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Dean Koontz's Frankenstein #4
Dean Koontz's Frankenstein, Book Four: Lost Souls
The war against humanity has begun. In the dead hours of the night, a stranger enters the home of the mayor of Rainbow Falls, Montana. The stranger is in the vanguard of a wave of intruders who will invade other homes... offices...every local institution, assuming the identities and the lives of those they have been engineered to replace. Before the sun rises, the town will be under full assault, the opening objective in the new Victor Frankenstein's trajectory of ultimate destruction. Deucalion - Victor's first, haunted creation - saw his maker die in New Orleans two years earlier. Yet an unshakable intuition tells him that Victor lives - and is at work again. Within hours Deucalion will come together with his old allies, detectives Carson O'Connor and Michael Maddison, and Victor's engineered wife, Erika Five, and her companion Jocko to confront new peril. Others will gather around them. But this time Victor has a mysterious, powerful new backer, and he and his army are more formidable, their means and intentions infinitely more deadly, than ever before.
381 pages, Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 2010
480 people are currently reading
8157 people want to read
About the author
Dean Koontz
906 books39.6k followersAcknowledged as "America's most popular suspense novelist" (Rolling Stone) and as one of today's most celebrated and successful writers, Dean Ray Koontz has earned the devotion of millions of readers around the world and the praise of critics everywhere for tales of character, mystery, and adventure that strike to the core of what it means to be human.
Dean, the author of many #1 New York Times bestsellers, lives in Southern California with his wife, Gerda, their golden retriever, Elsa, and the enduring spirit of their goldens, Trixie and Anna.
Facebook: Facebook.com/DeanKoontzOfficial
Twitter: @DeanKoontz
Website: DeanKoontz.com
Dean, the author of many #1 New York Times bestsellers, lives in Southern California with his wife, Gerda, their golden retriever, Elsa, and the enduring spirit of their goldens, Trixie and Anna.
Facebook: Facebook.com/DeanKoontzOfficial
Twitter: @DeanKoontz
Website: DeanKoontz.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 842 reviews
May 26, 2011
The fourth book in Dean Koontz's Frankenstein, Lost Souls, was as exciting and fast-paced as book one. In this adventure, Victor Frankenstein's original creation, now known as Deucalion, once again joins the crime-fighting couple of Carson and Michael. The banter and camaraderie remains, but the couple have grown and the center of their life has changed so that their approach is revised. In addition to bringing back Erika 5 and Jocko, Mr. Koontz introduces characters that individually, are unique and quirky; and later, when circumstances throw them together in apparently disasterous combinations; these people become better, stronger and kinder. The storyline moves quickly, sets the players and the scene, then wraps up abruptly, making me regret starting this without having the 5th book ready and waiting!
November 3, 2021
3.5 Stars for Lost Souls: Dean Koontz’s Frankenstein #4 (audiobook) by Dean Koontz read by Christopher Lane.
This book had a different feel from the first three in the series. The main character has been resurrected but fundamentally different and the audiobook has a new narrator. The story moves on in kind of a new way and then ends without a conclusion. I’m kind of disappointed.
This book had a different feel from the first three in the series. The main character has been resurrected but fundamentally different and the audiobook has a new narrator. The story moves on in kind of a new way and then ends without a conclusion. I’m kind of disappointed.
July 24, 2010
I am continuing to be disappointed with Koontz's recent stuff. Not that it sucks, but it's so... pedestrian, compared with what he used to write. The Frankenstein "saga" is okay, probably better a TV mini-series than a read, but that's just my humble opinion.
This is NOT a spoiler: I truly hated the ending of this one. Why? Because there really wasn't an ending. Instead, it was more like going to a commercial break in a show, only the show never comes back on... it's just done. I know it's because there will be another installment nin 2011, but it didn't even (again, IMHO) feel like the end of a chapter, let alone the book.
I'll always hold Koontz close to my heart, but I feel he's gone "sell out" on us and is merely pumping out as many books per year as possible, not paying much attention to the finer details that used to so nicely color his writing. (His plot lines are still okay, he just doesn't flesh things out any more.)
Boy, sure feels bad saying these things... but it's how I feel! ;)
This is NOT a spoiler: I truly hated the ending of this one. Why? Because there really wasn't an ending. Instead, it was more like going to a commercial break in a show, only the show never comes back on... it's just done. I know it's because there will be another installment nin 2011, but it didn't even (again, IMHO) feel like the end of a chapter, let alone the book.
I'll always hold Koontz close to my heart, but I feel he's gone "sell out" on us and is merely pumping out as many books per year as possible, not paying much attention to the finer details that used to so nicely color his writing. (His plot lines are still okay, he just doesn't flesh things out any more.)
Boy, sure feels bad saying these things... but it's how I feel! ;)
October 1, 2010
Best one of the series.
Rather than center around Carson and Michael, this book concentrates on Victor's newest creations and their nefarious agenda. I'm more interested in them than Carson, especially now that's she's gone all mommy-crazy. For example, "Scout just farted in her sleep. It was so cute." Ugh, that's disgusts me and not because of the fart either.
Koontz uses humor in his novels to balance out the horror and I generally like that but I was getting bored of the Carson/Michael banter anyway.
I'm pleased that Jocko has a pro-active role with his cyber-skills. Erica Five is bland compared to Erika Four but I'm confident that she'll flesh out in the next novel. As usual, Deucalion is my favorite character.
And I'm even more pleased to see the differences between the old Victor and Victor Immaculate even though he's far more scarier than old Victor ever was.
