"Alisa Kwitney has an understanding of human foibles and follies and a light, intelligent touch that marks her as an author to watch and enjoy."
--#1 New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman

Frankenstein meets Marissa Meyer's Cinder in this tightly paced historical thriller packed with secrets, betrayal and steamy romance.

When Elizabeth Lavenza enrolled at Ingold as its first female medical student, she knew she wouldn't have an easy time. From class demands to being an outsider among her male cohorts, she'll have to go above and beyond to prove herself.

So when she stumbles across what appears to be a faulty Bio-Mechanical--one of the mechanized cadavers created to service the school--she jumps at the chance to fix it and get ahead in the program. Only this Bio-Mechanical isn't like the others. This one seems to have thoughts, feelings...and self-awareness.

Soon Elizabeth realizes that it is Victor Frankenstein--a former student who died under mysterious circumstances. Suddenly Elizabeth finds herself entwined in his dark secrets, ones he might have been murdered to keep buried.

"Fiendishly clever and gorgeously romantic. Alisa Kwitney spins an electrifying tale of beautiful monsters and mad scientists that will keep your nerves tingling and your heart racing long into the night."
--Carol Goodman, New York Times bestselling author of The Metropolitans

"Fans of Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles will enjoy this."
--Kirkus

"In this inventive Victorian-era steampunk tale...Kwitney blends elements of murder mystery, classic science fiction, and gothic romance, all cleverly framed around a Beauty and the Beast take on Frankenstein."
--Booklist

"A dark, thrilling and ingenious riff on the Frankenstein legend."
--M.R. Carey, author of The Girl with All the Gifts

"Strikingly written and impeccably conjured."
--Gwenda Bond, author of the Lois Lane series

"It swept me right away."
--Delia Sherman, author of The Great Detective

Sex as a Second Language: A Novel