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Per the publisher: "His Unburned Heart tells the story of Mary Shelley’s quest to retrieve her husband’s heart from his publisher. History tells us that Percy Shelley was cremated, though his heart failed to burn, but the rest of the details are lost to time. Sandner has channeled Mary Shelley herself to share the story with us. That story is paired here with a second, related, piece. The Journal of Sorrow is named after Mary Shelley’s personal journal, and imagines Percy Shelley’s demise."
“Sandner presents a tender examination on the nature of grief as a literary icon speculates on her lover’s demise and the strange effort to recover the last physical remnant of her dead poet. Compelling and very moving prose.” —Tim McGregor, author of Wasps in the Ice Cream and Eynhallow
“A valentine’s gift of the most morbid kind, Sandner’s electric imagination shockingly brings back to life the woman who many would say founded science fiction and fantasy with her Frankenstein. Here we find the author turned main character, haunted by the love of her life in the most artfully gothic of ways. Sandner has crafted a terrific tribute, capturing the voice of not only young Mary but the whole period in which she lived, artfully winking with references to the literary history of the time, all while building on the sublime and terrifying concepts that underpin this artful tale. Only a writer, theorist and researcher like David Sandner could pull this conceit off so well, balancing tribute with tension, and Frankenstein’s many fans and literary scholars alike will find this treatment a fascinating contribution to the legacy of Mary and her hideous progeny. Shelley lives! And His Unburned Heart pulses with dread and delight!”—Michael Arnzen, Bram Stoker Award winning author of Grave Markings and 100 Jolts
“Sandner presents a tender examination on the nature of grief as a literary icon speculates on her lover’s demise and the strange effort to recover the last physical remnant of her dead poet. Compelling and very moving prose.” —Tim McGregor, author of Wasps in the Ice Cream and Eynhallow
“A valentine’s gift of the most morbid kind, Sandner’s electric imagination shockingly brings back to life the woman who many would say founded science fiction and fantasy with her Frankenstein. Here we find the author turned main character, haunted by the love of her life in the most artfully gothic of ways. Sandner has crafted a terrific tribute, capturing the voice of not only young Mary but the whole period in which she lived, artfully winking with references to the literary history of the time, all while building on the sublime and terrifying concepts that underpin this artful tale. Only a writer, theorist and researcher like David Sandner could pull this conceit off so well, balancing tribute with tension, and Frankenstein’s many fans and literary scholars alike will find this treatment a fascinating contribution to the legacy of Mary and her hideous progeny. Shelley lives! And His Unburned Heart pulses with dread and delight!”—Michael Arnzen, Bram Stoker Award winning author of Grave Markings and 100 Jolts
94 pages, Paperback
Published May 9, 2024
87 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
August 30, 2025
Reflective, imaginative, and inspired these two novelettes are entirely captivating. The first does a wonderful job at building the atmosphere and world without ever feeling like it was doing so. Written in the first-person from Mary’s perspective we have a beautiful whirlwind of emotions as her character feels wonderfully realized, and through her a handful of ancillary characters, while not much more than sketches, still feel genuine and intentional. Most notable, though, and this goes for the second novelette in this collection, too, is that the writing is wonderful. It feels like it is taken right from early 19th century gothic literature, with elaborate phrases and descriptions and poetics and emotion soaking every page. It really was a joy to read. There is not an especially large amount of story or narrative, not in either of these pieces, but the first a little more than the second. Neither feel like they are missing anything, as they are explorations of grief and autonomy, voyages into emotion and dream, not constrained by narrative. What is there, in the first story, moves quickly and is efficient, leaving space for the language to take center stage.
The second story is a piece is fashioned as journal entries, but entries in which Mary imagines what her husband’s last moments at sea might have been like. In this way we are shared a dozen “fits,” feverish eruptions of artistic humors that hypothesize different scenarios, some of which go more toward alleviating her feelings of guilt than others. This is wonderfully inventive, and it was amazing how much we learn about Mary’s inner life through the various possibilities she conjures. Hopeful and desperate, both, there is a gentleness to this, the moment of least comfort, of violent tempest, that is wonderfully crafted. This character study dives deep into an imagination, a story within a story, and, with language as haunting, beautiful, and poetic as the first, we share in a complicated but fulfilling journey.
Both stories are creative exercises, blending fact and fiction in a seamless way that is inviting and compelling. The writing and language are perhaps the strongest points, here, transporting the reader. Both stories feel purposeful, and neither lingers nor overstays its welcome. I will say this is an odd addition to this series (Selected Papers from the Consortium for the Study of Anomalous Phenomena), it doesn’t seem to fit with any of the other five stories I have read from this series, in terms of both content and style. I am glad it was included, though, because I don’t think I would have read it otherwise and I am truly glad I did.
The second story is a piece is fashioned as journal entries, but entries in which Mary imagines what her husband’s last moments at sea might have been like. In this way we are shared a dozen “fits,” feverish eruptions of artistic humors that hypothesize different scenarios, some of which go more toward alleviating her feelings of guilt than others. This is wonderfully inventive, and it was amazing how much we learn about Mary’s inner life through the various possibilities she conjures. Hopeful and desperate, both, there is a gentleness to this, the moment of least comfort, of violent tempest, that is wonderfully crafted. This character study dives deep into an imagination, a story within a story, and, with language as haunting, beautiful, and poetic as the first, we share in a complicated but fulfilling journey.
