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4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
I loved the opportunity to read another book in this series during spooky season. As a queer and neurodivergent reader, I relate so much to Oliver, and find it a warm and welcoming experience to return to this world. There are some nice steamy scenes, plenty of action-packed mystery moments, but what I love most is the dialogue and the well-developed cast of characters. The conversations flow so well and added to my enjoyment of the story.
In addition to the steam, we get a chance to see Oliver and Felipe’s relationship grow and mature with plenty of emotional intimacy, too. I love a romance that balances spicy content and sweet, gentle moments, and Jorgensen does this so well with Oliver and Felipe. There is a lot of vulnerability here, and the honesty of it is so refreshing and relatable.
Thank you to the author for an eARC. This is my honest review.
In addition to the steam, we get a chance to see Oliver and Felipe’s relationship grow and mature with plenty of emotional intimacy, too. I love a romance that balances spicy content and sweet, gentle moments, and Jorgensen does this so well with Oliver and Felipe. There is a lot of vulnerability here, and the honesty of it is so refreshing and relatable.
Thank you to the author for an eARC. This is my honest review.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I found this to be an interesting inversion of a traditional mystery: although the villain of the piece is obvious from fairly early on, the actual crime (or, rather, the extent of the crime) being committed takes much longer to be established. It was a conclusion I didn't see coming until very late, so I was with Oliver and Felipe every step of the way.
Oliver's awful ex, Ansley, is well-written as a loathsome individual, yet manages not to be completely off-putting - his actions being driven by self-centredness rather than malice makes him unfortunately all too familiar.
While I enjoyed the development of the central relationship and am over the moon to see a sympathetic and accurate autistic charcate tin a lead role (and in a respectful relationship), I did feel that some of Oliver and Felipe's interactions were a little "to camera", but they were in keeping with the scene and characters, and they didn't detract from my enjoyment.
Oliver's awful ex, Ansley, is well-written as a loathsome individual, yet manages not to be completely off-putting - his actions being driven by self-centredness rather than malice makes him unfortunately all too familiar.
While I enjoyed the development of the central relationship and am over the moon to see a sympathetic and accurate autistic charcate tin a lead role (and in a respectful relationship), I did feel that some of Oliver and Felipe's interactions were a little "to camera", but they were in keeping with the scene and characters, and they didn't detract from my enjoyment.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Sexual content, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Gaslighting
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization
Minor: Death of parent, Alcohol
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I will admit I did skim through some of this book, but it still was a great read. We're back with Oliver and Felipe and on a new case.
I find the second book to be much more engaging and in depth than the first, as we got to also see all of the characters progress even more.
There's social hardships within the relationships of almost all of the characters, and we even get to see the chaos that Oliver's ex brings into play. I feel like that own plot point is important to understanding more on Oliver's fears. And now reading more into Felipe's struggles also is fluttery to read.
Overall, great read.
I find the second book to be much more engaging and in depth than the first, as we got to also see all of the characters progress even more.
There's social hardships within the relationships of almost all of the characters, and we even get to see the chaos that Oliver's ex brings into play. I feel like that own plot point is important to understanding more on Oliver's fears. And now reading more into Felipe's struggles also is fluttery to read.
Overall, great read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder
Moderate: Sexual content, Medical content
Minor: Forced institutionalization
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Reanimator's Soul brings such a depth of complicated human emotions to a world full of common politics and uncommon magics. In addition to Oliver and Felipe's burgeoning relationship, family problems, and the new murder mystery that falls in their laps, this book also introduces Oliver's infamous ex. There's so much going in this story. It's smart. It's complex. And it's so good.
There are a lot of things I enjoy about this story, but at the forefront of all of them is how real Oliver and Felipe feel as people - their emotions, their anxieties, their needs, and their struggles to balance life and work. They’re fully structured characters, not only in the present, but with pasts that haunt them.
While this story progressed Oliver and Felipe’s interpersonal relationship beautifully, it also built upon the characters individually from the first book and gave us growth and more insight into relationships outside of their bubble, all while handling a complicated case that shows off more of the magical community and of prejudices both inside and outside that community.
There’s so much packed into The Reanimator’s Soul that I haven’t even glossed over in this review, that the book feels much longer than it is - in the best way possible. It’s loaded with questions and answers, pain and comfort, buried pasts and stoking futures, and frankly, it’s a whole lot of bang for your buck. To me, it’s a book to sit down with and savor, consume with a mug of your favorite hot beverage and slip into this magical past where two men struggle to solve a crime much bigger than it seems while dealing with past lovers, present family drama, and their feelings for each other.
It’s a great, well-written book that honors what was created in the first novel builds upon it. I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a lush, urban fantasy murder mystery with a queer romance, especially if you’re looking for an autistic main character. This won’t disappoint.
There are a lot of things I enjoy about this story, but at the forefront of all of them is how real Oliver and Felipe feel as people - their emotions, their anxieties, their needs, and their struggles to balance life and work. They’re fully structured characters, not only in the present, but with pasts that haunt them.
