This book gripped me from the first chapter. I loved the resemblance to the story of Frankenstein, the use of witchcraft and a woman doctor being in the late 1800s early 1900s. The back and forth in time worked really well with the story, leading up to the climax. I really loved the western theme and could imagine how each character spoke to each other. Amazing story and looking forward to reading more by this author!

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.

A Frankenstein retelling? Say less! The Unkillable Frank Lightning is masked as a Western but it truly is a story of resurrection and redemption. True to Mary Shelley’s classic, the lines of morality and the definition and embodiment of ‘monster’ are challenged throughout this book. Definitely a worthwhile read!

Thanks to NetGalley and Tachyon Publications for the opportunity to read this book!

Frankensteins monster is alive and running a traveling wild west show. Frank “enstein” struggles with his humanity and Catherine (the creator) is on a mission to destroy her monster. I enjoyed this retelling and loved the turn of the 20th century wild west aspect.

We follow Catherine and her fired hands (brothers) as she hunts down her creation to eliminate it. She tells us how her monster came to be and why she must destroy it. But once she see’s Frank again she is torn. Her monster is human after all.

Honestly this was a well written, fun and enjoyably wild ride. This is my first Rountree book but will not be my last.

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.

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.

Loved this so much. Fascinating and creative. I love a good creature feature and this one is a western! Catherine is an absolutely flawed character—she asks can this be done, not should this be done. Spoilers ahead. I really disliked learning about her past relationship with Louisa, it seemed to diminish the love she had for Frank—a man she defied natural law to bring back. And, oh, what could have been if she hadn’t fled?! My review is not doing this story justice. If you like retellings, magic, westerns, horror, historical fiction, gunfights, and beautiful writing—you need to read this. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC

This book was very well-written. The prose flowed so easily and stoked the imagination. I’ve read a lot of books that were inspired by Frankenstein, and this is definitely the best one. It perfectly evoked both what made that book great, and what makes the Western genre great. I highly recommend it.

The Unkillable Frank Lightening by Josh Rountree is a fantastic blend of Western grit and supernatural horror. I love a good genre-bending novel, and this one delivers in spades. Equal parts Frankenstein and Lonesome Dove, it masterfully weaves elements of folklore, vengeance, and the uncanny into a gripping, atmospheric tale.

The non-linear narrative adds depth, revealing character motivations in a way that keeps you invested while maintaining a steady, suspenseful pace. The action sequences are as brutal as they are compelling, shaping the characters as much as they propel the story forward. Rountree balances horror and Western traditions seamlessly, creating a novel that feels both fresh and timeless.

This book was a joy to read, and I found myself completely immersed in its eerie, dust-choked world. If you love stories that defy easy categorization while delivering a gripping, unforgettable experience, The Unkillable Frank Lightening is a must-read.

My thanks to NetGalley, Tachyon Publications, and Josh Rountree for an ARC of the Unkillable Frank Lightning in exchange for my honest opinions.

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.

I don't much care for Westerns, but I was excited to read this book. Rountree's previous one was rather wonderful. Oddly enough, I had forgotten the plot of it completely, only that I really enjoyed it. I wish I remembered more of it, because these two books, while standalone, are connected and, moreover, set in the same world. The world of Weird Western. Which, so long as Rountree writes it, I'll be delighted to visit.

I described The Legend of Charlie Fish in my review as "Western Shape of Water." Well, this tale is a "western Frankenstein." It follows a sort-of-grieving, sort-of-widow, as she looks for the husband she had (perhaps in error) resurrected. She finds him in the circus, performing under the titular name. But of course, killing the unkillable isn't without its challenges.

While the book tended to veer ever so often into the dreamy witch fantasy territory, it was ever so much fun to read. Great language, evocative of the time. Terrific characters. I very much enjoyed it. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

In The Unkillable Frank Lightning by Josh Rountree, my newest review book from Net Galley, a doctor loses her husband and then decides to bring him back to life. He comes back as a monster and years later, she decides to finally put an end to him with the help of two killers.

The Unkillable Frank Lightning is a western and a monster tale. Its steeped in the Old West and also features complex characters, morally grey people who live and die and some that live again. Its a fantastic tale. Josh Rountree tells it in the first person mode, with the Doctor-Catherine and her voice is so well defined. She is a character we root for and worry about in equal measure.

The writing in this book is so very good. Its descriptive and poetic at times but not overly so. The dialogue was good too. And I thought the jump from past to “present” and back again worked well. I enjoyed this book so much. It kept me on the edge of my seat. I wasn’t sure what would happen next and I absolutely loved the ending.

I also want to read The Legend of Charlie Fish by Josh Rountree now, since one of the characters in this book comes from that one. I didn’t feel like I was missing out though. The Unkillable Frank Lightning is its own tale. It wasn’t until the afterword that I even knew that the one character came from another one of Josh Rountree’s books. I will definitely look into reading The Legend of Charlie Fish as soon as can.

The Unkillable Frank Lightning is an excellent tale. You don’t even have to like Western novels. The blending of western and monster tale works so well. The book absolutely sings and I think anyone could enjoy this book. It can be a violent tale, without a doubt, but it was also a beautiful tale. It was just so good.

I highly recommend The Unkillable Frank Lightning by Josh Rountree. I’m glad I got to read it early!

The Unkillable Frank Lightning comes out on July 15th, 2025. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for providing an early digital copy of the book.

While The Unkillable Frank Lightning lacks the complexity of McCarthy’s writing, it does capture the brutality and desperate nature of the American west without romanticizing it.

While I enjoyed the story, there are sections of text that feel drastically out of place given both the supposed time period and location. The way this book handles magick needed more historical context around it to make it feel more believable.

This book made me research the phrase "astral plane" and Rosicurianism, as these are obscure references constantly made that feel more anachronistic than they actually are. If there was more historical description or context given from the Protagonist then this wouldn't feel so jarring to the modern reader.
There is also references to Roundtree's other work that I haven't read so I gained nothing from it.

Overall though, I liked it. I enjoyed the protagonist and the narrative as a whole but it likely won't linger in the mind.

This novel was an enjoyable experience overall. As someone who has not previously encountered Western-inspired interpretations of Frankenstein, I found the storyline to be refreshing and original. However, I would have appreciated a deeper exploration of Catherine's magick. (The spelling choice of magick is a nice hint.). While the occasional briefings on her abilities were intriguing, they sometimes felt rather scattered and lacking in context.Without delving into spoilers, I must commend the ending; it aligned with my hopes, though it still managed to surprise me! An aspect I thoroughly enjoyed. Least favorite character....Catherine. Favorite character(s) ...Frank and Seth.
I admit, I did not develop a strong connection with the characters, however, I found that I could empathize with their emotions! Shout out to the author's skill conveying the different feelings from the characters. I will admit that the pacing of the book was not ideal to me... it took me some time to read through it. I wouldn't say it's because of a lack of quality; rather, there were points in the book where some conversations lacked the depth to fully engage my attention. I thought this was a solid read! I thought it was simple yet entertaining. I would certainly recommend this book to my friends.

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.

Merely calling this gothic horror western a “Frankenstein retelling” is a bit of a disservice because it’s so much more than that. It’s a devastating epic about lost love, how far someone might go to keep it, and the consequences of that obsession. Rountree’s words are thoughtfully indulgent without being bloated. He writes grief like nobody else and is a master at dialog. I fell in love with these characters almost immediately. I also really appreciate the fact that the main character is a middle aged woman, a lead we so rarely get to read from. Once again, this author has blown me away with his beautiful storytelling.