What a beautifully written book! I saw someone relate the writing to CS Lewis' Narnia, which I have never read. However, I can see how the hauntingly flowing writing would be related to a classic. The German setting was fun and different, as someone who is of German heritage herself. It was nice to have an atypical setting. I cannot wait to read more of Josephine's story!

Interesting take on the witches vs. vampires trope. Josefines life is thrown into upheaval when her witch grandmother is killed and she’s forced to ally with an ancient pure blood vampire to find out who killed her and why, and to protect the world!

It took me a little longer to get really invested in the story. The characters fell a little flat so it was harder to root for them. The premise of the story is a solid concept and eventually I wanted to get to the bottom of everything as much as Fin did.

Also, insert a talking raven with direct line to the old Norse gods and you’ve got a story!

Josefine is a story about a young woman from a witch family, however, she is also what is refered to as a dormant witch. Even though she is from a powerful line of witches, her powers have never surfaced. Josefine has believed her whole life that she was nothing special until her grandmother is killed by the first vampire. Soon Josefine is forced on the run for her life and must get to the order with the help of some unlikely allies.

I find witch novels hit or miss and this was definitely a hit. I was not expecting to be pulled into the story as quick as i was. The story builds really well and is hard to put down but also very easy to get back into when you put it down. This story has a lot of action spread throughout the whole story. I really liked this whole book since it wasn’t just about magic but war and other paranormal creatures as well as old gods. I think this a was a great combination of supernatural beings for those who like paranormal genres.

Josefine lives with her grandmother, who is a powerful and ancient witch, in a small town in Germany. Tired from years of wars, power plays, and such, the grandmother now sells herbs and spices to tourists. Although Josefine was born in the same bloodline, she's a doormat...a cruel term for dormant witches with no powers. When her grandmother is murdered by a powerful being, Josefine finds herself being hurried away to the Order in France, according to her grandmother's plan. The same creature wants to destroy her, although she has no idea why, but then, she has no clue why everyone is trying to protect her. She only knows that her grandmother's plans are they only thing standing between the creature and the end of humanity.

Josefine is easy to root for as she suffers under the loss of the person she loved most and refuses to go against that trust even when things go crazy. Her decisions are mostly understandable as she tries her best to work with a sudden thrust into a dangerous and confusing situation. The characters around her don't have quite as much depth, which I missed, but then, one of the main drives in this plot is that no one really seems to know what's going on, and for reasons of self-preservation, they keep everything about themselves close. So, the depth builds as the story happens.

The plot is woven with action, intrigue, and secrets, and everyone is in a mad race to avoid the very evil First Vampire, while trying to follow a plan laid out by Josefine's grandmother. And not everyone involved even knows this much. So, there's a lot to unfold as Josefine blindly trusts whatever her grandmother claimed she should, while battling to stay alive and knowing that her life, thanks to her complete lack of powers, is truly in the hands of others...and these others have so many dark sides, that it's hard to know if they can be trusted, too. So, there is a lot of tension and twists and turns.

There is death. There are vicious vampires, heartless witches, and ruthless gods, and an approaching war. And among this, there is romance. Sort of. It'd be wrong with all of the blood, confusion, and loss for Josefine to flip head over heels and suddenly fall in love...I mean the girl has a massive portion on her plate. The author kept this end very slow burn, and while this first book does leave suspicions of possible future romance pairings, it's not fleshed out yet. I appreciate that, since there is so much more to come.

This does leave off with a cliff-hanger, and I do wish book two were already out because I would have instantly picked it up. But fans of secrets, vampires, witches, ancient gods, intrigue, and action will enjoy this one.

beautiful writing style, I love the way she shapes and creates a literary world. Love the characters she provides to shape the main character and eager for the next book after the cliffhanger.

If you're searching for a thrilling experience, this is the place to go. Then you'll want to read this book. Josefine's universe drew me in right away. The plot has a sense of mystery that keeps you interested.
If you're searching for a thrilling experience, this is the place to go. Then you'll want to read this book. Josefine's universe drew me in right away. The plot has a sense of mystery that keeps you interested.

The protagonist is When an event turns her life upside down and she discovers that people have been harboring secrets all around her, Josefine finds herself trapped within the beautiful world that she thought she knew. The world in this novel is one of old gods, witches, and vampires, although it is set in modern-day Germany. The plot is intriguing and straightforward to follow.

Everything about this book was fantastic, and I'm looking forward to the sequel. c, and I'm looking forward to the sequel.

