The Resurrectionists by Michael Patrick Hicks Review
Happy Monday, everyone! I am back with a new review.
Dark Fiction | Goodreads | Amazon
Source: Received for Review Consideration
The Resurrectionists by Michael Patrick Hicks
Released June 2019Dark Fiction | Goodreads | Amazon
Source: Received for Review Consideration
Having won his emancipation after fighting on the side of the colonies during the American Revolution, Salem Hawley is a free man. Only a handful of years after the end of British rule, Hawley finds himself drawn into a new war unlike anything he has ever seen.
New York City is on the cusp of a new revolution as the science of medicine advances, but procuring bodies for study is still illegal. Bands of resurrectionists are stealing corpses from New York cemeteries, and women of the night are disappearing from the streets, only to meet grisly ends elsewhere.
After a friend’s family is robbed from their graves, Hawley is compelled to fight back against the wave of exhumations plaguing the Black cemetery. Little does he know, the theft of bodies is key to far darker arts being performed by the resurrectionists. If successful, the work of these occultists could spell the end of the fledgling American Experiment… and the world itself.
The Resurrectionists, the first book in the Salem Hawley series, is a novella of historical cosmic horror from the author of Broken Shells and Mass Hysteria.
New York City is on the cusp of a new revolution as the science of medicine advances, but procuring bodies for study is still illegal. Bands of resurrectionists are stealing corpses from New York cemeteries, and women of the night are disappearing from the streets, only to meet grisly ends elsewhere.
After a friend’s family is robbed from their graves, Hawley is compelled to fight back against the wave of exhumations plaguing the Black cemetery. Little does he know, the theft of bodies is key to far darker arts being performed by the resurrectionists. If successful, the work of these occultists could spell the end of the fledgling American Experiment… and the world itself.
The Resurrectionists, the first book in the Salem Hawley series, is a novella of historical cosmic horror from the author of Broken Shells and Mass Hysteria.
My 2 Cents For Free!
The Resurrectionists has tentacles and that’s all you need to know!
But I’ll tell you a little more.
Set in 1788 and featuring a world where racial tensions run high, Salem Hawley is an emancipated black man doing his best to fight for what is right. He is decent and dedicated and it’s these traits that lead him down a dark and disturbing path and straight to a deviant group of Resurrectionists who are up to unimaginable things. They rob graves, they mutilate the bodies and, like the idiots they are, they read from an old tome in an attempt to please the elder gods. Of course dead bodies simply aren’t enough you dummies!
“Suffering is always the key.”
That’s all I should say about that because I do not want to spoil this experience for you. This book is very well written and filled with some Barker-worthy disturbing imagery, a well-crafted protagonist and a few perfectly written evil, dumb-ass men who want to achieve power at any cost. I’d like to think those types are purely fictional but I have my doubts every time I turn on the news. Thankfully there are decent men like Salem Hawley to balance it all out.
The pace is fast and the creatures are nasty and they will make you squirm. There be monsters! There be gore! There be brutality! There be come-uppance! It’s all terrible and I mean terrible in the best horror-filled way. I absolutely cannot wait to read the next installment of Salem Hawley’s adventures in monster hunting!
I also love the fact that in the author notes Hicks mentions that he was inspired to write this series after reading Mary Roach’s book Stiff which featured all sorts of fascinating death facts and makes mention of real life Resurrectionists. If you haven’t read Stiff and have a morbid curiosity about this sort of thing you should put it on your read soon list along with this book, of course.
But I’ll tell you a little more.
Set in 1788 and featuring a world where racial tensions run high, Salem Hawley is an emancipated black man doing his best to fight for what is right. He is decent and dedicated and it’s these traits that lead him down a dark and disturbing path and straight to a deviant group of Resurrectionists who are up to unimaginable things. They rob graves, they mutilate the bodies and, like the idiots they are, they read from an old tome in an attempt to please the elder gods. Of course dead bodies simply aren’t enough you dummies!
“Suffering is always the key.”
That’s all I should say about that because I do not want to spoil this experience for you. This book is very well written and filled with some Barker-worthy disturbing imagery, a well-crafted protagonist and a few perfectly written evil, dumb-ass men who want to achieve power at any cost. I’d like to think those types are purely fictional but I have my doubts every time I turn on the news. Thankfully there are decent men like Salem Hawley to balance it all out.
The pace is fast and the creatures are nasty and they will make you squirm. There be monsters! There be gore! There be brutality! There be come-uppance! It’s all terrible and I mean terrible in the best horror-filled way. I absolutely cannot wait to read the next installment of Salem Hawley’s adventures in monster hunting!
I also love the fact that in the author notes Hicks mentions that he was inspired to write this series after reading Mary Roach’s book Stiff which featured all sorts of fascinating death facts and makes mention of real life Resurrectionists. If you haven’t read Stiff and have a morbid curiosity about this sort of thing you should put it on your read soon list along with this book, of course.
4 ½ Stars out of 5
This one sounds dark and suspenseful! :)
ReplyDeleteIt was and all of the historical details made it hard to put down.
DeleteI'm just starting this one and so happy to see your rating! I skipped past the review until I finished writing mine but I did like that catchy tag about tentacles. LOL
ReplyDeleteHaha, I hope you love it, Laura!
Deletewhoa...that cover is super creepy awesome
ReplyDeletesherry @ fundinmental
Right? it's so eye-catching.
DeleteOoh this sounds creepy.
ReplyDeleteCreepy good!
DeleteTentacles lol. Seriously though, this sounds great! Cosmic horror, elder things, an evil tome- yup this sounds amazing.
ReplyDeleteIt was amazing and there are more coming!
DeleteNice! And ooh, tentacles. LOL.
ReplyDeleteHaha :)
DeleteI seem to be in the minority for not being in a tentacles fan club! *grins*
ReplyDeleteIt's okay, I will always be your friend!
DeleteHow funny if you said - This one has tentacles - and just stopped there lol
ReplyDeleteKaren @ For What It's Worth
Haha, that would've saved me oodles of time :)
Delete