After a small slog of less than amazing reads in a row, this book was a most welcome surprise. I cannot overstate how much I adored our main character, James, and his 'friend'/'assistant' (iykyk), Aneurin. They really make the entire book work so well. I also enjoyed the setting - an early 1800s moment is always appreciated and the vibe was very much on point - and the focused upon medical and graverobbing aspects were continuously interesting. But it definitely was their relationship that kept me oh so invested, every time they're on page together it is just so hard to stop reading. Their dialogue was amazing, and the way they become even closer throughout the book as they try and avoid the law, other graverobbers, and the attacks of high society is amazing to read.
I would absolutely read another book in this world but I also love the idea of this one as a standalone, as I think the story was wrapped up very well in the end.

A very high 4 stars

The premise immediately hooked me - college students studying surgery in Edinburgh fall into body snatching as a way to provide corpses for surgical studies, and this book delivered. I really enjoyed the trajectory of the story as it felt complete and well thought out. My only criticism is I would have liked the third act to be a bit longer, but overall really enjoyed this story.

Unfortunately this book wasn't for me, while the writing was wonderful and well done I just couldn't connect well with this story. I had to keep reminding myself this was set in historical times and the way people were in those times just really puts me off. The main character also just seemed way too immature to me and kind of annoyed me.

This would be a great book for someone who enjoys historical fiction and the way medicine was taught and learned back then though. It was also pretty accurate in terms of how people did body snatching back in the day so I appreciated that even if it put me off a bit.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. At first I was unsure of where the author was headed and if it would enjoyable at all, but as I began to fall in love with the crazy cast or characters I could barely put the book down.
The fact that the author brought in elements of true crime (Burke and Hare, their victims) made it even more delightful. James and Nye had such a fun interplay that I kept rooting for them all the way until the end.
You’ll love this if you enjoy science, historical fiction, and true crime.
I received an ARC of this title. All opinions are my own.

The Resurrectionist is a stunning and smart debut that blends historical fiction with a dark, atmospheric tale set in 19th-century Edinburgh.

Inspired by the real-life Burke and Hare killings, the story weaves in fictional elements while staying true to the time period. Following James Willoughby, a privileged young man drawn into the morally ambiguous world of body snatching, the book explores themes of medical advancement, self-discovery, and forbidden romance. The writing is beautifully poetic and vividly captures the shady streets and alleys of Edinburgh, immersing readers in the haunting world of resurrectionists who see themselves as scientific pioneers rather than grave robbers.

While I wish the Burke and Hare storyline could have been introduced earlier since that's what I expected the story to be about, the wit and sharp exploration of moral gray areas still make this a read that’s hard to put down. Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction with a dark and thought-provoking edge

James Willoughby leaves his sheltered life at Oxford to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a surgeon. But when he arrives in Edinburgh, the center of the New Enlightenment, James quickly learns that the true education happens at the private anatomy schools, at a cost he can't afford. He strikes up a bargain with dissectionist Aneurin in order to gain admittance but doesn't realize he's thrown himself in league with a crew of resurrectionists, as they call themselves, diggers who steal fresh cadavers from the local graveyards to supply to the anatomy schools.

This was 100% one of the best debut novels I've read this year. I picked up the ARC of this book thinking I'd get an interesting historical fiction around the evolution of medical science and body snatching but ended up reading something so much more.

Dunlap weaves a beautifully crafted story around the true murders committed by Burke and Hare in 19th century Edinburgh. Although the MMCs James and Nye are entirely fictional, they're fully brought to life on the pages, and I appreciated that Dunlap's prose felt appropriate to the time period.

Read if you like:
Historical fiction
True crime
High stakes
Dark academia
Queer rep
Slow-burn romance

A. Rae Dunlap's The Resurrectionist is, in contrast, an atmospheric read. As a narrator, young James Willoughby's voice possesses much of the (over?)wrought lacy and exuberant style that is characteristic to period writing — it may understandably grate on some readers as melodramatic, but I personally find it fitting for the setting and easily charming.