Both stories are creative exercises, blending fact and fiction in a seamless way that is inviting and compelling. The writing and language are perhaps the strongest points, here, transporting the reader. Both stories feel purposeful, and neither lingers nor overstays its welcome. I will say this is an odd addition to this series (Selected Papers from the Consortium for the Study of Anomalous Phenomena), it doesn’t seem to fit with any of the other five stories I have read from this series, in terms of both content and style. I am glad it was included, though, because I don’t think I would have read it otherwise and I am truly glad I did.
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April 10, 2024I requested His Unburned Heart on Netgalley as I’ve always found both this period of history and the lives of the Shelleys fascinating. Also, anything published by Raw Dog Press is guaranteed to be of high caliber.
This is a novella that combines fact and fiction superbly. The true back story is fascinating and temptingly macabre. Its immersion in Gothic romance only adds to the mood. A lot can be learned about the role of women here, and of how certain characters within this period of history sought and fought to change things for the better, Mary Shelley included. She was so young, but quite a formidable character. Truly remarkable.
The second half, The Journal of Sorrow, sees Mary imagining different scenarios regarding the facts about her husband’s death, as no one really knew what happened on that fateful sailing. This worked well, as I believe it’s exactly what one might do under such circumstances. That said, the author took a risk in writing in this format, but for me it worked.
Intelligently written literary horror. I really enjoyed it.
This is a novella that combines fact and fiction superbly. The true back story is fascinating and temptingly macabre. Its immersion in Gothic romance only adds to the mood. A lot can be learned about the role of women here, and of how certain characters within this period of history sought and fought to change things for the better, Mary Shelley included. She was so young, but quite a formidable character. Truly remarkable.
The second half, The Journal of Sorrow, sees Mary imagining different scenarios regarding the facts about her husband’s death, as no one really knew what happened on that fateful sailing. This worked well, as I believe it’s exactly what one might do under such circumstances. That said, the author took a risk in writing in this format, but for me it worked.
Intelligently written literary horror. I really enjoyed it.
October 30, 2025
lovely writing, fittong to autmn atmosphere
April 3, 2024
“There, in the charred lump of his unburned heart, in its impossibility, my story lies. If you will know it, you must know it with the unsayable left in; the excess, like his heart, abides.”
📚
His Unburned Heart opens in Tuscany, Italy, in August 1822 as Percy Shelley’s body burns upon a beachside pyre. Attending his cremation following his untimely drowning are prideful, hot-tempered Lord Byron; dishonest, pagan ritual-performing Edward John Trelawny; publisher and supposed friend Leigh Hunt; and other locals, including Mary Shelley, forced to disguise herself as a male servant in order to attend. For Mary, the sight of Percy’s post-mortem figure is chilling and horrifying, as is the strange occurrence of his heart, pillaged from his cracked chest by Trelawny after it fails to burn.
From there, the storyline moves back and forth in time, always with the burning day as the focal point, chronicling Mary’s furious revolt against period-standard misogyny and personal betrayal, the most pointed and grating of which involves Leigh, who claims Percy’s heart and tells Mary point-blank that she doesn’t deserve it, and who attacks her lifestyle, gender, and credibility and undermines her love and devotion, leaving her infuriated and determined to claim what’s rightfully hers.
The novella then progresses into The Journal of Sorrow, “Mary’s Shelley’s epigraph to her new journal,” begun in October 1822, an account of Percy’s fatal sea journey and Mary’s feelings of regret and culpability. The text also includes 12 imagined versions of the ill-fated voyage, where the men aboard the ship fail to thwart death and destiny, their demise interwoven with supernatural elements and private musings.
Through smooth and moving prose, the story immerses the reader in the early 19th century while resurrecting a literary icon, laying bare lower class humiliations, female tensions and challenges, Mary’s intense internal struggles with grief and self-regard, and her resolved quest to reclaim her true love’s heart. As the real details have been lost to history, this historical gothic horror work reimagines what may have transpired, producing a startlingly clear, morbidly fascinating peek into a much-lauded life — an expertly crafted, in-depth examination and a powerful tribute. Both heartfelt and compelling, it’s a deeply resonant read and a haunting meditation on the monstrously finite and fickle enigmas that are man, existence, and mortality.
Thank you to NetGalley and RDS Publishing/Raw Dog Screaming Press for sending this forthcoming novella (which hits shelves on May 9, 2024) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
📚
His Unburned Heart opens in Tuscany, Italy, in August 1822 as Percy Shelley’s body burns upon a beachside pyre. Attending his cremation following his untimely drowning are prideful, hot-tempered Lord Byron; dishonest, pagan ritual-performing Edward John Trelawny; publisher and supposed friend Leigh Hunt; and other locals, including Mary Shelley, forced to disguise herself as a male servant in order to attend. For Mary, the sight of Percy’s post-mortem figure is chilling and horrifying, as is the strange occurrence of his heart, pillaged from his cracked chest by Trelawny after it fails to burn.
From there, the storyline moves back and forth in time, always with the burning day as the focal point, chronicling Mary’s furious revolt against period-standard misogyny and personal betrayal, the most pointed and grating of which involves Leigh, who claims Percy’s heart and tells Mary point-blank that she doesn’t deserve it, and who attacks her lifestyle, gender, and credibility and undermines her love and devotion, leaving her infuriated and determined to claim what’s rightfully hers.
The novella then progresses into The Journal of Sorrow, “Mary’s Shelley’s epigraph to her new journal,” begun in October 1822, an account of Percy’s fatal sea journey and Mary’s feelings of regret and culpability. The text also includes 12 imagined versions of the ill-fated voyage, where the men aboard the ship fail to thwart death and destiny, their demise interwoven with supernatural elements and private musings.
