While I loved this book, and I can't wait to see where the rest of the series goes, I will echo the sentiment that this book should be marketed as New Adult or Adult.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

To me, the book was a little slow, but the overall concept of the book was good. I know a few other people who enjoy these books, and I can't wait to refer it to them.

This book just wasn’t for me. I felt like the pacing was a little too slow and I never found myself eager to pick the book back up. It wasn’t the writing that I didn’t care for but the development of the story.

I loved the concept and the setting. It was hard to get into and slow at the beginning. It was a fun and adventurous story but just didn’t do it for me.

The main plot revolved around a quest for revenge, which immediately drew me in with its fast-paced narrative. The author skillfully built up the suspense, keeping me hooked and eagerly turning the pages. However, I found that the secondary romance plotline emerged sooner than I anticipated, slightly slowing down the pacing of the story. While the romance did add depth and complexity to the characters' motivations, I couldn't help but feel that it detracted from the intensity and urgency of the primary plot.

In the book, Fritzi and Otto are portrayed as strong, independent individuals who undergo significant growth throughout the story. Each character faces their own challenges and overcomes personal obstacles, which adds depth to their development. However, the one aspect that left me slightly perplexed was their attraction to each other. While their bond was undeniable, it felt rushed and lacked the necessary foundation for a believable chemistry.

The setting of the book was truly captivating and set the perfect backdrop for the intricacies of the plot. The author's attention to accurate historical details brought the world to life, immersing me in the time period. What I found particularly impressive was the inclusion of the witch hunts, which were not merely fictional occurrences, but real events intertwined with the narrative. This choice added a layer of authenticity and depth to the story, allowing me to delve into the actual persecution that took place.

Night of the Witch offers an intense and compelling plot that kept me on the edge of my seat. The main storyline was engaging and full of suspense, with its twists and turns leaving me eager to uncover the truth. However, I found myself slightly disappointed by the secondary romance story. While it added an intriguing layer to the narrative, it felt rushed and lacked believable chemistry between the characters. Nevertheless, the historical setting was a standout element that brought a unique flavor to the story. This book is a great read for fans of historical fantasy and witchy tales this spooky season.

I liked the story, just didn't quite feel the romance. The prose is solid, and the real-world setting makes this slightly haunting!

Night of the Witch by Sara Raasch and Beth Revis was everything I was hoping it would be. If you haven't read this one yet, make sure you grab it.

Fritzi is our fmc and she is a witch. As the book opens, her coven is being attacked and afterward, she finds out her young cousin has been taken by the hexenjagers (witch hunters) - specifically the man in charge, Dieter Kirch. There's some past history here but I won't say what so I don't ruin the story but Fritzi is determined to find Liesel and make the hexenjagers pay. What she didn't plan for was a run in with another group of hexenjagers and becoming captured herself.

Leading the other group of hexenjagers is Otto. He's currently the second in command to Kirch but he has some secrets and he's been developing a plan to take them all down. To do that, he needs his sister and when things go sideways with her, he convinces Fritzi to help him instead. Despite not being sure they can trust each other, they decide to work together to free the current prisoners and save Liesel along the way. Once they do all that, they still need to work to take Kirch down and that is where most of the story takes place.

I loved how Raasch and Revis brought these characters together and that despite who they are now, they are able to build a relationship. While I loved the early banter and back and forth, I also loved the point where they both realized they mean more to each other than they expected. I'm a sucker for romance in my fantasy books (all books really) and this one was well done.

I don't want to say too much about the details as I thought the way things were revealed along the way for all the characters, helped pull me along and kept me invested in the story. There is a lot of action in this one and as I mentioned, a bit of romance thrown in. I have to admit, the bad guy truly is bad here and by the end of the book, you'll be cursing him right along with Fritzi and Otto. I'm truly looking forward to picking up book two in this series when I can as the ending of this book made me wish I already had it in my hands. Go pick this up when you can!

"Night of the Witch" weaves a captivating tale with its atmospheric storytelling and intricate world-building. Raasch and Revis collaborate seamlessly, creating a spellbinding narrative that keeps readers hooked. While the characters are well-developed, the pacing at times feels uneven, and some plot elements may leave readers craving more depth. Overall, a solid fantasy read that offers a blend of magic and mystery, earning it a respectable three and half stars.

A witch and a witch hunter... what could be better.

The story opens with a battle. Fritzi's coven is under attack. and Fritzi is helpless, locked away and unable to help.
When the smoke clears Fritzi is determined to find her only surviving family member, but instead finds herself captured by Otto, a hexenjäger Captain,
The hexenjägers are a fanatical witch police lead by Kommandant Dieter Kirch.

But Otto is hiding a secret, and he may be the only one Fritzi can rely on.

This was an enjoyable read. I liked the characters and the story, and while I enjoyed it, I was looking forward to the book ending, because of this I will not continue on with this series.

If I'm going to devote time into a series, when I finish the first book I need to have a desire for the story to keep going.
If I don't have that, I won't continue.

This book started out really well, and I was hooked to see where it was going. I loved the history of behind the witches and hexenjagers. Otto and Fritzi were excellent characters, and there were some shocking twists along the way. The book to me was way too long and drawn out towards the end. Once we got halfway, I started losing interest in the story.