Dunlap's prose can be in places r(/R)romantic and grippingly cinematic (e.g. the quote at the beginning of this review), but in others the phrasing stumbles into clichés and bland verse: Aneurin leaps through a window like an "avenging angel", and his eyes are described as (content warning for a literal stereotype star of bad fanfiction writing hot takes) "mesmerising orbs".

Speaking of Aneurin McKinnon – resurrectionist, medical assistant, talented anatomy illustrationist and gay mess – he cuts quite a Sherlockian figure. (The jury is still out if this iteration of The Great Detective knows about Galilean geocentrism, but he certainly knows about Galileo's laws of classical mechanics and their applications, and he will rub it in.) The narrative climax features him struggling against adversity in a fight scene delightfully reminiscent of the much-memed boxing match in 2009's Sherlock Holmes. I wish there was more of that.

Speaking (apropos awkward phrasings) of narrative voice: halfway through the book, a side character calls him by the nickname Nye, and James's narrative immediately switches to exclusively without an ounce of invitation or hesitation or an em dash in the internal dialogue, which I found to be disorientating and baffling, and a switch made utterly unnessary by the literary perspective already framed in the language of reminiscence. You can be consistent in your narration. If James had gone something like, "This is Nye, soon to become the beloved companion of my life. But, for now, I knew him as Mr. McKinnon, unreadable at the back of Malstrom's dissecting chamber..." that would have been, dare I say, kind of cute. So, why?

Speaking of pacing: the plot gets going the way you break down, slowly and then all at once, possibly gratuitously hurting a loved one in the process.

This is a fine and fun novel, but it really needed a more exacting editing hand. (Not pointing fingers at the author, editor or publisher; this is a systemic industry-wide issue, symptomatic of deeper pathologies of late stage capitalism and the media we consume.)

The Resurrectionist is the debut book by author A. Rae Dunlap. If this book is any indication, Ms. Dunlap has a great career as an author in her future. A blending of historical fiction, true crime and dark academia, this tale is an entertaining story of greed, murder, love, and the early beginnings of modern medicine. This, dear reader, simply put, is a tale of body snatching.

Naïve but determined James Willoughby decides to abandon his comfortable life at Oxford to study surgery, his lifelong dream, in Edinburgh, Scotland. In 1828, Edinburgh is a shining pinnacle of medical discovery in the age of New Enlightenment. The city’s university offers everything James wants, except the chance to work on a human cadaver. In order to do that, James needs to join one of the private schools in Surgeon’s Square; unfortunately, that's not possible due to a lack of funds. Enter Aneurin “Nye” MacKinnon, a devil-may-care young dissectionist with an artist’s eye for anatomy and a thirst for knowledge. Nye promises James the surgical experience he desires, yet it comes at a cost: Nye is a body snatcher, and now James is an accomplice! James quickly joins the ranks of the Resurrectionists, body snatchers who steal fresh corpses from churchyards to be used as anatomical specimens in the private schools. Soon James and Nye are battling rival gangs of snatchers in a race for power in the surgery schools. They eventually find themselves in the sights of Burke and Hare, extremely dangerous men who are determined to be the kings of the body market and will do everything it takes, including murder...

If someone told me I would be delighted with a story about body snatchers, I would have laughed at them. (Then again, I have enjoyed some morbid stories in the past, so perhaps I shouldn't be surprised how much I enjoyed it! ) First of all, who knew body snatchers could be so charming or intelligent? The main characters, Nye and James, were marvelous. Both had a passion for learning and surgery, but they were very different. James came from a wealthy family who lost everything due to the father's follies, and his mother thought the shock of James wanting to leave Oxford to study surgery in Edinburgh may have indeed killed him. He had to make it on his own in his newly chosen path in medicine. Nye was dependent on only himself, with the help of his crew of body snatchers. Not only was Nye a dissectionist, but was also an assemblist who put together skeletons for medical schools and a talented anatomical artist. Well, and a body snatcher! The two were friendly at first, until James discovered that Nye had pulled him into the Resurrectionist business. Eventually James embraced his new life as a snatcher, and his was able to attend a private school due to Nye's intervention. The two young men became more than friends and co-workers, but also lovers. It was actually a very sweet and touching romance. I actually enjoyed learning more about body snatching. Though it was horrible for the relatives and friends of the deceased to have their loved one stolen, how else was the advancement of medicine to occur without hands-on study? One of the main reasons I wanted to read this book because I had learned about Burke and Hare from the Prime Video series Lore. These two real-life people weren't actually body snatchers; rather, they committed murder to deliver bodies to medical schools! The author did an excellent job of combining fact and fiction. I look forward to the next work by this talented new author.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

