I Live to Serve the Witch

by Jacque Aye, Victoria L. Johnson (Editor), Odunze Oguguo (Illustrator)

"I only know of true love because of the witch."

Ceciline lives to serve her Mistress—the wise, warm, and mysterious witch who raised her. Together, they live a peaceful life tucked away in their cottage in the woods. The witch works her magic, and Ceciline follows closely behind, sweeping floors, gathering ingredients, and staying alert should her Mistress need her for anything. The witch refuses to teach her any spells or incantations. But Ceciline doesn't mind. She's perfectly happy with the way things are. She only wishes to be useful.

But things change when a mysterious traveler lands on her doorstep with a thump. And the closer the two become, the more Ceciline questions whether the witch is protecting her...or imprisoning her. 

I Live to Serve the Witch is a story about trauma, and how it tends to be passed on and on and on and...

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Mystery, LGBTQ, New Adult, Light Novel

Tone: Dark

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Queer, Lesbian, Witches, LGBT, Mystery

189 pages, Paperback

First published February 5, 2025

About the author

As a woman who suffers from depression and social anxiety, I’ve made it my mission to candidly share my experiences with the hopes of helping others dealing with the same. This extends into my fiction work, where I pen tales about woeful women trying their best, with a surrealist, magical touch. Inspired by surrealist authors like Haruki Murakami, Sayaka Murata, and Lemony Snicket, my stories are dark and humorous with a hint…well, a bunch…of absurdity.

Reviews

[Jacque · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm the author, so I'm biased! But I LOVE this book!

[Odunze Oguguo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cover artist here. My fave book from here, no doubt.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read & I want more!

In the fantasy world it’s not always fairytales, sometimes it’s nightmares! Ceciline is loyal to a fault & is dedicated to serving a powerful witch, only to start questioning what loyalty, freedom, and purpose truly mean. When Grace arrives, introducing Ceciline to a world unknown and making questionable statements about being imprisoned Ceciline slowly begins to think differently,

This was one witch you didn’t want to cross! This story was complex with very intriguing characters, that had heartbreaking & complicated pasts. It was difficult to decide who to root for. Ultimately, the back stories make you second guess who “the bad guys” really are. The dynamic between the witch & her protege gives the book real emotional depth, as I was not expecting to love these characters this much!

Overall an enjoyable read that I can see myself reading again in the future! It was fun and perfect for readers who love well written fantasy stories with personality and a little extra razzle dazzle!

[Lowarn Gutierrez · Rating 4 out of 5]

A surprisingly complex story which manages to deal with complicated issues elegantly despite its short length. It could have benefited from being longer, I reckon, but it works as is. The writing style is easy to digest and I loved watching the characters' stories unfold! 

[seasalted.citrus (Topaz, Oliver) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I just saw myself in you. When I was younger and so afraid, I’d clasp my hands together and pray for someone to care enough to help.”
“You deserve more than care, Ceciline. You deserve to be loved.”

(Aye, 2025, pg 39.)

Well! Akin to a poor cursed soul doomed to eat enchanted sweets, I voraciously gobbled this novella in one day. I had been wanting to read Jacque Aye’s work since Adorned By Chi was being updated (and upheld as one of the first, or at least most important, examples of Black magical girl media— but my past Precure-influenced fixations are not the focus here). Since then, though, her fantasy prose novels have intrigued me, with how strange and sapphic they seem.

And while this wasn’t really strange per se, this was twisted magical goodness!

Usually, whether I enjoy a story with multiple timelines is a coin toss— even if I enjoy the book itself, I can have mixed or negative feelings about different arcs. Unfortunately, I still had some clear favoritism: Ceciline’s POV was the most compelling, but that may be a result of her being the only character whose narrative we experience in present-day first person. Still, I loved the ever-present mystery, and the pieces of the Witch’s story scattered across chapters and characters. Seeing them eventually slide together like a jigsaw puzzle was very satisfying.

Sunday and Asoka’s POV was… interesting to me? It was mostly centered on Sunday’s thoughts rather than Asoka’s, and because of how much summarization had to be done with both their story and characterization, it felt like a twisted fairytale being told. The visuals and writing style definitely work better when viewed through that lens, especially since it was strongly implied from their first page that it was a past timeline. I just wish it felt a little less dry.

