The Witch in the Dead of Night

The Flamebearer Trilogy #1

by Charlotte Buckley

A decadently dark romantasy in which a hidden witch is unmasked and forced to become a living weapon for a vampiric king and his brooding brother

Finn Erramun hides a perilous secret. One of the last witches in the kingdom, she was cast out from her village, leaving whispers of an unleashed otherworldly terror in her wake. Now a maid in the opulent court of the vampire King Mordric, Finn conceals her arcane powers, dreading the day they might be uncovered.

But destiny has other plans. When Mordric uncovers Finn’s talents, he offers her a chance for master her magic by the summer solstice, and she may earn a coveted seat on his council. Assigned to guide her is Prince Enhart, the king’s captivatingly arrogant younger brother and one of the rare souls with the skill to train her. As Finn is drawn into a whirlwind of courtly intrigue, power plays, and dangerous temptation, she finds herself at a crossroads. To secure her place among the king’s elite – and perhaps win his heart – she must navigate a labyrinth of treachery and unearth a centuries’-old conspiracy.

The vampires of Valen may not crave blood, but their thirst for power is no less consuming. As Finn delves deeper into their seductive and perilous realm, she will need every ounce of her strength and cunning to survive – and to uncover the true nature of her heart’s desires.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Witches, Vampires, Adult, Fantasy Romance

406 pages, Hardcover

First published August 13, 2026

About the author

Charlotte Buckley is a fantasy author. She writes stubborn main characters, magical worlds, and tension-filled romance. She was born and raised in New York and now lives in Washington, DC with her partner and their cat, Pippin.

When she’s not writing, she enjoys running, gaming, and spending time outside, preferably in the mountains. She is represented by the talented Kurestin Armada at Root Literary.

THE WITCH IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT is her debut novel.

Reviews

[Henni (hshouldbereading) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to HarperCollins for always accepting my eARC requests on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

I was super excited to read this book, and it starts out really strong. In the first 25% of the book, I was CONVINCED it would be at least a 4-star read. Unfortunately, around that point, the book quickly falls off. The majority of the book is spent "training" the FMC in the arcane art of magic, and the plot doesn't advance until around 80%. In the end, everything happens too quickly and is thus underexplained and underdeveloped.

My biggest gripe with the book is the FMC. If I counted how many times she says "I don't know." "What?" "I didn't know that." "Huh?" "Can you explain that?" etc... I would be rich!!! And because the book is written from 1st POV, this kind of writing makes me, as the reader, feel dumbed down. You, as the author, don't need to explain everything through the main character's eyes to us, the readers! Ideally, readers possess some form of "reading comprehension". The second problem I have with the main character is that she lets everything in her life get decided by MEN!!! And when she has the opportunity to work together with women, she DOUBTS them, QUESTIONS them or is WEARY of them. Like what??? This book reads like it was written by a misogynistic man, unfortunately.

And all of that is really sad because the book has great concepts: I loved the premise of a witch secretly serving in the court of a vampire king. But there was no intrigue or politics going on, besides the vampire king trying to hold on to his power. The plot of the mysterious disappearances of women was underdeveloped as well, although I had hoped it would be a major plot device. It was big in the beginning and end of the book, but in between the FMC was quieted by the MMC saying "don't worry, I'll look into it" and she just trusts him??? Throughout reading this book, I got major Vampire Diaries vibes, and I had hoped that this would be kind of like a good fanfiction of that (there are a lot of concepts borrowed), but in the end, the naivety of the FMC threw me off.

Also, the love triangle was insufferable. The insta love at the beginning of the book already had me doubting the romance of this book, but then his brother (shocking*) comes into the picture and he is soooo mean to her in the beginning but then slowly warms up to her and is soooo nice at the end of the book and falls for her (does this remind us of anything *cough cough* no?). This was just one trope after another, and I'm so tired of reading the same "romances" over and over again.

*satire

[Alisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️ I would really recommend everyone grab a copy as soon as this comes out!!!! This initially gave me the impression that it was a bog standard romantasy, but then I was proven very wrong. I had so much fun reading this, and now am incredibly frustrated that I have to wait until the next book 😭

[Emmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nice dark witchy read! Def fun for the spooky season tbr!

[Juls · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining debut for this trilogy!

Some parts are a bit slow paced but the last 20% are definitely worth the ride! There is a bit of a love triangle, vampire dynamics, lots of magic and intrigues (our real MMC is definitely scheming in the background…). And I’m eager to see how things will unravel in the sequel!

[Chelsea is Booked · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Witch in the Dead of Night is set in a kingdom ruled by a vampire king, in a world with very little witches left. Finn happens to be one of the few witches. She works as a maid and one night the King, Mordric, discovers what she is. He saves her from an attack and asks her to be a part of his council. But she has to master her magic before the summer solstice and the person selected to help is Mordric's handsome, brooding younger brother, Enhart.

I really enjoyed so much about this book. Vampires have evolved, they can be in the sun but prefer to live in the night, so much of the kingdom has also taken on this way of living. Vampires still drink blood but only as pleasure. They can live off food like humans.

There are three forms of magic and each witch has a special talent as well. We get to see what Finn's is but I can't wait to learn more about it.

I loved the love/hate relationship Finn and Enhart have. Enhart is definitely the better brother. Mordric is shady AF and I totally knew it from the start! I also absolutely love Vesper, the vampire friend Finn makes.

I do agree with others that there are times when the story drags. There was a lot of repeated training scenes but I thought the action was well worth the slower parts. And there were a few parts I didn't see coming.

I will definitely be reading book two. Also thank you to the author for the copy. I won a giveaway on Instagram and an so honored to be one of the few in the US with a physical copy already!

[Faeofashandpayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

📖 The Witch in the Dead of Night by Charlotte Buckley 🌙🧙‍♀️

3.5 stars 🌟

I really enjoyed this one! I especially loved the dynamic between the two brothers, although one definitely won me over WAY quicker than the other… Enhart, obviously. 👀

The world was really interesting, with vampires and humans coexisting while witches are a rare breed. And our FMC? I have a serious love/hate relationship with her. 😂 Sometimes I really liked her and other times she absolutely annoyed me — but honestly, it’s rare for me to actually love an FMC, so take my opinion with a pinch of salt!

One of my favourite parts was definitely the banter between Enhart and Fin during their training scenes. Their dynamic had me thoroughly entertained. 😂

Overall, this was a really fun read and I definitely enjoyed my time with it! 🖤

✨ What to expect:
🧛 Vampires
🧙‍♀️ Witches
👬 Two brothers
🔥 Spice
🏠 Forced proximity

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to HarperCollins UK, Harper Fiction, Magpie and NetGalley for sending me an ARC of The Witch in the Dead of Night in exchange for an honest review.

Not only is this book 1 in a new Romantasy trilogy (The Flamebearer Trilogy), but it’s the author’s debut?! 👏👏

Finn is a chambermaid in Valnar castle, fighting to stay under the radar so her secret isn’t discovered. She’s a witch, one of the last left in the kingdom, and was driven out of her home when her power was discovered years earlier.

When King Mordric discovers the truth, he can’t draw himself away from Finn. And she’s just as enchanted with him, after all he is an ethereally beautiful vampire. Mordric offers Finn an opportunity to join his council once she masters her powers, and wouldn’t you know he has just the man in mind to guide her - his aloof, arrogant younger brother, Prince Enhart.

Ok, vampire & witch centred Romantasy? Yes yes yes, I will drain every drop of blood from this delicious premise! I absolutely LOVE a vampire laced world, and I had so much fun with this.

Character motivations were as deliciously conniving as you would hope from a world ruled by vampires, and there were plenty of twists and turns in this to keep the story engaging and entertaining. I did find the majority of the twists predictable, but that didn’t make the reading experience any less enjoyable for me.

I’m so intrigued to see where this story goes, plenty of threads left to weave together over the rest of this trilogy. I hope we get to learn more about this world outside of the city of Valnar 🤞

I don’t want to say too much about the characters or plot as I don’t want to spoil, but just know there is so much scheming and court/political (not heavy political!) intrigue. The dynamics at play are very fun, and I’m excited for this all to unfold. This series has great potential and I will def be picking up book two!

[Robin]

Book 1 in a 3 book series. "[F]ollows Finn, a chambermaid in the court of the vampire king and one of the last witches in the realm. When King Mordric discover her using magic, she must navigate a labyrinth of courtly intrigue, brewing power plays, and dangerous temptation as she attempts to earn a place among his elite - and perhaps win his heart."

