I really really enjoyed this, it was a lot of fun to read. It’s a blend of humour and fantasy, fast paced with high stakes, I had a hard time putting it down. The world building was really good, blending fantasy elements within a contemporary setting. All of the characters were well developed and I was invested in almost all of them. I also think this would be a great audiobook. I think there could have been a bit more about the Drakeford family in the beginning but I think that’s just my personal preference. Overall a really interesting read with a unique plot. The Witchstone comes out on June 18

Thanks to NetGalley, Henry H Neff and Blackstone Publishing for this e-ARC

When I first saw this book, it reminded me of CS Lewis’s The Screwtape letters, in which a demon writes advice to his nephew, an apprentice in the demon trade. The only real resemblance here is that this is also a book featuring a demon as one of its main characters. Laszlo is a Grade 3, not a very demanding job, but he can’t be bothered to do anything to keep watch over the curse he’s supposed to be keeping. Not until upper management drops in at the office and threatens to turn Laszlo into primordial goo unless he shapes up by making his cursed family, the Drakefords, much more miserable. Off Laszlo goes to the hinterlands, planning to trick the family into thinking he’s there to help them break the curse that turns the Drakefords into monsters when they reach full maturity.

Maggie’s father is fully a monster now, and she, a teenager, hates the half-life her family must live. She’s all over the idea of breaking the curse, though she rightfully suspects Laszlo isn’t on the up and up. Off Maggie and Laszlo go on a grand adventure, with Maggie’s little brother, polymath George, a/k/a Lump, to gather up all the scavenger-hunt-type items needed to break the curse. Along the way, there will be much danger, many other demons and other dangers met, and Laszlo’s bad habits to be indulged.

For me, the first few chapters (a little shy of one-quarter) of the book are not a ton of fun, because they’re all about the miseries of the Drakeford curse and what a mess Laszlo is. But once the quest is underway, it’s a wild ride; thrilling, often funny, and even touching. It would make a good movie.

Thank you to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for this ARC of The Witchstone! There has not been a moment since I picked this book up that I have been able to think about anything else! Henry H. Neff writes some of the most compelling, lovable and eccentric characters I've seen in quite some time. This is a hilarious, touching and wild story that I have not and will not shut up about, probably ever. I'm practically begging for Neff to delve further into adult novels, because I am insatiably hungry for more! Grab your copy this upcoming Tuesday, June 18th!

DNF at 50%

Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into this book and I'm not sure why. It has a lot of elements that I should like (demons, curses, quest to save ones soul), but in the end, I just wasn't into it.

The writing is fine, the pacing is fine, the premise is fine, it just turns out, it wasn't for me

"The Witchstone" offers an exciting and unique blend of humor, fantasy, and high stakes, which makes for an engaging read. The fast pacing and witty banter contribute to its cinematic feel, drawing readers into a fantastical world filled with intriguing challenges.

While the premise and plot are captivating, rich character development can elevate a story to another level by creating more depth and complexity. Perhaps exploring the characters' backgrounds, motivations, and internal conflicts could add layers to their personalities, making them more relatable and memorable to readers.

"The Witchstone" has a lot of potential, and with some additional focus on character development, it could become an even more immersive and satisfying read.

I REALLY enjoyed The Witchstone! This book is smart, witty, funny, and fast paced. The story follows Laszlo, a demon, and Maggie, a girl from a cursed family in upstate New York as they try to break this familial curse.... with very different motivations. I found the characters to be amazingly vivid, and I absolutely adored Lump, the younger brother who made me laugh out loud more than once. The Witchstone is a great pick for a reader who's looking for magical realism and can appreciate a bit of snark!

I'm so grateful to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the ARC!

This was a hell of a read (pun intended). Fast paced, clever, funny, there were times I was on the edge of my seat. You go through an emotional rollercoaster of feelings for the characters because you're never sure what their fates hold. The twists in this story were unpredictable I could hardly put this book down. 10/10 no notes.

The Witchstone is, for the most part, a fun and enjoyable adventure in which two siblings team up with a demon to break a centuries-old family curse. The Drakefords, descendants of a judge who sentenced a witch to burn, are cursed to slowly turn into monsters once they near adulthood. Maggie has watched her father slowly devolve over the last few years from her dad into a horrifying monster in excruciating pain, and it’s starting to happen to her. Meanwhile, Laszlo is the demon in charge of the Drakeford curse as its Curse Keeper, and he’s been given one week to ramp up the Drakefords’ misery or else he will be destroyed. He crafts a foolproof plan: trick Maggie into thinking there is a way to break the curse, then pull the rug out from under the whole family. The ensuing journey to collect special and rare items needed to break the curse takes Maggie and her younger brother Lump on a whirlwind tour of Europe, chased by demons the whole way.
On the whole, this book was pretty enjoyable. I really enjoyed Maggie and Laszlo’s dynamic and struggle for power, and Lump was a hilarious genius child who added a lot to the story. However, one aspect bothered me a lot: a stipulation of the Drakeford curse is that members of the family must always have their own children in order for the curse to continue. Plot wise, I understand why this was done and makes sense; but its execution was pretty gross. Essentially the curse forces Drakefords to try and sleep with pretty much anyone nearby, and also compels those people to try, including via r*pe, to impregnate them. I think some more thought could have gone into this, because as it is, those sections are absolutely gross to read.

