Based on some of literature’s horror and science fiction classics, this “tour de force of reclaiming the narrative, executed with impressive wit and insight” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) debut is the story of a remarkable group of women who come together to solve the mystery of a series of gruesome murders—and the bigger mystery of their own origins.
Mary Jekyll, alone and penniless following her parents’ death, is curious about the secrets of her father’s mysterious past. One clue in particular hints that Edward Hyde, her father’s former friend and a murderer, may be nearby, and there is a reward for information leading to his capture…a reward that would solve all of her immediate financial woes.
But her hunt leads her to Hyde’s daughter, Diana, a feral child left to be raised by nuns. With the assistance of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, Mary continues her search for the elusive Hyde, and soon befriends more women, all of whom have been created through terrifying experimentation: Beatrice Rappaccini, Catherin Moreau, and Justine Frankenstein.
When their investigations lead them to the discovery of a secret society of immoral and power-crazed scientists, the horrors of their past return. Now it is up to the monsters to finally triumph over the monstrous.
The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter is an awful lot of fun.
This novel takes several well known characters out of classic literature (Sherlock Holmes, Jekyll and Hyde, etc.) and mixes them all into a secret society of alchemists and monster makers who are generally menaces of society. As someone who enjoys classics and is familiar with all the stories included here (whether I've read them or not) I am delighted to see these characters sliced together into an exciting cooperative story, driven by the daughters of mad scientists.
My main complaint about this book is the extended backstories - learning the stories behind these girls takes up at least half the book, and as someone who already knows enough about these stories to get by, it was a bit of a boring redundancy for me and I tended to zone out while listening. Outside of these sections, it was exciting a lot, with monster killings and running around London and commentary on the ridiculousness of some social conventions of the time.
It's a light book with familiar characters and a good amount of fun. I won't be purchasing this one for myself, but I will read the next book and keep an eye on Theodora Goss's novels.
Reading updates
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26 December, 2018:
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26 December, 2018:
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