Dawn: A Re-Imagining of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

The Frankenstein Saga, Book 3

By: Merrie Destefano

Narrated by: Katherine Holt

A broken heart. An infamous holiday gone wrong. A deadly curse brought to life. A holiday in Switzerland is supposed to lift Mary Wollstonecroft Godwin’s spirits. She wants to forget the past and have fun.

In fact, everyone in her party is running away from one indiscretion or another — from her fiancé Percy Shelley to Lord Byron to Mary’s stepsister, Claire.

But from the moment Mary arrives at Byron’s villa, she knows something is wrong. He rushes her indoors and forbids all of them to go out at night, claiming that the horrible weather has driven wild animals down from the mountains. The only person who doesn’t seem to be running away from anything is a handsome, young Italian doctor, John Polidori. Instead, he is fervently pursuing local folk legends and a new scientific theory that claims people can be raised from the dead. But it’s not until they all challenge one other to write ghost stories that the real danger begins. In a nightmare, Mary envisions a patchwork man animated by Galvanism and she begins writing Frankenstein.

Likewise, fueled by local legends, John writes The Vampyre — one of the first vampire stories ever written. What neither one of them knows is that they are conjuring a dark evil. Before long, all of their lives will be in danger — for neither of these characters are imaginary. Far from it.

©2018 Merrie Destefano (P)2020 Merrie Destefano

A riveting heart-warming conclusion!

In the last installment of this amazing trilogy, the Vampire King's intentions are finally revealed. Hearts will be tested as Mary and her friends set up to escape.

Out of the three books, I found this one to be the most moving. Perhaps because, like Mary, I've lost a child myself, and could sympathize with her deep sense of mourning. Although many would have considered it her weakness, our heroine turns it into her greatest asset. A beautiful arc from start to finish.

Now, there's a thing to be said about the sangsue King. It's always pleasing to discover the many layers that shape all villains. And in this final book, I was so pleased to see that. I cannot elaborate for fear of mentioning spoilers. I can only say that listening to the Frankenstein Saga has been a wonderful experience. And that I highly recommend this trilogy to all avid readers, especially those inclined for Gothic environments and dark, delicious prose.

Brava, Merrie Destefano!

And a special thanks to Katherine Holt for bringing to life this amazing story with such a brilliant performance!

Stunning conclusion to an epic retelling of the original STEM narrative

Even with the sun on the horizon, so to speak, things are still getting worse for poor Mary... The monsters that seek to seduce her are stronger than ever - and yes, there’s more to their demands than any of our characters had envisioned thus far. Stakes ate raised as allies and enemies are eliminated or turn the tables on our poor heroine.

But Mary IS a not just a poor girl - it’s time for her to make a stand and emerge as the hero the people depending on her need.

Can’t say more without spoilers, but Destefano manages to do what many would bot accomplish. Like all truly great historical fiction, this reimagining of Mary Shelley’s real life story and her epic novel fits within the history we know almost seamlessly. Yes, some elements are significantly changed, but the dovetailing of the fantasy elements of this story with the reality we think we know works very well. It’s easy to imagine that THIS is the true story, glossed over in the history books and Wikipedia by the skeptics and incredulous.

As in the last two novelas, Katherine Holt’s performance is spot on. You’re immersed in the energy and fear the characters themselves are feeling. And the conclusion, when it finally comes, is fully earned, emotional and will have you sighing with relief.

Merrie Destefano proves Mary Shelley’s legend and legacy are far from outdated or forgotten. They are the roots of so much of our literary and cinematic fear to this day. This trilogy is a worthy successor to Shelley, Stoker, Stevenson & Dickens.