There's not much else to say except that I really enjoyed this book and hope Spring 2011 gets here quick so I can continue.
Rather than center around Carson and Michael, this book concentrates on Victor's newest creations and their nefarious agenda. I'm more interested in them than Carson, especially now that's she's gone all mommy-crazy. For example, "Scout just farted in her sleep. It was so cute." Ugh, that's disgusts me and not because of the fart either.
Koontz uses humor in his novels to balance out the horror and I generally like that but I was getting bored of the Carson/Michael banter anyway.
I'm pleased that Jocko has a pro-active role with his cyber-skills. Erica Five is bland compared to Erika Four but I'm confident that she'll flesh out in the next novel. As usual, Deucalion is my favorite character.
And I'm even more pleased to see the differences between the old Victor and Victor Immaculate even though he's far more scarier than old Victor ever was.
There's not much else to say except that I really enjoyed this book and hope Spring 2011 gets here quick so I can continue.
February 26, 2011
This is unmitigated rubbish. The fact that I wasted a small portion of my life reading this upsets me. I only realised that it is part 4 of a series, and this only compounds the sins imposed on the reading public. Not content with the pastiche and distortion of Mary Shelley's monster, Koontz turns him into a demi god haunting monasteries so he can find his soul. To compound this, he then gives him super powers, and improbable abilities. The writing style is obviously for those with a short attention span, as the sentences are all short and do not contain any colour or imagination. He cannot decide whether this Gothic or a cutsie American apple pie mum and dad story with cute babies. Altogether I am amazed that this was ever published, and it only can appeal to sequel fanatics. Life is unfinished. Get used to it and stop writing completist stories.
May 26, 2022
Lost Souls is the fourth book of Koontz's Frankenstein series. The first three functioned well as a self-contained trilogy, and this one picks up as more of a re-start with several new characters and some of the ones from the previous books having had significant changes to their character. I couldn't help thinking of it as analogous to the first episode of a new season of a television series that -didn't- wrap the previous year with a cliff hanger... remember them? Anyway, the action has shifted from New Orleans to Montana, where Carson and Michael, as well as E5 and Jocko, join forces with Deucalion with the future of mankind at stake. It's a fun book, a compelling read, but I was frustrated when I read it because there's no ending, just a place where it stops and you have to wait for the next book. I doubt that anyone would get as much out of this one without having previously read the original trilogy, either. It's enjoyable, with plenty of witty banter and clever dialog and a captivating storyline, but it's not satisfying by itself.
December 30, 2022
It ended too soon. Lol. I guess I need to get the next book!
July 21, 2010
The announcement of the fourth novel in Koontz’s Frankenstein series came as a bit of a surprise. With the first trilogy about to be finished with “Dead and Alive”, we suddenly learned that the story would continue. “Dead and Alive” wrapped up the main story arcs but with the release of Victor’s clone we knew things weren’t over completely. In “Lost Souls”, we learn how Frankenstein’s plans have actually taken a turn for the worst, and are seemingly much more difficult to overcome – even impossible, perhaps – than the events in New Orleans.
“Lost Souls” is a basic introductory novel. We get a short recap of what happened in the first trilogy, but luckily Koontz doesn’t go overboard with repeating himself; he’s getting better and better at the sequel stuff. We revisit some already familiar characters – Carson and Michael, Erika and Jocko, and of course Deucalion – and are introduced to several new ones.
The story has moved from New Orleans to Rainbow Falls, Montana. This town reminded me of Black River in “Night Chills”, but with New Race clones instead of brainwashed people. In fact, a better comparison might be with the changed inhabitants of Moonlight Cove in “Midnight”, or the infected people of “Moonlight Bay” in the Chris Snow books.
Since many people in Rainbow Falls have already been replaced, we get a bunch of lesser villains like the mayor and the chief of police. In the course of the novel, we follow their plans of replacing the entire population of Rainbow Falls at several key locations: the hospital, where we get to know Bryce and Travis, the local jail which introduces us to Mr Lyss and Nummy, the school, and the town hall which features the novel’s action-packed finale.
This means that the story jumps between four different duos, and also features chapters with the lesser villains and Deucalion and Frankenstein. There are many characters to keep track of, and sometimes it takes a while before Koontz returns to a particular set. The heroes of the first trilogy, Carson and Michael, get far less screen time and even though the new characters are very interesting and display Koontz’s trademark humor and great dialogues, I was mostly curious to see what the old cast was up to. Carson’s brother Arnie in particular, who was cured by Deucalion of his autism at the end of “Dead and Alive”, left me wanting. He only had a small scene at the start of the novel and made me think of a lesser version of Skeet in “False Memory”, but probably only because that book is fresh in my own memory.
I was also surprised by Victor’s clone; even though the real Victor uploaded his memories to him, he totally forgot about the personality bit. The clone is a totally different Victor, with his own ideas and thoughts. I’m sure the real Victor would never have created him if he had known he would turn out this way. Victor’s flaw in this plan was that he was too superficial and believed copying his memories alone would grant him this weird form of immortality. It’s interesting on one side, but on another it’s also sad and disappointing since this isn’t the real Frankenstein anymore. It’s a new creature that just happens to share his memories, nothing more. So indeed, the soul of the real Victor Frankenstein is literally lost.
The most disturbing development in “Lost Souls” must be the creation of the so-called Builders, entities existing out of nanobots (a subject Koontz used before in “By the Light of the Moon”, but with a more benign function). These creatures literally eat people and duplicate themselves in the process. More than the New Race, these Builders will become formidable enemies and I really hope their fate will have a satisfying outcome in the next volumes.
