I really liked the premise of this- witch hunts set in the Holy Roman Empire. I don't know if the book quite lives up to the setting but it was an interesting enough romantic fantasy, appropriate for teens, A lot of the world-building to me felt like an onslaught of German words without a ton of description. I would be interested to read the sequel, since this was left not entirely resolved.

This book was all over the place. About 5 chapters from the end there's a complete turn in plot which involved the witch "gods" or whatever you want to call them that is so confusing. I struggled to finish this but forced myself to so that I could at least confirm whether to continue on in the series. It's a no for me. I don't think the writing itself is bad, just the movement of the plot. It didn't seem to make a lot of sense why Dieter was so evil and wanted power. For what?? What in the world did he want? It was like a world dominance thing. He was so unhinged it was comical. Evil for evil's sake I suppose. I didn't care for the characters. None were very fleshed out. I couldn't tell you what personality each of these people had. So many characters are introduced after they get to the forest and it's hard to keep track. The motives don't make sense on either side. The instalove was the most insta I've seen in a while. Completely unbelievable and I've never felt literally nothing during a steamy scene before. I feel like this could have been edited down quite a bit. It was way too long for too little happening. I can't imagine how this could be stretched out into more books.

Thanks to netgalley for an e-arc to read and review in exchange for an honest review.

Fritzi has just survived a witch hunter attack on her coven and plans to save the one family member she knows has also survived. Otto is a captain in the hexenjägers and has a secret … he doesn’t want to burn witches; he wants to save them. As their plans converge, these two are unsure if they can trust each other, but they know they share an enemy. What truths will be uncovered? Will these two have what it takes to save 100 witches?

Night of the Witch is the first book in the Witch and Hunter series. This first book completes its world-building without a lot of effort. I don’t know if it is because this time in our history already has a lot of books or it was the authors, but I’m not complaining. The story rolls along and the twist in the story is unexpected and appreciated. This is a great series opener and readers will want to add the next volume to their TBR list.

thank you to netgalley and sourcebooks fire for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

unfortunately this book wasn’t for me. it wasn’t a standout, any issues are resolved swiftly or simply, and the general plot felt quite formulaic.

This was a tough read from day one. It moved so slowly for me and it just didn’t draw me in. Honestly, it was really boring for the most part. I could not see a connection between the two main characters at all. The violence and torture was a bit rough to read about and marred any potential enjoyment of the overall story.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is about a witch named Fritzi who is on a mission to save her cousin who was taken prisoner by witch hunters. She is taken captive by witch hunters on her way to the city and ends up working with A fake hunter named Otto to free a bunch of witches before a mass burning.

What I liked:
The magic:
I liked the magic and lore aspect of this book. It was interesting and had lots of layers.

The Characters:
Otto and Fritzi were easy to root for, and all the side characters were well rounded and felt real.

The plot twist:
There were many twists in this book and things I didn’t see coming.

What I disliked:

The pacing:
I struggled a bit with the pacing of this book, it jumped from slow to quick a lot and sometimes it just felt of.

The ending:
I won’t spoil anything but Strong dislike for the ending. I mean I get it but stil.

Sadly had a hard time with this one!

I’ve enjoyed both Beth Revis and Sara Raasch’s separate books, but as much as I hate to say it, this one felt quite different from either. The beginning was so strongly reminiscent of Serpent and Dove, but without the slow-burn, and the villain only became more caricatured as the book went on. I did really enjoy Fritzi and Otto’s relationship toward the middle of the book, which was my favorite part, but I had a hard time putting my finger on why the three witches/the Well/and the whole champion/witch thing fell short for me, so that might be more of a me-thing.

Still I’m very grateful to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc—I did think I would love it!

I love good witch trial story, so I've read many. However, I don't think I've read anything else based on the Trier Witch Trials, so this one was a pleasantly unique blend of historical fiction and fantasy for me. The world-building and character development were well done, making me feel like I was right in the thick of it. The pace was quick, and I didn't want to put it down. The ending did not surprise me, but I really enjoyed this book and will look forward to reading the next one.

