2.5 stars

Witch and hunter seek vengeance against zealot witch hunters. Fritzi and Otto, from opposite sides of the Trier Witch Trials (1581 – 1593), unite to bring justice to their common enemy, Kommandant Dieter Kirch, who's responsible for their families' suffering. Together they work to uncover a deeper conspiracy within the hexenjäger ranks.

Raasch and Revis have clearly done their research. And as such, as is quite often the case, books with such extensive research tend to fall a little flat. The level to which they obviously needed to teach the reader about the history and worked to weave their own fantasy witchcraft elements into the plot resulted in a burdensome narrative. Night of the Witch had some interesting components at play, but neither main character, either Fritzi or Otto, could hold up the weight of this tale. With the focus on the world-building, both true and fantastical, the protagonists suffered almost as much as the antagonist, who felt handwringingly one-dimensional.

Possibly the most destructive element to this book was the pervasive use of present tense. Often the most stifling and constrictive tense, especially when paired with a first-person point of view that flips back and forth between the characters who get to helm this ship, the present tense in Night of the Witch proves to be presumably counterproductive and slows down the pace to a snail's speed. For the most part, present tense can only deal in absolutes (i.e., I am either witnessing this event or I am not). And to rely on this gimmick for almost the entirety of the novel is to bog down the narrative with a lot of telling rather than the preferred showing that would lend itself to creating organically nuanced characters. Instead, the moments must consist of a relay of either movements (like a golf announcer — "He steps up to the tee.") or direct emotions (like a board book — "Jane is sad."). It makes for an exhausting story.

That being said, some elements were interesting and a few moments stood out, such as when Otto relays to Fritzi his plan and they begin to work together to ensure success. If this had been a little less heavy with set-up and instructional content, and more focused with a past tense narration, I think this could've worked nicely as a short story or novella.

"New York Times bestselling authors Sara Raasch and Beth Revis weave a tale of romance, vengeance, and magic in this start to the Witch and Hunter duology, an epic enemies to lovers fantasy romance.

Fritzi is a witch. The lone survivor of a brutal attack on her coven, she's determined to find her only remaining family member and bring the hexenjägers - zealot witch hunters - to justice for the lives they ended. To do this, she will need to take down their leader, the merciless and enigmatic Kommandant Dieter Kirch.

Otto is a hexenjäger - but that's just his cover. Years ago, the hexenjägers burned his innocent mother alive, and he has been plotting his revenge against the people who tore apart his family ever since. And now the time has come for them to pay for what they've done.

When Fritzi and Otto are unexpectedly thrown together, neither is sure they can trust the other. The reluctant truce fueled by their common enemy takes them from the city at the heart of the hexenjägers' power to the wild and mysterious Black Forest. As old truths come to light and new dangers are revealed, Fritzi and Otto uncover a horrifying magical plot at the center of the hexenjäger attacks that leads back to Kommandant Kirch...but their own growing feelings for each other may be the most powerful magic of all."

It's October, time to read about some zealot witch hunters.

4/5

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book is perfect for those who love everything witchy, enemies to lovers, and an interesting foreshadowing.

I really enjoyed the main characters Fritzi and Otto and watch their relationship go from enemies to lovers! This book was cute and quick read for me.

I would recommend!

Having read and loved Sara Raasch's "Snow Like Ashes" series, I was really excited to see this available on NetGalley. It didn't disappoint at all. Although it took me a little while to actually feel like I was making progress in reading it, I'm fairly certain that was more a me-problem than it is a problem with the book; I was really enjoying it even when I felt like it was taking me forever to get through even a couple of pages. But once I hit my stride with it, it flew by - the characters are fabulous, the atmosphere and setting are pristinely-crafted, and the writing is gorgeous. Raasch and Revis are a dream team, and I cannot wait to get my hands on the sequel - because there HAS to be a sequel, the way that ended! The world of witches, the Forest Folk, and the hexenjagers who hunt them all, is one to which I will definitely return.

Thanks to #partner @netgalley and @sourcebooksfire for the digital ARC of Sara Raasch and Beth Revis's Night of the Witch. The book will be published on October 3!

I absolutely loved Sara Raasch and Beth Revis's Night of the Witch, which uses a historical foundation to delve into the world of witches, witch hunts, and hexenjägers (hunters).

