The Vampire Knife

The Witching Hours #1

by Jack Henseleit

The first book in a spooky new series for only the bravest of readers, perfect for fans of The Spiderwick Chronicles!
Anna and Max love scary stories--but when they find a mysterious knife on a dark and stormy knife, truth becomes stranger than fiction. Dragged into a world of monsters and magic, Max vanishes, and it's up to Anna to find him. Will the siblings find a way to survive?
This deliciously creepy book is a modern Brothers Grimm tale, striking the perfect tone of eeriness--but is not so terrifying that readers can't sleep at night!

Genres: Middle Grade, Horror, Fantasy, Vampires, Adventure, Childrens, Fiction

240 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2017

About the author

Jack Henseleit was born on a winter evening in 1991, just after the stroke of midnight. When the weather is dark and stormy, he writes fairy tales – real fairy tales, where witches and goblins play tricks on unwary girls and boys. Not all of the tales have happy endings.

Reviews

[Jasmine from How Useful It Is · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading The Witching Hours: The Vampire Knife on 10/17/2018 and finished it on 10/22/2018 at 1:16am. This book is definitely an excellent read for Halloween month! The actions and adventures are thrilling. I like the brother-sister relationship and their curious minds. The illustrations are great, definitely helps readers imagine the scenes. I like the chapter headings, it helps readers anticipate what’s to come.

This book is told in the third person point of view following Max, 8 and Anna, 11. They are both in the car with their father called the Professor. It’s stormy outside and they have been on the road for three hours. This story takes place in Transylvania with scatter Romanian as a spoken language. Max likes to listen to stories and Anna likes to tell, especially the scary ones. When stories mix with reality, Anna finds herself challenged to use her stories knowledge to solve the problem before too late.

The Witching Hours: The Vampire Knife is very well written and a fast paced read! I like how quick Anna thinks on her feet, especially how she able to connects the puzzles. This book promotes problem solving and teamwork. The characters read books and utilize what they read to guide them on their journey. The best part is when they figure out what to do as they go, even though they do come up with strategies beforehand, on the spot problem solving reminds readers to maintain alertness and to not let their guard down. I highly recommend this adventure to everyone!

Pro: fast paced, page turner, adrenaline rush, humor, actions and adventures, on the spot problem solving, teamwork

Con: none

I rate it 5 stars!

***Disclaimer: Many thanks to Little, Brown, and Company for the opportunity to read and review. Please be assured that my opinions are honest.

xoxo,
Jasmine at www.howusefulitis.wordpress.com for more details

[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost too-quick, and too quickly resolved, but otherwise a solid scary adventure for younger readers.
A realistically flawed, but clearly loving, paid of siblings with an absent-mind-professor father are left alone in an isolated inn for the night, with a mean old woman who doesn't speak English, although her friendly granddaughter does.

Mysterious items are found, other things are lost, a storm sets in, supernatural stuff is learned, someone must be rescued... Hurry, there aren't very many pages left!

[✦BookishlyRichie✦ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so much fun and had very spooky elements sprinkled throughout which I really appreciated! Looking forward to reading the next book when it comes out. I'd say this is Spiderwick Chronicles meets Monster Squad, it's a lot of fun to read.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars.

Wow. I was surprised by this. It was really good. I'm definitely going to be reading the rest of the series.

[Mehsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vampieren, beren, monsters, een stormachtige nacht, en meer!

Ik kon dit boek gewoon niet laten liggen, ik hou wel van boeken over vampieren, en vooral als kinderen superdapper zijn. Want ja, dat zijn deze kinderen. Het verhaal is ook heerlijk spannend, al had ik wel wat kleine dingetjes die ik jammer of vreemd vond.

Zoals dat ik even verward was waarom de kinderen met een professor in de auto zaten, en toen noemden ze hem opeens pap. Waarom noemen ze hem steeds de professor in plaats van papa/vader/pa/pap? Ik snap dat hij een professor is, maar ik vond het gewoon apart.

