“How entitled is the man who can treat another soul like a tool to be employed and then discarded when it breaks?” -Agnes

What if you take a snapshot of a scene in a classic book and write a story around it? Keeping true to the original, yet expanding and not adulterating it. This is what Eynhallow has done with Frankenstein, and it is a blessing for those of us who can never get enough of this classic. Here we have a story on an intersecting timeline that picks up on Frankenstein's story from a different POV and presents a "what-if" scenario without altering the original.
All I will say on the plot is it follows Agnes and her family on the small island of Eynhallow when the stories collide. This presents a special experience for the reader, knowing what is happening from the original timeline while the characters are trying to figure it all out. We know what is happening but the characters are talking about possible ghosts, trolls, or ogres. Their ignorance adds an extra level of tension and excitement. You have the advantage over the folk of Eynhallow, they know not what lurks in their midst, but if you know Shelley's Modern Prometheus, then you are aware of the lengths the monster with go to make his creator a miserable wretch.
The story telling is just amazing in Eynhallow, with a bleak and desolate setting creating a somber mood throughout. Life and times are hard on a windy island in Northern Scotland in 1797, and being a woman means raising the kids, taking care of the house and the meals while having no say in how the household is run. It truly is a window into a difficult life. Incredible characters, with heartache, fortitude and fear on every page.

Is it necessary to have read Frankenstein in order to enjoy Eynhallow? Absolutely not, but it certainly will enhance the experience, but I strongly encourage you to read Frankenstein if you haven't anyway. Find out who the horrible monster really is.

💀🖤| REVIEW: EYNHALLOW BY TIM MCGREGOR

Historical/Gothic/Literary Horror

🧟‍♀️Hands up if you love a Frankenstein retelling 🙌
This book is every gothic lovers dream and has definitely reignited my love of gothic fiction. Set in the 1700s, in Eynhallow itself (an island in Scotland), this book follows the POV of Agnes our MC and her family. New to the island, they relocate there for a better lifestyle and work opportunity. Her husband doesn’t treat her that well and she finds herself often taking care of their four children while running the household. It’s a fairly quiet life as the island is not home to many residents, which is why the residents become curious when a new arrival makes his way to the island. Especially because he is a strange character with an unusual name… “Frankenstein”.

I can’t praise this book enough. The prose was stunning, the vibes were immaculate. I definitely felt like I was really on the island while reading this book. If you don’t know anything about this island, I would recommend reading the book first and then looking into the history of the island after.

This is a fairly short, steady paced read so if you are after your next gothic fix then look no further! Defintiely up there with one of my faves of the year so far 🖤

“Do I not know my own heart? Did I ever?”

I honestly don’t want to say too much to spoil anything, but Evynhallow was absolutely wonderful. McGregor not only succeeds at retelling such an iconic horror story, he excels at infusing it with new life and mystery. Heart-wrenching and emotional at times and you truly feel for Agnes. I devoured the story in one sitting and was left thinking about it for days afterward. 5 stars

This is an incredible addition to Frankenstein lore told from a female POV. It ticks many of my favorite boxes including:

-historical/gothic horror
-atmospheric writing
-desolate, claustrophobic small town
-strong female lead

I felt that I was truly whisked away to Eynhallow and all of its desolation. The plot twist was completely unexpected and heartbreaking and only took Anges’ character development to an entirely new level. Tim McGregor shows that you don’t have to drag a novel on for hundreds of pages to pack a punch. This book was everything!

Wow, I don't even know how to begin describing my thoughts about this book but I should start by saying I immediately want to read all of Tim McGregor's other books.

Knowing this was a Frankenstein retelling, I had a general inkling on where things were headed. They did indeed take the turn I expected but somehow it was all even more twisted, darker, and heartbreaking than I could have imagined. The story follows Agnes, a mother of 4 residing on Eynhallow (population 20). She's stuck in a loveless marriage with a sorry excuse of a husband, and her mundane uneventful life takes a turn for what initially appears to be excitement when a mysterious stranger, Frankenstein, shows up. Bringing the town's population to whopping 21, his arrival also brings a sense of unease and strange sightings to the residents of Eynhallow.

