A Cold Legacy

Megan Shepherd — 2015

With inspiration from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, this breathless conclusion to the Madman's Daughter trilogy—perfect for fans of Libba Bray—explores the things we'll sacrifice to save those we love . . . even our own humanity. After killing the men who tried to steal her father's research, Juliet—along with Montgomery, Lucy, Balthazar, and a deathly ill Edward—has escaped to a remote estate on the Scottish moors. Owned by the enigmatic Elizabeth von Stein, the mansion is full of mysteries and unexplained oddities: dead bodies in the basement, secret passages, and fortune-tellers who seem to know Juliet's secrets. Though it appears to be a safe haven, Juliet fears new dangers may be present within the manor's own walls. Then she uncovers the truth about the manor's long history of scientific experimentation—and her own intended role in it—which forces her to determine where the line falls between right and wrong, life and death, magic and science, and promises and secrets. Juliet must decide if she'll follow her father's dark footsteps or her mother's tragic ones—or make her own.

Reviews

Macy Johnson@lunalovegoodreads

Dec 4, 2023

as my stars just decrease through this trilogy. Wow oh wow is this one a ride. Like you have never seen before!

jess@brekker

Aug 18, 2022

*screaming in frustration* one more star because of the lack of a love triangle. another because it was more enjoyable than he last. lost a star because my fave died :( as well as the frustration i felt at the decisions of juliet half the time and the Big Plot Twist was just .... straight out of left field. meh.

Kristen@kristen_of_the_dark

Oct 29, 2021

I enjoyed this trilogy. I loved the way every book just creeped under my skin, not really horror, but so very creepy. I can't wait to read the three books this series is based on. I want to point out how wonderful the imagery was. Megan Sheperd is a lovely writer, and I fell into all three of her stories. The descriptions of the surgical procedures and the sciences were so realistic, but I have no experience with either, so I can't say if it was all made up or not. At one point, I actually realized I was reading about a seventeen-year-old girl removing a dead guy's diseased brain in order to reanimate him and I was just like, what the heck am I reading right now? But that confusion was short lived and I dived right back into it. Juliet is a wonderfully complex character. Although I don't agree with many of her decisions, I do think we can see her mature throughout the series. Overall, I thought this series ended on a note just tragic enough to do a gothic horror justice. It's a beautiful series, and I loved it. I wish there were more books like these.