City of Night (Dean Koontz's Frankenstein, Book 2) [Mass Market Paperback]

Dean Koontz (Author), Ed Gorman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 28, 2009

From the celebrated imagination of Dean Koontz comes a powerful reworking of one of the classic stories of all time. If you think you know the legend, you know only half the truth. The mystery, the myth, the terror, and the magic continue. . . .

They are stronger, heal better, and think faster than any humans ever created–and they must be destroyed. Not even Victor Helios–once Frankenstein–can stop the engineered killers he’s set loose on a reign of terror through modern-day New Orleans. Only the one-time “monster” Deucalion and his all-too-human partners, Detectives Carson O’Connor and Michael Maddison, stand in their way. But as the three race to uncover the true dimensions of an age-old conspiracy, they will discover that Victor’s new, improved models have infiltrated every level of the city’s society . . . and far beyond.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Relax. Dean Koontz's Frankenstein, volume one of which, Prodigal Son (2005), was a pulse-pounder all the way, is going to be a trilogy. But don't expect to relax all that much. This book cooks, no second-volume doldrums anywhere in it. Its short, punchy chapters, 80 in all, seem to reflect the whole saga's TV miniseries origins in their jump-cutting between plot trajectories, but that seeming also owes much to the visualizability, so to speak, of everything in the book. But enough about technique. The manufactured young man who went AWOL from 200-plus-year-old Victor Helios-ne-Frankenstein's labs in Prodigal Son turns out to be not the only improved Frankenstein monster who is behaving strangely. Since he was created autistic for experimental purposes, he may be the least strange of the lot. Some of his "normal" fellows are mutating a la Alien, none more spectacularly than Victor's body guard. Deucalion, the original monster, now greatly humanized, especially ethically and morally, realizes that the mutations portend a much larger wave of breakdowns among the so-called New Race. That bodes very ill for a New Orleans heavily salted with Victor's creations, all of them programmed to kill mere humans at Victor's command, which the mutants no longer obey. Meanwhile, NOPD detectives Carson O'Connor and Michael Maddison prepare to hunt Victor down, even as a couple of hit-person New Racers track them. And then there is Erica Five, Victor's brand-new "wife," learning to be a better spouse by exploring hubby's house. Smart dialogue and cutting-edge scientific notions (Deucalion has learned how to teleport) are the oh-so-sweet icing on this delectable thriller's irresistible, devourable cake. Ray Olson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an alternate Mass Market Paperback edition.

Review

“Of all bestselling authors, Koontz may be the most underestimated by the literary establishment. Book after book, year after year, this author climbs to the top of the charts. Why? His readers know: because he is a master storyteller and a daring writer, and because, in his novels, he gives readers bright hope in a dark world.”—Publishers Weekly,starred review

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (July 28, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553593331
• ISBN-13: 978-0553593334
• Product Dimensions: 4.1 x 1.1 x 7.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (156 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #25,625 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I was born and raised in Pennsylvania where I graduated from Shippensburg State College (now Shippensburg University). When I was a senior in college, I won an Atlantic Monthly fiction competition and have been writing ever since. My first job after graduation was with the Appalachian Poverty Program, where I was expected to counsel and tutor underprivileged children on a one-to-one basis. During my first day on the job, I discovered that the previous occupier of my position had been beaten up by the very kids he had been trying to help and had landed in the hospital for several weeks. The following year was filled with challenge but also tension, and I was more highly motivated than ever to build a career as a writer. I wrote nights and weekends, which I continued to do after leaving the poverty program and going to work as an English teacher in a suburban school district outside Harrisburg. After a year and a half in that position, my wife, Gerda, made me an offer I couldn't refuse: "I'll support you for five years," she said, "and if you can't make it as a writer in that time, you'll never make it." By the end of those five years, Gerda had quit her job to run the business end of my writing career. Gerda and I, along with our dog, Trixie, live in southern California.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The saga continues..., August 4, 2005

By 

DanD - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: City of Night (Dean Koontz's Frankenstein #2) (Mass Market Paperback)

In the second of three novels dealing with ancient evil in contemporary New Orleans, Detectives Carson O'Connor and Michael Maddison are left realing from the discovery that Victor Helios, a billionaire scientist, was once Victor Frankenstein, and that his very first creation, now calling himself Deucalion, has come to the city to save the world. For Victor never stopped making new people--his terrifying "New Race." He has created what he THOUGHT was the perfect person...until things go wrong.

The New Race, created to be loyal unto Victor and to not believe in God or any form of supersticion, begin having doubts. The New Race are designed not to kill unless ordered by their creator to do so; but their lust to kill (for they hate human beings) is becoming uncontrollable. And several members of the New Race are changing into unthinkable monstrocities, with the sole desire to destroy and wreck havok.

As O'Connor, Maddison, and Deucalion race to stop Helios's evil plans, they must face the reality that they are too late: that events have been set in motion that may kill everybody in the city of New Orleans...and possibly the rest of the world.

It's a corny idea, to be sure; but then, Koontz has never been afraid to go out on a limb. And, truthfully, only he could turn this ridiculous notion into a horror/suspense novel that's not only readable, it's right up there with his best. Co-written by Ed Gorman (another brilliant horror/suspense writer), "City of Night" picks up where the first novel left off, and will leave readers hanging on the edge of their seats for the final installment (which doesn't come out for another year, unfortunately).

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A very good follow up to "Prodigal Son", June 14, 2006

By 

Leon Schmitz (Detroit, Mi) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: City of Night (Dean Koontz's Frankenstein #2) (Mass Market Paperback)

Let me start off by saying that I was saddened to find out that book 3 in this series isn't planned for release until winter 2007. I can understand the reasons, but with the way we are left hanging at the end of this book, I want to know what happens now. =)

Fans of book 1 will not be disappointed. This book picks up right where the last one left off and hits the ground running from start to finish. There was a recap to what has happened that was subtly mixed in to the first few chapters. This is very nice if, like me, you picked up this book as soon as it came out, but set it on your shelf until you got around to reading it. Overall the book moved VERY quickly and was a nice easy read.

I don't want to get too into the plot as I believe the Amazon Editorial Reviews suffice, as do many of the other reviews here, and I don't want to be the one to give away something that may spoil the story for you. I will say that you continue with O'Connor and Michael's often comedic interaction which, in between all the action and events, is very welcome. Deucalion seemed to me to take on a bit of a different role, and he didn't seem to come across as ominous as he had in "Prodigal Son". At first I was disappointed, but it fit the flow of the story quite well. Victor Frankenstein's character continued to grow and you can truly get a feeling of his madness and conceit in what he does as he becomes more and more reckless.

I definitely recommend this book, especially if you enjoyed the first book in the series. I picked up book one because I am a huge fan of everything Frankenstein. This, while being a different twist on the story, has been very good thus far.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good book, disappointing reviewers, August 1, 2006

By 

Black Stormy "pod six is jerks" (Santa Barbara, California United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: City of Night (Dean Koontz's Frankenstein #2) (Mass Market Paperback)

Really, how does he classify as a racist? Can people read a book? It is a tremendous reworking/continuation of a literary classic. It breathes new life into the old tale and gives it a 21st century spin. It's the same Koontz style that HIS readers have come to enjoy, and that is not a bad thing at all. There are only a two novelists whose works I will continue to read, Michael Crichton and Dean Koontz. As a law student, my time is scarce and Koontz makes reading more than worth my time. However, reading a trilogy in the works is difficult. If you haven't started the series yet, wait until book 3 comes out and read them in quick succession. I can't wait for the final installment. Do not listen to the negative reviewers, they sound jilted for some personal reason and are not being fair critics.