This Dark Endeavor (The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein Book #1)

Unlike Dead End in Norvelt, I read this book just last summer but the story is still fresh in my mind as if I read it yesterday.

I came across this book all thanks to the Survivor Book Club at my school. This is a book club dedicated to discussing books about you guessed it, surviving mental issues more than physical ones. This was actually the June 2013 book, but I didn't read it until sometime in July (yes, I bothered remembering the name for about a month before I requested it). Now recently, one of my best friends has taken a liking to it because she loves the idea of raising the dead and alchemy. Since she doesn't go to the library often, I got both this book and its sequel for her to read, so I naturally started reading bits and pieces to refresh my memory. That's what compelled me to write a review on it.

Here's the cover (hopefully I can find the one I read, but there is a newer version of it too that I just came to know in the beginning of the school year)-

Wrong picture, I guess I saved the Spanish version... It's supposed to say This Dark Endeavor, The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein. I guess this is good if you know Spanish. Or maybe I shouldn't have added the translation. Oh whatever, moving on to the summary.

The story begins with Victor, Konrad and Elizabeth Frankenstein who discover a secret library connected to the basement of the Frankenstein manor. When they enter the library, they are scolded by Victor and Konrad's father who warns them not to dabble in alchemy or else it will lead them nowhere.

So the three children do not enter the library again.

Some months later, Victor notices that Konrad has been hiding a fever and tells his dad, who calls a doctor. The doctor does all he can, but Konrad seems to be getting more and more sick. This leaves Victor to begin to dabble in alchemy. With the help of a former alchemist who claims that he can help them, Victor and Elizabeth try to create the Elixir of Life which seems to be the only thing that can cure Konrad.

While deciphering a mysterious alphabet system whose letters switch every thirteen years, climbing giant trees and cave jumping, Victor and Elizabeth need only one more ingredient to add to the elixir. The blood of a man who cares for the drinker of the elixir. Victor steps ahead to give up his two fingers to be added to the elixir. But during the operation, the former alchemist suddenly turns on the two teenagers and tries to steal the elixir and drink it himself. After fighting and killing him and his pet mountain lion, Victor and Elizabeth finally have the elixir in their hands. But what will happen to Konrad when they give him the potion? Will he get better, or will he die like he was destined to when he contracted the disease?

My thoughts-

It was very well written. I nearly cried because the ending was just so sad.

Honestly, the ending is not what you think it should be. But that's where the second book comes into play. But that also has a strange ending where the main characters don't accomplish what they ultimately wanted to do because everything has a price. The moral in my opinion is that everything, even happiness has a price. Nothing comes free. And if you aren't willing to pay that price, you'll just have to keep on suffering. It cost Victor and Elizabeth so much to try and bring Konrad back to health. Even though the results weren't what they desired, the two of them risked so much to at least try.

A very well written bit of prose. I think that anyone will learn some very hard life lessons from this. I know I did.

And the sequel Such Wicked Intent explores Victor's utter obsession over alchemy and how it ultimately destroyed him from the inside because he was so drawn to it. A final question to think on- "When does obsession become madness?"