Through smooth and moving prose, the story immerses the reader in the early 19th century while resurrecting a literary icon, laying bare lower class humiliations, female tensions and challenges, Mary’s intense internal struggles with grief and self-regard, and her resolved quest to reclaim her true love’s heart. As the real details have been lost to history, this historical gothic horror work reimagines what may have transpired, producing a startlingly clear, morbidly fascinating peek into a much-lauded life — an expertly crafted, in-depth examination and a powerful tribute. Both heartfelt and compelling, it’s a deeply resonant read and a haunting meditation on the monstrously finite and fickle enigmas that are man, existence, and mortality.
Thank you to NetGalley and RDS Publishing/Raw Dog Screaming Press for sending this forthcoming novella (which hits shelves on May 9, 2024) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
April 20, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy of His Unburned Heart.
The style and choice of wording really set the era well. The descriptions and exchanges described also helped immerse the reader to the time and place. The topic was so intriguing to me. How did Shelly die, why will his heart not burn?
The beginning of the story is so captivating. The feelings Mary shares with us is so detailed and colored. The notion of where women stood in society during this time is drawn prominently. Mary shows cleverness with aid finding a way to attend the funeral after finding all women banned, even being his wife.
The story did lose me after Mary gives quite a childish display after thieving back her husband’s heart. It confused me and left me in a dislike after having establishing in my mind a woman of great educational interest. Even given flashbacks of scholarly viewings and reveling in recounting them later with her husband.
The latter part of the story reveals great pains Mary went through placing her in a certain mind frame during her last moments with her husband right before his fatal voyage. It was so sad for Mary. How she got along is a wonder.
The style and choice of wording really set the era well. The descriptions and exchanges described also helped immerse the reader to the time and place. The topic was so intriguing to me. How did Shelly die, why will his heart not burn?
The beginning of the story is so captivating. The feelings Mary shares with us is so detailed and colored. The notion of where women stood in society during this time is drawn prominently. Mary shows cleverness with aid finding a way to attend the funeral after finding all women banned, even being his wife.
The story did lose me after Mary gives quite a childish display after thieving back her husband’s heart. It confused me and left me in a dislike after having establishing in my mind a woman of great educational interest. Even given flashbacks of scholarly viewings and reveling in recounting them later with her husband.
The latter part of the story reveals great pains Mary went through placing her in a certain mind frame during her last moments with her husband right before his fatal voyage. It was so sad for Mary. How she got along is a wonder.
April 28, 2024
Full disclosure: David Sandner is a colleague and friend. Therefore, this is a biased review. I liked this novella very much as an exploration of what might have been Mary Shelley's devotion to Percy and keeping him and his "heart" alive.
January 3, 2025
This whole series is just fun for gothic horror lovers. This fictionalized account of Percy Shelley’s death the reactions of all those around him felt very personal.
May 21, 2024
What a great and unique take on the lives of Mary and Percy Shelley! I myself have wondered what that time must’ve been like, and to have been so young and to have written something that is now considered a classic.
David Sandner’s take on what happened after the death of Percy is twisted and something that every horror lover needs to read. It makes me wish I could’ve known the really Mary Shelley.
Bravo, David!
David Sandner’s take on what happened after the death of Percy is twisted and something that every horror lover needs to read. It makes me wish I could’ve known the really Mary Shelley.
Bravo, David!
April 21, 2024
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Raw Dog Screaming Press for an advance copy of this novella about the death, love, those who wish to control the legacy of art, and the ways that people deal with loss, and comes after.
Grief I have always felt is the most universal of emotions. Some might never feel love, some might forgive instead of anger, but everyone has lost something, be it a person, ideals, dreams. We grieve for those things that we lose, and sometimes do things we regret later because of it. While grieving we usually blame ourselves, and imagine, if not by a bedside, or on a boat with our lost loved one what their last moments were. Was there blame cast on the living? A curse before the end? Did they know it was the end? All questions that haunt. Especially a writer of rare abilities who has lost so much. His Unburned Heart by David Sandner is a novella about Mary Shelley and the days following the loss of her husband, and what the author of Frankenstein imagined his last moments were.
This is a novella broken into two parts. On a beach in Tuscany, Italy during the year of 1822 a group of men have come to cremate the body of the poet, Percy Shelley who drowned with a companion in a boat accident. In attendance is his publisher Leigh Hunt, the adventurer and supposed-mystic Edward John Trelawny and Lord Byron. Disguised as a footman is Mary Shelley, whose presence was banned as this was a ceremony for men, not women, nor wives. Mary watches as Trelawny pulls out the unburned heart of her husband and gives it to Hunt. Before the bones have even cooled Mary visits Hunt and ask for the heart of her husband, but is told that Mary had no appreciation for Percy, her words have been hurtful, and the legacy of the poet should be kept safe with him. Mary is stunned, hurt and realizes that even with her great gifts, she is still a woman, and has no rights to even the heart of her love, in this world. The second part is Mary coming to grip with her loss, and her guilt for holding her husband up, allowing him to be caught in a storm and dying. Mary imagines different scenarios of Shelley's death each one adding to the guilt that is eating at her from the inside.
This novella has not only some of the best writing I have read in quite awhile, but is some of the most powerful writing I have read. Sandner in this short piece has gotten to the heart of loss, the confusion, the fact that people continue on while a person has died, and maybe those people were never the people you thought they were. There is a pain that leaves no mark that Mary is feeling, and the words and actions show this. Sandner uses words like a painter setting scenes, drawing emotions, and capturing the era, with phrases, words and descriptions. At one point a character uses the F-word and instead of shocking, one gets a true feeling that the character knows there is no coming back. The end is here, and only one word can convey it. I'm not ashamed I have read it twice, and when it comes out will buy it to read it again. A really amazing work, one I didn't want to end, but understand why it had to.
