Night of the Witch: An Irresistible Tale with a Compelling Narrative

It was during a dark night, the moon enveloped by billows of smoke and the sharp cries of battle ringing through the air, that Friederike (Fritzi) Kirch found herself alone, standing on what was once her witch coven’s home.

Night of the Witch is the first novel in Beth Revis’s and Sara Raasch’s Witch and Hunter duology. It follows Fritzi Kirch, a young witch whose entire coven was murdered by hexenjäger—deadly witch hunters. She vows to rescue her cousin, Liesel, who was captured by the Kommandant of the hexenjäger and brought to the city of Tier. On her journey she meets Otto Ernst, the Kommandant’s second-in-command, who reveals his hatred for the witch hunters. He describes a plan to free hundreds of innocent prisoners accused of being witches, and Fritzi reluctantly agrees to help with. Together, fueled by vengeance towards a common enemy, they race against time to save Liesel, uncovering dark secrets and new revelations that might upturn their world as they know it.

Fritzi is a green witch, one with a strong affinity for herbs and plants, which she uses for potions and spells. Fritzi grew up with the hope that she could be as great a witch as her mother, who was blessed by Perchta, the leader of the three goddesses revered by all witches. Perchta is known as the Mother, and the other two are Abnoba, the Crone, and Holda, the Maid. Unfortunately, Fritzi’s always felt like an outcast, like someone who wouldn’t be able to live up to her mother’s expectations—a situation that isn’t helped by the mysterious voice that whispers in her head. What I admire about Fritzi is that despite the many obstacles she faces, she does not give in to her despair. Fritzi blames herself for the death of her coven, the guilt of it a permanent reminder in the back of her head, often clouding her judgment. Nonetheless Fritzi strives to be better; she is strong, relentless, caring, and most of all, forgiving. That is the trait that I found to be the most admirable, because even though so many people have wronged her, she still chooses to see the best in people.

I typically find that dual POV’s in fantasy novels bring out more to the story than books that only have one, and Night of the Witch was no disappointment.

Otto Ernst is introduced to the story in a seamless, perfect way that shows how much thought the authors put into the story. Otto is a hexenjäger, recruited at a young age to join the ranks after his parents died. His whole life, Otto has hated what he does. The hunting of witches started long ago, but the people arrested nowadays and sent to the stakes are always innocents. Otto joined the hexenjäger so he’d be able to fight them from the inside, and his plan to free the hundreds of wrongly accused victims before they are burned as witches is one he has been working on for a long time. With the help of his sister, Holda, they were supposed to infiltrate the prison and lay out the exit routes. Unfortunately, when that goes wrong, he suddenly meets Fritzi, a young witch with a fiery spirit and a wretched past. His first impression of Fritzi is of a girl who has been fighting her whole life, grappling with the sinking claws of grief and guilt alike. When Fritzi agrees to take Holda’s place, Otto is relieved, but the feeling is quickly shoved aside by dread when he starts to care about her. As the two advance on their journey, they form a bond, their connection deepening as they uncover the various layers of each others’ guarded hearts. I found Fritzi and Otto’s interactions sweet and heartwarming and greatly appreciated how they managed to find solace in each other’s presence.

What I found the most captivating about Night of the Witch was the historical aspect. At the end of the novel, Revis and Raasch reveal that the city in which the story takes place, Trier, is actually a real city in Germany, and that the devastating witch trials illustrated in the novel were quite prevalent from 1581 to 1593. While Fritzi, the hexenjäger, and all fantastical parts of the novel are pure fiction, it was eye-opening to discover that Night of the Witch is based on true events. Even though I had no knowledge of this when I first picked up the novel, it is partly what drew me in from reading the synopsis. 

Night of the Witch is an exceptional story about fighting to remain strong in a world that does its best to eliminate you. Fritzi and Otto lead us into a world of magic, power, and intrigue, capturing readers’ interest without fail. I would recommend this novel to anyone looking for a story full of heartfelt characters, a thought-provoking plot, and an evocative story.