Aberterrene · Book 3
Raising Spirits
"Found family comes in all shapes and sizes, including spirits, a pair of ravens, and an enchanted library."
"Found family comes in all shapes and sizes, including spirits, a pair of ravens, and an enchanted library."
Hazel just wanted to throw the perfect harvest festival. Instead, she's trapped in the land of the dead.
The one witch who holds the key to the event has disappeared. To find him, Hazel pierces the veil into the land of spirits and nightmare-folk. But the opening snaps shut, leaving her trapped on the wrong side.
Her only companions? A snarky raven and an opinionated skeleton cat who will remind you, repeatedly, that she is not a cat.
Hazel has no choice but to search for the witch in the dream-like landscape. She encounters a colorful cast of dreadful characters, an adventuring party that won’t give up, and even rides a long-dead golden dragon.
All while her new friend, the witch’s daughter, is scrambling to learn enough magic to reopen the doorway between worlds.
Raising Spirits explores the spookier side of Aberterrene, keeping things cozy, with sweet treats, a quirky found family, and a slow-burn sapphic romance. It’s sure to be your next favorite cozy fantasy.
A low-stakes, spooky-but-safe standalone—spooky enough to be fun, safe enough to read at night.
I hesitate to put content warnings on a cozy fantasy novel because something cozy shouldn't have content warnings or trigger warnings. However, I also know that everyone has different life experiences, and what may be perfectly cozy for some may send others into a dark place by surfacing bad memories.
As such, I included this statement at the beginning of the Raising Spirits novel. I errored on the side of caution and listed things I believe may impact people, even if they only have a minor appearance in the book. I personally believe most should not be negatively impacted, but you, the reader, know your life better than I do.
Raising Spirits is a spooky cozy fantasy designed to be a fun, light-hearted read. However, life experiences vary, and to that end, I’ve highlighted some topics and themes in this book. Most are minor points, but can be triggering to some. In these pages you’ll find strained family relations (father-daughter and mother-daughter), characters dealing with anxiety, agorophobia, and loneliness, death and the afterlife, improper handling of human/sentient being remains, spirit summons, racism, slight ageism, derealization, trouble reality grounding, forced hallucinations, moderate body horror, entomophobia (fear of insects), light torture, light gore mentions, bug hordes, classism, grief/mourning, misogyny, and more spiders.
Click any character to learn more about them.
Hazel
Raising Spirits
Maggie
Raising Spirits
Ms Rosebloom
Raising Spirits
Yosrick
Raising Spirits
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Audio
Narrated by Alexis Vandom. Her performance brings warmth, wit, and genuine heart to every character.
Raising Spirits is available to libraries through standard distribution channels. If your library doesn't carry it yet, most systems have a simple online purchase request form, just ask for the book by title and author. Libraries are one of the best ways to discover indie authors, and every request matters.
★★★★★
I loved the vibrant world that was created and the way it questions the bounds of reality. This sweet sapphic tale left me with all good vibes.
★★★★★
Alex put the cozy into creepy with this tale! The main characters & their dynamic is adorable. If you’re looking for a cozy, creepy, sapphic read this has it all; a festival, a mystery, magic, friends, enemies & many many many detailed sweet treats!
★★★★★
I absolutely loved this book! There were so many little details that made it feel unique and memorable, and I know so much of this story is going to stay with me.
★★★★★
There’s something really charming about Raising Spirits. The combination of magic, spirits, the Pallid Realm, and a cozy fall atmosphere made this a really enjoyable story to settle into.
Reviews from readers just like you provide an incredible amount of value to indie authors like myself. If you have enjoyed my books, please consider leaving a review on your favorite site. While there are many spots where you can leave a review, here is the entry on Goodreads for Raising Spirits.
Return to Ryefeld and its Harvest Festival in this stand-alone cozy fantasy about a curmudgeonly gnome artificer, three uninvited apprentices, and the magic of opening your heart. A perfect warm-up before things get pleasantly spooky.
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