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Frankenstein A Life Beyond (Book 1 of 3) The Resurrection Trinity
Ten years after the loss of his entire family to madness and death, Ernest Frankenstein finds himself compelled to return to the city of his birth, Geneva, in order to discover if his elder brother, Victor, might still be alive. Only Victor can provide the answers to questions, which have long plagued Ernest. The quest for answers will force Ernest to confront demons, both internal and external, from his past, which refuse to be at peace and which ultimately will endanger both he and his new family. Hunted across Europe their only hope may lie with a French spy, Ernest’s childhood friend, and a mysterious gypsy girl whose people believe that Ernest will lead humanity to its salvation or final destruction.
Frankenstein A Life Beyond by Pete Planisek is a direct sequel to Mary Shelley’s iconic story, Frankenstein, which examined Victor Frankenstein’s quest to both create and kill an unnamed creature that ultimately destroys all but one member of the Frankenstein family, Victor’s brother, Ernest. Frankenstein A Life Beyond explores many of the issues left open by the original, while establishing new characters and mysteries.
Frankenstein A Life Beyond by Pete Planisek is a direct sequel to Mary Shelley’s iconic story, Frankenstein, which examined Victor Frankenstein’s quest to both create and kill an unnamed creature that ultimately destroys all but one member of the Frankenstein family, Victor’s brother, Ernest. Frankenstein A Life Beyond explores many of the issues left open by the original, while establishing new characters and mysteries.
- GenresHorror
322 pages, ebook
First published August 1, 2012
8 people are currently reading
123 people want to read
About the author
Pete Planisek
4 books22 followersPete Planisek lives in Columbus, OH, where he teaches English, runs Enceladus Literary LLC, and is co-host of an entertainment podcast called Hindsight is 20-20. He received his Masters from Ohio University where he founded a student literary arts magazine called Recently Eclipsed. He has published newspaper articles, short stories, poetry, and is a member of the Independent Book Publishers Association. He served for seven years as adviser/co-adviser to a NCTE award-winning student literary arts publication.
He has two published works in his Resurrection Trinity series titled Frankenstein A Life Beyond (Book 1 of 3) and Frankenstein Soul’s Echo (Book 2 of 3) and won a 2016 Silver Honoree IBPA Benjamin Franklin Digital Book Award for his children’s fantasy book titled Princess Bella and the Dragon’s Charm. The Violence of Reason is his third novel.
You can become a fan on Facebook or follow on Twitter @peteplanisek or Instagram @enceladusliterary
He has two published works in his Resurrection Trinity series titled Frankenstein A Life Beyond (Book 1 of 3) and Frankenstein Soul’s Echo (Book 2 of 3) and won a 2016 Silver Honoree IBPA Benjamin Franklin Digital Book Award for his children’s fantasy book titled Princess Bella and the Dragon’s Charm. The Violence of Reason is his third novel.
You can become a fan on Facebook or follow on Twitter @peteplanisek or Instagram @enceladusliterary
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
October 22, 2017
This is a continuation of Mary Shelley's classic Frankenstein novel. The author had a lot of guts to take on this project but it's easy to see he was the right man for the job! He obviously has great passion for Mary Shelley's novel because it's hard to tell they were written by two different people.
If you've ever wondered what happened to Victor Frankenstein and his creation this is the book series to read. It has the Victorian gothic ominous feel throughout the novel with new and resurfacing characters to pique your curiousity. There are twists and turns you won't expect but will leave you salivating for the next novel!
Follow Ernest, Victor's brother on a journey for answers. Learn more about the curse on his family. I highly recommend this novel!
Copy given by author for a fair and honest review.
If you've ever wondered what happened to Victor Frankenstein and his creation this is the book series to read. It has the Victorian gothic ominous feel throughout the novel with new and resurfacing characters to pique your curiousity. There are twists and turns you won't expect but will leave you salivating for the next novel!
Follow Ernest, Victor's brother on a journey for answers. Learn more about the curse on his family. I highly recommend this novel!
Copy given by author for a fair and honest review.
