Differences do not make enemies, except among fools,'....'But the real fools are the ones who think they know everything.'

Sarah Raasch and Beth Revis bring closure to the 'Witch and Hunter' duology in legendary fashion. Revealing Fritzi and Otto's fate as well as an understanding of what will happen with magic and the witches who reside in the Well. 'The Fate of Magic' is great storytelling interwoven with elements of historical truth and epic levels of supernatural fantasy.

Fritzi is a powerful witch. She and her cousin Liesel are the chosen champions to two of the three Goddesses. Otto was a captain of the hexenjager, an institution whose purpose it is to capture witches for persecution and death by fire at the stake.

Otto and Liesel have fled the city of Trier and it's witch hunting hexenjager in an effort to avoid a painful, fire filled death. Under the impression that Fritzi's brother Dieter, the head of the hexenjager and a witch himself, had been captured and was headed back to Trier for trial and prosecution, Fritzi feels some relief that she can move forward peacefully with her life. As a champion she is committed to implementing an old tradition of bonding with her chosen warrior, Otto.

Otto has always been a soldier. Having originally infiltrated the hexenjager with the intent to bring the organization down from the inside, he has no qualms with becoming Fritzi's bonded warrior. The bonding ceremony brew can be dangerous if prepared incorrectly. Otto is willing to take that risk if the ultimate result allows him to better defend Fritzi. His protection will be greatly needed. The Well and it's witches are at risk from an unseen, unknown danger. Fritzi and Otto must fight a monumental battle to save magic.

This series is filled with so many layers. It is set in medieval Germany during the time of the notorious witch trials. The many different cultural influences throughout the story are impactful; the Gauls, Roman, Germanic, and in one instance there is Egyptian and Mongolian representation. So many lessons can be gleaned across both books including a willingness to accept others regardless of their differences, whether that be with politics, religion, or personal beliefs. Such an amazing commentary for today's social climate. I especially love the message that we all have a right to chose. Raasch and Revis have made statements about religion without preaching from high on a pulpit. They have used history as their vehicle to bring an educated message to their readers. As a lover of history, a student of theology, and an avid reader of fantasy, I appreciated the story that they shared.

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

I’m hovering between three and four but I think I’ll round up.

This book is almost everything one could want from a YA Romantasy: betrayal, magic, found family, and love.

I'm telling you now. I would ride or die for Otto. He never wavers in his love and faith in Fritzi. It's them against the world always. He is 100% book-boyfriend material.

Fritzi struggles a lot in this book. But luckily she did not try to shoulder it all alone. She grew to trust those around her and genuinely did all she could to try to change the world for the better.

The writing was easy to follow and made for a quick read. I do wish the ending wasn't quite so rushed but overall I had a good time.

I enjoyed this book it’s historical fiction and witchy and who wouldn’t love that I enjoyed the characters and saw the growth with them an enjoyed how this duology ended But I just felt something missing

This was a great ending to this duology. As with the first it was action packed. I was really invested into the story. I thought the author wrapped everything up nicely.

That villian Dieter!! Such a good villian. Loved all the characters.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks for this eARC.

This is a solid second book in a series. I liked it the same as the first, they’re both pretty comparable. The pacing is a bit slow, much like the first, but it was a decent read.

This was just as good as book one. These two should definitely continue to write stories together. This was so hard to put down . Had to know what was going to happen.

Short and Sweet Review

After Fritzi and Otto escaped Dieter, they take refuge with the witches in the Black Forest. Fritzi focuses on being the best champion she can be to the goddess Holda. Otto is still a warrior at heart and he becomes bonded to Fritzi to be her protector. Otto and Fritzi thought the trouble was behind them but they have more challenges ahead that they have to face.

The Fate of Magic was a good book, looking back I gave the first book (The Night of the Witch) the same rating I’m giving this book 3 stars. I don’t think this book was better or worse. This book was a bit slower and took the time to focus on character relationships. I didn’t care for Otto and Fritzi I wish their relationship developed more but it felt more like lust. As I mentioned earlier it was a slower start so I was just waiting for something to happen and I think there was a lot of loose ends and things that weren’t completely explained. I did like that Dieter wasn’t completely gone and that our characters had to go on a journey to find these stones that Dieter was looking for. It was also nice that it felt like a race against time and we could feel the urgency for this quest to be completed as soon as possible.

Overall, this was a good sequel and ending to this duology. I do feel that the majority of this book was more character focused than focusing on the journey which took place towards the second half of the book. This was a good duology but it did fall flat in my opinion and with the second book I was hoping for more of a bang.

LOVED. A great second act to this world and story and I’m so sad to say good by to these characters.

The only thing I did not like about this duology was that it wasn't a trilogy because I want more of this world! The characters, the magic, the romance and the action were all amazing. This is definitely one of my favorite fantasy series so far this year and I pray the authors write more in this world. If you like fantasy, you will definitely enjoy this duology.

An excellent sequel to this duology!

I love Fritzi and Otto! They’ve come so far since Night of the Witch. They’ve grown so much, both as individuals and as together as a bonded pair.

There are so many parallels to today's issues and I love that books like this allow readers to see things through a new lens.

I loved this world and I’m sad to leave it. I can't wait to pick up a physical copy soon!

I have been waiting for this book since the moment I finished the first one and it was worth the wait!!

