen is the story of Lizzie and Victor while they are attending medical school in Britain. Lizzie is the first females to be allowed to study medicine at Ingold while Victor was a previous student but met with some not so great circumstances but they somehow meet during this book and a huge ordeal takes place.
Lizzie is our main character. We start the book out on her first day at Ingold, a medical school in Britain. She is the first female student they have allowed to attend actual medical school there. She receives a lot of hate and anger from the male students AND teachers who don't think she should be there. She does end up making 2 really good friends and one of those friends happens to be the brother of Victor Frankenstein.
Victor was a student at Ingold. He was the brightest and most focused student in his class. Then he ends up dead. Everyone thinks it was just a medical emergency that killed Victor. Then Lizzie starts working with one of the professors and she meets Victor. Only she doesn't know who he really is. Victor was killed to keep a secret. A secret that involves the queen and some very questionable medical advances. But if Victor was killed, how is he still 'alive'?
Now... Ingold isn't your average medical school. In this world automatons are invented. They were invented as a way to build a better army but some people have been using them for other purposes. Ingold happens to be one of those places. But what kind of purposes? I guess you will just have to read this awesome book to find out!
The plot of the story is pretty straightforward but also has some twists and turns. I didn't know who I could trust at all in this book. It seemed like everyone had their own agenda and those agendas weren't exactly wholesome. I just really enjoyed the medical and romance aspects of this book. I didn't think I would enjoy a romance like the one in this book but I found myself rooting for them both so much!
In the end, I was extremely satisfied with this book. If you loved the Stalking Jack the Ripper books and are looking for something to help tide you over then I HIGHLY suggest checking this book out. If you like YA in general then I suggest this book. I never used to like historical fiction but books like this definitely have changed my mind. I cannot wait for the next book in the series, I hear its about another character from the book but we still get to see Lizzie and Victor!
Overall, I gave the book 4.5/5 stars.
Lizzie is our main character. We start the book out on her first day at Ingold, a medical school in Britain. She is the first female student they have allowed to attend actual medical school there. She receives a lot of hate and anger from the male students AND teachers who don't think she should be there. She does end up making 2 really good friends and one of those friends happens to be the brother of Victor Frankenstein.
Victor was a student at Ingold. He was the brightest and most focused student in his class. Then he ends up dead. Everyone thinks it was just a medical emergency that killed Victor. Then Lizzie starts working with one of the professors and she meets Victor. Only she doesn't know who he really is. Victor was killed to keep a secret. A secret that involves the queen and some very questionable medical advances. But if Victor was killed, how is he still 'alive'?
Now... Ingold isn't your average medical school. In this world automatons are invented. They were invented as a way to build a better army but some people have been using them for other purposes. Ingold happens to be one of those places. But what kind of purposes? I guess you will just have to read this awesome book to find out!
The plot of the story is pretty straightforward but also has some twists and turns. I didn't know who I could trust at all in this book. It seemed like everyone had their own agenda and those agendas weren't exactly wholesome. I just really enjoyed the medical and romance aspects of this book. I didn't think I would enjoy a romance like the one in this book but I found myself rooting for them both so much!
In the end, I was extremely satisfied with this book. If you loved the Stalking Jack the Ripper books and are looking for something to help tide you over then I HIGHLY suggest checking this book out. If you like YA in general then I suggest this book. I never used to like historical fiction but books like this definitely have changed my mind. I cannot wait for the next book in the series, I hear its about another character from the book but we still get to see Lizzie and Victor!
Overall, I gave the book 4.5/5 stars.
June 5, 2020
This is a fluffy YA "shout-out" to Frankenstein. It's published by Teen Harlequin, so you're not going to get away from the romance! It's pretty fun, but definitely light reading. It kind of falls apart at the end.
**SPOILER**
One character (a nursing student) exclaims that she can't stop the bleeding on a wounded character. When Elizabeth asks her where the bleeding is coming from, the nursing student doesn't know and decides to raise the victim's skirt to see a gash on her calf. Okay, what I want to know is--if you don't know where the bleeding is coming from, what exactly were you doing to try to stop it? Just applying pressure to various parts of her body, hoping you'd hit the right one by chance? And it really took someone asking you to locate the bleeding before you thought of looking under her skirts (from where, I'm assuming, the blood was issuing)? Then, at the very end, Victor's parents (having been informed, a year previously, that he was dead and had already held his funeral) are told by the school, "Oops, he's not dead! He's just been in a coma--for a year. Our bad!" Seriously?!? We told you he was dead and didn't think to tell you he wasn't while you planned and held his funeral--or any time after. This is just sloppy writing, even for YA.