June 16, 2013
I have to be a bit brutal in my honesty. This was a hard read, not because of the story, which was interesting, but because of writing mechanics. The copy that I received for review contained through the text numerous typos, misspellings, comma splices, and some sentence structure issues. The semicolon was overused, and used as a comma too often. One particular hangup for me was the continual spelling of the word "Arctic" as "Artic," unless that variant was intentional, which was not apparent.
The dialogue was too difficult to follow at times. Sometimes a character's dialogue and activity were split up into one-sentence paragraphs, so that the character said something in the first paragraph, did something in the second, and then continued speaking in the third. The author excluded dialogue tags most of the time, so with three or more in a discussion, it got confusing as to who was saying what.
The flashbacks took way too much time from the main storyline. One chapter suffices, but to devote more than three chapters to a flashback seems excessive. The chapter breaks didn't make sense in that regard. It came across as one huge chapter. Backstory is good, but too much drowns out the original interest. I was ready to follow-up on the discussion with the captain, but the main story was put on hold.
The change-up from third-person narrative to journal entries with first-person voice didn't quite work for me. In Shelly's work, anytime the narrator in first person addresses another character, that individual is named early on in the passage, so there's no doubt as to who is being addressed. In one particular passage Ernest is writing to his unborn child, but that wasn't clear from context, so that I thought he was talking to Ailis, but then he mentioned "your mother" a couple of times, and I had to backtrack to see if that was Ailis or Ernest's mother-in-law, which wouldn't have made sense for obvious reasons to the reader. So those instances need more contextual aids.
This is a derivative work of Mary Shelly's Frankenstein, so familiar characters in her novel are brought over to this novel and given a voice and a direction. I enjoy derivative works, but they're tough to implement, because there's nothing to stop someone from using the same characters to write their own version of a sequel (the consequence of fan fiction writing). It's imperative that one's version be impeccable in presentation so as to stand out. This version falls short of that, mostly because of writing mechanics. Put this work through a professional editing service, and overhaul a few chapters with some general rewrites, and it has great potential to approach canonicity. The story by itself is that good. It's interesting and unique, and I would even be willing to read a second edition after appropriate revisions to fix the mechanics.
The dialogue was too difficult to follow at times. Sometimes a character's dialogue and activity were split up into one-sentence paragraphs, so that the character said something in the first paragraph, did something in the second, and then continued speaking in the third. The author excluded dialogue tags most of the time, so with three or more in a discussion, it got confusing as to who was saying what.
The flashbacks took way too much time from the main storyline. One chapter suffices, but to devote more than three chapters to a flashback seems excessive. The chapter breaks didn't make sense in that regard. It came across as one huge chapter. Backstory is good, but too much drowns out the original interest. I was ready to follow-up on the discussion with the captain, but the main story was put on hold.
The change-up from third-person narrative to journal entries with first-person voice didn't quite work for me. In Shelly's work, anytime the narrator in first person addresses another character, that individual is named early on in the passage, so there's no doubt as to who is being addressed. In one particular passage Ernest is writing to his unborn child, but that wasn't clear from context, so that I thought he was talking to Ailis, but then he mentioned "your mother" a couple of times, and I had to backtrack to see if that was Ailis or Ernest's mother-in-law, which wouldn't have made sense for obvious reasons to the reader. So those instances need more contextual aids.
This is a derivative work of Mary Shelly's Frankenstein, so familiar characters in her novel are brought over to this novel and given a voice and a direction. I enjoy derivative works, but they're tough to implement, because there's nothing to stop someone from using the same characters to write their own version of a sequel (the consequence of fan fiction writing). It's imperative that one's version be impeccable in presentation so as to stand out. This version falls short of that, mostly because of writing mechanics. Put this work through a professional editing service, and overhaul a few chapters with some general rewrites, and it has great potential to approach canonicity. The story by itself is that good. It's interesting and unique, and I would even be willing to read a second edition after appropriate revisions to fix the mechanics.
June 25, 2013
It isn’t easy to take a classic piece like Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and write a ‘continuation’ of the story that rings true and completely plausible. Author Pete Planisek has done exactly that with his novel Frankenstein: A Life Beyond ! The mystery of what really happened to Viktor Frankenstein was never actually answered in the original work, the reader was encouraged to assume what happened. Fast forward several years to the life of Edwin Frankenstein, the soul surviving brother of Viktor. He thought he left the horrors of a decade before behind him, but the past rears its ugly head and threatens to destroy both Edwin and his family.
