A queer Rapunzel retelling featuring a witch and a vampire should have been a surefire home! Unfortunately, it just wasn't for me. There wasn't anything that stood out as bad, it's more that *nothing* stood out. I read the book a week ago, immediately forgot everything that happened, and continued to forget about it until I suddenly remembered just now that I hadn't submitted a review yet.

I'm sure THE WITCH AND THE VAMPIRE will find its audience, but sadly that didn't include me.

I got this as a NetGalley and had a hard time getting into it. At the time, I did not finish it. I gave it another go with the audiobook and I enjoyed it! My true rating would probably be 3.5 if they could give half’s. The first half was honestly more strong than the second half for me. I felt like the last half was rushed. The magic in the world was awesome but I do wish it was explained a little more, or we were given more history. Overall, it was a really fun read!

I love the cover of this book - I think it’s very pretty. Unfortunately, I did not finish this read because the writing style was not something I enjoyed.

The Witch and the Vampire by Francesca Flores is a young adult, queer Rapunzel retelling set in a fantasy world where witches and vampires coexist. The novel follows Ava and Kaye, who used to be best friends until the fateful night when Kaye’s mother was murdered and Ava was turned into a vampire against her will. Struggling to overcome their own personal traumas, their relationship is tested when they must put aside their differences to confront a looming threat against their community. With its blend of romance, adventure, and suspense, this novel delves into a supernatural realm of magic made thorny by the prickly complexities of family loyalties.

While the premise is compelling, the pacing and worldbuilding is where this novel falls short. The story feels rushed and formulaic at times, with pivotal events unfolding too quickly, and plot twists being entirely too predictable. The combining of vampire and witch lore was initially intriguing, but I was constantly confused as to why only Ava was a vampire who retained her witch powers. Her mother keeps it a secret to use for her own benefit, but it’s never quite clear if Ava’s an anomaly, or if it’s common knowledge that she would have retained her powers due to how she was turned into a vampire.

I often found myself craving more details, especially when it came to why vampires and witches hate each other. I was looking for nuanced conversations or metaphors about the racial and species prejudices in this world, but all I got was a “fantasy” where those prejudices just get to exist without question. For instance, Kaye, who was told her mother was murdered by a vampire but has no other evidence to prove it, sees her best friend Ava in a tower with blood on her face a few days later and somehow decides Ava did it. She…allegedly murdered her best friend’s mother and just didn’t wash her face for days. And that’s all it takes to rewire Kaye’s entire personality. Uh…what? Make it make sense!

And speaking of Ava’s mother — the woman murders her own daughter and turns her into a vampire against her will, keeps her imprisoned, siphons off her power and emotionally manipulates her. All that sounds incredibly traumatizing, especially since Ava makes the brave decision to run away and rescue herself from this life; however, Flores’ treatment of this storyline is flippant. It’s simply a passing detail, and is yet another aspect of the novel that I really would have liked to see fleshed out. What was her mother’s motive? Were there no warning signs for the first sixteen years of Ava’s life?

On a positive note, I enjoyed Flores’ accessible writing, and particularly the beautiful prose as Ava and Kaye pine for one another. Whether it be for their lost friendship or their budding romance, it’s easy for readers to relate to the yearning and inner turmoil each girl experiences. Flores excels at illustrating this sapphic romance, and I especially enjoyed the parts in the first half of the book when the girls travel through the forest and skirt around each other after two years apart. However, I constantly had trouble telling Ava and Kaye apart! Maybe it’s just me, but I felt their personalities and voices often blended together, and the girls lacked the depth needed to truly resonate as fully developed characters.

The Witch and the Vampire is a one-dimensional, predictable sapphic romance, and the worldbuilding and pacing leaves much to be desired. I really wanted to love this book, but it was a letdown in almost every way. So much potential was left on the table, and the Rapunzel foundation of this retelling is almost an afterthought! (Honestly, it seems more like a Tangled retelling, though just barely.) A standalone novel simply doesn’t have the room Flores required to successfully weave the rich tapestry of the world she created. The potential for something truly immersive and captivating is there — but the execution simply is not.

This felt very young and a little surface level to me. It was a good story and I liked the twist on the fairytale classic. Just not for me

I received this ARC from Wednesday Books, Netgalley, and the author, Francesca Flores. Thank you to all for the opportunity and for the gifted e-arc. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

Described as a sapphic Rapunzel retelling, I was here for it. But what really sealed it for me was vampires who also have magic. It did not disappoint.

Ava is one of those characters that you want to pick up and carry over the finish line because she has already been through so much. But, she had to keep going even though she was hurt, disappointed, and knocked down at every turn. She needed to realize that she had it within herself to do what must be done, no matter how hard it was.