[Bex (Beckie Bookworm) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This didn’t blow me away but I will more than likely read the second one when it releases. It’s the first book in a trilogy and is set in a kingdom where humans and vampires coexist together all under the reign of a vampire king. Our girl Finn is a chambermaid at Valnar Castle. Finn fled the Outlands after an incident where she exposed her powers to her village. She has now been at King Mordric’s court for the past three years working as a servant. Keeping her witch status on the down-low from all but her best friend.

When Finn manages to out herself to none other than the king himself her life changes in every way imaginable. Elevated out of the servant ranks Finn is offered a spot on the council. But with limited experience she needs training. This is where Prince Valen comes in younger brother to the king it falls to him to help Finn develop her Witch powers. From day one the two clash he is a lot of an asshole to her the complete opposite of how Mordric treats her. But Finn needs Valen’s assistance especially if she truly wants to grow into her full strength. Witches are scarce so her options are limited. At the same time, Finn is also growing closer to the king.

So this was well written and easy to absorb but it was quite slow-paced. The part I was probably most interested in was the mystery of the missing girls, but it is never fully explored instead, we focus on Finn and her witch training. I would have much preferred more of the former as it did begin to feel a bit rinse-repeat. It was the same witch training just different moments in time and I think this added to the slow pace.

As for the romance this was not a major draw for me it was mega obvious what was going to happen here at least I thought so. There is also a developing love triangle which is not my favourite trope. As for the romance itself, it all felt very insta and underdeveloped. In fact, a lot of the characters felt this way to me bar maybe Finn and Valen who did appear to be more fleshed out than the rest. I could also never get on board with Mordric as a love interest either as I just felt completely disconnected from him mostly I think because of him feeling undeveloped and me not knowing that much about him other than surface information. This then contributed to Finn and Mordric’s lack of chemistry whilst Finn and Valen seemed more of a fit. This hence then made it completely obvious to me where this was heading as we only had two fully fleshed out individuals in the whole book.

I sound like I'm hating on this but for the most part this was enjoyable just a very surface-level enjoyable. I unfortunately did not feel attached or invested in the world or the characters. The story itself was imaginative I just think it may have needed more meat. I also think it had some pacing issues the beginning and end were actually good especially the end which was done well but the middle was where this let itself down. Overall if you're just starting in this genre this one may be a good choice it was easy to absorb and kept it simplistic so there are no big info dumps just be aware this does read quite YA even with the age of the characters and certain scenarios. Overall, though this was a decent debut and though I did have some issues the quality of the writing here was good. Maybe I'm just getting much more picky as I have read so much in this genre.

[Rianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Huge thanks to NetGalley, the publisher & the author for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review: You know it’s a good book when you finish it at 2am… The Witch in the Dead of Night starts off like your classic romantasy starter pack: a hidden witch, a very handsome vampire king who becomes interested in her approximately 0.2 seconds after discovering she has magic, and a whole lot of court intrigue. Finn is one of the last remaining witches and, after her powers are discovered by the king, she’s given the chance to learn how to control them and earn herself a place in the king’s council.

But who gets the delightful task of teaching her magic? The king’s younger brother, Prince Enhart. Dark. Broody. Arrogant. Irritating. Finn hates him. Obviously Finn is going to fall for him. Obviously, because from here on we get banter, training scenes, tension and a whole lot of Enhart taking care of her while pretending he absolutely does not care. Like… I see through you, book. I KNOW where this is going.

And then Finn heads off to the academy to learn more about her magic and, I’ll be honest, this is where things slowed down a little too much for me. I was still enjoying myself, but my motivation to pick the book back up definitely took a little nosedive. The magic and world-building were interesting, but I found myself waiting for the story to get moving again…

BUT THEN… the final 20% of the book. I finished it in ONE SITTING. At 2AM. Because who needs sleep when a romantasy decides to throw every possible plot development at you at once?? Not this girl. We got ourselves a bit of a Tamlin situation and then perhaps even a little Hans of the Southern Isles situation, and while I really should have seen at least some of it coming, I was simply too invested in our actual MMC to notice the trainwreck speeding towards me. I was sitting there happily enjoying the banter and the tension while the book was quietly setting up its villain origin story in the background 🤭

And honestly, that’s probably what I enjoyed most about this book. Yes, it starts with plenty of familiar romantasy ingredients, but I had such a good time with the characters and the relationship between Finn and Enhart that I simply didn’t care. Apparently I am still falling for the same fictional man archetype over and over again expecting shit to change, the definition of insanity.

Despite the slower section in the middle, I thoroughly enjoyed The Witch in the Dead of Night and that ending definitely bumped this one up for me. We left things on such a high note that I am now highly anticipating the sequel!!

[ferra_the_bookdragon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book hooked me from the very first chapter. Charlotte Buckley’s writing style was engaging and easy to sink into, and I genuinely enjoyed it. I also really liked the FMC… at least until she met the first potential love interest.

Then came one of my biggest fantasy romance pet peeves - instalust. I was honestly ready to DNF right there 🫣

The only reason I kept going was because the plot had me curious. The murder mystery kept pulling me in, and the court politics hinted at something much bigger. When the second potential MMC entered the story, I was convinced this was heading toward a why choose romance. Thankfully, it didn’t. It never became a full love triangle either, but it often felt like the FMC couldn’t decide which man she was more attracted to.

The FMC herself also became a little frustrating. She often came across as more submissive than strong - she talked back, but when it came to actually standing her ground, she usually fell in line without much resistance.

The story takes us through a bit of traveling, a touch of an academia setting, kidnapping, monster fights, and then… more traveling. It wasn’t until the kidnapping that I finally felt like the main stakes became clear.

The second half dragged a little, though that’s also where the second MMC slowly started warming up to the FMC. He’s very reserved, so most of the emotional development is shown through her perspective.

While the romance wasn’t for me, the mystery and the overall plot were interesting enough to keep me turning the pages. The ending definitely caught me by surprise, though it also felt a bit abrupt.

Overall, this was an easy, entertaining read. It wasn’t a standout favorite, but I don’t regret picking it up, and I’m curious enough to see where the sequel takes the story.

Thank you, NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, Harper Fiction and Magpie, for approving my ARC request, and giving me the opportunity to read and review it early!

[Maria P · Rating 4 out of 5]

° ˖✧ 𝓣𝓛;𝓓𝓡 ✧˖°
A twisty vampire romantasy perfect for readers looking for a developed magic system with frequent training sequences, a sardonic yet protective mentor pushing the FMC to her limits, and an overarching mystery that pulls you deeper into their world.

° ˖✧ 𝓡𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼 ✧˖°
3.75 ⭐
2 🌶️

° ˖✧ 𝓠𝓾𝓸𝓽𝓮𝓼 ✧˖°
"Sometimes you have to run headfirst toward the things that frighten you most."

"Their loss was our gain, witch."

"I've been told that you possess extraordinary potential."
"The King is very kind."
"I suppose, although he is not the one who made that particular observation."

"Perhaps I just like to irritate you."
"And what an excellent job you do."

° ˖✧ 𝓢𝔂𝓷𝓸𝓹𝓼𝓲𝓼 𝓢𝓾𝓶𝓶𝓪𝓻𝔂 ✧˖°
When Finn’s magic is discovered by vampire King Mordric, he offers her a deal: master her powers and earn a seat on his council. Forced to train with his arrogant brother Prince Enhart, Finn fights to stay among the King’s elite and win his heart.

° ˖✧ 𝓣𝓻𝓸𝓹𝓮𝓼 ✧˖°
✨ Hidden Power
🔺 Love Triangle
🔥 Training Arc
👑 Court Intrigue
🔗 Forced Proximity
💔 Secrets & Betrayal
💭 Telepathy
💀 Touch Her and Die

° ˖✧ 𝓣𝓻𝓲𝓰𝓰𝓮𝓻 𝓦𝓪𝓻𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼 ✧˖°
🩸 Violence and Gore
🪦 Death and Grief
🧠 Manipulation
💨 Kidnapping
👻 Possession

° ˖✧ 𝓛𝓲𝓴𝓮𝓼 ✧˖°
+ Interesting Magic System
+ Lots of Training Scenes
+ Telepathic Dynamic
+ Prince Enhart's Personality
+ Overarching Plot
+ Impactful Ending

° ˖✧ 𝓓𝓲𝓼𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮𝓼 ✧˖°
- Insta-Love with King Mordric
- General Predictability
- Inconsistent Characterisation
- Passive FMC
- Tension felt Insignificant

° ˖✧ 𝓜𝔂 𝓣𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼 ✧˖°
I had pretty high expectations for this one and unfortunately it just missed the mark! The best way I can describe this book is that it's like a watered down version of The Wolf King series but about witches/vampires instead...