The Resurrectionist is part coming-of-age, part historical fiction, part queer romance written in a style reminiscent of Mary Shelley. Third child, second son James Willoughby of the recently scandalously indebted London Willoughbys moves at the start of the book onto his third career path pursuing SCIENCE in the hopes of becoming a modern doctor. Soon, he learns the true education comes from attending private courses of study in the human anatomy dissection taught in the Parisian Method. The Irish setting in Edinburgh in 1828 is dark, cold, and littered with corpses freshly plucked from sacred ground. This may be the most informative novel I've read all year featuring real true crime and historically accurate serial killers and humanized victims. It was short yet thought-provoking, inciting a newfound curiosity in the development of modern medicine, anatomy, and physiology. The author recommends further reading in the acknowledgements, and there are intriguing discussion questions at the end about the nature of death and our response to it as a species. Honestly, thoroughly enjoyed this read and very highly recommend it.
Note: It appears this is a standalone novel. Though it does not end on a cliffhanger, I feel the door is left open to a potential series. But maybe that is wishful thinking.
Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this unique ARC!

I enjoyed the story, though it didn´t hook me until the second half. I think it just wasn´t for me (hence the short review), I believe this is a great book and that many people will love it!

The Resurrectionist is a dark tale of academia and historical fiction, concentrating on the notorious practice of bodysnatching, which is, in this case, carried out in order for students to gain hands-on medical knowledge in the early 19th century. It is also a pleasantly macabre ‘coming of age story’ about James as he learns who he is, aside from the man his domineering family want and expect him to be. I’m not a fan of romantic reads so I was pleased that the relationship between Nye and James wasn’t central to the plot - the author reaches an appropriate balance here, and I believe she handles the LGBTQ+ laws of the era sensitively.

All in all, The Resurrectionist is an interesting and meticulously researched read which explores intricacies of love/friendships and the ethics of medical progress – a highly recommended read.

I really enjoyed the way this book was written. I was very intrigued from the first page. I like historical fiction and this was done very well. The true crime aspect had me enthralled. I def recommend if you're a fan of gothic tales.

I enjoyed this book, and would recommend it!

When I first started it, I got the feeling that I was the wrong target audience. That it is for people are interested in, and have knowledge of a niche subject that I do not (1800s body snatching). However, it didn't take long for me to feel quite comfortable and engaged! I learned about a new fascinating subject.

At times, the prose and vocabulary used in the book felt overly elaborate, creating a sense of unnecessary complexity rather than adding value to the text. However, this might have been more of an intentional reflection of the narrator rather than of the author. Again, this didn't take long to get used to. It didn't make the text too challenging, and it does lead to some great quotes!

Overall, this is a very thrilling, engaging, mysterious story that I'm glad I read. I want to add: as an enthusiast of queer books who's sole genre isn't queer romance, I think the author was very intentional and did a great job with the balance.

Dark academia and gothic historical fiction vibes with a splash of cutesy romance.

The Resurrectionist follows James Willoughby, a naïve but determined young man who decides to go against his family's wishes to become a doctor. The reason James has moved to Oxford is because the university has upgraded its medical progress, however, the dark secrets of this progress do not become known to James until much later. Although James comes from a well-off family, the situation changes when he needs to find a means to continue to go to school. This is where he meets Aneurin “Nye” MacKinnon. Nye is a dissectionist with a unique talent for anatomy and a deep obsession with knowledge, he also happens to be the professor's assistant. After Nye hears of James' financial situation he provides James with an insight, which gives way to the dark side of the surgical school.

