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!

Thank you to NetGalley and A. Rae Dunlap's team for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

If someone were to ask me what my reading niche is, my answer would be The Resurrectionist. This debut novel by A. Rae Dunlap is a wonderful mashup of historical fiction, true crime, and romance. The characters have depth, the plot is meaningful and interesting, and there are some fun true crime Easter eggs pertaining to the real life crimes of William Burke and William Hare.
Many times throughout this story reminded me of Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz, which is another one of my favorites that falls into this niche category. I am so intrigued by medical history, especially that of Edinburg in the 1600-1800's, even more so when resurrection men are involved. Check and check.
One thing that I noticed pretty early on in this story was the incessant use of italics. This isn't a bad thing, and it doesn't do harm to the way the book reads, but I did find it interesting. I don't think I've ever read another book with as much italicization. More than anything it spiced up the dialogue and ensured that sentences were read the way the author intended, using emphasis on whichever words she decided needed it. An interesting way to maintain control over reader interpretation to be sure.
The Resurrectionist is a wonderfully plot-driven novel with characters that are enjoyable and a plot that covers a very specific niche. I can't wait to see what Dunlap releases next!

*DNF at 30%
A lot happened in the world between the time that I requested this book and the time I started reading it, and if that wasn’t the case I may have been in a better mindset for its content. I am familiar with Burke and Hare, I’ve listened to podcasts about body snatchers and while morbid, I have always found the subject matter interesting. However, perhaps because of my current mental state, reading about men desecrating graves and using bodies without their consent was giving me major ick. Then our protagonist, who is supposedly a righteous and upstanding man only takes a couple pages and one drink to go from thinking the idea of body snatching is morally reprehensible and should be reported to the authorities to being fully convinced to join the team and believing that they are owed and entitled to people’s bodies (you know, for science! Enlightenment!).
Not two pages later he is giggling (their word, not mine) over a corpse.

In fairness, I liked some of the writing style and I’m fully aware that there may be other times that I would feel less critical and more comfortable reading this, so it’s getting a 3.

Very cool concept, would love to read more in this world!! Hoping there's more to come from this author, would recommend!

There is just something deliciously intriguing about the history of medicine in the 19th century. So many changes, so many inventions and discoveries were made. The story of the body snatchers of Great Britain - in this case, Scotland specifically - and the resurrectionist movement is an especially intriguing one because it's so morally complex. So of course I had to devour Dunlap's <i>The Resurrectionist</i> when I read the synopsis, especially with Burke and Hare being mentioned and all of that wrapped into a storry of forbidden queer love.

And I really did enjoy my time with <i>The Resurrectionist</i>. The writing style perfectly fits the time period and the at times macabre story told, and the rather fast pacing helped making this a quick and unputdownable read. Our protagonist is James, third son of a noble family from London that moves to Edinburgh in order to study medicine and become a surgeon. To achieve that goal, he also joins one of the private schools that allow their students to work on human bodies instead of just reading about them in theoretical books. Those private schools cost money though, and turns out James sudenly doesn't have quite enough of that. So with Aneurin, the private school's dissectionist, he starts to earn money in a rather peculiar way: as a body snatcher - stealing fresh bodies from their graves and delivering them to the surgery schools around town.
Honestly, the first half of the book was absolutely fascinating. I loved a glimpse into how the private schools and the resurrectionist movement worked, and James is a loveable protagonist. Aneurin (who, as the author's note tells us, is clearly inspired by actor Aneurin Barnard lookswise) is a very fun and intriguing love interest, and their romance is cute and just beautifully weird. The subject matter in general is obviously rather gruesome, and some of the descriptions very much reflect that which I thought was amazing. But there's also a good bit of humour woven into this morbid tale that makes it an entertaining read.

Sadly, the story takes a bit of a turn when Burke and Hare are introduced. Now, as characters they are, in theory, really fascinating. But I didn't quite enjoy their involvement in this particular story even though it lends itself perfectly to their inclusion. It felt almost... tacked on, and while it gave us the one most heartbreaking scene of the whole novel, I never really felt like the whole investigation story that Aneurin and James suddenly found themselves in made much sense for them as characters, and it was also solved incredibly quickly. I feel like if Burke and Hare and their crimes would have been more interwoven with the whole narrative of the book instead of just some "this character you don't know disappeared, huh" thrown in here and there that meant nothing because, well, we don't know the character mentioned, I would have enjoyed it much more. Make them a lingering presence for the whole book - whispers here, disappearances there - that slowly but surely becomes a threat. As it is, Aneurin solves the mystery of what happened in like a handful of chapters because he's just that big of a genius.
I also felt like the whole story of James and his family and the forbidden nature of James and Aneurin's love could have been explored better, and I thought the side characters could have been fleshed out more for me to really care about them. But I guess the book would have to have been longer for that.

