The Witch at the Edge of the Woods

Evraft

by Jenni Sauer

Eva Behnam left home to make a name for herself After breaking the curse of the man she loves only to have her heart broken in return, Eva Behnam stakes what little savings she has left on a little cottage far from home. The villagers fear the strange girl with magic they don't understand, but Eva isn't ready to go back to her parents and admit defeat. Not yet. "The witch at the edge of the woods" isn't the name Eva hoped to make for herself. But as she starts to connect with the family of an old friend—bringing up long buried memories she isn't supposed to know—she finds maybe her new reputation isn't so bad after all. In fact, maybe it's the key to new friendships, a home, and even healing.

87 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 1, 2023

About the author

Jenni Sauer writes fairy tale retellings for soft, angry hearts. She didn’t go to college, but she has a degree of mental health and has her masters in optimism from the school of life. Her proudest achievements include staying soft despite the trauma she’s lived through and holding on when life tried its hardest to take her out

If you’re looking for her, she’s probably bent over her laptop plotting treason—er, her latest story idea—or procrastinating on that by making another playlist or cute aesthetic. Or you can find her on Instagram @ivorypalaceprincess

Reviews

[Effie Stock · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just gobbled this little novella right up.
Picked it up wanting a short, cozy, kinda witchy magical read. Ended up getting an emotional dose of adult characters with real adult problems, fantastic heartwarming female friendships, a lot of personal emotional crisis of trying to fit it in a world you stand out of and so much more.

Pros:
The characters, the setting, the pacing, the plot: all of it was absolutely on point. Makes me wanna dive into this world and get more of these characters' backstories and continuations!

Cons:
Sometimes the writing felt a little repetitive with small details.

TW: (as listed in book)
Baby loss, family death, child abuse, negligent parent, spousal abuse, martial rape.

I'd absolutely recommend this to any cozy fantasy readers who are interested in Jenni Sauer's work and series!

[Abigail McKenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was exactly what I needed this week. I adore it so much.

[Nathaniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This hit me like a punch to the gut. Jenni explored these characters and topics in such a beautiful, intimate way and I couldn’t help but tear up at some parts. The writing was great, the plot was perfectly paced, and the ending…ahh. Basically this novella was everything I hoped for and I’m so excited to have read it. Pick it up!

[Selina Gonzalez · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little book with a heck of a lot of heart.

[Alex Silvius · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jenni Sauer made me cry with this one

[K.J. Haakenson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jenni Sauer books for the win <3
A cozy novella about a young woman desperate to find her place in the world on her own. With a heartfelt plot and themes of loneliness, friendship, self-worth, and growth, "The Witch at the Edge of the Woods" was a very encouraging and refreshing read.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so, so good! A new favorite! I love Jenni Sauer, she is such a great writer. I am always blown away by the depth she manages to give her characters, even in her short stories, and by how relatable those characters are. They are perfectly imperfect, with broken hearts and real anxieties. They cry and get angry and shut down at times, like we all do, but then there’s always hope and love in them, too. And I absolutely love the warmth she infuses into her books. There were some heavy issues tackled in this one but it still somehow left me feeling all warm and cozy! How is that possible? Lol ❤️🥰

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m sobbing. This little novella punched me in the feels. But like. In an everything is going to be okay way. In a you are enough way. In a you are brave and worthy way.

Friendly reminder that Jenni’s books know how to give an aching heart a tender hug.

[Arisha (Free Palestine &#x1f1f5;&#x1f1f8;) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this so much, I absolutely adore the way Jenni writes female friends and solidarity and her characters are always so relatable. I loved watching Eva heal and fall in love with life. The Evraft novels are always so healing, I can’t wait for Project Blood Orange and the Trapp x Eva book! There was just so much good in this book, I absolutely adore it.

However, there was just one thing which Icked me out. I think I’m reading too much into it, and I definitely think it was unintentional but the one culture in this series which was portrayed as physically abusive was also the only one which was Muslim coded. All the characters dressed modestly, the men grew beards, and the women wore headscarves. Very Muslim coded. Yet these characters essentially could not get divorced and one of two major male characters were portrayed as abusive. Again, I don’t think it was intentional. The author has a kind soul, and I assume it was a coincidence. It just bothered me a little. I don’t know.

[Amelia E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is chock full of emotion, breaking your heart a little but also sewing it back up, as expected for a Jenni Sauer book. It’s not without tough themes, but it’s cozy and warm. Check the content warnings first of course, but I def recommend reading this cozy novella if you’re up for it



P.S. now I reeeeally want the Eva + Trapp story

[Cheyenne Langevelde · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very sweet novella about finding one's self worth and healing and especially those things in light of helping others. This was my first book by Jenni Sauer but I'm looking forward to reading more from her!

[J. Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Eva. So. Much. She's such a good protagonist!!! And I adored hearing about her relationship with her parents, and her brother and his bestie, it was SO good!!!! Plus, the adoption was REAL. Madeleif my beloved, she deserves everything good in this world

[Mienreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Marvelous Geek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't mind me just crying

[Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very heartwarming novella, just what I needed

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m in all my feels. The last paragraph had me bawling.

[Blake Barrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanted a quick, happy read after DNFing a book that wasn't much my style, and I know this little book would be perfect.

Eva is such a sweetheart of a character, even if she has her sharp edges and hard sides. Watching her journey to find community and fall back in love--not with a man, but with life--was a wonderful thing to read.

There's not much I can say about this book without giving away spoilers, but I loved so much about it. It was a fast, easy read without sacrificing story or character. Though it wasn't deep as the author's full novels, it wasn't shallow, either. It had sweet messages and gave time to watching Eva grow into who she wants to be. I can't wait to get a full Eva novel in the future as the author promises at the end of the book.

[R.C.Lloyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to echo many of the readers that say this book just feels like a hug. It's true. It's a book that sits with some really hard topics, and like a good friend, grieves with you. But doesn't leave you in a place of despair, instead encourages you and lifts you out of it. It's cozy and uplifting, but doesn't shy away from heavy things.

I specifically loved seeing Eva grow into herself, her power, and someone she believes her mom would be proud of.

[Emma Couette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another stunning book from Jenni Sauer. I don't know how you managed to make me feel so many emotions in such a short amount of time, but I loved it! These new characters are so precious, and I hope we get to see them again later on in the series! This book can probably be read on its own if you haven't read the main series, though it's best enjoyed after at least having read Rook Di Goo.

[Dr susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent sci fi fantasy short story

Witch takes place in the same group of planets as the War On Taras series. Eva is one of the people with magic, so sci fi fantasy is a better descriptor than sci fi. Although the story deals with some dark issues, Witch is heartwarming, as Eva works to define and accept herself.

[Britt · Rating 5 out of 5]

All the stars

This book is beautiful inside and out. I love it. That's it, that's the review. No really. Eva, you are such a huge heart and stardust in your veins, and I love every messy bit of you.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful, big story wrapped up in a tiny novella! This book is a celebration of kindness, helpfulness, friendship, patience, and perseverance. I think it may be Sauer's most beautiful book yet, inside and out. If there was ever such a thing as cottage-core sci-fi, this is it.

[Payton · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I had to use only one word to describe this book, I would choose soft. It might be a small novella, but the words it contains are powerful. There's so much I want to say about this book and yet at the same time I can't come up with any words at all to detail the love I have for Eva.

[Phoebe · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️

A cute, cozy, whimsical read. I loved the characters and found family.