Fritzi is the lone survivor of an attack on her coven by a group of witch hunters. As a means to the same end, so she hopes, Fritzi joins forces with a member of the very gang responsible for the attack. Can she trust him?

I was a little bored with this one, but was happy the change in genre after so many summer reads.

It was okay. I think I would've enjoyed more action and less torture. There wasn't really anything in this that was exciting or new enough to share with my students.

Night of the Witch is a brand new reimagining of the European Witch Trials. Following along with Fritzi and Otto, Witch and witch hunter, both are quickly introduced as enemies. As the story progresses, both realise there is much more to each other than meets the eye and they slowly morph into allies - then something more starts blossoming. Both has the same goal, uniting against one evil and saving magic, the book quickly takes you on that journey then leaves you with a cliffhanger ready for book two. This would be perfect for lovers of fantasy, love and romance and the creation of a new magical world.

Night of the Witch would be for you if you love;
- Enemies to lovers
- Witches and Witch Hunters
- Dual POV

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Fire and Raasch & Revis for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. This one releases October 3rd, 2023.

Thank you Netgalley for sending me an arc of this delightful book!
I had a lot of fun reading this book, and I cannot wait for it to be released so everybody else can understand the feelings I am having. The only downside of this book, and the fact that I read it early, is that now I have to wait even longer for the sequel. Luckily it wasn't too bad of a cliffhanger.
I felt a lot of feelings during this, a lot of them at the same time. Laughter, sadness, stress, frustration. If you want an emotional whip[lash of a book then this is the one for you - and I mean that positively.
The tension was there, the banter was spectacular. chefs kiss. Truly.

The cover grabbed me on this one, but I truly enjoyed it to the very end. Witch is a special favorite of mine!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcefire books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This story takes a fantastical retelling of witch trials in Europe. An unlikely duo of witch and a witch hunter end up working together seeking a haven and revenge. The setting and world building the authors created throughout the book is so well done and some parts of this book are just so descriptive and beautifully written.
Of all the characters, Liesel was my favorite. Her strength and bravery despite being so young was so shocking to me. She was so mature for her age but I loved the parts where I got to see her youth and child-like playfulness come out.
To me the two main characters, Otto and Fritzi’s connection was rushed/forced. I usually love a good enemies to lovers romance but the transition in between wasn’t very believable. There were afew elements of the plot and magic system that were alittle confusing, especially in the later parts of the book that made it at times difficult to follow.
It took me quite a while to get through this book. The plot was slow moving for the first 2/3 of the book and then rapidly accelerated the last third making all the reveals and plot twists very surprising but alittle jarring when the book ended.
Overall I enjoyed this book but the things I didn’t enjoy about it made me give it 3 stars.

Beyond your typical witch trial story... Sara Raasch brings us an incredibly well-researched story of true love from the depths of the European witch trials! I loved that this tale bounced around a landscape I could picture while also conjuring those fantasy elements to layer over a world we already know.

Fritzi's coven is destroyed, and the only thing she's still living for is rescuing her cousin from the dangerous clutches of witch hunters blinded by their hatred: the hexenjägers. While attempting to rescue another witch from capture on the journey to save her young cousin, Fritzi becomes entangled with Otto.. a hexenjäger with a secret. As the witch trials ramp up, Fritzi and Otto stumble upon sinister plots that could change the magical landscape of the world altogether.

THOUGHTS:
- I loved Fritzi's growth throughout Night of the Witch! That transformation from an unsure young woman to someone capable of relying on their inner strength is always a fun read!
- Otto - I found his character interesting because he was reminiscent of what I imagine most soldiers recruited for a higher power's persecution of a certain group would be; not convinced of the cause but needed the job and the money to save themselves/family. There are very few truly dedicated to zealot causes worldwide - more just that people are afraid *not* to be a part of a cause that seems to be on the winning side.

*Will definitely be ready to read the next book in the series to see more of Fritzi and Otto!