Finn immediately catches the eye of the Vampire King while she's cleaning and after a couple of other meetings they instantly fall for each other. It's just a bit too easy for me - I generally prefer a slower burn! King Mordric just felt a bit boring and actually quite predictable as a result.

Prince Enhart was more interesting, and he had some lines and moments with Finn that really made me smile! It just didn't stay consistent throughout the book for me. Any sweet moments he had with her felt immediately out of character rather than increasing the tension.

I really loved the training arc, though! Usually when I've seen books with that trope we get a few short scenes and that's all. Finn's training covered the majority of the book! I found the magic system really engaging, and even more so when Finn and Enhart started to communicate telepathically.

However, on the whole, I found Finn pretty unlikable. I thought she was more captivating before she held the King's attention, but afterwards it's like she lost a lot of her personality. Not to mention that when the conflicts start to amp up, Finn gets less and less active in her role. She's often "saved" by other people rather than herself, and it gets a bit repetitive.

The series plot does interest me a little, and the ending of this book certainly made an impact. However, I'm not sure it's enough to make me want to read the sequel if the characters remain as they are. They don't feel authentic and as a result there's next to no tension for me.

Thank you to Charlotte Buckley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction, Magpie for the opportunity to receive an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Kimberley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A classic Romantasy, but predictable. Good if you loved Carissa Broadbent’s series and ACOTAR’s 1st book plot and want more of the same.

[Ciarra · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for this ARC for the purpose of reviewing*

• • •

I went into this book almost blind, knowing only that it was about a witch and had a beautiful cover. My expectations weren’t exceptionally high but this really surprised me! I wasn’t in love with the instalove/lust with the King but his brother on the other hand.. I liked the FMC, being a peasant thrust into higher status can make a woman change but she stayed true to her roots so far.
The mystery aspect of the book was interesting and kept the story moving where it could have felt slow. The ending really grabbed me and made me want answers from the next book so overall excited to see where this series goes!

[Fantomowa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even 4.5

[Deirdre · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received and eARC from HarperCollins via NetGalley and this is my honest review. I am rating this book 4.5 stars and rounding up to 5!

- ☝️ book 1 of 3
- 🧛 vampires
- 🧙 witches
- 🪴 Growth
- 🩸 look at her the wrong way & bye bye
- 😭 betrayal
- ❤️ very tactful brother’s trope

⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️ My thoughts below can include spoiler information, read at your own risk!!! ⚠️ ⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️
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For the readers that want information about the brother’s trope to help determine if you want to read this book if you are hesitant about the brother’s trope. I decided to request this book because it was guessed to be an upcoming special edition in a book box I am subscribed to and I wanted to read it to determine if I wanted that special edition. I was a bit hesitant requesting it because I despise the brothers trope. I just flat out don’t like the brothers trope and find it very overdone in this genre. However, I like to challenge myself to read things I judge as not liking, as often author’s surprise me and I change my mind. For this book, the author took such a tactful approach with the brother’s trope and I really enjoyed reading it. There was no cheating, lusting over both brothers at the same time, or the brothers competing in childish ways for the MFC. The approach taken was mature and well done. So many authors write it in a way that the MFC has one brother she absolutely connects with and grows super close to, but then has to “do the right” thing and be with the other brother, making the brother she loves come second, all while the brothers act like juveniles. I hate this common approach and it did NOT happen in this book. The MFC was with one brother, the King in a physical way, but less emotionally, all while she was trained by the Prince, the King’s brother. She built a really strong relationship/friendship with the Prince. By the end, she gathered a lot of information about both men, understanding her feelings more and next steps she both had and wanted to take.

Ok, moving on. Not only did I read this book because I wanted help determining whether to keep the special edition of this book or not, I was intrigued by the idea of 1) a hidden witch working as a maid in a castle and being caught by the vampire King using her magic, 2) to then be trained by the vampire Prince, the King’ brother, to enhance her magic, 3) all for the purpose of her joining the King’s tight circle of advisors. The first several chapters set the stage for this and I was hooked.

The pacing of this book was slow to moderate, as it primarily focused on the MFC developing and growing her magic. A lot of this book initially focused on the MFC and her interactions with the Prince. As the book progressed, the pacing really slowed, focusing on traveling and training at a school, which was a little slow for me, but then it picked back up and the ending pace was much faster. There was a very interesting side plot, focusing on the mystery of who was kidnapping and potentially killing the young women. Around 50%, the side plot started getting more focus as the book progressed. We started to get answers; yet, by the end, there was still a lot of unanswered questions.

The world in this book was quite complex, then adding in the magic system, there was a lot. Thankfully, the author spread out the information throughout the whole book and I really appreciated that. I still did not understand it all by the end, as there was so much history to the world and magic system; yet, I got enough for it to all make sense. I am sure when I read this book again in the future I will digest the world and magic related information in a more meaningful and understanding way since I know the story. No matter, both the world and magic were unique and super cool!

In regards to the story, immediately at the beginning, I was shown the life of the MFC, working as a maid. We were also shown the relationship she had with her best friend, and their duties in the castle. I was immediately impressed with all the showing and not telling. The book set the stage for the story, again showing the nuances of the MFC and her life, and then right away there was an action scene with violence and intense mystery. The author was trying to show us readers that something nefarious and covert was going on in the city, but in a very subtle and mysterious way. The author did a great job setting up a scene where it was quite obvious that what was happening was not the truth, there was more than the eye could see. Thankfully, the author wrote a very smart MFC, and she also was questioning things.

Speaking of that mystery, I had my suspicions to why the MFC’s lover, Ewan, was suddenly acting different and out of character and the King just happened to be there…. Sure. I immediately had suspicions about the King. There were an abundance of passive aggressive comments from the Prince about his King brother, the King made the MFC promise she wouldn’t go look into Ewan’s death without really any valid explanation for why he didn’t want her to look into it, when the MFC asked the King to go with her because she wanted to look into it, he said no, dismissed her wants and needs, and promised her he had the “professionals” looking into it, but of course they found nothing thus far. He was also mysteriously interested in her and giving her everything she wanted. He even voluntarily let his brain open to hers, all while saying his brother was more secretive. He really painted this beautiful picture that he was a lovely man. I was not buying ANY OF IT!

I don’t think the author wanted us to buy into the King being a genuinely lovely vampire. I think she was intentional at making it mildly obvious that the King was up to something. I LOVED this approach! So many books now days write MC‘s falling in love and show them growing so strong as individuals and a couple. However, the author then pulls a yikes at the end and tells us the MMC is actually a bad guy or not the one, and the MFC is going to love someone else in book 2 and 3. That actually irritates me with many stories because authors advertise the love story for book 1, drawing many of us readers in because we want to read about that specific love trope (examples: hunter and witch, guard and princess). We get incredibly invested in the romance. But when the author pulls a last minute swippsy swappsy at the end and tells us that the love story we came into this book for is not really going to be the endgame romance, we feel frustrated and a bit manipulated. Here, the author 1) did not advertise the book as king and maid/witch romance, she advertised the book as a vampire and witch romance (leaving open to interpretation which vampire she is talking about?!), and 2) again made it subtly obvious that the vampire King would not be the real love interest by the end because of how shady and manipulative he was behaving. I love that we as readers could see something the MFC could not. Kept me very hooked in and interested.

One of the BEST PARTS OF THIS BOOK was the MFC. She was NOT a stabby, arrogant, jerk! YES! Finally a change up in an MFC in this genre. She was polite, thoughtful, and could communicate. She could read the room, understand what was needed, and control her impulses. She could say sorry when she made a mistake and thank you when someone did something kind for her, even towards those she did not like. She could fully understand when she was at fault and take ownership. With all of that, she was not a woman who could be walked on. She had a spine and could stand up for herself, often. She verbally fought back and did it beautifully! Even another character commented on how she was being assertive. When the King offered her training and a future, and to escort her to a ball, she was excited, eager, and happy, not distrusting, rude, questioning, and irritable. She then started telling people about her magic and being a witch. She didn’t keep all of this super secret and think about how secrets were power and used to manipulate. When the King propositioned her to move forward intimately in their relationship, she didn’t deny it, avoid it, lie to herself or him, or pretend she didn’t have feelings. She owned it and said yes. SHE WAS SO REFRESHING in a genre of avoidant, angry, distrusting, unhappy, always calculating and hiding everything women. She had an excellent blend of characteristics and was a breath of fresh air in this genre, and I just loved it. Then, at the end, she used her intelligence to start playing the game, I LOVED IT!