**SPOILER**
One character (a nursing student) exclaims that she can't stop the bleeding on a wounded character. When Elizabeth asks her where the bleeding is coming from, the nursing student doesn't know and decides to raise the victim's skirt to see a gash on her calf. Okay, what I want to know is--if you don't know where the bleeding is coming from, what exactly were you doing to try to stop it? Just applying pressure to various parts of her body, hoping you'd hit the right one by chance? And it really took someone asking you to locate the bleeding before you thought of looking under her skirts (from where, I'm assuming, the blood was issuing)? Then, at the very end, Victor's parents (having been informed, a year previously, that he was dead and had already held his funeral) are told by the school, "Oops, he's not dead! He's just been in a coma--for a year. Our bad!" Seriously?!? We told you he was dead and didn't think to tell you he wasn't while you planned and held his funeral--or any time after. This is just sloppy writing, even for YA.
July 8, 2019
Amanti del gotico, del mito di Frankenstein e di fantasy sci-fi storici con protagoniste femminili audaci venite a me, perché sto per parlarvi del retelling del più famoso romanzo di Mary Shelley in chiave tutta femminile! Regina di Ossa è davvero un romanzo brillante, avventuroso, ricco di intrighi e di un'avvolgente storia d'amore molto speciale che va al di là delle barriere morali. Un connubio di passione per la conoscenza e passione per la vita in cui se non hai il coraggio di osare, allora non è davvero vita. Alisa Kwitney ci porta ad esplorare il percorso di una giovane donna come Elizabeth che rappresenta un modello femminile molto positivo per le nuove generazioni che non ho potuto fare altro che apprezzare.
Per la recensione completa seguiteci qui:
http://tuttacolpadeilibri.blogspot.co...
Per la recensione completa seguiteci qui:
http://tuttacolpadeilibri.blogspot.co...
August 3, 2020
Non so se si possa definire un vero e proprio retelling, visto che della storia originale non è che sia rimasto poi molto, a parte i nomi dei personaggi, però questo libro mi è piaciuto molto.
L'atmosfera da romanzo gotico si percepisce fin da subito, e mi ha conquistata.
Certo, probabilmente ci sono aspetti che a più di una persona potrebbero far storcere il naso, ma non per questo penso di dovermi vergognare per non essere riuscita a staccarmi dal mio ebook finché non sono arrivata alla fine (per fortuna oggi avevo il giorno libero!).
E poi sono stata bravissima: sono riuscita a non leggere l'ultima pagina prima di esserci arrivata!
L'atmosfera da romanzo gotico si percepisce fin da subito, e mi ha conquistata.
Certo, probabilmente ci sono aspetti che a più di una persona potrebbero far storcere il naso, ma non per questo penso di dovermi vergognare per non essere riuscita a staccarmi dal mio ebook finché non sono arrivata alla fine (per fortuna oggi avevo il giorno libero!).
E poi sono stata bravissima: sono riuscita a non leggere l'ultima pagina prima di esserci arrivata!
July 15, 2019
Questo libro è stato davvero una piacevole scoperta. Non pensavo che potesse piacermi così tanto, ma si è rivelato uno di quei libri a cui continuavo a pensare anche mentre non stavo leggendo. Non è certamente un capolavoro, ma è una lettura leggera che consiglio a tutti soprattutto come lettura estiva.
Il finale è stato un po' affrettato ma tutto sommato appropriato.
Il finale è stato un po' affrettato ma tutto sommato appropriato.
May 17, 2019
3 stars!!!
I thought that this a rather refreshing take on the story of 'Frankenstein'. It had some interesting aspects and some which didn't really do it for me. When I first started reading the book, I found it a bit hard to get into as many things were happening at once and a lot of characters were being thrown at me. But once I got the gist of it and things became familiar, I found the story quite intriguing. Let me elaborate further.
Firstly, since the story had a historical element, it wasn't hard to imagine the world our characters were actually in. It has a very Victorian feel with the descriptions of the architecture, clothing and culture. I also enjoyed how the sci-fi elements were intertwined into the story with the introduction of the Bio-mechanicals. However, the author doesn't really go into too much depths into how these beings came into place or the reason for it. The revelation comes about through mystery and intrigue. Besides, this I did enjoy the Gothic and dark atmospheric vibe that I was getting while progressing through the storyline. That made for an engaging read.