While Ceciline is archetypal on paper, I thought how she was presented as a pure-hearted main character was done with far more nuance than I expected. She gains a significant amount of autonomy in the last third of the story, clearly has some knowledge of the world and of romance that she has gained from her reading (even if she is still incredibly sheltered), and went through a very surprising arc that I would have liked to have more page time to really process and read about. In particular, I enjoyed seeing how her seclusion affected her relationship with Grace (even just little moments, like Ceciline not realizing Grace would prioritize a wedding or funeral!), from both a socialization and emotional standpoint.

(Also, her romance with Grace was juiccyyyyyy!! Ugh, the soft romances followed by the drama! When it comes to sapphic romance, I’m easy to please, sorry.)

However, like most other novellas, this had the drawback of not giving enough time for its characters and world to truly flesh themselves out. The pace was quick, and I think it rushed a couple of elements, particularly the romance and conflict.

Also, this is a nitpick, but the letters dipped too far into standard past-tense prose for me😭 as soon as perfectly-remembered dialogue and a certain amount of sensory detail is involved in a character’s writing to another character, it breaks my immersion. Sorry.

A darkly whimsical novella with a world I found myself easily immersed in. Beneath the occasional gore and body horror, there is a bittersweet narrative about the cycle of abuse, and how trauma responses shape the people who have them. Would love to read more work by this author again!

******
pre-review:
this is just cassunzel if you squint

[Melinda Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

great story

I loved this whole story. Even though it was heartbreaking, I still wanted to finish it. I can’t wait for more.

[Lilith Luster · Rating 3 out of 5]

rate this a ⭐️⭐️⭐️ and .5 for spice. This light novel is only 180 pgs but it’s filled with magic, deception, betrayal, love (FF & MF), and SO many plot twists. My heart broke for all the characters even the “villains” because all they ever wanted was love, happiness, and family and they were met with everything BUT that.
This novel gave off Hansel and Gretel vibes and also showed how trauma can plague generations. I loved how brave our FMC was. I loved how Friday just wanted his brothers happiness. I loved how Sunday only wanted his wife’s happiness so the way his story unfolds really hurt my heart. Grace’s plot twists were the most surprising to me. Although the plot twists were great there were so many I sometimes felt like I was getting whiplash lol. Overall this was a good read and I recommend it. I look forward to book 2!! I look forward to reading about those dance moves 😂

[scraps · Rating 3 out of 5]

thanks so much for the free review copy :)

i had a pretty nice time with this book! i think it executes its theming well and super clearly, and the characters were charming and engaging. the world was fun, too! i love a good old fashioned cauldrons and brooms style magic. the plot was fun as well, i spent the whole book wondering where exactly these stories would converge and that was a good time! i do really wish it had more length to support how much actually happens, though. things happen very quickly and i really wish there was more time spent on things, a lot of stuff i thought would be super interesting and fun is sort of just rushed through which was disappointing. i especially felt this way when it came to most of asoka and sunday's life being in one chapter, and the main romance, which felt super underdeveloped to me. but since this is a series (and, you know, blah blah uhaul lesbians) it might get fleshed out in a future book. and despite all that, it being a short read was still a pretty pleasant experience! it was light and fast and just a fun time overall!

i wish i knew what the target audience was, age wise? i saw it labelled as new adult, which doesn't quite feel right to me? i was kind of under the impression it was ya or something but i will admit these concepts are kind of out of my knowledge base. i only say this because i kind of felt talked down to a lot of the time? like, i was told more than shown a lot of the time, especially when it came to characters emotions and things that were there to express the theme. i kind of felt like the author didn't trust me to understand the meaning behind the narrative. a lot of the language felt quite simple as well, which isn't in itself a bad thing, but felt related to this point. but like, maybe this is for a younger audience and i'm coming at it from the wrong mindset so that could be on me!

the couple illustrations in the book were a pleasant surprise and a super cute touch! a lot of the book was stuff that made me oh "oh cute :)" in general. i thought the anecdote about the sugarcane was cute, the details about potion ingredients as well, and the little animals outside were super sweet. despite the dark subject matter at times i think the tone is kept very manageably light which makes for a super chill casual read :) i had fun!

[Reading Lady Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHAT ?! What do you mean only 104 ratings !? This was a delight ! I am absolutely BEWITCHED by this read !

