The last witch on Earth takes on interdimensional invaders, tentacled overlords, and local politics in this fun, funny, and fast-paced urban fantasy series.
The witch of Tophet County has three primary preoccupations: Kentucky bourbon, Amish romance novels . . . and protecting her true identity from the chthonic monsters who rule humanity with an iron tentacle.
Despite her best efforts to get fired, the witch is trapped in a draconian, century-long contract that condemns her to work for the Archons of the Nether Realms in the banal misery of county government. But when she accidentally pleases her many-armed overlords, the Dread Lord of Human Resources curses her with an unwanted promotion. And it involves meetings.
As she enters a new bureaucratic hellscape, the witch is assigned to lead a task force investigating recent attacks on senior Archons. Fortunately, her boss has offered her a deal: if she solves the case, they’ll knock fifteen years off her sentence. And if that doesn’t work out, well, she just might have to find a way to help take down the tentaclarchy—or else be doomed to permanent civil servitude . . .
The Witch of Tophet County was offered to me for an honest review. I like stories with magic. Check. Sarcasm. Check. Female leads. Check. (I do like stories with male leads as well.) And take-no-guff from anyone. Check. So I had to check this book out. See what I did there? And I didn’t even plan it. I’m just that cheesy. (Yes, Witch has taken me over and is writing this review.)
For fans of Jim Butcher when you hear about a witch who happens to do some detective type work and the like in an urban setting one might think of Butcher’s Harry Dresden, I think the sarcasm would be kind of comfortable, but the story is unique to J. H. Schiller. I think you will want to give it a read.
What I like about the story in The Witch of Tophet County is it’s about relationships. A lot of writers have a great idea for an adventure but they fail because they forget about the people in the story. WITCH, and yes, Witch is her name, has a difficult time with having relationships and friends. It’s a bit obvious right from the beginning. This book is the first in a new series and I think it does a great job of not only entertaining the reader but setting up Witch’s story and personality and those of her supporting cast. Some of her supporting cast are CHAD, her nerdy IT friendly torture victim, MAGNOLIA, the Archon but human loving assistant, and well her boss, the Archon Dread Lord of Human Resources. Could there be a better name for an HR head?
J. H. Schiller does a good job of getting the reader to visualize there being different types of beings in a scene. By ‘beings’ I mean humans, WITCH, and Archons. Archons are the ones who subjugated the humans years before the book’s story happens, and run the whole show now. The characters have normal conversations, mostly, but Schiller has somehow written the story in such a way you know if an Archon is speaking or a human is speaking. When WITCH is speaking… let’s just say there is no doubt. I’m a big fan of giving each character their own voice and Schiller does this so well.
One thing that might throw some readers is some of the language/wording used. Witch tends to use profanity. She was not raised by other witches or even a human family. So, I’m sure when she was first let out into the world as an adult she adapted as quickly as she was and with her personality, abrasive was her go to identity. The language fits her.
As every adventure and book about magic does, WITCH has a big choice to make. You think you know what’s going to happen, then what is happening. But when the one who WITCH prays to, or whatever, is named DISCORDIA, yes, as in chaos, never think you know what you know. And even when you finally do, you don’t.
If you thought that was confusing, try writing it and making sure it actually does make sense. CHAOS I TELL YOU! Oh, and then there’s the baby. I know. Now that’s madness that becomes chaos. (My chaos is 19 and in college and thinks he knows everything.)
If you want a fun read with more heart than a witch knew she had, character development and a story that does a great job of surprising you with details you forgot about, this is the one for you.
Now get your digits working and click Amazon below to get the book or the Dread Lord of IT will find you. Read it. Love it. Amazon.
THEN pre-order book 2 Playing with Fire: A Comedy of Horrors.
Bio:
J. H. Schiller writes speculative fiction with a flair for the weird and a healthy dose of the absurd. In an earlier incarnation, she earned a graduate degree in international affairs and worked for the federal government in Washington, DC. She has since escaped to Ohio, where she writes full-time. Her short fiction has been featured in several anthologies and published by The Arcanist and Flame Tree Press. Her debut novel, The Witch of Tophet County, was published in January 2024 (Podium). She is a member of the SFWA. Check out her latest news at J.H. Schiller (jhschiller.com).
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