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The Unkillable Frank Lightning
In this riveting historical horror novel, Frankenstein is vividly reimagined in the Wild West. With equal parts Cormac McCarthy, Mary Shelley, and Stephen Graham Jones, Rountree deftly navigates the terrible aftermath of love and death.
Catherine Coldbridge is a complicated woman: A doctor, an occultist, and, briefly, a widow.
In 1879, Private Frank Humble, Catherine’s husband, was killed in a Sioux attack. Consumed by grief, she used her formidable skills to resurrect him. But Frank lost his soul after the reanimation, and disappeared after a killing spree. Unable to face her failure and its murderous consequences, Catherine fled to grieve.
Twenty-five years later, Catherine has decided she must make things right. She travels back to Texas with a pair of hired killers ready to destroy Frank. But Frank has remade himself as the Unkillable Frank Lightning, traveling with the Wild West Show.
Reaching for a last chance at redemption, Frank and Catherine are at an impasse. As time runs out, their final choices may result in considerable bloodshed.
Catherine Coldbridge is a complicated woman: A doctor, an occultist, and, briefly, a widow.
In 1879, Private Frank Humble, Catherine’s husband, was killed in a Sioux attack. Consumed by grief, she used her formidable skills to resurrect him. But Frank lost his soul after the reanimation, and disappeared after a killing spree. Unable to face her failure and its murderous consequences, Catherine fled to grieve.
Twenty-five years later, Catherine has decided she must make things right. She travels back to Texas with a pair of hired killers ready to destroy Frank. But Frank has remade himself as the Unkillable Frank Lightning, traveling with the Wild West Show.
Reaching for a last chance at redemption, Frank and Catherine are at an impasse. As time runs out, their final choices may result in considerable bloodshed.
240 pages, ebook
First published July 15, 2025
9 people are currently reading
3436 people want to read
About the author
Josh Rountree
38 books103 followersJosh Rountree is a novelist and short story writer who works across multiple genres, focusing mostly on horror and dark fantasy. His novel The Legend of Charlie Fish was released by Tachyon Publications in 2023 to wide acclaim, making the Locus Recommended Reading List, and being named one of Los Angeles Public Library’s best books of the year.
More than seventy of his short stories have been published in a variety of venues, including The Deadlands, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Bourbon Penn, Realms of Fantasy, PseudoPod, Weird Horror, and The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror. Several collections of his short fiction have been published, including Fantastic Americana, and most recently, Death Aesthetic, featuring tales of death and transformation.
Rountree lives in the greater Austin, TX metro with his lovely wife of many years, and a pair of half-feral dogs who command his obedience.
More than seventy of his short stories have been published in a variety of venues, including The Deadlands, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Bourbon Penn, Realms of Fantasy, PseudoPod, Weird Horror, and The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror. Several collections of his short fiction have been published, including Fantastic Americana, and most recently, Death Aesthetic, featuring tales of death and transformation.
Rountree lives in the greater Austin, TX metro with his lovely wife of many years, and a pair of half-feral dogs who command his obedience.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
July 12, 2025
In this Frankenstein retelling there are a lot of things to admire, the topmost of which is Catherine Coldbridge.
A woman of singular character, there is no one else like her, at least not in Texas in 1879. She's a doctor, an occultist, and unfortunately a widow, after having been married only a few days. Unwilling to let her new husband go, and being an occultist, Catherine works her magick and Frank is returned to her. But he is not the same, and let's face it, no one was expecting him to be. What happens from that point on haunts Catherine for the next 25 years and you're going to need to read this to find out what that is!
Josh Rountree is a new-to-me author, but I remember hearing a lot about his debut novel The Legend of Charlie Fish back when it first came out in 2023. I am so glad that I gave this a try. I love me a good horror western and that's what this is. There is so much room in the old west for story-telling and when it's done well, as this one is, it captivates my imagination. Rountree creates memorable characters that stand out. Falling Bird, Frank's best friend was so intriguing, I could go for an entire book about that guy and his adventures with Frank. Aubrey and Seth, a pair of hit men hired by Catherine, turned out to be pretty good guys and interesting in their own right. I would love to know more about them too!
I flew through this book in just a few days and was saddened when it was over. I have added Josh Rountree's first book to my TBR and in spite of my backed up review stack, I'm going to read it soon. I love discovering new authors and I especially love when they have a huge backlist that I can then track down and read. With Mr. Rountree, there's only one. Boo! But you can bet your booty that I'm going to read it, and that right-soon. Then I'll be anxiously waiting to see what he does next. Western horror or not, I'm down.
Highly recommended!
*ARC from publisher
A woman of singular character, there is no one else like her, at least not in Texas in 1879. She's a doctor, an occultist, and unfortunately a widow, after having been married only a few days. Unwilling to let her new husband go, and being an occultist, Catherine works her magick and Frank is returned to her. But he is not the same, and let's face it, no one was expecting him to be. What happens from that point on haunts Catherine for the next 25 years and you're going to need to read this to find out what that is!
Josh Rountree is a new-to-me author, but I remember hearing a lot about his debut novel The Legend of Charlie Fish back when it first came out in 2023. I am so glad that I gave this a try. I love me a good horror western and that's what this is. There is so much room in the old west for story-telling and when it's done well, as this one is, it captivates my imagination. Rountree creates memorable characters that stand out. Falling Bird, Frank's best friend was so intriguing, I could go for an entire book about that guy and his adventures with Frank. Aubrey and Seth, a pair of hit men hired by Catherine, turned out to be pretty good guys and interesting in their own right. I would love to know more about them too!
I flew through this book in just a few days and was saddened when it was over. I have added Josh Rountree's first book to my TBR and in spite of my backed up review stack, I'm going to read it soon. I love discovering new authors and I especially love when they have a huge backlist that I can then track down and read. With Mr. Rountree, there's only one. Boo! But you can bet your booty that I'm going to read it, and that right-soon. Then I'll be anxiously waiting to see what he does next. Western horror or not, I'm down.
Highly recommended!
*ARC from publisher
February 15, 2025
Let's be clear: I'd rush to buy a grocery list if Rountree wrote it. This here is from my blurb:
"The Unkillable Frank Lightning is a tale cinched tighter than sunbaked rawhide. This western reimagining of Shelley's classic sticks true to the heart of the story, while giving us something entirely new and breathlessly exciting. Everything Rountree writes is a treat. I hated to put it down."
"The Unkillable Frank Lightning is a tale cinched tighter than sunbaked rawhide. This western reimagining of Shelley's classic sticks true to the heart of the story, while giving us something entirely new and breathlessly exciting. Everything Rountree writes is a treat. I hated to put it down."
July 27, 2025
This western retelling of Shelleys classic remains true to the original story while giving readers a breath of something new and exciting.
I didn't consider this a gory horror novel, but I would call it if anything a paranormal western cozy historical horror with some literary fiction. This book gives us the scary spooky western vibes that you get with a sprinkling of occult magic, western bars, spirit world, queer representation and a badass female main character Catherine. Catherine is a doctor, occultist and a widow in Texas in 1879. Catherine works her magic and brings her now dead husband back to life. But he is not the same Frank, and we all know bringing someone back from the dead, well, they are never really the same, are they?
Josh Roundtree does an outstanding job with memorable characters, great writing and grabs your attention from the start. I zipped through this book in just a few sittings, and you will not be disappointed. This book will be a definite purchase for me!
I didn't consider this a gory horror novel, but I would call it if anything a paranormal western cozy historical horror with some literary fiction. This book gives us the scary spooky western vibes that you get with a sprinkling of occult magic, western bars, spirit world, queer representation and a badass female main character Catherine. Catherine is a doctor, occultist and a widow in Texas in 1879. Catherine works her magic and brings her now dead husband back to life. But he is not the same Frank, and we all know bringing someone back from the dead, well, they are never really the same, are they?
Josh Roundtree does an outstanding job with memorable characters, great writing and grabs your attention from the start. I zipped through this book in just a few sittings, and you will not be disappointed. This book will be a definite purchase for me!