Ook vraag ik me af of die kinderen altijd vrij hebben of nu met vakantie zijn. Immers papa neemt ze gewoon overal mee, en ze moeten toch echt op school zijn, of in ieder geval les krijgen. Ik vraag me ook af waar de moeder is in dit plaatje. Ik weet het, je moet er waarschijnlijk gewoon niet aan denken en het superleuk vinden dat die kinderen alles mogen doen wat ze willen, maar ik kan dat niet (en nooit gekund).

Plus, voor een vader die dus zo in monsters en geschiedenis is, zou je verwachten dat hij wel doorhad wat er was gebeurd met zijn kinderen. :P Maar ja, dat is een dingetje dat je vaker in kinderboeken ziet.

Verder liep het verhaal ook af en toe een beetje vreemd, misschien ligt het aan de vertaling hoor. Ik zit te bedenken hoe ik moet uitleggen maar soms liepen dingen gewoon niet vloeiend.

En ik vond het ook wel vreemd dat ze die vaandel hadden bewaard. Kom op, je had dit gewoon allemaal kunnen voorkomen. Argh!

Maar de rest van het boek was superspannend en leuk om te lezen met karakters die ik heel erg mocht. Vooral Anna was super. Ze is dapper, slim, en doet alles om haar familie (dan voornamelijk haar broertje) te redden zelfs al is het af en toe best eng en is ze bang. Oh, en toppie dat ze zulke spannende verhalen kan vertellen. Hopelijk schrijft ze ze allemaal eens op, ik weet zeker dat er meer kinderen (en volwassenen) zijn die het willen lezen.

Isabella is ook een topmeid. Ze was net zo dapper als Anna, en ook helemaal voorbereid om te helpen. Want zij wist precies waar ze heen moesten, nou ja, grotendeels.

Ik vond het ook leuk dat dit plaatsvond in Roemenië/Transsylvanië en dat je ook allerlei legendes voorbij zag komen.

De vampier was heerlijk eng. Echt nog enger dan je vaak vampieren ziet in kinderboeken. Dit is er een eentje die je echt niet wilt tegenkomen buiten (of binnen). Gelukkig is het wel een typische vampier. Dus ja, geen knoflook voor deze man, oh nee, dat is echt niks voor hem.

Een pluspuntje voor de cover. Leuk dat de de oogjes oplichten en een eng gezicht laten zien (al is de vampier niet zo groot). Alleen vraag ik me wel af waarom we Max met een staak zien. Immers hij is voor het grootste deel van het boek nou niet echt in de staat om een vampier te vechten. :P

Ik moet echt het volgende deel hebben (vooral met dat einde), hopelijk is er snel een vertaling, en dan hopen dat een van mijn bibliotheken hem snel hebt. Ik zou dit boek ook zeker aanraden, zoek je een eng, spannend boek met geweldige karakters? Lees dit boek!

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Pauline · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Vampire Knife is the first book in The Witching Hours, marketed as "a spine-tinglingly spooky new series" by Jack Henseleit. In this first tale he has achieved the perfect mix of scary and engaging but not terrifying. When Max is kidnapped by a strigoi, (the Romanian word for a troubled spirit or a living person with magical properties like a Vampire) Anna and Isabella must bravely face bears, wolves and untrustworthy fairies on their way to a ruined castle, armed with only a magical Vampire Knife and their own wits and intelligence. Readers who enjoy stories about mythical creatures, hidden forests and brave and resourceful children will find this a fascinating read. Henseleit has certainly captured the essence of a traditional European folk-telling and this is going to become a very popular series.

Suitable for 8+ - scary elements - mythical creatures, animals, deep dark woods, vampires

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as an advanced reader's copy and it was weirdly thrilling and compelling to read. The black and white photos featured in the book corresponded to the parts of the story real easily giving the reader a more clear picture and understanding of the book and that is very important especially if the reader wants to continue. From reading this book and hearing that it will soon become a series and that this book is the first installment so this is a great start to this series. A wonderful start to what looks like a compelling young reader series. 5 stars!

[Rendz · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was creepy, spooky and down right chilling. Perfect Halloween read! Full RTC

[Emma Darcy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVE these, and I wish they had been around when I was younger, I would have been obsessed. As it is, I can't wait to read these with Teddy and Mim when they're a bit older!

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick, interesting read!

[Ophelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this entire book in three hours and I DO NOT REGRET IT.

[Ely · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was cute. I was expecting a little more from it, but it was a fun read nonetheless.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I know the author as I went to uni with him. However, I don't think that I'm biased when I say that The Vampire Knife is a thoroughly enjoyable and well-executed piece of middle-grade fiction. I cared about the characters, I believed all of it, the dialogue was spot-on, and the horror story/vampire tropes that you're always afraid will be boring and stereotypical were anything but. Plus I love me a female heroine or two.

This is a story that I would have LOVED to read when I was in school, but I'm not mad it's coming out a decade too late for that, because I reading loved it as an adult too. A solid and well-deserved five stars; honestly can't wait to read the next one!

[Zayda Love (Babybibliophile) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrifying and amazing! This book left such an impact for such a short read. I was captivated immediately and loved how well it was written. The illustrations are also absolutely fantastic!

When Anna and Mark travel with their dad, The Professor for work; they are caught in the middle of a frenzy of dark magic. Forced to travel through the deadly woods, chased by wolves while crossing treacherous rivers, Anna is determined to save her brother from a blood thirsty vampire before it is too late!

[Lakritzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Überraschend gruselig für ein Kinderbuch.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Vampire Knife is a chapter book for children by Jack Henseleit, and illustrated by Ryan Andrews. It is the first book in the series “The Witching Hours”. The book begins with a car ride. Max and Anna are on a trip with the Professor, who is their father. He is on an educational trip to Transylvania and has brought the kids along, too. While the Professor is out working, Max and Anna are left in the company of an innkeeper, Mrs. Dalca, and the innkeeper’s granddaughter, Isabella.

My first thought about the book is that I think it’s okay. I kind of liked it. I think it will definitely appeal to a lot of younger people. There’s aspects of the fairytale “Hansel and Gretel”, as well as aspects of vampire stories. Which I think will appeal to a variety of people. A lot of the aspects of the story were very child oriented. Such as with Anna, and her interest with fairytales. She loves reading fairytale stories but, when her dad buys her a book of fairytales, she’s bothered by it because it’s not the right type of them. And I think this is the type of thing that kids can understand; that, while parent(s) understand that their kid(s) like something, parent(s) don’t always understand what it is about that hobby that the kid(s) like. Which is why a lot of parents around the world do buy things for kids, but don’t understand why their kid will reject that item. And I think the children, and other characters, in this book are relatable, in that way. There’s a lot of understandable behaviour from characters. Such as with the innkeeper. Throughout bits of the book, Max and Anna have a fear of her, and a dislike. They don’t understand the innkeeper’s behaviour, or why she acts that way. As an adult reading it, I understand what’s going on. But kids, such as the ones in the book, don’t necessarily understand adult behaviour or emotions; such as fears, or anger. Based on that, I think the author has done a really good job with a lot the characters, and given appropriate behaviour to them.

I mentioned earlier about the book featuring aspects of “Hansel and Gretel”, and the vampire stuff. I think the author has made a decent attempt to create an original piece, out of media they’ve been inspired by. It’s not completely original, I’ll admit, because it feels like a lot of other vampire and fairytale themed stories. However, I can see that the author did make an attempt to be creative, such as changing some aspects of the stories. Like with the Hansel and Gretel thing; in the original story, it’s the two siblings travelling down the path together, but in this, it’s one sibling leaving the trail, with another sibling and a friend following the trail. So, yeah, while I didn’t personally love the book, I think it’s written reasonably well, and I think the author did a pretty decent job.

The illustrations are pretty good. There are a few of them, spread throughout the book. I think it’s one or two per chapter. They are black and white drawings. I think they give the book a really good, eerie feeling of what’s happening. There’s a great one, on about page 34 (in the eBook copy I read), it shows Anna leaning out of the window, looking while a figure goes into the woods. It’s a great piece of art, because of the way there’s fog and clouds. I’m probably not explaining it well, but it’s illustrations like this that leave me really impressed with the work the artist has done. There’s another really good one, at about page 50, with Anna and Isabella travelling across a bridge, with wolves following them. I love how spooky it is. The artist has done great work with using a variety of tones to convey the dark theme of the book, and given it a sort of scary feeling.