As a standalone book, “Lost Souls” doesn’t work. There’s no resolution, no real development, and to be honest not much content either. It’s all buildup, but that also means that as the opening chapter of a much longer story, it’s excellent material. It succeeds where it’s supposed to.
“Lost Souls” is a basic introductory novel. We get a short recap of what happened in the first trilogy, but luckily Koontz doesn’t go overboard with repeating himself; he’s getting better and better at the sequel stuff. We revisit some already familiar characters – Carson and Michael, Erika and Jocko, and of course Deucalion – and are introduced to several new ones.
The story has moved from New Orleans to Rainbow Falls, Montana. This town reminded me of Black River in “Night Chills”, but with New Race clones instead of brainwashed people. In fact, a better comparison might be with the changed inhabitants of Moonlight Cove in “Midnight”, or the infected people of “Moonlight Bay” in the Chris Snow books.
Since many people in Rainbow Falls have already been replaced, we get a bunch of lesser villains like the mayor and the chief of police. In the course of the novel, we follow their plans of replacing the entire population of Rainbow Falls at several key locations: the hospital, where we get to know Bryce and Travis, the local jail which introduces us to Mr Lyss and Nummy, the school, and the town hall which features the novel’s action-packed finale.
This means that the story jumps between four different duos, and also features chapters with the lesser villains and Deucalion and Frankenstein. There are many characters to keep track of, and sometimes it takes a while before Koontz returns to a particular set. The heroes of the first trilogy, Carson and Michael, get far less screen time and even though the new characters are very interesting and display Koontz’s trademark humor and great dialogues, I was mostly curious to see what the old cast was up to. Carson’s brother Arnie in particular, who was cured by Deucalion of his autism at the end of “Dead and Alive”, left me wanting. He only had a small scene at the start of the novel and made me think of a lesser version of Skeet in “False Memory”, but probably only because that book is fresh in my own memory.
I was also surprised by Victor’s clone; even though the real Victor uploaded his memories to him, he totally forgot about the personality bit. The clone is a totally different Victor, with his own ideas and thoughts. I’m sure the real Victor would never have created him if he had known he would turn out this way. Victor’s flaw in this plan was that he was too superficial and believed copying his memories alone would grant him this weird form of immortality. It’s interesting on one side, but on another it’s also sad and disappointing since this isn’t the real Frankenstein anymore. It’s a new creature that just happens to share his memories, nothing more. So indeed, the soul of the real Victor Frankenstein is literally lost.
The most disturbing development in “Lost Souls” must be the creation of the so-called Builders, entities existing out of nanobots (a subject Koontz used before in “By the Light of the Moon”, but with a more benign function). These creatures literally eat people and duplicate themselves in the process. More than the New Race, these Builders will become formidable enemies and I really hope their fate will have a satisfying outcome in the next volumes.
As a standalone book, “Lost Souls” doesn’t work. There’s no resolution, no real development, and to be honest not much content either. It’s all buildup, but that also means that as the opening chapter of a much longer story, it’s excellent material. It succeeds where it’s supposed to.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 18, 2014
Well, okay this is the last of these I intend to read. I thought about going 2 stars on this one...but I'd be kidding myself. I just didn't care for the book. I mean I like the 2 cops/private detectives. I sort of like the picture of the Creature.
I was never really a fan or Mary Shelly's classic. It had a nice premise but just kept striking me as too absurd even for it's day...just me of course. I understand many love it. That seems to be the impious behind some of the other, "more emphatic" one star ratings here, the way the creature (Deucalion) was handled.
Personally I could see how a living creature/man who'd come into existence as this one was supposed to have would go to monetarists to study and meditate.
The problem was just with the writing here, the way the book "sounded" and "felt". Mr. Koontz does things that work in some books but then sometimes when he tries another version of it in a separate book it bombs big time. Here the family paradigm was shaky, weak and had trite elements in it (in my opinion of course). That said, I like a book about a strong family...this one just stumbled badly.
There were some individual characters also who were "eye roll" worthy. Mr. Koontz has done some wonderful books with dogs, special children and special adults. In this book none of it worked. It felt slapped together and I just wanted it over and to go on to some other book. And when it did end it did just that...it stopped. No real climax or tie up just, "stay tuned". Like it was the end of a chapter. Instead of "The End" the last page should say "Go Buy Next Book".
So...I am a fan of Mr. Koontz. I like a great deal of his recent work (I noted some people are still beating the old "old Koontz/new Koontz dead horse). But this book and the one before left me cold. So as i said, I don't plan to follow the Frankenstein saga any furthers.
I will pick up new books by Mr. Koontz however. I like many, many of his books (including recent ones) a lot. Too bad though, not this one.
I was never really a fan or Mary Shelly's classic. It had a nice premise but just kept striking me as too absurd even for it's day...just me of course. I understand many love it. That seems to be the impious behind some of the other, "more emphatic" one star ratings here, the way the creature (Deucalion) was handled.
Personally I could see how a living creature/man who'd come into existence as this one was supposed to have would go to monetarists to study and meditate.
The problem was just with the writing here, the way the book "sounded" and "felt". Mr. Koontz does things that work in some books but then sometimes when he tries another version of it in a separate book it bombs big time. Here the family paradigm was shaky, weak and had trite elements in it (in my opinion of course). That said, I like a book about a strong family...this one just stumbled badly.