Staying true to the era, the author has created the feel and dialogue that transported me into the past, filling each page with mystery and intrigue in a world that felt dark and ominous. Mr. Planisek was able to re-capture the terror of meeting up with the creature so well, I could almost hear the dark music in the background and was waiting to jump out of my skin at any moment!
For those who swear that nothing could replicate the feel and tone of the original tome, I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how well Frankenstein: A Life Beyond becomes an exemplary extension of the original!
A review copy was provided by NetGalley and Enceladus Literary LLC in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: July 31, 2012
Publisher: Enceladus Literary LLC
Series: Book 1 of 3
Number of Pages: 371
My Rating: 4.5 stars
Available at: Amazon / Barnes & Noble
For more reviews check out Tome Tender's Book Blog or find us on Facebook.
Staying true to the era, the author has created the feel and dialogue that transported me into the past, filling each page with mystery and intrigue in a world that felt dark and ominous. Mr. Planisek was able to re-capture the terror of meeting up with the creature so well, I could almost hear the dark music in the background and was waiting to jump out of my skin at any moment!
For those who swear that nothing could replicate the feel and tone of the original tome, I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how well Frankenstein: A Life Beyond becomes an exemplary extension of the original!
A review copy was provided by NetGalley and Enceladus Literary LLC in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: July 31, 2012
Publisher: Enceladus Literary LLC
Series: Book 1 of 3
Number of Pages: 371
My Rating: 4.5 stars
Available at: Amazon / Barnes & Noble
For more reviews check out Tome Tender's Book Blog or find us on Facebook.
October 16, 2017
Review of FRANKENSTEIN: A LIFE BEYOND by Pete Planisek
In the vein of classics of Gothic suspense, including the original novel FRANKENSTEIN: OR, THE MODERN PROMETHEUS by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, this first volume in THE RESURRECTION TRINITY is atmospheric with all the brooding suspense, gloomy settings, and subtle, implacable horror of Mary Shelley's novel. Not only is the horror present due to Victor Frankenstein's insufficiently considered scientific creation. The author's delineation of character reveal the sorry state of two families seemingly cursed, the Frankensteins and the Tierneys.
I recommend this series for curling up on a cold, stormy, night, with the lights dimmed, or for October reading as we lead up to All Souls' Hallow, the night when the veils are thin, and perhaps monsters roam abroad. Lock the doors, and retreat into the depths of horror and hubris. What hath greedy Man wrought?
In the vein of classics of Gothic suspense, including the original novel FRANKENSTEIN: OR, THE MODERN PROMETHEUS by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, this first volume in THE RESURRECTION TRINITY is atmospheric with all the brooding suspense, gloomy settings, and subtle, implacable horror of Mary Shelley's novel. Not only is the horror present due to Victor Frankenstein's insufficiently considered scientific creation. The author's delineation of character reveal the sorry state of two families seemingly cursed, the Frankensteins and the Tierneys.
I recommend this series for curling up on a cold, stormy, night, with the lights dimmed, or for October reading as we lead up to All Souls' Hallow, the night when the veils are thin, and perhaps monsters roam abroad. Lock the doors, and retreat into the depths of horror and hubris. What hath greedy Man wrought?
November 5, 2016
Set up as a trilogy sequel to the original 'Frankenstein', this first book takes as it's centre the character of Ernest, the over looked other brother of Victor Frankenstein.
He and the son of Henry Clervall continue the story, returning to Geneva and flashing back to the origin tale.
It suffers a little with clunky exposition and is a tad over Americanised but I enjoyed it and would check out parts 2 and 3.
Thanks netgalley for letting me read this in return for an honest review.
He and the son of Henry Clervall continue the story, returning to Geneva and flashing back to the origin tale.
It suffers a little with clunky exposition and is a tad over Americanised but I enjoyed it and would check out parts 2 and 3.
Thanks netgalley for letting me read this in return for an honest review.
July 12, 2013
This is not a rewriting of the Mary Shelley classic; it hasn't been twisted around, given a new plot or new characters. This book continues from the point Mary Shelley ended in Frankenstein, and does so in a seamless manner.