Overall, while I didn’t enjoy it as much as I could have, I think a lot of other readers would appreciate giving this book a read. I do recommend it. I think the author has tried to give the book a good amount of work. There’s a lot of good writing with the characters, in my opinion. And, though the book has taken inspiration from other media (Hansel and Gretel, as well as vampire stuff), I like that the author has tried to give the works some creative changes, and put in some interesting mysterious aspects. I read a copy of the book from my local library, via the BorrowBox app. Honestly, I think it’s the type of book I’d like to own in the future. Not just because of the story, but because there were some really good illustrations, too. I think I’d like to read the other books in the series. I am kind of interested in seeing what else the author has to offer.

[Kathy Cunningham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack Henseleit’s THE WITCHING HOURS: THE VAMPIRE KNIFE is a cleverly conceived novel about a trio of kids battling a magical and scary world. Anna and Max are siblings – she’s 11 and he’s 8, and as the novel begins, they are traveling through a violent rainstorm in Transylvania with their father (referred to as “the Professor”). They stop at a remote inn in the middle of nowhere, and then the craziness begins. The Professor heads off to a library to do research, leaving Anna and Max with the innkeeper and her 11-year-old granddaughter, Isabella. When Max is kidnapped and carried off into the night by what may very well be a vampire, Anna and Isabella take off to rescue him before it’s too late.

In some ways, this book reminded me of the HARRY POTTER series, in which a magical reality exists alongside our more normal one. Anna’s father scoffs at the existence of magical creatures, but Anna and Max know they exist. Not only that, but their history is very old (as revealed in a collection of books Anna brings with her wherever she goes). As in the HARRY books, there’s an overarching threat in this magical world, a threat that Anna and her team are determined to resolve (Max’s abductor may not be Voldemort, but there are similarities!).

That said, THE VAMPIRE KNIFE is a much simpler story, with fewer characters (it’s really only Anna, Max, and Isabella – the Professor and the innkeeper are seldom seen). And the story does have a satisfying conclusion, even though Henseleit paves the way for future books in THE WITCHING HOURS series (the next installment, THE TROLL HEART, is due out in 2019).

The suggested age range for this book is 8-12 – my guess is, it’s better suited for kids under ten (older middle-schoolers will probably want something a little edgier). The novel is scary – the setting alone, with its storms and creatures in the night, is definitely creepy. And Anna, Isabella, and Max do prove up to the task of tackling a very frightening reality (one their father doesn’t believe exists). But things are wrapped up enough at the end to allow young readers to sleep at night! That can be a good thing.

I liked this book very much (and I think I would have loved it when I was in 3rd grade!). This is a great series for younger kids who like scary stories.

[Please note: I was provided an Advance Reading Copy of this novel for review; the opinions expressed here are my own.]

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anna and her brother Max are headed with their father, a Professor, to Transylvania - and you know what lives there, right? VAMPIRES. When Max gets kidnapped by a vampire, Anna must figure out how to get him back, with a little help from a new friend, a special knife, and her knowledge of monsters (she reads a lot).

This is the first in a series, and it's entertaining. There are actual monsters in this book, and - I would presume - those to come. They're *just* scary enough, without being something that's going to terrify every kid into sleeping with mom and dad. Actions have consequences, and they learn this during the course of the story. The siblings are interesting and typical at the same time - they travel and see things many others don't, but they have to be separated in the car to stop from kicking each other.

Overall, I'm looking forward to reading the second one (I work at a bookstore and try to keep up on kid's titles), and I will happily recommend this title!

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a super fun and quick read. I kinda forgot that I had a copy of this book, so when I stumbled upon it again, I had to read it. And I'm glad I did. After reading two serious and emotional books, this was the perfect read to follow them up with. It made me laugh and kept a smile on my face. It also had just a hint of spookiness, which I really enjoyed. And it held my full attention from beginning to end.

Anna and Max had a really sweet sibling relationship. It was nice to read about a brother and sister who got along and supported each other, instead of fighting the whole time, which seems to be the common thing in books like this. I appreciated that.

