This book was amazing. A thrilling and exciting look into the medical field while trying to not be arrested for grave robbery. The storyline gripped me from the beginning as I really felt immersed into the time. I definitely look forward to getting a hard copy when it's released.

✰ 3.75 stars ✰

“Our gaze met, and for a mere millisecond, I felt a crackle of pure energy between us--the sort of sensation one experiences just before the world turns resoundingly upon its head.

“For opportunity.”

I raised my glass before me. “Well then, Aneurin MacKinnon. To​ opportunity.”

Book 2, when?

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Okay, that's not all I have to say, because, let's face it, when don't I have something to say? And what I can say is that, starting The Resurrectionist - was a struggle. Struggle because I was stumbling over the over-usage of words that took out the simplicity of the story. 🤦🏻‍♀️ Granted, perhaps it was a writer's choice to evoke the olden classics feel of verbose dialogue and grandiose descriptive detail, heralding to that of the narrative being of one James, of sound mind and body, who has arrived in 1818 Edinburgh in the pursuit of scientific knowledge, 'for the awe of it all - to witness the miracle of the human form first hand' and to escape the burgeoning financial woes of his own family, along with their own disregard and contempt of his being. His studies offer him an escape from sailing through life devoid of consequence or meaning - yearning for a purpose, and 'for the first time in my life, here—at the University, at Malstrom’s—I feel that I matter.' 😥

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ And once I got into the swing of the story, ah, it was so worth it! Okay, one more critique about the writing, because, uff, it was so distracting! 😩 But, I do understand the reasoning behind it, hence, my slight willingness to be forgiving about it, however!

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ The usage of italics was severely abused. I understand the need to emphasize certain words - to enhance their effect and meaning in expression and intention - I get it. I use that technique, myself. But, this - this was overkill. 🙅🏻‍♀️ I don't know if it is the case of an ARC, but the author really needs to tone it down, so that we can enjoy the story-telling! Because it was good. It was engaging, and the characters were likeable and the dynamics were well done. I don't want to be mean simply because of the italics, but I must! It was just too much, a lot more than necessary, and there has to be an alternative to get the point across. Please? 🤔

“Our motivation is not the value of the bodies we steal, but in the second life we give them; postmortem Prometheus, bringing fire to mankind.”

For I really did enjoy it otherwise. It was a very intriguing if not engaging debut that was easy to get immersed in, despite the conflicting narrative. 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️ I loved how the plot built up - how circumstances led to James entangled with Nye and his nightly crew's excursions - how James' own feelings on said involvement faced its own wavering thoughts, before it finally was met with certainty and conviction that it was where he belonged. That it was not only financial desperation that he benefited from, but Nye's company, as well. The mystery and intrigue, along with the perplexity of their job was something I was familiar with before. 😥 But I was not aware of the true life crimes of Burke and Hare that added to the authenticity of the story. I liked how real life blended into fiction - how Nye and James' own close-knit circle was forced to clash with the unnatural depravity of the macabre that did in turn save them from a worse fate. Seeing them work in tandem - be on similar wavelengths, while tentatively approaching a relationship that was more than just partners and friends to something more... 🥲

“Do you not see that all we have done, I have consented to do? This is my will, Nye. My truth and my reason, it’s all with you.”

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ And can we talk about James and Nye? Because I do want to talk about how they defined be gay, do crime. At first, I thought James' object of affection would be someone else, but then, I realized how it could not be anyone but this 'red-blooded Scotsman with an entirely unpronounceable Welsh name,' whose easy-going charming nature thrummed with an impulsive nature and thrived on the scientific wonders yet to be discovered. ☺️ They were so sweet together - 'tender, patient, and endlessly joyful' - something so earnestly fervent in not only expressing their attraction and affections for each other, that I could not help the smile that spread across my face during their scenes. In a way they are two peas in a pod - so very passionate about medicine, the human anatomy and the desire to add more to medical research.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Nye was so accommodating and helpful with James. Even when he put him in impossible situations, I loved seeing James just lighten up with him. ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹 Even with the morbid act of grave digging for the advances of research, it was nice to see James' opinion change and then steadily accept it for what it was. 'Aneurin had transformed his world from monstrosity to marvel and I felt the veil lift from my eyes, leaving me lucid and nearly blinded by its poignant truth.' It was not even a hot and cold dynamic, but something so cute. 🫠🫠 I loved how James felt comfortable to be as open with Nye. I loved that scene when Nye felt challenged by him - how he then made James see the light. The trust and confidence they felt with each other - the comfort they sought and the gravitational pull they then just felt between the two - despite the fear of being found out - the subtle skirting of their own palpable flirting - 'it could never be unnatural. It was as easy as breathing.' 🥹🤍🥹

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ I did find it kinda hypocritical, though, when Nye reacted in a particular scene that made me wonder why he does not share those similar thoughts when excavating bodies that well, did not really deserve to be exhumed, let alone used for their purposes. Perhaps in later years, we might have a chance for this train of thought to be explored. 🤷🏻‍♀️

“Yet I must insist that in the end, this is not a story about Death. It is perhaps a Life story, or even--yes--a Love story.”