I liked the parallels the author drew between racism and discrimination of present day and the discrimination between witches, vampires, and humans. The lessons of the destruction that generational racism causes are timely and necessary.

I enjoyed how the relationship between Ava and Kaye grows. Kaye has to overcome the hatred she was raised with in order to see Ava as the friend she always knew, in spite of the changes that were forced on her.

The villains in this story could be the monsters we see in our everyday lives. Corrupted by greed, power, and a superiority complex that will destroy anything that gets in the way of their agendas.

This is a well-written story that takes us on a journey through battles between good and evil, love and hatred, doing the hard things, and becoming who you were always meant to be.

I recommend The Witch and the Vampire to fans of fantasy, witchy books, vampire stories, retellings, sapphic romance, unique magical systems, and stories of becoming.

I am no longer interested in this tittle. I have heard a lot of things about it, a lot of it negative. And I now have no desire to read it. I do appreciate the publisher sending me an ARC to review however. And I apologize for my lack of follow through.

First thing I want to be sure others know is that this book is a YA read! It’s written for grades 7-9 so keep that in mind!

Now I didn’t know anything about this book going in other than the fabulous cover. This little book contains a-lot to unfold for YA fantasy readers! There’s a little undertone of a retelling of Rapunzel and Avas mom is certainly next level Mother Gothel.

The author did a great job keeping the writing smooth and easy to follow transporting the reader into this world. It’s quick to connect to the emotions of the characters. Especially Ava a newly turned vampire you experience her panic of not being accepted or remembered. As well as her mother’s betrayal. There’s a need for coexistence and acceptance so she leaves her home in search of it. Soon after chaos breaks out among the town and Ava stumbles upon her friend to discover she no longer sees her as anything but a vampire. Both are forced to work together to travel the dangerous woods but will Ava be able persuade Kaye that she is more than just her fangs? Or will Kaye get close enough to put a silver dagger in her back!

This book has friendship, a forrest full of magic and darkness full of lies. They’re maybe a chance for young love but it is dependent on a witch seeing through the lies. The reader will enjoy unraveling the characters and finding out what they are truly up to. This book is not as it seems and I feel the truth behind how the vampires came to be is very heartwarming.

In short:
Did I like it? Yeah.
Would I recommend it? YES to YA readers around the age of 14-16.
Would I read more by this author? Yea.

While the story, dialogue, and character development are a little clunky, I was intrigued by the relationship between Ava and Kaye, as well as the magical system of this world, and the mystery of the forest.

The dialogue was often disjointed and felt very theatrical to me. The phrasing was often too formal in one place then too casual in another, often spoken by the same character. They didn’t have a distinct enough voice for my liking.

The plot kind of fell apart towards the end, events progressing in a disjointed manner. I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I had hoped I would. The descriptions and dialogue left much to be desired and the characters were not fleshed out enough for me to identify with either of them. I didn’t understand their motivations and couldn’t see the point of them sometimes.

Too much info dumping and not enough experience leading to understanding of the world. Too many unexplained or underdeveloped scenes. Kaye is driven by revenge, assuming her mother was killed by Ava? But there’s hardly any evidence to support that fact. And there’s very little understanding of vampires at all. Too little is explained from either end of things. I needed more lore about the vampires, and a better explanation of why Ava still has magic, and what kind of magics there are in this world. Kaye is a flame witch and I wanted more about that, what she can do with it and how it works. I don’t have a clear layout of the town or the surrounding forest, or how any of that works. I couldn’t focus because of the disjointed storytelling and it was a struggle to get through to the end of the book. And the ending! It felt very juvenile, below the young adult rating. Perhaps a middle grade book, except the characters are older teens. I can’t recommend this book, no matter how promising the premise is, or how pretty the cover.

I enjoyed this book much more than I usually do with YA, perhaps because the characters have such high stakes or because their growth is rapid but believable. The internal conflict Ava and Kaye deal with is so real and delicious. There's definitely a big turning point moment for each of them, but the build up is paced just right and the arc is so satisfying. Not to mention the twists!

I also really enjoyed the world building of this book and the way the author describes the forest, the people, and the different creeds, and then subverts them with these tiny nuggets of solid gold. The writing is very atmospheric without being bogged down with description and most of the characters feel real and three dimensional.

Overall, despite this not being the usual book I go for, I still really enjoyed it! It's good for people who love mixing of magics, high stakes, and analysis of self and friendship in trying times. The romance is mainly a subplot, but it's done well, and a good addition to the story.

This book healed my inner teen.

The best friends to enemies to lovers arc is perfection. The Rapunzel retelling was an exciting element of the story because of the fleshed-out world and vampire/human/witch dynamics. The Rapunzel element wasn't cheesy or took up too much narrative space.

