God what a great setting for a story; as grave robbers continue to pilfer bodies from the designated graves for black bodies, the freed Salem Hawley takes it upon himself to prevent further injustice to his people. Unbeknownst to him, the intentions these night-stalkers, the Resurrectionists, are far from the betterment of medicine for all, but a darker, older, and unfathomable truth they wish to horde. The setting of this novella instantly had me hooked, weaving historical events with Lovecraftian rituals and beings. The characters test the limits of existence: from the points between life and death, our scope of existence and its peripherals, to how far a man can go being treated a something other than wholly human. There is so much potential within this series, as Hawley involves himself further within the unknowable world of the gods. Hicks’s writing is wonderfully gruesome, and he has assembled a intriguing cast. I liked the pace of the story, and it could even afford to spend longer on establishing the immediate setting the characters wander. I hope we get to linger longer on the human capacity for cruelty than the monsters. There are great parallels which can be drawn between what the Resurrectionists inflicted on their victims, and what slaver owners inflicted on their supposed property. Horror is etched in our history, so Hick’s has much to draw from. He has already shown a great capacity of bending history to his will, so I hope there’s more in store for us as we follow Hawley deeper into the unknown.