I enjoyed the dark twist as well as the over all plot. I thought it was really creative.

I can’t wait purchase it!

What a wonderful delight was the reading of this story!

It had been a while between requesting the ARC and actually being able to read it, so I went in only knowing there was something about serial killers in this book. What, for my surprise, was when the book turned out to be way more about that, and, after reading it, I think the serial killer part (which is a reference from a real case) is only a small part of what was told in those pages.

Here, we follow James as he is growing into being the person he desires, following and discovering his path. And oh my... what a come of age story.

* A disclaimer here that there is a significant amount of dead body descriptions, dissections and mutilation of cadavers. I can't be the one used to set a bar to determine if they were too much or not because I did some anatomy classes in collage and don't find myself sensible to these topic. So, FOR ME, those scenes and descriptions were neither shocking or triggering. Just clearing this before continuing continuing! :)

I have to admit that most of James's path in medical university reminded me a lot from my own experience with the topic, and I was shocked but quite not surprised when I found a lot of similarities with being a medical student in the early XIX century and nowadays, lol. Even only being part of this world for 18 months, I found a lot to compare with James's experience.

As we were introduced alongside him to the way the anamoty studies were made back then, we also see how he deals with the morals he says he had and the desires he want to pursue professionally. Its kinda funny how most of his conflicts in that area came from the Christianity he was raised within - and how he rationalizes it all to fit with his wants to continue doing the medical education. This did made me reflect on how we as human kind are very familiar with doing this work of shifting things and thoughts to fill and fit better with our peace of mind.

I loved how everyone in James's anatomy school treats the dead with respect. I know and have seen that is common to treat the 'specimens' as not human at all, with a uncomfortably bordering objectified way, so seeing a group of people that shared a little of how I viewed that topic was very heartwarming.

Speaking about heartwarming, what to say about James and Nye? Oh my god, those two kept me with a stupid smile in my face for every interaction they had. The way the author introduced their relationship, the slow burn, the innocent way James came to realize his feelings - quite not entirely conscious, his mind just thinking things - it was SO GOOD, I can't express it enough! Of course there were some bumps, especially because we're talking about a queer relationship happing in early 1800s, but they were held with such care by the author, both James and Nye communicating and supporting each other that... I found myself tearing up and underling quotes SO MANY times. You just end up wishing society wasn't this way to begin with, you know? They just want to live a normal life and be a couple.

The two major plot points were very well made (James's coming of age and the serial killers part), and the inclusion of the snippets of the real story were made so smoothly into the fiction part. For me this book were James's story and just happend to have crossed with serial killers, lol.

Those characters got my heart in their hands: James, Nye, Mary, Thomas, Diggs, Willis, Charlie... they felt so real and I cared so much for them and their outcomes that I found slowing the pace of the read just to be alongside them a little more. :,)

The last 10% took me SO LONG to get though because I was so afraid of what my happen but it was so well crafted. Was quite a journey for my heart, but so worth it!

I finished this book wanting to read it again and to buy the physical cope to underline all the amazing quotes I marked - it's just not enough to had made it in the kindle.

I kinda wouldn't mind knowing if Edith actually leaves James follow his path, and the same goes with knowing more about her and her aspirations to took the decisions she did in the book, BUT I'm very satisfied with the end and how we got there! James and Nye took some decisions that were a delight surprise and made me reflect on how I'm kinda used/expecting some trops to happen in books and the realization that's this is quite not a good thing to have as a reader.

The author's note in the end was a excellent way to warp up the story, so was the questions for readers. Such a enrichment to the whole book!

I recommend it to everyone who wants a gothic historical fiction story with a beautifuly written queer love story alongside it! Just, again, be aware of trigger warnings I commented earlier.

Thank you so much Kensington and NetGalley for the ARC! Was a pleasure read and review this story!

The concept of this book is very interesting (and gory compared to similar YA titles I have read). I felt like the times where a few days/weeks were briefly recapped over multiple paragraphs took me out of the story a bit, but it was still enjoyable.

Macabre. Romantic. Amazing.

The writing is beautiful, the world building was so well written and draws the reader in. It was a bit slow in the beginning but then you won't want to put it down. Likeable and charming characters. I do recommend!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. At time I felt like I was reading a K.J. Charles novel and everybody who knows me knows that K.J. Charles is one of my favorite authors of all times so this is a huge compliment coming from me. Although, I must admit the difference between this book and that of Charles’ novels is that despite the fact that K.J. also writes historical fiction and her language often matches that of the time period in which the story is set, a lot of the times I find it easier to understand her language than I did at the beginning of “The Resurrectionist”. At times I had to rearead certain sentences to fully understand what the author was trying to say because sometimes I would start reading a sentence and I didn’t really know where it was going and when I finished reading it I didn’t really understand what I had just read so I did go back and re-read them. However, this phenomenon did lesson throughout the book and it was getting easier and easier to understand everything that I was reading by the end. Or maybe I just got used to the language.
As for the plot, I very much enjoyed reading it. I am a huge fan of characters who are low-key criminals or outlaws or do not really abide by society’s rules and I’m also a huge fan of characters who at first appear to be of very high morality and very shy, but then they start kind of becoming like the low-key criminals I already mentioned. This is also something that is prominent in K.J. Charles’ novels so bonus points for that. I won’t write too much about the characters or the plot itself because I do not want to spoil anybody who has not read this book yet. All I will say is that the characters were thoroughly enjoyable to read about, the book was funny, witty, and quite interesting and I think if this were to be turned into a movie or a TV series it would be visually one of the most stunning pieces of media out there. Guillermo Del Toro, we need you on this!! (Nicholas Galitzine you too)
P. S. English is not my first language so I apologize if I made some spelling mistakes or incorrectly used any of the words/phrases

Thank you to Kensington Publishing and Netgalley for an ARC!