The Resurrectionist is a beautifully written novel that explores the ethics of scientific progress, and the complexities of friendship and love, all while including humour and ease. I highly recommend everyone pick this book up.

Thank You to A. Rae Dunlap, Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Let's talk about the scientific necessity of grave robbing while also making it a lovely, soft gay romance. I AM SO SOLD.

Our lead, James, is leaving behind his landed society family expectations to go to Edinburgh and become a physician, hopefully a surgeon. He meets Aneurin, the apprentice to his private anatomy instructor, and there's tension immediately. Then he learns of the underground specimen procurement community and when financial needs must, he joins. There's an interesting morally gray line here that the author is careful to watch - they are desecrating graves and taking bodies, but the school that James serves does attempt to treat the bodies with dignity and respect, and only does what they do for science. The list of things they are exploring makes you feel somewhat reassured about what's being done.

Especially compared to the glimpses of the other schools that treat specimen dissection as a spectator sport and imply impropriety with bodies.

I immediately liked Aneurin, not only because of his mix of confidence of mischief, but because it made me think of Aneurin Barnard, who is a fantastic, under appreciated actor. Based on the author's note, I think they feel the same.

I also appreciate how much he tries to respect boundaries with James. To create a separation between the professional and the personal. It made their relationship so grounded, not just their commonalities but how their differences work together as well.

A surprisingly soft book for having such a moody cover about finding yourself and stealing some bodies.

3.5 stars
The Alienist and Anatomy are two of my favorites, so when i saw this has some of those vibes, i was excited and intrigued. Unfortunately, although I enjoyed it, it fell short in some instances.
I did like the ambiance and the setting, and after reading it, I was interested in reading more about the real/factual bits in this story, which the inclusion was done amazingly.
I also enjoyed the romantic elements and that they were not the focal point but just some part of the story.
Now with the main plot which was the body snatching and the "medical language" I found myself thinking "I've read this before" or "I've seen this before" and that took away the novelty and also some of the mysterious elements? I don't know how to explain it, but it was like it was lacking something.
Still, this was so good and so entertaining, and I can not recommend this enough.
I'm hearing rumors about a second book(?) And if that's true, I can't wait.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 Stars

Right from the beginning, I envisioned each scene as I read it. It was like there was a movie playing in my head. For a debut, this was like a breath of fresh air.

This book was captivating and such an enjoyable, fast paced read. We follow the lives of James and Nye who work at a surgical school in the early 19th century (1800s). James ends up getting caught up in body snatching and from there, it gets really interesting!

The author did a great job on how she has the characters interact and how it’s written because it’s definitely giving 19th century vibes. Also learning that Burke and Hare were real life people?! Mind blown. I’m not one to usually read historical fiction, but this was such a good read that I barely noticed it wasn’t of my usual genre.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Oh my goodness, I am wonderfully, blissfully blown away! This was such a beautiful read! What more could an avid reader of horror, medical jargon and the occasional romance novel want?! This was pure perfection to meet these elemental desires.

A timepiece for 1828 written so perfectly that it submerses you wholly into the world created by Dunlap. How on Earth is this a debut?! The finesse of this beautiful story is just so wonderful and I had such a divine time. Wait to fall head over heels for a wonderfully created character, Nye. He is so vastly intelligent inside the lab and on the streets. It seems no matter the situation or predicament, he is always masterfully equipped to resolve and move forward. He meets our main character, James, through his determination to become a surgeon of great aptitude, and that means finding knowledge outside of the University in the anatomy lab of Malestrom's. His position which he hopes to gain, is rewarded through other means which wonderfully propels the story forward. What a wonderful adventure these two find themselves in for the vocation you will discover with the medical mind and witty heart. I devoured the scenes with all the details one would hope to find brimming with correct references in the medical field. The romance was just beautifully intertwined. There is a dark moment in the story, where true horrors rear their ugliness and the characters rise to chivalrous acts that can only win the hearts of the readers.