Loved book 2 in this duology! Exciting story and characters. The book was also super thought provoking in its look at theologies and autonomy of self. Love this series overall and I really hope that this author team will team up again!! I would advise anyone who loves fantasy to give this duology a go. I will absolutely be reading it again soon.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
After really enjoying the first book in this duology, I was excited for what The Fate of Magic would bring, and was fortunately satisfied with how it came together. Everything that was previously established gets built on almost perfectly in this installment, from the overall plot to the romance.
While the first book saw more of the romantic development, there’s still a lot of that to love here. Fritzi and Otto face more obstacles to their relationship, but also are a unit, not just romantically, but also in their attempt to bring peace to their respective factions, the witches and the hunters.
The plot was exciting, and the stakes were fairly high. Dieter makes for a menacing villain, particularly in the bits from his POV. There was a high-octane sense of racing against time for a good portion of the book which translated to fast pacing overall.
This was an enjoyable conclusion to a solid duology, and I’d recommend it to readers interested in a witchy (upper) YA fantasy series.

Content Warning: violence, possession

I read Night of the Witch last year, which is book one of this series. So I decided to read book two and here are my thoughts:

Likes:

+ Like the first book, I thought there was good world-building. This is set in Germany when witches were being burned so I always like a little historical fiction in my fantasy books, and this particular part of history is one that I don’t know much about.

+ There are new challenges Fritzi and Otto have to deal with like the return of Dieter who can take possession of Fritzi. But I love how Fritzi and Otto’s bond has really grown and though there is romance, I feel like it wasn’t the main focus. They are a pretty solid couple with no drama between which was kind of nice!

+ Even thought this is a dark book, I love the humor some of the secondary characters brought into the story like Liesel, she such a fun character always checking up on Fritzi and Otto.

Dislikes:

~ I felt like this book was slower for me to get into. For a minute I had to get my bearings and remember what happened in book one but once I did, I thought not much was happening like in book one.

~ The ending felt rushed.

My Final Thoughts:

I think this was a solid conclusion to the duology and overall an interesting series if you are into witches, history, romance, magic and fantasy!

"The breathtaking sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller Night of the Witch culminates with a sweeping romance and an epic battle to determine the fate of magic...and the world.

Fritzi is a champion. After escaping the clutches of Dieter Kirch, the sadistic leader of the witch hunters, Fritzi and Otto have taken refuge among the witches of the Black Forest. Fritzi is finally ready to assume her place on the council as the coven's goddess-chosen champion. Plagued by distrust and self-doubt, Fritzi throws herself into her duty to serve the goddesses...until she uncovers a powerful secret that could mean the very undoing of magic itself.

Otto is a warrior. He swears himself to Fritzi as her bonded protector, certain the peaceful unity of a witch and hunter will heal the wounds he helped make. But as the horrifying plot that threatens the Black Forest's magic comes to light, Otto will have to face both his past and what it means to bind himself to a magic he does not fully understand.

Shadows loom. Truths are revealed. And as dangers new and old arise, Fritzi and Otto must stand together against everything that threatens magic - even if the biggest threat might be the very bond they share."

Germanic witches for the win.

If you are looking for a solid end to a duology, The Fate of Magic is your book. This book takes place right after the events of Night of the Witch where Fritzi and Otto have made it to the Black Forest and are now trying to find out how to destroy Dieter.

What I liked: This book ties up loose ends very nicely. The characters showed growth in themselves and their magic, and the story had a nice flow. At one point I just forgot I was reading and just enjoyed the story. I found the final battle also to be very satisfying in how it happened and turned out.

There were some slow parts to this book, but I was able to overlook it because it was well written.

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

This was a fantastic conclusion to a Duology. The pacing was great. I was never bored and it never felt rushed. I would definitely recommend This book.

The Fate of Magic is a beautifully written collaboration between Sarah Raasch and Beth Revis. I fell in love with Fritzi and Otto and became invested in their characters by the end of Night of the Witch. The reader got to know Liesel, Fritzi's young cousin on a deeper level in The Fate of Magic. It is a novel that brings in the history of Germany as well as the treatment of Jews throughout time with through the perspective of witches. Germanic folklore is pulled into the story, reminding of the time as a young child I lived in Germany and the folklore my mom used to get me to take my naps. I was intrigued and felt this duology was a mix of The Mists of Avalon and Court of Thorns and Roses. As a Teen Librarian, I have been telling all my fantasy loving teens about this duology. I was sad for it to end and that it is only a duology.

The Fate of Magic by Sara Raasch and Beth Revis which is the second installment of the Witch and Hunter series where we continue to follow Otto and Fritzi as they deal with the consequences of the witch hunter Dieter as well as his continued attempts to go after them. I will say I have never read the first book and jumping into this one without the context did make it hard for me to initially get invested. While I really like Otto and Fritzi and their dynamic as well as how the authors convey their emotional and physical traumas, it took me a few good chapters to really get invested in the actual plot. This is more to say, read the first book before checking this one out as once I did get into the plot, I found the mysterious and discussions of religion in a world with actual magic very compelling and I’m excited to see where Sara and Beth take these characters in the future. If you enjoy romance, mystery, and magic check out The Fate of Magic.

Now, this is how you write a sequel! Enough action and adventure to keep it interesting and keep you wanting more, but without sacrificing the tender moments between characters that leads to great character development and to break up the stress and hard emotions.

Everything I loved about the first book - the banter, the tension, the angst - it was still here but even better now that it is a developed relationship. I also loved that we got to see a bit of relationships developing with the side characters, and I would be interested in seeing a spinoff either novella or standalone of some of those relationships even.

I love seeing a strong female lead, and Fritzi is definitely that. But she's also vulnerable and hesitant and scared. And I love seeing that even more. She's not this ultra strong goddess that people can't relate to, she's just a person.

Fritzi and Otto's relationship in this had me SWOONING every chapter! kicking my feet, giggling, the whole thing. Oh and my favorite part? They actually COMMUNICATED to each other! no miscommunication trope here folks!

This was a phenomenal book and my only critique is that it's over and there aren't any more books in the series to look forward to.