Immortality A love story

In this sequel to Schwartz's Anatomy (2022), Hazel Sinnett has established herself as a surgeon treating mostly those who would have no medical care otherwise. After treating a woman who used herbs to abort her own pregnancy, she is arrested at a social function, and she has resigned herself to her fate until rescued by the prince regent and taken to London to treat the princess Charlotte. Her position caring for the princess is challenging enough, but while in London, she encounters many more unusual things, such as a society of people who have taken Dr. Beecham's Tincture and become immortal, and other surprises from her past. The engrossing narrative veers into alternate history in this follow-up, but Hazel is just as stubborn and determined as she was in the first book. Risky adventures and new characters (Dr. Ferris, another young physician; Princess Charlotte, determined to give up everything for freedom; and Madame Lavoisier, who would do anything to protect the tincture) combine with Hazel's compelling tale in a story that feels like an inevitable step toward book 3.

Gr 10 Up--In this sequel to Anatomy: A Love Story, Hazel Sinnett is alone. With no word from Jack Currer besides a cryptic note, she's beginning to believe that Dr. Beecham's tincture didn't work, and Jack is truly dead. All she can do is treat patients, both wealthy and poor, in Edinburgh. When saving a life leads to her arrest, Hazel prepares to be executed while rotting in prison. However, her life is spared when she receives a royal invitation to treat Charlotte, the beloved Princess of Wales. Hazel leaves behind kirkyards and body-stealing for a more dangerous and intriguing place, the Royal Court. Schwartz continues to seamlessly blend fiction with historical events, creating a richly detailed and engaging look at life in Regency London. While less macabre than Anatomy, the central mystery is intriguing and fun, with a delightful historical who's who in the form of a secret society. VERDICT An excellent follow up to the first book. Fans of Schwartz will not be disappointed. Recommend to readers of the first installment or fans of Gothic romance.--Kaetlyn Phillips

Historical fiction with a side of gothic. Having loved and lost grave-robbing Jack (who possibly survived being hanged thanks to serial killer Dr. Beecham's tonic but has vanished), Hazel finds solace as the "lady doctor," caring for Edinburgh's poor while mourning Jack. Hazel pours her energy into writing a book of medical knowledge designed for ordinary people, not just educated male physicians. After being imprisoned for aiding a woman who aborted an unwanted pregnancy, Hazel is whisked to London to care for Princess Charlotte (as explained in the author's note, Schwartz creates an alternate history here; the real Charlotte was married and had died in childbirth before her fictional counterpart appears). Once in London, the pacing picks up, but the plot largely maintains a slow burn until a flurry of late-game action. It's easy to root for Hazel's self-determination, but she is subsumed by her relationship with the Companions to the Death, a social club of great intellectuals who, as it happens, possess the same tincture and immortality as Beecham. A number of interesting concepts bubble to the surface in this duology closer but largely fizzle out before being fully developed--women's intellectual rights, the price of immortality, the role of scientific knowledge in society, class tensions, and more. Hazel is White; side characters add some diversity in race and sexual orientation. Accomplished prose deserving of a better plot. (Historical fantasy. 12-17) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.