The Madman's Daughter has a wonderful opening, setting the scene in an ominous 19th century London lab. I think my mind conjured up everything in a foggy haze without even trying. I did do some major thinking when an instance of sexual assault really served as the inciting incident, and I'm not really sure how I feel about it. Once on the island the novel could drag a bit, especially when seeming to force a love triangle. Additionally, a lot of the themes of the source material seemed a little watered down, even with more time spent on them and it sometimes being stated point blank (like when Juliet would talk about her father playing God.). There didn't seem to be as much nuance. 
 But there was a wonderful sense of urgency at the end of the book. The ending packed a punch. I'm interested to see how the series will progress from here.