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#DeadEndTours
#DeadEndTours: Oakton University
The doors of Oakton University were closed after things went wrong with an illicit experiment into sleep deprivation. Participants died. Unnatural forces were summoned. And the world came dangerously close to facing an inevitable Armageddon.
But that was a year ago and, tonight, Billy and Tina are leading tours around the abandoned university site, oblivious to the fact that their actions could release a timeless cosmic horror upon the world.
But that was a year ago and, tonight, Billy and Tina are leading tours around the abandoned university site, oblivious to the fact that their actions could release a timeless cosmic horror upon the world.
344 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 31, 2026
About the author
Ashley Lister
61 books48 followersThis author is also published under the pen name Ashley R. Lister.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 14, 2026
The Final Tour
Well, this one was more cosmic in its scope all the way to the end, but I guess it has to be since it's the final tour.
I'm going to miss these guys and enjoyed every tour!
All were fun reads with this one ending on a somber note, no spoilers.
If I had a hip flask I would of made a toast 😉
Well, this one was more cosmic in its scope all the way to the end, but I guess it has to be since it's the final tour.
I'm going to miss these guys and enjoyed every tour!
All were fun reads with this one ending on a somber note, no spoilers.
If I had a hip flask I would of made a toast 😉
February 11, 2026
#DeadEndTours: Oakton University
Series: Book 6 of #DeadEndTours
By: Ashley Lister
Publisher: Independently Published
Published Date: January 31, 2026
ASIN: B0GBKZ9V5L
Page Count: 344
Triggers: Cosmic horror, death, psychological distress, experimentation themes
Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Skull Dread Rating: 💀💀💀
What Did I Just Walk Into?
An abandoned university, a sleep deprivation experiment gone catastrophically wrong, and tour guides accidentally poking a cosmic horror that absolutely did not need poking.
Here’s What Slapped:
Mr. Lister never ceases to amaze me, and this final entry in the #DeadEndTours series feels like the perfect escalation of everything that came before it. The premise alone is fantastic. A closed university haunted by the consequences of a failed experiment is already unsettling, but adding unsuspecting tour guides into the mix makes the tension immediate and deliciously uncomfortable.
Billy and Tina work incredibly well as characters because they feel like normal people caught in something way beyond their understanding. That contrast between ordinary human curiosity and incomprehensible horror is where the story really shines. You want them to stop exploring. You know they will not stop exploring.
The cosmic horror elements are especially strong here. There is a creeping sense of inevitability throughout the story, like something ancient is waiting patiently for the right mistake. The atmosphere builds slowly but relentlessly, layering dread instead of relying on shock alone.
One of the best things about this series has always been the blend of humor and horror, and this installment continues that balance beautifully. The dialogue feels natural, the characters are likable, and the horror lands harder because you actually care what happens to them.
The abandoned university setting is perfect. Empty lecture halls, silent corridors, and forgotten research spaces create the kind of environment where anything feels possible and nothing feels safe.
As a series finale, this book delivers both story and scale. The stakes feel larger, the horror feels deeper, and the payoff is satisfying without losing the unsettling tone that defines the series.
What Could’ve Been Better:
The only real complaint is reaching the end of the #DeadEndTours series. Ending a good horror series always feels a little like closing a door you were not ready to shut.
Perfect for Readers Who Love:
Cosmic horror
Abandoned locations horror
Slow-building dread
Character-driven horror
Series finales that stick the landing
Sum-Up:
A creepy, cosmic, and satisfying finale that proves curiosity is still humanity’s most dangerous trait. A perfect ending to a wonderfully unsettling series.
Reviewed by Robin for Robin’s Review
Series: Book 6 of #DeadEndTours
By: Ashley Lister
Publisher: Independently Published
Published Date: January 31, 2026
ASIN: B0GBKZ9V5L
Page Count: 344
Triggers: Cosmic horror, death, psychological distress, experimentation themes
Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Skull Dread Rating: 💀💀💀
What Did I Just Walk Into?
An abandoned university, a sleep deprivation experiment gone catastrophically wrong, and tour guides accidentally poking a cosmic horror that absolutely did not need poking.
Here’s What Slapped:
Mr. Lister never ceases to amaze me, and this final entry in the #DeadEndTours series feels like the perfect escalation of everything that came before it. The premise alone is fantastic. A closed university haunted by the consequences of a failed experiment is already unsettling, but adding unsuspecting tour guides into the mix makes the tension immediate and deliciously uncomfortable.
Billy and Tina work incredibly well as characters because they feel like normal people caught in something way beyond their understanding. That contrast between ordinary human curiosity and incomprehensible horror is where the story really shines. You want them to stop exploring. You know they will not stop exploring.
