I did not enjoy reading this. It felt like when I read Twilight all over again- flipping pages waiting for the good part that never happened. It was a lot of talking and plotting without much acting on the talking and plotting (kind of like Lex Luthor). There was much filler, but since I tolerate Dragon Ball Z, filler capital of forever, I tolerated it here. The book was well written, yeah, but nothing really happened and it kept hitting you over the head with the last book constantly. The Randall Six sub-plot was over way too quickly, after all the build-up in the first book. The book also suffered from a bit of Spiderman 3 syndrome: they seemed to want to set up as many new players as they could for the epic showdown of book 3, at a cost of the reader wondering why the hell some of the characters were even there. Is all the sex needed, really? AND WHERE THE FRIDGE WAS DEUCALION. MORE DEUCALION DAMN IT. I did enjoy reading this. Yes, that is a contradiction. I love contradictions. Shut up.I enjoyed the characters (except for stereotype cops one and two) very much, and I enjoyed how they were developed (oh, don’t worry, I’m still going to rip them a new one). I enjoyed that we were given more detail into the biology of the creatures Vicky creates. I enjoyed the build-up of the things at the dump. I think my favourite part was the psychology/philosophy of the creatures questioning their reason for being and wanting more than they had. It made them very human, and showed that no matter how much Helios wanted his creations to be above humans (and no matter what else he threw into them), they were still human at the core. I liked how Victor’s plans were going to shit (I really hate Victor Frankenstein). The “confrontation” between Victor and Deucalion was brilliant and very much to both of their characters. This book is STILL showing and not telling. At least it feels less like a high school student. Victor Frankenstein seriously needs a kick in the balls.In all honesty, you could probably skip this one if you don’t like filler. If you like the universe created in the first one, read this one. If not, don’t waste your time, because all the cons are so more annoying than the pros.
I LOVE THIS SERIES!!!!!I mean... why wasn't I reading it all these years ago?Oh yeah... cuz I didn't think Dean Koontz would be any good.I retract everything I have ever thought of the man... he is indeed the most awesome storyteller!!PLOTDeucalion is still on his mission to rid the world of his creator Victor Helios (aka Frankenstein). Still teamed up with Carson and Michael it's just a couple days after book 1 and so many things are falling apart. Can they track him down before the Old Race becomes extinct?New CharactersNick: Team Leader/Manager of the junkyard owned by Victor. Loves the smell of garbage. Interesting character.Cindi and Benny Lovewell: A hit-couple hired to take out Old Race citizens to be replaced with New. Hysterical! Love their bickering.Erika 5: Victor's latest wife. Wants to be the last. Has a nasty habit of wanting to know too much.Werner: Security Gaurd for Mercy who's life is splitting in two.Greta's ThoughtsWhile the first book was better this book was still awesome. It's just like a soap opera. You jump from one character to the next and by the end it's like a Friday where you are left with so many cliffies you can't wait till Monday rolls around. (yes.... I used to watch soap operas so I know all about the Friday Cliffies lolz)The best part of the book is the very end. It just leaves you hungering for more more more more!!I am however, disappointed with what happened to Randell but the introduction of Cindi and Benny totally made up for it. It was just too fun following them around as Cindi kept wanting to have a baby and Benny knowing they dang well couldn't because they were members of the New Race.Carson and Michael are not the main targets of this book but towards the end you get a feeling that in the next one they will be. Victor has a bigger part. And the new Erika is kind of a bore but by the end she starts to get more interesting.We are also introduced to Victor's 'other' creations. Creations that he has been cross-breeding with other 'subject'. They are most interesting.Like I said with the last book I can't wait to get my hands on the next!
Following on from ‘The Prodigal Son’ Koontz takes the original Frankenstein story and creates something wonderful. Taking the idea of the classic story, Koontz places Frankenstein and his monster in the modern world. This story leaves you asking who the real monster is – whether it the grotesque monster happens to be the real monster or whether the creator of such a creature was the real monster.Following on from the first book, the characters are still dealing with the same problem that they originally were, trying to find a way to stop Frankenstein. With the story unfolding even more, more danger waits around the corner. Still, there are dangers present that not everyone can fully understand making the task even more difficult for the heroes of the story.It’s a must read for anyone who love Koontz or the classic Frankenstein story.
—Siobhan
Disappointingly mediocre follow up to the original. The brisk pace of Prodigal Son continues in City of Night, set immediately after the events of the first novel, though it lacks the punch and excitement of its more entertaining sibling. There is nothing particularly interesting about City of Night. I think it was a mistake to set it straight after Prodigal Son, as all of the best plot devices have been used up already and Koontz can't quite establish the same energetic ideas that were in the original. None of the new characters are as charismatic or entertaining as those in Prodigal Son. No flair, no charm, no new ideas. Basically, City of Night follows the two detectives Carson and Maddison as they buy guns and prepare to kill Dr. Helios. Meanwhile, things become more unstable in the New Race as cracks turn to fissures and problems start to rear their ugly heads. It's bland, boring, and formulaic. I was so surprised that Dean Koontz of all people chose to go down the road of the generic thriller/ revenge story. He should have abandoned the trilogy and made Prodigal Son 700 pages instead of 400, and finish the job then and there, because City of Night is a dry, unfulfilling and unnecessary sequel that brings nothing new to the table and detracts from the originals effectiveness. I didn't even finish it. Got about halfway through.
—Matthew West
Sorry for another late reply.:(I got a literary taste of the destruction wrought on Poland while reading Clive Barker's The Damnation Game.It's first chapter is set against the backdrop of a battle-ravaged Warsaw. The extent of the carnage can be judged from the indelible mark it leaves, not only on the inhabitants but on foreign writers too, who, perhaps, never went there.I agree with all the positive effects of British rule that you have pointed out.No matter how much we hate Communists - most of this hatred stems from the inherent nature of democracy which frowns upon arresting human freedom - they have done a few good things, even if at the point of a gun.The world was mostly hostile to a young Soviet Union and its brand of a new system of rule. Stalin was certainly a blood-thirsty tyrant, but he imposed his five-year plans, his co-operative farming technique et al with an iron fist, which ultimately brought about tremendous progress for the country.I don't mean to give a clean chit to his bloody purges and destruction of his opponents, but the silver lining is always there.I don't want to imagine the terror of an AVO-policed atmosphere in Communist Hungary (brilliantly brought to life in Alistair MacLean's The Last Frontier) and the nitty-gritty of the stringent one-child policy enforced in China for many years, but evil cannot totally repress the good.I hope your country gets over the problems it's facing in certain parts.You are right about the Youth Factor, if I may use the term. It's referred to as Demographic Dividend. India has more than 50% of its population below the age of 25 and more than 65% below the age of 35. For a country with a population of over 1.21 billion, that's a lot.It is expected that, in 2020, the average age of an Indian will be 29 years, compared to 37 for China and 48 for Japan.:) Looking forward to more discussions with you.ThanksRajeev
—Maciek