This is the first that I have read by David Sandner either fiction, nonfiction or edited. I plan to amend that quite quickly. A really beautiful work. One that even as I sit here typing I can't help but stop and think about.
Grief I have always felt is the most universal of emotions. Some might never feel love, some might forgive instead of anger, but everyone has lost something, be it a person, ideals, dreams. We grieve for those things that we lose, and sometimes do things we regret later because of it. While grieving we usually blame ourselves, and imagine, if not by a bedside, or on a boat with our lost loved one what their last moments were. Was there blame cast on the living? A curse before the end? Did they know it was the end? All questions that haunt. Especially a writer of rare abilities who has lost so much. His Unburned Heart by David Sandner is a novella about Mary Shelley and the days following the loss of her husband, and what the author of Frankenstein imagined his last moments were.
This is a novella broken into two parts. On a beach in Tuscany, Italy during the year of 1822 a group of men have come to cremate the body of the poet, Percy Shelley who drowned with a companion in a boat accident. In attendance is his publisher Leigh Hunt, the adventurer and supposed-mystic Edward John Trelawny and Lord Byron. Disguised as a footman is Mary Shelley, whose presence was banned as this was a ceremony for men, not women, nor wives. Mary watches as Trelawny pulls out the unburned heart of her husband and gives it to Hunt. Before the bones have even cooled Mary visits Hunt and ask for the heart of her husband, but is told that Mary had no appreciation for Percy, her words have been hurtful, and the legacy of the poet should be kept safe with him. Mary is stunned, hurt and realizes that even with her great gifts, she is still a woman, and has no rights to even the heart of her love, in this world. The second part is Mary coming to grip with her loss, and her guilt for holding her husband up, allowing him to be caught in a storm and dying. Mary imagines different scenarios of Shelley's death each one adding to the guilt that is eating at her from the inside.
This novella has not only some of the best writing I have read in quite awhile, but is some of the most powerful writing I have read. Sandner in this short piece has gotten to the heart of loss, the confusion, the fact that people continue on while a person has died, and maybe those people were never the people you thought they were. There is a pain that leaves no mark that Mary is feeling, and the words and actions show this. Sandner uses words like a painter setting scenes, drawing emotions, and capturing the era, with phrases, words and descriptions. At one point a character uses the F-word and instead of shocking, one gets a true feeling that the character knows there is no coming back. The end is here, and only one word can convey it. I'm not ashamed I have read it twice, and when it comes out will buy it to read it again. A really amazing work, one I didn't want to end, but understand why it had to.
This is the first that I have read by David Sandner either fiction, nonfiction or edited. I plan to amend that quite quickly. A really beautiful work. One that even as I sit here typing I can't help but stop and think about.
September 20, 2024
“I would now be not a man again, nor a woman either, for that matter—but a monster of my own creation: myself!”
Really want to give this a 3.5.
“We women must be half-monster ourselves, sneaking around the edges, prying beyond our bounds…what was it? Yes, looking through the chinks of the wall from our closets at a world we cannot have, isn’t that how the monster learns to talk?”
These novellas always have some twist that I as a reader could never have anticipated but that fit the narrative so perfectly that in the end I feel like I have been mindfucked but also that it was so perfect I couldn’t imagine it being any other way. This book ended in the exact same fashion. I love the ending but it was very much a sad ending but an empowering story.
Format:
Vol:4 of series
Novella
Physical and ebook arc copies
“-this girl caught up only words dropped before her. You make me think the world can be made up of only words!” She laughed. Isn’t it? I thought. Something made me resist saying it. For that was a private thought too monstrous to be given breath.”
Genre:
Gothic horror
Feminist
General adult fiction
Historical fiction
“And only men may hear of it! Are we not part of the world in which these secrets reside? For fear of our delicate natures, nature itself is hidden from us. So I became what I must become. I learned a great deal, about the wonders of modern medicine, the slovenliness of men, and the art of disguise.”
Themes:
Men as monsters
Men and Frankenstein
Mary’s story
Writing one’s self -creating oneself
Heart unburned
Women’s social position
Really want to give this a 3.5.
“We women must be half-monster ourselves, sneaking around the edges, prying beyond our bounds…what was it? Yes, looking through the chinks of the wall from our closets at a world we cannot have, isn’t that how the monster learns to talk?”
These novellas always have some twist that I as a reader could never have anticipated but that fit the narrative so perfectly that in the end I feel like I have been mindfucked but also that it was so perfect I couldn’t imagine it being any other way. This book ended in the exact same fashion. I love the ending but it was very much a sad ending but an empowering story.
Format:
Vol:4 of series
Novella
Physical and ebook arc copies
“-this girl caught up only words dropped before her. You make me think the world can be made up of only words!” She laughed. Isn’t it? I thought. Something made me resist saying it. For that was a private thought too monstrous to be given breath.”
Genre:
Gothic horror
Feminist
General adult fiction
Historical fiction
“And only men may hear of it! Are we not part of the world in which these secrets reside? For fear of our delicate natures, nature itself is hidden from us. So I became what I must become. I learned a great deal, about the wonders of modern medicine, the slovenliness of men, and the art of disguise.”
Themes:
Men as monsters
Men and Frankenstein
Mary’s story
Writing one’s self -creating oneself
Heart unburned
Women’s social position
May 23, 2024
Publishing date: 09.05.2024
Thank you to NetGalley and RDS Publishing for the ARC. My opinions are my own.