As much as I was hoping this one was going to be amazing I have to say it fell far from what I was looking for. It felt like for a lot of the story the stakes and outcomes and just the story at large was never big enough to really fill the plot fully. I wished that this would have been done for higher ya vs. the low ya we got. I wanted to love it so much but sadly it just didn't work out. I say that if you think this one might be for you to try it from the library.

Beautiful cover and an adorable plot. I liked the friends to enemies to lovers trop and that how they got from enemies to lovers was by having to travels together when Ava escapes from her home she was trapped in by her mother. The romance was cute but I honestly thing more of the focus was on the friendship and rebuilding the trust and love Kay and Ava used to have for each other that was lost for a while. I think I would've liked to see a bit more depth overall in the story, it felt like everything was kind of stuck at surface level and was a bit lacking. I do think the second half of the book was a bit more interesting probably because there was more happening as everything got ready to come to a close. I did enjoy all the magic involved and how it worked in that world. It's a cute sapphic fantasy for sure.

The world building and premise of this was very charming, but I struggled personally to get very invested in the characters until just about the very end. It did have it's moments, though, and the romance was sweet.

A fantastic read! A must-read if you want a book you cannot put down! I loved the setting and characters so much I regretted saying goodbye at the end.

Thank you so much, NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

Two years ago vampires broke through the magical barrier protecting Ava's and Kaye's town, killing Kaye's mother and turning Ava into a vampire. Since then Ava is trapped in her house, forced to use her witch powers in order to her mother's vampire identity. Desperate to escape and to stop her mother's plan to destroy the town, Ava flees into the forest and seeks help from the vampires who live there. On the same forest, Kaye is completing her training as Fire Witch, determined to kill any vampires that put the town at risk, Ava included. But when Ava escapes, Kaye follows her and convinces to travel together, secretely wanting to turn her in. But things don't go exactly as she planned. They were best friends and Ava still have romantic feelings she felt for Kaye before that terrible night, two years ago. Travelling the forest, filled with secrets and dangers, Ava and Kaye have to face it together, and their own feelings for each other. In a forest with trees devouring humans, Ava's stepfather tracking her, they have to rely on each other in order to escape the forest unscathed. And, maybe, rekindle their feelings for each other.

The witch and the vampire is a queer retelling of Rapunzel and since it's my favourite story, I couldn't not wanting to read this book. And I was right. It's phenomenal. A tragedy occurred years ago, vampires and witches at odds, two best friends separeted by cruelty and tragedies, a dangerous forest with cannibal trees, a girl trapped in an house and seeking help from vampires...I mean, this book is absolutely AMAZING! Ava and Kaye are perfect together and apart. They are marvellous, complex and fantastic characters, with their own dreams, pasts, feelings, duties, desires and everything change when they find each other again, forcing them to rely on themselves in order to survive. And rekindle their feelings.
It's wonderfully queer, the worldbuilding is so creative and well rounded and I loved everything, from the characterization, the writing style, the complex relationship between Ava and Kaye. Absolutely amazing.

I really wanted to love this. The premise really had me by the throat. A sapphic Rapunzel retelling with witches and vampires? That’s my brand!!

Unfortunately, what started out so promising really went downhill for me.

I couldn’t get past how absolutely one dimensional the two main characters are. I never took a liking to either of them so because of that what little romance this book has I honestly skimmed over.

Between the two lackluster MCs and the plot being too thin for me to be curious enough to finish, I made it to 85% before I finally freed myself from this book.

*Thank you to Netgalley for the eARC

Two witches, Ava and Kaye, used to be best friends until Kaye's mother was murdered and Ava was turned into a vampire. Kaye is out for revenge believing Ava murdered her mother.

I give this book a 3.25 star rating. This book had such lovely promise. A queer Rapunzel retelling with witches and vampires! I wanted to absolutely love this book. It just missed the mark with me. The romance seemed forced and I didn't feel much chemistry between the characters. The plot was interesting but some bits felt repetitive. Overall, I enjoyed the writing style...I think I just wanted more character development between both FMCs.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I actually really enjoyed this book but it felt like I was reading a draft 😬 Let’s start with the good stuff! I really enjoyed the overall story, and the magic system, I thought that was incredibly awesome. I would love to know more about other types of witches and go beyond the borders of the two towns / forest this book takes place. The two main characters love story was very sweet and I loved their journey together. Now to the things I felt were lacking. The characters didn’t feel very dimensional, they felt very flat. I actually struggled to tell the two FMC apart throughout the book 🤔 I also didn’t love the world building, I think it could have been done a lot better without as much info dumping and puzzle piecing stuff together.

Overall, I had a good time with this book! ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Set aside two days for this queer autumnal PG13 Rapunzel retelling set mostly in the town of Arborren in the Erlanis Empire where Ava Sereni has been imprisoned by her mother in a tower for two years. I had an ARC via NetGalley and this is my voluntary review.