The Reanimator’s Soul by Kara Jorgensen

Timy reviews The Reanimator’s Soul, the second book in Kara Jorgensen‘s romantic fantasy mystery series, The Reanimator Mysteries.

Review(s) of previous book(s): The Reanimator’s Heart

I received an audiobook copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Possible fit for The Sound of Madness Reading Challenge 2024 prompts:

Joker prompt that goes with anything: Now We Are Free

An autistic necromancer, his undead lover, and the case that could destroy everything.

When a necromancer turns up dead, Oliver and Felipe think it will be the perfect, straightforward case for their new partnership. That is, until it leads them to a clinic promising a cure for magic, but they aren’t the only ones investigating the Institute for the Betterment of the Soul. Oliver’s ex, Ansley, is in town, and he’s certain the clinic isn’t the paragon of righteousness it claims to be.
Forced to help Ansley infiltrate the institute, Oliver fears he is out of his depth in his work and in love as old wounds and bad habits resurface. But Oliver isn’t the only one struggling. Pulled between his cases, Oliver, and his daughter returning home for the summer, Felipe is drowning. Just when he thinks he finally has everything under control, a new reminder of his untimely demise threatens to throw his life into a tailspin once more.
Between festering wounds and secrets, Oliver and Felipe’s lives stand upon a knife’s edge. To face the evil lurking behind the clinic’s genteel smiles, they must stand together or face the destruction of the place they call home.

Since I picked a Goo Goo Dolls song for book 1, I’m committed to continuing with this. So for The Reanimator’s Soul, I decided to pick one of my favorite songs, Sympathy.

It wasn’t that long ago that The Reanimator’s Heart caught me by total surprise. There never was any question that I’ll continue reading the series, and Kara Jorgensen kindly provided me with an audiobook. But as I (very smartly…) decided to listen during my Glasgow stay for WorldCon, I eventually decided to reread it, for which I used the audiobook and ebook copies to fasten the process. In all honesty, I wasn’t all that upset that I had to read it twice within a month. What upsets me is that I need to wait for book 3.

Now, before we get to the review, I need to warn you all that this review might contain spoilers for book 1, so proceed with caution.

A couple of months passed since the ending in The Reanimator’s Heart, and Felipe and Oliver are still adjusting to their new circumstances. They are not only work and life partners, but they also have the bond of a reanimator and a reanimated, which can complicate things quite a bit. Especially when they are trying to keep things from each other. While Felipe needs to come to terms with his new deceased existence, Oliver is trying his best to be the partner he thinks Felipe wants. Teresa’s demands, a new murder investigation, and the appearance of Oliver’s old lover certainly don’t help matters.

Similarly to the previous book, The Reanimator’s Soul focuses mainly on Felipe and Oliver’s lives, and their relationships both with each other and the people around them. And while I still have more or less the same complaints – I wanted more of the investigation, for example – I can now see that there is a bigger story arc here spanning the series so I’m definitely interested to see where things will be going.

As for Oliver and Felipe, I still love how their relationship is building up. I still can identify with Oliver a lot (not that surprisingly) and I wish I had a Felipe in my life. But as much as Felipe cares for his needs and makes sure he feels secure and safe, Oliver does the same. This is a true partnership, and some of the moments between them are truly heartbreaking. Not just because of the emotions running high (and some of the heavy topics this book is covering such as non-consensual sex (off page), the fear of failing our loved ones, child-parent relationships, etc.), but also the way they can be vulnerable in front of each other. I love how complex these characters are and it’s kind of disgusting how invested I am in their relationship. Like, I’m not even above begging to get my hands on any book with these two in it.

It was good to see some new characters coming into the story, even if I didn’t like them much. Ansley certainly didn’t endear himself with his attitude, and Teresa was just a selfish little brat, but I still have hope for her. And I think Jorgensen has some big plans coming for her and we might see more of her. On the other hand, I was sorely missing Gwen! She didn’t get as much page time this time around, and that’s a travesty, if you ask me.

The Reanimator’s Soul, while it’s not perfect, it definitely deepens one’s addiction to Kara Jorgensen‘s series. I dare you to prove me wrong.