While this story progressed Oliver and Felipe’s interpersonal relationship beautifully, it also built upon the characters individually from the first book and gave us growth and more insight into relationships outside of their bubble, all while handling a complicated case that shows off more of the magical community and of prejudices both inside and outside that community.
There’s so much packed into The Reanimator’s Soul that I haven’t even glossed over in this review, that the book feels much longer than it is - in the best way possible. It’s loaded with questions and answers, pain and comfort, buried pasts and stoking futures, and frankly, it’s a whole lot of bang for your buck. To me, it’s a book to sit down with and savor, consume with a mug of your favorite hot beverage and slip into this magical past where two men struggle to solve a crime much bigger than it seems while dealing with past lovers, present family drama, and their feelings for each other.
It’s a great, well-written book that honors what was created in the first novel builds upon it. I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a lush, urban fantasy murder mystery with a queer romance, especially if you’re looking for an autistic main character. This won’t disappoint.
The Reanimator’s Soul is the second book in Kara Jorgensen’s queer fantasy noir series The Reanimator Mysteries. It has been six months since necromancer Oliver accidentally reanimated Felipe whose own powers tied them together. Now, their new partnership (both personal and professional) is tested by a case of a dead necromancer linked to a healing institute that claims to cure magic that is also being investigated by Oliver’s ex.
As much as I liked The Reanimator’s Heart, I LOVED The Reanimator’s Soul. There is just something so raw and authentic about how Oliver and Felipe’s relationship is portrayed as they deal with their struggles in both professional and personal capacities. Tied together emotionally and physically, they must learn to compromise as Felipe’s need for closer ties to his family clashes with Oliver’s neurodivergence and social anxiety. As Oliver tries to be the best partner he can be, Felipe is realizing the realities of who he is now that he is *technically* undead. But with all that, the love between these two men is just always apparent.
While the previous book had obvious ties to a separate series that is just in the background, this one feels more like it is standing on its own now that the world has been established. The book is also a lot better written/edited with none of the errors and mistakes I noticed in the first one. The mystery aspect is more twisty and exciting, and the villain is not as obvious.
The Reanimator’s Soul improves on every aspect of The Reanimator’s Heart and I loved every page of it.
As much as I liked The Reanimator’s Heart, I LOVED The Reanimator’s Soul. There is just something so raw and authentic about how Oliver and Felipe’s relationship is portrayed as they deal with their struggles in both professional and personal capacities. Tied together emotionally and physically, they must learn to compromise as Felipe’s need for closer ties to his family clashes with Oliver’s neurodivergence and social anxiety. As Oliver tries to be the best partner he can be, Felipe is realizing the realities of who he is now that he is *technically* undead. But with all that, the love between these two men is just always apparent.
While the previous book had obvious ties to a separate series that is just in the background, this one feels more like it is standing on its own now that the world has been established. The book is also a lot better written/edited with none of the errors and mistakes I noticed in the first one. The mystery aspect is more twisty and exciting, and the villain is not as obvious.
The Reanimator’s Soul improves on every aspect of The Reanimator’s Heart and I loved every page of it.
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Child abuse, Sexual assault
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
THE REANIMATOR'S SOUL finds Oliver and Felipe adjusting to their new situation as lovers, work partners, and reanimation buddies. They can't be physically far apart due to Oliver's magical tether keeping Felipe alive, which means that in order for the much more social Felipe to have anything approaching the level of social involvement he would like to have, Oliver ends up leaving the lab much more often than is comfortable for him. In THE REANIMATOR'S HEART there was much more of a focus on difficulties that Oliver had when dealing with other people who expected him to be less autistic and more neurotypical. Not that they would’ve said those exact words, but that would’ve been the net effect of all their impossible requests to be someone other than himself. While Felipe had his own troubles, he was able to put them off for a while because he spent that whole book expecting to be permanently dead at the end of the week. In THE REANIAMTOR'S SOUL, Felipe has to get on with the business of living, which means he must deal with the relationships that he let languish for the sake of his work, thinking there would always be a "later". He’s beginning to understand, viscerally, that he can’t count on sticking around, no matter how much he would want to, which means he actually has to talk to his daughter, to his wife and her girlfriend, and have the hard conversations he’s been avoiding.
Ansley, Oliver's ex-boyfriend, is a well-written, insufferable person. He's instantly hateable for the way he treats Oliver, as well as his general approach to pretty much everything in the book. I appreciate that while his personality is odious, he makes sense as a person (though definitely not one I would want to spend any length of time around). He's the Federal lead on the case they become involved with, which makes for some tricky moments as he tries to exert whatever control he can over the situation. I like that there's room for someone who sucks without making them fully a villain.
THE REANIMATOR'S SOUL might make sense to someone who started here without reading the first book, since most crucial details are referenced in a way that can serve as either callback or explanation as necessary. As with most sequels, however, especially as this is the second book in the series, things will make much more sense to someone who has read THE REANIMATOR'S HEART. While most plot things are contained to this volume, a lot of character development is an extension of the growth Oliver and Felipe went through already, and Felipe's arc especially will be more resonant in context of how he was right after being reanimated. Felipe and Oliver are still the narrators, switching between them but not strictly alternating. For readers who had a long gap between reading each book, there's definitely enough detail to quickly catch them up without needing to re-read THE REANIMATOR'S HEART if they'd prefer to get straight into the new one. I like the story, I love the main characters, and I'm glad Felipe's daughter makes an appearance this time.
