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3.5 

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau

By Silvia Moreno-Garcia
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia digital book - Fable

Publisher Description

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the bestselling author of Mexican Gothic and Velvet Was the Night comes a lavish historical drama reimagining of The Island of Doctor Moreau set against the backdrop of nineteenth-century Mexico.

“This is historical science fiction at its best: a dreamy reimagining of a classic story with vivid descriptions of lush jungles and feminist themes. Some light romance threads through the heavier ethical questions concerning humanity.”—Library Journal (starred review)

“The imagination of Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a thing of wonder, restless and romantic, fearless in the face of genre, embracing the polarities of storytelling—the sleek and the bizarre, wild passions and deep hatreds—with cool equanimity.”—The New York Times (Editors Choice)


FINALIST FOR THE HUGO AWARD • ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, Time, NPR, Polygon, Tordotcom, Paste, CrimeReads, Booklist


Carlota Moreau: A young woman growing up on a distant and luxuriant estate, safe from the conflict and strife of the Yucatán peninsula. The only daughter of a researcher who is either a genius or a madman.

Montgomery Laughton: A melancholic overseer with a tragic past and a propensity for alcohol. An outcast who assists Dr. Moreau with his experiments, which are financed by the Lizaldes, owners of magnificent haciendas and plentiful coffers.

The hybrids: The fruits of the doctor’s labor, destined to blindly obey their creator and remain in the shadows. A motley group of part human, part animal monstrosities.

All of them live in a perfectly balanced and static world, which is jolted by the abrupt arrival of Eduardo Lizalde, the charming and careless son of Dr. Moreau’s patron, who will unwittingly begin a dangerous chain reaction.

For Moreau keeps secrets, Carlota has questions, and, in the sweltering heat of the jungle, passions may ignite.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau
is both a dazzling historical novel and a daring science fiction journey.

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3283 Reviews

3.5
“A good book! A book about humans that are part animal, and how they live in a very remote place have to fight people, and the daughter of Dr. Moreau is able to live as somewhat normal life after her dad passes away”
“This is probably one of the few times when I think being unfamiliar with the “original” story is actually very helpful. I have never read The Island of Doctor Moreau and I’m sure that if I had I would have been too distracted by trying to compare the stories to appreciate this story as it is presented. I love how Moreno-Garcia recontextualized her story into a very specific time and place to help change the social commentary that she is able to make and she makes commentary on almost every topic imaginable: race and labor relations, the ethics of scientific experimentation, nature vs nurture and the idea of self-determination, familial relationships, romantic relationships, religious affiliations, and the ability to build a better future for everyone, just to name a few. It doesn’t feel like one story should be able to touch upon so many different subjects without getting overwhelming, but it is all beautifully woven together throughout the story and wrapped up nicely at the end. The only real downside for me was how tiresome I found Montgomery to be for most of the book, but I came around to him by the end. I will also mention that the narrator did a spectacular job of having very distinct voices for each character, which made the story extra enjoyable.”

About Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is the author of the novels Velvet Was the Night, Mexican Gothic, Gods of Jade and Shadow, and a bunch of other books. She has also edited several anthologies, including the World Fantasy Award–winning She Walks in Shadows (a.k.a. Cthulhu’s Daughters). She has been nominated for the Locus Award for her work as an editor and has won the British Fantasy Award and the Locus Award for her work as a novelist.

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