There were some individual characters also who were "eye roll" worthy. Mr. Koontz has done some wonderful books with dogs, special children and special adults. In this book none of it worked. It felt slapped together and I just wanted it over and to go on to some other book. And when it did end it did just that...it stopped. No real climax or tie up just, "stay tuned". Like it was the end of a chapter. Instead of "The End" the last page should say "Go Buy Next Book".
So...I am a fan of Mr. Koontz. I like a great deal of his recent work (I noted some people are still beating the old "old Koontz/new Koontz dead horse). But this book and the one before left me cold. So as i said, I don't plan to follow the Frankenstein saga any furthers.
I will pick up new books by Mr. Koontz however. I like many, many of his books (including recent ones) a lot. Too bad though, not this one.
February 9, 2011
This story take the series and give it a whole new twist, while still keeping the protagonists and some of the main plot characters from the previous books. The known characters are still the enjoyable personae and the pace of the book has been geared up. I am anxiously awaiting book five.
January 10, 2021
Victor Leben (formerly Helios, formerly Frankenstein) has designed a new race of superhumans. This time he incorporated nanotechnology into his creations. Carson & Michael (New Orleans detectives) and Deucalion are back, as are Erica 5 and Jocko. But there area bunch of new characters and the setting has moved to Montana. This book and the next feel different than the first three, with more characters introduced, and a whole new race of superhumans, and a whole new Victor.
I agree with many reviewers that this book seemed like half a book. It ended so suddenly that I had to double-check that I wasn't missing something. Luckily for me, book 5 was already out and I could jump right to it. For me, it was worth the extra credit, but I would have been annoyed if I had to wait a year to continue the story. But, I do love Jocko and it was really fun to hear him again and see how he is developing and to see his relationship with Erica 5 (who is a great mother for him). We aren't exactly sure why the two of them survived Victor's final solution in New Orleans, but I sure am glad they did.
I agree with many reviewers that this book seemed like half a book. It ended so suddenly that I had to double-check that I wasn't missing something. Luckily for me, book 5 was already out and I could jump right to it. For me, it was worth the extra credit, but I would have been annoyed if I had to wait a year to continue the story. But, I do love Jocko and it was really fun to hear him again and see how he is developing and to see his relationship with Erica 5 (who is a great mother for him). We aren't exactly sure why the two of them survived Victor's final solution in New Orleans, but I sure am glad they did.
August 12, 2010
If you haven't read the book yet, be forewarned that this is not the end to the Frankenstein saga! In fact it will leave you hanging!
The best part of the book (and the series for that matter) is the great characters and their determination to do what is right even when they don't want to. Even when it's hard. Really hard. I mean, seriously, who wants to go up against a mutant super-race who will eat your liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti. And I love that Deucalion recognizes that evil does exist and it must be fought at any cost. YOU SO TOTALLY ROCK!
Part of Victor's evil plan is to kill a whole bunch of people at a church social. When the people figure out what's going on, they pull out their guns and take care of business. Especially great are the two ladies that pull their guns out of their purses, say Jesus help us, then shoot some bad guys and get their kids out. I love that super-villan Victor 2.0 isn't smart enough to stage his takeover someplace other than Montana! Since his "creations" can be killed, he really should have thought about going someplace where people are not armed to the teeth at the church social. But I loved it! I want to live someplace where people are prepared to take care of themselves and each other and have the firepower to do it! That was the best part of the book!
I am annoyed that I have to wait until next year for the next installment of the book, but glad to know it's on its way.
Overall, if you liked the other Frankenstein books, you'll probably like this one.
The best part of the book (and the series for that matter) is the great characters and their determination to do what is right even when they don't want to. Even when it's hard. Really hard. I mean, seriously, who wants to go up against a mutant super-race who will eat your liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti. And I love that Deucalion recognizes that evil does exist and it must be fought at any cost. YOU SO TOTALLY ROCK!
Part of Victor's evil plan is to kill a whole bunch of people at a church social. When the people figure out what's going on, they pull out their guns and take care of business. Especially great are the two ladies that pull their guns out of their purses, say Jesus help us, then shoot some bad guys and get their kids out. I love that super-villan Victor 2.0 isn't smart enough to stage his takeover someplace other than Montana! Since his "creations" can be killed, he really should have thought about going someplace where people are not armed to the teeth at the church social. But I loved it! I want to live someplace where people are prepared to take care of themselves and each other and have the firepower to do it! That was the best part of the book!
I am annoyed that I have to wait until next year for the next installment of the book, but glad to know it's on its way.
Overall, if you liked the other Frankenstein books, you'll probably like this one.
April 17, 2016
I was a huge fan of the first two books in this series, but I thought the third book was a big let-down. Nevertheless, I decided to pick up the fourth volume, and unfortunately, I thought this book followed in the third's footsteps.
My biggest problem with this book was that barely anything happens in the span of 350 pages. Yes, the chapters are short, and yes, many of the paragraphs are only a couple of sentences long, which makes this a quick read, but even still -- there really isn't much of an overarching plot in this book. Moreover, the ending doesn't tie anything together. There is no solution, and it actually left me scratching my head, going, "Is this book missing some pages?"
Another issue I have is that Koontz frequently switches between a lot of characters in this book. I'm assuming these characters will have greater significance in the next book, but the frequent POV changes make it hard to get to know them.
The bottom line: The fifth book won't come out for another couple of weeks, and perhaps it will be just as good as the first two, which would warrant reading this. But otherwise, I would suggest not reading this one, as it adds little to the storyline.
My biggest problem with this book was that barely anything happens in the span of 350 pages. Yes, the chapters are short, and yes, many of the paragraphs are only a couple of sentences long, which makes this a quick read, but even still -- there really isn't much of an overarching plot in this book. Moreover, the ending doesn't tie anything together. There is no solution, and it actually left me scratching my head, going, "Is this book missing some pages?"
