Unnatural Creatures by Kris Waldherr

Release: October 4th 2022
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Muse Publications LLC
Source: Suzyapproved Book Tours
Find it at: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle , B&N

For the first time, the untold story of the three women closest to Victor Frankenstein is revealed in a dark and sweeping reimagining of Frankenstein by the acclaimed author of The Lost History of Dreams and Doomed Queens.

THE MOTHER. Caroline Frankenstein will do anything to protect her family against the nightmarish revolutions engulfing 18th-century Europe. In doing so, she creates her own monster in the form of her scientist son, Victor.

THE BRIDE. Rescued by Caroline as a four-year-old beggar, Elizabeth Lavenza knows the only way she can repay the Frankensteins is by accepting Victor’s hand in marriage. But when Elizabeth’s heart yearns for someone else, the lives of those she most loves collide with the unnatural creature born of Victor’s profane experiments.

THE SERVANT. After an abusive childhood, Justine Moreau is taken in by Caroline to serve the Frankensteins. Justine’s devotion to Caroline and Elizabeth knows no bounds . . . until a tragedy changes her irrevocably. Her fate sets her against Victor’s monster, who is desperate to wreak revenge against the Frankensteins.

Stunningly written and exquisitely atmospheric, Unnatural Creatures shocks new life into Mary Shelley’s beloved gothic classic by revealing the feminine side of the tale. You’ll never view Victor Frankenstein and his monster the same way again.

About the Author:

Kris Waldherr is an award-winning author, illustrator, and designer whose many books for adults and children include The Book of Goddesses, Bad Princess, and Doomed Queens, which The New Yorker praised as “utterly satisfying.” Her debut novel The Lost History of Dreams received a starred Kirkus review and was named a CrimeReads best book of the year. Waldherr’s fiction has won fellowships from the Virginia Center of the Creative Arts and a work-in-progress reading grant from Poets & Writers.

As a visual artist, she has had her illustrations exhibited in the Ruskin Library, the Mazza Museum of International Art from Picture Books, and the National Museum of Women in the Arts. She is also the creator of the Goddess Tarot, which has over a quarter of a million copies in print, and teaches the tarot to writers and other creatives.

Kris Waldherr works and lives in Brooklyn in a Victorian-era home with her family and cats. In her spare time, she enjoys travel, theater, and music.

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Unnatural Creatures Review:

So, I have not read “Frankenstein,” but I know the gist of the story. When I picked up the book, I was skeptical of its appreciation. The plot completely took me by surprise. I enjoyed every bit of this breathtaking story as we dwell on the lives of Caroline, Elizabeth, and Justine. The author creates a beautiful and haunting atmosphere that immerses you in the lives of the unforgettable fictional family. I loved each of their storylines and the challenges and emotional turmoil they endure to live their lives. I loved Elizabeth and thought Justine added a sense of mystery as she came into the Frankenstein family.

The original classic tells the tale from the perspective of three men, while in this tale, we get the view from the three women. I was utterly engrossed, and the climax immersed me completely, and I won’t forget it anytime soon. Moreover, I admired how the author added the tale’s historical moments of 18th-century Europe and details the French Revolution.

That is different from saying that the story doesn’t focus on Victor himself. It was interesting to see Victor as a likable young man before he immerses himself in the world of science. I am so excited to read the classic now, and I know I will never look at these characters the same way as I read them.

Overall, “Unnatural Creatures: A Novel of the Frankenstein Women” is a remarkable tale worth reading, regardless of whether you have read the classic.