Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this early. Frankenstein is not only one of my favorite horror stories, but one of my favorite classics in general. It was a real treat to get a woman’s perspective on not only the time period but the events leading up to Victor Frankenstein attempting to create a mate for his monster. Thank you to this author for giving the women agency not often seen in the classics.

At only 178 pages, this one packed a punch. I wouldn’t consider this a Frankenstein retelling so much as a Frankenstein sequel, taking place in the same universe as Mary Shelley’s classic.

This is my first book from this author and I was immediately impressed with how atmospheric his writing is - I felt myself being pulled along in the daily life of the MC as she struggled and survived on the remote isle of Eynhallow.

I will admit that I wasn’t fully invested in this story until the “mysterious stranger” showed up on the island. BUT, this meant that I felt the islanders excitement right along with them and I didn’t put this book down after that point. I needed to know more about this exotic man with the funny last name. When that “funny” name turned out to be Frankenstein….. game over.

I think Shelley would be proud of this heart-breaking exploration of what it means to be human, and this isn’t a book I will soon forget. Check this one out if you like old-school horror, remote islands, and mad scientists!

**Thank you to NetGalley and Raw Dog Screaming Press for the eARC of this devastating title!**

Eynhallow by Tim McGregor is a tale of domestic struggles, curiosity, and monsters set in the isolated and windy Orkney Islands.

Content Warnings:
Domestic abuse, pregnancy, stillbirth, death of a child, blood, suicide, medical trauma, and murder.

Let’s dive in!

My Thoughts on Eynhallow by Tim McGregor –
With only four families residing on the island of Eynhallow, this tiny community gets by, but just barely. Agnes, our main character, is living what she tries to convince herself is a good life; she has a husband, a roof over her head, and children to watch over while she cares for their home. However, readers will very quickly see the darkness that hides behind closed doors.

One day, a boat is spotted approaching the island. The islanders are curious to learn that a man is coming to live in one of the abandoned cottages for the season. Immediately perturbing the residents with his appearance and personality, the newcomer isn’t welcomed at all, let alone welcomed with open arms. When Agnes’ husband volunteers her to take food to and clean for this man, she is beyond angry that her husband made another decision for her. But over time, she gets to know the strange man and her time with him changes everything.

Absolutely boiling over with drama and tension, this story focuses on both real-world horror and sci-fi horror, blending them perfectly together. The author is very skilled at creating a killer atmospheric setting! You’ll feel like you’re sitting right there with the main character whether that’s near the warm fire, out shivering in the cold, or getting hit by the wind and mist from the sea.

Speaking of what this book makes you feel – my gosh, SO many scenes here had my blood boiling. I’ve never hated a character so quickly! I won’t say who, so readers can find that out for themselves. But let me tell you, I was so ready for something unfortunate to happen to that character immediately.

On the flip side of that, I was so ready to rage on behalf of Agnes! The author does such an amazing job getting readers into this character’s head. You can’t help but feel close to her while also feeling protective of her very early on. That feeling only grows watching what happens to her throughout the rest of the tale.

There was also a focus on pregnancy and birth had me ready to throw up. I just had a baby just shy of four months ago and I am very thankful I didn’t read this before then! The author doesn’t shy away from the horrific things that can happen, as he writes so perfectly; “Every woman skates the razor’s edge when she brings life into this world.”

Then there’s the sci-fi elements that were so mysterious! I enjoyed not knowing what was really going on. Of course, with the names of the characters, you can guess at what’s happening, but the answers are kept hidden until the perfect time!

My Favorite Passages from Eynhallow –
The storm has left the island wet and sopping, but the morning is bright and blue. The wind, which normally blows brisk, is reduced to a gentle waft. There is no escape from the wind on Eynhallow. It never ceases, even on gentle summer days.

Eynhallow is awash in mystery, and the legends often contradict one another.

A public flaying is in the air, so I slip out of the conversation before blood is spilt. The foreign gent and his audacious absence from Sunday worship is like cream to hungry cats. The islanders will dine on this subject for days to come. I have no desire to participate in the bloodbath, having been on the receiving end of it in the past. What confounds me is this need to cut someone to ribbons for their faults and sins, believing the contrast will highlight the cutter’s own superior nature. Making oneself taller by standing on another is an ugly play in my opinion.

I probe her belly with my fingers. It is hard, the skin stretched firm, but I feel nothing irregular. “Anything out of the usual?”
“Oh, I don’t know. What’s usual when comes to this?”

