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.

Overall, I was disappointed in the sequel and conclusion to this duology. First, I loved the research that went into both books. They were well researched and I adored that attention to historical accuracy. However, I felt Otto underwent a change in character that made him more timid and reluctant that just wasn’t believable for a warrior. Finally, the book was slow at crucial and pivotal parts and sped through parts that really needed to be fleshed out more.

The Fate of Magic picks up after book 1 Night of the Witch with our two main characters, Fritzi and Otto about to be joined in a bonding ceremony. Fritzi is now the champion of one of the magical goddesses of the world and Otto has been chosen as her protective warrior.
Unfortunately, the evil that is Fritzi’s brother wasn’t quite as unalived as they had hoped at the end of book 1 and now they must prevent him from gathering three stones and destroying the magical tree that keeps wild magic from being unleashed.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the opportunity to read and review this book in exchange for my honest review. While I did enjoy the first book more this book gets 3.5⭐️ from me.
My favorite aspect of this duology is the relationship between Otto and Fritz’s. Unfortunately the actual plot of save the tree control the magic didn’t really do much for me and the stakes in this didn’t seem high enough for me to actually care what happened.
I did in general enjoy this series and love that the first book paperback with sprayed edges was just released but this isn’t enough for me to buy copies of these two books for my home library. I encourage these books as get them from your local library only.

A remarkable conclusion to the Witch and Hunter duology! I absolutely loved how the authors used true events as inspiration for their original fantasy world.

While this sequel was much more reactive than Night of the Witch, I really enjoyed the slower pace as Fritzi and Otto learned how to embrace their roles as champion and warrior. The characters in this book are all extremely well-written and Liesel continued to be my favorite.

I am amazed at the amount of complexity Raasch and Revis packed into this duology - with dynamics between witches and hexenjägers, brother and sister, goddess and champion, wild magic and the origin tree, new and old. Ultimately, this series highlights the importance of choice - connecting 16th century events with present day strife and reminding us of the magic we are all capable of making.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a great sequel. The action was nonstop and I remained engaged and invested in the characters the whole time.

I got an early review copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was lucky enough to get to read both of these books early and now I am so sad that they are over! This book starts with Fritzi and Otto becoming witch and warrior. Fritzi continues to hide that she uses wild magic from the rest of the witches while they contemplate their next steps. Unfortunately, they discover that Dieter is in fact not dead like they thought and is looking for one of the three stones. Armed with knowledge directly from Holda herself, the team heads into Trier to attempt to stop Dieter.

I am grateful this was a duology as I feel we are inundated with book series but as I finished, I felt I did not want to leave the characters yet. These books are the first I’ve read from either author and now I feel I need to dive into their backlog to catch up. If you’re like me and love witches, I think you will greatly appreciate this book. Plenty of magic. A horrible evil brother. A little romance. And it’s short and sweet.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for my early copy to read and review. All thoughts are my own.

I think this was a great ending to this duology. The only thing I would’ve maybe changed is more scenes between her and her brother. I feel like the main point was to make sure he was gone and to destroy Dieter but I don’t feel like there were many scenes showing their fights/being against each other.

I love Otto, obviously, but I feel like he should’ve been doing a bit more too. The side characters were great and I had many laughs during this book. Brigitta was hilarious.

Side note: I cried when J died. Tore me apart.

Book one was so action packed and just wowed me. While I enjoyed this one, I selfishly just wanted more I think. This was still an awesome read and I’ll definitely be buying a physical copy.

4 stars!