The book opens in fourteenth century Germany with the decimation of Fritzi’s village as her mother, friends, and family are killed or imprisoned. Fritzi herself escapes after her mother hides her—against her will—in the basement, as Fritzi listens to the sounds of destruction and terror. When she realizes that her young cousin has been taken by Dieter Kirch, the head hunter, she vows to get her back, following the pack of hunters to the city that is their headquarters.

Alternating chapters tell the story of Otto, a hunter who is Dieter’s second in command. Otto’s father was one of the earliest hunters, and his heritage has led him to the heights of the fervor. The hunters are plotting a spectacle, the burning of 100 witches, and Otto takes a small group out to arrest his sister, Hilde, to make her a part of the group. That’s where he meets Fritzi, who hears the ruckus and steps in to save Hilde.

The writing and characterization here are gorgeous, and both Fritzi and Otto are nuanced figures who wrestle with their own responsibility in the face of their society’s manic attacks on anyone who lies outside the narrow path available to its citizens. Raasch and Revis raise questions about women’s power, about obligations to one’s community and the greater good, about the role of religion in morality. This is the first book in a series that I’ll definitely be continuing.

Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the eARC!

I was over the moon about this book based on the description and it did not disappoint!
If enemies to lovers with an excellent magic system is your thing, you'll want to read this book. I was hooked by the first chapter.

A cosy (albeit some darkness) witch story. That's how this one read to me. It was a relatively quick read, has all the elements for a good enemies to lovers story along with an interesting magic system. Grab your pumpkin spiced latte and settle in for spooky szn.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Maybe because I’ve gone a while without reading romantasy, but I could not connect to the characters and the romance. It started off simply enough: with a witch retelling, introduction of witching concepts, the “good” guys and their mission to eradicate witches. However, after the introduction of romance (which wasn’t that spectacular either way), the plot was lost on me. There was no direction to it and it was boring.

I must say that I could see the author tried to put in effort into creating this, but unfortunately, it didn’t work on me. For readers looking for witch retellings, I would say that there would be better witching reiterations out there.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for this Advanced Readers Copy of Night of the WItch by Sara Raasch and Beth Revis!

I really really wanted to like this. The first chapter was so intriguing but it fell flat for me. Fritzi and Ottos relationship felt forced to me, it didn't mesh well. The villians backstory didn't make sense to me either. I wish there had been a better reasoning or explanation on why he became a villian.

Very pleasant read, don’t know if I’d read again. Very informative, just not the type of writing style I would usually go for. If you like mystery try it out.

4.5/5
While this book was a little difficult to get into at first, I ended up really enjoying it. The worldbuilding and magic system are interesting and well-written, allowing the reader to become immersed into the story completely. The two main characters have great chemistry and their relationship is well written; the only downside I’d say it has is that they get together in a rather quick timeline. One of the best parts of this book was definitely the plot twist, which while was surprising, made a lot of sense and didn’t feel like it came out of nowhere.

Thank you NetGalley and the authors for this ARC review.

This story was gripping from the start. I was completely at the edge of my seat and emotionally connected to the main character of Fritzi. The other main character Otto who's point of view we read throughout the story, I had less of a connection. In fact, I found myself questioning his choices often, and not in a pleasant way.

The is an enemies to lovers story, that just happens to also be witches vs. witch hunters, and a story of revenge. The revenge saga felt real. Knowing world history, and the awful things which transpired toward women and witches, I was really interested to see where this journey would lead. Into a series, apparently.

The love/lovers happened so fast, and seemingly without any real explanation as to how and why, that I had trouble believing it. I like the nature vs. nurture aspect of these people's lives, but felt the love itself felt forced.

It was a quick read, but for me, was missing something in the way the story unfolds.

In this book, our FMC is a witch on a mission to rescue her captured cousin. Along her journey, an unexpected alliance forms with none other than a witch hunter. As they join forces to combat the evil threatening the world and the magic within it, a unique bond emerges.

Now, a little something about me – if a book revolves around witches being hunted, consider it added to my reading list in a heartbeat. I hold a deep rage for that dark chapter in history, and any book that confronts the absurdity of those times, exposing the misogyny that fueled witch hunts and the persecution of women who dared to defy societal norms, well, that's my kind of book.