I'm probably like most lovers of the classics, when something like this is released, never certain of what is going to appear between the covers. This book will really open your eyes and make you think. It is a compelling and very intelligently written book and it explores some new directions that hadn't occurred to me whilst reading Mary Shelley’s work. In many aspects it actually goes as far as to improve upon the ideas the original work ended with.
I have often wondered what happened to the remaining family of Viktor Frankenstein after his (supposed) death in the Arctic; this book explores that question very well, and in depth. In building and developing the characters, the Author did an outstanding job of not straying too far from the original work when it came to their past history. It was apparent that not only had the Author read Mary Shelley’s work, he had studied it in depth to make sure his ‘sequel’ was credible and stuck to the basic premise of her original work, grafting it to his own writing but still managing to make his novel very much his own and, very much an original piece of work.
The dialogue is very well written, and stays true and appropriate for the time in which the book is set. It fills each page with mystery and intrigue in an already dark and ominous world that truly transported me into the past. The novel has a good pace, not too slow and not too fast, and there is a lot happening, oh boy is there. Not too much that you become bogged down and lost, but enough to make you want to keep turning the page to continue on with the journey. The end of the book is an opening for the next in this series of 3, but didn't end leaving the reader with more questions than answers, so this could be read as a standalone, however, I defy anyone to be able to do that.
I was very intrigued as to how the Author would portray the first encounter with the ‘monster’, and I was not disappointed at all. Not only the first, but all encounters, live up to that terrifying portrait that was painted in the original; a seemingly insurmountable challenge that the Author overcame with ease. It didn't make me change my original thoughts on the 'monster' at all, only served to strengthen a possibility I had put forward during my 'A' level Literature class.
This is a must read for all lovers of the classics, and anyone who loves a good read with plenty of unforeseen twists and turns. It is an exciting read one which I found very hard to put down and kept me up far later than it should have as I wanted to read to the end. Once at the end, it left me with a need to plunge straight into the other 2 books. Yes, it really is that good, and I wish it had been around when I was doing my English Literature ‘A’ levels.
Originally reviewed on: http://catesbooknuthut.wordpress.com/...
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
I'm probably like most lovers of the classics, when something like this is released, never certain of what is going to appear between the covers. This book will really open your eyes and make you think. It is a compelling and very intelligently written book and it explores some new directions that hadn't occurred to me whilst reading Mary Shelley’s work. In many aspects it actually goes as far as to improve upon the ideas the original work ended with.
I have often wondered what happened to the remaining family of Viktor Frankenstein after his (supposed) death in the Arctic; this book explores that question very well, and in depth. In building and developing the characters, the Author did an outstanding job of not straying too far from the original work when it came to their past history. It was apparent that not only had the Author read Mary Shelley’s work, he had studied it in depth to make sure his ‘sequel’ was credible and stuck to the basic premise of her original work, grafting it to his own writing but still managing to make his novel very much his own and, very much an original piece of work.
The dialogue is very well written, and stays true and appropriate for the time in which the book is set. It fills each page with mystery and intrigue in an already dark and ominous world that truly transported me into the past. The novel has a good pace, not too slow and not too fast, and there is a lot happening, oh boy is there. Not too much that you become bogged down and lost, but enough to make you want to keep turning the page to continue on with the journey. The end of the book is an opening for the next in this series of 3, but didn't end leaving the reader with more questions than answers, so this could be read as a standalone, however, I defy anyone to be able to do that.
I was very intrigued as to how the Author would portray the first encounter with the ‘monster’, and I was not disappointed at all. Not only the first, but all encounters, live up to that terrifying portrait that was painted in the original; a seemingly insurmountable challenge that the Author overcame with ease. It didn't make me change my original thoughts on the 'monster' at all, only served to strengthen a possibility I had put forward during my 'A' level Literature class.
This is a must read for all lovers of the classics, and anyone who loves a good read with plenty of unforeseen twists and turns. It is an exciting read one which I found very hard to put down and kept me up far later than it should have as I wanted to read to the end. Once at the end, it left me with a need to plunge straight into the other 2 books. Yes, it really is that good, and I wish it had been around when I was doing my English Literature ‘A’ levels.
Originally reviewed on: http://catesbooknuthut.wordpress.com/...