It was the cover that got me. It’s sleek and made me feel like the writing would be as well. The premise sounded cool but from the first chapter I was certain this book wasn’t for me. It’s repetitive and didn’t hook me at all. The dialogue and the inner thoughts didn’t sound authentic. I had high hopes but I just couldn’t make it through the writing style. I would still recommend others check it out.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

Josefine is a thoroughly enjoyable paranormal romance in the beautifully described fairytale setting of present-day Germany. Fans of True Blood/Sookie Stackhouse novels might like this series although its a little more of a slow burn so it might also be good for paranormal romance fans looking to transition from YA to Adult.

This was an ARC read for me, in exchange for a honest review!

I love a solid YA and this was IT for me!

There is so much going on in this book, it keeps you on the edge of your seat!

The best way to start a book-series for sure!

I don't want to give away too much so please read it if you like: action, fantasy, secrets paranormal beings and many many more!

Such a fantastic, gripping read, you will not be disappointed at all this book has it all and will keep you guessing throughout, loved this definitely one of my top 10 reads this year so far.

Josephine begins with the first novel in the series, Shadows of the Witch. As this will be a trilogy, this book is a great intro to the world and characters; however, a “cliffhanger” ending is always frustrating as I want to know what happens next.(It is not a typical cliffhanger as the story ends at a stopping point where it will most likely pick up in the sequel.) The story centers on Josephine (Fin), a 19-years-old dormant witch, who’s originally unaware of her own magic although she comes from a long line of witches. The story takes place in Germany in the town of Rudesheim on the Rhine River where Josephine lives with her grandmother, who runs a shop selling herbs and remedies. After a vampire kills her grandmother, Josefine is forced to align with others and be on the run.

The romance in this story is hinted at, but it seems that I will need to wait until the second to see it further develop. As a character, I am on the fence with Josefine as I liked her yet I did not quite warm to her. I am sure there is more to her than meets the eye and she will go through some development as the series moves forward, so I just have to read the next installments to find out more. While Josefine was not my favorite in this installment, the side characters were incredibly enjoyable. Fin’s raven, Bertram, has some nice humorous moments that break up the action and mystery. Other enjoyable characters are Luna, Fabian, and Lucias, who all join Fin on her journey.

The world-building is immersive as there are many places explored in this story along with the vampires, witches, and magic. While the pacing of the story may not be non-stop action, it was a great set-up for the rest of the series. There is still some action, so this was a great introduction novel. The story is great for readers who love witches, vampires, adventure, mystery, and everything else in between as it gives the reader a bit of everything. There are many questions that need to be answered and I cannot wait to find them! Overall, this novel makes me very curious to read the sequel, Shadows of the Sword.

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Timeless Papers, for the opportunity to read this entertaining novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

I was so intrigued by the premise of this book and I enjoyed reading it. The writing style is really interesting and the book is great.

2/5

Josefine follows the story of a young woman who has a magical bloodline. However she doesn’t have any magical ability herself. When her grandmother is killed, a plan comes into play. She has to team up with vampires who are known for being dangerously misleading.

I ended up DNFing this book about 60% through, as I wasn’t able to get into the book at all. The characters seemed underdeveloped and the plot was very repetitive. The same things were happening over and over just in slightly different ways. I enjoyed the bit of I read romance but in the end, Josefine didn’t hold my interest long enough for me to continue reading

5 stars for this enthralling story. It’s captivating, well-written, and full of vivid imagery. I’m dying to read the next book!

THE PREMISE:
19-year-old witch Josefine, aka Fin, has no apparent active powers and now she’s on the run, pursued by an ancient psycho vamp that killed her grandmother and cat for some magic rock. Turns out a friend of hers has a secret identity and mission involving Fin, but he isn’t forthcoming with answers. The only person who will give her any answers is Balthazar, an ancient vampire that runs an organic farming business
(despite not eating any himself and is struggling to parent a rebellious goth teenage witch named Luna. Fin is not having a good week.

At least her raven (Bertram) stuck around, guess he likes Fin more than she thought even if he clearly thinks it’s funny to prank her sometimes. (I can relate. I just know my cat thinks it’s hilarious to trip me when I’m carrying a large pile of laundry.) Clearly people expect her to do something important to stop this ancient psycho vamp (including said vamp as he’s clearly hunting her), but everyone’s either fuzzy or tight lipped about the details. Fin picks up some allies on the run: Fabeian, Luna, and Lucius. Lucius, a vampire, is as helpful as he is enigmatic. Fin finds him suspiciously charming. There’s something about him she can’t place and she feels strange around him sometimes for reasons unknown. With all these mysteries, Fin soon begins to wonder if who she really is is a mystery even to herself.

