Liches Get Scritches

Read Time: 2 Minutes

If you like the Liches Get Stitches series, this one’s a cosy, enjoyable detour set in the same universe. The spotlight shifts off Maud and onto Jenkins the cat, who clearly had a lot more going on than we ever realised. Jenkins absolutely carries it.

Set long before the events that led to Maud becoming a lich, it starts with Jenkins’ first life as a newborn kitten, his discovery of magic, and a glimpse into what the animals and magical creatures of the forest were up to while the bigger plot was unfolding elsewhere.

It starts a bit slow. Jenkins learning cultivation isn’t the most gripping opening, and I’ll admit I was tempted to skip ahead once or twice… but I didn’t. Stick with it, because once the rhythm lands, it becomes a charming, often funny, and quietly thoughtful listen. Jenkins’ evolution (of sorts) as he befriends the various spirits of the forest adds a gentle layer of depth.

Interestingly, the magic here differs from the main series. Where Liches Get Stitches leaned on borrowing power from the old gods, this one dives into cultivation territory with cores, opening meridians, and the kind of progression you’d expect from cultivation fantasy.

It gives the world more texture and feels like a deeper corner of the setting rather than a rehash of the same old mechanics.

Tim Campbell’s narration is a great match. He gives Jenkins just the right amount of regal entitlement and dry humour, and the rest of the cast come through clearly. It’s a self-contained, low-drama story, so the performance never has to do heavy lifting; it just needs to be warm and confident, and Campbell delivers that.

If you’re after big battles or series-changing revelations, there’s not a lot here. There are a few scuffles with the undead, but most of the story focuses on Jenkins’s growth and his journey in cultivation. If you want a slow-burn, slice-of-life chapter in a magical world told from a charmingly aloof cat’s perspective, you’ll enjoy it.

It expands the series lore in useful ways, fills in some of the gaps around Maud’s transformation, and gives the side characters and creatures their own time to shine.

Overall, Liches Get Scritches is whimsical, pleasantly odd, and surprisingly moving in its small moments. Jenkins proves that sometimes a cat with grooming standards can absolutely steal the show. Will I give it another listen? Probably. I still prefer the main series, but this was certainly worth the trip.

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