Another issue I have is that Koontz frequently switches between a lot of characters in this book. I'm assuming these characters will have greater significance in the next book, but the frequent POV changes make it hard to get to know them.
The bottom line: The fifth book won't come out for another couple of weeks, and perhaps it will be just as good as the first two, which would warrant reading this. But otherwise, I would suggest not reading this one, as it adds little to the storyline.
July 23, 2011
In spite of Dean Koontz's long track record of satisfying books, the quality books are becoming less frequent. Not that bad Koontz is completely bad literature, it just isn't his usual standard. The problem with this book is the inability to shake the question, "Why are we continuing with another trilogy?" To Koontz's credit, he takes the former arrogant Victor Helios and updates him with a colder, more meticulous alternate. Carson and Michael are back in a new capacity, but the protagonists are so diminished in this entry as to be almost unnecessary. Also unnecessary is Koontz's worst creation in Jocko, and a pair of characters who strongly resemble George and Lenny from "Of Mice and Men". Unlike "The Prodigal Son" (book 1 of the previous trilogy), I am not overly anxious to move on. There are good moments, but this is not Koontz at the top of his game.
January 29, 2014
I see quite a few one star ratings here and I understand what has caused this.
Volumes 4 and 5 in this story are really more accurately 4a and 4b. Volume 4 doesn’t have an ending. It just stops in the middle of the action and continues in Volume 5 with the addition of redundant verbiage recapping what just happened in volume 4. I have never read a story that was so clearly spread out to make one volume worth of action stretch into two volumes. If you read them close together, be prepared to do a healthy bit of skimming.
I finished the series because I wanted to see what would happen. Anyone thinking of stopping at Volume 3 really isn’t missing much. I like the main characters and was unimpressed by the supporting cast who I found to be largely unbelievable and in some cases annoying, especially one that reminded me of Jar-Jar Binks.
Volumes 4 and 5 in this story are really more accurately 4a and 4b. Volume 4 doesn’t have an ending. It just stops in the middle of the action and continues in Volume 5 with the addition of redundant verbiage recapping what just happened in volume 4. I have never read a story that was so clearly spread out to make one volume worth of action stretch into two volumes. If you read them close together, be prepared to do a healthy bit of skimming.
I finished the series because I wanted to see what would happen. Anyone thinking of stopping at Volume 3 really isn’t missing much. I like the main characters and was unimpressed by the supporting cast who I found to be largely unbelievable and in some cases annoying, especially one that reminded me of Jar-Jar Binks.
April 7, 2015
It seemed as though things were looking up for the heroes of the story, as though thing had finally gone right for them. Alas, things are never that simple. Taking place months after the third book, the group is back together to deal with what could only be the world of the crazy scientist himself. Taking place in a different city, with Frankenstein hidden away, the group need to reassemble to see if they can finally rid the world of his evil.
Koontz takes the original Frankenstein story and creates something wonderful. Taking the idea of the classic story, Koontz places Frankenstein and his monster in the modern world. This story leaves you asking who the real monster is – whether it the grotesque monster happens to be the real monster or whether the creator of such a creature was the real monster.
It’s a must read for anyone who love Koontz or the classic Frankenstein story.
Koontz takes the original Frankenstein story and creates something wonderful. Taking the idea of the classic story, Koontz places Frankenstein and his monster in the modern world. This story leaves you asking who the real monster is – whether it the grotesque monster happens to be the real monster or whether the creator of such a creature was the real monster.
It’s a must read for anyone who love Koontz or the classic Frankenstein story.
June 29, 2010
I thought this was a great start to the 2nd set of 3 books. Since the story basically does a reboot with the "new" Victor and his plans for the world, it made sense to me that this book had a little bit more set-up than the previous one. Don't get me wrong, there's still plenty of action. Carson & Michael are still kickin' ass with help from their OLD friend Deucalion. Jocko returns (with Erika 5/ Mom) and keeps the mood light with his antics. Seriously, who doesn't love a soap eating hobgoblin who likes to cartwheel, pirouette and wear hats with little bells on them?
December 18, 2016
I had forgotten how much I enjoyed this installment of the Frankenstein Series. Yes, there is an abrupt ending, but we know where Book 5 will pick up. I absolutely love the Nummy & Mr. Lyss episodes as well as the Erika & Jocko chapters. This book brought so much joy into my winter life. This was really fun. In Lost Souls, I found myself.
July 16, 2013
Book 4 of a 5 book series. But, it ends at the end of 3 and restarts with some of the same characters in book 4. I have been enjoying this series!
July 26, 2025
This is definitely a deviation from the previous three novels in this series - although the whole series is supposed to be sci-fi horror/thriller, this one is so far the only one that I think really fits the horror genre.
While the previous three books focused on Victor Frankenstein, and his 'New Race' set to wipe out humanity, the collapse of that empire, and the people in New Orleans who worked against him, this book is set 2 years later.
Victor's clone (who sees himself as more intelligent and rational than the original Victor) has established himself in a small Montana towns, and the novel starts as the plan to eradicate humanity gets underway. We see the return of Deucalion, Carson and Michael, and Erika and Jocko, teaming up together once again to try and stop Victor.
The book is the start of the apocalypse, seen from the point of view of the main characters returning from previous books, as well as a few new ones - on both sides of the war.