THE WRITING:
There is just the right amount of world building so that you’re immersed and not confused without slowing down the story. The nature and origin stories of vampires, witches, and magic in this tale is unlike anything I’ve seen before. Clues are doled out at a nice pace to keep you constantly interested, thinking, theorizing, rethinking, and inching closer to seeing the full picture. (I have a few theories myself.) The mysteries drive the story, keeping the characters from being solely defined by their romantic interests.

This book has the beginnings of slow burn romance without a love triangle. It develops organically and is just getting started, instead of rushing and having the main character and her love interest get together in the first book. In fact, all the relationships, romantic or otherwise develop naturally and slowly. No insta-love, insta-trust, insta-hate, or insta-friends.

THE CHARACTERS:
Daye has created an array of lovable and fallible characters that are described vividly enough to picture and each have their own distinct personalities, voices, and speech patterns.

I love the main character. Fin, frustrated from still showing no signs of any useful witchy powers and being kept in the dark, has had about enough. “If death really surrounds me, maybe you should ask yourself if it’s a good idea to piss me off.” (Fin says to a witch that easily electrocute her with magic.) She may not seem powerful, but she’s no coward. She may be on the run, but she won’t be pushed around. And no, she’s not putting on any overly-fancy designer clothes (provided by the local organic-farming vampires) no matter how many days she has to wear the muddy pants and T-shirt from when she fled town. Just nope. Daye definitely doesn’t portray life on the run as glamorous. Fin is empathetic, kind, assertive, brave, loyal, hardworking, and occasionally impulsive. She sees the shades of grey in the world. She doesn’t excuse bad behavior, but she also doesn’t condemn those who make mistakes. She’s amazing without being put on a pedestal.

Lucius is, surprisingly, both secretive and frank. He’s intelligent, brave, rude, kind, loyal, and full of ancient knowledge. He treats others as equals and has a quirky sense of humor. Impressively, Daye made Lucius likable even though you don’t know who he’s working for, what inhuman vampiric abilities he has, or what his plan is. Fin is tries hard not to develop a crush on this strange vampire. He’s a good love interest.

THE ENDING:
The book ended at a natural stopping point. While it doesn’t end of a cliffhanger, things are not is fully explained yet, many mysteries are still open, and the plot of Fin’s story is just getting started. There has been enough plot progress, clues, and reveals that at the end of the book, I feel much closer to answers and will eagerly anticipate more story.

There is some death and violence in this book, but nothing graphic, excessive, or unsuitable for young adults. Thanks to Timeless Papers and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me this ARC for an honest review.

Imagine every possible trope from early 2010s YA fantasy books. Well, that's this book.

The book was so incredibly boring as well as bleak. The characters were so bland I was uninterested for the majority of this book. It started well enough but after the halfway mark, it lost all of it's appeal.

To my great disappointment, this is a series I will not continue to read.

'Josefine':3⭐

(Unpaid Review: thank you to Netgalley, Denise Daye and the publishers for allowing me to read this eArc copy in exchange for a review.)

Josefina is a badass main character. A book about witches, with a massive crow on the cover is a big FAT Y E S to me. As I was reading, I did felt a lack of character development, which, is okay, since the author compensated with plot.
However, for me, I really wanted more of the characters. I loved meeting them!

This book was average. I found Josefine somewhat unlikable at times and couldn't see why people were so eager to sacrifice themselves for her. I did enjoy the supporting characters at times more than her. I felt like Josefine just never really caught on to anything going on around her. The book was slow at times. I actually liked there was no big romance thrown in because it's a break from the norm. I will read book 2 because of the sheer fact there were so many loose ends.

I enjoyed this book. The world building and the main story are explained and developed well. There wasnt ever a point in the book where i was confused. It also wasnt predictable which is a relief as well. I really enjoy our main character josefine. I am super interested to see where this story goes in the next book. I wish we wouldve gotten a little more in this one, but it did end on a good note. The only thing i would critique would be that when the POV changes, to have that character’s name above that paragraph. At first i was like “wait what” but then knew going forward cause i knew the characters better. Overall good read and cant wait for the next one!

This reads like a plot outline with occasional completed passages. Also? As the first book in a series I assumed there would be a complete story with some set up for what happens next. Not so, as it eventually just ends with no resolution whatsoever.

I loved this book! I didn’t realize there would be a sequel until the end and was surprised by the cliffhanger, but I have already ordered book 2! There were times the main character got on my nerves, but she grew as a person as the story evolved so I was able to deal with it. I enjoy books that have witches and vampires and this was definitely in the top tier of ones I have read. I look forward to watching Finn continue her journey n