Such Wicked Intent by Kenneth Oppel

Such Wicked Intent by Kenneth Oppel
Release Date – August 28, 2012
Publisher Website – Harper Collins
Publisher Social Media - Twitter/Facebook/SavvyReader
Pages - 310 pages
My Rating- 5/5
**obtained from publisher for an honest review**

**SPOILERS FOR THIS DARK ENDEAVOUR**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Devotion turns deadly in this second Gothic thriller from Kenneth Oppel.When does obsession become madness? Tragedy has forced sixteen-year-old Victor Frankenstein to swear off alchemy forever. He burns the Dark Library. He vows he will never dabble in the dark sciences again—just as he vows he will no longer covet Elizabeth, his brother’s betrothed. 

If only these things were not so tempting. 

When he and Elizabeth discover a portal into the spirit world, they cannot resist. Together with Victor’s twin, Konrad, and their friend Henry, the four venture into a place of infinite possibilities where power and passion reign. But as they search for the knowledge to raise the dead, they unknowingly unlock a darkness from which they may never return.

Where This Dark Endeavour focused on science and alchemy, Such Wicked Intent takes a darker, more supernatural turn. Kenneth Oppel, once again, captives and chills while making you love his characters for their flaws.

Kenneth Oppel’s writing makes you turn pages late into the night. It leaves you anxiously awaiting what is going to happen to these characters. His greatest accomplishment is making Victor a conflicted, egotistical and yet, incredibly engaging and enthralling character. Victor, for all his flaws, ranks as one of the more crush worthy boys in Young Adult fiction. It’s the writing and characterization that prevents the disconnection that could happen with such a character.

Each character is greatly changed from the previous novel. I enjoyed seeing Henry’s transformation most of all. Henry’s sweet nature often masks the reality - he is Victor’s friend. He does have things in common with Victor. His more confident side shows through in this novel, as the events of the previous novel have impacted him greatly.

The romance aspect of the novel is something I tend to not like in novels. I hesitate to call it a triangle because Elizabeth’s feelings are quite clear. She is focused on Konrad, even in death. There is something captivating about the romance that does sneak in between her and Victor, and even a little deliciously sexy. The spirit world heightens any passions and the chemistry between Elizabeth and Victor is electric. Upon viewing Elizabeth in the spirit world for the first time Victor thinks

“there is absolutely nothing between my gaze and her face. It’s like I am stroking her skin. It feels almost wicked, deliciously so”. (arc page 66) .

This quote sums up how Victor views her perfectly. The relationship between Elizabeth and each brother is different. She’s different things to each brother. She’s both light and dark. Her character fascinates me because she’s so wholly complex and developed.

Victor’s motivations are thinly veiled under the guise of wanting to resurrect his brother. Part of his motivation does stem from this, but Victor’s thirst for power is what pushes him. He is a perfect example of power twisting someone and becoming their driving force. Victor is accused of thinking he is a god; this is not far off. What he, Elizabeth and Henry unleash is powerful, and addicting. Victor’s personality makes that pull even more dangerous. He becomes obsessed and pushes boundaries, even if those limits shouldn’t be pushed.

The ending leaves us with Victor that has had a taste of immense power. The dark and chilling path he is on leads to the events in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. A wonderfully detailed, twisted and compelling prequel that shines light on a descent into madness ignited by a lust for power.