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by Henry H. Neff
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.
"Incandescently funny…A glorious romp that's clever enough to keep readers infernally entertained." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"So much more than urban fantasy…A sometimes horrifying, often hilarious adventure…A good fit for readers who enjoy a healthy dose of humor with their fantasy and don't mind a bit of body horror." —Booklist
"A raucous fantasy novel that centers otherworldly intrigue and the meaningful bonds formed between unlikely allies." —Foreword Reviews
"I was bewitched by Laszlo, the most endearingly selfish demon you'll ever meet, and his globe-trotting adventure to unravel a complex curse. Packed with wit, adventure, and heart, The Witchstone is a tale of magic and redemption you don't want to miss. Wicked good fun!" —Veronica Rossi, New York Times bestselling author of Under the Never Sky
"There's something about a demon, right? Especially a less than successful one like Laszlo, who—while gleefully wicked, vain, and arrogant—harbors a nascent conscience (something he would no doubt deny). Think of Crowley in Gaiman and Pratchett's Good Omens. Better buckle in, it's going to be a thrilling ride." —Cinda Williams Chima, New York Times bestselling author of the Heir Chronicles
This information about The Witchstone was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Henry H. Neff, a former history teacher, has written and illustrated six acclaimed fantasy books for children, including the five-book Tapestry series and Impyrium. The Witchstone is his first novel for adults. When he's not writing, you'll find Henry at home in New Jersey with his wife, two sons, and a pair of rescue pups. For more information, please visit HenryHNeff.com.
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