Deucalion is the same as ever; steadfast, determined, unmoving in his desire to remove Victor from the world and keep humanity safe. The small glimpses we get of his internal thoughts - the love and wonder at the world, his outrage at the people hurt and killed by Victor's army, and the fierce protection he feels towards the earth - I'd love to see so much more of it. He's an enigma, an impossibility, and I desperately want to know more about what brought him to life and what will happen to him afterwards.
Carson and Michael are now married with a child, which does feel like a weird shift from them being determined to ignore their feelings from each other - but considering we knew what their feelings were, the time skip of 2 years is enough to make it feel realistic and reasonable too. Their banter and demeanour is still the same, which is fun, although their thoughts are now consumed with their daughter and how they can give her a good world to grow up in when Victor is still on the loose with his creations.
Erika and Jocko have changed the least since the previous books. They've developed a genuine mother-son relationship in the intervening years, and it's heart-warming to see how much they genuinely love and care for each other, especially considering how they both started their lives.
The horror elements of this book did genuinely twist my stomach - the previous army Victor had made were angry and delighted in killing humanity whenever possible, but this iteration of the 'new race' are much less emotional, which makes them much more terrifying. The author did a very good job at revealing the truth of what Victor Clone has made this time - slowly we learn that there are replicants, who are beginning to replace important community figures in the small town the book is set in, in order to make way for the true destroyers of humanity: the Builders.
The Builders are a new invention of Victor's, a mixture of organic and inorganic insects that form together to look like a human, but who are able to latch onto real humans and break them down until there is nothing left. They consume everything that was once a person, and use that organic matter to create more builders.
Having had this truth slowly revealed sent a shiver down my spine - I went into the book expecting something similar to what Victor did in the previous books - created replicants and seeded them throughout the town, killed the real people and hid or destroyed the bodies, but this was so unexpected, and yet such a simple and elegant plan, that it made me feel on edge for the whole book. Every time one of the (human) established characters the story follows entered a new space or met a new person, I was convinced I was about to see them being unravelled into nothing more than cells that would then be absorbed and used to make a new builder. It's like bites in a zombie movie, but somehow worse.
I've definitely read scarier books than this, but for some reason, this really unsettled me and has me looking at everyone around me and questioning if they're about to reach out and unmake me with just a tendril of their weird insect-hive forms.
Definitely one of the best books in the series so far, and I can't wait to get into the fifth and final book!
While the previous three books focused on Victor Frankenstein, and his 'New Race' set to wipe out humanity, the collapse of that empire, and the people in New Orleans who worked against him, this book is set 2 years later.
Victor's clone (who sees himself as more intelligent and rational than the original Victor) has established himself in a small Montana towns, and the novel starts as the plan to eradicate humanity gets underway. We see the return of Deucalion, Carson and Michael, and Erika and Jocko, teaming up together once again to try and stop Victor.
The book is the start of the apocalypse, seen from the point of view of the main characters returning from previous books, as well as a few new ones - on both sides of the war.
Deucalion is the same as ever; steadfast, determined, unmoving in his desire to remove Victor from the world and keep humanity safe. The small glimpses we get of his internal thoughts - the love and wonder at the world, his outrage at the people hurt and killed by Victor's army, and the fierce protection he feels towards the earth - I'd love to see so much more of it. He's an enigma, an impossibility, and I desperately want to know more about what brought him to life and what will happen to him afterwards.
Carson and Michael are now married with a child, which does feel like a weird shift from them being determined to ignore their feelings from each other - but considering we knew what their feelings were, the time skip of 2 years is enough to make it feel realistic and reasonable too. Their banter and demeanour is still the same, which is fun, although their thoughts are now consumed with their daughter and how they can give her a good world to grow up in when Victor is still on the loose with his creations.
Erika and Jocko have changed the least since the previous books. They've developed a genuine mother-son relationship in the intervening years, and it's heart-warming to see how much they genuinely love and care for each other, especially considering how they both started their lives.
The horror elements of this book did genuinely twist my stomach - the previous army Victor had made were angry and delighted in killing humanity whenever possible, but this iteration of the 'new race' are much less emotional, which makes them much more terrifying. The author did a very good job at revealing the truth of what Victor Clone has made this time - slowly we learn that there are replicants, who are beginning to replace important community figures in the small town the book is set in, in order to make way for the true destroyers of humanity: the Builders.
The Builders are a new invention of Victor's, a mixture of organic and inorganic insects that form together to look like a human, but who are able to latch onto real humans and break them down until there is nothing left. They consume everything that was once a person, and use that organic matter to create more builders.
Having had this truth slowly revealed sent a shiver down my spine - I went into the book expecting something similar to what Victor did in the previous books - created replicants and seeded them throughout the town, killed the real people and hid or destroyed the bodies, but this was so unexpected, and yet such a simple and elegant plan, that it made me feel on edge for the whole book. Every time one of the (human) established characters the story follows entered a new space or met a new person, I was convinced I was about to see them being unravelled into nothing more than cells that would then be absorbed and used to make a new builder. It's like bites in a zombie movie, but somehow worse.
I've definitely read scarier books than this, but for some reason, this really unsettled me and has me looking at everyone around me and questioning if they're about to reach out and unmake me with just a tendril of their weird insect-hive forms.
Definitely one of the best books in the series so far, and I can't wait to get into the fifth and final book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 6, 2023
The first three books ended up being a decent standalone trilogy. I would have been fine with the series ending there even though we see a door open for subsequent stories.
Well this is one of them. This is book 4 in the now 5 book series. It takes place 2 years later and I happen to think this was probably better than the 2nd and 3rd books in the Initial Trilogy.
