An adult book from Henry Neff? As a children's librarian familiar with his middle grade Tapestry series, I was delighted to try it and wasn't disappointed. Does it live up to the mentioned comps by Neil Gaiman...well, it's complicated. I loved that he included an 11 year old boy in the adventure, in a nod to all of those 11-13 year old fantasy adventurers, and a 19 year old, in a nod to all of those YA fantasy heroines. The plotting was superb, except for one draggy bit in the middle, and I eagerly anticipated how he was going to wrap it all up and tie things up in a way that was satisfying to both Laszlo and the Drakefords.

The question that plagues me is: did it feel more like a middle grade or YA quest book, in spite of the blasphemy, gore, and sex bits? And I keep coming back to the fact that it kind of did. Honestly, though, having abandoned a fair share of overwritten adult fantasy in my day, it's not like I minded. I think this makes for an excellent new-adult title.

The audiobook was enjoyable, especially the various male voices: Laszlo, Clarence, and Androvore each had such distinctive tones. The Kennedy-esque Elizabeth Drakeford was a bit over the top for me, and I can't say I wouldn't have appreciated a dual narration that featured a separate narrator from Maggie's perspective. (Listened at 1.25 speed, as is my usual)

As a children's librarian, I have plenty of grown-ish kids who I'd recommend this to. Fun and not too high on brain-demands.

Laszlo's job as a curse-keeping demon is to oversee the Drakeford Curse, a centuries-old affliction involving a mysterious black monolith and a deteriorating family in upstate New York. However, Laszlo's lack of enthusiasm for his work and his preference for a hedonistic lifestyle have led to dismal performance ratings. Faced with new management in Hell, Laszlo has to improve his performance or be painfully turned into primordial ooze. Maggie Drakeford grows up in the shadow of the curse, which has ravaged her father's life and now threatens her own. Desperate to break free, she reluctantly teams up with the untrustworthy yet charming Laszlo when he arrives at her home, promising to break the curse. The two and Maggie's hero and know-it-all brother have six days to break the curse before it becomes permanent.

The book kicks off with Laszlo, who is the devilish rogue of a character that I am always a sucker for in any story. He is described as looking like Paul Newman. The unlikely partnership between the demon and these two kids creates a comedic adventure. The group travels from place to place to collect items they will need to break the curse. It is a race against the clock with meaningful moments, some body horror, and a host of run-ins with various characters. What starts as a seemingly ridiculous mission transforms into a profound battle that could threaten the world.

Laszlo and Maggie undergo significant personal growth throughout the story and must learn to trust and rely on each other. The writing is sharp, wit, and a fast-paced narrative. The reader is engaged and entertained throughout their journey with great dialogue and dynamic interactions. The blend of fantastical elements with modern-day settings adds a unique twist to the story.

I received the audio version of this book, and the narration of Ramiz Monsef is fantastic. His voices of the characters bring them to life and connect you in a way that might be missed, not with his narration. I can not give this book enough praise.

Thank you, Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing, for the audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have been a fan of the author for nearly 20 years now. I enjoy the adventure, banter, and absence of "fluff". This one fit the mold. Decent characters and a fast-paced plot. Never a dull moment.
The only issue I have is with the target audience. Who is it? The book reads like a kids' book... maybe ages 9 - 13 or so... but there's foul language and sex. Do teens enjoy children's books with adult content these days? Am I that far out of the loop now?

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

The Witchstone is a delightful, laugh-out-loud funny read that hooked me from the first line.

Gosh, this one was fantastic—relaxing and fun with an engaging plot. The characters were excellent, and I loved the character and relationship development. The writing was simple and lovely. It was fast-paced, complex, and a joy to read. The Witchstone is one of my favorite reads of the year!

The narrator for this one was perfect! He captured the voices, the characters, and the story wonderfully. I had such a good time listening to his performance.

Thank you to the publisher for the free ALC!

In one aspect "The Witchstone" is a novel that manages something I'm not sure I've encountered in a book before. Filled with a cheeky sensibility that is distinctly adult in its humor, it also folds in the best elements I've found in middle grade and young adult fantasy without compromising its vision or feeling like it is trying to cater to all audiences. This expansive appeal is a rare quality that I only seen in authors that might be compared to Pratchett and Douglas. Not quite absurdist, but the ability to balance humor and the tension and gravity of a dramatic sequence.

WIth a character who was eleven, one who was nineteen, and one who, well, time gets all fuzzy with him, a full range of perspectives and reactions is playfully explored. It's not often you see siblings with significant age gaps where one is not a supplemental parent to the other harbor such affection and respect. Nor do you see how varied family dynamics can be. It's rare to see someone both evolve and retain their personality instead of having an entire change of purpose and character. At least not when you're on a globe trotting quest to break an ancient curse and trying not to be sent back into the primordial ooze of the demon realm.

Add in to this an absolutely bizarre, charming, and resplendent side characters with a dash of foes who range but are not limited to being creepy and corny, and you have an absolutely delightful cast.
Mixed into the chuckles are also some serious questions about morality and parts of coming into yourself. They may feel a little washed out, but certainly not out of place. They are a credit to the overall story all the same.

some of the larger beats of this story, even a bit twist, isn't necessarily unpredictable. but this really is a case of where the journey makes it entirely worth while. Plus, the elements you assume you can pan out aren't maybe as obvious as they seem.

The very cherry on the top is that the author is absolutely a huge fan of all things that appeal to people this book are probably for in the pop culture realm. I, for one, was absolutely delighted with a spirited debate among two characters over elements in Tolkien's world. A running gag about Paul Newman managed to actually not get old. It was even endearing.

In the end, this was an entirely entertaining ride with superb narration if you're seeing the audiobook version. The only thing keeping this from a full five stars was that here were some more emotional and serious moments that didn't quite land for me. But given how hard a book like this must be to pace, that's truly not a fault.

This was a fun romp. If you're looking for a fun, supernatural trip around the world, then this one is a great choice for you. There were times that I felt it could have used a little editing, as it dragged in places. Overall, though, it was a great story with a fun plot and some hilarious characters!

Thank you Blackstone Publishing - Audiobooks and NetGalley for the advanced electronic audio review copy of this book. I was not sure what to expect from this book and I still have mixed feelings. The characters and writing are ok with shots of being interesting here and there. The adventure is what kept me going through till the end and made the story interesting enough for me. Overall, a good story for a specific kind of reader.