Once Upon a Witch's Death, Vol. 1: The Tale of the One Thousand Tears of Joy

Once Upon a Witch's Death Light Novel #1

by Saka

On her seventeenth birthday, the apprentice witch Meg learns that she only has one year left to live. Her teacher, the long-lived witch Faust, explains that the only way to undo the death curse is to collect tears of joy and grow the seed of life. To find them, Meg will have to leave the sheltered life she's always known and head out into the world. There will be meetings, partings, and friendships aplenty, and of course many tears. Meg will learn the most important lessons for a witch are bright, sweet, and somewhat heart wrenching.

Genres: Light Novel, Manga, Fantasy

258 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 27, 2023

Reviews

[Megan Downey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is completely worth the read! There is real magic in these pages, and it’s got a beautiful heart. I don’t write too many reviews but there aren’t many for this one that I could find. The world building was a unique blend of modern life and magic, a world I would love to live in. It seems geared more towards young adults but I think adults can appreciate it as well. It’s rare for a book to be lighthearted and fun while also being sincere and touching. I would definitely read more from this author!

[Laurie Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an interesting read. I found the ending confusing though.

[Zevitjoss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Going in I had thought this was a oneshot but it seems to be a series so a bit disappointed by that because I wanted to read something self-contained but my disappointment was quickly overpowered by the awe of reading one of the best first volumes I've read for a light novel series.

Despite the fantastical nature of the main character's(Meg) situation I relate and understand a lot her of actions and her thought processes. She's also extremely funny and likeable. In short she's extremely well written.

I doubt anyone can relate to the idea of being cursed with one year to live but at it's core it's a story about confronting and fighting against a seemingly inevitable death. As I read Meg's story I couldn't but help think of my mom and her fight against cancer. It's powerful stuff.

[Jisu · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great read and I really enjoyed the story of Meg. I went through a myriad of emotions while reading, chapter 4 had me crying, hit me right in the heart. I def reccommed giving it a read.