This book was so much more than I expected. With blending history and fantasy, the prejudices were so much more real, and the magic so much more powerful. Fritzi is on an impossible journey to find her cousin, rescue witches, and break free from centuries of oppression. Piece of cake, right?

The unexpected element is Otto, the hexenjager who captures her.....and then keeps her safe? Otto is not what he seems at first glance, and as he and Fritzi work together to rescue witches, they learn more about each other as well.

Nothing is as simple as good and evil, especially magic. Fritzi, Otto, and Liesel battle to save the very heart of magic itself in the Black Forest, and they learn that there are secrets buried far deeper than any of them thought possible. The people meant to guard the forest have kept secrets for far too long, and it falls to Fritzi to reveal them and save witches everywhere.

I loved this so much. The characters were multifaceted and real, and I was surprised along the way. I can't wait to see what happens next!

"Love is never a sin."

I was a bit wary at the start, but this book wound up being far more compelling than I expected.

Let me start by saying this book dives right in. In the first chapter, we are immediately thrown into a battle between witches and witch hunters. We are learning the character's names, the setting, and some German terms all at once. But soon enough, like Fritzi, we take off running.

Everything about this is fast-paced. Secrets are revealed in a timely manner that I think works well to not leave the reader frustrated and forgetting about small key details.

Fritzi and Otto are likable protagonists, if at times misguided. But they always try to the best of their ability to do what is right. One thing I will say is they trusted each other far more quickly than I expected. Otto shared his plans with Fritzi, and she took what he said at face value and volunteered to help. It wasn't long after that they were ride-or-die for each other.

That being said, I really liked them together. They were sweet, honest, and understanding with each other. Their chemistry was fire. They avoided issues by actually communicating. They just worked for me.

I admit I'm more invested in their relationship than I am in the actual plot with the witches. However, the plot itself is engaging as well. I did not know much about the witch trials in Germany going into this, but it went about how I expected the witch trials to go: a bunch of innocent women burned at the stake for simply not abiding by societal norms. Dieter was an interesting villain in that he just seemed like pure irredeemable evil. All he cares for is influence and power. Fritzi and Otto made a huge mistake in letting the human authorities take him into custody.

The little cliffhanger made me angry because damn it I just want my babies to be happy but it's clear this is far from over. All because they let a monster live.

I went into Night of the Witch without knowing what to expect and I was completely surprised! This book is a reimagining of the witch trials in Germany. The story started with a fast pace and brutal killings that absolutely captivated me. I couldn't stop reading once I started. I loved all the small plot twists that kept driving the story onward. The world building and magic system were really well done. All of the characters were so complex and real. I especially loved Fritzi. This was a great read for fans of witchy fantasy and enemies to lovers romance. This book published today, October 3 so happy pub day!

Thank you to @sourcebooksfire and @netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Great fantasy slow-burn romance! I loved the plot, it is fast paced, thrilling and I loved Otto and Fritzi. This story is a page turner you will not be able to put down. I can't wait for the next book! Thank you for the opportunity to read and review.

This story hit everything I love about fantasy romance — the fast pacing (which left room for character development), the slow burn romance, the high stakes, and the shocking political plotlines involving the Holy Roman Empire pre-Germany and witches.

If you like Acotar, the Curse of Saints, Rachel Griffin books, FBAA, or This Vicious Grace — run to pick this up! This is the next book you’ll fall in love with.

Fritzi’s family and coven have been murdered, but she thinks her young cousin Liesel is still alive, and is determined to find her.

Otto is a hexenjager, a witch hunter, and a Kapitan — he’s one of their leaders.

Fritzi blows into his life in the most explosive way (literally), shattering his carefully-laid plans.

I think you all should go in fairly blind, so I’m not going to tell you what happens next, or give you a list of reasons why I will not hear anything negative said about Fritzi *or* Otto.

The world-building is perfectly researched. Lush and gritty, it’s a blend of history and magic.

The themes of this book resonate so deeply— corruption, power, and selfishness warring with bravery and rebellion.

Of course, the romance is everything I could ask for (but I’m still asking for more since we have one more book coming!)

I love how Otto and Fritzi are both flawed and self-aware, but see the best in each other. Friends, I cannot get these two out of my head.

Especially after that ending.

