I really wanted to like this book- sapphic retelling of Rapunzel? Vampires? Witches? Sign me up! But the actual story left much to be desired.

Whoops read this last spring and forgot to review it.

With the gorgeous cover, I had super high hopes for this book. Unfortunately, it did not live up to my expectations; it wasn't bad but also wasn't great. Simply a mediocre read.

There was such promise for GREAT worldbuilding, but ultimately the setting felt unfleshed out and lackluster. The plot was choppy and I often struggled to suspend my disbelief in regards to the characters' actions, ESPECIALLY at the ending (which felt SO out of left field).

Younger teens and preteens looking for a quick, fun read might enjoy this.

The Witch and the Vampire is a YA novel marketed as a "queer Rapunzel retelling" featuring a witch and a vampire (hence the title). I'd honestly forgotten about this marketing in the months between getting this book and reading it, and well...I have to say the marketing is incredibly misleading: there's little in this book that reminded me of Rapunzel at all. Instead you have a YA story here featuring two female protagonists -Ava, a root witch turned vampire trying to escape to freedom and her former best friend Kaye, a flame witch whose mother was killed by a vampire and has trained her whole youth to hunt and kill them...both for the good of humanity and for revenge. The story features a chase between the two protagonists until naturally they have to work together to stay alive in a dangerous forest, where they each discover surprising truths about the world and a romantic connection between themselves.

The result is a novel that's pretty to be honest rote by numbers and most readers, even younger YA readers (for whom this book might be appropriate, as there's no sexual content and the romance is limited to kissing) will see a lot of the twists coming. I'm also not super sure the romance worked for me - the book tries to pull a bit of a former best friends to romantic couple plotline wit the main protags and I'm not sure I really believed in the shift the book was trying to sell. That said, the story does work and the protagonists are easy to root for and care about and the book isn't very long, so readers are likely to have a fine time and aren't likely to be disappointed if they pick this up.

More specifics after the jump:


Plot Summary:
Two years ago, Ava, a young root witch, and Kaye a young flame witch were best friends, united by their part-foreign heritage, their mothers part of the governing Clarity Council, and their being ostracized from almost everyone else their age (other than their friend Tristan, another flame witch). Then two years ago Ava's mother Eugenia revealed herself to secretly have become a vampire and used her fangs to turn Ava into a vampire herself.

Since then Ava has been locked in her mother's tower, where her mother has fed on her root magic power to keep the other witches from finding out that Eugenia is no longer a witch, but a vampire. Even worse, when Eugenia is away, Ava's stepfather Zenos experiments on her by torturing her. And none of Ava's friends know she is there, as they've been told Ava was sent away to a foreign land. Ava is desperate to escape, especially when she knows that Eugenia has some plot to harm the witches and humans, perhaps by even lowering the barrier that holds the other vampires at bay. Her hope is to take advantage one day of her mother's absence to escape to find the Vampire Queen Casiopea, in whom she hopes she can find salvation.

Unbeknownst to Ava however, Kaye's mother was killed by a vampire around the same time Ava was turned and Kaye - who has spotted a bloody Ava in her tower window - believes Ava was responsible. Kaye has been desperately training as a flame witch to kill as many vampires as possible...preferably starting with Ava. So when Ava enacts her plan and manages to escape into the forest, Kaye comes chasing after, believing this is the perfect time for Kaye to get her revenge. But when danger in the forest forces Kaye and Ava to temporarily work together, it soon becomes clear that what Kaye and Ava know about the world of witches and vampires is not quite accurate, and those discoveries may push them together closer than ever...if they don't get them killed first.

The Witch and the Vampire has a LOT of setup in the background, most of which never really comes into play (things involving the Emperor and his war against a foreign nation, Kaye's mom being a spy, etc). Instead we have a pretty classic YA story dealing with alternating point of view characters - Kaye and Ava - both of whom are adversaries at the start due to circumstances breaking them apart and who naturally get closer together as the story goes on until a romance embarks between them. This is hardly a new story for the genre - whether in YA or LGBTQ or romance or SF/F or Vampire-esque fiction - and that's the case for a lot of this story - for example a twist involving one major authority figure in the story is so so classic that any reader will just be expecting it from the chapter that character is finally introduced. But while the Witch and the Vampire is kind of a "seen this before" story, it generally does a lot of things well.

Really that's the case of three major characters - our protagonists and third character Tristan. Ava for example is a character who is really easy to root for as she struggles with her need for freedom and her biological craving for blood, and what that craving might say about her. And then there's the fact that her enemy is her mother, whom she wants to love, and the fact that her vampirism makes her clearly persona non grata to the witches she grew up with, even her former best friend in Kaye. Kaye meanwhile is the girl with a half-foreign background who is ostracized for her mom's peaceful ways (her mom wanted to try to make peace with the Vampires) and her mom's possible treason, and who now feels so alone after her mom's death, Ava's disappearance, and their friend Tristan growing seemingly cold to her. It's easy to understand why she struggles and why she tries to become a loner who can kill vampires, and her confusion when Ava challenges her assumptions. And then there's Tristan, who is honestly the biggest surprise in this entire book. You expect him to become the rival to Kaye, the one who winds up in a conflict with her over Ava or their parents or just being a better vampire killer, but Tristan behaves differently than you'd expect from the setup as compared to other novels, has justification from turning cold towards Kaye that is actually legitimate, and he works so much better and makes this book far more original because of it.

That said, I did find that the Ava/Kaye romance didn't quite land for me. The book sets them up as former best friends in a non romantic fashion, although they did have one possible moment of spark very briefly mentioned. It then tries to convert them from best friends to romantic partners (not lovers - we never get anywhere near sex in this book so it really can work for younger YA readers) but the shift in that attraction just feels abrupt and not really natural? There's a version of this book where there's no romantic connection between them at all and I think it doesn't take much change to make that version, which makes me wonder if that was the original intention...but any way, the version we get never does more than going through some pretty basic motions with its romance. It's not a bad romance and the two characters have chemistry, so the book works, just not as well as it might've if it really worked.

Basically, The Witch and the Vampire is a pretty basic YA Fantasy story with a romance included that largely hits the expected plot beats, with one surprise character plotline, and two main characters who are relatable and enjoyable, even if their romance didn't quite land. It's a book that YA readers will probably enjoy but will also probably forget not long after reading.

I think my biggest issues with this book was the lack of world building and description? I felt like I was being told everything without being shown and also felt like there really wasn’t much plot. Honestly I just found this book very boring for what was suppose to be a vampire version of Rapunzel. Ava has already broken out of her metaphorical cage at the very beginning and spent most of this book running with her friend turned enemy turned lover?

I don’t know, this book missed the mark for me and I only finished it thanks to the audiobook, which was narrator very well!

Overall, I don’t think I’d be recommending this one to anyone.

One of the first sapphic books I had the chance to read and it was thoroughly enjoyable! I love the idea of intermingling species within the paranormal world and that's exactly what Francesca Flores did with The Witch and the Vampire.

While I greatly appreciate being able a read an advanced copy of this book, it just wasn't for me. A Rapunzel retelling is something that interested me but I am afraid I wasn't able to connect to this book liked I hoped I would. While I enjoyed the slow burn romance between the characters, unfortunately that was about all I enjoyed.

i promise im not a hater but this super wasn’t for me. it was boring and convoluted and just not for me. i feel like i never got my bearings about the lore and setting. for most of the book, i could hardly distinguish between the tone of the two MCs since they were just different flavors of the same weird angst. none of the stakes felt real or threatening. somehow Kaye would figure out a magic skill she couldn’t do 24 hours ago and be perfect at it. oh, she must have practiced, you’re saying. nope. just *wanted it* badly enough that we cut away from her and when we cut back boom, she’s an expert. at the 30% point i had to double check that this was supposed to be a romance since both Ava and Kaye are so bland and one dimensional that no amount of telling us that they’ve been pining after each other is going to make me believe it. the actual plot beats weren’t horrendous and i like the theoretical characterization of both Kaye and Ava but since this was a tell and not show kinda book i felt let down. the cover is gorgeous and the setup was so promising so im really bummed i didn’t like it very much. a very generous 2.5ish⭐️ than im rounding down to a 2 since i just can’t bring myself to lump this in with my other 3 star reads 😬

The cover of this book is gorgeous, and I really liked the synopsis. However, after trying to read this book a few times, I found the writing style did not work for me. I could not connect with the prose and had to DNF.

I forgot to leave a review for this, but I really enjoyed it! It's been out for ages, so I won't say much more than I need to for my star rating. <3

Early DNF, the prose was incredibly stilted leaving little room for interesting character development or growth. It also made it incredibly difficult to comprehend what was actually occurring on the page.

I’m always sad to give a low rating to queer book, especially when it’s a fairytale retelling and should be exactly my kind of thing. But unfortunately there wasn’t much that I truly enjoyed about this book. I found it difficult to connect to the characters, the plot couldn’t hold my attention, I didn’t feel any sparks with the romance whatsoever, and just overall I found it to be a very forgettable read. The atmosphere was fantastic, I could picture the forest so clearly from the descriptions, and the magic system was interesting. But other than that this one sadly missed the mark for me.

I really enjoyed this book! I was sold at the concept of a queer repunzel retelling. It was more Tangled than Repunzel and really the only similarities are that the fmc was being locked up and used for her magic by her mom. So if your only interest is the Repunzel aspect, you can skip.
Both characters really struggled with their identity and beliefs. Ava struggles with what it means to be a vampire and trusting other vampires. Kaye is a vampire hunter that doesn’t know if she can trust Ava, her once best friend turned vampire. I enjoyed following them on their adventure and seeing how they dealt with their personal conflicts and the dangers they came across.
The world building could have gone more in depth and the mom could have been more complex. She kind of just seemed like a one note villain, which works in a Disney movie but less so in a novel.
Thanks net galley and Wednesday books for the earc! Sorry it’s so delayed 🥲

Sapphic fantasy and that cover? Color me intrigued! I found this really difficult to get into though and felt like I was too old for the writing. Definitely a case where I'm the wrong audience.

I wanted to like this book so badly because the general concept is so perfectly up my alley but unfortunately, the writing is just average, and the story itself felt badly executed. The character themselves felt flat and their motivations were murky at best.

I just did not enjoy this one as much as I expected! I love a fairytale retelling but this one was just not for me unfortunately!

I was drawn in by the promise of a sapphic Rapunzel retelling for a young adult audience, and The Witch and the Vampire did not disappoint. While I do think the pacing slows down a bit in the middle, I ended up really enjoying this book and I'm looking forward to whatever Flores writes next.

Read if you like:
* Vampires
* Witches
* Queer retellings
* Enemies to lovers

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for granting me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Wednesday books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own!

So it took me way to long to read this book. I enjoyed this one for the most part. There were a few personal preferences that just did not fit for me. I feel like most people will enjoy this one if they enjoy fantasy with a mix of vampires and witches. I really liked how the relationships progressed. I have a feeling there is could be a sequel coming at some point.

This story follows Ava and Kaye who used to be best friends. Until someone changed Ava into a vampire. Kaye has sworn to defend their home against vampires. As her mother was killed by them. However, Ava is not your typical vampire she has been locked away by her mother. Who is a vampire pretending to just be a witch in their local community. Her mom knows that if Ava is found out she will have to turn her in or sacrifice her. Eugenia (her mom) is trying to destroy their town. While Ava just wants to be free.

As Kaye and Ava find themselves needing to free and prove themselves. There are many dangerous ahead with monstrous trees that devour humans whole, vampires who attack from above, and Ava’s stepfather tracking her, the woods are full of danger. As they travel deeper into the forest, Kaye questions everything she thought she knew. The two are each other's greatest threat—and also their only hope, if they want to make it through the forest unscathed. They must learn to trust each other and find a way to work together.

Content: Kisses, step-father abuse, swearing

Read if you enjoy:
Vampires
Witches
Fantasy
Rapunzel Retelling
LGBTQ+ Rep.

This book was advertised as a queer retelling of Rapunzel which I was very excited to read. And while there are definitely elements of the book that reminded me of Rapunzel, the plot definitely took on a life of its own shortly after Ava escapes from her home. The plot was intriguing but didn’t hold the same interest for me that the initial premise did. I found a handful of plot holes that I struggled to overcome enough to feel completely invested in the story.

Ava and Kaye are the main characters of the book and the subjects of the enemies-to-lovers storyline. The book does alternate perspectives between the two and I found myself more drawn to Kaye’s perspective and motive than Ava. While Ava had her own pluses, her personality fell a bit flat for me. I had hoped for some more chemistry between the characters and while their relationship followed the usual formula for a love story of this kind, it ultimately wasn’t convincing.

I really enjoyed the world of this book and the magical elements. The author clearly put a lot of thought and love into the world-building elements of the story. The witches' magic wasn’t entirely unique but performed a unique role in the plot that I haven’t seen in YA Fantasy before. Likewise, the author offered some new twists on vampirism which were reflected in the world-building.

The Witch and The Vampire is the latest book by veteran writer Francesca Flores. The author clearly has a talent for world-building, as the setting and magical elements of the book were unique and compelling. Unfortunately, by turning the plot into a retelling of Rapunzel with an enemies-to-lovers subplot, the world didn’t get to shine as much as I believe it could have with another story. If you’re looking for an exciting weekend read and you’re a big fan of queer fairytale retellings, this book is worth the read!

This book sounded like it was going to be good but unfortunately, it just wasn't for me. I struggled with it.

I know some would love this one but it's just wasn't one that kept me reading. I did like the author's writing style though.

DNFed at 69%

First I want to say I loved the cover. I was hoping to love the story just as much as I loved the cover but I really struggled. I DNF very rarely but with this one, it just wasn’t for ME.
I felt the romance lacked a connection and the world was a bit confusing for me. I just really struggled to keep my attention on what was going on and just picking up the book was also a bit difficult.