This duology seems to be criminally underrated. I enjoyed it so, so much!

The Fate Of Magic picks up shortly after Night of the Witch ended, and Fritzi, Otto and the well witches have been lured into a bit of a sense of false security. They quickly learn that the danger has not, in fact, passed; actually, it seems that things are worse than ever.

This is a really surprisingly dark story: it is inspired by the historical witch trials in Germany, and it includes a fair amount of violence and torture, both physical and psychological. I personally think it’s all very well handled, but I note it because it’s somewhat more than what I normally expect from a YA story. Overall this reads as a very, very adult YA duology (and I ADORE that about it).

It also moves FAST, maybe not QUITE as fast as the first book felt for me, but incredibly easy to blow through and difficult to put down. I love the characters: I love Fritzi’s fierceness alongside her hurt and her fear. I love Liesel’s unflinching spirit and whimsy, despite everything she has been through. I love Otto and his unwavering loyalty and strength. This world really expanded and delved further into history, and it was all very atmospheric and fascinating. The ending is really satisfying and leads the characters and the reader to new lessons and discoveries. There is just so, so much to love.

I’m not rating this quite as high because I found myself wanting the very ending fleshed out and even slowed down a bit. It wasn’t a huge drawback, I still enjoyed really every page of this, I just found that the final conflict came about fast and I still have some logistical questions about how our villain ended up positioned where they were.

Ultimately, if you love historical fantasy, witches x witch hunters, upper-ya themes, truly terrifying villains, intricate worlds that feel fantastical but also quite grounded, and themes that explore organized religion, colonization, and oppression, this duology should also be on your radar! Thank you so much to Sourcebooks Fire & Netgalley for this eArc!

I will happily read anything by Beth Revis and Sara Raasch, and their latest collaboration delivers a fantastic conclusion to an enchanting duology set in medieval Germany. After Fritzi escapes from Dieter, she and Otto join the witches of the Black Forest, where Fritzi is ready to embrace her role as the goddess Holda’s champion. However, self-doubt lingers as they uncover a new danger with Dieter at its center.

This installment masterfully balances action and character development. As a duology, I often worry that stories feel rushed, but this one hit all the right notes, with plenty of excitement to keep the narrative moving. The stakes are significantly higher, and while I sometimes wished for a breather for the characters, the nonstop action only heightened the tension. Fritzi’s growth and Otto’s unwavering devotion to her are beautifully portrayed, making their enemies-to-lovers romance all the more compelling.

I particularly appreciated the well-developed secondary characters—Hilde, Liesel, Cornelia, and Alois—all contribute to the group effort against Dieter, enriching the story further. The exploration of ancient Roman Germany adds an extra layer of depth, showcasing the extensive research that both authors put into the narrative.

Ultimately, this duology is a must-read for fans of magic, romance, and adventure. If you’re looking for a series filled with captivating characters and thrilling plot twists, definitely consider picking this one up!

As with the first the world building in this story picks right back up and is lovely. The characters are really what do it for me in this duo. Otto is a dream and never stops loving and standing by Fritzi's side no matter what. Fritzi kinda fell a part in this one but I think after all that she went through and was battling internally it was well deserved and in the end she came out the other side. I still love the magic system and was happy to see it expanded upon. I was also excited to see and understand more about the goddesses. The ending moved a little fast for me but I think it was half all the action and half I just didn't want the story to be over.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the magic in this book and loved the characters. This was just a wonderful read.

A thrilling sequel that fills me with hope there will be more. It felt good to reunite with these characters and dive back into this world. If you liked the first book, you'll love this one even more.

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.

As with the first book I really enjoyed this. You really cannot read this as a standalone as the first book really sets up the events that take place in this book and introduces all of the characters and their relationships. This picks up where book 1 leaves off with Fritzi and Otto taking their place among the witches in the Black Forest to serve Holda, the goddess that has chosen them. As a bonded pair they learn how to work together to fight against religious persecution and protect their beliefs. Unfortunately for them, Fritzi's brother Dieter is not done with them and he is not ready to give up his hold on her.