The book as a meal: A fortune cookie with a mysterious message
The book left me: Wanting to read more of the "series"
Negatives:
The final 15% of the book was really confusing
Some of these characters can't seem to stick to a single decision
Positives:
Vibes are sublime
A fascinating mystery
Features:
Small heist, cunning women, crossdressing, retrieves-esque-man, Italy setting, purgatory
Why did I choose this one?
The cover on this one is stunning! I felt good vibes coming off just looking at it, and I knew I would rate this highly. If the cover is the hook, then the blurb was what reeled me in finally. Just about vague enough to get me curious.
Pick-up-able? Put-down-able?
Pick-up-able. I was really hooked on the story.
What was the vibe and mood?
It started off tragic, and then I got a little angry. Moved on to feeling stealthy and cunning. Back again to angry, and then to melancholic. I was going through all the stages of grief reading this.
Vibes wise? Urban trickery in a lush and "warm" city. But also; cold and salty with a pinch of depression.
Final ranking and rating?
A tier, four stars. Great little novella. Absolutely adored the character work and pacing. Looking forward to reading the next "Selected Paper". Can recommend to those who might not like a classic mystery, but would rather have something surreal at the root of it.
Thank you to NetGalley and RDS Publishing for the ARC. My opinions are my own.
The book as a meal: A fortune cookie with a mysterious message
The book left me: Wanting to read more of the "series"
Negatives:
The final 15% of the book was really confusing
Some of these characters can't seem to stick to a single decision
Positives:
Vibes are sublime
A fascinating mystery
Features:
Small heist, cunning women, crossdressing, retrieves-esque-man, Italy setting, purgatory
Why did I choose this one?
The cover on this one is stunning! I felt good vibes coming off just looking at it, and I knew I would rate this highly. If the cover is the hook, then the blurb was what reeled me in finally. Just about vague enough to get me curious.
Pick-up-able? Put-down-able?
Pick-up-able. I was really hooked on the story.
What was the vibe and mood?
It started off tragic, and then I got a little angry. Moved on to feeling stealthy and cunning. Back again to angry, and then to melancholic. I was going through all the stages of grief reading this.
Vibes wise? Urban trickery in a lush and "warm" city. But also; cold and salty with a pinch of depression.
Final ranking and rating?
A tier, four stars. Great little novella. Absolutely adored the character work and pacing. Looking forward to reading the next "Selected Paper". Can recommend to those who might not like a classic mystery, but would rather have something surreal at the root of it.
July 12, 2024
Actual Rating 3.5
This book consists of two connected short stories. The first tells of Mary Shelley’s quest to retrieve her deceased husband’s heart, and the second uses imagined journal entries to depict the time before and during her husband’s death.
The first story focused on Mary’s attempted retrieval of her husband’s heart was my favorite. The characters came to life, and the setting and atmosphere was quite strong. I enjoyed seeing Mary depicted as a grieving yet powerful woman, and though I don’t know anything about her real life, I felt that it was a wonderful interpretation.
The second story was a little less powerful to me as it was written in the format of journal entries and became a bit more esoteric in places as it depicted Mary imagining different possibilities for what truly happened to her husband. While it was still good, I didn’t connect with the story or characters quite as strongly. I did enjoy the portrayal of the storm and the time leading up to the wreck, though.
The author’s writing was well suited to the historic era that this work depicts. If you are a fan of Frankenstein or Mary Shelley, then I do recommend checking out this short read. My thanks to NetGalley and RDS publishing for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
This book consists of two connected short stories. The first tells of Mary Shelley’s quest to retrieve her deceased husband’s heart, and the second uses imagined journal entries to depict the time before and during her husband’s death.
The first story focused on Mary’s attempted retrieval of her husband’s heart was my favorite. The characters came to life, and the setting and atmosphere was quite strong. I enjoyed seeing Mary depicted as a grieving yet powerful woman, and though I don’t know anything about her real life, I felt that it was a wonderful interpretation.
The second story was a little less powerful to me as it was written in the format of journal entries and became a bit more esoteric in places as it depicted Mary imagining different possibilities for what truly happened to her husband. While it was still good, I didn’t connect with the story or characters quite as strongly. I did enjoy the portrayal of the storm and the time leading up to the wreck, though.
The author’s writing was well suited to the historic era that this work depicts. If you are a fan of Frankenstein or Mary Shelley, then I do recommend checking out this short read. My thanks to NetGalley and RDS publishing for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
April 8, 2024
Thanks to NetGalley and RDS Publishing for an advanced copy of His Unburned Heart by David Sandner.
3.5 stars rounded down to 3 - I honestly wish I could give this an in-between rating, because I don't feel like this was quite 4 stars, but it was definitely better than just 3 stars.
His Unburned Heart was a short story told in two separate parts about Mary Shelley attempting to retrieve her deceased husband's heart from his publisher, and various journal accounts of what she believes to have happened to her husband while he was at sea, at the time of his death.
I feel like this was an interesting perspective about Mary Shelley, and the grief she suffered in tandem with the misogyny she dealt with during this time of her life. The second half was definitely much harder to follow as it was written in a journal entry form and were different musings of what she thought had happened to her husband. It took me a while to figure out that that was what was happening because of the back and forth nature of the journal. Overall this was well written and enjoyable, but I did still have some lingering questions by the end. I think the issue I mostly had was the length, and that this would have probably benefited from more details to wrap things up in a more conclusive way.
3.5 stars rounded down to 3 - I honestly wish I could give this an in-between rating, because I don't feel like this was quite 4 stars, but it was definitely better than just 3 stars.
