The Madman's Daughter (Madman's Daughter, #1)

by Megan Shepherd

[kimbacaffeinate]

3.5 Juliet Moreau was the perfect heroine for this tale. The story demanded a strong character to lead and Juliet is a remarkable character who is quite complex. We see glimpses of a darker side of her, which compels us to look away. Yet, she is strong, compassionate, intelligent, and has a strong moral compass. Montgomery has been a servant to Dr. Moreau since he was a young lad and has slowly become his assistance. Edward is the gentlemen they save, and he quickly shares his concerns about the island and its residents. The two express an interest in Juliet as both look to protect and claim her. While there is a slight triangle it isn’t a strong one, and she easily decides. The romance wasn’t a powerful thread, but it did add a little distraction from the island. Dr. Moreau is a mad scientist, lost in his work, forgetting to eat and driven by his desire to succeed. He is feared by those on the island and immediately obeyed by all. All of the characters were unique, had their own distinct voice and added to the overall story.

The Madman’s Daughter while not flawless was a remarkable, eerie Gothic tale that makes the reader uncomfortable and yet compels them to read on. The island, its inhabitants and Dr. Moreau’s experiments were straight from nightmares and late night science fiction movies. I wouldn’t say any of it was entirely realistic, but Shepherd wove the characters into the tale and the madness of it all kept me on the edge, wide-eyed and fascinated. This is a historical setting, but aside from a lack of modern niceties, social standing and dress Shepherd’s description stopped there. While the characters had depth there speech was modern and had me scrambling to check the dates. Thankfully, I quickly forgot about this as the story drew me in. Shepherd did a wonderful job of creating a sense of foreboding, and increasing the danger and tension. With each page, I became more enthralled as I watched this unsettling tale unfold. It slowly built endearing me to the strange characters and pushing me towards the climatic ending. The reveals while not entirely unexpected thanks in part to subtle clues were horrific and mind-boggling. The story ends on what some would say a cliffhanger, but I felt it ended perfectly and has me eager to begin Her Dark Curiosity.