Like I said, book 2 when? 👉🏻👈🏻

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Because I was so sad to see it end! 😭 There was still so much left to tackle, so much more that I am curious about and how things will fare for the two of them. 💛💛 I know that as medical research progresses, The Resurrectionists will cease to exist, but I was not ready to part ways with James and Nye. That questionable future makes me want to know for sure if they will survive what is yet to come. 🥺

*Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This debut has romance, history, anatomy lessons and a feeling that something is creeping up behind the reader at all given times.

Beautiful and immersive, I was drawn to this novel as I was curious about the real life events depicted in it and I stayed for the beautifully dark writing and the lovely characters, which managed to rip my heart open in every page and heal it in the next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of readying this book. It has all the elements of a gothic dark academia romance that I could hope for. I enjoyed the characters and all their flaws. The story has good pacing and I never felt bored or the need to skim through. I highly recommend and I plan to buy a hard copy in December.

Thanks NetGalley for ARC! This was a perfect October read (even though it's coming out in December).

I love Gothic fiction (I loved the tv series Penny Dreadful and Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is one of my favourite books of all time!). The Resurrectionist definitely has elements of both of those works as we delve into the macabre underbelly of Scotland on the cusp of the Enlightenment.

Through the main character's POV, we are thrust into this new world of surgical theatres (and how they procure cadavers) as he pursues his studies, falls in love, discovers his sexuality, reckons with his place in society, and becomes entwined in gang politics. The writing is beautiful and really brings to life (pun intended) a story much more than simply about a group of body snatchers. Some characters and plot elements are taken directly from the true crime story of Burke and Hare, famous serial killers in Edinburgh who provided "fresh" corpses to Dr. Knox so he may have models for his dissection theatres. Dunlap was able to take this true story and resurrect it into a novel that provides empathy to the victims, a background to what life was like in Edinburgh in the 1800s, and an exploration of queer love in a world where social status meant everything and being found out meant being hanged. The stakes are high for James Willoughby in more ways than one throughout the novel and I held my breath throughout. Overall this was a fun read, beautifully written, and much deeper than I thought it would be. I kind of wish this was more of a balance between the who/how dunnit and James' coming of age story; the shift in tone towards the end feels SLIGHTLY out of place, and rushed. But I still really really enjoyed this novel and hope it becomes popular enough for a series because I'd love to follow James and Nye as they solve more gruesome murders with the help of science.

I requested this book a few months before I read it, and I totally forgot about the Burke and Hare connection - it was such a treat to rediscover! Set in Edinburgh during the time of the infamous true crimes of Burke and Hare in the early 1800s and the roaring trade in body snatching - we follow the story of James and his pursuit of medicine during the New Enlightenment in the city.

I completely adored the characters that Dunlap has created, and also how the real people that also feature were brought to life - it felt very well researched. This book gave me the dark academia vibes I’ve longed for, for it truely is macabre which is what I am always seeking from the ‘dark’ part of the genre, but it’s also got so much life to it. Watching James discover himself through his pursuits and interactions was wonderful, and I’m totally besotted with Aneurin. The interactions between all the cast of characters felt all so natural - you could well imagine seeing the group around the pubs, bantering away. It’s such a stunning debut novel.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this one. Exceptionally well written, and very intriguing. Would definitely buy when it hits the shelves.

What if we held hands inside the dead body we’re dissecting for science <3

This was actually so delightful, I wasn’t excepting it to be so humorous and romantic considering the subject matter. We follow James, a posh former Oxford boy who arrives in Scotland eager to become a man of science. Edinburg has become the hotspot for scientific enlightenment and he is excited to learn the skills of a physician. Unfortunately, his new life and education are threatened when his family’s financial struggles are revealed. Desperate to earn some coin to continue paying his board and tuition, he stumbles upon the underground world of body snatching. Brought into a crew by a handsome dissectionist named Nye, he begins to learn the process of procuring cadavers for the various schools around town. But when new competition comes to town, all of their jobs— and possibly lives— are in danger.