The cosmic horror elements are especially strong here. There is a creeping sense of inevitability throughout the story, like something ancient is waiting patiently for the right mistake. The atmosphere builds slowly but relentlessly, layering dread instead of relying on shock alone.
One of the best things about this series has always been the blend of humor and horror, and this installment continues that balance beautifully. The dialogue feels natural, the characters are likable, and the horror lands harder because you actually care what happens to them.
The abandoned university setting is perfect. Empty lecture halls, silent corridors, and forgotten research spaces create the kind of environment where anything feels possible and nothing feels safe.
As a series finale, this book delivers both story and scale. The stakes feel larger, the horror feels deeper, and the payoff is satisfying without losing the unsettling tone that defines the series.
What Could’ve Been Better:
The only real complaint is reaching the end of the #DeadEndTours series. Ending a good horror series always feels a little like closing a door you were not ready to shut.
Perfect for Readers Who Love:
Cosmic horror
Abandoned locations horror
Slow-building dread
Character-driven horror
Series finales that stick the landing
Sum-Up:
A creepy, cosmic, and satisfying finale that proves curiosity is still humanity’s most dangerous trait. A perfect ending to a wonderfully unsettling series.
Reviewed by Robin for Robin’s Review
March 17, 2026
#DeadEndTours: Oakton University is the sixth book in Ashley Lister’s #DeadEndTours series, and it’s a doozy!
Oakton University has an intense, compelling, and horrifying backstory of a science experiment gone awry, occult intrigue, and a shocking cosmic horror twist. I love the backstory all on its own, but the way it flows into and feeds the main story is phenomenal. The main story ramps up quickly and explodes into full-on what-in-the-world-is-happening-here!? A forbidden door, foreboding videos, strange noises, and what’s that on the walls? It’s engrossing and relentless, with twists and humor and gruesomeness that will leave you breathless.
Some of my favorite witty tourists are surprisingly back alongside enigmatic new ones, so the dialogue is fun, dramatic, and more than a bit ominous in turns as the story progresses. There’s dark humor, laugh-out-loud humor, gripping suspense, grisly violence, twists and turns and a pervasive dread that clenches your guts and thoughts and comes to a head in poignant ways you don’t expect.
Ashley Lister’s masterful storytelling is on point, and #DeadEndTours: Oakton University is a fantastic 5-star read.
A Bibliophilia Templum review
https://bibliophiliatemplum.wordpress.com/2026/03/17/deadendtours-oakton-university/
Oakton University has an intense, compelling, and horrifying backstory of a science experiment gone awry, occult intrigue, and a shocking cosmic horror twist. I love the backstory all on its own, but the way it flows into and feeds the main story is phenomenal. The main story ramps up quickly and explodes into full-on what-in-the-world-is-happening-here!? A forbidden door, foreboding videos, strange noises, and what’s that on the walls? It’s engrossing and relentless, with twists and humor and gruesomeness that will leave you breathless.
Some of my favorite witty tourists are surprisingly back alongside enigmatic new ones, so the dialogue is fun, dramatic, and more than a bit ominous in turns as the story progresses. There’s dark humor, laugh-out-loud humor, gripping suspense, grisly violence, twists and turns and a pervasive dread that clenches your guts and thoughts and comes to a head in poignant ways you don’t expect.
Ashley Lister’s masterful storytelling is on point, and #DeadEndTours: Oakton University is a fantastic 5-star read.
A Bibliophilia Templum review
https://bibliophiliatemplum.wordpress.com/2026/03/17/deadendtours-oakton-university/
January 29, 2026
The crew is back! Billy, Tina, and Cal are at it again. This time the team is giving tours of Oakton University, which was closed when an experiment went wrong. So wrong the world almost ended.
Will this tour finish what started a year ago?
Wow. What a ride it has been. This is a series that has a special place in my heart. Since book one, Ashley has taken us on adventure after adventure with the crew of Deadendtours. Every one of the books is so well written and draws you in from the very start. Stellar.
This one is no exception. It checks all the boxes: funny, intense, and an absolute treat to read. Ashley Lister is an incredible talent. These titles, as well as his others, should be on your TBR, full stop.
Take the tour. You won't regret it. I hope you love # DeadEndTours as much as I do.
5 severed fingers out of 5
Will this tour finish what started a year ago?
Wow. What a ride it has been. This is a series that has a special place in my heart. Since book one, Ashley has taken us on adventure after adventure with the crew of Deadendtours. Every one of the books is so well written and draws you in from the very start. Stellar.
This one is no exception. It checks all the boxes: funny, intense, and an absolute treat to read. Ashley Lister is an incredible talent. These titles, as well as his others, should be on your TBR, full stop.
Take the tour. You won't regret it. I hope you love # DeadEndTours as much as I do.
5 severed fingers out of 5
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews