Witches and adventure and romance? Yes please! I started this book the day I went to Salem, MA, so I was in a witchy mood. I loved the backstory about the witches, the different types of magic each has, and where their power comes from. I enjoyed the relationship between Otto and Fritz, but it could have used a little more development. It seemed like they were enemies and then hours later they....were not. I did enjoy this book and was excited to learn it was the first in a series. I'm looking forward to reading the second book in fall 2024.

**Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**

I really wish I could have enjoyed this book. Every word and every page felt like a slog to get through, I just wasn't a fan of this book.

Going to jump right in by saying that at first I didn't really know if I was going to be a fan of this book, but anything that has witches will be an automatic read for me. Honestly I loved the book, Fritze was an amazing MC, who as they so often do, underestimates herself. She's hearing a voice in her head which she believes to be Wild Magic, an evil form of magic she was always warded against using by her family and all of the other witches in her village. But then the hexanjagers come and destroy everything, burning witches at the stake and kidnapping her cousin.

The adventure she finds herself on with the beloved Otto Ernst, Kommandant is such a fun sweet story and I honestly am looking forward to the sequel because I have to know how she is going to take down her brother Dieter.

I didn't enjoy this as much as I'd hoped. I struggled with the pacing and the relationship was a bit too easy for me. I am unsure if I will read the next one as the synopsis sounds very familiar to this first plotline.

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, however I did listen to the final published version of the audiobook. As always all opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this! I've had a been interested in witch trials since visiting Salem as a teen, so I love a good non-fiction or historical fiction about that time period. I believe this is set in historical Germany during the time of the European witch hunts. Fritzi is an actual witch and is the sole survivor of her coven being slaughtered at the hands of the hexenjägers a group of religious soldiers whose purpose is to hunt witches. Many of those caught by the hexenjägers are innocent people with no powers, however Fritzi and her young cousin Liesel are both powerful witches and the Kommandant has plans for them both. Otto is a hexenjäger, and he and his group of soldiers capture Fritzi, but Otto unexpectedly turns out to be a friend instead of a foe to the witches. Otto and Fritzi form a fragile truce to protect the remaining members of their family and fight against the crazed Kommandant.

This was action packed with plenty of twists and turns to keep you engaged. There is alot going on but I think the authors did a good job brining things together in the end. I am looking forward to seeing what they have instore for us in the next book. This end on a small cliffhanger, but you kind of expect it so I don't think it was that big of a shock. I really enjoyed the bits of lore woven in among the historical aspects of the witch trials and the magical aspects of plot. This book isn't going to be for everyone. There is a romance aspect, some brutal and violent scenes, magic and paranormal aspects, action, and more. I thought the authors did a good job weaving all of those elements together, but some may find it not to their liking.

This book is classified as YA, but I would say this falls more into into the New Adult/Adult age range. There are some pretty brutal torture scenes and several other violent scenes when it comes to the battles. There are a few intimate scenes, but they are fairly tame and not very descriptive but they are there. The characters and some of the plotlines read more YA though, so I think this will appeal the more mature YA reader as well as a broad range of adults who enjoy fantasy and historical fiction. Keep in mind that from a historical aspect, those who were tried and found guilty of witchcraft were tortured and maimed in the most horrific ways. I think from that perspective the authors did a good job keeping in line with the historical nature of how the men and women who were accused were treated during the actual witch trials in Europe and the US.

Overall, i really enjoyed this, and I am very much looking forward to the next book in the duology.

I am really disappointed that I struggled with this read. Between the gorgeous cover and the interesting plot, I thought it would be one that I plowed through. Instead, it took me far longer than it should have to get through it as it just wasn’t holding my attention.

Germany and Switzerland had the worst witch hunts for centuries, and living in Switzerland, I read and listened to a lot about the history of witchcraft and the trials happening here. I even have a chapter about it in my history book and like to speak about this subject with my students. That means I was familiar with the history background used in this book and could understand the german words used throughout the story (although one was misspelled the entire time and it kind of bothered me). I enjoyed going back to that time through fiction. I was enraged 10% into the book already. I found Otto to be a bit repetitive at the beginning of the book. It's a dual POV book, in 1st person. It's usually not my favorite but it was pretty easy to follow. I did not expect the end, the epilogue just left me speechless. If you want a true villain, the one in this book is pretty solid, no doubts or regrets in his evil decisions... If you're looking for a book to express feminine rage, pick it up.

Thank you to sourcebooks and NetGalley for this arc! I really really enjoyed this book! I was in a reading slump while reading it, so it took me a while, but that is not to blame on the book, just on graduate school. I thought Fritzi and Otto were both really well rounded characters with their own belief systems, but beliefs that could change. They weren’t completely stuck in their ways, and as they got to know each other they learned and changed their worldviews. I do think this book should NOT be YA. It definitely teeters on the new adult border, and there’s enough of a crack in the door that I would shift it up to new adult. However, I did really enjoy this, and I thought where it ended was super cool. I’m excited to see what comes next

Thank you very much for the opportunity to read this book early! I really enjoyed it. I thought the writing was very well done, and the story kept me interested. I believe my students/patrons would also love this book and will be acquiring it for the library! This is such a brilliant story, I loved it.