June 30, 2025
Cozy thriller? Paranormal western? I enjoyed this writing style. It successfully made me as the reader feel like I was in a western novel. The author has a way with words that is calming even when describing a harrowing situation. Our main female character is insightful and matter of fact.
The vibes:
- occult magic
- raising from the dead
- horseback shootouts
- western bars
- field medicine
- female doctor not afraid of some good whiskey
- spirit world
- queer representation
I would not describe this as horror. I was never truly worried for the characters or tense while reading this. Which makes the cover feel misleading to me. It’s a great book but it’s more of a cozy horror or literary fiction.
If you prefer not too scary spooky books and want some western vibes with spooky feels, this book is for you.
Thank you to NetGalley for this advance copy. All opinions are very much my own.
The vibes:
- occult magic
- raising from the dead
- horseback shootouts
- western bars
- field medicine
- female doctor not afraid of some good whiskey
- spirit world
- queer representation
I would not describe this as horror. I was never truly worried for the characters or tense while reading this. Which makes the cover feel misleading to me. It’s a great book but it’s more of a cozy horror or literary fiction.
If you prefer not too scary spooky books and want some western vibes with spooky feels, this book is for you.
Thank you to NetGalley for this advance copy. All opinions are very much my own.
February 8, 2025
The Unkillable Frank Lightning is a horror western monster epic and Josh Roundtree is a mastermind. This story was so breathtakingly beautiful and heartbreaking all at the same time. At the heart of this book is a gripping love story filled with grief. A love long lost, found family, and how far you would go to be with the one you love again, just one more time.
With a fun cast of misfits who show the power of true friendship and doing anything for the ones you love, the loyalty between the Wild West Revue and Catherine is something we all strive to have in our lives.
I loved seeing how this story played out over time and seeing Catherine grow old. We don’t see a lot of middle aged or older women in narratives so this was refreshing.
It’s always cool to see what someone will do with Frankenstein lore and Josh’s take is so much fun and unlike anything I’ve read. Mary Shelley herself would have fun reading this.
Josh Roundtree has created characters that you won’t forget and his words pack a punch that will take the breath out of you.
With a fun cast of misfits who show the power of true friendship and doing anything for the ones you love, the loyalty between the Wild West Revue and Catherine is something we all strive to have in our lives.
I loved seeing how this story played out over time and seeing Catherine grow old. We don’t see a lot of middle aged or older women in narratives so this was refreshing.
It’s always cool to see what someone will do with Frankenstein lore and Josh’s take is so much fun and unlike anything I’ve read. Mary Shelley herself would have fun reading this.
Josh Roundtree has created characters that you won’t forget and his words pack a punch that will take the breath out of you.
May 25, 2025
Universal monsters in an off-kilter, but less romanticized version of the old west. It's a concept that shouldn't work, or at least should come off considerably more pulpy. Against all odds, Rountree has now written two books, in a shared universe no less, that pull this off admirably, even remarkably. Rountree infuses the Unkillable Frank Lightning with heaps of pathos, heart and humanity, and a pace that takes its time getting to the destination without ever growing boring. Sign me up for more of this world.
February 17, 2025
In 2023’s The Legend of Charlie Fish, Josh Rountree created a version of the Wild West that was at once naturalistic and infused with magic. In that world, centered around the historic storm that leveled the island city of Galveston, there are both hard men–outlaws and heroes alike–and witches, gunslingers and psychics. There’s also a lovable gill-man with a penchant for chain-smoking cigarettes as he attempts to find his way back to the sea from which he came.
All told in Rountree’s stripped down but effortlessly elegant prose and peopled with instantly lovable characters, The Legend of Charlie Fish became an instant favorite, a book I recommend to anyone who will listen.
The Unkillable Frank Lightning returns us once again to this magic-infused version of turn of the century Texas, with a lengthy detour in the Montana territory, and I couldn’t be happier if I were returning to my own childhood home.
This time around we follow Catherine Coldbridge, a medical doctor cum mad scientist, who finds herself deep in the Montana territory, attached to a military fort set squarely in Indian territory. She’s there with her new husband, a soldier named Frank Humble. When Frank is killed by native forces, Catherine calls on her extensive occult training and, in a fit of desperate grief, brings him back.
This being a Frankenstein tale, you know what happens next.
The man who comes back is not the man she loves, but instead a mindless (soulless?) monster, who uses his superhuman strength to kill everything in his path. Catherine flees this horror she has created, abandoning the newly reborn monster to the wilderness.
Fast forward twenty-five years, and Catherine has retained the services of a pair of hired killers to finally correct her error. She’s tracked Frank Humble to Texas, where she hopes to kill him so that she might peacefully drink herself into her own grave, free of this great existential guilt.
Trouble is, just like Mary Shelley’s monster, Frank has grown into his humanity. He might not be the man she once loved, but he is no feral beast. In fact, he’s taken up with Wild West Review, reenacting an Indian attack much like the one that killed him, and he’s made a family of his fellow performers (including one familiar character from The Legend of Charlie Fish).
Things get complicated, and there’s a lot of blood spilt, a lot of hearts broken, and more than one angry mob.
The Unkillable Frank Lightning has a good deal more plot than its predecessor, but like Charlie Fish, it’s really the supporting characters that carry the story. Rountree is a deft hand at sketching in a character with a few strokes and then lettting them steal the reader’s heart.
Catherine Coldbridge, however, is harder to love, and that’s mostly due to her allegiance to type. Like that other mad doctor, she’s rash, she’s overconfident, she’s more than a little fickle, and her capacity for both self-loathing and self-pity is nearly overwhelming. While it’s Catherine’s voice that carries us through this story, and her actions that propel it toward its exciting conclusion, there seems to be less at stake for her than for the many innocents (and not-so-innocent) people that she pulls into her orbit.
This isn’t a failing of the narrative, for–after all–no one reads Frankenstein and falls in love with the doctor. No, we want the monster, and on that count, Rountree delivers.
This monster has built a life for himself at the peripheries, surrounded by a found family of outcasts and orphans, and if Rountree writes more at liberty of monsters than of the good Doctor, it’s because he’s of the monster’s party (and I think he knows it). The Unkillable Frank Lightning, much like The Legend of Charlie Fish, becomes a kind of paean to the outcast, to the monstrous, and to a land where, once upon a time, there was room enough for them find both love and acceptance.
All told in Rountree’s stripped down but effortlessly elegant prose and peopled with instantly lovable characters, The Legend of Charlie Fish became an instant favorite, a book I recommend to anyone who will listen.
The Unkillable Frank Lightning returns us once again to this magic-infused version of turn of the century Texas, with a lengthy detour in the Montana territory, and I couldn’t be happier if I were returning to my own childhood home.
This time around we follow Catherine Coldbridge, a medical doctor cum mad scientist, who finds herself deep in the Montana territory, attached to a military fort set squarely in Indian territory. She’s there with her new husband, a soldier named Frank Humble. When Frank is killed by native forces, Catherine calls on her extensive occult training and, in a fit of desperate grief, brings him back.
This being a Frankenstein tale, you know what happens next.
The man who comes back is not the man she loves, but instead a mindless (soulless?) monster, who uses his superhuman strength to kill everything in his path. Catherine flees this horror she has created, abandoning the newly reborn monster to the wilderness.
Fast forward twenty-five years, and Catherine has retained the services of a pair of hired killers to finally correct her error. She’s tracked Frank Humble to Texas, where she hopes to kill him so that she might peacefully drink herself into her own grave, free of this great existential guilt.
Trouble is, just like Mary Shelley’s monster, Frank has grown into his humanity. He might not be the man she once loved, but he is no feral beast. In fact, he’s taken up with Wild West Review, reenacting an Indian attack much like the one that killed him, and he’s made a family of his fellow performers (including one familiar character from The Legend of Charlie Fish).
Things get complicated, and there’s a lot of blood spilt, a lot of hearts broken, and more than one angry mob.
