There are many important characters in The Witching Hour. The demon Lasher, a pivotal character, apparently existed even before his appearance to the witch Suzanne in the seventeenth century. When he attached himself to the Mayfair family, he saw to it that they prospered and their enemies suffered. It is difficult to reckon the nature of Lasher who has so many conflicting qualities. On the one hand, he champions the cause of the Mayfairs, but on the other his very existence compromises their lives, leading them often to excess and madness. What he is truly about is an unanswered question. He certainly has as a prime goal to find a living human body that he can take over as his own, and ultimately he does. The consequences of this accomplishment are presented in the sequel Lasher (1993).

Rowan Mayfair and Michael Curry are the two main human characters.

With...