In Death's Company - (Scythes and Souls) by Natalie Johanson (Paperback)

About the Book

When Death's reapers vanish, whispers of stolen souls turn into murder. Witch-turned-Medical Investigator May Haines and her detective partner hunt a killer whose secrets could topple Death herself and shatter the line between worlds.

Book Synopsis

Death comes for all, but no god can save you if you've taken Her souls.

When whispers of missing souls reach Death's ears, she dismisses them as the usual chaos of the afterlife. After all, sometimes souls settle in to haunt or wander. But, when her Grim Reapers - the forbidden offspring of angels and demons - also begin vanishing without a trace, she fears the worst: that someone is coming for her throne.

May Haines struggles as a Green Witch and considers herself the dud of the family. She can't keep a houseplant alive to save herself and is only halfway decent at simple spells. But fire... she can manage fire - which is certainly not a Green Witch skill.

Several suspicious deaths and unexplained murders happen in the small Arizona city of Oasis Point. May, an investigator with the Medical Examiner's Office, begins to suspect a sinister connection to Death's missing souls. Teaming up with the charming Homicide Detective Ethan Harding and her newfound ally, Death herself, May embarks on a gripping journey to uncover the truth behind the murders.

May will face a challenge that not only changes how she understands her magic, but her understanding of life and death itself.

Death thought she knew the worst that could happen, but she was wrong.

They all were.

Review Quotes

"In Death's Company melds multiple mythologies together to create a unique and fascinating world. Told through dual perspectives from both May's and Death's points of view, the setting is divided equally between May's hometown in Arizona and the underworld.

The complexity of the magic in In Death's Company is fantastic. The world has layers of lore that feel like they have only been touched on in this first novel of an expected series. But even though it feels as though the worldbuilding could and will go far deeper, it is definitely deep enough from the first few pages.

In May's world, most people don't know that magic exists. She has been raised by Green Witches, though, and is well aware that the world is not as simple as it seems. Meeting Death is new to her. The entire world of the Reapers, Fates, and Death is beyond her experience. It's a lovely dynamic, having a main character who understands magic but is being introduced to an entirely different branch of it throughout the story.

[...]

In Death's Company is a phenomenal beginning to a promising new series. It teases some parts, leaving plenty of questions and surprises for future books. The mythology, the characters, the plot, the worldbuilding-this is a series you'll want to get into." - Independent Book Review

"In Death's Company: Scythes and Souls by Natalie Johanson is a brilliantly sharp, sarcastic, and utterly hilarious exploration of a world where Death is less a concept and more a grim, charming employer. The writing crackles with wit, making even the darkest moments feel oddly delightful. Johanson doesn't explain her world so much as fling you into it-Reapers, blood magic, Fates, and all-and dares you to keep up. It works spectacularly. May's encounters with ghosts, strange glows, and stolen souls unfold with impeccable timing, inviting just enough suspicion and curiosity to keep the pages flying. The way the supernatural blends with May's very human trauma-from her heart transplant to her defiance of being treated like she's breakable-is both acerbic and striking. Every sarcastic line, ghostly surprise, and unspoken rule contributes to a story that is, frankly, absolutely brilliant from start to finish. Very highly recommended." - Reader's Favorite