The Demon of Elderstay by I. Ribbon

Magical makeovers are a messy business. But how was junior arcane lecturer Gerome to know his attempt to improve a part of his anatomy would open a portal to the Shade Planes? Or, worse, unleash the all-powerful “Harbinger of the New Dark” – fondly or not nicknamed Al? Utterly broke and burdened with demon (literally), Gerome begrudgingly joins a shady nobleman’s quest to free the stronghold of Elderstay from a powerful curse. His dysfunctional crew – the insufferable siblings Bijan and Najib, the perpetually moody Polly, and the enigmatic green-skinned Sha-sha – have more problems than they can wave a wand at. Walking corpses and ritual blood circles aside, Gerome is running out of time. At any moment, Al might break free and end the world. As for the horrors that await them in Elderstay? Let's just say the "New Dark" is the least of their worries…

Adult • Fantasy/Dark • Fantasy/Comic Fantasy • Fantasy/Sword and Sorcery

Length: 55,000 words (about 157 pages)

Content Warning: While intended to be fun and humorous, this book contains references to: drug consumption, violence using fantasy magic, mass killings, the death of a child, suicidal thoughts, demons, demonic possession, allusions to homophobia, misogyny, the occasional swear word, a protagonist who is queer, ginger, and a gnome. I reiterate: ginger. Readers who may be sensitive to these elements, please take note.

Reviewed by catfacegargoyle on 2026-07-05T09:30:20Z:

Gerome was certainly full of personality and very entertaining to read, but the plot, setting and story let itself down by reading almost beat for beat, like someone's D&D campaign. The back half of the book has more personality than the front, but didn't fully land for me.

Reviewed by MidnightLibraryMouse on 2025-11-06T04:22:40Z:

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