The Unkillable Frank Lightning has a good deal more plot than its predecessor, but like Charlie Fish, it’s really the supporting characters that carry the story. Rountree is a deft hand at sketching in a character with a few strokes and then lettting them steal the reader’s heart.
Catherine Coldbridge, however, is harder to love, and that’s mostly due to her allegiance to type. Like that other mad doctor, she’s rash, she’s overconfident, she’s more than a little fickle, and her capacity for both self-loathing and self-pity is nearly overwhelming. While it’s Catherine’s voice that carries us through this story, and her actions that propel it toward its exciting conclusion, there seems to be less at stake for her than for the many innocents (and not-so-innocent) people that she pulls into her orbit.
This isn’t a failing of the narrative, for–after all–no one reads Frankenstein and falls in love with the doctor. No, we want the monster, and on that count, Rountree delivers.
This monster has built a life for himself at the peripheries, surrounded by a found family of outcasts and orphans, and if Rountree writes more at liberty of monsters than of the good Doctor, it’s because he’s of the monster’s party (and I think he knows it). The Unkillable Frank Lightning, much like The Legend of Charlie Fish, becomes a kind of paean to the outcast, to the monstrous, and to a land where, once upon a time, there was room enough for them find both love and acceptance.
June 11, 2025
Yeehaw! [.. getting to the last page, slamming the book closed, down on the table, and leaping up looking for a drink!]
Having stumbled across the wonderful Charlie Fish, I knew that I would need to follow Rountree. Little did I know that we would be rewarded with yet another spectacular quirky, magical, western tale of oddities. Weird and (such a supreme) mashup of Western, 'horror,' homage to Frankenstein, and (so much) more... The Unkillable Frank paid even higher reward than anticipated.
Rountree is pretty ridiculously amazing in this one again. Lightening in a bottle is his thing., it seems.
The characters couldn't be more interesting. The cast couldn't have been more compelling. Somehow, he has a magic of his own in generating a set, wrought with emotion, deeply layered, and expertly intertwined. Maybe it was the author that lent his magik to Catherine as much as Louisa did. Just artful use of words and description and people coming to life in such wonderful ways throughout his pages. You know it is an outstandingly strong read when the adventure races through the epilogue as well. Great context all the way through.
So appreciative of Edelweiss sharing the ARC here and, while anxiously awaiting all of the stories that come out of Josh Rountree's musings, I'll be telling everyone how much they must read him.
Having stumbled across the wonderful Charlie Fish, I knew that I would need to follow Rountree. Little did I know that we would be rewarded with yet another spectacular quirky, magical, western tale of oddities. Weird and (such a supreme) mashup of Western, 'horror,' homage to Frankenstein, and (so much) more... The Unkillable Frank paid even higher reward than anticipated.
Rountree is pretty ridiculously amazing in this one again. Lightening in a bottle is his thing., it seems.
The characters couldn't be more interesting. The cast couldn't have been more compelling. Somehow, he has a magic of his own in generating a set, wrought with emotion, deeply layered, and expertly intertwined. Maybe it was the author that lent his magik to Catherine as much as Louisa did. Just artful use of words and description and people coming to life in such wonderful ways throughout his pages. You know it is an outstandingly strong read when the adventure races through the epilogue as well. Great context all the way through.
So appreciative of Edelweiss sharing the ARC here and, while anxiously awaiting all of the stories that come out of Josh Rountree's musings, I'll be telling everyone how much they must read him.
February 23, 2025
I consider The Legend of Charlie Fish by Josh Rountree as one of my favorite reads. EVER. When I was given the opportunity to review his new novel, I was thrilled.
In this new western horror, Rountree weaves a wonderfully immersive story, with a strong sense of time and place and unbelievably well-drawn deeply dimensional characters.
The Unkillable Frank Lightening is a retelling of Frankenstein, and Rountree cleverly captures the hubris, despair and terror of the original. The story is told from the viewpoint of Catherine, a bitter, selfish disillusioned doctor, who is traveling with two hired hitmen, to finally deal with her husband, Frank. 25 years earlier, Catherine, in a fit of grief and arrogance, resurrected the dead and mutilated Frank and immediately ran away from her monstrous creation. Catherine is an unforgettable character, forged by her pridefulness, vanity and loneliness, she made me mad, she made me laugh and she broke my heart.
This is the Wild West in all its gritty violent desperation. But Rountree slips in his magic, his broken yet hopeful characters, his found families, and his forgiveness.
A wonderful wonderful book.
In this new western horror, Rountree weaves a wonderfully immersive story, with a strong sense of time and place and unbelievably well-drawn deeply dimensional characters.
The Unkillable Frank Lightening is a retelling of Frankenstein, and Rountree cleverly captures the hubris, despair and terror of the original. The story is told from the viewpoint of Catherine, a bitter, selfish disillusioned doctor, who is traveling with two hired hitmen, to finally deal with her husband, Frank. 25 years earlier, Catherine, in a fit of grief and arrogance, resurrected the dead and mutilated Frank and immediately ran away from her monstrous creation. Catherine is an unforgettable character, forged by her pridefulness, vanity and loneliness, she made me mad, she made me laugh and she broke my heart.
This is the Wild West in all its gritty violent desperation. But Rountree slips in his magic, his broken yet hopeful characters, his found families, and his forgiveness.
A wonderful wonderful book.
July 28, 2025
a rather enjoyable read combing the Old West, the Real West, Frankenstein, and witch, er, excuse me, magic craft. The West, both of 'em, felt real, and the magic and creatures of magic fit in real nice. the characters were quite fun. I liked the book but not so much the deus ex machina around page 195 of the sudden and easy reunification with an old love that then proceeded to bring the solution to everything. I'd read of these characters again, though in no hurry to.
August 12, 2025
I just finished this book and it is now my absolute favorite book of all time. I loved everything about it. Fantastic writing. Incredible characters. Great story flow. I couldn't put it down. I am looking forward to reading more from this author. Wonderful job Mr. Rountree!
May 25, 2025
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Prose: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pacing: moderate
Scary: uncanny but not scary
Gore: some
Character Development:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Atmosphere: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A wild west Frankenstein reimagining? I didn't initially know what to make of that. This was my first Josh Rountree novel and immediately I was struck by how much I like his writing style. I've discovered that the paranormal and a Western setting go together like hand in glove for me. Red Rabbit/Rose of Jericho by Alex Grecian, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by SGJ, Lone Women by Victor LaValle were magnificent. I'd barely started reading The Unkillable Frank Lightning and already knew I'd love it. These characters are all so gritty, dirty and real. Roll them around in vague occult practices and you have a winning novel. I couldn't put it down. The premise, setting and grief-historical horror combination are extremely addictive.
Dr. Catherine Coldbridge is an atypical female main character for the time period, which I liked, and the Dawson brothers are exactly as you'd expect them to be. I can't think of a bad thing to say about The Unkillable Frank Lightning. Every single one of these characters were memorable. Congratulations Josh Rountree, this will be a chart-topper.
Prose: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pacing: moderate
Scary: uncanny but not scary
Gore: some
Character Development:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Atmosphere: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A wild west Frankenstein reimagining? I didn't initially know what to make of that. This was my first Josh Rountree novel and immediately I was struck by how much I like his writing style. I've discovered that the paranormal and a Western setting go together like hand in glove for me. Red Rabbit/Rose of Jericho by Alex Grecian, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by SGJ, Lone Women by Victor LaValle were magnificent. I'd barely started reading The Unkillable Frank Lightning and already knew I'd love it. These characters are all so gritty, dirty and real. Roll them around in vague occult practices and you have a winning novel. I couldn't put it down. The premise, setting and grief-historical horror combination are extremely addictive.
Dr. Catherine Coldbridge is an atypical female main character for the time period, which I liked, and the Dawson brothers are exactly as you'd expect them to be. I can't think of a bad thing to say about The Unkillable Frank Lightning. Every single one of these characters were memorable. Congratulations Josh Rountree, this will be a chart-topper.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 22, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of The Unkillable Frank Lightning!
