I received an ALC (advanced listener copy) of this audiobook from Netgalley.

I am a huge fan of Vampires in general so I was excited to give this book a chance and I will say I really enjoyed it. Some of the world building was lacking but the character development makes up for it in a big way.

I truly felt the friendship and deep connection between Ava and Kaye.
Friends who are both witches then Ava vanishes only she is held captive for 2 years and when she escapes she runs to the forest to the Vampire Queen only in doing so she comes across Kaye who is very much her enemy now because Kaye believes Ava is a blood sucking vampire that killed her mother.

I love the fact that Ava thought she has been through it, and keeps a level head. She doesn’t want to be evil or hurt anyone. So she is just herself and in being herself Kaye kind of comes around to seeing that Ava is still the Ava she knew just different.

Their connection gets stronger as the book progresses and it’s a sweet journey. The book is pretty fast paced and I enjoyed that, we don’t have to wait long to get answers or for the action to happen.

I would completely recommend this book if you like witches or vampires. It's an interesting take on the Rapunzel retelling as well.

I found the narration to be pretty great, they both gave emotion and depth to their characters. It was easy to get lost in this world.

I have to admit, I thought it slow at first. But I got halfway through and well, here I am at 12:54 am on a work night because I just couldn't put it down.

I spent the first half of the book mad at Kaye, part of the second half mad at Ava, and then mad at both of them for not getting their sh*t together, until they did. I found both of them very interested and I was invested in both their stories. Though to start, I was definitely more invested in Ava's.

These are not traditional vampires, but they are compelling. And the story is very compelling also. It's a well-written story. It took a little time for me to get into it, but I am very glad I finished this novel. I really liked (or hated) the characters we met along the journey and the ending was rather satisfying, in my opinion.

I would definitely recommend this book.

This was an ARC, courtesy of NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
(REVIEW FROM A PREVIOUS ACCT)

~ 3.5 stars ~

I think that this book had so much potential. It had an interesting storyline, loveable characters, and great character development! I just don't feel that it lived up to it's potential.

Here's why:

✨️ there were some inconsistencies related to some of the magical elements that were a part of the story that left me feeling a little bit confused. These inconsistencies became fewer as the story went on, but they were definitely noticeable in the beginning!

✨️ the story's pacing made it hard to get pulled into in my personal opinion. I feel like there were parts that were too fast paced, and there were many parts that we could have been seen much less of. There is a specific part in the first half that in particular had really poor pacing- it unnecessarily dragged on and resulted in me losing interest, but it took up a big chunk of the story.  That is just my personal opinion however– some people may really like the pacing

GAY. I LOVE GAY. Especially sapphic novels. And not only that, but a queer Rapunzel retelling? Such a total slay. Looking back on it, I can really see all the parallels. It wasn’t just Rapunzel. It was a love story, and it was about conquering differences. The things that bind. And the things that tear us apart.

“She pauses, then whips around to face me. Raising my hands that glow gold with the flames waiting to be unleashed, I whisper, ‘Hello, blood beast.’”

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for sending me a galley of this book for review! When I tell you I was so excited to read a sapphic retelling of Rapunzel with witches and vampires…

Honestly, I liked this book a lot more than I thought I would. Obviously the concept seemed really intriguing, but it takes a certain type of finesse to pull off a retelling of a familiar fairy tale and still keep the audience invested. The Witch and the Vampire by Francesca Flores does that, and does it well.

Ava is a Root Witch who has the magic that allows her to influence the earth and plants. Her mother, a vampire who has been pretending to be human, turns Ava in order to siphon her Root Witch powers and keeps her locked in the attic of their home. Kaye is a Flame Witch, training to be a vampire hunter. She also used to be Ava’s best friend, before Ava turned and Kaye’s mother disappeared mysteriously the same day. What happens when Ava decides to escape and Kaye decides to follow her and bring her in? A whole lot of fantasy action and sapphic romance, that’s what!

What I appreciated in this book is that there was just the right amount of world-building. The magic system and nature of the vampires were introduced to us right off the bat, but it didn’t feel overwhelming. And there wasn’t a super deep dive into why all of it exists in this world, it simply does, and I appreciate that.

We LOVE a best friends-to-enemies-to-lovers! When I tell you I was squealing from this G A Y romance. I was so invested in the dynamics of Ava and Kaye’s relationship, especially because they started out as close friends who bonded over their mommy issues. It was also so interesting to explore the dynamic of what happens when friends change over time. If you really love someone, what happens when they wake up as a different person one day? Would you still fight for them?

It took me a while to get into this book, but once I did, it was COOKING. Once you get past the exposition, the plot keeps the novel moving pretty well. There were some twists that KNOCKED me out; I did not see them coming at all. The plot was also made a lot more interesting because of the dynamic between the two main characters. Flores does a great job of weaving their conflict (internal and external) into a larger story.

Overall, The Witch and the Vampire was a pleasant surprise for me. The ending of this novel seems like it could offer at least one more book, and if that’s the case, I would definitely read it. I want to see more of Ava and Kaye’s relationship! If you’re looking for a high-stakes, queer, heartfelt fantasy novel, this is for you. Highly recommend for fans of The Priory of the Orange Tree, Cinder, or A Curse So Dark and Lonely.