All of my stars — this gets my highest possible ratings and recommendation.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

4.5 stars

Where do I even begin? I really loved this book. It's the story about Fritzi, a witch who looses her coven and her mother and wants to find her cousin, and Otto, a witch-hunter who wants to take down the hexenjagers from the inside. When Fritizi and Otto cross paths, they make a deal to stop the hexenjagers together.

First of all, I enjoyed the plot and the pacing, anytime I picked up the book I couldn't stop reading. I really liked the world-building and the historical inspiration of the witch trials, it's horrible to think that those things really happened, but it's also important to talk about them. The writing style was also really immersive, it felt like being directly in the character's mind, reading their thoughts.

I fell in love with Fritzi as a main character. I loved her courage, her strength, her kindness. She loves firecely and would do anything for the people she loves. I empathized with her and enjoyed her arc and her journey throughout the story.
Same goes for Otto, I appreciated his bravery, his passion and his gentleness with Fritzi and I liked his arc. I also enjoyed the side characters (Liesel has my heart, I love that child). The villain was terrifying, i absolutely hated them.

The enemies to lovers romance was very well paced in my opinion, I was swooning and kicking my feet the whole time, I love Otto and Fritizi together so much. They understand and respect each other and would do anything for the other person.

The last part of the book gave me anxiety, and with that ending I need book two ASAP!
I really recommend this story to anyone who's looking for a great enemies to lovers fantasy romance with witches, heavy and dark themes but also characters that'll make you fall in love.

A world where witches are hunted and a forbidden romance blooms between a witch who has survived the brutal attack on her coven and the witch hunter captain who actually has been plotting to destroy the witch hunters from the inside. Fritzi is a witch and she lives in a world where witches are being hunted by the hexenjägers, zealot witch hunters. When her coven is brutally attacked and her only surviving family member is taken, she is willing to do anything and destroy anyone in her way to rescuing her family. Otto is a hexenjägers and a captain, the second in command to Dieter Kirch... but that's just his cover. Otto has infiltrated the hexenjägers and has been plotting to destroy from the inside after witnessing his mother being burned alive by his father who accused her of being a witch. Yet Otto's carefully crafted plan goes awry when he runs into Fritzi and now they find themselves forced to work together to rescue all those taken and to destroy the hexenjägers. They both crave revenge but can they trust each other? Yet they are both hiding secrets and an even darker plot is happening at the center of the hexenjägers attacks. Can they find a way to work together, and deal with the very complicated feelings that are growing between them? Can they save the people while getting their revenge? This is the first book in the duology and it was fantastic! I loved the story and the pacing was fantastic. The stakes were high and the tension felt great. I liked the twist and I can't wait for the second book. The story is told in dual POV and I loved getting to see Otto and Frizi work through their trust issues and their path to falling for each other.

<spoiler> Fritzi's coven is brutally attacked and her cousin is taken. Fritzi is a herb witch and can use her magic to heal. Her mother is killed in the attack and she is on the run trying to get back her cousin Liesel. Otto is a hexenjägers but he had planned to infiltrate them, work his way up and destroy them from within. Him and his sister Hilde had been planning to do destroy them for years after he witnessed his father having his mother burned at the stake because he had anger issues, only to die a few months later. Otto's plan is finally set in motion but Fritzi stumbles upon it and thinks that Hilde is a witch in danger and uses a spell to send her away to be protected, not knowing she messed up Otto's plan. Otto is forced to take Fritzi but then explains his plan to her and his truth and asks her help in freeing all those captured by the hexenjägers and for her to bring back his sister. Fritzi doesn't trust him but agrees to help anyways. The more time they spend together the more they begin to trust and fall for one another. Fritzi discovers that Dieter Kirch, the commander of the hexenjägers is actually her brother who had been banned and left, he is now a hexenjägers but is actually capturing, torturing, and killing witches because he thinks it'll make him more powerful and he plans on capturing Fritzi to kill her and force her to give him her magic. Fritzi and Otto manage to rescue Liesel and free the captured and meet up with the coven. They fight against Dieter and barely escape but Otto has killed Dieter's magic and sent him to be punished by the hexenjägers. Fritzi and Otto become bonded (like marriage essentially) and the final chapter shows Dieter getting wild magic (it's chaos magic that is dangerous) and vowing to hunt and kill Fritzi again ( previously he captured her and branded her as torture). </spoiler>

*Thanks Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire, Sourcebooks Fire for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Overall, I’d say 3.5 stars

I’m not really sure why but this took me a while to get into. The beginning was just a little slow to me but things picked up gradually.