The chapters were a perfect length. The language used was just gorgeous. The prose was like the most comfortable day on the beach one could hope for. The ending was perfect, although I was momentarily hopeful for a sequel.

Thank you Dunlap, for sharing such a beautiful story. So wonderfully written. I do share a few of my favorite passages with wanting readers.

As a man of science I of course eschewed all beliefs in the supernatural and occult, but something about the jagged tombstones rising like ravenous teeth from beneath the frosted earth evoked an inevitable sense of foreboding. 5%

"A cut of meat is a cut of meat, no matter how you slice it." 13%

"You came to Edinburgh because you were looking for the face of God and couldn't find it in your Bible. Don't cast blame on me if His true appearance is not the one of beatific serenity you'd been deceived into believing. This is the face of progress, James. Don't you dare look away." 21%

We are members of the league of men who call ourselves not by the mantle of snatchers, but Resurrectionists. 34%

My eyelids grew heavy once more, and the face of my watch blurred as the vexing memories of the past were overwritten by the tender rhythm of my newfound life. My beloved slept peacefully beside me, and I dreamt. 68%

That said, the unique circumstance of being veritably surrounded by half dissected corpses did indeed raise the stakes, and I found myself pulling my punches more out of caution for the deceased than the concern for the living. 77%

At long last, when we could take the cold and rain no more, he led me through the emptying streets in the fading light, back to the warmth and safety of his chamber, and reminded me what it meant to be alive. 95%

This was such a fun and interesting read! The setting, the characters, the storyline - everything just came to life.

The Resurrectionist is a dark academia historical fiction, centering around the very controversial practice of bodysnatching, in order to further medical and scientific discoveries.

This book engaged me from the very first page. The tone of the book is delightful to read, and I think the author does a great job at balancing the serious topic with moments of levity and lovable characters.

My only critiques are that the pacing of the second half of the book wasn't as great as the first, I think partly because the romance felt a little rushed. It was pretty slow-burn for most of it, but it felt like there were conversations that we weren't privy to, which in turn made it feel like something was missing. Though I did appreciate the author not wanting to make the romance too central to the plot, doing this also made the romance feel a bit lacking once they did get together.

I also wish there was slightly more suspense and buildup with the mystery of the other body snatcher crews (I'm not 100% sure how to describe this without spoiling it). It felt like it wasn't talked about enough earlier on, and then moments when it was forgotten about completely, only to then feel like it was resolved too quickly.

Aside from that, the rest of the story was so enjoyable! The characters were done so well (main and side), and I had such a great time being along for the ride.

(Also is this going to be a series? Although all plot points were satisfyingly concluded, it did feel like some were open-ended enough to further explore in future books. I would be so open to reading more about these characters!)

This was a delightfully macabre coming of age story about James learning who he is outside of his overbearing family, as well as learning how to provide for himself without the family wealth he’s grown up with. The journey James goes on from a blithe rich boy innocently placing a lantern in a window to a dirty fingered body snatcher in love with another man was just so wonderful!

That said, the conflict did feel a little insular especially in the first half. Which isn’t unusual for a coming of age story, but the shift from internal conflict as James discovers his happiness to having to defend that happiness was less than seamless. In particular, I struggled to understand what was going on with Crouch’s men? And it seemed odd that James wasn’t involved in the initial investigation of that. It felt a little like a loss of agency to just be told everything after the fact by Nye.

I did enjoy the relationship between Nye and James though! I felt like their chemistry was well handed and it was obvious from the start that Nye had a magnetism that James just couldn’t resist ☺️ It was a wonderfully slow progression to that point, and I adored all the sweet ooey gooey moments they shared together afterwards 🥺

The pacing was a little off for me (especially going into the last quarter) and I don’t know how I feel about the last chapter tying everything up so neatly, but all in all I enjoyed this a lot! Though another thing that I struggled with, particularly in the begging, was how overwritten this was. This is not a time period I typically read so I definitely had to get used to the way everyone talked 😵‍💫

Overall it was a very sweet and satisfying story, with tons of gore and grossness to keep it interesting. 4 stars for sure!