The Tiny Witch from the Deep Woods: Volume 1

The Tiny Witch from the Deep Woods Light Novel #1

by Yanagi, Yoh Hihara (Illustrator), Nathan Macklem (Translator)

Growing up deep in the forest, Misha is a thirteen-year-old girl learning how to craft medicine from nature’s bounty, but she’s also picked up a tremendous amount of knowledge from her mother, an estranged member of a distant tribe of remarkably skilled apothecaries. When tragedy draws the pair out of their forest home, Misha finds herself confronted with a grim all the knowledge in the world is of no help if she doesn’t have the experience to put it to use. Faced with her own inadequacy, the young girl resolves to learn how to put her gifts to use properly. Her world is about to expand far beyond the forest she once called home.

Genres: Light Novel, Fantasy

301 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 10, 2023

Reviews

[Pieter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not exactly what I expected, but in a good way. Low magic setting, the witch being of the mundane kind and magic at last for now being tied into elusive spirits. Interesting characters, even if the MC comes across as a bit too skilled of a healer even though she is described as having never dealt with any number of heavily wounded human patients. She is a bundle of energy, brave, curious and dealing quiet well when she is unexpected thrust into the wild world due to no conscious choice of hers (unlike what the blurb suggests). Enough drama and tension to keep things interesting, but nothing overly dark (let alone grim). Really curious in what direction things are going...

[Riri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite the title, this isn’t a story about witchery or life in the deep woods. It doesn’t deal with magic, and the titular tiny witch is actually an apothecary. The term “witch” started off as an insult, but it quickly gets left behind as the story unfolds and takes Misha out of the forest she lived in. This actually reads more like an adventure story with medical scenes sprinkled in here and there, and the identity of Misha’s people is the main mystery for her to figure out. It also deals with grief that she has to experience as a child, but for how heartbreaking it’s supposed to be, I don’t think it was given enough time to sink in. Maybe it’s the plot moving too fast, so Misha doesn’t have much chance to process it properly.

So Misha is basically sent off to another country because of her complicated family situation, but the knights who guard her are taking their sweet time escorting her there. After the horrible beginning that throws her life off the rails, Misha spends the rest of the book visiting different places and meeting different people. It may not be what the title suggests, but it’s so cozy and Misha’s character is also nicely written. She’s quite mature for her age but also has a childlike side to her, and she’s doing her best to live even when she’s still grieving.

Due to Misha’s curiosity, she tends to run into peculiar events in her travels. Things like attempted murder of a merchant’s family, an injured wolf puppy that she decides to adopt, or a local legend of the Dragon God. She mainly relies on her herbal and medical knowledge, but a lot of times it’s also her presence that helps heal others. The way she solves these smaller mysteries feels so wholesome, which adds to the whole cozy vibes. I enjoyed this quite a lot, so I’m looking forward to the next book where Misha finally arrives in the Redford Kingdom.

The side story at the end is super adorable too.

[Rachael · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful story that I eagerly awaited each chapter to be translated as it was coming out!
I'm loving Misha's adventures and the world building hints that are being laid.

I would recommend to anyone looking for a peaceful read before bed.