One thing I appreciate about the setting of this historical fantasy novel is that the characters deal with anti-magic prejudice and that they live their lives in a way that implies they’ve had to deal with homophobia. That might seem like a weird thing to say, what I mean is that in a queernorm world where the anti-magic prejudice is shaped like homophobia, but there isn’t any homophobia in the story, that would seem like any anti-magic sentiment is purely meant to be an allegory. Given that magic, however marginalized, is usually portrayed in fantasy books as something that can cause harm, it doesn’t work as a direct allegory for queerness, or at least any value as an allegory gets complicated very quickly in a way that is outside the scope of this review. But, a world where there’s consistent prejudice against the strange, whether that's queer relationships or magical abilities, that feels like cohesive world building because it's a consistent understanding of social pressure. Felipe is in a lavender marriage, a thing where (queer) people who aren’t attracted to each other get married to escape social scrutiny or prejudice, but are free to pursue relationships of attraction elsewhere. This is is classically between a gay man and a lesbian woman, but can happen for other mixes of queerness. This is one of the more obvious bits of world building which implies some background level of social pressure and homophobia. There are other moments where queer characters obliquely refer to homophobia and its impacts on the shape of their lives. It then makes sense to me that in such a setting where magic does exist there would be anti-magic attitudes as well as queerphobia. Thematically these come together in a institution practicing conversion therapy to “cure” people of their magic through a variety of odious practices that start at abuse and frequently escalate to torture, or even murder. Just like in real-world conversion therapy, where many of those involved are queer themselves, some of the staff in this facility have magic just like what they are trying to stamp out of other people.
Ansley, Oliver's ex-boyfriend, is a well-written, insufferable person. He's instantly hateable for the way he treats Oliver, as well as his general approach to pretty much everything in the book. I appreciate that while his personality is odious, he makes sense as a person (though definitely not one I would want to spend any length of time around). He's the Federal lead on the case they become involved with, which makes for some tricky moments as he tries to exert whatever control he can over the situation. I like that there's room for someone who sucks without making them fully a villain.
THE REANIMATOR'S SOUL might make sense to someone who started here without reading the first book, since most crucial details are referenced in a way that can serve as either callback or explanation as necessary. As with most sequels, however, especially as this is the second book in the series, things will make much more sense to someone who has read THE REANIMATOR'S HEART. While most plot things are contained to this volume, a lot of character development is an extension of the growth Oliver and Felipe went through already, and Felipe's arc especially will be more resonant in context of how he was right after being reanimated. Felipe and Oliver are still the narrators, switching between them but not strictly alternating. For readers who had a long gap between reading each book, there's definitely enough detail to quickly catch them up without needing to re-read THE REANIMATOR'S HEART if they'd prefer to get straight into the new one. I like the story, I love the main characters, and I'm glad Felipe's daughter makes an appearance this time.
One thing I appreciate about the setting of this historical fantasy novel is that the characters deal with anti-magic prejudice and that they live their lives in a way that implies they’ve had to deal with homophobia. That might seem like a weird thing to say, what I mean is that in a queernorm world where the anti-magic prejudice is shaped like homophobia, but there isn’t any homophobia in the story, that would seem like any anti-magic sentiment is purely meant to be an allegory. Given that magic, however marginalized, is usually portrayed in fantasy books as something that can cause harm, it doesn’t work as a direct allegory for queerness, or at least any value as an allegory gets complicated very quickly in a way that is outside the scope of this review. But, a world where there’s consistent prejudice against the strange, whether that's queer relationships or magical abilities, that feels like cohesive world building because it's a consistent understanding of social pressure. Felipe is in a lavender marriage, a thing where (queer) people who aren’t attracted to each other get married to escape social scrutiny or prejudice, but are free to pursue relationships of attraction elsewhere. This is is classically between a gay man and a lesbian woman, but can happen for other mixes of queerness. This is one of the more obvious bits of world building which implies some background level of social pressure and homophobia. There are other moments where queer characters obliquely refer to homophobia and its impacts on the shape of their lives. It then makes sense to me that in such a setting where magic does exist there would be anti-magic attitudes as well as queerphobia. Thematically these come together in a institution practicing conversion therapy to “cure” people of their magic through a variety of odious practices that start at abuse and frequently escalate to torture, or even murder. Just like in real-world conversion therapy, where many of those involved are queer themselves, some of the staff in this facility have magic just like what they are trying to stamp out of other people.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Ableism, Death, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder
Minor: Child abuse, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Pregnancy, Alcohol
Took me a little bit to get into the rhythm of things, but this was another fun installment! I wasn't that big a fan of the additional external conflict of the entire Ansley situation, though. The mystery plot did manage to balance that out a bit and I veeeeery much enjoyed Oliver and Felipe's character journeys here. I do think I'm satisfying with this series, however, and am not sure I'll continue reading it.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No