Cradled in his arms were the bones of his dead wife. A ghastly scene, to be sure. Out in the yard lay a massive hole under the marble headstone. Had the man gone mad and exhumed his dead wife or did the bride claw her way out of the grave to plant the kiss of death on her husband?

The doors to both inner rooms are closed. The first opens to a completely barren space save for a pile of books in the corner. I snoop through each book but not one volume is written in English. How vexing. I could murder someone for a new book to read.

Death is a promise that cannot be made pretty.

Sundown bruises the clouds purple and the last of the gulls call out over the sound of the surf. The sliver of moon is even thinner tonight, but it provides enough light for my pilgrimage to the burial ground.

My thoughts shatter like eggs dropped to the floor, and I cannot decide on a course of action. Do I flee or stay?

My Final Thoughts on Eynhallow –
Horror fans, this read is such an intense and bleak one! Covering so much ground while we follow a character just trying to survive her day-to-day life, readers will never know what terror or tragedy is coming next.

This was just...weird. I was super invested from the start—the first chapter is great, the voice is great. Then it just dragged. I had forgotten what the book was about and didn't get any hints from the opening chapters, so I had to reread the synopsis. Also, the writing quickly turned repetitive, and at one point I put it down and couldn't bring myself to pick it back up. It's not bad, just not engaging in the way I'd hoped.

First of all, thanks to Raw Dog Screaming Press and Netgalley for letting me read an eARC of Eynhallow by Tim McGregor. I absolutely loved reading this novel, which is an excellent retelling of Frankenstein that centers the story around a woman on the island of Eynhallow named Agnes. The worldbuilding and characters are exceptionally well written and breathe life into this gothic horror story. The single most vital part of this novel is how it takes its time with the characters and describes life on the desolate island before any mention or hint of the monster appears. It makes you invested in and care about what happens to Agnes before she becomes entagled with the stranger that comes to stay on the island. If you are a fan of gothic horror, this is a must-read.

Eynhallow is the first book I’ve requested and been approved for on @netgalley and, not to brag, but damn, I chose well.

My copy of Wasps in the Ice Cream may have scowled at me from my bookshelf as I requested @timmcgregor1 newest book before finishing it. But I couldn’t pass up a chance to dive into Eynhallow once I saw the cover and read the synopsis on @goodreads

I was instantly and completely behind the main character, Agnes. I found myself feeling her emotions so deeply because the writing and character relationships are written in such a genuine way. I don’t know if it’s because @daylafm and I have been chatting about Slewfoot, but Agnes was giving me some intense Abitha vibes and I was thoroughly pleased with this.

I really enjoyed the mystery behind the stranger arriving to Eynhallow. The events that follow are paced so well I didn’t want to stop reading. Every page of this book and every detail included are intentional and have purpose.

I don’t want to include too many specifics because I really think you should go in blind if you’re looking to pick this one up.

A great first read of the year and now the bar has been set! Endless thanks to @netgalley and @rdspress for the advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Also a huge thanks to @timmcgregor1 for writing such a stellar book.

4.5⭐️

Agnes is a resident of Eynhallow, a desolate and bleak isle off the northern coast of Scotland. She has a hard life and can barely feed the four children she has crammed into her tiny two-room cottage, let alone her ungrateful drunken husband. One day as she stares longingly out onto the black waves, a stranger comes calling- a scientist by the name of Victor Frankenstein- and for this tiny four-family island community a stranger means nothing but trouble. The community is suddenly abuzz with gossip of what this out of place character can be doing in such a barren and lonely part of the world. Frankenstein is not suited to life in Eynhallow and finds himself in need of someone to help keep his house habitable and food on the table. As Agnes works in his cottage, a bond forms between them and Frankenstein finds himself fascinated and charmed with her. But something else has arrived on the island with Frankenstein- something huge and malformed that stalks the shores at night and has the locals afraid and telling stories. As Agnes gets drawn into Frankenstein's world, she finds her traditional Christian values at odds with the dark and unholy practices going on, and she must make a choice that will change her life forever. Set in 1797 this rich and satisfying adaptation of the Frankenstein story is dark and atmospheric, and readers will find it hard to put it down.

Wow, what a read! Totally captivating! I loved, loved, loved this book!