At its heart, this is a tale of loss, resurrection, and redemption. We are carried along on this journey with Catherine Coldbridge at the helm. She is a deeply flawed character, haunted and broken. She has experienced deep love and heartbreaking loss, and her life has been flipped upside-down by the choices she has made trying to deal with it. Regardless of her mistakes, I couldn't help but have compassion for her.
Rountree holds true to Shelley's Frankenstein tale, right down to the doctor's monstrosity and the monster's humanity. Small details taken from the original are masterfully woven into this story. It's a treat.
I was happy to see a bit of Charlie Fish peek into the story. You don't have to read The Legend of Charlie Fish prior to this - they are separate stories - but I recommend it anyway because it's a wonderful book.
When reading Josh Rountree, you're put in the hands of a horror Western extraordinaire. His storytelling is gritty and bold, and you can smell the blood and dirt in his writing. He is an auto-buy author for me, and I recommend his books to everyone.
At its heart, this is a tale of loss, resurrection, and redemption. We are carried along on this journey with Catherine Coldbridge at the helm. She is a deeply flawed character, haunted and broken. She has experienced deep love and heartbreaking loss, and her life has been flipped upside-down by the choices she has made trying to deal with it. Regardless of her mistakes, I couldn't help but have compassion for her.
Rountree holds true to Shelley's Frankenstein tale, right down to the doctor's monstrosity and the monster's humanity. Small details taken from the original are masterfully woven into this story. It's a treat.
I was happy to see a bit of Charlie Fish peek into the story. You don't have to read The Legend of Charlie Fish prior to this - they are separate stories - but I recommend it anyway because it's a wonderful book.
When reading Josh Rountree, you're put in the hands of a horror Western extraordinaire. His storytelling is gritty and bold, and you can smell the blood and dirt in his writing. He is an auto-buy author for me, and I recommend his books to everyone.
March 29, 2025
Hi, new fan of Josh Rountree here! The Unkillable Frank Lightning is marketed as “Frankenstein in a Wild West show” and Rountree delivers on exactly that.
The Unkillable Frank Lightning begins with Catherine, our FMC, decades after she has resurrected her husband. Catherine is consumed with guilt for letting loose a monster into the world. She enlists help from a pair of unsavory brothers to kill her husband and right her wrongs. They take off to Texas where she has heard Frank is traveling in a Wild West show under the stage name, “The Unkillable Frank Lightning”. Frank is a different monster than the one she created 25 years prior and Catherine must decide if she has it in her to end his life once and for all.
Catherine isn’t a very likable character but she doesn’t need to be. She is used more as a vehicle to guide us through the story. The side characters are really what drive the plot. Gunslingers, cons, and outcasts make up Frank’s found family and the traveling revue.
The story was an amusing re-telling of Frankenstein. It follows the basic premise of the classic but with The Wild West as its backdrop. The themes are likewise similar; the burden of responsibility, the “other”, and the duality of human nature are all examined.
I will be recommending this to fans of horror, classic literature enthusiasts, and followers of retellings.
Thank you NetGalley and Tachyon Publications for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Unkillable Frank Lightning begins with Catherine, our FMC, decades after she has resurrected her husband. Catherine is consumed with guilt for letting loose a monster into the world. She enlists help from a pair of unsavory brothers to kill her husband and right her wrongs. They take off to Texas where she has heard Frank is traveling in a Wild West show under the stage name, “The Unkillable Frank Lightning”. Frank is a different monster than the one she created 25 years prior and Catherine must decide if she has it in her to end his life once and for all.
Catherine isn’t a very likable character but she doesn’t need to be. She is used more as a vehicle to guide us through the story. The side characters are really what drive the plot. Gunslingers, cons, and outcasts make up Frank’s found family and the traveling revue.
The story was an amusing re-telling of Frankenstein. It follows the basic premise of the classic but with The Wild West as its backdrop. The themes are likewise similar; the burden of responsibility, the “other”, and the duality of human nature are all examined.
I will be recommending this to fans of horror, classic literature enthusiasts, and followers of retellings.
Thank you NetGalley and Tachyon Publications for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 21, 2025
I went into this story almost blind as I often like to do so I didn’t know what to expect. I enjoyed following the timeline of Dr. Coldbridge’s life before and after Frank’s resurrection. I found the story of how Catherine came into her magic interesting and liked that it was in a way different than a “witch” would be. Though Catherine would say she is not a witch. The way that magic was used in this book to resurrect and heal was unique and thought provoking, a take on Frankenstein. I enjoyed seeing how the wild west effected both Catherine and Frank and how their stories converged. The progression of the book was fascinating with how crazy things had ended up with all the misfits you meet along the way. I did feel like I could have gotten more from Frank in the end which left me to give it a lower rating. If you are looking for an action-packed fantasy resurrection book in the wild west then this is it.
I’d like to thank Netgalley and Tachyon Publications for an ARC to the Unkillable Frank Lightning in exchange for my honest opinion.
I’d like to thank Netgalley and Tachyon Publications for an ARC to the Unkillable Frank Lightning in exchange for my honest opinion.
August 8, 2025
I adored this as much as I did Red Rabbit, by Alex Grecian, another brilliant mash-up of horror and westerns, both with sympathetic main characters who like to use a little witchcraft now and then. I'm finding this genre more and more enticing, somehow the man-made horrors of the Western Frontier make a perfect backdrop for supernatural ones. I'm going to seek out this author's previous book as it appears to be in a similar vein.
October 9, 2025
If this ain’t carefully crafted horror with a beating heart, I don’t know what is. 2025 has brought us nothing but bangers. Thank you so much to Tachyon Publishing for sending me a copy! This book is available now wherever you buy your books.
July 15, 2025
“You seem to be our kind of people. Strange and wonderful. Do not forget that about yourself. And do not let men with selfish morals cause you to question your own mind.”
Thank you for this line Josh, it’s just beautiful and poignant. And describes the main character Catherine Coldbridge to a tee. Another incredibly real western that takes place in Texas has Catherine traveling to find her husband Frank that she has years earlier brought back from the dead. What happens after is thrilling, heartbreaking and cinematic. Josh can put us right there in each characters mind and make us feel everything they go through deeply. The setting is harsh and tragic, as real as it gets. He doesn’t give us that pretty western, this is the reality we don’t often see. Catherine is an amazing woman in this book. A doctor, and a woman who knows her way around magic. She is very confident, incredibly intelligent and doesn’t take any flak from men. I loved her so much! And I especially loved her in a western, thank you for that Josh! This story was so exciting but you bet I had tears in my eyes at the end! Can’t wait to see what Josh comes up with next!!!
Thank you for this line Josh, it’s just beautiful and poignant. And describes the main character Catherine Coldbridge to a tee. Another incredibly real western that takes place in Texas has Catherine traveling to find her husband Frank that she has years earlier brought back from the dead. What happens after is thrilling, heartbreaking and cinematic. Josh can put us right there in each characters mind and make us feel everything they go through deeply. The setting is harsh and tragic, as real as it gets. He doesn’t give us that pretty western, this is the reality we don’t often see. Catherine is an amazing woman in this book. A doctor, and a woman who knows her way around magic. She is very confident, incredibly intelligent and doesn’t take any flak from men. I loved her so much! And I especially loved her in a western, thank you for that Josh! This story was so exciting but you bet I had tears in my eyes at the end! Can’t wait to see what Josh comes up with next!!!
July 6, 2025
Call it Frankenstein meets Unforgiven, and you wouldn’t be wrong. Josh Rountree’s The Unkillable Frank Lightning earns every bit of that comparison. There’s shootings and stabbings. Arrows flying, horses chasing, folks lit on fire. Drinking, swearing, conjuring. Kinda like a Hee-Haw after-party once the cameras have been put away. This genre-breaking read captures the dirty wild west and then turns it all crooked as if stylized in a Mike Mignola Hellboy comic. Rountree’s cooked up a bold entry in the historical horror game, and fans of either genre ought to take note: this one ain’t to be missed.
