🩸 Horror Fiction

The Resurrectionist: A Novella

✍️ Kathy L Brown
Reader Score
4.5
(1 review)
$11.99
In stock — ready to ship Ships in 1–2 business days
📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

A fae-touched veteran guards an execution in 1923 Missouri against magical forces.

Sean Joye arrives in St. Louis hoping to leave his violent past behind. He takes a position as a bodyguard for a judge, unaware this role leads him into a supernatural crisis at the state penitentiary. The presence of a jailhouse preacher with mountain magic disrupts the planned hanging. Sean finds himself trapped between rioting inmates and dangerous guards while a magical storm rages. His fae heritage becomes crucial as he tries to rescue both the judge and a wrongly accused man from the resurrectionist. The story examines how past conflicts follow individuals into new environments.

Key Themes
Irish Civil War veterans jailhouse preacher magic resurrectionist threats
Literary Context

The novella is set in 1923 during the aftermath of the Irish Civil War. It moves from Ireland to Missouri, USA, specifically St. Louis and its state penitentiary. The work blends historical military experience with supernatural folklore traditions involving fae-touched abilities and mountain magic.

Difficulty
●● Medium
Recommended For Fans Of
Horace Walpole · H.P. Lovecraft · Shirley Jackson
🩸
Horror Fiction
🏛 Otter Springs Publishing 📅 2019 🌐 English 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9781733089517

📝 Description: The Resurrectionist: A Novella

Kathy L Brown writes a supernatural novella set in 1923. The story follows Sean Joye, a veteran of the Irish Civil War who possesses fae-touched abilities. He seeks a quiet life in America after fleeing shoot-on-sight orders. His plan shifts when he accepts a job guarding a St. Louis judge. This duty requires traveling to Missouri's state penitentiary for an execution. The narrative centers on the prison environment where Sean encounters a jailhouse preacher. This figure attempts to escape using mountain magic. The situation devolves into chaos involving rioting convicts and aggressive guards. A preternatural cyclone adds to the danger. Sean must protect the judge and save an unjustly condemned prisoner from the resurrectionist. The plot relies on the tension between Sean's desire for normalcy and his forced involvement in supernatural conflict. This book suits readers interested in historical horror with magical elements. It appeals to those who enjoy stories about veterans dealing with past trauma through a fantastical lens. Readers seeking pure historical fiction without supernatural components may find it unsuitable. The novella format offers a concentrated experience of these themes. Brown draws on Irish Civil War history and American prison culture to build the setting.

💎 Our verdict on The Resurrectionist: A Novella

“
🩸
Horror Reads editorial team
Horror desk
Brown effectively constructs a tense atmosphere by merging historical realism with supernatural dread. The novella format allows for a concentrated exploration of Sean Joye’s internal struggles against external magical forces. The depiction of the prison environment serves as a crucible for both physical and metaphysical conflict. While the premise is intriguing, the execution relies heavily on the interplay between fae heritage and human violence. It suits readers who appreciate psychological horror and gothic traditions where the past refuses to stay buried. The pacing remains tight, ensuring that the magical storm and rioting inmates feel immediate and dangerous rather than abstract.
✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers interested in historical horror with magical elements will find this novella compelling. It appeals specifically to those who enjoy stories about veterans dealing with past trauma through a fantastical lens, examining how past conflicts follow individuals into new environments. The concentrated format offers an intense experience of these themes without unnecessary padding. Those seeking pure historical fiction without supernatural components may find it unsuitable, but fans of gothic and cosmic horror will appreciate the blend of Irish Civil War history and American prison culture. The narrative tension between the desire for normalcy and forced involvement in supernatural conflict provides a unique psychological depth suitable for mature audiences.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Horror Reads —

Reader rating

4.5
Based on 1 reviews
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Horror Reads editorial team

Brown effectively constructs a tense atmosphere by merging historical realism with supernatural dread. The novella format allows for a concentrated exploration of Sean Joye’s internal struggles against external magical forces. The depiction of the prison environment serves as a crucible for both physical and metaphysical conflict. While the premise is intriguing, the execution relies heavily on the interplay between fae heritage and human violence. It suits readers who appreciate psychological horror and gothic traditions where the past refuses to stay buried. The pacing remains tight, ensuring that the magical storm and rioting inmates feel immediate and dangerous rather than abstract.

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