Agnes is tasked with bringing meals to Victor and the two start building a friendship that turns into...more. In ways you expect and in ways that will horrify you. The writing style in this book was fantastic, it was so easy to read, funny and witty, and still conveyed so many emotions. You really feel like you are Agnes as you read this. The setting was amazing. Gloomy, eerie, mysterious, and weirdly cozy.

I would maybe knock off half a star because there were a few instances of repetition (something would be explained, an observation would be made and then rehashed a few pages later as new knowledge). Rounding up to a 5 because I'm a sucker for a good Frankenstein retelling and this one nailed the horrors and twisted nature of the original!

Thank you to RDS Publishing and Netgalley for the eARC!

Eynhallow by Tim McGregor #ninthbookof2024 #arc

CW: death during childbirth, talk of previous baby loss, murder and death, body horror

Agnes lives a lonely life on an isolated island that holds her family and three others in 1797. It’s not the paradise she was promised by her older husband and she’s miserable. So when a stranger comes to the island for a temporary visit, she is conscripted to prepare his meals. As she gets to know the man, she finds herself drawn to him but nervous about his secret work. The man is Victor Frankenstein.

I cannot tell you more than that without ruining the book, but I devoured this novel. Agnes’ point of view is super appealing to me, and I would have read a book just about her life on the island, but once Victor appeared, it was off to the races. It becomes haunting and heartbreaking, and I want more like this. I’m also dying to talk to someone about it!

(I learned that Eynhallow is a real island off the coast of Scotland and it’s completely isolated except for one day per year when the Orkney Heritage Society organizes a trip to visit. Now I’m dying to go!)

It’s my favorite book so far this year. I absolutely loved it. If you enjoy the classic Frankenstein, I encourage you to go into this book blind. Some have called this a retelling, but I think it’s more of a side quest story.

Thank you to @netgalley and RDS Publishing @rdspress for the advance copy. (Pub date 2/22/24)

#frankensteinadjacent #eynhallow #frankenstein #fivestarread

After reading and loving Wasps in the Ice Cream last year, I jumped at the opportunity to read Tim McGregor's newest novel. Unfortunately this one fell flat for me. The overall tone was just dreary and miserable and I was ready for it to be over before I even hit the halfway mark. Better luck next time I suppose.

Something is amiss in Eynhallow. A monster lurks in the shadows at night. A strange visitor shows up to a desolate town. Who is he? Explorer? Nobleman? Mad Scientist?

Agnes is strong, she is a matriarch holding her family together. She will do anything to provide for her children, including stay married to a man she wouldn't have chosen to love. Tired of the mundane, a mysterious stranger peeks her interest. Almost free from her boring, labored life, Agnes runs into trouble. Something dark is lurking in her town, Eynhallow, and Agnes can't help but wonder if the mysterious stranger is tied to recent events.

I absolutely devoured this book! Tim McGregor's has a way of putting you directly into the story. I could feel everything Agnes experienced. I love when an author creates a world that feels real, filled with dynamic characters and real world problems amongst fantastical elements. It's hard to find Creature Feature books that give you genuine terror, Eynhallow delivered. A modern day Frankenstein.

Eynhallow might just be one of the best retellings I have ever read. The writing consumes you, brings the characters to life. The atmosphere is immaculate and it's impossible to find a fault within the story. A perfect example of a true gothic fiction book.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

A bleak retelling of the infamous Frankenstein with a rich narrative and an imersive backdrop.

Thank you NetGalley and RDS Publishing for this ARC!

The books falls into multiple categories for me.
- historical fiction
- horror
- touch of romance??

I loved this retelling of Frankenstein. It really made you feel for the “monsters” that he created and make them likable. It also was interesting to see it as a woman’s take in the 1700s.

Quick read and very interesting.

