A really crazy and fun read.

I listened to the audiobook which was very well read by Ramiz Monsef. He had a great delivery, didn't put on radically different voices but the delineation between characters was clear. No melodrama which was excellent for me. My one tiny criticism is that Elizabeth Drakeford did sound a little like Bill Murray putting on a silly voice - but she's barely in it. I really enjoyed the reading.

Maggie Drakeford and her family are cursed. The curse goes back to the 16th century when her ancestor burned a witch. It condemns Maggie's family to a horrible death as they become responsible for the sins of others condemning their bodies to turn into sludgy messes - a fate that has already befallen her father and now is coming straight for Maggie.

Lazlo is a Grade 3 demon and he's also the son of Baalzebul, one of the most powerful lords of evil. Needless to say every family has to have a hopeless, lazy playboy content to wander through their long lives - that's pretty much Lazlo. However he's also the Keeper of Maggie's curse which means he's supposed to be striking constant despair into the family but instead he's gambling, fooling around with the ladies and generally messing with humans. Daddy has finally had enough. Lazlo is given 6 days to mend his ways or he's going to be melted down into the primeval ooze.

Of course Lazlo isn't going to admit to Maggie what his real plans are - he's going to tell her he wants her to break the curse, raising her hopes only to dash them to oblivion. His stock will sky rocket and he'll be promoted with any luck. Who cares what happens to the Drakefords after that.

Sadly for Lazlo he hasn't counted on Maggie being quite so skeptical or her little brother, George, being quite so resourceful or smart. What happens next is an absolutely bonkers race across Europe to find the answer to kill the curse. With Maggie's curse increasing in strength, Lazlo's inherent cowardice and a whole bunch of people determined to stop them all it's going to be a wild ride.

And it is. The action is pretty much non-stop. The characters are well developed throughout the book and are all (even Lazlo) very likeable. Having a demonic curse as the premise for the book gives you licence to write almost anything and some of the adventures are absolutely nuts. But it is amusing all the same and I enjoyed it almost to the end.

The bit that got the last star knocked off was the overly drawn out end of the book where there is an explanation of the entire curse despite the fact that it had come piecemeal throughout the book. I'm afraid it drove me a bit batty since time was a factor and I had to wade through a very long explanation (taking way more time than I thought the family had left) until we got to a breakneck speed ending.

Still, I would recommend it if you like slightly off the wall adventures with some great (but often immoral) characters.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing Audio for the advance review copy.

Absolutely loved this narrator! Very distinct characters and perfect pacing. They had excellent material to work with and everything was so vivid. I will definitely be buying the book and listen to the audio again. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the copy.

Perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman - fantasy in the “real world,” very similar dry humor writing style, and memorable cast of characters. The tagalong little brother is named Lump, of all things. A fun and entertaining listen. Thanks to NetGalley, Henry Neff, and Blackstone Publishing for an ARC of this audiobook!

I wanted to like this but after dragging reading the ebook, I thought maybe the audiobook would be a better fit. I did like the narrator but the story still just didn't work for me. I dnfed it at 10%

I really enjoyed this adventure to break a family's longtime curse. The human family works with the demon in charge of their curse to stop all of its horrendous aspects. Even though the audiobook was almost 18 hours, it didn't feel like it was that long at all. The story was well-paced and never dragged. The characters were very interesting and there was lots of humor throughout the book. It was like an epic fantasy with a quest (which I usually don't like), but being set in modern times made a huge difference to me.

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing Audiobooks and NetGalley for an ARC audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

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.