"Night of the Witch" by Sara Raasch and Beth Revis is a thrilling fictional tale of the very real 16th century German witch hunts.

MC Fritzi made a grave mistake when she took down the spell protecting her village & coven. MC Otto watched his stepmother burned at the stake and his father hunt witches as though it were sport. Now, he hides in plain sight with a plan to free the hundred "witches" set to burn before the solstice. MC Dieter has spent the last five years building a name for himself as a witch hunter for the church, but he is also Fritzi's long lost brother & a witch well versed in wild magics planning to steal all the power he can even when it means killing his entire family and all the witches guarding the Well.

With adventure, witchcraft, romance, this historical fiction tale is a great start to what promises to be an incredible story. I can't wait to see what Sara and Beth brew in book two.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

This had a great concept and the writing was good, but I just never quite gelled with the characters. I think it read a little too young YA for me even though it's being pitched as more new adult with some questionable spicy artwork.

I find both of these authors very hit or miss for me.

Before starting your reading, please be aware of the trigger warnings. There are some situations of torture described extensively and lots of death... even with all of this, this book is AWESOME! The relationship between the main characters grows with time and not from nowhere. The plot is amazing... and the epilogue is such a cliffhanger! I hope to read the sequel (soon, pretty please?)

I really enjoyed this story! I liked the characters and the story line even though it seems like a story we have heard before. If I could request anything different it would be a glossary added on how to pronounce names and places. This was a great book with a beautiful cover. I hope there is a book 2!

I had a really good time reading this! The world building was insane. The first like 15% was strange but in the best way! It was just extremely eerie and weird, I loved it! At first the relationship between Fritzi and Otto felt kind of forced but as I kept reading, you could just feel the connection.

I thoroughly enjoyed the immersive blend of history and folklore in this story. The separation of trust in the church from personal faith added depth and allowed for exploration of faith as distinct from an institution. The themes surrounding faith and the characters, Fritzi and Otto, were compelling. The story delves unflinchingly into the dark history of European witch trials but balances it with a passionate romance

2.5 stars

I really enjoyed the setting of this book. It's 1500's Germany and there are witch hunters, aka hexenjägers, who are out to find and punish any person accused of witchcraft. Most of these people are innocent, but the craze has hit and people are being killed everywhere. This was a scary time in history and I thought it was a good fit for a fantasy in October.

The pacing of the book is pretty slow and there are stretches where nothing really happens. At the same time, some parts are rushed, especially the romance. It's built on very little and I didn't like how quickly the characters fell in love. The villain also seems to be evil just because and I didn't think he was well developed.

The ending is a cliffhanger, but I don't think I'll continue on to the next book.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for the copy.

The premise and plot of the book were intriguing, so I went for it. Overall I liked the plot of the book. We followed Fritzi (a witch) after her coven was decimated and saw her rescue an accused witch and team up with a witch-hunter.
It sounded like it would be full of action, and maybe a little romance, and it was, but it was also very slow-going in the middle of the book. I appreciate the back-stories to define characters, but it seemed to take too long and just didn't hold my attention.

Night of the Witch is fantasy but based on real history - the witch trials in Germany.
I was really grateful to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Fire and both authors for a chance to read this book. I absolutely love Sara Raasch and was looking forward to read Night of the Witch.
Everyone who knows me wouldn’t be surprised that I love books with witches, witch hunters and enemies-to-lovers .

This book was so much more than I’d hoped for! I loved characters, world building, the plot. Dual POV gave us unique perspective and I dare to say I wouldn’t enjoy this as much as I did if there was only Fritzi’s POV.
The story was easy to read, and no I don’t mean the trials etc, that was heartbreaking. The story made me want to read and read and read. Romance between Fritzi and Otto was really sweet and I loved their dynamic and dialogues.
Liesel was cute but also determined to reach her goals, protect Fritzi and take revenge for everything that happened to her.
The world description made it easy to imagine everything. It was magical, but also dark.
And the ending was so unexpected. What the hell? Can’t wait for book 2.

Fritzi, a witch who watched her coven burn at the hands of the hexenjagers (witch hunters), vows revenge upon their leader, Kommandant Dieter Kirch. Otto, a captain of the hexenjagers and Kirch's second in command, has a plan to destroy the army from the inside and make them pay for burning his innocent mother alive. Fritzi and Otto forge an unlikely alliance as they work together and discover what is driving the hexenjager attacks.

Note: I read and enjoyed this book as an adult and cannot truly speak for the intended audience.

Unfortunately DNF after 100 pages.
I had huges expectations when I requested this book. The witch and witch-hunter trope could be something really interesting but we've lost out witch-hunter around page 70, so what's the point?
I didn't catch any relation with Fritzi and Otto.