The romance is in this book was way more prominent than I was expecting and I’m not even mad about it. James and Nye’s relationship was a perfect sweetness against the darker backdrop of this story. Taking ‘be gay, do crime’ to a whole new level. I always love stories that pull from actual historical events and figures. I hadn’t known anything about Resurrection Men or Burke and Hare before reading this so it was fascinating to get a glimpse at this period of time. Lots of scientific things that went directly over my head but was interesting anyways.

I will say, I do wish the Burke and Hare storyline had been introduced a little sooner. It felt kind of squished into the later portion of the story, making its impact fall a little flat. That tension and mystery would have served the story better if it played a larger role. Also (slight spoiler) choosing to kill off the only female character was,,, a choice.

Overall this was a humorously dark historical fiction which some mystery and romance that kept you wanting more. I had a great time!

An interesting concept about Burke and hare. From a history point, this felt like something I should of been interesting in. The writing was good, however my main let down for this book was the pacing. Everything seemed to happen very quickly, and then incredibly slowly. Some early typos and things which made the book feel a bit unedited/rushed.

This was really interesting. I don't read a lot of historical fiction, but I do love a good gothic story. The atmosphere in this book was really well done and I found myself lost in the past with the protagonist. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and/or gothic horror.

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced
Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0

Thanks to Net Galley & Kensington Publishing for the E-Arc in exchange for my honest review.

This book is perfect for fans of the talent mr Ripley or those looking for a MM gothic romance.
Mystery/ Thriller
The mystery is really finding out more about Burke & Hare.
There is like in the Talent Mr Ripley behaviour that escalates slowly into this thriller - from studying anatomy at Edinburgh to stealing bodies & finally murdering bodies for exploration
Dark Gothic Romance
The true hero of this story is the gothic romance. The romance is set in a backdrop of anatomical body sketches and body parts. However the moment between MC James an upper class gentleman fallen on hard times and the working class Nye. I was cheering for this couple throughout. The romance fades to black with anything more than a kiss.
This relationship is a major focus in the book - I would go as far to say the main focus.
Ideal Reader
A fan of young adult gothic romances with mystery subplot
Fans of talent Mr Ripley who wanted more romance moments
People who enjoy romances set in gothic / gorey settings
Fans of Emily the strange and Lenore will most likely enjoy this book
Extras
I enjoyed the fact that the E-ARc had discussion thoughtful questions for the book at the back.
Key summary:
-opposites attract
- coming of age & sexuality in a new town ( university )
-loosely based of the historical time of Burke & Hare
-Cute MM romance set in a gorey setting
- Runs out of money & need to find a job
- black market organs
- Accidentally Outing

Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Outing

I can’t believe this is a debut. The writing and vibes were both so great. The gothic ambience was created wonderfully. I would recommend this to anyone who wants a perfect book for the fall time. The premise of this book intrigued me first. The story telling kept me going. I was in medical school and think this would be a wild way to spend my time outside of the classroom. Overall, the plot, characters, and world building were all very well developed. I hope A. Rae Dunlap continues writing more books.

Thank you to Net Galley and Kensington for the ARC. This was an alright read. The pacing was a bit odd and I feel like the most interesting bits were the beginning before the real conflict of the story starts with Burke and Hare. The romance was cute.

Voto complessivo: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Trama: 👍👍👍👍

Personaggi: 👦👦👦👦

Page turner: 📖📖📖📖

Suspense: 😱😱😱

Plot twist: 💡💡💡

Edimburgo, 1828. James Willoughby vuole diventare chirurgo, e non c’è luogo migliore dell’università di Edimburgo per i suoi studi. Quello che offre l’università, però, non è abbastanza per quanto riguarda la pratica, per cui decide di iscriversi ad una delle numerose scuole private di anatomia presenti in città. È qui che la sua strada si incrocia con quella di Aneurin “Nye” MacKinnon, ma anche con quella di due dei più famigerati serial killer della storia…

Ringrazio A. Rae Dunlap, la Kensington Publishing e NetGalley per l’eARC in anteprima di questo libro.

L’ho adorato! Da una parte abbiamo la fiction storica, con la ricostruzione del mondo dei “Resurrectionist”, i trafugatori di tombe che con il loro “lavoro” assicuravano alle scuole di anatomia il “materiale” necessario per lezioni e esperimenti, il che è anche un espediente per raccontare una pagina importante nella storia della medicina; dall’altra, il true crime, con la vicenda di Burke e Hare, due dei primi serial killer della storia, strettamente intrecciata a quella dei Resurrectionist. Non vi basta? Abbiamo anche una deliziosa storia d’amore MM.
La narrazione è avvincente, e amalgama insieme tanti elementi, dal murder mistery alla commedia nera, senza dimenticare un pizzico di gore.
L’uscita in lingua è prevista per il 24 dicembre 2024. Sarebbe davvero un peccato se gli editori italiani se lo lasceranno scappare.