This would be a perfect read for Halloween. And I'm sure readers of all ages will enjoy it. I'll definitely be on the lookout for the rest of the series.

[ZoeM · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was full of action and some interesting plot twists. I read this book to my 7 year old sister who thoroughly enjoyed each minute of it. I wouldn't recommend this to any children that get too frightened however; my sister had a few moments that she was pretty scared but we worked through it together. The novel is quite clever in the way that it gives room for imagination and predicting scenarios. She loved thinking of what was to happen next, even as an 18 year old I was unsure of the next event. Lovely and exciting read ... we cannot wait for the release of The Genie Rings (aug 2018).

[Doris · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a children's book, this story rates a 5, for the interesting narrative and the explanation of various terms as part of the story. The prose brings together 3 children of about the same age, and pits them against a scary (but not too scary) monster, which they defeat by remembering stories and hints.

It also shows that things that look scary, like large bears, aren't necessarily bad.

I would ding it a little for the incorrect word usage, but at least they were understandable. Examples - she shined a light, which should properly have been she shone a light; this is the most seen, but not the last.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weirdly cliche, but I kept reading it, so was good, I guess.
The story seemed really short, and I didn't feel like I really got enough out of it.
I saw that the old man was the Vampire's brother from a mile away.
I reckon if the twists were a bit more... twisty and unexpected it would have been better.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Big thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the review copy.*

This was a scary little read! Not all kids are going to like it or be able to handle the scariness. I loved the story though, and the pacing was fast and really kept me interested. The illustrations were gorgeous and fit the story very well. I’ll be recommending this book, but will be letting people know about the scariness.

[Julz Laskazeski · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. When i wasnt reading this book i was thinking what the characters were doing. It was a fun read and i enjoyed reading about folklore about vampires. The kids were great and i cant wait to see wot they get up too so much so i just requested books 2 & 3 from my library. I also wanna learn more about max's hand and the knife anna has.

[Alissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars

The Vampire Knife has all the elements to make a scary book but somehow I couldn’t quite connect with it. Throughout this entire book I was expecting the story to either get way darker (e.g. Isabella works with the vampire and betrays them) or to turn out lighter than excepted in an unpredictable twist (e.g. the vampire is actually nice and there’s a rational explanation for everything). But this was somewhere in the middle of it so that I can’t quite grasp what went wrong for me. I guess the only way I can put it is that the atmosphere was missing. It felt like a step-by-step of how to write a creepy story. One typical scary trope followed another but I didn’t feel scared or creeped out despite the great premise.

I just feel that the book was too short for the story it contained. Many things could’Ve been fleshed out more and the chapters were episodic, much like a chapter book, which makes me think this might be for kids on the lower end of middle grade. On the other hand, however, the content is quite dark for an 8-year-old so I don’t really know where to place this book.

On the bright side though, I really enjoyed Anna and Isabella becoming friends and working together to rescue Max, who I hope to see more of in the sequel. I know it’s going to be similar in regards to the episodic chapters, but after this introduction I nevertheless hope to get a bit more world building.

[Alison · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was certainly spooky at times, but at other points it fell a little flat, as if the story was relying entirely on the spooky vampire plot, without really building the characters. Interesting enough, but I was expecting more.

[Alice Kuhn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a combination of fantasy and horror. Anna and Max are staying at an inn in Transylvania. One night Max disappears. It is up to Anna and her new friend Isabella to save Max. This is a great read for reluctant readers that want a scary story. Grades 4th and up.

[Lisa Kizer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read that I thought I'd pick up to see if I might want this for my public middle school. Not bad. I would definitely put it in my quick reads/middle school section and recommend it to my 6th graders.

[Clo-Star · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was beautifully written. Haunting and unnerving at times. Humorous and suspenseful at times. Perfect for kids around 12 who want something a bit scary to read with fantasy elements and a sound sleep.

[Sean Harding · Rating 4 out of 5]

Henseleit Bulbs #1
The Witching Hours #1
Very engaging yarn for the younger readers, although I wonder if some may find it a little frightening?
Takes you into the story and you want to know what happens.
Looking forward to seeing how the series progresses.