The author takes us back to 1797 as we revisit the story of Frankenstein. Eynhallow is told through the POV of Agnes, a married mother of four who was dragged to the isolated island of Eynhallow to live with her much older spouse. Agnes is shunned by many on the island because she is an outsider as well as unusually tall and strong. She is devoted to her family and friends and acts as the island’s unofficial midwife. Her life is a bit mundane with most days keeping the same routine and her loveless marriage to a weak man is tiresome. Enter Victor Frankenstein. Victor is smart, mysterious, and most importantly finds Agnes interesting. As their relationship progresses, Agnes begins to picture a new life for herself and even dreams of happiness. But Victor is full of secrets. Why did he come to the island and what is haunting him? As the truth is revealed, Agnes is both horror-stuck and heartbroken. She is left transformed and grieving the life she once had.

The entire book has an overwhelming feeling of melancholy, the desolate island, Agnes’s monotonous life and the harsh weather. I was totally immersed in the story and felt a heaviness while reading it. I loved how the author weaved old legends of Eynhallow into the story. The glimmer of hope I felt when Agnes imagined the possibly of being happy only made her circumstances even more devastating to read. The ending left me satisfied and utterly heartbroken. I will be pondering this book for a long time. Highest of recommendations!

Thanks Tim McGregor, NetGalley and RDS Publishing for the copy of this splentacular novel.

Do you love Frankenstein? Do you want more? I just finished Eynhallow, by Tim McGregor, and I’m floored. Frankenstein in a way you’ve probably never seen it. Compelling, heartbreaking, and a fresh look on old horror. A classic revisited, and expanded on in a way that’s wholly new to me, with characters I got incredibly attached to, and an ending that was art. Agnes is everything a strong woman should be, a pillar for a community that shunned her. Victor is entirely the mysterious, dark, sultry character, and an incredible temptation for Agnes. Solid 5/5, which is no shock, since all of his other work is.

Everyone knows I love Frankenstein and I’m a sucker for anything related to or inspired by the original classic.

They don’t always work. Eynhallow though—-this worked.

Tim McGregor understood the assignment. Not only did he manage to keep the essence of the original cast of characters intact—-he created a new batch of characters within the world of Frankenstein that felt authentic to the story.

He also broke my heart and I love a story that makes me cry.

Absolutely loved it. A wonderful reimagined follow-up to Frankenstein. Any fan of gothic horror or Frankenstein should enjoy this quick read

Eynhallow by Tim McGregor was a re-imagining of Frankenstein complete with a remote island, crippling isolation and a strong female main character, Agnes.

Agnes was by far what kept me coming back. She’s an unlikely hero, extremely tall and strong, she makes herself small like so many mothers and wives in the 1700’s. Her husband was a brute and although physically smaller and weaker, subjected her to every kind of abuse. She stayed mentally strong until she met her new neighbor, Victor Frankenstein.

The original Frankenstein was a horror story that had me in tears at the end. The loneliness and desolation. The realization that he was the only of his kind and would have to suffer forever. Similar themes in Eyanhallow but with a feminine twist.

Trigger warnings for sexual assault, spousal abuse and child loss.

I love reimaginings of classic stories especially when they are subversive and from a different perspective. Eynhallow ticked every box for me. Thoughtfully written, this is the story of a powerful and intelligent woman (Agnes) who is forced to conform to the gender roles and expectations put upon her by her husband and the tiny island community she lives in. The drudgery and monotony of her life almost threatens to snuff out her spark until one day a broody foreigner arrives on the island. Thrust together by the greed of her husband, Agnes' spark is re-ignited as she and the haunted stranger become friends. But something dangerous is lurking on the island. While Agnes' worries go unheeded by her husband, she gets more wrapped up in the mystery surrounding her new friend.

This is a story of motherhood, womanhood, friendship, and persistence. This isn't a happily ever after.
I loved this book. 10/10. No notes.
**Thanks to Net Galley and author Tim McGreggor for granting me an ARC copy of this story**

The rare sidequel that finds the right question to answer.

It's very hard to come up with a derivative work that adds something valuable to the original. No one asked for Han Solo's backstory, for example. To craft an expansion of an existing narrative, you need a good nose for the questions the text left hanging in the air. And even then, not every question will matter to readers or be able to make a sufficient case for itself.

Author Tim McGregor has found a worthy void to fill and created a great story of his own to put in that space. As you may recall, in chapters 19 and 20 of Frankenstein, the terrified doctor takes refuge in the Orkney islands to build a female mate for his lonely creation. For some reason, Mary Shelley included very little details about the location and the rhythm of its everyday life. But it would have been interesting to know more. How did the inhabitants of the islands feel about that mysterious stranger who took residence among them? Did Victor make any friends there? Any enemies? McGregor's new novella Eynhallow offers a gradually enrapturing answer to these questions Shelley didn't see fit to explore.