The author did a great job provoking emotions within me as a reader. I could feel the butterflies in the MFC’s stomach and her excitement when the King brought her to the ball and later said goodnight to her. It was such a cute, innocent moment. I’ve read a lot of dark romance lately, so this was a nice change and very sweet. As the MFC’s relationship grew with the King, she didn’t fawn over him. She initially backed down on something, but then stood up for her wants and wishes at another time. This book was also incredibly refreshing in that the MFC didn’t say “I love you” back just because she liked the King, was grateful for him, and he kept her safe. She didn’t jump into the emotions quickly, even though they were sexually intimate. At the same time, the MFC was flawed, messy, and made mistakes. She had a lot of character growth in this book and has more to grow in the next book! She was nuanced, complex, and so relatable.

Something that I enjoyed in this book that was explored more than other books was moral dilemma’s and the consequences of making a choice about that dilemma. For example, I could feel the moral dilemma the MFC was facing when she went into other’s minds for the purpose of practicing her magic. She had many thoughts and feelings, which she explored with herself, the Prince, the King, and her best friend. She did not avoid her thoughts and feelings about this, followed by having to face the consequences of her choice.

I have talked about the King and the MFC, so now I need to talk about the Prince. I knew from the beginning he was much more complex than who he was judged to be by the MFC and other characters. Again, I don’t think the author was trying to hide that he was more complex, on the contrary. Early in the book the MFC was approached by Vesper, someone who became a good friend to the MFC, and Vesper challenged the MFC to see beyond the mask the Prince wore. I really liked the attention the author drew to the Prince about this. The author also did such a great job showing (not telling) so many moments between the Prince and MFC. They had a relationship that was built over time through experiences, conversations, stories, and shared moments. Although we never got to really know the Prince by the end of this book, we knew he was actually an empathic man because we were shown that multiple times. He stood up for the MFC time and time again, even against his brother. The MFC really only had these deep moments with the Prince and not the King.

I mentioned Vesper so I wanted to briefly discuss her. She was the best friend we all love in stories that support the MFC. She was different and didn’t fit in with the rest of vampires, therefore, she did not care if they judged her. She was also protective of the MFC, which I loved. I found Vesper to be a HUGE step up from the MFC’s other best friend.

The ending was fantastic. No major cliffhanger, yet the book ended in a way that book 2 can pick up immediately. There was so much left unanswered. And, I loved the change in the MFC at the end. She is moving into her feminine rage that I cannot wait to see what happens. So many people tried to control her and she is ready to play the game and show them.


Critiques:
The time jump from the end of one paragraph to the start of the paragraph at times was quite jarring. There could’ve been a transition statement to ease that time jump. For example, the MFC was in a conversation with her best friend, then the next paragraph she was in the garden and I had no idea how she got there. Another example: the MFC was talking to the King and he said he wasn’t upset about what happened, and then the very next line Vesper was saying the King was indeed upset, and she and the MFC went on to have a full fledged conversation. Apparently the king had left the room when Vesper started their conversation. We were never told that though. I had to read it 3 to 4 times to understand what was happening.

Although the MFC was 26 and overall more mature, she and some of characters felt like teenagers at times. She and her female friends would giggle when talking about a man they liked. Or, the MFC abruptly left dinner, pouted, and slammed a door when someone flirted with the Prince, even though she was with the King. Or, when her friend gave her the silent treatment because she was mad at the MFC.

The MFC bit the inside of her cheek so much that I caught it. It happened twice on one page. I was worried about the MFC‘s cheeks. The rate in which she was biting her cheeks must have been a bloody mess in front of these vampires. Goodness, I hope this silly statement that is repeated too many times is deleted by 50%.

Not a critique, just information for the reader-
- I seem to write this in almost every review the last three months, but the following most common storyline about an MFC was used in this book: the MFC was super special and had super special magic, that of course a prophecy or something related to a prophecy stated that the MFC was “the one.”

[Lou (fairytales.and.fantasy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5

Really enjoyed this one! TWITDON is a fun, twisty Romantasy featuring both witches and vampires (yes please! 😍) full of court politics, secrets, plotting, and lust.

I absolutely ate up the politics in of this story! They were easily digestible but definitely a strong theme throughout and i loved the way the witch FMC was learning to navigate the scheming vampire court and I definitely hope to see more of this in the next book too!

Finn as an FMC was likeable to me and pretty relatable - she makes a few poor decisions and battles some inner demons and i loved that about her as it made her feel more realistic and made her motivations clearer. I also loved the way both MMCs and their parts in the story were written - i think the team Blake girlies are going to LOVE Enhart - he’s got an excellent mysterious, aloof and slightly cold vibe to him 👀 Mordric on the other hand was your classically smooth, seductive and self assured ruler and i found myself very drawn to him at the beginning just like Finn was (a touch of insta-lust but i get it girl, he’s hotttt🔥).

Overall this was an easy to read, enjoyable book with substance to the story which is something i always appreciate, and I’m keen to continue the rest of the series.

Would i read it again? Yes and I’m looking forward to getting my Waterstones special edition 🥰

Thankyou so much to the publisher for letting me ARC read this 🫶🏻

[Érika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for providing me with an early arc in exchange for an honest review!

This is an amazing romance fantasy, is honestly everything I expect when I pick up a book with such description. Finn is an interesting character and her relationship with Mondric is so interesting from the start, cause is obvious doomed and is so interesting how the author never hid it from the start.

The plot is very predictable and I wasn't surprised at any point. However, in a place that would be a bad thing, the author makes it actually something almost confortable. The writing is perfectly done, you're able to navigate the universe very smoothly, the characters are compelling and I loooove the dynamics between Finn and Enhart and at the end of the book there are no loose ends.

Overall, this is the perfect book when you look for a fantasy with a good amount of romance, betrayal and kingdom venomous dynamics! I'm really excited for the next volumes!

[Katharine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

2/5 stars

I couldn’t get into this book. The pacing felt off. The FMC had no chemistry with either love interest.

The plot was interesting but due to the actions of the FMC I struggled to get into it. On top of that there was two plots going on and neither was fully explored. I would have liked to hear more about the missing girls.

The king didn’t seem like a king until it fit him. And they fell in love so fast it felt awkward. I wish the author had shown them together more before she fell into his bed.

I think this book had a lot of potential but just fell a little flat with the direction.

[Marlies Rasinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has had me in a chokehold for the last 24 hours. I simply could not stop reading.
It has got everything:
Magic ✔️
Witches ✔️
Vampires✔️
Lovers to enemies ✔️
Enemies to lovers ✔️
Political intrigue✔️
High stakes ✔️
Stephan and Damon Salvatore vibes ✔️✔️

I loved every single letter of this book. The characters are crafted perfectly, the pacing of the plot is exactly right and I love that it has elements of a murder mystery.

I LOVE Enhart!

The only bad thing? Waiting for the next book 😢

[Oona Loontjens · Rating 5 out of 5]

**ARC REVIEW**

Thank you NetGalley, Harper Collins UK and Charlotte Buckley for providing me the ARC of this upcoming book.

I think I can say that when I read about this book, I was immediately excited. I HAD to read this book. The author mentioned on her Instagram that the book was available on NetGalley. After some searching, I found it and applied for the ARC. I was excited that I was selected to read the ARC.

Now, I read a bit of the blurb and just saw witches and vampires, court intrigue and romance. SOLD!

