Last week some very sad news came across my virtual desk: Talented young writer, A. R. Meyering, author of The Resurrectionist, died unexpectedly at her home in California. I only knew Alex through her novel, but I think the stories we tell are the true expression of ourselves and my best way to remember her. In case you missed my review of the book in May, I offer it again today.
I recently came across a wonderful fantasy horror novel with the awesome title of The Resurrectionist. My blog readers might find the name sounds familiar since I published a novella by that title last summer. Great minds think alike, eh? The Resurrectionist is actually a popular book name, as you might have discovered if you tried to buy The Resurrectionist: A Novella from Amazon or Barnes and Noble! A. R. Meyering’s resurrectionist is quite a bit different than the fellow in my story, so I doubt much confusing will ensue. Disclosure: I have a business relationship with A. R. Meyering’s publisher, Montag Press, which will be publishing my Sean Joye Investigations novel in the future.
Horror or History?
Traveling by train in nineteenth century Scotland, surgeon Edgar Price befriends a disheveled Irishman and soon finds himself assaulted, kidnapped, and a key ingredient in an occult revenge plot. I don’t want to risk spoiling the reader’s fun of slowly uncovering the antagonists’ motives for picking on poor Edgar, so I’ll leave the particulars of how this all comes about vague.
Inspired by a set of mysterious objects on display in the National Museum of Edinburgh, the author wrote this story by way of personal explanation for the intriguing artifacts. The novel is an imaginary continuation of the true story of the Burke and Hare murders. While certainly a horror story, The Resurrectionist is part historical fiction, fantasy, romance, and fairytale, as well.
The Resurrectionist: A Twisty Plot
The story is told from a close, third-person point-of-view, which shifts among the main characters. The reader stumbles along with Edgar as he escapes the immortal Magdalena and her henchman, finding his way to a literally enchanted woodlands where witch Ainsley reluctantly offers some aid. Because Edgar is dying; the baddies have infected him with a malignant, deadly spirit.
Ainsley, the second protagonist of the tale, faces her own impending doom—she must save a life, soon, or she will die, a feature of witch nature in this particular story world.
When Magdalena tracks Edgar to the forest enclave and attacks the witch settlement, Edgar, Ainsley, and the land’s fae guardian, Fana, realize they must journey back to the city to fight Magdalena’s schemes before all is lost.
I’m trying to avoid spilling information that isn’t mentioned in the book blurb, so I’ll leave my summary at that. Suffice to say, a lot is going on in this story. Each of the three protagonists and the two antagonists have a compelling story arc. And those arcs intersect and interact with each other throughout the tale.
Horror Genre
Readers pick up horror stories to viscerally feel strong emotions like fear and dread. The Resurrectionist is properly atmospheric and replete with gruesome and graphic scenes of body horror, monster frenzies, and soul-stealing magic. Interestingly, it provides idyllic views of woodland life and fae beauty by way of contrast, underscoring the horror in other sections of the book.
The People of The Resurrectionist
I most appreciated The Resurrectionist’s attention to each main character’s motivations and goals. They all had urgent business to propel the narrative and a well-developed backstory to motive their actions and attitudes. Each was sympathetic in their own way and felt themselves the hero of their own tale.
The World of The Resurrectionist
I didn’t know that certain interesting objects, which play a key role in the story, were real historical objects until I read the afterword. Of course, that made me love it all the more; I’m a total sucker for that sort of thing. All in all, the world of this novel is well constructed, intricate, and immersive.
And Now a Word From Our Sponsor
Like my book reviews? I have a lot of them! If Meyering’s The Resurrectionist interests you, check out: Broken Metropolis, Lovecraft Country, Viscera, Incarnate, Nightjar, 100-Ghost Soup, Wrong Side of Hell, Sleepy Hollow, Vita Nostra, Repo Shark, The Sorcerer of The Wildeeps.
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Check out all my stories at Amazon.com. Order my new novella, Wolfhearted, or from Barnes and Noble if you prefer, here. It is also available as an audiobook, here. If you’ve enjoyed one of my books, tell the world! Consider leaving a short review at Audible, Amazon, or Goodreads. The direct link to review Wolfhearted on Amazon is here, The Resurrectionist, here and Water of Life, here. Thanks in advance. Even five reviews will put the book in a more prominent position on Amazon.