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
March 27, 2013
I'm never certain what I'm going to get when I begin reading a book that is tied to a classic piece of literature. In this case, I thought this was an intelligently written and compelling book that explored some new avenues I hadn't thought of before and in many ways improved upon the ideas the original work left off with.
If you have ever wondered what happened to the remaining family of Viktor Frankenstein after his (theoretical) demise in the Arctic, this book explores that nicely. The dialogue was well written and appropriate for the time period featured in the novel. I was both surprised and a delighted to find that the author didn't stray too far from the original work when building the past history for these characters. I don't like it much when an author tries to rewrite a classic, and Pete Planisek didn't do that. He stuck by the basic premise of what of "Frankenstein" and joined it to the writing in this book, still truly managing to make this very original and his own.
The story has a good pace and there is a lot that happens, so you don't fall asleep while reading it. There was no lag time when the author reached the middle and I appreciated that the end was open for the next book, but didn't leave the reader hanging with more questions than answers. He never lost focus on his plot.
The encounters with "the creature" actually live up to the terrifying being that was crafted in the original Frankenstein, which must have been a challenge to accomplish. I found this was a hard book for me to put down and walk away from, and it kept me up late into the night finishing it. It really is very good.
The only thing I would have changed about this novel, was the amount of reminiscing the characters did. While I understood the need to give them all a history and looking into the past was better for the reader's knowledge base of them, there were times I felt the author got carried away with the past and forgot to include much information about the character's present life.
Overall this was an exciting read and I would recommend it to anyone who loves the classic, or anyone looking for a good book with some unforeseen twists.
This review is based on a digital copy from the publisher.
I will most definitely look for the rest of this series.
If you have ever wondered what happened to the remaining family of Viktor Frankenstein after his (theoretical) demise in the Arctic, this book explores that nicely. The dialogue was well written and appropriate for the time period featured in the novel. I was both surprised and a delighted to find that the author didn't stray too far from the original work when building the past history for these characters. I don't like it much when an author tries to rewrite a classic, and Pete Planisek didn't do that. He stuck by the basic premise of what of "Frankenstein" and joined it to the writing in this book, still truly managing to make this very original and his own.
The story has a good pace and there is a lot that happens, so you don't fall asleep while reading it. There was no lag time when the author reached the middle and I appreciated that the end was open for the next book, but didn't leave the reader hanging with more questions than answers. He never lost focus on his plot.
The encounters with "the creature" actually live up to the terrifying being that was crafted in the original Frankenstein, which must have been a challenge to accomplish. I found this was a hard book for me to put down and walk away from, and it kept me up late into the night finishing it. It really is very good.
The only thing I would have changed about this novel, was the amount of reminiscing the characters did. While I understood the need to give them all a history and looking into the past was better for the reader's knowledge base of them, there were times I felt the author got carried away with the past and forgot to include much information about the character's present life.
Overall this was an exciting read and I would recommend it to anyone who loves the classic, or anyone looking for a good book with some unforeseen twists.
This review is based on a digital copy from the publisher.
I will most definitely look for the rest of this series.
June 16, 2013
This is one of the most impressive sequel to a classic literature. Mary Shelley's literary classic "Frankenstein" drives us to a completely different world. If ever we are curious of what happened after the demise of Victor Frankenstein, no book can be compared to this. It is written in this modern world and thus has a flair of contemporary action. The story is tragic but in the same way romantic too. Author Pete Planisek has kept a complete connection with the original story.
The characters are well written. The dialogues coordinated with the time period . There were no questions which hung in my mind after read this book. It kept me awake till late night. The adventure was thrilling and mesmerizing. I'm really glad that no piece of the book went boring. He was always focused on the main plot. I'm absolutely happy with this book and would love to give a '4.5 out of 5'.
Overall this was an thrilling book. It kept me amazed till the end.
I would really recommend this book to those who are a fan of Literature.
The characters are well written. The dialogues coordinated with the time period . There were no questions which hung in my mind after read this book. It kept me awake till late night. The adventure was thrilling and mesmerizing. I'm really glad that no piece of the book went boring. He was always focused on the main plot. I'm absolutely happy with this book and would love to give a '4.5 out of 5'.
Overall this was an thrilling book. It kept me amazed till the end.