We follow Finn, a witch in disguise who works at the court of the vampire king. She is the last witch in the land. When one night she gets caught using her powers by the king Mordric himself. In the city 2 women have been missing and people were told to be cautious. That didn't stop Finn to walk back to the castle by herself. Finn gets attacked by her fling Ewan who seems to be possessed. The person saving her? The king himself.
Mordric brings her to the castle and he offers a position on his council as the master of arcane arts. There hasn't been a witch on the council and offers it to her without much of a decent introduction.
You have an instant weird vibe, but Finn just goes with it. She gets showered with gifts and attention from Mordric. Meanwhile, Finn has to train her magic with his young brother Enhart. They're at each other's throat in a certain way, but they keep going on with the training. There is a faint affection from both of them, but they're trying to suppress it.
Finn has a special power that can summon a blue-ish fire that opens a type of fissure in the earth. They say it was a gift from the god of death. (I really forgot the name of the fire)

Finn starts to learn the ways of court and never to trust anybody, except for the king and his brother. She blindly trusts them even though I am thinking "girl don't trust them either!"
Anyway, her relationship with the king swiftly turns from acquaintances to full on lovers. I really don't trust the king at all, he gives me immediate Tamlin vibes.

To master her special power, Mordric sends her to the Hollybrooke University together with Enhart. The Chancellor tells her the origin story of her powers and he tries to help her master it. He fails and with the help from the prince she finally manages to tap into the powers by her own will.
One night she ventures into the woods behind the university after hearing voices for nights. To her surprise she steps into a portal made by witches. Finn encounters dozens of witches thought to be extinct. As somebody that is supposed to be your equal, Finn is being treated horribly because of her association with the vampires. She manages to escape the encampment with the help of a boy who was the only one who was actually nice to her.

When she's back at the castle, Finn is being escorted to a chamber that is incased with iron rendering her powers. She finally realises that Mordric has other plans with her because of a prophecy. He believes he could use her as a weapon against the witches. Finn escapes the castle, kisses Enhart and then gets possessed to kill Enhart. The person who possessed Finn? The witch that helped her escape. The boy is actually one of the three witches that Finn was brought in front of in the witch encampment. He had scratched her which resulted in him having control over her.
Finn tries to fight against the control, only for the witch to let go. She and Enhart figured out that the witch was behind the killing in the city and she was going to be the fifth victim to complete the pentagram. Why? We'll hopefully find out in the next book.

Now, I can say that this book was very fast paced. There was character building and Finn had to find herself again in a new position at a court full of intrigue. From the beginning I had a feeling that Mordric had a different agenda that he led on. Like I said, vampire Tamlin. Enhart meanwhile never had ulterior motives, only to help Finn get into her powers.

I've read some people saying that this is was going to be a love triangle book. Yes and no. Finn immediately fell for Mordric, but I think it was because she needs someone to love her after she fled her village. Mordric was there at the right time.
Enhart meanwhile closed himself off from her and only did what was asked from his brother. Slowly I could read between the lines that he started to care for Finn. The kiss at the end was real for him.

I was excited to read this book and it met my expectations. There are still things that are not explained but as this is going to be a trilogy (?), there is enough material to have us glued to this story. Honestly, I was sad to read the last paragraphs of the last chapter. I wanted more and cannot wait for book 2. Do we have a release date yet?

So, for everybody that loves witches, vampires and other mythical and magical creatures, this book is for you! I enjoyed it from beginning to end. Perfect Romantasy debut!

Thank you again NetGalley, Harper Collins UK and Charlotte Buckley for the ARC ❤️

[Heather Pacella · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Finn Erramun is a witch in hiding, living and working in the vampire kingdom of Valen after being thrown out by her village three years ago. But when Finn is accidentally caught using her magic by King Mordric, keeping her secret is no longer an option. To her surprise, instead of condemning her, he offers her a chance at a new life: agree to fully train as a witch, and ascend to an advisory seat on his council during the next summer solstice. Finn, desperate to learn more about her heritage, agrees to the bargain, and instantly finds herself swept up in noble life, navigating political power plays and being courted by Mordric himself.

But training is more difficult than she imagined. Her tutor is none other than Prince Enhart, the king’s difficult younger brother, whose training methods are unconventional at best and dangerous at worst. Nevertheless, Finn adapts to life at court, and starts to grow into her witch powers. However, as the summer solstice approaches, Finn soon comes to realize that there is more at play here - and that King Mordric may have had secret, nefarious plans for her powers all along.

The Witch in the Dead of Night is the first in a new romantasy trilogy by debut author Charlotte Buckley.

*World-building/Plot: The Witch in the Dead of Night started off strong - I was instantly intrigued by the vampire nobles mentioned on the first page, as well as Finn’s secret witch abilities. It also seemed like there was going to be a strong action element to the plot, with the mystery of the missing girls being introduced right away. However, things quickly came to a grinding halt when Finn agreed to become one of Mordic’s advisors and started her training. Though this was the perfect time to expand on the world at large (what does it mean to be a vampire in this universe?, why do the humans in the Outlands fear witches?, what politics are at play in the king’s court?), this doesn’t really get addressed at all. Because of that, Valen itself never feels like a unique place setting - in fact, if you removed most of the fantasy elements from the story entirely, there isn’t much that would change. The insularity of Finn’s training also stalls the plot quite a bit. I expected that Enhart would be educating Finn on the subjects she would actually be expected to advise the king on, but he instead spent six months trying to get Finn to learn the most basic of magical skills. Though there was more world-building towards the end of the book, it felt rushed and unclear.

*Character Development: In addition to what seems to be an underdeveloped fantasy world, the characters themselves didn’t feel fully fleshed out. Though Finn’s age is given as twenty-six in the book, she speaks and acts like a middle-schooler. For someone who had to survive on her own for years after being spurned by those in her homelands, she is incredibly naive and is content to believe everything everyone tells her. This makes her romance with Mordric, a centuries-old ruler (who himself seems to be incredibly juvenile), feel forced; they have zero chemistry and their rushed relationship feels completely unearned. Her friendships with Niamh and Vesper also felt very surface level. Many conversations between them quickly devolved to discussing “boys”, even when there were more pressing issues at hand (only adding to the YA vibe of the book).

Finn’s growing relationship with Enhart as they continue to train together was one of the more developed parts of the book, though many of their training sessions were her constantly complaining about the regimen he was putting her through. She did come to treat him better towards the end of the book, but it still was hard to believe that he was developing feelings for her. Because of that, the classic “in a love triangle with brothers” trope, which can be great, didn’t really work here.

*Pacing/Writing Style: The book’s pacing was quite uneven - the start was fairly brisk, slowed down considerably for much of the rest of the book, and then suddenly became extremely rushed in the last 80%. I did think the writing itself was strong, especially for a debut author, and it was quite easy to finish the book in only a couple sittings. My only quibble about the writing style involved Finn’s dialogue throughout the book; as mentioned previously, she came off as an extremely immature character; this perception was only added to when she constantly used “er” as a filler word (though I do not have an exact count, it was definitely a double-digit number of times).

Unfortunately, The Witch in the Dead of Night was not for me; though the premise was really interesting, ultimately I felt that the book was lacking in substance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[MaReads Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finn is a young servant in the castle of Valnar hiding a dangerous secret: she is a witch. When King Mordric catches her using magic, he makes a surprising offer: join his council. But first, she must master her powers under the explosive guidance of the King's younger brother, Prince Enhart.

4/5⭐️ — 2.5/5 🌶️ (3 chapters/40)

✨ Witch x Vampire
💞 Love triangle (with two brothers)
⚡️ Forced proximity
⚔️ Mentor x Mentee
💔 Betrayal

The Witch in the Dead of Night is a classic romantasy filled with court intrigue, witches, and vampires, but it's a combo that absolutely works! Even though love triangles are often a disliked trope, I thoroughly enjoyed the one in this book. It gave me major The Vampire Diaries, ACOTAR, and The Wolf King vibes. I am a sucker for plot twists that completely disrupt the order established at the beginning, especially when the "villainous brother" turns out to be the one who actually has the FMC’s best interests at heart. I had a great time reading this, and if you love these classic tropes, you will too!

⚠️ Spoilers ahead

The Universe & Worldbuilding
The story is set in the dangerous and alluring castle of Valnar, a place where vampires rule and court politics can be lethal. In this world, witches are in a precarious position, and Finn lives in constant fear of being discovered. The worldbuilding relies on a classic royal hierarchy and the magical lore of the arcanes. The magic system comes alive during training sessions, but the true driving force of the setting is the deep, dark secrets hidden within the castle walls.

The Characters
Finn (FMC): A young servant trying to fly under the radar. She is initially under the spell of the King, but she has a lot of hidden power and potential that she needs to unlock.

Mordric: The King of Valnar. I quickly felt like he was just too good to be true, especially when he declared his feelings for Finn very early on. He is the picture-perfect ruler at first... until he isn't.

Enhart: The King's younger brother and Finn's tutor. He is a total Damon Salvatore! He is brutal and literally snaps necks if anyone looks at Finn the wrong way. I loved his complexity: he constantly despises, repels, and keeps his distance from Finn because he is terrified that any interest he shows could end up harming her.

The Romance & Relations
The dynamic between Mordric and Finn gave me major Callum and Aurora (The Wolf King) or Feyre and Tamlin vibes. The MMC is almost too perfect until the veil drops and the "villain" brother steps in, I absolutely adore this dynamic! On the flip side, the romance between Enhart and Finn is a delicious, explosive slow burn born from forced proximity and intense training sessions. However, my one complaint is about the scene where Enhart lets Finn into his mind to prove she can trust him. We just didn't get enough substance to truly measure the depth of his feelings for her. Hearing that "He is my everything" was a nice hint, but I wanted more depth in that specific moment.

What I would like to see developed
Since this is a first installment, the setup for the sequel is amazing. Now that the slow burn between Enhart and Finn is officially ignited, I can't wait to see how their relationship evolves in the next book. I really want the sequel to dive deeper into Enhart’s mind and perspective so we can fully grasp the extent of his devotion to Finn, and I'm excited to see how they handle the fallout of Mordric's true colors.

Recap & Recommendations

What I liked:
-The top-tier "perfect hero turns out to be a red flag, villain brother is the protector" dynamic.
-Enhart’s protective, dangerous, "Damon Salvatore" energy.
-The well-executed love triangle that keeps you hooked despite the trope's reputation.
-The addictive court intrigue and vampire/witch lore.

What I liked less:
-The mind-sharing scene lacked the emotional depth needed to fully showcase Enhart's feelings.
-Mordric's very early declaration of love felt a bit rushed (even if it makes sense later).

I recommend this book if: You miss the golden era of vampire/witch love triangles, you love the ACOTAR-style transition from a seemingly perfect prince to a morally grey daddy, and you enjoy a fiery mentor/mentee slow burn.
I do not recommend this book if: You completely despise love triangles (especially between brothers) or if you want an instant-gratification romance with high spice right from the start.

[Genevieve (GenLikesToRead) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 stars
2.5/5 spice

Tropes:
💙 Witch x Vampire
❤️ Royal Vampire Brothers
💙 Court Politics
❤️ Eldrich Magic
💙 Murder Mystery
❤️ Forced Proximity

Thank you to Netgalley and HaperCollins UK, Magpie for providing me with an eARC!

ARC review:
I was actually in the middle of another Romantasy eARC when I picked up The Witch in the Dead of Night by Charlotte Buckley. I was struggling to get into that other ARC, despite it being highly recommended by other ARC readers and an anticipated read. At first, I thought I could be falling back into my recent reading slump, but then I decided to pick up The Witch in the Dead of Night and was instantaneously hooked. I don’t know exactly what it was, whether it be the writing style, the world you are thrown into, or both, but I was locked in from chapter 1.

I don’t necessarily think I would describe this book’s plot as “fun”, but I certainly had a fun time reading it. Witches and Vampires is an enjoyable concept at baseline, but especially so when all the other components are done well. I think this book was strong from many aspects. The writing style, the plot, the pacing and the characters were all well done. I think maybe the worldbuilding could have been a touch stronger, but since the book was in first person, you are often learning as the character does. Not to be harsh but I think sometimes author’s use first person and a “naive” main character as an excuse to not have robust worldbuilding. I’m not sure I feel that’s the case in this book, though, but it’s possible. Either way, I do think book 2 will have a lot more worldbuilding, as sequels often do.

I do find myself more often disappointed with Romantasy books these day when they follow a fairly obvious “formula”. Of course, no book is truly unique, and especially within a particular genre, you’re going to find very similar plot beats. However, when I’m able to predict an end-of-book twist at nearly the very beginning of the book, I do get really frustrated. I wish that more authors would start flipping tropes on their head a bit to keep readers on their toes. It can be really difficult for books to stand out in a saturated genre/subgenre, so I try not to be too harsh when a book goes exactly how I expect, but it is still disappointing nevertheless, and The Witch in the Dead of Night does fall victim to that. Though I will say, there were some twists at the end that I didn’t fully see coming, so that made me feel much better despite having seen the main twist coming a mile away.

Overall, I truly did have a really good time reading The Witch in the Dead of Night. Despite feeling slumpy when starting this book, I was locked in for the majority of the reading experience. I definitely recommend it to any and all Romantasy lovers, especially if any of the tropes listed above interest you. I’m really excited to find out what comes next in this story, so I hope we don’t have to wait too long to get our hands on the sequel!


Random aside: I’m laughing at the genre categories it’s listed under on Netgalley;
- Sci Fi & Fantasy – yes
- Romance – also yes
- Health, Mind & Body – ummm?

[JennifersBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ich war von Anfang an neugierig auf "The Witch in the Dead of Night", weil es genau die Elemente vereint, die ich liebe: Vampire, Hexen und Verschwörungen. Auch das Cover hat sofort mein Interesse geweckt. Dieser Bleiglasfenster-Stil wirkt wunderschön und passt perfekt zur Handlung des Buches.

Im Mittelpunkt steht Finwal Erramun, genannt Finn, die nach einem Vorfall ihr Heimatdorf verlassen muss und in Valnar landet. Dort arbeitet sie zunächst als Dienstmädchen im Schloss des Vampirkönigs Mordric. Als der König sie beim Wirken von Magie in der Bibliothek überrascht, verändert sich ihr Leben schlagartig. Er will sie als magische Beraterin ausbilden lassen, und sein Bruder, Prinz Enhart, übernimmt das Training.
Finn wirkt angenehm realistisch: Sie wird aus ihrem einfachen Leben herausgerissen und genießt den neuen Luxus, die feinen Gewänder und die Aufmerksamkeit des Königs vielleicht ein wenig zu sehr. Ihr Misstrauen am Hof schaltet sie trotz Warnungen aus, was sie manchmal naiv erscheinen lässt. Gleichzeitig macht genau das sie menschlich, denn wer würde nicht ins Schwärmen geraten, wenn sich einem eine solche Welt öffnet?

Besonders spannend fand ich Finns Entwicklung. Sie kann zwar Magie anwenden, doch im Training hat sie oft Angst, ihre Kraft wirklich loszulassen. Trotzdem bleibt sie dran und wächst über sich hinaus. Die Verwandlung von der unsicheren Dienstmagd zur entschlossenen Hexe gehört für mich zu den stärksten Aspekten des Buches.

Bei den angegebenen Tropes Enemies-to-Lovers und Slow Burn war ich allerdings irritiert. Finn beginnt sehr schnell eine Beziehung mit dem König, inklusive deutlicher Annäherungen und Intimität. Von Slow Burn ist dabei definitiv nichts zu spüren. Zwischen Finn und Prinz Enhart entsteht zwar etwas, aber im ersten Band bleibt es eher ein zartes Andeuten. Ich hoffe sehr, dass sich das in den Folgebänden vertieft, denn Enhart wirkt für mich wie das deutlich spannendere Endziel der Romanze. Der König hingegen gibt mir mit seinem Kontrollverhalten gegenüber Finn eher fragwürdige Vibes.

Die Handlung selbst hat mir gut gefallen, weil sie vielseitig ist. Finns persönliche Entwicklung, ihre Beziehungen, die Aufklärung von Morden, alte Prophezeiungen und politische Intrigen greifen ineinander und ergeben eine stimmige Mischung. Einige Stränge bleiben offen, was bei einer Trilogie aber völlig in Ordnung ist. Der Weltenaufbau ist solide, nicht immer bildgewaltig, aber dennoch so klar beschrieben, dass man sich Valnar und seine Umgebung problemlos vorstellen kann. Die Karte im Buch hilft zusätzlich, und ein Glossar braucht es nicht, da Magiesystem und Völker verständlich erklärt werden. Eigentlich kann man gar nicht viel mehr über die Entwicklungen und Wendungen verraten, weil man sonst einige der spannendsten Überraschungen vorwegnehmen würde.

Fazit: Ein atmosphärischer Auftakt mit spannender Charakterentwicklung, einer gelungenen Mischung aus Magie, Intrigen und Romantik sowie einer Welt, die neugierig auf mehr macht. Ich war so überzeugt, dass ich mir direkt die Hardcover-Version vorbestellt habe, denn die Reihe möchte ich unbedingt weiterverfolgen.