By giving a true-sounding voice to the unwitting neighbors whom Victor put in danger without a second thought, Eynhallow sets itself up not so much as a reimagining of the original novel and more as a missing chapter, one that makes the reader reevaluate Victor's evidently more self-serving account of the events. Life in the Orkneys is portrayed as harsh and precarious, and McGregor uses the arrival of a rich visitor as an opportunity to pry deeper into Victor's personality. The version of the doctor we get in Eynhallow is an oblivious manipulator who doesn't pause to recognize the exploitative dynamic he establishes with the locals. Far from the lonely genius of Romantic lore, he's a parasite who consumes people's time, possessions, and dignity. And that's before we even address his gravedigging habit.

Narrated with impressive believability in the voice of a housewife exhausted by the daily demands of subsistence work, the secret creation of an artificial person is filtered through the referents of Orcadian culture, equal halves influenced by tales of Celtic fair folk and Norse giants. We know what Frankenstein's creature is, but here the reader learns what the creature strikes common people as. Let's recall that the doctor never shared the steps of his method with the world; for the rest of humankind, his creature would exist at the other end of an insalvable epistemic gap, describable only in the vocabulary of myth.

Moreover, Eynhallow gives a bone-chilling answer to an urgent question that wasn't even spoken in the original text: if the doctor was trying to build a reanimated woman from dead parts, whose parts did he take? Who was that woman in her community, and how does her loss affect the people who knew her? By making intimate acquaintance with the victim of such macabre arts, we get a deeper glimpse into the corrupted soul of the man capable of using them on her.

Here the book boasts another advantage of not having Victor as the narrator: freed from clinical jargon, the process of being transformed into a walking corpse is described with sincere panic by an unforewarned lay observer. If you think it's scary to watch Bride of Frankenstein, imagine being her.

This short but memorable book goes beyond finding a hole in the story and inventing what could fit in there: it grows into its own rotten limbs and increases the tension until it escapes in a howl of fury, despair and confusion. Long after Victor has left the Orkneys and forgotten about their people, the consequences of his scientific profanation continue to haunt the place. For powerful men, their irreparable depredation of a defenseless community may be a minor episode beneath mention, but for those who have to endure it, it's the defining event of their history. Eynhallow not only provides an entertaining addition to a classic of literature, but also honors the lives ruined by progress pursued irresponsibly.

Nerd Coefficient: 9/10.

gorgeous gothic horror, well written, based on frankenstein. would recommend a lot. thanks so much for the arc.

Eynhallow by Tim McGregor is a wonderful Frankenstein 'offshoot' that takes place on a real Scottish island with real folklore attached to it, but not Frankenstein folklore. Our MC, Agnes, is a housewife living on this island in 1797, which happens to be a pit stop along the way of Victor Frankenstein trying to escape from his creation/deal with him.

I fell in-love with how the story flowed. I greatly enjoyed reading about the daily lives of a late 1700s Nordic Island family.

This is what I call "wholesome horror". However, by the middle of the book I wanted to throw up a little bit. I'm not sure if it was the intention of the author to make it so 'flowery' for as long as it goes on for. It felt real and authentic until the MC began getting in her feels. Her actions didn’t seem genuine, even the other characters fell flat. The presence of Victor Frankenstein felt out of place even though I know his presence is the real catalyst in the story. This story could have been more genuine if the focus was more based on real folklore of the island rather than riding the tail of a famous horror novel (Frankenstein). I looked up the island after finishing the book. There are a myriad of creatures attached to the island, but I can see the appeal to the whole Frankenstein storyline, it was fairly original.

This was my first experience with Tim McGregor and I felt like he was telling and not showing us the story. Maybe I am biased having just come out of a Stephen King novel.

Very original story but not quite the execution I had hoped for. I was hoping for more horror rather than drama. However, the author does redeem themselves because the sadness of it all by the end gets the readers in their feels, And the story feels authentic, again. Parts of the final chapters had me tear up a little.

Thank you Netgalley, RDS Publishing and the author, Tim McGregor for allowing me to read an ARC version in exchange for my honest opinion.

Spoiler Questions:
Victor Frankenstein just allows things to happen? That makes no sense. The monster just goes away after only two rejections? That also makes no sense, he's immortal and wanted this one thing so badly, and he just leaves? Did he also just crawl into a cave?