Victor Frankenstein/Helios is back ( kind of ) because of his contingency plan/ clone by way of part 3. The clone seems more ruthless and more determined and driven to the new race cause ( which is now called the Community). His Creations are more cybernetic than previously with nanobots introduced. They are slightly easier to kill than previous New Racers but the Builders are a pretty cool addition.
We also get back Carson and Michael ( now marries with a kid) and Jocko and Erica 5 ( who live in Montana) and Deucalion ( who has a feeling Victor survived somehow).
This 4th book is Fun and exciting and kind of what I wanted out of books 2 and 3. I wanted to see the creations/monsters take a town and city from the start. We see how the replicants take community members and replace them, starting with local politicians, police force, revered members of the town etc.
We also see some new characters that are privy to the town being over run ( although they mostly think its some type of invasion of the body snatchers thing) and how they deal with it and traverse the town on the run.
Overall 3.5 stars.
Well this is one of them. This is book 4 in the now 5 book series. It takes place 2 years later and I happen to think this was probably better than the 2nd and 3rd books in the Initial Trilogy.
Victor Frankenstein/Helios is back ( kind of ) because of his contingency plan/ clone by way of part 3. The clone seems more ruthless and more determined and driven to the new race cause ( which is now called the Community). His Creations are more cybernetic than previously with nanobots introduced. They are slightly easier to kill than previous New Racers but the Builders are a pretty cool addition.
We also get back Carson and Michael ( now marries with a kid) and Jocko and Erica 5 ( who live in Montana) and Deucalion ( who has a feeling Victor survived somehow).
This 4th book is Fun and exciting and kind of what I wanted out of books 2 and 3. I wanted to see the creations/monsters take a town and city from the start. We see how the replicants take community members and replace them, starting with local politicians, police force, revered members of the town etc.
We also see some new characters that are privy to the town being over run ( although they mostly think its some type of invasion of the body snatchers thing) and how they deal with it and traverse the town on the run.
Overall 3.5 stars.
July 26, 2024
Let me begin by saying I really don't think this book was "necessary." What I mean by that is the first trilogy was almost perfect, with what I thought was a great and very definitive ending. I think things could have ended with book 3, and there would have been a great trilogy. However, things continue on for two more books.
In all fairness, the final two books were set up in the original trilogy, so it's not like the continuation came out of nowhere. But, to me. the original trilogy would have been best to stay a trilogy.
That being said, this was still good, with my only complaint being a little too much comedy for what started out as a dark and serious series. At least the comedy is pretty funny, though.
Not I'm really curious to see how things REALLY end.
In all fairness, the final two books were set up in the original trilogy, so it's not like the continuation came out of nowhere. But, to me. the original trilogy would have been best to stay a trilogy.
That being said, this was still good, with my only complaint being a little too much comedy for what started out as a dark and serious series. At least the comedy is pretty funny, though.
Not I'm really curious to see how things REALLY end.
February 23, 2020
This series is still pretty fun for the most part but I guess I just have to accept that Koontz doesn't think Deucalion is an interesting character worthy of any amount of page space. Although honestly I lot of the 'main' characters didn't seem to get much page space in this one, at least in comparison to all the new random characters. Still, there is just something intensely readable about this series and I absolutely breeze right through them even when I'm in the middle of a huge slump. This one got a point knocked off for the ~miraculous autism cure~ thing though as well as saying things like 'it's so nice that now he's a normal boy!' because just #yikes. I thought it was really great that there was autistic rep in this book and then he went and pulled something like that.
November 4, 2023
Book 4 keeps me wanting more, just as much as the first 3. Fast paced and intriguing!
June 9, 2025
The end of the world had begun. It was just off a few years. He gang comes back together in a small Montana town to fight against Victor once again. With even more to lose, nobody is willing to let Victor succeed with his plans.
This was slow-going compared to the previous books but still fantastic. Humor met horror on a delightful scale. Carson and Michael finally getting together AND having a tiny human was on my bingo card!
And the introduction of new characters like Nummy and Lyss was not overplayed and blended right into the series like a new season of tv show.
This was slow-going compared to the previous books but still fantastic. Humor met horror on a delightful scale. Carson and Michael finally getting together AND having a tiny human was on my bingo card!
And the introduction of new characters like Nummy and Lyss was not overplayed and blended right into the series like a new season of tv show.
August 23, 2021
Here we are again, the fourth book of the saga, what I´d say it is the first book of the second part of the story. I was missing Carson and Michael, the funniest couple I have found in books.
“I´m too dad for this stuff”
Drawing the pistol from her shoulder rig, she said, “And I´m too mom. But baby needs new shoes.”
Carson and Michael are now working as private detectives, thinking that the old chapter was closed, closed for good. But Deucalion is feeling funny (not ha-ha funny, but weird funny), something is happening, he knows, Victor is back and his plan is the same, he wants to destroy the human race and have a new race, a better one, flawless.
The new victor is smarter, tougher, with no mistakes like the old one. This time he is sure his mission is going to be accomplished, there is no other possibility. The human race is dammed.
This fourth book (or second, I don´t know what to say) is funnier and darker, dialogues are amazing, delirious sometimes. But I need to read the fifth one (or finish the second one) to know the end, to read the final battle. Let´s go then!!
“I´m too dad for this stuff”
Drawing the pistol from her shoulder rig, she said, “And I´m too mom. But baby needs new shoes.”
Carson and Michael are now working as private detectives, thinking that the old chapter was closed, closed for good. But Deucalion is feeling funny (not ha-ha funny, but weird funny), something is happening, he knows, Victor is back and his plan is the same, he wants to destroy the human race and have a new race, a better one, flawless.