Secondly, I did enjoy the MC Elizabeth Lavenza's character. I liked the concept of a woman trying to break into a predominately male field as a doctorwould have been groundbreaking especially as the story was taking place in the Victorian era. I found her to be pretty independent, feisty and resourceful. Whenever, she was faced with obstacles, she always tried finding a solution. She didn't allow her circumstances to dictate her decisions or choices. She really pushed to make her voice heard and to follow her dreams. I found this made her extremely likeable. Victor, on the other hand, for me was just a meh character now that I think about it. Yes, he was handsome and I liked how his story progressed in the sense he goes from someone who lost everything to becoming a genuinely nice guy. From the get-go, we can gauge from other characters that he was rather arrogant but I liked how caring he was with Elizabeth.
There was some romance in the novel and it was a tad bit steamy. But, I felt that it was rushed a lot and I would have preferred a slow build. As a mousy person, I wasn't expecting Elizabeth to be falling immediately for Victor but then that's the usual YA trope of insta-love and during these instances, I felt that Elizabeth even behaved out of character and even put herself in dangerous situations. But as they say love is blind. So yeah, I wasn't a huge fan of the romance. I prefer swoon-worthy moments. I didn't get too much feels over here. Moreover, I felt like the minor characters weren't really fleshed out well. We don't really know their backstories as not much time is given to them. They are placed in the novel to further the character arc of the MCs. That being said I liked the sinister plot line with the Bio-mechanicals and the overarching storyline for some characters over there as it added some interest to the plot line.
Overall, I found the book to be pretty average. There was something missing that could have elevated this story to the next level. The pacing was alright and I read through the book fairly quickly. The writing was consistent but not as descriptive. It was more based on dialogue and interactions. There were some revelations that were shocking and the plot devices kept the story going even if they felt rushed towards the end. The storyline does contain elements of mystery, deception, political intrigue and sci-fi elements but I would have liked to have seen more complexity to it. Everything felt too overly simplified and that didn't add to any richness to the plot. I do look forward to reading the second novel as I hope to see more development in the characters, but I would only recommend reading this one if you are looking to pass your time. There are much better YA novels out there.
I thought that this a rather refreshing take on the story of 'Frankenstein'. It had some interesting aspects and some which didn't really do it for me. When I first started reading the book, I found it a bit hard to get into as many things were happening at once and a lot of characters were being thrown at me. But once I got the gist of it and things became familiar, I found the story quite intriguing. Let me elaborate further.
Firstly, since the story had a historical element, it wasn't hard to imagine the world our characters were actually in. It has a very Victorian feel with the descriptions of the architecture, clothing and culture. I also enjoyed how the sci-fi elements were intertwined into the story with the introduction of the Bio-mechanicals. However, the author doesn't really go into too much depths into how these beings came into place or the reason for it. The revelation comes about through mystery and intrigue. Besides, this I did enjoy the Gothic and dark atmospheric vibe that I was getting while progressing through the storyline. That made for an engaging read.
Secondly, I did enjoy the MC Elizabeth Lavenza's character. I liked the concept of a woman trying to break into a predominately male field as a doctorwould have been groundbreaking especially as the story was taking place in the Victorian era. I found her to be pretty independent, feisty and resourceful. Whenever, she was faced with obstacles, she always tried finding a solution. She didn't allow her circumstances to dictate her decisions or choices. She really pushed to make her voice heard and to follow her dreams. I found this made her extremely likeable. Victor, on the other hand, for me was just a meh character now that I think about it. Yes, he was handsome and I liked how his story progressed in the sense he goes from someone who lost everything to becoming a genuinely nice guy. From the get-go, we can gauge from other characters that he was rather arrogant but I liked how caring he was with Elizabeth.
There was some romance in the novel and it was a tad bit steamy. But, I felt that it was rushed a lot and I would have preferred a slow build. As a mousy person, I wasn't expecting Elizabeth to be falling immediately for Victor but then that's the usual YA trope of insta-love and during these instances, I felt that Elizabeth even behaved out of character and even put herself in dangerous situations. But as they say love is blind. So yeah, I wasn't a huge fan of the romance. I prefer swoon-worthy moments. I didn't get too much feels over here. Moreover, I felt like the minor characters weren't really fleshed out well. We don't really know their backstories as not much time is given to them. They are placed in the novel to further the character arc of the MCs. That being said I liked the sinister plot line with the Bio-mechanicals and the overarching storyline for some characters over there as it added some interest to the plot line.