A magical read from Beginning to end. A story that readers will want to read more than once. Cecily is probably one of my favourite FMC's written in fiction in forever. She is a ray of sunshine and I have not read a book that captures the beautiful resilience and hope of a sunshine character.

Split into 2 story lines, I Live to Serve the Witch is a Magical Fantasy story about witches and curses and ultimately, love. The MC, Cecily lives to serve the witch who saved her. The witch creates magic and brews spells, while Cecily will tend to the garden and sweep floors. In their isolated cottage, life couldn't be more content for Cecily. Then appears Grace, who teaches Cecily that there is more to the world than serving the witch.

What drew me into this story was the examples of love. In this short read, Jacque Aye masterfully crafts stories of love. With compelling characters and an atmosphere that gave a mixture of ghibli / hansel and gretel / fairy tale vibes.

and the ART?! hello ?! I don't think I'll ever be calm about this book. 5 stars. highly recommend.

[Dawn Chen · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I just finished I Live to Serve The Witch by and I was thinking it would be a nice fairytale about like sapphic girls overcoming an evil witch kind of typical fairytale but man…what I got was a heartbreaking story that made me cry three times in the span of less than 190 pages. That is magic in itself. This is a book with fairytale logic and a sense of whimsy but I truly didn't expect how tragic it got at parts. Anyway highly recommend, like wow. A short book with a heavy punch.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a good book. Each POV ties together. It’s short enough you can read in one sitting, but doesn’t leave much out in order to fit everything into the story

One small plot hole but otherwise, I liked it

Easy peasy

[Z · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is was short and sweet read. Some good twists throughout with splash of intimacy that I enjoyed. I’m not sure how I keep finding wlw books, but I’m enjoying it.

[Cheyenne Rickman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so beautifully written. I could not put it down and stayed up late just to finish it! The way all the stories and twists came together at the end was amazing and the ending was super satisfying.

[Ekene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Been a very long while since a story had me so perplexed and also intrigued. Initially the story was giving me Tangled vibes and I thought that was where the story was going. But then halfway through, hit with a double whammy that somehow worked

I must give the author massive kudos for that

[Sadie Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot explain to you the state I am in right now because of this book. I am so sad, and happy, and just is awe of the feelings captured in this short book.

Hear me out, if you took the movie Sinners (2025) and turned it into a studio Ghibli movie, that would be the vibes of this book. I know that sounds crazy but I said you gotta hear me out okay!! I Live to Serve the Witch was so whimsical and innocent, but also had elements of horror, despair, and betrayal that had me gagged. It also had the mysteriousness of a studio Ghibli film, explaining what was needed as the story was told and choosing not to explain certain aspects to let the story be filled with its own unknown. It tackled what it looks like to do something good at a heavy cost, what people are willing to do for power, and more, all while playing on aspects of fairytales of old you may begin to recognize as you read.

Jacque Aye is such an incredible and lyrical writer. I felt totally absorbed into her character’s points of views and embraced by her depictions of this world, its characters, and the magic surrounding it all. One thing I didn’t know about this book going into it was the multiple points of views and storylines within the book. I was thrown off by this at first but you have to trust the process. Because the way everything comes together at the end had me GASPING and talking to myself about how it all connected!!!!

I loved this fantastical witchy read. Jacque has a fan in me and I cannot wait to read more of her work!

Quotes I loved:

“No, I wasn’t a prisoner. I was an apprentice. And my purpose was to serve the witch. I chose to serve the witch. And in that moment, I’d failed her.”

“Love can truly be a powerful force. Too powerful, I’m afraid.”

“You deserve more than care, Ceciline. You deserve to be loved.”

