The Witch and the Vampire
Ratings7
Average rating3.4
This review is just to help me remember key points about the book. If you find it helpful or relatable that's cool too.
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“We can't both fall apart, or we're dead.Well, she'll be dead. I'll just be deader.”
Five Stars ⭐️
This was such a nice cosy read with short chapters it's easily a single day read. I didn't feel strongly towards the characters but they weren't badly written, they just didn't particularly resonate with me. The magic system is kept pretty simple but able to be built upon further if there are more books. The vampires are much like all other vampires in pop culture so no comment there. I love how the forest is described as being alive and as having its own vengeful intelligence. I love sentient plant trope, keep throwing them at me!
I want to thank Wednesday Books and the author Francesca Flores for providing me with an ecopy via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
I was initially drawn to this book because of the cover and then I read the synopsis and I knew I had to read it. There are witches, vampires and a creepy forest plus magic all of which are things I love especially the vampires. This is a Rapunzel retelling. I'm 100% familiar with the original story so I can't really comment on the similarities of the 2.
I loved this world. There was great world building and the magic system was explained in a way where it was understandable and the romance was cute. My only issue is that it was a bit repetitive and it made the book drag a little bit for me. And this is a personal preference thing and doesn't really affect my rating of the book but in the end something happens to Kaye that I wish didn't happen. I was hoping it would go another way with her. I think this is a standalone but there is potential for a follow up which I would totally be up for reading.
This feels like it was created to spawn fanfiction. Like yes go off, old best friends who feel betrayed by each other and who each are deeply tormented and have powerful magicks! Now kiss!
I liked the core idea of the different kinds of witchcraft but the larger worldbuilding was kinda...shruggy. It definitely felt like the author wanted to give just enough detail in order to fuel the tortured magical lovers but not enough for the world to feel lived in?
Also like I had a sense that it was like kinda generic Old Fantasy Times but then there's like a one-off mention of a “freezer” like did you mean an icebox or do these bitches have electricity???
Also all the combat was clunky and boring. Also having this be a “Rapunzel retelling” on top of also being about witches, vampires, and vampire-witches is kind of like putting a hat on a hat. A wig on a wig. On a witch hat.
IDK check it out if ya horny for vampire witches I guess, and no shade if you are. There's definitely a market for this book, I'm just not it. But my guess is that you could be better served by reading Vampire Diaries fanfiction.