Set in the early 19-aughts, Dr. Catherine Coldbridge is searching for a hulking, killing brute of a man - if you can still call him that - going by the handle of Frank Lightning. Used to be Frank Humble, back when he was six feet under. But now he’s walking again, thanks to some lightning, spellwork, and a heart that refused to quit. Catherine aims to fix that mistake, once and for all.
Rountree plays with time, and memory, and the myths we tell ourselves to sleep at night. Although leaning much more into the fictitious world of the dark arts than Mary Shelley’s Romantic-era debut breached, Rountree incorporates questions on humanity, of rising above a beastial nature, and the complications of both overconfidence and true love. About individuality and acceptance and how damn easy it is to give way to the monster inside. Most of the story rides shotgun with Catherine, and through her we get the aching weight of pursuit, of regret, of not knowing if you’re the hunter or the haunted.
Catherine brings along hired killers - twin brothers - with mis-intentions of safety in numbers. Frank, she learns, is part of a Wild West Roadshow where he is considered family among the misfits. Throughout the story, prejudices arise. Rountree does his best to shatter such archaic, lazy thinking; timely stuff that unfortunately bears repeating.
The Unkillable Frank Lightning skewers more into magic than science but this ain’t no Harry Potter tomfoolery with wands and backwards-sounding names. This is Lovecraft by way of Robert E. Howard, with a side of Brian Keene apocalyptic-voodoo. The magic here is nasty and raw laced with gunsmoke and grave dirt. Both blood-heavy and booze-soaked. These are the kind of spells that come with a cost, and sometimes that cost is your soul… or someone else’s. Josh Rountree unearthed a grave and has invited you to jump on in.
The Unkillable Frank Lightning is a mighty attractive read. Can’t wait to see what Josh Rountree conjures up next.
Thank you, Kasey Lansdale at Tachyon Publications for the preview ARC and the introduction to Josh Rountree. Happy trails, indeed!
The full review and more can be found over on Read @ Joe's
Set in the early 19-aughts, Dr. Catherine Coldbridge is searching for a hulking, killing brute of a man - if you can still call him that - going by the handle of Frank Lightning. Used to be Frank Humble, back when he was six feet under. But now he’s walking again, thanks to some lightning, spellwork, and a heart that refused to quit. Catherine aims to fix that mistake, once and for all.
Rountree plays with time, and memory, and the myths we tell ourselves to sleep at night. Although leaning much more into the fictitious world of the dark arts than Mary Shelley’s Romantic-era debut breached, Rountree incorporates questions on humanity, of rising above a beastial nature, and the complications of both overconfidence and true love. About individuality and acceptance and how damn easy it is to give way to the monster inside. Most of the story rides shotgun with Catherine, and through her we get the aching weight of pursuit, of regret, of not knowing if you’re the hunter or the haunted.
Catherine brings along hired killers - twin brothers - with mis-intentions of safety in numbers. Frank, she learns, is part of a Wild West Roadshow where he is considered family among the misfits. Throughout the story, prejudices arise. Rountree does his best to shatter such archaic, lazy thinking; timely stuff that unfortunately bears repeating.
The Unkillable Frank Lightning skewers more into magic than science but this ain’t no Harry Potter tomfoolery with wands and backwards-sounding names. This is Lovecraft by way of Robert E. Howard, with a side of Brian Keene apocalyptic-voodoo. The magic here is nasty and raw laced with gunsmoke and grave dirt. Both blood-heavy and booze-soaked. These are the kind of spells that come with a cost, and sometimes that cost is your soul… or someone else’s. Josh Rountree unearthed a grave and has invited you to jump on in.
The Unkillable Frank Lightning is a mighty attractive read. Can’t wait to see what Josh Rountree conjures up next.
Thank you, Kasey Lansdale at Tachyon Publications for the preview ARC and the introduction to Josh Rountree. Happy trails, indeed!
The full review and more can be found over on Read @ Joe's
April 2, 2025
The Unkillable Frank Lightning is easily the most fun I’ve had with a re-imagining of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Dr. Catherine Coldbridge is out there in the west, knocking down glass ceilings as best as she can, and healing people. And sure, perhaps she’s using witchcraft for some of her healing, but she’s also just a badass doctor who is good at her job, despite what her colleagues might presume. But now she’s on the road, hunting down her husband with the aim to finally kill him. Well, kill him again, since she brought him back to life after he was shot down by native people attempting to protect their lands. Raising him turned him into some kind of mindless violent monster, and initially she fled, but now she’s ready to take responsibility for her monster and finally put him down. So, she’s headed to Texas with two outlaw mercenaries on hand for backup. Her husband, Frank, has moved in with some traveling circus people, and is doing a show as an oddity who cannot die.
The issue is that Catherine is wracked with guilt and has turned to self medicating with alcohol. And so a drunk woman is traveling with outlaws, and the people of texas are suspicious of them to begin with. So when things ultimately go sideways, the people turn on them quickly. Complicating things for when Catherine and her comrades finally clash with Frank and his found family of carnival workers. In the end, Catherine can’t ignore the husband she loved in the monster she created. She says she can’t kill him, but that might not be within the purview of her choice.
I thoroughly loved this book. I don’t typically like westerns, but the characters were so relatable that it was hard not to endear yourself to Catherine, Frank, or the others in the traveling show. I also loved the occult aspects of the story. Making the reanimating power of the monster be witchcraft instead of mad science was a twist that I thoroughly appreciated. I loved the story elements of Catherine’s witchcraft, and her stepping into her power, healing herself, accepting herself and her ability to love. The fact that Catherine is a bisexual legend of a woman is also compelling. I did not read Josh Rountree’s previous novel, The Legend of Charlie Fish, but the tie in character in this book was so lovable, I am compelled to go and read it.
Also, as someone with native heritage, I appreciated the way in which the text handled speaking about the native people in the book. The time of western expansion was a terrible time for the native nations, and while these characters were definitely on the wrong side of that history, I think that they were aware of the parts they played in it. And at least Catherine showed care, sympathy, and acknowledgement of the wrongs going on in that time.
Overall, I would recommend reading this book. It was fun, emotional, and engaging.
The issue is that Catherine is wracked with guilt and has turned to self medicating with alcohol. And so a drunk woman is traveling with outlaws, and the people of texas are suspicious of them to begin with. So when things ultimately go sideways, the people turn on them quickly. Complicating things for when Catherine and her comrades finally clash with Frank and his found family of carnival workers. In the end, Catherine can’t ignore the husband she loved in the monster she created. She says she can’t kill him, but that might not be within the purview of her choice.
I thoroughly loved this book. I don’t typically like westerns, but the characters were so relatable that it was hard not to endear yourself to Catherine, Frank, or the others in the traveling show. I also loved the occult aspects of the story. Making the reanimating power of the monster be witchcraft instead of mad science was a twist that I thoroughly appreciated. I loved the story elements of Catherine’s witchcraft, and her stepping into her power, healing herself, accepting herself and her ability to love. The fact that Catherine is a bisexual legend of a woman is also compelling. I did not read Josh Rountree’s previous novel, The Legend of Charlie Fish, but the tie in character in this book was so lovable, I am compelled to go and read it.
Also, as someone with native heritage, I appreciated the way in which the text handled speaking about the native people in the book. The time of western expansion was a terrible time for the native nations, and while these characters were definitely on the wrong side of that history, I think that they were aware of the parts they played in it. And at least Catherine showed care, sympathy, and acknowledgement of the wrongs going on in that time.
Overall, I would recommend reading this book. It was fun, emotional, and engaging.
September 2, 2025
I ended up quite enjoying this version of Frankenstein set in the Old West quite a bit. I had a bit of a rough start with it, but that was totally on me, just didn’t have the time to give it the attention it deserved. But when I finally sat down and really focused on the story, I ended up really liking it. In fact I found it quite riveting and ended up finishing it in one day.