His Unburned Heart was a short story told in two separate parts about Mary Shelley attempting to retrieve her deceased husband's heart from his publisher, and various journal accounts of what she believes to have happened to her husband while he was at sea, at the time of his death.
I feel like this was an interesting perspective about Mary Shelley, and the grief she suffered in tandem with the misogyny she dealt with during this time of her life. The second half was definitely much harder to follow as it was written in a journal entry form and were different musings of what she thought had happened to her husband. It took me a while to figure out that that was what was happening because of the back and forth nature of the journal. Overall this was well written and enjoyable, but I did still have some lingering questions by the end. I think the issue I mostly had was the length, and that this would have probably benefited from more details to wrap things up in a more conclusive way.
May 1, 2024
In this book there’s two parts in both subjects of each one or Marie Shelley the stories touch on problems at that time and the death of Lord Byron and I found the first one to be so creepy but boat have such an awesome feeling of authenticity and an original take on Marie Shelley Frankenstein and Lord Byron. I thought the author had a great knack for using few words to entirely explain what was happening and for the progression of the story. I am definitely 100% going to be down loading other books by the author the only other person I’ve seen write like this author is one of my favorite horror writers who I won’t mention here because the book is not about him but OMG this is my favorite book so far from the theories and I really loved the last one that was about Frankenstein not all the books are about that nor are they all historical just a coincidence but either way this is a great great book a total five star read and one I definitely absolutely recommend.His Unburned Heart by David sander is the fourth book in the Selected Papers From The Consortium For The Study Of Anomalous Phenomena A multi author anthology. I want to thank our DS publishing for my free arc copy via NetGalley please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.
April 21, 2024
“Byron and Shelley, they were my theatre where the experiments occurred.”
David Sandner in this collection brings unique stories stemming from Mary Shelley’s life. In the first after the death of her husband she desperately tries to retrieved his unburned heart from the pyre but is in a battle with his publisher who wishes to keep it. In the second are diary excerpts from Shelley’s travels.
This is described as a valentine gift of a morbid kind. The author in these stores uses the nature of grief to describe Mary’s despair after the loss of her loved one. It lays out the hidden struggle she experienced when left alone as her loved one journeyed with the greats to further his writings and experiments. Her raw portrayal of how she is coping is explored that makes this a heartbreaking story.
In the second this is explored further has the mind of Shelley and Ned on their journey is written in detail through the pages of his journal. Once again Mary is brought back deep into her grief over her loss.
An interesting new look and tribute to the tale of Frankenstein that fans of the Shelleys will enjoy.
Many thanks to @netgalley for the copy of this book.
David Sandner in this collection brings unique stories stemming from Mary Shelley’s life. In the first after the death of her husband she desperately tries to retrieved his unburned heart from the pyre but is in a battle with his publisher who wishes to keep it. In the second are diary excerpts from Shelley’s travels.
This is described as a valentine gift of a morbid kind. The author in these stores uses the nature of grief to describe Mary’s despair after the loss of her loved one. It lays out the hidden struggle she experienced when left alone as her loved one journeyed with the greats to further his writings and experiments. Her raw portrayal of how she is coping is explored that makes this a heartbreaking story.
In the second this is explored further has the mind of Shelley and Ned on their journey is written in detail through the pages of his journal. Once again Mary is brought back deep into her grief over her loss.
An interesting new look and tribute to the tale of Frankenstein that fans of the Shelleys will enjoy.
Many thanks to @netgalley for the copy of this book.
June 15, 2024
** I received an ARC for an honest review **
I recently had the pleasure to read gothic historical fiction novella, His Unburned Heart by US author David Sander.
A great discussion on this topic and Mary Shelley’s own life and works can be found here.
Review
This is a fascinating gothic infused historical fiction novella from the perspective of Mary Shelley following her husband, Percy Shelley’s accidental death.
The tale of his heart refusing to burn in the pyre constructed by Shelley’s friends, novelist Edward John Trelawney, poet and publisher Leigh Hunt and Lord Byron became the stuff of legends. The customs of the late 19th century forbid, Mary Shelley from attending such a Hellenic funeral but Sanderson imagines a Mary Shelley who is wild and irreverent in nature and attends her husband’s funeral pyre disguised as one of Byron’s footmen.
The battle has only begun for Mary Shelley and like her struggles to author her famous novel, she again battles for entrance to a man’s world – this time to reclaim her husband’s unburned heart from his publisher. Hunt, who immediately seized a way to keep Percy Shelley alive by stealing the heart for the examination and study by medical experts and curious-minded men.
Fearless and determined, the first-person perspective of Mary Shelley delivers an emotional, rational and ultimately, triumphant tale. Sanderson shows us Mary Shelley as imagined for a woman who broke all societal rules and expectations for love and continued to do so well after her husband’s death and unusual circumstances. This is historical fiction that promotes the strong, female protagonist but does not strip her femininity or fear of societal pressures from her. A powerful and compelling novella.
Conclusion
A highly recommended read for fans of Mary Shelley’s works including Frankenstein, Percy Shelley’s poems and works by Lord Byron. This is a perfect read for historical fiction fans with stories featuring strong, female protagonists unwilling to bend to socially conservative norms to advance themselves in a world ruled by men. A beautifully written and engaging novella that is infused with the gothic atmosphere of Mary Shelley’s most thought-provoking works. A must read!
** This is my personal opinion and does not reflect any judging decisions **
I recently had the pleasure to read gothic historical fiction novella, His Unburned Heart by US author David Sander.
