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Review: The Fate of Magic by Sara Raasch and Beth Revis

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The Fate of Magic by Sara Raasch and Beth Revis

The Fate of Magic (Witch and Hunter #2)
Sara Raasch and Beth Revis
Sourcebooks Fire
Published October 1, 2024

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About The Fate of Magic

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 his 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.

My Review

This book concludes the Witch and Hunter duology, picking up soon after the first book ended. The story starts off with Otto and Fritzi preparing for a bonding ceremony and sharing some romantic moments together. The pace of the story builds, with stakes growing ever higher, which sent me rocketing from one chapter to another all the way until the end of the book.

I like that the story made space for Otto and Fritzi’s relationship, even though it wasn’t the central plot of the story. It was nice to enjoy those quiet moments in which they returned to the bond between them and why they cared for one another.

I also enjoyed the intensity of the hunt for the magic stones. It wasn’t clear whether they would be able to find them or get to them first, which kept the intensity high. I’ve seen other books that have a quest like this in which the clues don’t really fit together or feel forced. That isn’t the case here. I liked the way the various clues and the quest unfolded. It felt natural and made sense to me.

I also really appreciated that this is a duology. I was absolutely prepared to read more of the series, but it was a pleasant surprise to find that this one book delivered all the things I’d been waiting for from the story. It might be even better than the first book. I’m not sure. They were both great.

If you like historical fiction with a heaping serving of magic, this is definitely a series to put on your list. Start with Night of the Witch before reading this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Major characters are German.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. References to sex. A few scenes show a lead into sex, and one briefly describes it.

Spiritual Content
Otto is Catholic but has rejected some of the church’s teachings, especially those regarding killing or hunting witches. Fritzi and other characters serve a trio of goddesses.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Brief battles. References to torture and brief scenes showing torture. Otto and Fritzi enter a square in which people have been burned at the stake for being witches. In one scene, they discover the bodies of two people who’ve been beheaded. Someone lights someone else on fire. Monsters pursue some characters.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Maybe There Are Witches by Jude Atwood

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Maybe There Are Witches
Jude Atwood
Fitzroy Books
Published June 13, 2023

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About Maybe There Are Witches

“I can’t think of a better fate for young readers.” -Steven T. Seagle, co-creator of Ben 10, Big Hero 6, and Camp Midnight.

After moving to the tiny village of Biskopskulla, middle school student Clara Hutchins discovers that her family has a history in the region: one hundred forty years ago, one of her ancestors was hanged as a witch from the white oak tree on the edge of town. When Clara finds a mildewed diary in the basement, she’s even able to read the rambling thoughts of her long-dead relative.

But when the book’s predictions about Clara’s own life start coming true, she wonders if those 19th-century villagers had a point: maybe her great-great-great grandmother really did have unearthly abilities. Now, a break-in at the tomb of the town’s founder means a great evil has returned to Biskopskulla. Clara and her newest friends— two of the weirdest boys in school— must join forces to decipher the messages of a murdered witch and stop an unnatural catastrophe. But as they quest through historic cemeteries, backcountry libraries, and high-octane scholastic bowl tournaments, something sinister is lurking, watching, and waiting…

My Review

One of the things I liked about this book is the way that Clara’s quest to discover what happened to her ancestor leads her to a new group of friends. At first, on her own in a new town, she feels pretty isolated. The discovery of her great-great-great grandmother’s diary could have been something she kept to herself and which further isolated her from others. Instead, it becomes a vehicle through which she builds a new community around herself. She makes friends, like Gary and Chris, and even comes to connect with a mentor of sorts.

In terms of pacing, the story begins slowly, but the tension and speed at which things unfold gradually builds until, by the end, it’s a pretty wild ride!

There was really only one thing that I have mixed feelings about, and I don’t think I can talk about it without spoiling a couple of things, so I’m going to leave that all the way at the end, after the content summary.