[Elena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finn Erramun putzt seit drei Jahren Zimmer im Schloss des Vampirkönigs Mordric – und verbirgt dabei sorgfältig, dass sie eine der letzten Hexen des Königreichs Valen ist. Als der König ihre Magie entdeckt, tötet er sie nicht, sondern bietet ihr einen Handel an: Bis zur Sommersonnenwende soll sie ihre Kräfte meistern, dann winkt ihr ein Sitz in seinem Rat. Ausgerechnet sein Bruder, der arrogante Prinz Enhart, wird ihr Lehrmeister – und weckt neben ihrer Magie noch ganz andere Gefühle. Das Buch ist der Auftakt zur geplanten Flamebearer-Trilogie, entsprechend bleiben am Ende bewusst Fäden offen für die Fortsetzung.

Das ist ein Premise, das ich sofort mochte: Zimmermädchen-zu-Hofdame ist ein herrlich klassisches Setup, und die Kombination aus Vampirhof und verborgener Hexenmagie gibt der Geschichte von Anfang an einen morbid-prunkvollen Rahmen.

Worldbuilding und Schreibstil
Charlotte Buckley baut Valen mit sichtlicher Liebe zum Detail auf. Besonders die Ballszene im Schloss zeigt das: das rosenduftende Bad in der Porzellanwanne, das eng geschnürte Weinrot-Kleid, goldbestäubter Kaviar und blutrote, unbekannte Früchte auf den Banketttischen, Champagnerbläschen, die auf der Zunge zerplatzen. Solche Passagen sind bildhaft und detailverliebt geschrieben und geben dem Hofleben eine greifbare Opulenz. Auch das Setting selbst wirkt bewusst historisierend: Die Etikette am Hof – man siezt den König durchgehend mit "Ihr", verneigt sich, trägt Titel wie "Lord Seneschall" oder "Eure Königliche Hoheit" – erinnert an höfische Gepflogenheiten vergangener Jahrhunderte, auch wenn die eigentlichen Dialoge oft angenehm modern-locker bleiben. Die Übersetzung von Vanessa Lamatsch trägt diesen Kontrast gut mit. Das Magiesystem – Portale, Schutzschirme, ein empathisch-telepathisches Band zwischen Finn und ihrem Lehrmeister – ist eines der stärksten Elemente des Romans und wird über weite Strecken konsequent durchdacht.

Figuren und Spannungskurve
Finn ist eine sympathische, aber phasenweise etwas passive Protagonistin – vieles geschieht ihr, statt dass sie selbst die Fäden zieht. Enhart dagegen ist der heimliche Star des Buches: schroff, scharfzüngig, mit einem Humor, der die Trainingsszenen trägt, die tatsächlich einen Großteil des Buches ausmachen. Genau da liegt für mich auch die größte Schwäche: Der Mittelteil zieht sich, weil die eigentliche Verschwörungshandlung lange auf Sparflamme köchelt, während Finn Zauber übt. Erst im letzten Drittel zieht das Buch spürbar an, wird düsterer und deutlich mitreißender. Die Liebesdreieck-Konstellation zwischen Finn, dem König und dem Prinzen ist erwartbar angelegt, funktioniert aber vor allem dank der Chemie mit Enhart besser, als ich erwartet hatte.

Für wen ist das Buch?
Wer Romantasy mit ausgeprägtem Trainingsarc, Hof-Intrigen und einer knisternden Feind-zu-Liebe-Dynamik mag – etwa Fans von Fourth Wing oder ACOTAR –, wird hier gut bedient. Wer eine durchgehend hohe Plotdichte erwartet, sollte sich auf einen ruhigen Mittelteil einstellen.

Fazit
The Witch in the Dead of Night ist der atmosphärische Auftakt einer neuen Vampirhof-Romantasy-Trilogie, der seine größte Stärke im Magiesystem und in Prinz Enhart findet – auch wenn die eigentliche Spannung sich Zeit lässt, bevor sie im letzten Drittel richtig zündet. Finns Magie macht sie zum Leuchtfeuer – anziehend für Freunde, gefährlich für alles andere.

[Wiebke · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rating 2.5 ⭐

Zuerst einmal vielen Dank an NetGalley, dass ich auf einen ARC (Advanced Readers Copy) lesen durfte.

Charlotte Buckleys Debütroman verspricht Romantasy für Vampire Diaries Fans.

Finn, die letzte bekannte Hexe von Valen, trifft auf zwei charismatische Vampirbrüder, den König und den Kronprinzen des Reiches.
Und während es mit einem von beiden direkt heftig knistert, kann der andere sie gar nicht ausstehen. Blöd nur, dass er Finn ausbilden muss, damit sie ihre Fähigkeiten meistert und dem Königreich eine Hilfe sein kann.

Nachdem mich die Idee begeistert hat, wurde ich von dem Buch leider etwas enttäuscht. Die Inhaltsangabe verspricht eine Murdermystery-Komponente, die leider nur zu Beginn und Ende des Buches relevant ist und von unserer Hauptcharakterin auch fast nicht untersucht wird.
Der erste Band der Reihe verliert sehr viel Zeit in Trainingsausschnitten von Finn, die leider sehr repetitiv wirken.
Insgesamt hat das Buch viele Handlungsstränge angeschnitten, die sehr spontan und wenig in die Gesamtgeschichte integriert wirkten. Ermordete Mädchen in der Stadt, die Spezialkräfte unserer Hauptcharakterin, die Ausbildung für den königlichen Hof, eine Trainingreise aufgrund der Spezialfähigkeit, gefährliche fantastische Kreaturen und ein ganzer feindlicher Hexenzirkel um nur ein paar davon anzuschneiden. Dann hätte ich mir gewünscht, dass es weniger Handlungsstränge gibt, diese für dann aber auch verfolgt werden.

Da es ein Debütbuch ist, hoffe ich jedoch, dass dies mit den Folgebändern für alle Liebhaber von Band 1 auch besser wird.

Für mich persönlich fingen die ersten 25% gut an und danach hat mich das Buch leider sehr schnell verloren.

Was die Charaktere angeht .....
Finn, unsere Protagonistin, konnte ich so gar nicht nachvollziehen. Ohne gemein klingen zu wollen, war sie mir zu naiv und hat viel zu wenig hinterfragt, was um sie herum passiert.
Ich hatte leider häufig das Gefühl, dass ihr die Welt von den männlichen Protagonisten vorgekaut und vorgegeben wird. Und das irritiert mich leider einfach.

Was unsere männlichen Protagonisten angeht, fand ich den sunny Golden-Retriever-Boy am Anfang mal eine gute Abwechslung und habe mich schon fast gefreut. Nur leider ist da ein Kontrollzwang reingerutscht, den ich wirklich nicht genossen habe und teilweise schon stark unangenehm fand.

Unser zweiter Protagonist dagegen ist von Anfang an distanziert und abgeneigt und weicht über die Trainingszeit auf und fängt an sich um Finn zu sorgen. Ein Romantasy-Loveinterest nach Lehrbuch.

The Witch in the Dead of Night war also offensichtlich kein Buch für mich.
Ich finde dem Buch hätten mehr Ausarbeitung und Verknüpfung der Handlung gut getan, genauso wie etwas tiefere Charaktere.

Dennoch sehe ich für Romantasyfans durchaus Potential für Charlotte Buckleys Bücher.

[Peachy_bookdreams · Rating 2 out of 5]

– Ich habe mich so sehr auf dieses Buch gefreut und hatte hohe Erwartungen. Leider wurde ich extrem enttäuscht … eines der langweiligsten Bücher, das ich je gelesen habe –

Die ersten Kapitel haben mir noch richtig gefallen und das Setting klang so vielversprechend. Das Worldbuilding wird hauptsächlich durch Gespräche aufgebaut, was mir schon mal nicht so gefallen hat, da die Dialoge darunter gelitten haben. Die Geschichte erfindet das Rad nicht neu, vieles hat man schon so gelesen, was bei der Unmenge an Büchern auch völlig verständlich ist. Aber dann sollte es trotzdem einen Spannungsbogen geben, der hier aber leider durch das Pacing für mich nicht vorhanden war.

Der Anfang war interessant, es gab unerklärliche Mordfälle, auf die ich gespannt war. Jedoch verläuft das Thema im Sand und wird zum Schluss einfach abgewickelt. Fast 200 Seiten drehen sich ausschließlich um Finns Krafttraining mit Enhart. Ich mag es, wenn Charaktere ihre Fähigkeiten erst erarbeiten müssen, aber das war einfach zu viel, da sonst kaum etwas anderes passiert ist, als dass sich Finn und Enhart dabei zanken.

