Hello, everyone! Today I’m participating in the blog tour for The Reanimator’s Heart by Kara Jorgensen, the 3rd place finalist in BBNYA 2023. I’ve had this book on my TBR for well over a year. So, this seemed like the perfect time to finally read it.
Book Info
Title: The Reanimator’s Heart
Author: Kara Jorgensen
Length: 300 pages
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Age Category: Adult
Date Published: October 25, 2022
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Book Blurb
A reluctant necromancer, a man killed before his time, and the crime that brings them together.
Felipe Galvan’s life as an investigator for the Paranormal Society has been spent running into danger. Returning home from his latest case, Felipe struggles with the sudden quiet of his life until a mysterious death puts him in the path of the enigmatic Oliver Barlow.
Oliver has two secrets. One, he has been in love with the charming Felipe Galvan for years. Two, he is a necromancer, but to keep the sensible life he’s built as a medical examiner, he must hide his powers. That is until Oliver finds Felipe murdered and accidentally brings him back from the dead.
But Felipe refuses to die again until he and Oliver catch his killer. Together, Felipe and Oliver embark on an investigation to uncover a plot centuries in the making. As they close in on his killer, one thing is certain: if they don’t stop them, Felipe won’t be the last to die.
My Review
The Reanimator’s Heart had such a great premise. I was so excited to read about a magical necromancer falling in love with the investigator he accidentally reanimated. I enjoyed that aspect of the book a lot. The relationship between Oliver and Felipe was adorable, and I appreciated how much they cared for each other, even the weird and messy parts that others in the past didn’t love. Their relationship was healing for them in a lot of ways and a joy to read.
Unfortunately, the murder mystery plot in The Reanimator’s Heart left a lot to be desired. The culprits were pretty obvious from the moment they were introduced. However, I never got a good sense of their motivations. The action and intensity of the climax was exciting, but the resolution felt a bit muddled because the story never provided any context on the intentions of the conspirators. It all just seemed a bit underdeveloped.
My favorite thing about The Reanimator’s Heart was the two main characters. Oliver was smart and kind with a strong moral compass, but he was living as a shadow of himself because of his anxiety and difficulty coping with change and overstimulation. He was autistic and had largely withdrawn himself from most people because they had difficulty relating to him. I enjoyed seeing him open up a bit more to new experiences with the help of his friends. I appreciated that he never lost the things that made him Oliver, though. He just found people that accepted him and helped him cope better with the things that stressed him out.
Felipe was also a great character. His untimely death made him reflect on the things he regretted about his life. He was a workaholic that never made enough time for his family. In general, he didn’t really have much of a life outside of his work. I enjoyed his journey of figuring out how precious his time truly was and what balance meant for him in his life.
The world-building in The Reanimator’s Heart was interesting, but I wanted more from it. The paranormal society and the different magical powers/relics were fascinating. I really wish there’d been more information on how those systems interacted with the outside world. Although, I did like the focus on the innate queerness of the magic in this world. Unfortunately, the historical atmosphere of the story didn’t work for me. There weren’t enough signposts to indicate the time period, and I spent a good deal of the story trying to figure out when the story took place. So, the world was a bit of a mixed bag, but it was intriguing enough for me to want to learn more about it.
Overall, The Reanimator’s Heart was a good time. The main characters were easy to love, and their relationship tugged on my heartstrings at many points in the story. The plot and world-building were somewhat underwhelming. However, there was enough to keep my interest and make me want to read the sequel. I was very invested in the characters and the family they created even though I also wanted a bit more meat to the murder mystery plot. With all this in mind, I rate The Reanimator’s Heart 3.5 out of 5 stars.
About the Author
Kara Jorgensen (she/they) is a queer, nonbinary oddball with a penchant for all things antiquated, morbid, or just plain strange. While in college, they realized they no longer wanted to be Victor Frankenstein but instead wanted to write like Mary Shelley and thus abandoned their future career in science for writing. Kara melds her passions through her books and graduated with an MFA in Creative and Professional Writing in 2016. When not writing, they can be found hanging out with their dogs watching period dramas or trying to convince their students to cite their sources.
About BBNYA
BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 finalists and one overall winner.
If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the @Foliosociety (if you love beautiful books, you NEED to check out their website!) and the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.
There you have it! My thoughts on The Reanimator’s Heart by Kara Jorgensen. Have you read it? Feel free to leave your impressions of the book down in the comments! Be sure to also check out my other BBNYA reviews: Haven, Mercury’s Shadow, & The Lore of Prometheus.