NOTES:
- Historical Note: Between 1400 and the 1700s - somewhere between 40,000-60,000 women were burned at the stake after being accused as a witch in the Roman Empire. Most of these women were talented herbal healers, single women, barren women, etc. -- and it's always good to remember that while these stories are fiction.. the superstitions of people of the Dark Ages were very real.
- CWs: Religious persecution of Jews and other faiths

**Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Fire, Sourcebooks Fire & NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤

Witches are burnt everyday on a stake for men to believe they’re in control of their power, innocent people burn everyday for the whims of a man too powerful to stop.
Wild magic is the only thing that can free her.
Will she give in?

Night of the witch is a wonderful fantasy set in Germany during the witches hunt and I enjoyed every second of it, the characters are so well developed and intriguing, the plot has left me hanging to see what is next.
This is is a tale of witches, goddesses, love and betrayal; trigger warnings are stated at the beggars of the book which i appreciated very much.

I need book 2 asap, no jokes.

Netgalley provided me with this book in exchange of my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for this ARC. Here is my honest review:

Rating: 3.5/5
Spice: 1/5

This is a YA historical fantasy inspired by the witch trials in Germany. I was excited to read this dual POV enemies to lovers story about a witch (Fritzi) who survives the horrific massacre of her coven and crosses paths with a witch hunter (Otto) dealing with the internal struggles of his station.

I enjoyed the first half of the book and the interwoven cultural and historical elements, as well as the budding romance and banter between the main couple. Otto is an absolute cinnamon roll, and I loved him. However, there was not enough relationship development and romance for me, and overall the story started to lag around the 75% mark. Fritzi makes poor decisions early on and throughout the book that were nonsensical and truly annoyed me. I also had trouble connecting with the side characters we meet along the way, and it was baffling to me why certain characters withheld important information that could have seriously aided Fritzi and Otto.

The revelation of the main villain was at first intriguing, but they quickly grew tiresome. I will caution readers there are scenes of torture and also violence to an animal that were not enjoyable for me to read.

For me personally, the ending was predictable, and the setup for the next book was frustrating, so I probably will not continue. That being said, readers who want something witchy and a bit gory for spooky season might still enjoy this book.

Overall I liked this story, it was very original and interesting, I did struggle at the start with the interchanging language with the adding of German words into the speech but it grew on me and by the end I liked it and think it added something unique to the story. The magical system in the book was awesome!

The characters in the book were well written and had a lot of growth. The main female character Fritzi was the hardest character for me to grasp at the start and I struggled at the start in her POV but as the book continues I enjoyed her POV and her character. She had a lot of growth.

Otto, Loved him from the start, his POV were easy to read and engage with and he was a great Main male character. I also loved the relationship that grew between him and Fritzi.

The leading villain in the book was Dieter, This character was very well written - although I don’t like his character he made the book so interesting and has made the magical system more interesting. The epilogue from his POV was very good and draws you in for the next book.

Would have loved more spice in the book but it was a plot driven story and it did not disappoint.

Huge shoutout to NetGalley and Sara Raasch for hooking me up with this awesome e-ARC!

So, confession time: I usually stick to my comfort zone when it comes to books, but boy, am I glad I branched out with this one! 📚✨ Imagine a world where religion and witchcraft are like frenemies having a showdown – yeah, that's the ride we're on! 🧙‍♀️💥 It took me a bit to wrap my head around the unique world-building, but guess what? The characters had me hooked from the get-go. Fritzi's journey is seriously emotional – she's lost a ton, and her mission is rock-solid... until Otto swoops in like a hurricane. 🌪️🌟 Their rollercoaster dynamic had me feeling ALL the feels, and trust me, you're gonna be waving pom-poms for their triumph (I'm keeping it spoiler-free, I promise!).

And a huge "hell yeah" to the dual POV – it's like sneaking a peek into their minds as they tackle everything!

If you're into:

Enemies to lovers
Witch trials
Witches vs hunters

Then this book NEEDS to be on your reading list! 📖🔥

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. I enjoyed this book. Witch trials, magic, and enemy turned love. Looking forward to the next book