Still, despite this criticism I really enjoyed this book a lot and I recommend it to everyone interested in the time period and the subject matter unless you really don't like the gory bits that come with it. Will definitely keep an eye on the author.

Thank you to NetGalley/Kensington for the e-ARC!

3.5 rounding up. It's a gothic gay dark academia! What more could I want? A little bit as it turns out, but I'll get to that.

This story follows James on his journey to becoming a doctor against his family's wishes. Along the way, he meets Nye and becomes willingly tangled up in the business of snatching bodies from fresh graves. It's gritty, gross business, but it pays well.

James is, I'm not going to lie, a bit of a boring character to follow, especially at the beginning. He's not a bad character and I did enjoy seeing his morals rearrange as he gets into the business, but I found myself more interested in Nye, to be honest. And the gentry stuff always loses me, but that's a personal preference.

The writing was very good. It was pretentious throughout and occasionally overwritten, but I think it was appropriate since James was the one telling the story. The atmosphere was nice and gothic, with plenty of gore and guts. As someone who works in a hospital laboratory and often sees blood and body parts (so many amputated toes...) I wasn't bothered at all. But if you don't like hearing about autopsies, maybe pass on this one?

The plot was on the meandering side. It didn't drag, but there's a lot going on in the synopsis and it takes a while to get to some of the points (Burke and Hare, mostly). The romance was a little quick to spark but sweet (and all fade to black, if that information matters to you). The mystery part really wasn't a mystery, and it wasn't particularly thrilling either. More like it was there and gone, like an extended cameo that I wasn't very impressed by because I'm not a true crime girlie. It might do more for someone else.

So it's not really a mystery, not a thriller, and only partially a romance, but it's definitely a historical dark academia.

This book was unlike anything I have read.

An interesting mix of true crime and historical fiction, this book is perfect for readers that enjoy dark academia. Set in the 19th century Scotland, a medical student is introduced into the world of body snatching. First, I had no idea such a thing was true! The author incorporates true historical characters which I enjoyed.

I had a hard time with pacing and the writing may be a bit more formal than I like. I felt the romance was a nice touch and I liked how it was a detail and not the driving plot.

I will say that I was interested so much that I immediately had to Google search and learn what I could about the true history that inspired this book!

Please read the author’s note at the end!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for this ARC!

I was immersed straight from the start. Definitely one of my favourite historical fiction novels I’ve read this year. So enthralling and gothic with a pinch of dark academia!

a dark and atmospheric historical debut novel, following a young man and his journey of studying surgery in 19th century schottland. dunlap pulls inspiration from real life events and people from schottlands darker period. perfect for all true crime fans.

I was looking forward to this book. The description, tags, and cover gave the impression of a dark thriller. The Resurrectionist seemed to be well-researched historical fiction at the beginning.

Unfortunately, it quickly fell into contemporary prose and too cutesy for me YA female-gaze MM romance with giggling. Nothing in the spoiler-heavy book description prepared me for that.

“It is what it is,” used three times at last count. Current slang jars me out of historical fiction. The comparison to The Alienist is far off the mark.

The characters were flat, and the main character was excessively naive. His insecure inner monologue became uncomfortable to read. I didn’t believe in him as a medical student. Perhaps the author intended him to play the formerly always-female ingenue. If so, she succeeded at that, complete with extensive rhapsodizing over a crush.

The Resurrectionist reads like a decades-ago gothic romance featuring an innocent young woman running afoul of bad men–mixed with poor attempts at humor and a bit of historical crime. I didn’t expect body snatching to be played for laughs. It's not even dark humor, it's slapstick.

The concept had potential. There are many recent releases with insightful portrayals of LGBTQIA+ characters, and others with excellent depictions of historical crime. I wanted to like this book, but it was a disappointment.

These characters didn't come across as remotely real, particularly as young men experiencing desire for another man, even leaving aside the ahistorical tone and language.

I made two efforts to finish it, but I've had more than enough of the florid gazes and opal eyes: DNF at 40%.

Thank you, Kensington Publishing for the e-ARC via NetGalley for consideration. These are my unbiased opinions.