The new victor is smarter, tougher, with no mistakes like the old one. This time he is sure his mission is going to be accomplished, there is no other possibility. The human race is dammed.
This fourth book (or second, I don´t know what to say) is funnier and darker, dialogues are amazing, delirious sometimes. But I need to read the fifth one (or finish the second one) to know the end, to read the final battle. Let´s go then!!
August 26, 2010
Thinking that the series ended with the last book, I was surprised to see Frankenstein: Lost Souls. Having enjoyed the last three (the first two more than the last), I figured what did I have to lose?
In this book, we rejoin the primary heroes (or more aptly survivors) from the first trilogy. Two years have passed since the last book, and everyone has moved on in their own, unique way. The characters have changed, and Koontz tries to show that they have grown. In general, he succeeds. We get to see glimpses of Victor (the clone we met in the last book), who is definitely different (and I think slightly more scary).
We also get to meet a lot of new characters. Some are better than others. I liked Nummy and Mr. Lyss, who are more developed and have more screen time. The FBI agents were less so, and seemed much more one dimensional. The old western author and the 9 year old were somewhere in between.
The plot is fairly straightforward, and honestly not much to write home about. It is basically the same as the previous three, only set in small town Montana.
My primary issue is that Koontz has several plot lines obviously going to collide eventually, but he never gets around to it. I'd rather that he put the next book in with this one and made it more complete than leave it the way it is. Honestly, the book isn't that long, so I don't know why they have divided it up into (at least) two books. I am assuming that they are going to make this another trilogy, but I don't know that for certain. Call it my intuition.
Overall, the book was OK. If you liked the first three, this is more of the same. If you didn't like the first three, this is more of the same. If you didn't read the first three, don't worry, you can pick this one up and still get it.
In this book, we rejoin the primary heroes (or more aptly survivors) from the first trilogy. Two years have passed since the last book, and everyone has moved on in their own, unique way. The characters have changed, and Koontz tries to show that they have grown. In general, he succeeds. We get to see glimpses of Victor (the clone we met in the last book), who is definitely different (and I think slightly more scary).
We also get to meet a lot of new characters. Some are better than others. I liked Nummy and Mr. Lyss, who are more developed and have more screen time. The FBI agents were less so, and seemed much more one dimensional. The old western author and the 9 year old were somewhere in between.
The plot is fairly straightforward, and honestly not much to write home about. It is basically the same as the previous three, only set in small town Montana.
My primary issue is that Koontz has several plot lines obviously going to collide eventually, but he never gets around to it. I'd rather that he put the next book in with this one and made it more complete than leave it the way it is. Honestly, the book isn't that long, so I don't know why they have divided it up into (at least) two books. I am assuming that they are going to make this another trilogy, but I don't know that for certain. Call it my intuition.
Overall, the book was OK. If you liked the first three, this is more of the same. If you didn't like the first three, this is more of the same. If you didn't read the first three, don't worry, you can pick this one up and still get it.
August 15, 2011
I loved the first three books and thought that was the end of the story. I was a little disappointed to find out Koontz was bringing back the characters for another trilogy, simply because I loved the first set so much and thought more books couldn't adequately live up to them. I was partially right; book 4 isn't of the same caliber as the first three in this series, but still should be read if you like the others. The characters of Carson and Michael are still witty, lovable, and realistic.I was glad Erika 5 and Jocko came back; I really started to like these two and all their oddities. I'm a huge fan of Deucealion (even named my Beta fish after him after reading book 1!) Koontz always makes me laugh, shudder with fear, and gasp in horror. His juxtaposition of the dispicable and horrific with the hilarious banter of Carson and Michael only goes to show how well he grasps the way the world really is.
This installment went by quickly without a lot of action, I'm guessing he's saving the big stuff for the next books. There's a change in the replicants that adds creepiness for the reader and a sense that the human race is completely screwed. Also, some new freaks like the "builders". Frankenstein isn't in New Orleans anymore, either, and while that city lent intself well to the previous books with it's old world glitz, the new small town setting that takes place in this book makes you think: uh oh, if they can take over a small city in such a short time and move on from small town to small town in a matter of days before anyone realizes it, it's only a matter of time before they take over bigger citites and then...the US... the world. I'm eager to read the next book and I hope for a series of movies (as long as they're done well)!
This installment went by quickly without a lot of action, I'm guessing he's saving the big stuff for the next books. There's a change in the replicants that adds creepiness for the reader and a sense that the human race is completely screwed. Also, some new freaks like the "builders". Frankenstein isn't in New Orleans anymore, either, and while that city lent intself well to the previous books with it's old world glitz, the new small town setting that takes place in this book makes you think: uh oh, if they can take over a small city in such a short time and move on from small town to small town in a matter of days before anyone realizes it, it's only a matter of time before they take over bigger citites and then...the US... the world. I'm eager to read the next book and I hope for a series of movies (as long as they're done well)!
June 21, 2010
Lost Souls was an interesting part of the Frankenstein saga by Dean Koontz. Although this was not my favorite book in this series, I still liked the novel. I also had feeling that this may be the jumping off book to another trilogy. The New Victor Frankenstein is even more evil and destructive than I could have possibly imagined when I opened the pages to this book. Through half the book I was not even convinced that Dean should have written another book to this already incredible series. But in the last hundred pages, the novel took amazing turns and by the end I was again enthralled with Koontz' Frankenstein World and anxious for the next book.
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