5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Eynhallow

Agnes Tulloch lives on the island of Eynhallow, a harsh landscape surrounded by crashing waves and cold bitter winds. Eynhallow, the holy isle, is not an exciting place to live until a newcomer rows to shore. His name is Victor Frankenstein and he plans to rent the haunted manor on the hill for the summer so that he might work on his experiments in solitude. Agnes, a simple wife of the island, is rented out by her abusive husband as a cleaning woman and a cook to the noble Frankenstein, unaware her life would be forever changed by that one transaction.

Eynhallow was a haunting narrative of a woman scorned - of a woman who has been beaten down by her husband, her community, and her religious ideology - Agnes Tulloch was a giant trapped in a world that forced her to feel small.

Historical fiction is not my forte but I was hooked by the blurb for the book and the mention of Frankenstein. While Eynhallow is definitely a book involving Frankenstein, it isn't Frankenstein's story, it's so much more. The prose was poetic, the setting desolate, and by the end it was truly heartbreaking.

Eynhallow has earned my first five star review of the year. While it is slow to warm, not really picking up until a little over a quarter of the way through the novel - once Eynhallow hits it's stride, it hits it's stride running. If you can stick with the historical setting and the prose, you're in for a solid read.

Thank you to NetGalley, RDS Publishing, and Tim McGregor for allowing me to read an ARC copy of this novel.

I have been given this arc in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

”I am not a keen observer of ghost tales or stories of haunted abodes. They pass the time on dreary winter nights, I suppose.”

The story of Eynhallow opens on the island home to a very small community of people, everyone knowing each other and their business.

Agnes Tulloch is a woman just trying to focus on raising her family and forget the past she left behind when she was arranged to marry a widow. The man treats her with condescension and disrespect, constantly questioning her and her abilities.
One day, just as things were seeming to get dull on the little island, a newcomer floats ashore. He doesn’t tell his curious neighbours much about himself, just that he’s rented the haunted cottage that lies abandoned. When Agnes is volunteered to be the man’s carer, she begins to uncover secrets about this man. Starting with his name, Victor Frankenstein.

”Cruelty. It blooms behind closed doors like mold, thriving in places where sunlight doesn’t reach. It festers in the clenched jaw until it rots a molar.”

I am mostly conflicted with how I want to rate this book. I felt like I was captivated for the most part, but there were some things that just nagged me as I was reading.

I walked away from this book really enjoying the ambience of the story, though I wish it would’ve been even darker, if I’m being completely honest. I wish there was some fog/mist. For example, I wish the “ghosts” on the island were more woven in, instead of just being a figure we kind of run into occasionally. I wish they were more fleshed out and me (as the reader) really felt the horror the characters experience when they come across these things.

Another gripe for me is that I feel this story would’ve benefitted more if it was told from the third person. We would’ve gotten to experience more of the island, the people, the general feel. I think, as the audience, we missed out on a lot of potential in the setting. I also felt like I didn’t connect with Agnes as a character as it was told in first person. Maybe this relationship would’ve improved if it had been written from a different perspective.

I think I am one of the few who this book didn’t stand out for, but that’s a fantastic thing! I wish I was part of the majority!

I have never read any books by this author but was drawn to this book because of the historical horror and retelling of one of the most classic sci-fi horror books, Frankenstein. I loved that this took place on the island of Eynhallow which is now completely abandoned and that this story tied in this fact to the story. I'm a sucker for body horror and this did NOT disappoint. Full review to be released closer to pub date, but this is definitely one to watch in the horror community.

<i>I am some profane Eve betrothed to this corrupt Adam</i>

I loved this book. Tim McGregor deliveries a delicious (and grotesque) version of Frankenstein in this new novel. This is wonderful for readers looking for a unforgiving world that takes place during 1797 on Orkney Islands. The island only has a small population and the inhabitants are tight knitted, but what happens when a man visits carrying copious amounts of wooden crates and his last name is Frankenstein? It doesn't help the island is already plagued by tales of orges and ghost, but what is this mad man doing in the old ruins? Definitely a must read in 2024.