This story is set around witch trials in Germany and how big of a role the church plays in it as well. Fritizi and Otto stumble upon each other, coming from completely different sides, and hatch a plan together to reach their loved ones. I think Otto was a pretty interesting character, especially because he fights for what he believes in, talks about religion in his life in a good way, and embraces others and their way of life. I think their relationship had some really cute moments and they help each other quite a bit.

It will be interesting to see how another book will play out.

I received an eARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

I think I'm obsessed ! The overall story was so easy to fall into and the writing style of these two amazing authors just kept you coming back for more !

The premise of an enemies to lovers in the form of a witch and witch hunter was, personally, extremely appealing. And so to see the chemistry built between these two felt so satisfying ! I loved their personalities as well as their growth on their own, but seeing them together was truly my favorite.

And while I loved the world building and learning about each new location and event taking place, there were times where the information came on a little too strong. It obviously didn't take away from the story, but it left some areas feeling drawn out.

Overall this was sUCH an amazing, fun, and fast read ! I am so looking forward for the next book !! And thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this arc !!

I'd like to thank Netgalley and Sourcebooks fire for a copy of this ARC!

I loved the premise of this book and the mixture of history and fantasy. I had never even known about the Trier Witch Trials until the end of this book. The synopsis was so intriguing and right up my alley, and the cover and chapters decals were beautiful. I was really excited to read Night of the Witch, but unfortunately this story was a only a two star for me. The story started our great but became a bit dull, slow, repetitive, and confusing. I did love the magical aspects of it but I felt that the plot and characters were a bit all over the place.
I was not a fan of Fritzi, she went through something traumatic and I sympathized with her at first but suddenly she was being feisty and flirting with Otto so my sympathy was short lived and I couldn't empathize with her when she'd reflect on those traumatic moments and he upset.
There were two moments I was really excited for and they felt anticlimactic, one being the fight between Otto and Bertram and the other being Dieters defeat. I would have loved to see more action and Fritzi displaying her magical capabilities after tapping into wild magic at the end. Although I'm sure there will be more of that I'm the second book!
The romance between Fritzi and Otto felt very rushed although there was some pretty great tension at times. I did like Otto, he was the one character I felt was very well written. I sympathized with him, I cheered him on, I thought he was clever and caring for those around him.
I loved the clever little spells and the meaning and use of herbs throughout the book. I feel that the authors did put in the effort to research material for this book and appreciate that. Overall this book had its ups and downs and I am very grateful for the opportunity to have read it, unfortunately I don't think I will be continuing the series.

This book started out a little slowly and the beginning dragged, but once I passed the halfway mark, I couldn't put it down.. I think I would have liked it even more if the first part had been condensed a bit more. This story attempted an enemies to lovers plot line, but I think it fell just a little short in that aspect for two reasons. The first being they weren't true enemies. They were on the same side form the start, only Fritzi didn't know that. But simply being in on Otto's plan took a little oomph out of the whole thing. The second reason being that a good enemies to lovers needs a gradual shift as they turn from enemies into lovers. This was a bit too instant, like someone flipped a switch for Fritzi and suddenly she completely trusted and fell for the man she thought was her enemy. Even though I knew that she could trust Otto and Otto knew they were reluctant allies, Fritzi didn't really have any evidence and she fell a little too easily. in my opinion.

I did like the overall story, though, The world building was good and there were some interesting twists along the way. It all wound together nicely in the end. I'm intrigued to know where the story will go next.

Overall it was a pretty good read. It did give me strong Serpent and Dove vibes, which I also enjoyed, so if that's you type of story, this one may be as well.

3.5 stars rounded up

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

"Night of the Witch," with its gorgeous green cover, monumental danger, and arduous journey for vengeance, transforms the true Trier Witch Trials of 1581-1593 into an amazing fantasy story set in medieval Germany.

The first quarter of "Night of the Witch" was hard to read because of how evil certain characters are and the injustice happening to countless innocents. Made me feel equal parts sad and angry, so it took longer than it should have for me to finish reading. But I love that the story wasted no time and jumps right into devastating action. I immediately felt immersed in the story.

