Wow, what an excellent conclusion to a wonderful series! I loved the first two installments, so I definitely had some high expectations for this one. I was actually a little disappointed at first when I saw that A Cold Legacy was based on Frankenstein, because that classic has never really appealed to me. However, I realized that the story had some really dark themes that perfectly suited the feel of this story. 
 Juliet and the gang are on the run in the beginning; she's murdered several members of the King's Cross to stop them from killing hundreds of innocent people with savage beast-like creatures. The first few chapters were dedicated mostly to travel, but I didn't mind. From the moment Juliet arrived at the manor, I knew there was something creepy about it. Shepherd is such an excellent writer; her descriptions of spooky things and stuff that goes bump in the night genuinely freaked me out a little. And you can definitely tell that's she put some research into these books with her knowledge of human anatomy. This series really isn't for the faint of heart, but personally I enjoy the grittiness most of the time. I would happily read anything this woman decides to publish in the future for the privilege of reading the gorgeous way she puts words together. 
 The side characters were a mystery. I never really knew what any of them were hiding, though I was most suspicious of Elizabeth and Valentina. Some of them turned out to be quite innocent, while others did not. Regardless of whether they were shady or not, though, all of them were interesting. Hensley in particular was an oddity; his behavior was rash and extremely unpredictable. (view spoiler)[I felt sorry for him when he died, though. It must have been awful for him, accidentally killing the woman he thought of as his mother. I didn't blame him; mentally, he was just a child who didn't understand the extent of his actions. The fact that he was sometimes borderline sinister is beside the point. (hide spoiler)] I'm happy to say that Juliet had some pretty good character development as well; the pressures of society and the madness in her bloodline has driven her crazy for so long, it was nice to see her finally make peace with herself. I will miss her narration; though she made questionable decisions at times, her morbid spin on life was oddly fascinating. 
 The love triangle is finally put to rest, and it has the ending I most prefer - it ends with the heroine making a conscious decision between her two suitors and sticking to her decision. I absolutely love that. Though Juliet is engaged to Montgomery in the beginning of A Cold Legacy, they didn't seem to have a lot of interaction for most of the first half of the book, but that just made their few moments alone all the more precious. I have shipped the two of them together from the start of The Madman's Daughter. (view spoiler)[I was so, so happy they ended up going through with the wedding and staying together. I was terrified Juliet's dark curiosity would drive a wedge between them. But instead they actually communicated like adults and worked out their problems because they love each other. (hide spoiler)] She is, of course, also worried about Edward, who spends a good chunk of the book hovering between life and death. Honestly, I've neither liked nor disliked him throughout this whole series - he's always just sort of been there. There is, though, the matter of his alternate personality, the Beast, who's been one of the biggest villains of the story. 
 The Beast was sort of compelling in his own way, but I was definitely cheering for his demise. One of the best things about A Cold Legacy is its twists and turns. I found it very difficult to put the book down and finished it in about two days, which isn't something I've been able to do for a while. The build up and the climax of the story was very satisfying. (view spoiler)[I honestly didn't expect Juliet to find out she wasn't a Moreau, and that the fortune teller was actually Ajax, from the island. The scene at the end when Lucy's father accidentally killed her, and then when Juliet made the decision not to bring her back was saddening. I also kind of wish that she hadn't given up possession of the manor, but staying in one place doesn't really suit her character. (hide spoiler)] Overall, this is truly a remarkable young adult series, and I would recommend it to anyone who loves beautiful writing and doesn't mind some dark themes. 
 4.5 Stars