In 1797 on the Orkney Isle of Eynhallow, married mother of four Agnes Tulloch struggles to make ends meet. A “giantess” since youth, Agnes towers over her small community, nearly all of whom view her as a freak and an outsider. The result is a sad, lonely, and difficult existence, a far cry from the ideal promised by her husband, a temperamental and distant man 14 years her senior.

Agnes endures to get along, subjugating herself in the face of matrimonial strife, a victim of circumstance and time period without choices or prospects, each day mundane and unrelenting until a stranger comes ashore and settles into a deserted croft — one of several area ruins historied with gruesomely violent legend and lore. Hired out to clean and cook for the newcomer, Agnes resentfully complies, befriending the wealthy scientist who feverishly works away at some mysterious pursuit. This charming, dark, and brooding aristocrat’s name? Victor Frankenstein, someone potentially dangerous, heartless, and careless beneath his captivating veneer.

Oozing tension and melancholy, this novel immerses the reader in an atmospheric and utterly enthralling account of personal struggle and bodily autonomy brought to life through smooth and enchanting prose. Agnes’s powerful narrative voice pulls no punches, seamlessly conveying horror and devastation coupled with truly terrifying and heartbreaking moments, weaving a riveting tale worthy of a spot on any Gothic horror lover’s favorites shelf. Pristine, elegant, and gruesome; eerie, bewitching, and gut-wrenching; Eynhallow is a harrowing and haunting story that not only does its much-lauded predecessor justice, but enhances it.

And what’s more, Eynhallow is a real place actually abandoned in 1841. Unreachable for 364 days per year, ruin-strewn and awash in historical riddles and mythical legends, it’s a destination rife with mystery and tailor-made for horror!

Thank you to NetGalley and RDS Publishing/Raw Dog Screaming Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This was the perfect Frankenstein retelling for me! I loved the atmosphere and the writing! I think this story portrayed how being a woman in the 1700s was a true horrorshow. I personally didn't need the last 20-30 pages but I was very happy how it ended and understand why it was there. 4.5 stars! I recommend if you love the Mary Shelley classic!
More of my thoughts here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlTNAkallfI&t=1203s&ab_channel=KatrinaBrown

Thank you! Netgalley for this arc!

I really enjoyed this book. The story line was good, and I liked the Frankenstein angle. Was a fast read as I found it hard to put down. would definitely read more from Tim McGregor. Thank you NetGalley!

“I have lifted the skirts of Mother Nature and glimpsed her secrets.”

Tim McGregor’s novel takes place on the Orkney Islands in Scotland. Agnes Tulloch has married a widower and lives with him and a very small community on Eynhallow. They have four young children and as isolated as they are soon things change when a stranger come to live there. He has rented the abandoned cottage and comes from wealth. He requests Agnes’s husband for a person to cook and clean for him. Agnes has no choice and begins to discover the truth behind the stranger known as Frankenstein.

I loved this book. I have always been huge fan of Mary Shelley’s original work so this was story I knew I would enjoy. The character of Agnes is something else. She is strong and despite her upbringing and current circumstances, she shines out from the rest in this book.

The imagery was vivid, as I read on I could practically feel myself being there alongside Agnes. The surroundings and despair that is felt is chilling and depressing. The challenges Agnes faces were many and her triumphant moments were small but gave her hope when she found herself drowning.

When the events begin to escalate after the arrival of the stranger the atmosphere becomes rippled with dread. The reader can’t help but empathise with Agnes but also feel her fury.

Overall I enjoyed this novel and definitely recommend it if you’ve read the original works.

Wow! What a book. I haven't read Frankenstein, so I wasn't sure what to expect (or what references I would miss out on). However, once I got into this one, I was hooked. The main character, Agnes, is a tragic and sympathetic lead whose internal conflicts lead to an incredible story and the kind of romance that Hallmark dreams about. This is an early contender for my book of the year, and I will not stop raving about it to anyone who will listen. Hot dog, books like this are why I read horror.