I really enjoyed Fritzi and Otto's relationship. They work really well together as partners both in a relationship sense and as battle partners. They are supportive and neither one wants to cause harm to the other which is a real possibility through their bond. They deal with high stakes situations throughout the book as they race to out maneuver Dieter with the help of the other witches and the goddess. I really enjoyed the scenes with the goddesses.

I thought the pacing was really well done. It starts out slow as the storyline is set up, but picks up as we understand the plotline. I was worried as the ending approached as it didn't appear there was enough time to end things neatly in the amount of time left in the book, but I was pleasantly surprised and satisfied with the ending. If you enjoyed book 1, I think you are really going to enjoy the conclusion to the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! I really enjoyed the first installment, Night of the Witch, and I was looking forward to reading this book.

While I loved Fritzi and Otto in Night of the Witch, I felt disconnected from the characters, as well as the world and the plot, at the beginning of this story. The first book was thrilling, fast-paced, and high-stakes, but I wasn't feeling that this time. I had to DNF for now, but I want to love it so much that I'll likely pick it up again soon with a fresh mind. I've been reading a LOT of YA fantasy recently, and maybe I'm just a tad burned out on it...

A fun conclusion to the series. This was only my second by this writing duo and I wasn't disappointed. Historical fiction blended with witchy fiction and magical fiction? Yes please!

What a way to come back into this world. Fritzi and Otto have faced many obstacles in their quest to save as many witches as possible. The hexenjägers are still at large, searching for witches to burn for simply having access to magic.

Fritzi's brother is gone. Or at least we think he is... But the magic that connects Otto and Fritzi may not be enough to keep Deiter out for long. This was so fast paced and exciting. I couldnt stop, I had see how things unfolded for Fritzi, Otto, and Liesel. This was a truly beautifully woven story.

One of the best writing duos I've ever read. Raasch and Revis created a captivating world with some of my favorite characters. The tapestry of magic, relationships,. and setting are truly magical and I'm sad that it isn't a trilogy. If you're looking for a deep and magical read, check out these authors and this book!
Thank you, ladies for sharing your talents with each other and all of your fans!

I received a free copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire; all opinions expressed are exclusively my own.

I really enjoyed the first installment of this series, Night of the Witch, and this sequel provided a fast paced but satisfying resolution, I love the historical notes blended in with the fantasy, and the characters continue to be interesting and compelling. While the first book sets up the horror of the world, the second deals more with the personal traumas the characters have experienced, and how they choose to create purpose out of the terrible things that have happened to them. This book takes up right where the first book leaves off, so I would recommend reading them close together.

For sensitive readers, this book contains depictions of racism, prejudice, torture, death, trauma, body horror, loss of autonomy, abusive relationships, and some sexuality (somewhere between open door and fade to black in nature).

This book concludes the Witch and Hunter duology, picking up soon after the first book ended. The story starts off with Otto and Fritzi preparing for a bonding ceremony and sharing some romantic moments together. The pace of the story builds, with stakes growing ever higher, which sent me rocketing from one chapter to another all the way until the end of the book.

I like that the story made space for Otto and Fritzi’s relationship, even though it wasn’t the central plot of the story. It was nice to enjoy those quiet moments in which they returned to the bond between them and why they cared for one another.

I also enjoyed the intensity of the hunt for the magic stones. It wasn’t clear whether they would be able to find them or get to them first, which kept the intensity high. I’ve seen other books that have a quest like this in which the clues don’t really fit together or feel forced. That isn’t the case here. I liked the way the various clues and the quest unfolded. It felt natural and made sense to me.

I also really appreciated that this is a duology. I was absolutely prepared to read more of the series, but it was a pleasant surprise to find that this one book delivered all the things I’d been waiting for from the story. It might be even better than the first book. I’m not sure. They were both great.

If you like historical fiction with a heaping serving of magic, this is definitely a series to put on your list. Start with Night of the Witch before reading this one.

*stands up and slow claps* Literally no notes!! This book is the absolute perfect ending to this story! I was so invested and had several moments of shock! Wow!! My only “complaint” is that I love all of these characters and this world so much and I am devastated to leave them behind!!! The ending was exactly what I needed to wrap everything up. I don’t think I realized it was a duology at first so I was a little bummed, but it truly makes sense and ended well!!!

