Description
An unforgettable, high-stakes, laugh-out-loud funny novel, The Witchstone blends the merciless humor of The Good Place with the spellbinding fantasy of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods.
Meet Laszlo, eight-hundred-year-old demon and Hell’s least productive Curse Keeper. From his office beneath Midtown, he oversees the Drakeford Curse, which involves a pathetic family upstate and a mysterious black stone. It’s a sexy enough assignment—colonial origins, mutating victims, et cetera—but Laszlo has no interest in maximizing the curse’s potential; he’d rather sunbathe in Ibiza, quaff martinis, and hustle the hustlers on Manhattan’s subway. Unfortunately, his division has new management, and Laszlo’s ratings are so abysmal that he’s given six days to shape up or he’ll be melted down and returned to the Primordial Ooze.
Meet Maggie Drakeford, nineteen-year-old Curse Bearer. All she’s ever known is the dreary corner of the Catskills where the Drakeford Curse has devoured her father’s humanity and is rapidly laying claim to her own. The future looks hopeless, until Laszlo appears at the Drakeford farmhouse one October night and informs them that they have six days—and six days only—to break the spell before it becomes permanent. Can Maggie trust the glib and handsome Laszlo? Of course not. But she also can’t pass up an opportunity to save her family, even if it means having a demon as a guide …
Thus begins a breakneck international adventure that takes our unlikely duo from a hot dog stand in Central Park to the mountains of Liechtenstein, a five-star hotel in Zurich, and even the time-traveling vault of a demonic crime boss. As the clock ticks down, tough-as-nails Maggie and conniving Laszlo will uncover a secret so profound that what began as a farcical quest to break a curse will eventually threaten the very Lords of Hell.
My Thoughts
Years ago, my son and I devoured Henry Neff’s Hound of Rowan series, all of which are fine examples of fantasy writing for kids and fantasy-loving adults. I was intrigued when I saw The Witchstone, Neff’s debut novel specifically for adults.
I was not disappointed.
At all.
Neff’s storytelling ability shines here as he develops characters that leap off the page and who are caught up in one of the most unusual stories I’ve read in a while. There are certainly some traditional storytelling conventions here – such as the quest at the heart of the story taken up by three “heroes” – but this is a kickass quest tale bookended by a terrible curse and an epic battle (which cemented my thought that this would make an awesome movie!)
The level of imagination on display in this story combined with the skillful writing secures Neff’s spot as one of the best fantasy writers of his generation. I was reminded a bit of Alex Grecian’s Red Rabbit and definitely had some Christopher Moore vibes from Laszlo. Even so, Neff has produced an unusual and captivating story that will appeal to teens and adults.
Highly recommended.
Publication Date: June 18, 2024
Published By: Blackstone Publishing
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy
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