I would really recommend this book to those who are a fan of Literature.
June 15, 2013
We've all seen original classic stories twisted with a new plot, new writing style, new characters, and so much more. But what about a novel that continues a classic story that everyone enjoyed without changing anything?
Frankenstein: A Life Beyond does just that.
Planisek does a wonderful job of picking up where Mary Shelley finished. I found the story very intriguing, considering I've never thought of what might have happened after the ending Shelly left us with. But now, I want more.
In this fantastic continuation, Ernest, Victor's brother, gets warning that his brother may still be alive. The plot is done at a great pace as we read about Ernest and his quest to find his family, ultimately getting sucked into the monsters quest.
Planisek does a phenomenal job of depicting "the creature" in the same way Mary Shelley did. I know that must have been a challenge but Panisek pulls it off splendidly.
Overall, this was an exciting read, one that I did not want to put down. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
Frankenstein: A Life Beyond does just that.
Planisek does a wonderful job of picking up where Mary Shelley finished. I found the story very intriguing, considering I've never thought of what might have happened after the ending Shelly left us with. But now, I want more.
In this fantastic continuation, Ernest, Victor's brother, gets warning that his brother may still be alive. The plot is done at a great pace as we read about Ernest and his quest to find his family, ultimately getting sucked into the monsters quest.
Planisek does a phenomenal job of depicting "the creature" in the same way Mary Shelley did. I know that must have been a challenge but Panisek pulls it off splendidly.
Overall, this was an exciting read, one that I did not want to put down. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
August 1, 2016
A couple of years ago I had the pleasure of reading the first draft of this complex sequel to one of my favorite books, Frankenstein. I have always liked Pete's premise of the sole surviving member of the Frankenstein clan (or is he??) being haunted by his family's tragic demise. The new characters are carefully interwoven into a ten years later storyline, and since this is Book #1 of 3, I am looking forward to some background on super spy Abrielle and more comic relief from Jack Clerval and his potentially dangerous flying cigars. Some parts of the novel are action-filled, page-turning suspense and adventure. But for me, the strengths of the tale come from the reflective journal entries by Ernest and his wife Ailis, the contemplative and philosophical tone maintained, and the cliffhangers throughout the book. I am looking forward to Book #2!
December 21, 2022
Frankenstein A Life Beyond (Book 1 of 3) The Resurrection Trinity
by Pete Planisek
I have Mary Shelly's original Frankenstein on my shelves. And with the Monsters in the Neighborhood, and Club Monstrosity under my belt I will try to look at this book with a new perspective This is an odd story, told from the point of view of Ernest Frankenstein, and Ailis Frankenstein his wife. Written as diary entries to their unborn child. Talking about an adventure to Frankenstein home land and ancestral home in an attempt to find his brother, and the mystery of the legend that brought notary of their family. there are some breaks in the time line, especially in the moments of the two main characters and their first meetings. Written as a more classical novel, sounding like Robinson Crusoe more then a monster movie.
by Pete Planisek
I have Mary Shelly's original Frankenstein on my shelves. And with the Monsters in the Neighborhood, and Club Monstrosity under my belt I will try to look at this book with a new perspective This is an odd story, told from the point of view of Ernest Frankenstein, and Ailis Frankenstein his wife. Written as diary entries to their unborn child. Talking about an adventure to Frankenstein home land and ancestral home in an attempt to find his brother, and the mystery of the legend that brought notary of their family. there are some breaks in the time line, especially in the moments of the two main characters and their first meetings. Written as a more classical novel, sounding like Robinson Crusoe more then a monster movie.
May 7, 2013
This book continues where Mary Shelley's classic tale leaves off. One member of the Frankenstein family still lives. Ernest, Victor's brother, who escaped his family's dark past, receives messages that lead him to believe his brother may still be alive and is summoned to play a role in the monster's ultimate quest.
In this book, the first of three Planisek has written to expand the Frankenstein tale, the author expanses the scope, characters, and themes of the original story. He stays true to Shelley's writing style while finding clever ways to enhance the narrative with modern techniques and gives an entertaining continuation on a well known story.
In this book, the first of three Planisek has written to expand the Frankenstein tale, the author expanses the scope, characters, and themes of the original story. He stays true to Shelley's writing style while finding clever ways to enhance the narrative with modern techniques and gives an entertaining continuation on a well known story.
dnf
July 28, 2013I refuse to think that the reason I didn't enjoy this book is because I haven't actually read the original Frankenstein.
I stopped reading it because this book was just a stone on my chest. The writing style is weak and very sinister. I really don't need to indulge myself in that. 7% and I still don't know what the fuck everyone is talking about (excuse my language), and seriously, this book was just written badly. After a while, I realized that I didn't really CARE about what the book talks about or what really happend in it.
Sorry for being cruel.
I regret signing up for this book.
Why did I even do that?
I stopped reading it because this book was just a stone on my chest. The writing style is weak and very sinister. I really don't need to indulge myself in that. 7% and I still don't know what the fuck everyone is talking about (excuse my language), and seriously, this book was just written badly. After a while, I realized that I didn't really CARE about what the book talks about or what really happend in it.
Sorry for being cruel.
I regret signing up for this book.
Why did I even do that?
August 23, 2012
This is an impressive debut novel that builds a whole new story from the background characters in Mary Shelley's literary classic. The characters are well written with fresh motivations that seamlessly weave into the history of the original text. The story is tragic and romantic, but also adds a contemporary flair of action and adventure. With this book, Planisek is setting the tone for a trilogy that reverently echoes the source material and yet takes the Frankenstein mythos far beyond its classic origins. I'm looking forward to the next books!
July 5, 2013
What I liked best about this book is that it did take a true classic and continue on with the story as if this had always been the intention. I know a lot of readers get caught up in all the typo errors but as a fellow author it is difficult to create a flawless piece. After having my first book edited by ten different people I still have readers commenting on certain things. To me I can live with the errors as long as the story takes me away. Well done Mr Planisek.
October 11, 2013
This book took a true classic and continues the story with Victor's surviving brother Ernest. I felt this book was a very fluid continuation of the story. Often times with a sequel to a well loved classic you never know what you will get. I was happy this one was so well written and suspenseful . I am looking forward to the next book in this series
February 27, 2014
To be able to pull off a continuation story of a classic took some nerve. But I am glad that Mr. Planisek did! I loved this book. I have been coming across alot of these continuation stories and they are just great. I would like to have this in hard cover for my personal library.
June 19, 2013
Very well written, good flow, picks up where Mary Shelley left off. I liked it a lot. Thanks :)
August 26, 2018
It's always tricky to take a well known literary world and expand on it. In this case the world, as the title suggestions, is that of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.
In this book, the family Frankenstein faces new challenges, as well as the possible return of the demon that Victor Frankenstein created.
The story generally flows well, although it does get bogged down in patches. The writing is very good, and captures the period perfectly, and the world Planisek has created is fleshed out nicely.
There were some minor issues with formatting of the epub version I received which made following the constant chopping between POV difficult to follow, and the introduction of characters only to not see them again for some time, does make things stutter a bit.
Overall though a nicely written story.
In this book, the family Frankenstein faces new challenges, as well as the possible return of the demon that Victor Frankenstein created.
The story generally flows well, although it does get bogged down in patches. The writing is very good, and captures the period perfectly, and the world Planisek has created is fleshed out nicely.
There were some minor issues with formatting of the epub version I received which made following the constant chopping between POV difficult to follow, and the introduction of characters only to not see them again for some time, does make things stutter a bit.
Overall though a nicely written story.
October 21, 2017
Frankenstein A Life Beyond (book 1 of 3) The Resurrection Trinity
This book is complicated but enjoyable, so many facets to explore. A very in depth look into the Frankenstein family and I feel book 1 is just beginning to scratch the surface. So much information to absorb. I felt transported back through time, almost a foreboding feeling while reading this book.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story with all the fascinating characters and will continue with the series. How can I not, I need answers.
I admire the Authors skillful language and am now a big fan of his writing.
I give Frankenstein a Life Beyond 5 stars for its amazing writing and foreboding story.
I would recommend this book to everyone.
This book is complicated but enjoyable, so many facets to explore. A very in depth look into the Frankenstein family and I feel book 1 is just beginning to scratch the surface. So much information to absorb. I felt transported back through time, almost a foreboding feeling while reading this book.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story with all the fascinating characters and will continue with the series. How can I not, I need answers.