4.5/5 stars!!

LITERALLY STUNNING! I was so intrigued by this novel because I am quite interested in the field of forensics as well as the history of medicine and it did NOT disappoint. First, just the amount of human anatomy vocabulary and history truly tied in very well into the dark academia vibe of the novel. I think the fact that there was so much little nuggets of true history and medicine back then really made the book more interesting. It truly worked well with the setting as well which thoroughly enraptured me. Second, the plot was simply divine. The characters were well done. I did have thoughts of "Are you crazy? Are you insane?" all throughout the book which I definitely think they were. I won't lie I did find it a little strange and uncomfortable how the topic of corpses and graves was treated as a comedic thing. I don't even know how many times they laughed or giggled while beside a carcass which felt so weird. I wished it got treated with more care and respect as it is a real thing that happened rather than a silly little fictitious joke. However, I do feel that the characters were pretty fleshed out, there were a lot of characters and friends but it still connected the reader to each character's personality. Finally, the romance. I LOVE books with a little side romance because it's like a little treat. I love the couple and their moments together but I did notice that their relationship sort of took over the book near the end. I do love romance books but I expected the love story as more of a side piece which it was until the end. However, that means more James and Nye who I adore. Altogether, I think you'll really like this book if you enjoy dark history, gothic style, forensics, and that dark academia style!

The Burke & Hare body-snatching case has long fascinated me- I even wrote a final paper for my degree on it, so naturally when I saw that there was a book coming out about the ordeal, I knew I had to read it. Let me say it did not let me down, Dunlap crafted a awe-inspiring narrative of fact and fiction, burying the details of the real case in with the their narrative following James.
James, he was such a fabulous narrator- the novel truly took us on his coming of age journey; where he learned more about the unsavoury aspects of medical science. Dunlap did such a fabulous job with James that I found my opinions being changed alongside his- both reader and narrator learned from Aneurin about the seedier operations of their chosen vocation.
I will admit I was a bit concerned at the beginning of the novel about the tone, I typically don't love regency era novels. But I found that Dunlap truly crafted the narrative in such a way that I didn't mind the typical social hierarchical dilemmas.
If you are at all interested in: history, the enlightenment, true crime or the dynamics of grave robbing- I would highly recommend The Resurrectionist.

I loved this book!! It was twisty and suspenseful; the writing style was also unique and engaging, capturing 1800s Edinburgh perfectly. I loved all the characters but be warned!! Not for the faint of heart, it can be quite gorey in parts which doesn’t bother me (it only adds to the vibes).

Really enjoyed this book although I had to put it down at times because the descriptions were a bit gruesome and I’m pretty squeamish. I enjoyed the mystery, the science, and the relationships. I wished we could have seen a bit more of James friendship with Charlie and Phillip considering they played a big part in the end of the book based on blind trust, which from their interactions throughout the book I’m not sure would have been completely warranted. I also wanted to hear more from Malateom himself- we hear a lot of second hand info through Nye. Overall really enjoyed, as a fan of dark weird historical fiction.

There's a typo at 15%. It should be "reverie" and not "revery". The prose was beautiful, but it failed to hold my interest. Having read and enjoyed the Raven, Fisher, and Simpson series by Ambrose Parry, I was already familiar with the setting - 1800s, Edinburgh. I expected this book to be a fast-paced crime thriller set in that era, but unfortunately nothing even remotely thrilling happened even at the 40% mark. The protagonist seemed terribly naive and unlikeable. The other characters, except perhaps Nye, were forgettable.

A dark academy style story, set in Edinburgh in the 1800s. The author's prose reminded me of classics such as Wuthering Heights, Jaynr Eyre, among others and captivated me from the beginning.
It is narrated in first person and the writing style is very pompous, loaded with descriptions, causing the story to become slow at various times. The story revolves around James, who leaves his past behind to pursue a career as a doctor at university and there he will encounter tomb raiders, quite descriptive gore scenes and also a queer romance. It should be noted that this romance is in the second line, it does not overshadow the main story and that was one of the characteristics that I really liked.
In the last part of the book it turns to a criminal investigation (historically inspired) and that has taken me a little out of the rhythm I had been having since the characters and their stories were left in the background and I think they were enough to maintain a good plot.