The Resurrectionist follows 19th century young man, James Willoughby, who goes to Edinburgh to study medicine. He comes from a family of means who has recently fallen on hard times thanks to his gambler father. Being the third child and general disappointment to the family name, James is determined to follow his passion for the medical arts. Due to a series of events, he becomes acquainted with Aneurin Mackinnon who introduces James to the profitable world of body snatching. A profession much reviled by most but also much needed by medical professionals who rely on body snatchers for fresh cadavers as specimens. As James and Aneurin continue their work, they soon cross paths with Burke and Hare which ups the stakes.

For anyone familiar with the real life story of Burke and Hare, you'll likely guess where the story is going. But in some ways their part in this feels short compared to this being more of a slightly grisly coming of age story as James grows up a little and discovers who he is as a man of science as well as his feelings for Aneurin. The writing was very well done and the story moved at a brisk, enthralling pace. There were a few turns of phrases which felt anachronistic but those were small quibbles in an overall fun story to read.

4.5 ⭐️ This was great, it was dark and thrilling, filled with macabre humour and interesting characters. The beginning felt a bit slow and it definitely took some time for me to get into it and to get used to the writing style, but after I got past that I genuinely couldn’t put it down. The romance was woven in seamlessly and felt very natural, and the setting and atmosphere of this book were immensely intriguing.

This book was STUNNING and everything I could have hoped for. The writing is beautiful, and the world is immaculately depicted. When reading the author's note, I was shocked to realize that they had combined true crime into their world building, and it was phenomenal. I'm definitely going to go down a research rabbit-hole after this.
I cannot recommend this book enough. It's definitely a favorite!

I received access to an ARC in exchange for a review

5 Stars

First of I really love the premise of this book. Like 19th century dark academia, body snatching and the corruption of a good boy through love and the thirst for knowledge? So up my alley. And I was not disappointed! Right from the beginning the mood is dark and a little detached in an almost medical kind of way. It frames how posh and proper James is in juxtaposition to the other people he meets right of the bat. And I really like the slightly surreal undertones that follow right after when James meets his first fellow Students and they are poking a severed ear with a fork at their table in a pub.

And once James meets Aneurin his inhibitions get slowly picked at by his unwavering hunger for knowledge. He wants to understand, to take apart, first of all bodies to understand anatomy, then Aneurin to look under his mask, to understand why he fascinates him so and why he makes him feel this way he does not want to recognize. Which is wonderfully mirrored by Aneurin being sure in himself and his morals, knowing exactly what he wants and not being afraid to go for it.

I'm also very happy about how delightfully fun the author manages to bring across the process of body snatching. The switching between tense and fun felt effortless and if they weren't... you know. Stealing corpses. I would be awfully tempted to join the fun.

And the relationship between James and Aneurin might be my favorite part. They tease, they bicker but it's all build on a solid foundation of affection, respect and trust. I think my favorite Scene is when Aneurin shows James his rooms for the first time. The easy affectionate intimacy of them makes my heart ache in the best way.

The plot really picks up steam towards the end and some parts left me genuinly astonished and emotionally destroyed. I did not expect some of the twist and the way they rip you out of the lighter tones we had in the middle of the book is so well done. Emotional whiplash in the best and worst way at the same time.

Overall I really loved this book, the characters are charming, the setting is super interesting and plot kept me in it's grip the whole way through. If you like questions about morality, a good mystery or a well done romance, you should read this book! I highly recommend.

Favorite Quote: "I crave no absolution but yours."

“For the first time in my life I felt the compelling need to assert myself fully and without compromise; for too long I had been at the mercy of the discretion of others, and was in no mood to follow that pattern a moment longer.” 😭

This story centres around the true crime of body snatching ⚰️ (specifically: the Burke and Hare murders) & I absolutely loved it ✨The writing is dark & beautiful - it was as if I was reading poetry. There’s a minor romance plot which was so sweet to read too 💖🥹. I would honestly recommend this book to readers that enjoy true crime/gothic stories. If you want to read something totally different to your usual reads - this is perfect.

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC ✨

🪦 Historical Fiction (19th century Edinburgh)
🪦 Dark Academia
🪦 LGBTQIA forbidden romance
🪦 True Crime

I honestly couldn't make it through the first 3 chapters due to such inconsistent and simply incorrect editing, and as such I won't be rating it on Goodreads or Storygraph. This manuscript desperately needs at least another 2-pass proofread to catch all the errors.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this book.
Unfortunately I DNF’ed this novel because it wasn’t for me. I don’t do well with morbid things but the writing was stunning which is why I gave it 3 stars.