Fritzi is a witch with an affinity for plant magic who feels responsible for her coven’s heartbreaking demise. She seeks to find her cousin, Liesel, who’d been taken captive by the hexenjägers, and, if possible, enact some kind of vengeance on the witch hunters.

Otto is a witch hunter who wants revenge against the hexenjägers for burning his innocent mother. He has pretended to be one of them until the right opportunity arrives to take them down for good.

Long-awaited, carefully crafted plans that unfortunately get disrupted by Fritzi’s involvement. But since their goals seem to align, Fritzi and Otto agree to work together on his plan to stage a coup to usurp the bishop’s tyranny and the Kommandant’s cruelty.

I love the strength, vibrance, and hope that Fritzi and Otto’s characters embodied. They reminded me fondly of past characters from Sara Raasch’s books. Full of fire and determination and a willingness to put aside their differences for the greater good.

Amidst the tension and urgency of the situation, Fritzi and Otto develop unexpected feelings and protectiveness for each other. I liked that the romance was more in the background. It seemed to develop quickly, so I hope their relationship will have a chance to deepen and be fleshed out more in the next book. In those rare moments between the action were cute, light-hearted ones that I liked as well.

Things picked up once the characters left Trier. The riveting danger becomes more complicated than they could have expected, drawing you further into the story. There are so many layers and great points of conflict throughout. The twists took me by surprise and made me love this story even more. That last major decision though really will change everything in the next book, which I’m so excited yet anxious about.

"Night of the Witch" was truly a story of “perseverance in the face of great sorrow…” The authors wrote an interesting take on witches and the source of magic. How magic - good or bad - comes down to the choice of the user. I enjoyed the high-stakes plot, how dynamic and full of heart the main characters were, and the creative world-building.

"Night of the Witch" is the perfect heart-pounding, witchy read for the fall season.

Thanks again Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for the eARC to read in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
In Night of the Witch ,we met Fritzi a witch who after surviving an attack on her coven who get accidentally captured by a witch hunter Otto. We get learn that there is more to each of them they first thought. The start off as that turns enemies into allies when the realizes they have a common enemy. There is a duel POV between the two of them it helps offer insight into each character.

This book did a good job of combining real life witch trials that happened in Europe and fantasy element of witches being real. It tackled how the real witch trials were of innocent people. It is a fast paced book that does not keep you waiting. The ending of the book leaves you wanting more. The relationship between each of there families is well done.

Thank you so much to Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I was instantly hooked by the synopsis and the gorgeous book cover.

Overall this was a 4 star read, and probably closer to 4.5 stars.

First off, I really enjoyed this read, I enjoyed the pacing of the adventures, the world, how it was mixed with history and fantasy and the characters.
This was an easy read, the writing was good and clear and it was easy to read through. I really enjoyed the two authors’ writing styles. On top of being easy to read, it was also compelling. The atmosphere is just about real witches during the witch trials in Germany, so there is that fearful religious & spooky element.

The plot was a classic type of witch trials - witch hunter vs witch plot. And of course, we definitely have romance in this. I felt as though the romance happened rather quickly, and it was difficult to believe it at the beginning of the novel. The more we got through the story though, the more believable it did become, but for me, it was a bit of a struggle at the beginning. There are some great twists in this one, ones that I was not expecting and even more at the very end. This will be part of a series so there is definitely more to this! I enjoyed the belt of history with fantasy, blending in the real witch trials at Trier but giving it a fantasy spin. The religious portion of it was light and it wasn’t the focus, rather it more witch hunter vs witch.

Our two MCs, Otto and Fritzi had quite the bond and story arc. From enemies to friends to lovers, and there was quite the tumultuous cluster of emotions while also having an action packed plot as well. I enjoyed the villain of our story as well, and his own origin story. He felt believable and terrifying to the characters in the book. Many of our characters were well developed with their own unique quirks and personalities, they all felt authentic to themselves.

The world building was done bit by bit but was mostly based in already a real world city, with some higher fantasy sprinkled on top. There was also the forest sanctuary/folk that was more fantastical but also built upon existing lore. However, the world building that was done for the covens and the characters and the magic was well done and fun to read. I always want to know more, so I’m intrigued if this will further develop in the later books.