This book tackles these themes head-on, shedding light on the true nature of the witch hunters.

The only reason I didn't award it a full 5 stars is because I found it a bit challenging to grasp the villain's motives. By the end, there seemed to be a plot hole involving the villain. However, as this is the first book in the series, I'm hopeful that we'll receive clarifications as the story unfolds. Count me in for the second book as soon as it becomes available.

Thank you, @netgalley and @sourcebooksfire, for this wonderful read!

Night of the Witch is the first book in a new young adult series set during the German witch trials in the 1500s. It is a dark and horrific time period that the authors treat with respect, but it can be a haunting read at times.

I really enjoyed the two main characters, Fritzi and Otto. Fritzi is a young woman who has a lot of responsibility thrust upon her by the loss of her coven. She is on a mission to save the one other witch who survived, her cousin Liesel, and then to flee to the Black Forest. She meets Otto, a witch hunter, and things just spiral from there. Fritzi does a lot of growing in this book, from a scared teenager to a young woman who will help those who need it most despite the odds of failure. Otto is a young man who became a witch hunter only to burn their tyranny to the ground, and to try to save some innocent lives. He is brave and kind, and pretty smart. I loved his reaction to learning that magic is real, but maybe he accepted it a bit too quickly. I liked the relationship that evolved throughout the book between him and Fritzi, but I would have liked it to maybe move a bit more slowly.

There is one secondary character that I want to mention: Liesel. She is a charming little witch with a lot of power. She plays an important role in the story, and because of this, she seems a bit more mature than a 10-year-old at times. But then there are instances of her just being a little girl, and those moments are simply priceless. I hope she continues to bring these little rays of sunshine in the next book.

The plot of the story is well done, with good pacing and excellent banter between Otto and Fritzi, along with some nice little twists. The magical system is interesting, with two different kinds and the involvement of goddesses. Each witch also has her own affinity for certain types of magic, which makes for some intriguing scenes. The historical content is well executed, with vivid descriptions of the cities and people. There are some difficult scenes of torture, burning people alive, and animal cruelty, which, while hard to read, are important to the time period and the witch hunts in particular.

I thoroughly enjoyed this first book in this series with its believable characters and historical setting. I am eagerly looking forward to reading the next book and seeing how that surprising ending unfolds.

Enemies to lovers and witches. Perfect for the fall season. This was a fun book and Fritzy was a fun character. The romance was great and this was fast paced and enjoyable.

This was a great introduction to a series! There was a lot of action, Magic, a compelling plot, and interesting characters. I really loved the mix of historical fiction and fantasy and it felt different from more recent YA fantasies I’ve read out there. I really hope that this series takes off because it was well written and well researched. There is one “steamy scene” that I think makes this more upper YA, not NA just yet.

Otto and Fritizi are supposed to be on the opposite side of the fight, a witch and a witch hunter but they each have a desire to bring down the head of the witch hunters and stop the burning of hundreds of innocent men and women who were accused of witches. This leads to the reveal of learning more about each characters past and their motivations. The plot moves quickly in this story, which I liked because we got to see and do so much in this 300+ book. I would have loved to have more tension filled/romantic moments between these characters before they easily start falling for each other.

I look forward to seeing this book/series blow up once it’s published and look forward to this series and future books! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC!

A captivating story following witches in the time of witch burnings! I loved the fast pace of the story and enemies to lovers trope. There were a few twists in the story that took me by surprise that keep the story feeling fresh and engaging. The only issue was that some of the language and mannerisms felt too modern and out of place for the historical setting, but it didn't detract from my overall enjoyment for the book!

This book was really interesting liked the way it blended history of the witch trials in Europe and fantasy together as the dark undertone to it which goes really well the characters are written really well it is a witchy read

Fritzi is a witch and Otto is a hexenjager (witch hunter). Fritzi is after the Kommandant Dieter Kirch who had the people of her village killed and stole away her cousin, whom Fritzi wants to save. But Fritzi is captured by Otto after Fritzi saves his sister unknowing it was part of a bigger plan, and one she must now take on.
I won’t tell anymore as this is a book you will want to read yourself. The characters are good and the twists will make your head spin. There is so much action and suspense you will stay up past your bedtime reading. This is really a good book even with the German interspersed through it, and well worth the time.