The Resurrectionist by A. Rae Dunlap is an enthralling historical novel that brings the grim world of 19th-century body snatchers to vivid life. Set in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1828, the story follows James Willoughby, a naïve yet determined young man who abandons his sheltered life at Oxford to pursue his dream of studying surgery. The city’s renowned university is a beacon of medical progress during the New Enlightenment, but James soon discovers that to truly advance in his field, he must gain hands-on experience with human cadavers—a luxury he can’t afford.

The plot takes an unexpected turn when James forms a dangerous alliance with the charismatic but morally ambiguous Aneurin “Nye” MacKinnon, a dissectionist with a unique talent for anatomy and a deep obsession with knowledge. Nye’s proposition to help James gain surgical experience quickly spirals into a harrowing journey into the world of body snatching. As the story progresses, James is slowly drawn into a web of deception, violence, and moral compromise, becoming an unwilling accomplice in the theft of freshly buried corpses from churchyards. This practice, known as resurrectionism, serves as the backbone of the novel’s dark, yet riveting, plot.

What truly stands out in The Resurrectionist is the way it balances its grim subject matter with moments of humor and humanity. James’s internal conflict about the morality of his actions adds depth to his character, and his evolving relationship with Nye—ranging from colleagues to close friends, and ultimately lovers—is both believable and heartwarming. The tension between them, as well as the exploration of their contrasting motivations, makes their bond one of the book’s most compelling aspects.

The novel’s richly detailed world-building also deserves praise. Dunlap’s extensive research into the era’s medical practices, the anatomy schools of Edinburgh, and the infamous Burke and Hare murders, makes the historical setting come alive. The reader can almost feel the damp, dark streets of Edinburgh and the foreboding atmosphere of the medical dissection rooms. Dunlap’s ability to seamlessly weave historical accuracy with narrative tension is truly impressive, ensuring that both history buffs and fiction lovers alike will find much to appreciate.

Supporting characters, including the duplicitous Burke and Hare, are equally well-developed. These antagonists add a layer of menace to the story, and their ruthless drive for profit and power brings a sense of urgency to the novel's final chapters. The political intrigue, combined with the increasingly dangerous stakes, keeps the reader on the edge of their seat, especially as the rival gangs of body snatchers vie for control.

The Resurrectionist is a beautifully written novel that deftly explores the ethics of scientific progress, the complexities of friendship and love, and the lengths people will go to in order to achieve their goals. It is a dark, thrilling, and surprisingly humorous read that showcases Dunlap’s impressive storytelling and research. The blend of historical intrigue, complex characters, and high stakes makes this a book that will linger long after the final page is turned.

The Resurrectionist, A Rae Dunlap’s historical fiction debut opens with such verve that it will draw readers in immediately. A lively narrative that more than hints at the mayhem to follow as it foreshadows narrator James Willoughby carting a corpse through the streets of Edinburgh in a wheelbarrow. The Resurrectionist is set in the early 19th century and medical study was booming in the Scottish city. The need for bodies led to a trade in fresh corpses and rise of the body snatchers, or ‘resurrectionists’ as they liked to style themselves.
When The Resurrectionist opens, third son of a wealthy family James Willoughby, gives up his Oxford studies to move to Edinburgh and study medicine. There he finds the best way to study anatomy is not through the university but in one to private medical schools. Only straightened financial circumstances lead James to need to find money and that draws him into the world of the body snatchers, and particularly a man called Aneurin and his gang. It is Aneurin who brings James into the trade but also provides him with a philosophical justification for the dark work that they do.
The Resurrectionist is a fascinating period of medical history and Dunlap fills the narrative with period detail and actual characters from the time (the Afterword helps disentangle the fictional from the non-fictional). This includes the infamous pair of Burke and Hare, who are famous as body snatchers but found more direct ways of sourcing their wares than digging them up from graveyards. Dunlap manages to work their true story into that of James and Aneurin to build to a page-turning second half.
Central to this book working so well is the character of James and his narration. Because on top of everything, The Resurrectionist is also a coming-of-age story. James gets deep into a dark world but in doing so learns about himself, finds a purpose, finds love and manages to pull himself out from under the shadow of his family. There are elements of his life that feel a little like wish fulfillment, but Dunlap earns enough good will to make it all work.
Overall, The Resurrectionist is a great piece of gothic-styled historical fiction. Dunlap explores a fascinating, if a little macabre, time and place and in doing so exposes some of the very real characters who peopled it. And she does this through an engagingly flawed main character who provides readers with a justifiable entrée in this world and a reason to stay and see how it all works out.