I 100% enjoyed this story and would recommend to any young adult or adult reader as a fun easy read, especially for witch x witch hunter lovers. I would definitely continue the series once more are released in this series, the twists were excellent and am looking forward to more!

Add this book to your October TBR! It's a great fall read for lovers of historical fantasy, YA, and enemies to lovers. Reading this book caused me to do some research on my own about actual German witch-hunt history, and was interesting to me how much of the book lined up with real events. I could not get enough of our two main characters and really related to some of the trauma they were able to overcome. I did feel at times that the world-building was really dumped on the reader, and I struggled to keep up with some of the places and references throughout the book. Overall though, I really enjoyed it and need the sequel now!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.

Night of the Witch is a Dark Fantasy - set in an alternate reality of late 1500s Germany during the Trier Witch Trials. It has some pretty extensive warnings, so please consider checking them over before you read.

I really enjoyed this book, right from the start we are already into the fray of a battle. It does a great job of establishing world building while still moving the story along. There is a lot of foreshadowing and anxiety to each of the events of the book, especially in the beginning. You are left or constantly wonder what will happen next, will our characters survive, and what is really going on.

I loved the chemistry between our two mains, Fritzi and Otto. I nearly DNF'd the book after the second chapter because I believed so fully that Otto was our bad guy. (Not a spoiler, the book's description makes that clear). I'm really glad I stuck with it. He is incredibly charming and a born protector. He does have some growing to do in the "I'm a man so I must protect" category. Fritzi is not in the least helpless. She's incredible and I loved watching her growth.

I had some hesitation with this one because I do have some religious trauma in my past, but I thought those elements were done very well. They touched on the atrocities of the church during the Witch trials and how it affected the people, but still gave Otto dialog to support his feelings about faith and struggle with its representation to the masses. There even was a side queer couple, which I love. (We exsist!)

I don't think thus should be rated as young adult. I know there was a lot of controversy over it and the Intimacy levels in this book. That personally wasn't what made me feel it should be rated higher - it was the violence. Specifically if this was a movie, due to the detailed descriptions of it, this would be R rated. At least put it in the New Adult or something older than 16 category.

However, that didn't keep me from enjoying the book, and I look forward to the second one.

I got a free copy through Netgalley, this in no way affected my review.

Night of the Witch is a book I enjoyed very much! It’s nice to read a fantasy book that’s loosely based on medieval Germany, since I’m so close to there and I really liked how the authors implemented this in their book!

I really felt connected to both of the main characters and it was one of the few times where I didn’t like one POV more than the other, so that definitely shows how good both of their writing is!

Also, what the actual h*ll was that villain all about? I saw one of the authors warn us that they went all out on making them as bad as possible, but damn…

Follow me, dear reader into the Black Forest to be enchanted by this new series!

Night of the Witch is a propulsive page turner, historical fantasy set in Germany in the 1500’s. I found the characters to be compelling and the magical elements explained well as the reader makes their through the book, learning new things even as the characters uncover deep secrets.

I found a few things to be predictable but overall a very enjoyable read, great first start to October, and a bit of banter-filled romance to add to your fall TBR!

Perfect for fans of:
- historical fantasy
- books about witches
- enemies to lovers

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Will I read book 2? Of course!

I really enjoyed this book! I like how it was such a good blend of historical and fantasy. I loved the characters and how much they grew over the course of the novel and how much they discovered about themselves. I liked who the villain was but I do wish it would’ve been revealed a little bit earlier on. Overall it’s a great fantasy read!

Having barely escaped with her life when a troop of hexenjägers attacks her village, Fritzi finds herself in their custody anyway when she comes to the aid of another accused witch. The leader of this squad of men is Otto and he covertly tries to help Fritzi. She is rightly suspicious of him though and it’s going to take a lot to earn her trust.
The first volume of a planned duology, it’s an intoxicating mix of magic, suspense and romance. This historical fantasy is a propulsive read with captivating characters. The villain of the story is a really, really scary dude. Loved the description of the forest folk community. It sounds absolutely idyllic. I wasn’t aware of the Witch Trials of Trier and I think the author did an outstanding job of weaving them into the story. It’s alarming to think that someone could accuse their wife or neighbor of witchcraft and they would then be arrested and executed without any evidence. Some disturbing imagery, but overall an excellent read. 4.5 stars