This is a Frankenstein retelling, but with some interesting differences. It is set in the Old West in the late 1800s to early 1900s. The Dr is a woman, who not only has a medical degree, but also is a practitioner of a type of magick. Catherine Coldbridge was a bit hard to like. As a young doctor she was rash and overconfident in her abilities. She was also a bit of a bully when she didn’t get her way. The older version was full of self loathing and pity and was haunted by what she had done. But she also wanted to right what she thought was a huge wrong, and you sort of have to admire that.
The story has two timelines. The events where Catherine resurrects her dead husband, which happened 25 years in the past, and the present day (well 1905) when she is trying to find Frank and kill him. These two timelines eventually meet up and that is when things get quite interesting. Frank has found his humanity and has friends and has lived a full life as much as he could. Things do escalate quite quickly when the two killers Catherine hired end up being too hot headed. The two timelines really worked well for this story and was reminiscent of the original novel.
The writing was excellent, although a bit hard to get into at first. The descriptions of Texas, and the Wild West Show were wonderfully well done and made me feel like I was there. The dialogue felt a little stilted at times, but nothing to really turn me off the story. Although that cover does give the impression that this will be quite the horror book, like the original it isn’t full of gore. There are a few squeamish scenes, but nothing outrageous. This book embraces a lot of genres and does all of them well. The ending was also a bit of a surprise but fit quite well with the rest of the story.
If you enjoy Frankenstein retellings this is one you need to add to your list. It is full of interesting and at time lovable characters, an old west setting, sprinkled with some occult magick and does an excellent job of navigating the themes of love and death.
This is a Frankenstein retelling, but with some interesting differences. It is set in the Old West in the late 1800s to early 1900s. The Dr is a woman, who not only has a medical degree, but also is a practitioner of a type of magick. Catherine Coldbridge was a bit hard to like. As a young doctor she was rash and overconfident in her abilities. She was also a bit of a bully when she didn’t get her way. The older version was full of self loathing and pity and was haunted by what she had done. But she also wanted to right what she thought was a huge wrong, and you sort of have to admire that.
The story has two timelines. The events where Catherine resurrects her dead husband, which happened 25 years in the past, and the present day (well 1905) when she is trying to find Frank and kill him. These two timelines eventually meet up and that is when things get quite interesting. Frank has found his humanity and has friends and has lived a full life as much as he could. Things do escalate quite quickly when the two killers Catherine hired end up being too hot headed. The two timelines really worked well for this story and was reminiscent of the original novel.
The writing was excellent, although a bit hard to get into at first. The descriptions of Texas, and the Wild West Show were wonderfully well done and made me feel like I was there. The dialogue felt a little stilted at times, but nothing to really turn me off the story. Although that cover does give the impression that this will be quite the horror book, like the original it isn’t full of gore. There are a few squeamish scenes, but nothing outrageous. This book embraces a lot of genres and does all of them well. The ending was also a bit of a surprise but fit quite well with the rest of the story.
If you enjoy Frankenstein retellings this is one you need to add to your list. It is full of interesting and at time lovable characters, an old west setting, sprinkled with some occult magick and does an excellent job of navigating the themes of love and death.
July 29, 2025
The Unkillable Frank Lightning is a genre-defying delight. A lyrically written tale that has aspects reminiscent of such diverse stories as Frankenstein, Pet Sematary, Little Big Man, Whose Life is it Anyway, and more. A Gothic Horror, Neo-noir, Weird Western Tale that honors its influences while also serving to demystify certain aspects of same. Really good stuff!
The book follows Dr. Catherine Coldbridge, a former military doctor who is also schooled in the occult, as she hunts down the "monster" she created twenty-five years prior when she brought her murdered husband back from the dead. Accompanying Catherine are two hired killers who expect to correct the mistake made all those years ago and dispatch the title character back to where he (or IT) rightfully belongs.
Most of the story takes place in Texas in 1905, a time and place where the myth of the "Old West" is alive and well and celebrated as fact. The doctor's first person narration with its precise almost overly mannered phrasing captures the era well while adding a certain urgency and sense of authentic horror to the mission that she and her deadly companions have undertaken.
The first half of the book is more reflective and thoughtful as Dr. Coldbridge ponders how she got to where she is and all she lost along the way. At about the halfway point the story takes an interesting turn and that's when things really get moving and kick into high gear.
As soon as I realized that this book was written by the same author who wrote The Legend of Charlie Fish I knew I wanted to read it. I had no idea at the time that this book exists in the same world as Charlie Fish and has a couple of Easter egg callbacks. If you haven't read The Legend of Charlie Fish it's okay, The Unkillable Frank Lightning is not a direct sequel (if you have you'll be delighted).
I enjoyed this book a lot. It's slow in a couple of spots but overall it's a great story. Some of the best genre-blending fiction I've encountered in some time.
The book follows Dr. Catherine Coldbridge, a former military doctor who is also schooled in the occult, as she hunts down the "monster" she created twenty-five years prior when she brought her murdered husband back from the dead. Accompanying Catherine are two hired killers who expect to correct the mistake made all those years ago and dispatch the title character back to where he (or IT) rightfully belongs.
Most of the story takes place in Texas in 1905, a time and place where the myth of the "Old West" is alive and well and celebrated as fact. The doctor's first person narration with its precise almost overly mannered phrasing captures the era well while adding a certain urgency and sense of authentic horror to the mission that she and her deadly companions have undertaken.
The first half of the book is more reflective and thoughtful as Dr. Coldbridge ponders how she got to where she is and all she lost along the way. At about the halfway point the story takes an interesting turn and that's when things really get moving and kick into high gear.
As soon as I realized that this book was written by the same author who wrote The Legend of Charlie Fish I knew I wanted to read it. I had no idea at the time that this book exists in the same world as Charlie Fish and has a couple of Easter egg callbacks. If you haven't read The Legend of Charlie Fish it's okay, The Unkillable Frank Lightning is not a direct sequel (if you have you'll be delighted).
I enjoyed this book a lot. It's slow in a couple of spots but overall it's a great story. Some of the best genre-blending fiction I've encountered in some time.
July 14, 2025
Fun weird western horror. The tale of Frankenstein and his monster is thrust into late nineteenth century Texas and replaced with Dr. Catherine Coldbridge and her husband, Frank. Shortly after their wedding Frank is killed quite brutally and Dr. Coldbridge swiftly takes action using magick she's learned in the past decade to resurrect her dude. The story switches between 1879 (the year of Frank's death and rebirth) and 1905 when Catherine has gone to destroy her honey bunny, assuming he's still the belligerent monster she saw emerge when he was first reanimated.
The characters are great. Catherine is complex and definitely fits into a morally gray space. There's also a queer love element that was quite endearing. Frank and the gang from the Wild West Revue end up being very dimensional which I hadn’t anticipated. I expected more of the typical tropes you find in westerns, but this is a period Rountree has dropped himself into fluidly and he clearly knows it well. The world building is fantastic and it was easy to envision the setting.
I loved the female doctor narrator circa 1879. Catherine’s memories of her time serving as a field medic were super interesting. There are a few tales I could imagine stemming from her time saving the lives of fallen soldiers so I’d love to see Rountree use her again. She’s also very well fleshed out. I could identify with her and she’s not the usual maniacal evil scientist you imagine a la Dr. Frankenstein. If weird, historical horror with preternatural vibes is your jam this is definitely recommended. I also appreciate how magick is used in the book. It’s featured but also not relied upon to the point where every plot hole is fixed with it. Very well done and not overpowering. All in all a solid read and Rountree is an author to watch.
The characters are great. Catherine is complex and definitely fits into a morally gray space. There's also a queer love element that was quite endearing. Frank and the gang from the Wild West Revue end up being very dimensional which I hadn’t anticipated. I expected more of the typical tropes you find in westerns, but this is a period Rountree has dropped himself into fluidly and he clearly knows it well. The world building is fantastic and it was easy to envision the setting.