A great discussion on this topic and Mary Shelley’s own life and works can be found here.
Review
This is a fascinating gothic infused historical fiction novella from the perspective of Mary Shelley following her husband, Percy Shelley’s accidental death.
The tale of his heart refusing to burn in the pyre constructed by Shelley’s friends, novelist Edward John Trelawney, poet and publisher Leigh Hunt and Lord Byron became the stuff of legends. The customs of the late 19th century forbid, Mary Shelley from attending such a Hellenic funeral but Sanderson imagines a Mary Shelley who is wild and irreverent in nature and attends her husband’s funeral pyre disguised as one of Byron’s footmen.
The battle has only begun for Mary Shelley and like her struggles to author her famous novel, she again battles for entrance to a man’s world – this time to reclaim her husband’s unburned heart from his publisher. Hunt, who immediately seized a way to keep Percy Shelley alive by stealing the heart for the examination and study by medical experts and curious-minded men.
Fearless and determined, the first-person perspective of Mary Shelley delivers an emotional, rational and ultimately, triumphant tale. Sanderson shows us Mary Shelley as imagined for a woman who broke all societal rules and expectations for love and continued to do so well after her husband’s death and unusual circumstances. This is historical fiction that promotes the strong, female protagonist but does not strip her femininity or fear of societal pressures from her. A powerful and compelling novella.
Conclusion
A highly recommended read for fans of Mary Shelley’s works including Frankenstein, Percy Shelley’s poems and works by Lord Byron. This is a perfect read for historical fiction fans with stories featuring strong, female protagonists unwilling to bend to socially conservative norms to advance themselves in a world ruled by men. A beautifully written and engaging novella that is infused with the gothic atmosphere of Mary Shelley’s most thought-provoking works. A must read!
** This is my personal opinion and does not reflect any judging decisions **
May 12, 2024
Thank you for the ARC !
I had high hopes for this book and in the end, my feelings towards it are deeply meh. There is a true delight in reading older litterature because it outlines both how people were deeply dimilar to how they are nowadays, and how very different too. There is something hilarious and endearing at seeing someone care deeply about some detail curent people judge trivial, or appear lackaidaisical towards stuff i deem central, or even accept strange rules about living.
This dissonance is never more present than in Frankenstein, a story so deeply ridiculous and beautiful it can only be genuine. Older stories make sense, of course, but in a very real way, they absolutely don't.
Enters this book, where the author tries to suggest this is such a story, this is a look into a 19th century human... except it's not. It's hardly a story, for starters, but more importantly, it's so reasonnable, so worried you might think it too fantastic or strange, that it all but screams its 21st century origin.
A better reader would probably be able to see past that, but I cant.
I had high hopes for this book and in the end, my feelings towards it are deeply meh. There is a true delight in reading older litterature because it outlines both how people were deeply dimilar to how they are nowadays, and how very different too. There is something hilarious and endearing at seeing someone care deeply about some detail curent people judge trivial, or appear lackaidaisical towards stuff i deem central, or even accept strange rules about living.
This dissonance is never more present than in Frankenstein, a story so deeply ridiculous and beautiful it can only be genuine. Older stories make sense, of course, but in a very real way, they absolutely don't.
Enters this book, where the author tries to suggest this is such a story, this is a look into a 19th century human... except it's not. It's hardly a story, for starters, but more importantly, it's so reasonnable, so worried you might think it too fantastic or strange, that it all but screams its 21st century origin.
A better reader would probably be able to see past that, but I cant.
April 11, 2024
Poetic prose weaves through the story of Mary Shelley’s loss of her husband, Percy. This was an interesting take on Mary’s state of mind and heartache around a time of great loss. As she deals with depression and misogyny, she fights to keep what she feels belongs to her-her late husband’s heart. The author presents her anguish in a desperate way, while painting a heartbreaking view of her mind’s attempt to unravel the mystery of Percy’s death, and the agony of the loss of a child. What this story does best of give Mary a voice, and a chance to tell her side of the story-at a time when women were silenced or told to know their place.
I enjoyed this historical fiction story that revealed more of Mary Shelley than just being known as the author of Frankenstein. The language is rich and lyrical, and gives Mary’s grief a place to be known.
Thank you to NetGalley and RDS Publishing for the arc.
I enjoyed this historical fiction story that revealed more of Mary Shelley than just being known as the author of Frankenstein. The language is rich and lyrical, and gives Mary’s grief a place to be known.
Thank you to NetGalley and RDS Publishing for the arc.
April 3, 2024
I received an ARC through NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.
A marvelous, richly written historical account of Shelley's death, and Mary Shelley reclaiming something for herself. When Shelley dies, Mary is not allowed to go his cremation because she's not a man - and she has to face that some people she believed to be "their" friends were actually her husband's friends. This novella is about grief and love, but also about rebellious women who dress as men to sneak into lectures and other places that they are banned from.
The second half of the novella is a series of imaginings of what might have happened on that boat where Shelley died. It's a bit dream-like, a bit abstract, and I enjoyed it less than the first half, but it was still beautifully written.
A marvelous, richly written historical account of Shelley's death, and Mary Shelley reclaiming something for herself. When Shelley dies, Mary is not allowed to go his cremation because she's not a man - and she has to face that some people she believed to be "their" friends were actually her husband's friends. This novella is about grief and love, but also about rebellious women who dress as men to sneak into lectures and other places that they are banned from.
The second half of the novella is a series of imaginings of what might have happened on that boat where Shelley died. It's a bit dream-like, a bit abstract, and I enjoyed it less than the first half, but it was still beautifully written.