Two things I like, Tim McGregor and Frankenstein, I devoured this is one sitting and it was absolutley PERFECT, a gothic horror with a lot of heart, the writing was syrupy, dreamlike and atmospheric, a meloncholy meander that adds to Shelley lore!

4 stars

Read if you're looking for:
A cold, wind swept, gothic setting in Scotland
A new twist on a well known horror story, from a woman’s POV
Characters you can empathize with
A lot of body horror
Incorporation of the real-life legends of the island of Eynhallow

This is a gothic, horror story set in the Orkney Islands of Scotland in 1797. Agnes lives on the island with her four children, and her unpleasant and abusive husband, scratching out a meager living from the sea. The island is desolate, with only four families living there. One day, a mysterious outsider arrives to rent a croft that has long been abandoned and rumors spread regarding his intentions. Agnes' husband volunteers her to cook and clean for this new renter, much to her chagrin. As she gets to know this new man, strange and terrifying events begin to unfold.

<<<[I don't consider the following a spoiler because it happens early on, and it is in the publisher's synopsis. But don't read this paragraph if you want to go in completely blind] It is soon revealed that this man is Victor Frankenstein, who fled to this remote island in an attempt to complete his work, as he is hounded by something dangerous and vile. Agnes soon gets wrapped up into his unpleasant doings, and ends up paying an awful price. >>>

I really enjoyed the reading experience of this book. There are great descriptions of the stark setting that really give you the feeling of the cold and windswept island. I also enjoyed the characterization of the main character, Agnes, and the journey that she goes on to lose herself, and find herself. I definitely had empathy for her situation, and how much of POS her husband was. There was a good amount of body horror, and gruesome yet beautiful descriptions of decay and disintegration. The ending also gives a certain sense of catharsis, as well. There is a decent amount of trauma that occurs in this book, so make sure to check the content warnings before reading.

The main criticism I have, is that the pacing seemed a little bit off for me at the end. There are several chapters after the main climax, which I did appreciate having the information they provided, but it seemed to throw off the flow a little bit. It's a little bit of a slow build at the beginning, but the action really kicks off in the second half of the book, which worked fine for me.

Overall, I would say that this is a solid, gothic horror story with great body horror, and I would recommend picking it up if those are things you enjoy.

CW: Body horror, Child death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Birth trauma

DISCLAIMER: I received this book from the publisher for free in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and RDS Publishing for an eARC of Eynhallow.

Eynhallow is essentially a retelling of Frankenstein, but takes place after Frankenstein's monster was created and Victor has fled to a remote island.

What makes this novel so unique was that it was from an islander's point of view, particularly this woman, Agnes. She is a young mother of four children, and her husband sells her services (cooking and cleaning) to Victor Frankenstein, who she sees as bizarre and unhinged (much like the other families on the island). They strike up a friendship, and then naturally things take a drastic turn once she develops stronger feelings for Victor and finds out what he is really trying to do on the island.

I have never read Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, but I had a general idea of the story. I liked this retelling, and enjoyed the different POV. The writing style was phenomenal and fit the tone of the story perfectly. The characters were either really likeable, or you loathed them. I felt invested in their lives and had emotional reactions when certain events transpired. The horror I felt wasn't something physical, like the monsters created, but instead the horror is depicted through the nature of humans and the hopelessness of the situation Agnes is forced into. I felt completely sad and hopeless by the end of this story; however, I was completely enthralled and loved the story anyways.

Trigger warnings: child death, parent death, body horror, graphic birth depictions

Thank you to NetGalley and RDS Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Eynhallow written by Time McGregor. All opinions are my own.

Agnes lives on an isolated island with several other families. Life is not what she expected after marrying Mr. Tulloch, moving to Eynhallow, and bearing 4 children. Life is isolated and hard trying to provide for her family. One day a stranger comes to the island by bought. This has the families on the island all "a chatter" about who he may be and why he is here. Mr. Tulloch meets the well to do gentleman and offers his wife up as a maid and to bring meals to him each night. Of course, she is not happy about this as it adds to all her daily tasks. Agnes does what her husband wants and begins a slow, grudging friendship with this visitor who we soon learn is named Victor Frankenstein. Agnes is swept off her feet by the odd visitor that has come to her island. Victor has come to this desolate place to fulfill a promise that will wreak havoc on every individual that lives on Eynhallow.

I really loved this book. It is kind of a slow burn, but when you get there, awesomeness ensues. Very atmospheric, gothic, and historical. Loved the character of Agnes and really felt for her lonesome life and the decisions she had to make on a daily basis to keep peace and harmony her household. This one will leave a lasting impression.