I loved the female doctor narrator circa 1879. Catherine’s memories of her time serving as a field medic were super interesting. There are a few tales I could imagine stemming from her time saving the lives of fallen soldiers so I’d love to see Rountree use her again. She’s also very well fleshed out. I could identify with her and she’s not the usual maniacal evil scientist you imagine a la Dr. Frankenstein. If weird, historical horror with preternatural vibes is your jam this is definitely recommended. I also appreciate how magick is used in the book. It’s featured but also not relied upon to the point where every plot hole is fixed with it. Very well done and not overpowering. All in all a solid read and Rountree is an author to watch.
July 28, 2025
Dr. Catherine Coldbridge marries soldier Frank Humble in Montana Territory, 1879. Two weeks after their wedding, Frank sets out for the frontier and is killed in a Sioux attack. Consumed by grief, Catherine sets out with Frank's friend, Falling Bird, to find Frank's body. Catherine, however, is not only trained in medicine, but has also trained in the occult. After finding Frank, she pieces his body back together and begins a resurrection ceremony. The resurrection is a success, but Frank is no longer himself, imbued with magick strength, he goes on a killing spree and Catherine flees. Twenty five years later, Catherine is ready to right her wrong. With the help from hired assassins, brothers Frank and Aubrey, Catherine sets forth to find Frank who is now travelling with a Wild West show as the Unkillable Frank Lightning.
The Unkillable Frank Lightning is an imaginative and heartfelt Frankenstein retelling in the Wild West. Catherine's character is impressive and driven, becoming a female doctor while studying the occult and taking on caring for soldiers in the field. The narrative skillfully interweaves timelines, revealing details of Frank's death, reanimation, and subsequent life as Catherine tracks him down. Her journey highlights the profound impact of her past decision on her conscience. Frank's life has significantly changed, and he has found a new family within the Wild West show, demonstrating his inherent goodness even in his altered state. I particularly enjoyed the wonderful characters among Frank's show mates and would have loved to learn more about them. The eventual reunion of Frank and Catherine prompts them to re-evaluate their perceptions and rediscover one another, ultimately leading to self-acceptance and redemption.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
The Unkillable Frank Lightning is an imaginative and heartfelt Frankenstein retelling in the Wild West. Catherine's character is impressive and driven, becoming a female doctor while studying the occult and taking on caring for soldiers in the field. The narrative skillfully interweaves timelines, revealing details of Frank's death, reanimation, and subsequent life as Catherine tracks him down. Her journey highlights the profound impact of her past decision on her conscience. Frank's life has significantly changed, and he has found a new family within the Wild West show, demonstrating his inherent goodness even in his altered state. I particularly enjoyed the wonderful characters among Frank's show mates and would have loved to learn more about them. The eventual reunion of Frank and Catherine prompts them to re-evaluate their perceptions and rediscover one another, ultimately leading to self-acceptance and redemption.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
August 4, 2025
**My thanks to Tachyon Publications for providing me with an advanced review copy via NetGalley**
4 stars
This is a really inventive reimagining of Frankenstein in the American West. In this version, our Frankenstein figure is a female doctor, though she raises her creation with magic rather than her medical science. Her creature also isn’t a purely ego-driven project of creating life (as in Shelley’s novel) but a desperate act of love, resurrecting life into the body (some parts outsourced) of her murdered husband. The story definitely takes more inspiration from Frankenstein movies and Frankenstein as a cultural icon rather than the original novel, but I still really like how it plays with the concept of the undead trying to live.
Catherine, our Frankenstein figure, is a bi icon, bitter and worn down by a sexist world that she feels has taken everything from her. And yet, she is forced early in the novel to confront the fact that her great disappointments in life were her own doing, and that in fact she has made many mistakes. Frank, her reanimated husband, is (much like Shelley’s Creature) a thoughtful, philosophical, articulate man, who (unlike Shelley’s Creature) has found acceptance and belonging in a community of other outcasts and misfits. He’s a very sympathetic figure who brings a lot of warmth to the novel.
While the premise of the novel is that Catherine wants to kill her undead creation, the story itself is surprisingly life-affirming, and preaches the possibility of change and self-improvement. The villains of the story, religious and racist Texan townsfolk, are a little two-dimensional, but it’s hard to mind when the story focuses primarily on its large cast of outcast heroes.
4 stars
This is a really inventive reimagining of Frankenstein in the American West. In this version, our Frankenstein figure is a female doctor, though she raises her creation with magic rather than her medical science. Her creature also isn’t a purely ego-driven project of creating life (as in Shelley’s novel) but a desperate act of love, resurrecting life into the body (some parts outsourced) of her murdered husband. The story definitely takes more inspiration from Frankenstein movies and Frankenstein as a cultural icon rather than the original novel, but I still really like how it plays with the concept of the undead trying to live.
Catherine, our Frankenstein figure, is a bi icon, bitter and worn down by a sexist world that she feels has taken everything from her. And yet, she is forced early in the novel to confront the fact that her great disappointments in life were her own doing, and that in fact she has made many mistakes. Frank, her reanimated husband, is (much like Shelley’s Creature) a thoughtful, philosophical, articulate man, who (unlike Shelley’s Creature) has found acceptance and belonging in a community of other outcasts and misfits. He’s a very sympathetic figure who brings a lot of warmth to the novel.
While the premise of the novel is that Catherine wants to kill her undead creation, the story itself is surprisingly life-affirming, and preaches the possibility of change and self-improvement. The villains of the story, religious and racist Texan townsfolk, are a little two-dimensional, but it’s hard to mind when the story focuses primarily on its large cast of outcast heroes.
February 13, 2025
This is a novel set in a realistic wild west setting which features magick, resurrection, and has an emotional reach which impacts the reader as it progresses.
A woman uses a spell to bring her husband back to life. He's been massacred along with others and she must replace some of his body parts with those of others for the spell to take effect. That's a particularly gruesome yet detailed scene.
But of course that comes with consequences. When she last saw her husband, he was a rampaging monster, causing her to flee in fear and guilt.
Years later and she's hired two killers to accompany her because she now wants to end her husband's life again. He's a performer in a wild west revue show and he is the Unkillable Frank Lightning. But he's a changed man. He's sweet and has friends, nothing like the monster he was.
We'll follow all of these wonderfully written characters as moral choices must be made which are hard to follow. The choices which could, and do, lead to bloodshed in the blink of an eye and the resulting fallout leads us on a horrific trail and nobody involved will be the same again.
I loved Josh's novel Charlie Fish and I was thrilled to see a certain character from that world have a huge impact in this novel. If you've read Charlie Fish you'll know.
This is a great story that takes a Frankenstein like tale and gives it a fresh makeover while delivering the terror, action, and heartfelt moments we all love. I highly recommend this one.
I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.
A woman uses a spell to bring her husband back to life. He's been massacred along with others and she must replace some of his body parts with those of others for the spell to take effect. That's a particularly gruesome yet detailed scene.
But of course that comes with consequences. When she last saw her husband, he was a rampaging monster, causing her to flee in fear and guilt.
Years later and she's hired two killers to accompany her because she now wants to end her husband's life again. He's a performer in a wild west revue show and he is the Unkillable Frank Lightning. But he's a changed man. He's sweet and has friends, nothing like the monster he was.
We'll follow all of these wonderfully written characters as moral choices must be made which are hard to follow. The choices which could, and do, lead to bloodshed in the blink of an eye and the resulting fallout leads us on a horrific trail and nobody involved will be the same again.
I loved Josh's novel Charlie Fish and I was thrilled to see a certain character from that world have a huge impact in this novel. If you've read Charlie Fish you'll know.
This is a great story that takes a Frankenstein like tale and gives it a fresh makeover while delivering the terror, action, and heartfelt moments we all love. I highly recommend this one.
I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.
June 28, 2025
Zesty Wild-West weird fiction, pretty much what he was aiming for with "Frankenstein in a Wild West show," as he summarizes the elevator pitch. Also the feisty frontier byplay he's talked about being inspired by Portis's True Grit to craft, which he does quite well. Some especially piquant instances:
"My stomach's growling."
