Pros: Creative characters, plot brings them all together nicely
Cons: part of a trilogy...still waiting for 3rd installment
The Bottom Line: With the understanding this is a series and the story continues, this book is a great set-up for what follows... well, if we ever get the third and final book.
cmaw63's Full Review: Kevin J. Anderson and Kevin J. Anderson - Prodigal...
Meet Victor Helios aka Dr. Frankenstein. 200 years old and more evil than even Mary Shelley could have imagined.
Victor's original creation, now named Deucalion, has come to New Orleans to stop his former master from doing what he does so well...creating monsters. Far from looking like the giant, scarred Deucalion...these new creations can pass as a human...on the outside. Inside they are without emotion, more importantly, without a soul.
Deucalion, as all of the newer "people", are programmed so that attempting to kill their maker is impossible. This forces Deucalion to search for humans that are trustworthy and brave enough to aid him in his quest. Homicide detective Carson O'Connor and her partner Michael Maddison slide into Deculian's life by way of "The Surgeon's" investigation.
Someone is killing innocent people in New Orleans for more than the thrill of it. One woman found is missing her hands, a man his liver, each victim is missing a body part or internal organ. The media has named him "The Surgeon". It is Carson and Michael's job to stop The Surgeon from his grisly intent of harvesting human parts.
Deucalion convinces Carson, who in turn convinces Michael, that there is more to this case than there appears. His story is easier to believe when a dead man missing not one, but two hearts is found. A medical impossibility... for a "normal" person.
Victor's, Hands of Mercy lab is full of such impossibilities. It is where he works to create the "New Race". One of his creations striving to find happiness is Randal Six. Victor has given Randal autism, hoping he can understand and repair the brain...another step closer for him in his quest to create his perfect world.
Randal is allowed to have access to media in the form of his computer, newspapers and magazines. It doesn't matter what he learns about the outside world, as Randal's autism has him confined to his room, unable to handle the chaos outside of it. That is until he finds an article about Arnie O'Connor. Carson's younger brother has autism, yet he appears to be happy. A photo shows Arnie smiling...Randal wants Arnie's secret to happiness.
Did I Leave You Hanging?
Sorry, but I was left hanging by Dean Koontz. This is the first book in a trilogy, meant to introduce all of the characters and bring them together for the rest of the series. Koontz does a good job of setting up for the second installment, Frankenstein: City of Night.
Frankenstein: Prodigal Son was co-written by Kevin Anderson. I'm not sure what or how much was his input, as this book seems "Koontz-like" and no information is given in the forward note. It does explain why Koontz, along with Martin Scorsese, withdrew from the USA Network movie that was to follow this storyline.
Worth the Read
If this book was to be the only one, I would have been truly frustrated at the ending. Knowing that there was going to be more to the series, this book is excellent in setting up the premise of the storyline. Frankenstein: Prodigal Son devoted itself to meeting the various characters and getting to know them more in depth than a stand alone book would have allowed. The many sub-plots were more developed and all lead to the main plot...Victor Helios must die before he is able to destroy the human race.
This is my second favorite series from Dean Koontz, Odd Thomas being my first. If the third Frankenstein book would come out, I would, probably, move it to the top of my Koontz favorites.
Prodigal Son launches a four-part original series--a noirish reimagining of the classic story that only Dean Koontz could conceive, bringing the 200-y...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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