Frankenstein is a story pretty much everyone knows. Whether they are fans of the 30s Universal classic, or had to read it in high school English class, the story of man attempting to be God is a tale as old as time. Authors John Royal Warren and Vienna Nicole, the duo that created The Dread Legacies book series, take this monstrous tale and bring gothic elegance, science fiction, and horror to back 2025. It’s alive — Victoria Frankenstein!
As Napoleonic rule rescinds in the Kingdom of Holland in 1813, we follow Victoria Frankenstein who was once a woman from high society, now attempting to rebuild her life among the common folk of the quaint village of Rode Heuvals, all the while dreading that the juggernaut of her past will someday find her.
Victoria Frankenstein, The Dread Legacies
Stepping directly into her father’s footsteps, Victoria Frankenstein continues the family tradition of absurd creation. Deep in the recesses the Frankenstein castle, she soon encounters the meaning of their motto, “Death follows Frankensteins,” when the humanoid corpse she has reanimated immediately is thrown into a world of destruction and violence from the townsfolk raiding her home. Years later, after living with locals, Victoria comes face to face again with Prometheus (the creature, as it has come be be called), and death and chaos follow with Victoria and Prometheus coming to terms in the end, the creation a newfound purpose in life.
Victoria Frankenstein, though a similar story to Mary Shelley’s classic, is more of a feminist perspective on heritage, life, scientific achievement, and the folly of man. Compared to Shelley’s Victor, Victoria is capable, educated, and resilient. The “monster” also shows those qualities, along with a slurry of emotions besides anger and vengeance; causing death is not something Prometheus likes, as it shows a deep empathy and remorse for the trouble it causes the townsfolk. Victoria and Prometheus are two sides of the same coin, wrestling not only with the curse of the ancestry they inherited, but the misconceptions placed on them just by being a woman (or monster).
Placed smack dab in the gothic era, Victoria Frankenstein stays true to its namesake in setting and style. Flowing from European castles and villages in England, Holland, and France, then expanding to exotic locations like the Arctic and exploring multicultural practices from Africa and India, the book takes us into the minds of 18th and 19th century explorers, bringing back secret knowledge that Victoria utilizes in her experiments. Victoria Frankenstein retains an older style of writing as well; the voice and tone kept me in the gothic mindset while still being readable. It was easy to imagine myself sitting on a leather chaise atop a fur rug, settling down with my novel in a mahogany-lined reading room.
Coincidentally, I recently had the chance to visit Universal’s Epic Universe, where a section of the park is dedicated to the Universal Monsters (Frankenstein, Dracula, the Wolf Man, etc.). The Dark Universe, as that area is called, contains streets and alleyways mirroring the villages of these stories, as well as a gigantic castle the Frankenstein family calls home. Within that castle is a ride featuring one Dr. Victoria Frankenstein and her experiments to control other monsters alongside the original Frankenstein’s Monster. Reading Victoria Frankenstein brought me right back there, and helped me put a whole new lens of the story. I had been there — inside of the laboratory, walking the halls of the castle, fleeing into the stormy village where townsfolk gathered with their pitchforks and fire. And even now, writing this review, I am listening to the Dark Universe soundtrack as I remember scenes from the book for a unique immersive experience.
Victoria Frankenstein shines in its portrayal of science gone wrong, with gothic themes in a modern, feminine light. As I have noted previously, it is a great companion piece to the Shelley novel, the 30s film, and even the theme park ride. And like Dr. Victoria Frankenstein, this story lets your brain breathe new life, opening your eyes to the world of miraculous monstrosities and science gone wrong… or right.
Victoria Frankenstein is available to order on October 1st. Follow The Dread Legacies on Instagram and their website for updates on the series.