Sara Raasch has written one of my favorite series (Snow Like Ashes), but it's been quite awhile since I read anything by her. As I read Night of the Witch, I found that I could feel a connection to Snow Like Ashes even though the two books are nowhere near the same.

Fritzi was fantastic. Everything about her -- her demeanor, her attitude, and even her frenetic powers -- were perfect. I felt for her throughout the journey of the novel. She's lost her family and she's figuring out her place in the world (literally). She's struggling with her individual identity, but also her witch identity and familial identity. It's an utter mess, but it's the exact right mess for this story.
Otto was a sleeper. Over time, you really love him and the path he's on.

I appreciate the nod to actual European Witch Trial history. As a result of reading this novel, I went down the research rabbit hole and learned quite a bit.

I can't wait to keep reading the series -- especially after that cliffhanger!

Special thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the ARC!

A witch and a hunter. Vengeance is their mission. Love is their destiny.

This one was a little out of my league, and it was hard to follow for me. That being said, I think others would really enjoy it.

Ich muss sagen, dass ich sehr positiv überrascht war von diesem Buch. Es wird bereits im Vorwort erwähnt, dass es sich hierbei um eine Romantasy-Geschichte geht und genau das hat man auch bekommen.
Zu Beginn wird man sehr schnell in diese Geschichte reingeworfen und es geht sehr rasant los. Auch die Liebesgeschichte lässt nicht lange auf sich warten und war für mich am Anfang etwas zu schnell, hat aber an sich zu dem Pacing des Buches sehr gut gepasst. Die Protagonistin die wir hier verfolgen ist sehr selbstbewusst was ich gut finde. Auch gut ist, dass dieses Selbstbewusstsein von dem Protagonisten sehr unterstützt wird, was mir in anderen Fantasybüchern leider oft fehlt. Wir haben hier nicht dieses typische Höhlenmenschgehabe was mir sehr gut gefallen hat. Auch toll war, dass die Geschichte sehr viel Spannung hatte und vor allem auch konstant gehalten hat. Es kam wirklich ein guter Twist nach dem nächsten. Vielleicht nicht unbedingt unerwartet aber doch überraschend.

Was mir nicht so gut gefallen hat, bzw. was mich etwas gestört hat war die Sprache. Ich hab das Buch auf englisch gelesen, wir befinden uns hier allerdings in Österreich. Es wurden immer wieder deutsche Wörter eingebaut (Schimpfwörter, Essen, Gedanken etc.) was ich an sich nicht schlecht finde. Es hat sich allerdings sehr willkürlich angefühlt, wo die Wörter verwendet wurden und das hat mich am Anfang doch immer wieder aus dem Lesefluss geholt.

Well written prose, exciting story. I enjoyed this one immensely. I was looking for a perfect spooky season read, that still had substance and this was it.

What a good opening book for a new historical witchy fantasy series! This took witch hunts and put a new twist on it. I really enjoyed the blending of German folklore into this novel. There was just a bit of spice in it, but as it is marketed as a YA novel I wanted to point that out. There were several quotable lines but the one that stuck with me was “I have seen evil. But until this moment with Bertrand, I had not realized how often it wore the mask of apathy.” I also loved the emphasis that a protector was not what these witches needed. I can’t wait to see where this series goes from here!

Fritzi is the only one who escaped the raid on her home. The witch hunters killed her family and friends, and took her cousin to go back to be burned at the stake. She will save her cousin one way or another. Until she interrupts another witch being arrested, only to end up in her place. And a witch hunter that should want nothing to do with her trying to get her to tell him where his sister is. Odd.

This was another DNF for me.
I wasn't able to immerse myself in the story.
The writing was okay, nothing incredible.
But it didn't grab me in the way that I expected.
I may give it another try. I tend to be a mood reader so this may hit the spot later on.!

I really struggled with this one at first and had such a hard time getting into it. It did really start to grab my attention about 2/3 of the way through the book when the action picked up. The romance also came together around this point, so for me, the book redeemed itself in the final act.

I enjoyed the magic system and the twist pertaining to it. I think the villain was set up well and I look forward to seeing how this all plays out in the next book.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

Wow… this book was everything I’d hoped it would be! I loved Fritzi - she was always concerned with doing the right thing, taking care of her family and others before herself. And Otto was a complete surprise!

The changing points of view with each chapter offered a unique perspective for each character. And this world, loosely based on historical fact, was so vibrant! I certainly hope this is only the beginning of Fritzi and Otto’s story!

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC! All opinions are my own.

Honestly, I almost had to DNF this book. The beginning felt too drawn out, the plot didn’t tie in anywhere, and a lot of the times, I put the book down to just do anything else. Literally anything. I can see where people would like it: the history and fantasy combination were interesting and had so much potential, the romance could have been there, but it fell flat for me.

I want to thank NetGalley for an arc in exchange of my honest review.

I really liked the premise and I found myself really enjoying some instances of the book. I really liked the concept and the writing style of the story but the romance was heavy on this one and it felt not like insta love but a bit rushed. I was particularly bothered at the implication of them as a family with her cousin when they mention the
MMC caring for the child, like how we got there？Also the FMC brother was an annoying villain lol

I’m honestly not completely sure how I feel about it, I have mixed feelings.

3.7 stars