Mit Finn bin ich überhaupt nicht klar gekommen. Sie lebt in einer Welt, in der Menschen sich dem Leben der Vampire anpassen müssen, und hat tagtäglich im Schloss mit Vampiren zu tun. Dafür kennt sie sich erschreckend wenig über Vampire aus. Sie weiß nicht, dass Vampire einen ausgeprägten Gehörsinn haben. Generell scheint sie von nichts eine Ahnung zu haben. Fast jeder zweite Satz, den sie äußert, ist nämlich eine Frage. Für mich wirkte es so, als wäre sie nicht fähig, Schlüsse zu ziehen oder eine eigene Meinung zu haben. Sie fragt ständig, was sie tun soll. Oder wie andere die Situation empfinden. Mir kam es so vor, als ob die Autorin den Lesern das Wissen über die verschiedenen Fantasy-Elemente nicht zutraut und durch Finns ständige Fragen alles erklären wollte. Wenn es eigene neue Elemente wären, dann würde ich das ja noch verstehen. Aber es sind Dinge, die jeder Fantasy-Leser kennt (Pentagramme, Runen, Vampirkräfte etc.).

Die beiden Vampirbrüder haben die Sache leider auch nicht besser gemacht. Die Gefühle zwischen Mordric und Finn gingen mir viel zu schnell und statt der Spice-Szenen wäre mir die Ausarbeitung einiger Plots viel lieber gewesen. Enhart hat mir besser gefallen, aber die Schlagabtäusche wurden mit der Zeit auch eintönig. Das Ende war für mich einfach vorhersehbar und ich hatte nicht das Gefühl, dass Finn eine Entwicklung hatte. Ich glaube nicht, dass ich den nächsten Band lesen werde.

Fazit: Für mich leider eine der langweiligsten und langatmigsten Geschichten, die ich je gelesen habe. Keine der Figuren hatte eine herausstechende Persönlichkeit. Besonders Finn wirkte wie eine Marionette, die alles mit sich machen lässt. Leider ein 2-Sterne-Buch.

[Pandas Bücherblog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Das Cover ist richtig schön und war auch der Grund, warum ich überhaupt auf das Buch aufmerksam geworden bin. Der Schreibstil liest sich flüssig und angenehm leicht, sodass man schnell in die Geschichte hineinkommt. Allerdings empfand ich ihn stellenweise als etwas zu nüchtern und wenig bildgewaltig, was die eigentlich mystische Stimmung nur selten richtig transportieren konnte. Die Szenen zogen sich für meinen Geschmack an manchen Stellen etwas in die Länge, ohne dass wirklich Spannung aufgebaut wurde.

Die Protagonistin Finn hat mir grundsätzlich gut gefallen. Dass sie nicht als perfekte Heldin startet, sondern als Dienstmädchen ihre Kräfte verstecken muss und sich erst im Laufe der Geschichte weiterentwickelt, fand ich authentisch und nachvollziehbar. Ihre innere Stärke kommt nicht daher, dass sie keine Angst hat, sondern dass sie trotzdem weitermacht, was mir sympathisch erschien. Leider blieben die anderen Figuren für mich zu oberflächlich. Sowohl Mordric als auch Enhart geben zwar nach und nach mehr preis, aber eine wirkliche Tiefe oder emotionale Bindung zu ihnen konnte ich nicht aufbauen. Auch die Dynamik zwischen den Brüdern und ihre jahrelange Entfremdung wurden für meinen Geschmack zu oberflächlich behandelt.
Die Handlung an sich hat eine interessante Grundidee, bei der eine Hexe am Hof der Vampire ihre Fähigkeiten trainieren muss, während gleichzeitig Mordfälle die Stadt erschüttern. Allerdings fand ich das Worldbuilding zu schlicht gehalten. Die Welt bietet wenig Komplexität oder historische Tiefe, was für Leser, die sich gerne in ausgefeilte Fantasywelten vertiefen, möglicherweise enttäuschend ist. Zudem ging mir die Entwicklung der Geschichte an manchen Stellen zu schnell voran, besonders der Aufstieg von Finn vom Dienstmädchen zur wichtigen Person am Hof wirkte mitunter klischeehaft und wenig überraschend.
Die Mischung aus Hexen und Vampiren klang zunächst super interessant, nur leider hat mir die Umsetzung nicht ganz zugesagt. Die Atmosphäre war zwar gelungen düster und magisch, aber die Umsetzung der beiden Fantasy-Elemente wirkte auf mich nicht immer stimmig. Das angekündigte tödliche Geheimnis aus dem Klappentext entpuppte sich als weniger bedrohlich als erwartet, was etwas von der Spannung nahm.

Fazit:
"The Witch in the Dead of Night" ist ein solider Auftakt mit einer sympathischen Protagonistin und einem flüssigen Schreibstil, dem es jedoch an Tiefe und Spannung fehlt. Das schlichte Worldbuilding und die oberflächliche Charakterzeichnung der Nebenfiguren haben mich nicht vollends überzeugen können, auch wenn der Cliffhanger neugierig auf die Fortsetzung macht.
3,5/5 Sterne

[Book Girl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finn Erramun hütet ein Geheimnis, das sie das Leben kosten könnte. Sie ist eine der letzten Hexen im Königreich Valen, das von Vampiren beherrscht wird. Als König Mordric ihre Kräfte entdeckt, lässt er sie jedoch nicht töten. Stattdessen bietet er ihr einen Pakt an. Finn muss lernen, ihre Magie bis zur Sommersonnenwende zu kontrollieren. Ausgerechnet Mordrics Bruder Enhart soll sie dabei unterrichten.

Der Einstieg in die Geschichte ist spannend und macht sofort neugierig. Die Verbindung aus Hexen, Vampiren, einem königlichen Hof und einer rätselhaften Mordserie hat mir sehr gut gefallen. Besonders interessant ist die Frage, wem Finn überhaupt vertrauen kann. Hinter freundlichen Worten und großzügigen Angeboten scheinen sich immer weitere Geheimnisse zu verbergen.

Finn ist keine unbesiegbare Heldin, die von Anfang an alles beherrscht. Sie muss ihre Fähigkeiten erst kennenlernen und macht dabei Fehler. Manchmal handelt sie allerdings etwas naiv und trifft Entscheidungen, die für mich nicht immer nachvollziehbar waren. Trotzdem mochte ich ihre Entschlossenheit und fand es schön zu beobachten, wie sie nach und nach selbstbewusster wird.

Die Szenen zwischen Finn und Enhart gehören für mich zu den stärksten Teilen des Buches. Ihre gemeinsamen Trainingseinheiten sorgen für Reibung, Wortgefechte und eine langsam wachsende Nähe. Enhart wirkt zunächst kühl und abweisend, bekommt im Laufe der Geschichte aber immer mehr Tiefe. Die romantische Entwicklung mit König Mordric konnte mich dagegen weniger überzeugen, da sie recht schnell beginnt und mir die wirkliche Verbindung zwischen den beiden teilweise gefehlt hat.

Der Schreibstil lässt sich angenehm und flüssig lesen. In der Mitte wird die Handlung durch das Training und die politischen Gespräche etwas langsamer. Dafür steigt die Spannung im letzten Teil deutlich an. Einige Entwicklungen lassen sich zwar früh erahnen, dennoch haben mich die Enthüllungen und die zunehmende Gefahr gut unterhalten.

Beim Worldbuilding hätte ich mir an manchen Stellen noch mehr Informationen über Valen, die Vampire und die Geschichte der Hexen gewünscht. Da es sich um den ersten Band einer Trilogie handelt, bleiben außerdem viele Fragen offen. Das Ende macht jedoch neugierig und bietet eine vielversprechende Grundlage für die Fortsetzung.

Insgesamt ist „The Witch in the Dead of Night“ ein unterhaltsamer Romantasy-Auftakt mit dunkler Magie, Vampiren, Machtspielen und einer langsam entstehenden Anziehung. Die Geschichte nutzt einige bekannte Motive des Genres, setzt diese aber spannend um. Besonders Fans von geheimnisvollen Königshöfen, moralisch grauen Figuren und Slow-Burn-Romance dürften hier auf ihre Kosten kommen.