On the whole, though, I think readers who enjoyed THE DARKDEEP by Ally Condie and Brendan Reichs will enjoy the eerie supernatural storytelling of this book.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Representation
Clara is white. One of her friends is Vietnamese American.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Clara finds a diary that appears to predict the future and responds to her actions and questions. She and her friends encounter other artifacts that have supernatural abilities. Clara and her friends try to complete an elaborate ritual they believe will banish evil from their town.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Someone tells Clara macabre stories of the town’s history, including the story of a cult leader who was murdered by gun violence and a woman hanged to death for being a witch. References to a teenager killed in a car accident. More than once, people enter Clara’s house without permission. (One person mistakes it for a bed and breakfast establishment, and another appears intent on harming her and her friends.) Someone chases Clara and her friends and locks them inside a garage. A person uses a cattle prod to incapacitate someone else. Someone stabs another person through the heart.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of MAYBE THERE ARE WITCHES in exchange for my honest review.

SPOILER

The only thing I had mixed feelings about is that the woman who was murdered by the townspeople does turn out to be truly evil. There isn’t really any examination about whether, since she was evil, her execution was justified. One character comments that, basically, there are good witches and witches who cause harm, the same way that there are in other groups of people. So it is obliquely addressed, but it did leave me feeling a little weird because maybe the book implied that not all of the witch trials/murders were a bad thing (in a made-up world in which magic and witchcraft really do exist).

It’s possible that I’m reading way too much into the story and feeling weird for no reason. I liked a lot of other elements of the book, so I’m glad I had a chance to read it.

Review: The Thickety: A Path Begins by J. A. White

Book Review and Content, Clean Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , ,

The Thickety: A Path Begins
J A White
Katherine Tegen Books
Published May 6, 2014

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

On the day of her brother’s birth, six year-old Kara witnesses her mother’s sentencing and execution as a witch. Branded as outcasts, Kara and her sickly younger brother struggle to scratch a living out of their failing farmland. Then the forbidden forest known as the Thickety begins calling to Kara. Hidden in the dark soil beneath the trees, Kara finds a powerful book of magic.

Though she’s determined to be a good girl, Kara soon finds herself caught in the pull of the strange book. Tapping into its power awakens a terrible thirst in her. One which is only quenched by using more magic. If anyone discovered her, she would surely share the same fate as her mother. But is all magic evil, as her village believes, or is it only that which is used to harm which should be condemned?

Kara is an immediately likeable character. She divides her time between school and caring for her father and brother as well as managing the finances and limited resources of their small farm. Her fierce love for her family is evident in her watchful care of them.

The story is a bit dark – from the terrifying creature which emerges to discover whether Kara is a witch to the dark ruler of the forest, Sordyr, who calls to Kara, desperately seeking a bargain with her. The village lives under strict rules passed down from an ancient leader. While the rest of the world has moved on, forgetting the existence of witches and magic, the people of Kara’s village subsist on an island plagued by magic and constantly reminded of its evil.

As Kara experiments with various spells, she sometimes causes harm to the animals she summons and the people against whom she uses them. She experiences brief moments of shame or guilt over this. Ultimately there’s not a lot of clarity on which of her actions should be judged evil versus which were good. A bit more self-examination would have made it a more satisfying story for me.

As far as a story goes, the writing is top-notch. Solid characters. Exciting plot with some intense, unexpected moments.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
No profanity.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Villagers follow the oft-quoted teachings of Timoth Cray, a famed man who fought and saved his people from powerful witches in a time of dark history. Witches are said to serve the Forest Demon, a creature of evil who lives in the dangerous wood called the Thickety.

Kara wrestles with some dark feelings – mostly wishes for revenge on those who’ve tormented her family – which only get stronger as she begins to experiment with the magic available to the keeper of the grimoire. She has the power to command animals, even unto their deaths. With each spell she casts, Kara burns to cast another.

There’s some discussion throughout the story about whether it’s possible to be a “good” witch. Certainly, Kara’s thirst for more and more magic and spells which cause harm seems to fall under evil magic. But Kara is a good girl. Can she use magic for good and does that make the magic good, too?

Each spell uses a page in the grimoire book. Kara knows when the last spell in the book is cast, the Forest Demon will extract a heavy price, one worse than death.

Some families may really take issue with the good-magic idea. The lines get pretty blurry.

Violence
Kara’s mother is publicly sentenced to execution and a terrible creature comes forth to test whether Kara herself is a witch. Definitely a creepy moment. Later, Kara uses animals to harm some village teens who’ve been picking on her family. No graphic descriptions or anything. A man gives his life to help Kara escape from prison. Kara battles a powerful witch. Brief descriptions of the battle and injuries it causes to participants and bystanders.

Drug Content
None.

 

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