Excellent. Perfect finish to this duology. The magic system and world building were incredible. Character interaction between Otto and Fritzi is delectable. The plot and pacing were fantastic (if a little fast) and this ranks high in my list of favorite romantasies.

After escaping Dieter Kirch, Fritzi and Otto have taken refuge among the witches of the Black Forest. Fritzi is ready to assume her place on the council as the coven's goddess-chosen champion. As she throws herself into the task, she uncovers a powerful secret that could mean the very undoing of magic itself. Otto is her bonded protector and must face both his past and what it means to bind himself to a magic he does not fully understand.

This is Witch and Hunter book 2, following Night of the Witch. It picks up a few months later, with Otto fighting the guards to secure his place within Well and Fritzi traumatized by her fight with Dieter. Both keep the secrets of the goddesses, the strength of wild magic, and the severity of Dieter's actions. He had wanted to destroy magic to keep its power for himself, but now they realize that Dieter had other plans that he was enacting, and Well is in more danger than they knew. The rest of the world is as well, as the tree-controlling magic is at risk.

This takes them back into the thick of hexenjäger influence at Trier, the heart of Dieter's power, and into the countryside where witches once lived. Fritzi and Otto don't have time to truly understand the bond between them before going on a hunt to stop Dieter, and the two both help and hinder their own plans. The drive to protect magic and the people around them remains Fritzi's main goal, with Otto trying to protect her at all costs. We see the goddesses and their views, and Fritzi ultimately confronts her trauma and the idea that wild magic is dangerous. The conclusion of this duology gives us hope for them and all the people they care about.

I also went into this book unsure if it was going to be a duology or a trilogy, and turns out this is the last book, which is sad, but the author did an excellent job of wrapping everything up. I really liked the story and characters. There was definitely more action in this one than the first, and you hit the ground running with this book from the get go, which I liked, making it a fast and engaging read. Overall a great romantasy, I will be recommending it!

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC!

The Fate of Magic is the second book in the young adult fantasy “Witch and Hunter duology.

In this book we have the main characters Fritzi and Otto living in the Black Forest among the witches of the Well. They will need to complete a “bonding” ceremony as Fritzi is the champion of a goddess and Otto is her warrior. They will share magic and use it to defeat Fritzi’s villainous brother Dieter who despite his arrest in the last book is a threat to witches and humans everywhere. But they’ll need to find him first and make sure he doesn’t get his hands on the three elemental stones that will destroy the Origin Tree and give him uncapped access to magic and power.

I really enjoyed the first book in this duology but this book was missing a lot of excitement and drama for me. There are a couple of scenes of action and fighting but the rest was a lot of detail I didn’t care about around the magical system, goddesses and who should and shouldn’t have access. It has a satisfying conclusion but I was hoping for the similar feeling I got from the first book.

Rating: 3 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is the second and final book. I enjoyed reading it and it’s sad that the series ended.
I love the characters in this duology and I feel like there were more action moments in the Fate of Magic compared to the first book.
If you enjoyed the first book in the duology I’m sure you’ll enjoy this one as well!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review an advanced copy of this novel. I highly enjoyed it and will be recommending it to others.

I went into this book not knowing if this was a duology, a trilogy, or the 2nd in a longer series. Turns out, it's a duology. For a long time reading, I wasn't sure, because I thought there was NO WAY the authors could wrap up the story in this book. But they did it!

I didn't like The Fate of Magic quite as much as Night of the Witch, but I think for me that's because Night of the Witch was the blossoming romance, everything was sunshine and roses (despite the world falling apart around Otto & Fritzi), while The Fate of Magic was after the honeymoon phase. They've settled into their life at the Well. Things aren't as exciting for the couple anymore, it's become their new ordinary life.

Until disaster strikes again, and oh boy, let me tell you disaster is putting it lightly!

Fritzi and Otto managed to stop Dieter in book 1, but the stakes are raised even higher in book 2 when The Well is threatened and it's up to the pair to save not only their new friends/found-family, but also magic itself.

Huge thanks to the publisher, authors, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for my honest review.