I am here to admit that this cover attracted me to this book immediately. The book has a good plot with well-developed characters. However, I did find myself getting bored with some aspects of the book and found myself skimming. Even with that I still enjoyed the main story.
I want to thank the publisher and Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

A story set in Scotland already has some positive bias from me, but I really did like this book. This was one of the books that I feel was most impacted by my reading slump as it has took me forever to read despite knowing I liked it.

I liked the true crime element but it ultimately seems unnecessary, the book being bout grave diggers alone was exciting enough. I feel adding Burke and Hare just added a little bit of something that wasn’t really lived up to.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington publishing for the ARC

'The Resurrectionist' follows young medical student, Elijah, who becomes entangled in the world of grave robbing and the pursuit of scientific knowledge. Dunlap's storytelling explores themes of morality, ambition, and the blurred lines between life and death. The ideas within this book linger in the mind long after the final page is turned.

19th century Scotland, James Willoughby has chosen a life different than that expected of him and has enrolled in medical school. Medical schools don't provide many opportunities to work with corpses so private surgical schools have popped up around the city, but where are they getting the bodies from?

I absolutely loved this book, as a medical student myself it was fascinating to see a loose retelling of the history of medical schools in Scotland. Dunlap has done a fantastic job at creating a story that will appeal to a wide variety of readers. It is a dark, macabre story that is perfect for fall or winter reading. This book is still awhile from coming out but I have already recommended it to many people and have ordered a physical copy for myself.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

"You must understand that just as actions have consequences, just as laws have repercussions, progress has a cost."

The premise is very attractive - the descend of a terribly innocent Medicine student into the criminal world of corpse trafficking as a mean to advance cientific progress. A dark period of History indeed, with bases to discuss all kind of topics, from the way "undesirable" people are exploited by the more privileged in every way, shape and form, to the conflict between progress and religion in society. None of this is discussed in depth, mind you, but at least the bases are there for the reader to think more in their own time.

And then at the middle point, this story turns into an action-packed romance in which they might as well be trafficking with bottles of rum instead of the bodies of the recently deceased in direct opposition of their loved ones' will.

Is this a fun, exciting read? Yes!

Is this historically accurate, including the portrayal of several real people? No idea.

Are the good guys very very pretty, and the bad guys very very ugly, disabled or have big noses? Sadly yes, I guess the author got so far into ye olde style of writing that morals got lost on the way.

I recommend this book for people looking for a thrilling story of crimes and romance, not so much for people looking for deep philosophical reflections nor morbid gore.

I am not your typical romance reader, and I don't often reach for historical fiction. Upon reading the first few pages I was surprised by how dense the writing was and at times the word choice felt superfluous. But, I did read the entire book and I cannot say I didn't enjoy. The romance between James and Nye was sweet and not overdone, and the actual industry of body snatching was interesting to explore.

This was such a fun, neat little book! I loved the plot, the characters, the deviousness. Unfortunately, there were definitely times that it felt like it dragged on and on. I don't necessarily need to be locked in to every fraction of every second of a single action. This made the whole reading experience fluctuate wildly between being totally engaged to eyes glazing over page after page.

I would like to thank the Publisher for approving me for this ARC, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Walk the streets of Edinburgh, Scotland in 1828 with a group of rowdy semi-pose gents who are all set on becoming the world’s foremost name in Science. When James Willoughby shows up on the scene, he quickly realizes that the rain-drenched streets lead to more than just the foremost education in this age of New Enlightenment. He finds all he could desire at the city’s uni, except for a human cadaver. There are just not enough bodies to go around. For one of his own, James has to join one of the private schools in Surgeon’s Square. Being a man of means who has fallen on hard times thanks to his recently deceased gambler father, James strikes a deal with Aneurin “Nye” MacKinnon, the charming young dissectionist. Adventure ensues, opening James’s eyes to a world of science and wonder, opportunities and crime, and danger the likes he’s never seen before.

The Resurrectionist first caught my eye because the cover is a beautifully done sepia-toned drawing of a human ribcage, spine, and pelvis. There is a webbing of what could easily be mistaken for veins entwining the bones, but on closer appearance are the skeletal brambles of roses. Then I read the book. It had me groaning at the protagonist’s bumbling naivety. I was laughing at the sauciness of Edith, though being the lone female character with any bit to the story was a bit disappointing (yes, I know this is a historical peace but still).

The growth of James from naive and gullible to nearly fully realized was great. His inner world was relatable and understandable befitting his circumstances. And what to say about “Nye” in relation to James? The romance would have been perfect if it had been a little more consistently focused on, instead of being dropped and picked back up here and there - I would have been fine with it even if it hadn’t been behind doors.

Overall, a well done novel! I would recommend this one to anyone who likes historical fiction, murder mysteries, and medical thrillers. Have a strong constitution before cracking The Resurrectionist open! Four and a half stars of five.

Content Warnings:
Major
Death, Gore, Medical Content, Blood
Moderate
Homophobia, Outing, Violence
Minor
Murder, Kidnapping