I admire the Authors skillful language and am now a big fan of his writing.
I give Frankenstein a Life Beyond 5 stars for its amazing writing and foreboding story.
I would recommend this book to everyone.
May 18, 2024
Great Reading
Frankenstein is one of my all time favorite novels and I’ve read it a number of times over the years. This book was a wonderful expansion of the original novel in keeping with the original feel in story telling. I’m looking forward to jumping into the next novel in the series and only wish the third novel was already out, hope I don’t hav to wait too long for it.
Frankenstein is one of my all time favorite novels and I’ve read it a number of times over the years. This book was a wonderful expansion of the original novel in keeping with the original feel in story telling. I’m looking forward to jumping into the next novel in the series and only wish the third novel was already out, hope I don’t hav to wait too long for it.
June 26, 2013
I loved the premise of the book. At the end of Frankenstein, the only one in the Frankenstein family left is Victor's brother Ernest, so having this book be about him and his interactions with the creature was brilliant. I was impressed with the start of the book because it felt like Mary Shelley had continued the story. The story is good, the creature interactions are interesting and it was a quick read.
Pros: The idea is great, I always wanted a sequel to Frankenstein, one of my all time favorite tales, and the story read quickly and was interesting. I loved having Justine's story filled out because it is so tragic and her life is so briefly mentioned in the original.
Cons: The narrative flipped between characters and times and although I didn't mind the changes, they weren't clearly marked so it was confusing and sometimes you read a page before you knew what was going on, who was narrating and what time period it was.
The first two thirds of the book was really closely related to the original and felt like Mary Shelley's sequel until this weird stuff with the gypsy girl was thrown in. Again, it made the tale interesting and I enjoyed it, but it was abrupt and didn't fit the rest of the narrative. I wish it had been introduced or hinted out earlier.
Overall, if you love Frankenstein, you'll love this, but be aware of these few issues. I would recommend it though because it was fun, kept my attention and it was a fair sequel. I will read the rest of the series because I want to know what becomes of the creature. (He's just as mysterious in this book as in the original and just as linked to the Victor's family as well!)
Pros: The idea is great, I always wanted a sequel to Frankenstein, one of my all time favorite tales, and the story read quickly and was interesting. I loved having Justine's story filled out because it is so tragic and her life is so briefly mentioned in the original.
Cons: The narrative flipped between characters and times and although I didn't mind the changes, they weren't clearly marked so it was confusing and sometimes you read a page before you knew what was going on, who was narrating and what time period it was.
The first two thirds of the book was really closely related to the original and felt like Mary Shelley's sequel until this weird stuff with the gypsy girl was thrown in. Again, it made the tale interesting and I enjoyed it, but it was abrupt and didn't fit the rest of the narrative. I wish it had been introduced or hinted out earlier.
Overall, if you love Frankenstein, you'll love this, but be aware of these few issues. I would recommend it though because it was fun, kept my attention and it was a fair sequel. I will read the rest of the series because I want to know what becomes of the creature. (He's just as mysterious in this book as in the original and just as linked to the Victor's family as well!)
June 30, 2015
I'm afraid I could not get into this book, despite being intrigued by the idea of a continuation of the Frankenstein story. It seemed quite suitably atmospheric, but I was soon distracted by the many errors, a major one being 'Artic' used instead of 'Arctic', and also very odd choices of phrase which should have been found during the editing process. These can be distracting - for example, 'He amended brushing his large, white mustache.' ?? I also found the dialogue odd, and the flashbacks quite confusing at times.
If a corrected version were to be published then I would be happy to try again.
If a corrected version were to be published then I would be happy to try again.
December 26, 2014
This book is a sequel to Mary Shelly's Frankenstein book told primarily through Victor's brother's Earnest's perspective and actions. I'm interested to see how this story goes as the story is only 1 part of a 3 book series, and leaves without resolving several key features. I'm looking forward to reading this rest later.
November 10, 2019
An engaging story of the other half of the Frankenstein clan and all their tragedies. Questions of identity and family secrets, tradition and prospects of a new future are central to this story. A good read for those who like a dose of the fantastic with their mystery.
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