"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 monolith. 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. 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."

This has that Evil vibe. And Evil is one of my favorite shows ever.

So. Good. I was drawn in immediately and within the first chapter I was obsessed with Laszlo. The comments comparing this to something by Neil Gaiman are, in my opinion, perfectly justified. One of my recent faves.

Loved this title so much and can’t wait to recommend it to people. Funny and engaging with well developed characters and story. Absolute gem. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy.

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.

I loved this so much. I didn't know what to expect when I started it, but I smashed through it so fast because it was just so good.

I thought this sounded interesting but I had such a hard time getting into this story. I wasn't vibing with the characters and the story wasn't really going anywhere for me. I dnfed it at 10%

★ ★ ★ ★ • 4

The book was pretty entertaining, with the same type of sardonic humor and portrayal of demons as seen in other works like Good Omens. So if you enjoyed that? This book is a probably a safe bet.

The story itself is for the most part straightforward and not particularly dark despite having a demon as the main character. There wasn’t a lot of character development, but it didn’t affect the plot much that the characters were the same in the end of the story as they were in the beginning.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review!

I'm always looking for standalones these days and happened upon this one, an urban fantasy all about trying to break a curse. We have a demon main character who is tasked with increasing his mortal despair ratings in order to save his life pretty much. But in order to achieve this, he has to convince this family that the curse that turns them into monsters can be broken. This was really funny, not taking itself too seriously, quirky which are always fun to throw in between all the dark and epic fantasies so if you’re in the mood for something eccentric in June, this could be it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for an Advanced Reader’s Copy in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this story!

Neff has created an amazing world. I think this is the first book that has made me laugh out loud – not once, but multiple times. The reader follows Maggie Drakeford, a girl from upstate New York determined to break her family’s centuries old curse, and Laszlo Zebul, a Class Three demon with a lot of daddy issues and a sarcastic wit few other characters possess.

The world, ranging from urban New York to Hell to portals through centuries of European history, is very well fleshed out. The secondary characters, most notably Laszlo’s hysterical colleague Clarence the goblin shark, and Maggie’s younger, adventurous brother Lump, bring power and comedic relief to the story.

The humor was extremely effective from all characters. Laszlo’s morally grey persona really made me question my allegiances at times. Heartwarming and filled with impressive character arcs throughout.

I couldn’t put the book down. The middle did not suffer from ‘middle of the book syndrome’, and I was fully engaged in the quest. The ending was as much of a ‘boom!’ as I hoped it to be.

I hope Neff plans to continue writing in this world. Maggie, Laszlo, and co. have infinite possibilities in front of them.

4 stars...first off thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the eARC of this book. I really enjoyed this book. It had all the right criteria for me to like it: magic, curses, demons, a quest, some betrayal, secrets, familial love, friendship, other fantastical creatures. The characters were loveable and the plot was great. I would definitely recommend this when it come out on the 18th.

It's been a while since I've appreciated an urban fantasy but this was great. This is part magic quest and part heist movie, with a Germanic mythology flavour - and a particularly horrible curse. It's snarky and twisty and I just had a good time reading it; sometimes that's better than world-changing high literature and this hit the spot for me. The ending is possibly a little pat, but it's a heist movie! So it's actually perfect! Recommend if you're feeling worn out and want something fun.

Never in my life have I ever felt so attached to a demon. Never in my life have I ever laughed, cried, and felt physically ill over circumstances within the same story. But The Witchstone allowed me to experience all of that and more! This is a tangled menagerie of curses, coming-of-age character growth, monsters, adventure, and deception. The way Henry H. Neff summons the reader into this magical place is worthy of the highest praise. The cast of characters are among some of the best I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know in a long time. The adventures and chaotic moments meld together with the mystery and cleverness of Neff’s storytelling to keep you on your toes for the entire hellish ride! I will absolutely be recommending this as a must read for anyone interested in anything even remotely related to this tale! I can’t wait to see what else crawls out of Neff’s imagination!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book!

I loved every minute of this! The story and characters were immediately engaging, and getting to know Laszlo, Maggie, and Lump was just the most fun. It was a perfect balance of lighthearted and heartbreaking, and the twists and turns were so interesting and well done!

Highly recommend for fans of The Good Place and sassy, selfish demons!