Overall, I found the book to be pretty average. There was something missing that could have elevated this story to the next level. The pacing was alright and I read through the book fairly quickly. The writing was consistent but not as descriptive. It was more based on dialogue and interactions. There were some revelations that were shocking and the plot devices kept the story going even if they felt rushed towards the end. The storyline does contain elements of mystery, deception, political intrigue and sci-fi elements but I would have liked to have seen more complexity to it. Everything felt too overly simplified and that didn't add to any richness to the plot. I do look forward to reading the second novel as I hope to see more development in the characters, but I would only recommend reading this one if you are looking to pass your time. There are much better YA novels out there.
December 23, 2018
Synopsis-
When Elizabeth Lavenza enrolled at Ingold as its first female medical student, she knew she wouldn’t have an easy time. From class demands to being an outsider among her male cohorts, she’ll have to go above and beyond to prove herself. So when she stumbles across what appears to be a faulty Bio-Mechanical - one of the mechanized cadavers created to service the school - she jumps at the chance to fix it and get ahead of the program.
Only this Bio-Mechanical isn’t like the others. Where they are usually empty-minded and perfectly obedient, this one seems to have thoughts, feelings...and self-awareness.
Soon Elizabeth realizes that it is Victor Frankenstein- a former student who died under mysterious circumstances. Victor, it seems, still has a spark of human intelligence inside him, along with memories of things he discovered before his untimely death... and a suspicion that he was murdered to keep that information from getting out.
Suddenly Elizabeth finds herself intertwined in dark secrets and sabotage that puts her life, and the lives of Victor and their friends, in danger. But Elizabeth’s determination to succeed- even if that means fighting an enemy who threatens the entire British Empire.
”That’s the thing about getting older. You think you have all the time in the world, and then one day you look up and you don’t have any more time at all.”
Makepiece said this line when he first met Lizzie and he was talking to her about her father who was his partner and friend. I think this is true. You think you have an unlimited amount of hours to do all the things you wanted to do. But in then one day you notice that you’re old and gray and that time is up and you didn’t have time to complete what you wanted to.
“However, given the delicate nature of one of those present, this element of the course will be restricted to include gentlemen only.”
In my personal opinion, Grimbald can eat shit. You can definitely tell that this book was based on an earlier time period where women were considered unfit to participate in many things that men could. It’s seriously unfair. I feel for Lizzie.
“It’s easy to think well of yourself when the world keeps telling you how wonderful you are. You don’t know what you might become if everyone started to treat you as though you were defective.”
This has to be my favourite quote in this book. The Bio-Mechanicals are seen as defective and are treated differently as mindless half human half robotic creatures. But they were once human and therefore ‘a wonderful creation.’
“It is dangerous to be right on matters in which the established authorities are wrong.”
When some serious stuff went down around the middle and near the end of the book you could definitely see that the students learned to not go against their professors.
“Will went along with Byram because he loved his friend, and in the end, love was the reason why all sensible people did reckless things.”
Love is a key emotion in this book as well as admiration.
Love for your friends took shape when Lizzie, Will and Byram became friends. When Makepiece took Lizzie under his wing. She admired her professor. Aggie with her people. With Igor and Justine. When Lizzie met Victor.
They did reckless things indeed, for love.
“‘Le mieux est l��ennemi du bien.’ That is to say, ‘Do not let the perfect be the enemy of the good.’”
This book was honestly phenomenal. An amazing Frankenstein retelling!
5/5 Stars!
When Elizabeth Lavenza enrolled at Ingold as its first female medical student, she knew she wouldn’t have an easy time. From class demands to being an outsider among her male cohorts, she’ll have to go above and beyond to prove herself. So when she stumbles across what appears to be a faulty Bio-Mechanical - one of the mechanized cadavers created to service the school - she jumps at the chance to fix it and get ahead of the program.
Only this Bio-Mechanical isn’t like the others. Where they are usually empty-minded and perfectly obedient, this one seems to have thoughts, feelings...and self-awareness.
Soon Elizabeth realizes that it is Victor Frankenstein- a former student who died under mysterious circumstances. Victor, it seems, still has a spark of human intelligence inside him, along with memories of things he discovered before his untimely death... and a suspicion that he was murdered to keep that information from getting out.
Suddenly Elizabeth finds herself intertwined in dark secrets and sabotage that puts her life, and the lives of Victor and their friends, in danger. But Elizabeth’s determination to succeed- even if that means fighting an enemy who threatens the entire British Empire.
”That’s the thing about getting older. You think you have all the time in the world, and then one day you look up and you don’t have any more time at all.”