"Then order a steak and eat it at another table."
"You're not real sociable, are you?" said Hank.
"I'm working on getting blind drunk," I said. "I'd prefer it to be a solitary undertaking."
****
"Have they treated you well?" I asked.
"Well enough. Though they let a preacher come back here to harass me earlier. In my experience, when a preacher involves himself in matters, things begin to deteriorate in a hurry."
****
"The anticipation is the worst part," I said.
"Depends on what you are anticipating," said Preacher Branch. "Looking forward to your death by hanging fills me with delight."
"None of us will live long enough to hang," I said.
Like that. Our protagonist is a doctor and magick user who brought her husband back from the dead in Montana in 1879 and has regretted it ever since, and she's on the way to Texas in 1905 to make things right with herself and the world. I had a lot of fun, though the couple's marriage isn't particularly developed, so we don't know why she would bring him back from the dead in the first place; this isn't a life-long love that she's mourning. That aside, this pushed all of my pleasure buttons for the genre; there's something about six-guns and sorcery, done well (gave up on a couple of anthologies I bought after Red Rabbit), that gives me great joy.
"My stomach's growling."
"Then order a steak and eat it at another table."
"You're not real sociable, are you?" said Hank.
"I'm working on getting blind drunk," I said. "I'd prefer it to be a solitary undertaking."
****
"Have they treated you well?" I asked.
"Well enough. Though they let a preacher come back here to harass me earlier. In my experience, when a preacher involves himself in matters, things begin to deteriorate in a hurry."
****
"The anticipation is the worst part," I said.
"Depends on what you are anticipating," said Preacher Branch. "Looking forward to your death by hanging fills me with delight."
"None of us will live long enough to hang," I said.
Like that. Our protagonist is a doctor and magick user who brought her husband back from the dead in Montana in 1879 and has regretted it ever since, and she's on the way to Texas in 1905 to make things right with herself and the world. I had a lot of fun, though the couple's marriage isn't particularly developed, so we don't know why she would bring him back from the dead in the first place; this isn't a life-long love that she's mourning. That aside, this pushed all of my pleasure buttons for the genre; there's something about six-guns and sorcery, done well (gave up on a couple of anthologies I bought after Red Rabbit), that gives me great joy.
March 28, 2025
A take on the classic book Frankenstein. Set in the 1870s-1900s. Catherine is a doctor, not only with medical knowledge, but also a bit of magical knowledge. Her husband was killed in a Sioux attack. Some body parts were missing, so in true Frankenstein fashion, Catherine takes limbs from other soldiers and reattaches them before performing a resurrection spell. Frank came back and went on a killing spree. Catherine, thinking there was no way to stop him, fled. Now, twenty-five years later, she tracks Frank down to kill him only to learn he has regained his humanity.
The story was well written with a good cast of characters: showmen, gunslingers, hired killers. There were some words that were misspelled, or the wrong word was used. The character Dr. Prosper was called Dr. Proctor in a few places, and Aubrey was called Audrey once. I hope these will be fixed before final publication.
For me, Catherine’s love for her friend Louisa added nothing to the story. I think it could have worked with them just being close friends. I also would have liked a bit more scenes with Frank and Catherine, but the scenes we do get are good. Once Catherine sees Frank has his humanity, she is hesitant on killing him. Josh Rountree really captures the conflict and grief. The story definitely kept me engaged.
Thank you Netgalley for an ARC copy.
The story was well written with a good cast of characters: showmen, gunslingers, hired killers. There were some words that were misspelled, or the wrong word was used. The character Dr. Prosper was called Dr. Proctor in a few places, and Aubrey was called Audrey once. I hope these will be fixed before final publication.
For me, Catherine’s love for her friend Louisa added nothing to the story. I think it could have worked with them just being close friends. I also would have liked a bit more scenes with Frank and Catherine, but the scenes we do get are good. Once Catherine sees Frank has his humanity, she is hesitant on killing him. Josh Rountree really captures the conflict and grief. The story definitely kept me engaged.
Thank you Netgalley for an ARC copy.
July 15, 2025
**Thank you NetGalley and Tachyon Publications for a digital ARC of this book.
I don't typically care for the "western" theme/genre. However, when I read that it was like a Wild West Frankenstein story, I was willing to give it a try. I am so very glad that I did!
This story follows Dr. Catherine Coolbridge. She's not your typical doctor. Catherine did extra studies that no typical doctor has. Her husband, Private Frank Humble, was killed during a Sioux attack. With the help of a friend of her husband's, Catherine visits the war site and discovers her husband's destroyed body. Using body parts from other deceased soldiers, she brings him back to life. Unfortunately, the resurrection did not go as planned and Frank goes on a killing spree then flees. Years later, she decides she must correct her failure and kill the monster she created. But when she runs into The Unkillable Frank Lightening, plans change. Follow along as all hell breaks loose!
The characters were well-developed and likable. It was fast-paced and well-written. It was quite a quick and easy read. It also had me hooked. I HAD to know what would happen next. It was an amazing adaptation of Frankenstein with a western twist and I 100% recommend this book to anybody who likes something a little different. Likes when 2 genres collide. And Josh Roundtree did an excellent job! I will be reading more of his work.
I don't typically care for the "western" theme/genre. However, when I read that it was like a Wild West Frankenstein story, I was willing to give it a try. I am so very glad that I did!
This story follows Dr. Catherine Coolbridge. She's not your typical doctor. Catherine did extra studies that no typical doctor has. Her husband, Private Frank Humble, was killed during a Sioux attack. With the help of a friend of her husband's, Catherine visits the war site and discovers her husband's destroyed body. Using body parts from other deceased soldiers, she brings him back to life. Unfortunately, the resurrection did not go as planned and Frank goes on a killing spree then flees. Years later, she decides she must correct her failure and kill the monster she created. But when she runs into The Unkillable Frank Lightening, plans change. Follow along as all hell breaks loose!
The characters were well-developed and likable. It was fast-paced and well-written. It was quite a quick and easy read. It also had me hooked. I HAD to know what would happen next. It was an amazing adaptation of Frankenstein with a western twist and I 100% recommend this book to anybody who likes something a little different. Likes when 2 genres collide. And Josh Roundtree did an excellent job! I will be reading more of his work.
September 10, 2025
In this western-themed 'retelling' of Frankenstein, Dr Catherine Coldbridge, educated in traditional medicine and magick, is devastated when her beloved husband Frank is killed in battle. Unable to face losing him, she resurrects his body but quickly realizes her mistake.
Many years later, with 2 hired killers by her side, she seeks out Frank, in order to destroy him, in the hope of finding redemption.
MY THOUGHTS
It's interesting to read the author's afterward where he talks about growing up in rural Texas, his love of Western paperback books when he was growing up, and his enjoyment of horror movies. It's clear the influence these had on his storytelling in this book. A fascinating read, with a Western/Gothic feel to it, about a group of broken people, seeking redemption. Even those who manage to survive the story are left broken. The characters are unforgettable, decent people whose unfortunate lives have set them on a terrible path. An exciting and unique story which I highly recommend. I've not read any of his other work but, based on this read, I will happily read anything else he has written.
Thank you to @netgalley and @tachyonpub for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Many years later, with 2 hired killers by her side, she seeks out Frank, in order to destroy him, in the hope of finding redemption.
MY THOUGHTS
It's interesting to read the author's afterward where he talks about growing up in rural Texas, his love of Western paperback books when he was growing up, and his enjoyment of horror movies. It's clear the influence these had on his storytelling in this book. A fascinating read, with a Western/Gothic feel to it, about a group of broken people, seeking redemption. Even those who manage to survive the story are left broken. The characters are unforgettable, decent people whose unfortunate lives have set them on a terrible path. An exciting and unique story which I highly recommend. I've not read any of his other work but, based on this read, I will happily read anything else he has written.
Thank you to @netgalley and @tachyonpub for the opportunity to read and review this book.
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