Love, Death & Other Awkward Spells

A Necromantic Cozy Fantasy (Bathurst Academy of Post-Mortem Studies, Book 1)

By: Scott Killian, Ryan Tang

Narrated by: Gary Furlong, Rebecca Brokaw-Sands, Annie Ellicott

Eldritch Blackwood Jr. never quite fit the mold of a proper necromancer.

Instead of raising armies of the dead, he specializes in bringing beloved pets back to life. But when Eld’s prestigious family forces him to enroll at Bathurst Academy of Post-Mortem Studies, his unlife takes an unexpected turn. Between dodging his father’s ever-growing expectations and navigating the bizarre social landscape of underworld academia, Eld stumbles upon something far more terrifying than final exams—a buried girl in the academy’s graveyard.

But Lea isn’t just another restless spirit. She’s an eldritch entity whose missing memories hide apocalyptic secrets. Can Eld and his misfit crew of nightkin companions unravel the mysteries of Bathurst all while finding dates to Necropromicon?

A stitched-up amalgamation of cozy fantasy and comedic horror, Love, Death, and Other Awkward Spells is about how it’s never too late to find purpose—even if you’re buried six feet under.

©2025 Scott Killian, Ryan Tang (P)2025 Soundbooth Theater

fun and exciting story! loved the narriation!

4.5 stars! This was such a fun story! Not as cozy and low stakes as I anticipated, but still really enjoyable. Eld is a necromancer, but his specialty is reviving animals, specifically pets. He would rather be on the surface helping others, but his very demanding undead father has other academic plans for him. Elm and his various undead pets decend into the underworld to go to the academy. But nothing here is what he expected.

The author did a great job weaving this world together. It's such a vivid world full of a litany of amazing creatures. Between the professors and the other students, there is no shortage of odd and strange encounters, but each one is charming in it's own way. The humor and love for the animals made me appreciate it all the more. I look forward to what the next book brings!

Super fun read!

What a great way to start October! Think undead hogwarts but college with less of a “chosen one” narrative. Strong female characters who are more than just the object of desire for the male characters. And who could dislike a lead whose whole life is bringing back the pets of people who loved them so much.

Halloween Cozy Becomes Slow Burn Epic

So I was really excited to have something cute and fun for Halloween, and what I got was that and so much more. This book establishes the heart of its MC before he is thrusts into all sorts of Story! Well into the book, it gave amazing feels Buffy's Scoobies as the cast is fleshed out[pun intended].
This book takes us on a supernatural ride that I enjoyed more and more as the book continued. I found myself staying in my car because I wanted to get through the chapter before I had to come back to real life.
The writing hit in all the right ways, and in layers. There was the fun, easy going parts that was intermixed with incantations that really leveled the immersive experience for me.
Most excellent read, and I am looking forward to where the next book picks up.

super cute!

I really enjoyed this story! Tons of fun, with good guys, bad guys, bullies, and heroes! Loved it! Great narration, too!

Fun Book

This book will definitely get you in the Halloween spirit. It was a fun read and as always the amazing people at Soundbooth theater did a fantastic job on the character voices. I cannot wait for book2.