May 9, 2024
This novella is written in two parts. The first part of the story is told through Mary Shelley's POV as she tries to retrieve her husband heart. Percy was cremated upon his death but his heart didn't burn. Mary's determination and sometimes cunningness to retrieve the heart and even be able to attend his funeral was lovely to read. The second part of the book is a series of possibility of how Percy's might have met his end on the boat. I really enjoyed this engrossing tale of love and grief. The author does a fantastic job immersing the reading in this time period. I knew nothing about the story of Percy's heart so of course I had to look for more information. I also loved how the story is imagined through Mary's POV.
Thank you RSD Press for the copy!
Thank you RSD Press for the copy!
May 10, 2024
As a weird history buff this book was right up my alley.
I throughly enjoyed the way that Sandner immerses the reader into a piece of history. If this had just been Sandner giving us their take on how Mary obtains her husband's unburned heart than this would've easily been a four star read.
Unfortunately, it is separated into two parts and the additional part felt really out of place.
And it's possible it only felt out of place to me but I really didn't enjoy the twelve additional recountings of Percy's passing.
But nonetheless I enjoyed this and will be reading more from this series of books.
~
Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I throughly enjoyed the way that Sandner immerses the reader into a piece of history. If this had just been Sandner giving us their take on how Mary obtains her husband's unburned heart than this would've easily been a four star read.
Unfortunately, it is separated into two parts and the additional part felt really out of place.
And it's possible it only felt out of place to me but I really didn't enjoy the twelve additional recountings of Percy's passing.
But nonetheless I enjoyed this and will be reading more from this series of books.
~
Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 4, 2024
Sandner's prose in His Unburned Heart is pretty captivating, weaving a story of emotion and atmosphere. I found myself drawn in by the raw humanity depicted within its pages. Sandner explores themes of grief, love, and the thin veil between the seen and unseen worlds. The characters are richly drawn, each with their own complexities and depths. Sandner's storytelling shines brightly in this story. Overall, I think this was a really great novella and I enjoyed reading it immensely.
Thank you to NetGalley and RDS for providing me with this ARC. Although this book was provided, all opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and RDS for providing me with this ARC. Although this book was provided, all opinions are my own.
April 12, 2024
A beautifully written exploration into the death of Shelley and the grief and love of wife Mary Shelley.
I loved this telling and found myself deeply immersed into the 19th century Gothic reimagining. Such a gorgeously thought out story and the addition of Mary Shelley’s “the journal of sorrow” was a beautiful addition the book along with the collection of imaginings of Shelley on the boat.
I really enjoyed this novella and would like to tank Net Galley and RDS Publishing/Raw Dog Screaming Press for this Arc.
I loved this telling and found myself deeply immersed into the 19th century Gothic reimagining. Such a gorgeously thought out story and the addition of Mary Shelley’s “the journal of sorrow” was a beautiful addition the book along with the collection of imaginings of Shelley on the boat.
I really enjoyed this novella and would like to tank Net Galley and RDS Publishing/Raw Dog Screaming Press for this Arc.
May 19, 2024
Mary Shelley, the woman who wrote Frankenstein at such a young age, what do we truly know of her story? This book explains Mary's process of retrieving what has been taken by her husband's publisher. This book was deliciously descriptive and made one's heart clench every page one turns. It is a wonderful read for when you are in a reading slump. I ate through this book as the plot was well thought out and masterfully displayed for the readers' understanding. Overall, this book was wonderful, 4.5/5
April 1, 2024
Thanks NetGalley for letting me read this. I overall feel like I would rate this a 3.5. I think it was written well (but it had a lot of commas)and was easy to read and get through. The story really didn’t go the way I thought it would. It was more on the calm side of things and I thought it would have a more creepy/paranormal vibe to it. The main character was easy to like and I often felt bad for what she was going through. Pretty good read I did enjoy it.
April 14, 2024
Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book.
I love David Sandners writing style in this and I enjoyed this story. That being said, I feel like the second part with the snippets was unnecessary and I think we could have touched upon what happened with Byron and Allegra a bit more. Had that happened this book would have been 5 stars, and had those snippets not been added this would be 4 stars.
Strong 3.5
I love David Sandners writing style in this and I enjoyed this story. That being said, I feel like the second part with the snippets was unnecessary and I think we could have touched upon what happened with Byron and Allegra a bit more. Had that happened this book would have been 5 stars, and had those snippets not been added this would be 4 stars.
Strong 3.5
April 27, 2024
“There, in the charred lump of his unburned heart, in its impossibility, my story lies.”
His unburned heart is a beautifully written novella retelling the story of Mary Shelley keeping her husbands heart after it failed to burn in his cremation.
The writing is so lyrical which I loved! I highly recommend this book for fans of the Shelley family!
Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review!
His unburned heart is a beautifully written novella retelling the story of Mary Shelley keeping her husbands heart after it failed to burn in his cremation.
The writing is so lyrical which I loved! I highly recommend this book for fans of the Shelley family!
Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review!
September 6, 2024
HIS UNBURNED HEART (and THE JOURNAL OF SORROW) are two lovingly crafted novellas as tribute to author Mary Shelley, each seamlessly blending fantasy, history, and haunting wonder. Filled with lyrical prose, depth, and imaginational, Sandner delivers tales that resonate deeply on both an emotional and intellectual level with the expected Gothic sensibilities.
Five out of Five stars
Five out of Five stars
April 19, 2024
#HisUnburnedHeart #NetGalley
October 16, 2024
an intimate look into the relationship between a family, in a touching story about Mary Shelley. 4 stars, would recommend. tysm for the arc
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