Fritzi is a witch and the only survivor of a wicked attack on her coven lead by Kommandant Dieter Kirch. She is determined to find her missing cousin and bring down the hexenjägers—religious zealot witch hunters—to get justice for those she has lost. Otto is a hexenjäger—at least, that’s what everyone thinks. He is actually undercover and plotting his revenge against the people who burned his innocent mother alive. A wrench gets thrown into his plans when Fritzi comes storming into his life thinking that she is saving a woman from the same fate as her coven.
The pair form an unlikely alliance—a witch and a witch hunter—when they realize they have a common enemy. As they make their plans to take down Kommandant Kirch and the rest of the hexenjägers, secrets start to reveal themselves—as well as feelings that neither ever expected.
I hate to say it, but I think my high hopes for this book was its ultimate downfall. The plot was fairly predictable and it felt too close to other stories without enough of anything to set it apart. The romance between Fritzi and Otto felt a bit rushed and maybe even a little forced.
That being said, Raasch and Revis have a knack for world building and a beautiful way of writing that fully immerses you in the world. I truly felt like I understood this world that they created and how everything (including the magic) worked. The inclusion of what life in historical Germany would be like as well as the religious zealotry that, let’s face it, is still present to this day really brought it all home for me.
I am looking forward to the conclusion to this anticipated duology and have faith that everything will come together in the end.
NIGHT OF THE WITCH, the first book in the Witch and Hunter duology by Sara Raasch and Beth Revis, is available now and you can grab a copy for yourself here before the release of book two next year.
Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher for free and have voluntarily written this review. If you purchase a copy using my Bookshop affiliate link above, not only will I receive a small commission (which will fuel my coffee and tea addiction and help to keep me up all night reading more books to recommend to you), but you will be supporting indie bookstores as well! If you prefer Amazon, visit my Amazon storefront and click on the list titled "2023 Book Recommendations."
