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The Resurrectionist
The Resurrectionist | A. Rae Dunlap
4 posts | 4 read | 4 to read
In the tradition of The Alienist and Anatomy: A Love Story, a decadently macabre, dark and twisty gothic debut set in 19th century Scotland when real-life serial killers Burke and Hare terrorized the streets of Edinburgh as a young medical student is lured into the illicit underworld of body snatching. Historical fiction, true crime, and dark academia intertwine in a harrowing tale of murder, greed, and the grisly origins of modern medicine for readers of Lydia Kang, ML Rio, Sarah Perry, and C.E. McGill. Portrait of the Medical Student as a Young Body Snatcher Yet I must insist that in the end, this is not a story about Death. It is perhaps a Life story, or evenyesa Love story. It is the story of how I clawed my way from the decay of a crumbling legacy into the modern era of Reason and Science. It is the story of how I escaped the prison of archaic superstition to the freedom of enlightenment. It is the story of how a rose can blossom from even the bloodiest soil, of how light can grow from shadow, how love can grow from despair. This, dear reader, is the story of my Resurrection. Edinburgh, Scotland, 1828. Nave but determined James Willoughby has abandoned his posh, sheltered life at Oxford to pursue a lifelong dream of studying surgery in Edinburgh. A shining beacon of medical discovery in the age of New Enlightenment, the citys university offers everything James desiresexcept the chance to work on a human cadaver. For that, he needs to join one of the private schools in Surgeons Square, at a cost he cannot afford. In desperation, he strikes a deal with Aneurin Nye MacKinnon, a dashing young dissectionist with an artists eye for anatomy and a reckless passion for knowledge. Nye promises to help him gain the surgical experience he cravesbut it doesnt take long for James to realize hes made a devils bargain . . . Nye is a body snatcher. And James has unwittingly become his accomplice. Intoxicated by Nye and his noble mission, James rapidly descends into the underground ranks of the Resurrectioniststhe body snatchers infamous for stealing fresh corpses from churchyards to be used as anatomical specimens. Before he knows it, James is caught up in a life-or-death scheme as rival gangs of snatchers compete in a morbid race for power and prestige. James and Nye soon find themselves in the crosshairs of a shady pair of unscrupulous opportunists known as Burke and Hare, who are dead set on cornering the market, no matter the cost. These unsavory characters will do anything to beat the competition for bodies. Even if its cold-blooded murder . . . Exquisitely macabre and delightfully entertaining, The Resurrectionist combines fact and fiction in a rollicking tale of the risks and rewards of scientific pursuit, the passions of its boldest pioneers, and the anatomy of human desire.
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julesG
The Resurrectionist | A. Rae Dunlap
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Mehso-so

YA Coming of Age/Dark Academia Historical Fiction set in mid-19th century Edinburgh with a M/M romance sideplot

James Willoughby has recently decided to become a surgeon and to study at the University of Edinburgh. An excellent decision for the son of a noble family if it wasn't for the family lacking in funds. In order to afford his position in an anatomist's course, the resident resurrectionist Aneurin offers the naïve James a job... ⬇️

julesG ... as look-out. With his financial situation getting worse, James has to join the resurrectionists himself.

I liked this story better than Schwartz's Anatomy: A Love Story. For one, the main character's speech and behaviour fits the historical context - down to the point that he thinks his sister Edith is better off than him, because she doesn't need to find her place in society, she has the advantage of only having to marry well and ... ⬇️
2w
julesG ... produce an heir and a few spares. Then there is the love-interest, Aneurin, street smart butcher's son who became a resurrectionist and anatomist's assistant, and took James's measure within seconds of meeting him.

Since the story is set at the time Burke and Hare were 'working' as resurrectionists, the addition of a mystery/true crime element to the plot didn't come as a surprise.

⬇️
2w
julesG The writing, like the pacing, is a bit hit and miss. There are paragraphs with period appropriate dialogue or apt descriptions, but also rather bland phrases that reminded me of fanfiction.

I liked the dark atmosphere and that the author kept the novel as historically and thematically accurate as possible. 3/5🌟
2w
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Andrew65 Well done 🥳🥳🥳 2w
50 likes6 comments
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JenReadsAlot
The Resurrectionist | A. Rae Dunlap
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#aardvark bookmail

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BookwormAHN
The Resurrectionist | A. Rae Dunlap
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Here are my picks for #Aardvark and #BOTM and I finished my BOTM challenge so I also get my new hat 😺 What did y'all pick?

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Soscha
The Resurrectionist | A. Rae Dunlap
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Pickpick

An excellent read based on how the early medical field behaved to learn about human anatomy and physiology.

For that this is fascinating and informative. I say *based* on history but this isn‘t nonfiction. Well-written with characters you can get attached to.

I highly recommend this for thriller fans and Pride month reads.

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