Josh Rountree

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 show more 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. show less

I inhaled this book. Is it about Charlie Fish? Sort of. It's also very much about Nellie and Hank, a little bit about Floyd, and quite a bit about Galveston, Texas.

You know what it isn't about? 90% of the Goodreads blurb, so don't read it. How do you get it right while getting it so wrong? It's like the Great British Baking Show event where you are given the recipe without proportions, heat and time. Please don't let it sway you one way or another. This is a fast novella that feels a lot show more like Vo's [b:What the Dead Know|62991434|What the Dead Know (Into Shadow, #4)|Nghi Vo|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1665768248l/62991434._SY75_.jpg|98826720] and Clark's [b:The Black God's Drums|38118138|The Black God's Drums|P. Djèlí Clark|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1521211814l/38118138._SY75_.jpg|58277606] and [b:Winter Tide|68564584|Winter Tide|Ruthanna Emrys|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1677876585l/68564584._SY75_.jpg|47306624].

"Everyone has dark thoughts, selfish notions they're ashamed of. But the only thing that really matters is how they handle themselves in the living world."

The characters really came to life, even the ones we love to hate. I felt like I was watching the scenes in person. The plotting, perhaps, was the least strong aspect, as it was largely predictable until the ending. The emotional content and build was spot-on.

"'Have I ever given you the impression that I'm a soft flower in need of your care?' she asked."

I do have some notes, as they like to say in the performing business. The title is--and this is shocking, I know--misleading. I'd argue it is not about Charlie's legend, and Nellie is the thread that holds it together. The prose can be a bit colorful in spots, which is great for building an atmosphere, but doesn't do the characters any favors when it's used similarly for each narrator.

Quibbles aside, this was fast and fun, if fun is the right word for creepy, dead-end towns, men with evil in their hearts, and the uncanny.

Four and a half stars, rounding down just because I save that fifth one for the truly amazing book that I want to read again and again. But you never know if I'll change my mind.


Thanks to Netgalley and Tachyon Publications for an advance reader copy. As always, all opinions my own, all quotes subject to change in final pubs, etc., etc.*

*You know, someday I'm going to have to sit down with the people that believe opinions are grown in a void and have a little philosophical discussion. show less

Josh and I first bonded over a shared interest in rock history, so it’s no surprise that his previous title of rock related short stories ‘Can’t Buy Me Faded Love’ is one of my favorite collections, especially the title story, which is also included here.

Again it’s the couple of rock related stories in this new collection that resonated with me the most. But there is so much more between the covers of ‘Fantastic Americana.’ It’s a very personal road trip through the weird, show more strange, and absurd of American mythology, plus some insightful tales on both folksonomy driven legends, and personal issues such as ambition and grief. show less

This is a very weird short little book. Not much happened and what did happen all felt so quick. It was sort of like a dream. I liked the weird Western setting. The characters were all fine although I feel like I didn't get to know any of them super well. As soon as I was getting to know them it was over. Really this book is about the Galveston hurricane in 1900 that was " the deadliest natural disaster in the history of the United States." All of the characters and everything else is show more fictional, but you could feel this ongoing dread throughout the book of what's to come until it finally hits. I think overall it worked well, but at the same time I wish this was longer. I was sort of expecting sort of a Western epic, but that's not what this is. Even so, I think this could have been twice as long and explored the family dynamics and other themes longer. There is something good here. I liked the writing. There is promise, it just didn't feel quite done to me. It was sort of haunting and there are some good ideas here, but I don't know if it will stick with me. show less