Makepiece said this line when he first met Lizzie and he was talking to her about her father who was his partner and friend. I think this is true. You think you have an unlimited amount of hours to do all the things you wanted to do. But in then one day you notice that you’re old and gray and that time is up and you didn’t have time to complete what you wanted to.
“However, given the delicate nature of one of those present, this element of the course will be restricted to include gentlemen only.”
In my personal opinion, Grimbald can eat shit. You can definitely tell that this book was based on an earlier time period where women were considered unfit to participate in many things that men could. It’s seriously unfair. I feel for Lizzie.
“It’s easy to think well of yourself when the world keeps telling you how wonderful you are. You don’t know what you might become if everyone started to treat you as though you were defective.”
This has to be my favourite quote in this book. The Bio-Mechanicals are seen as defective and are treated differently as mindless half human half robotic creatures. But they were once human and therefore ‘a wonderful creation.’
“It is dangerous to be right on matters in which the established authorities are wrong.”
When some serious stuff went down around the middle and near the end of the book you could definitely see that the students learned to not go against their professors.
“Will went along with Byram because he loved his friend, and in the end, love was the reason why all sensible people did reckless things.”
Love is a key emotion in this book as well as admiration.
Love for your friends took shape when Lizzie, Will and Byram became friends. When Makepiece took Lizzie under his wing. She admired her professor. Aggie with her people. With Igor and Justine. When Lizzie met Victor.
They did reckless things indeed, for love.
“‘Le mieux est l��ennemi du bien.’ That is to say, ‘Do not let the perfect be the enemy of the good.’”
This book was honestly phenomenal. An amazing Frankenstein retelling!
5/5 Stars!
September 25, 2017
I won this uncorrected proof from a Goodreads giveaway. Thank you for allowing me the chance to read this book prior to its release!
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Lavenza is the first female medical student at Ingold, a school in 1800's England. While she struggles to fit in and work around the sexism of a male-dominated school setting, there is a worldwide movement to create a whole army of Bio-Mechanicals. Their purpose is to serve as a soldier in the wars the countries keep waging against each other - thus drastically reducing the number of human casualties. They are portrayed to be dumb, simple creatures.
However, she meets a former student named Victor Frankenstein (I got a chuckle out of the name), who was purportedly murdered by the head professors at Ingold for discovering a dangerous secret that could threaten the stability of the British Empire.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was a very easy, but engrossing read. The blossoming romance between Lizzie and Victor was no secret from the very beginning, but the author does a good job at drawing out the interactions between the two of them, so they are not thrust into any sort of romantic encounter too soon. Each character is individually different, although there are a few stereotypical cliches attached to each one (i.e. the very wealthy, and very snobby British boy who despises Lizzie on contact, and tries to make her life miserable). The latter half of the book held some subtle plot twists that (in retrospect) I could see coming, but I didn't notice them as I sped through it. However, just because some parts of the plot may be predictable, that doesn't stop this book from being very written and enjoyable.
The author interspersed occasional historical facts throughout the novel, which as a historical fiction fan, I appreciated. It can become so easy to let a book exist in a vacuum, rather than blended into actual history. This is the perfect young adult novel for anyone who likes history and the creativeness of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Lavenza is the first female medical student at Ingold, a school in 1800's England. While she struggles to fit in and work around the sexism of a male-dominated school setting, there is a worldwide movement to create a whole army of Bio-Mechanicals. Their purpose is to serve as a soldier in the wars the countries keep waging against each other - thus drastically reducing the number of human casualties. They are portrayed to be dumb, simple creatures.
However, she meets a former student named Victor Frankenstein (I got a chuckle out of the name), who was purportedly murdered by the head professors at Ingold for discovering a dangerous secret that could threaten the stability of the British Empire.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was a very easy, but engrossing read. The blossoming romance between Lizzie and Victor was no secret from the very beginning, but the author does a good job at drawing out the interactions between the two of them, so they are not thrust into any sort of romantic encounter too soon. Each character is individually different, although there are a few stereotypical cliches attached to each one (i.e. the very wealthy, and very snobby British boy who despises Lizzie on contact, and tries to make her life miserable). The latter half of the book held some subtle plot twists that (in retrospect) I could see coming, but I didn't notice them as I sped through it. However, just because some parts of the plot may be predictable, that doesn't stop this book from being very written and enjoyable.
The author interspersed occasional historical facts throughout the novel, which as a historical fiction fan, I appreciated. It can become so easy to let a book exist in a vacuum, rather than blended into actual history. This is the perfect young adult novel for anyone who likes history and the creativeness of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.
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