[Daughter of the Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent novella for November. I went in with no expectations and no prior knowledge, and I’m glad I did. The story carries subtle echoes of Hansel and Gretel while diving deep into family trauma and generational curses. It isn’t a light read, but it’s excellently written, dark, and haunting tale. That has the ability to alter your brain chemistry.
Thank you Jacque Aye 🙏🏽

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pros:
- BLACK WITCHY SAPPHIC FANTASYYYYY BLACK WITCHY SAPPHIC FANTASYYYYY
- I loved the interweaving narrative, especially because you were wondering how it could connect the whole time and once it does I was just ‼️‼️‼️‼️
- Ceciline! What a lil sweetie. She deserves the world
- the WITCH. Love her, honestly. Definitely a WILF
- I loved the lore that was just so casually set up. You definitely feel like you’re just getting a glimpse of the world
- I want to live in the cottage do they have a spare room

Cons:
- the writing is a bit choppy. It’s not terrible by any means, but at points it does take you out of the story

Overall:
This was very fun and I will be reading with plenty of snacks and some tea

[Kathleen Haagenson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part dark fairy tale, part whimsical fantasy. I loved this witchy novella as it explored themes regarding the repetitive cycles of trauma. The character was a perfect combination of flawed and endearing displaying how achingly human they were, including the more villainous characters.

I purchased the Satisfiction special edition and enjoyed the illustrations and beautiful end pages and artistry.

The only thing was the pacing felt off for me. For how short the story was it felt as if the pacing was really slow and then became super fast towards the end. This could very well be due to the fact I wanted to stay in this world with these characters a bit longer. 🤷🏾‍♀️ However that doesn’t take away from how phenomenal this story was.

An excellent choice for readers that enjoy surrealist fantasy with a dash of dark and delectable whimsy.

[Meg (bookish.apothecary) · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is so much depth in this novella. The story, the characters, the complexities of different kinds of love. It shows the impact of generational trauma as it builds over the years to a point of reckoning. It is a deeply emotional tale that had me shedding tears multiple times. Ceciline was such a sweet, sheltered soul who finds the courage to break free from the status quo with the help of her new mysterious friend Grace along the way. The writing was compelling and the way the two storylines were written kept you second guessing until they converged though I had my suspicions 👀. I Live to Serve the Witch has it all, mystery, magic, witchy cottagecore vibes, trauma and healing, and romance. Thanks to the author and Colored Pages Book Tours for the review copy!

[Jasmine J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this novel! From the multiple character perspectives to the different timelines to the mystery surrounding the witch - it was a thrilling read that I binged in a week.

As not the biggest romance fan, it had a great balance of romance throughout the story. My only issue with the story was having 2 brothers with similar names made it hard to keep track which brother was which.

5/5 - highly recommend to those enjoy magic in present day & wlw stories

[Nemo · Rating 2 out of 5]

i just couldn’t connect to the characters at all, like i didn’t care about any of them. i though the plot was good but the writing made me feel so removed from it. the ending was good and seeing how everything connected but this felt more like a fairy tale like hansel and gretel which should be told in a much shorter way or inspiration for a longer book

[Sameerah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jacque put her foot in this book. It was a short, but very beautiful story. Nice bit of romance, twists, and the storytelling was immaculate. It really felt like I was watching a fairytale movie — would love to see her write more versions of witchy vibe books in the future!

[Zachary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Read

This was a good read. I wish it were longer. I hope there’s a part two because I feel like Celine, Grace/Amara, and Hans Journey is just beginning.

[Ashlee Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

this felt like a fairytale with so many twists and turns. very emotional and whimsical. love the illustrations

[Takeyrah · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars. Cute story. I was trying to figure put who was who and how everything connected the whole time. quick, short read. I enjoyed it.

[Raeshone · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beginning was somewhat confusing as i tried to piece everything together but it was all wrapped together beautifully in the end. It was an amazing story.

[SAMazon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a well crafted read being just over 200 pages.
Fast paced, witchy, multi POV, and super engaging. I didn't want to put it down till I was done.

[Anthony Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our actions and decisions have consequences. Sometimes, those consequences are dire and long-lasting. What tends to complicate things is the ramifications of those actions and decisions. Another thing to consider is that individual decisions affect not only the person making them but also those around them. As humans, we do not live within a vacuum; we typically live within communities. And if the community isn’t affected, then there is always concern for immediate family members.

Think about all those connections within a vacuum-less environment when you think about how actions have consequences within the book, I Live to Serve the Witch.

What Jacque Aye created was a world of fantasy and fairy tales that pays homage to and offers callbacks to many past stories that many people have grown to love. Ceceline, the main character of this tome, “lives to serve the witch.” All she cares about is serving the Mistress and doing whatever she asks Ceceline to do. And the naivete of Ceceline’s love and devotion to the witch never allows her to question anything the Mistress does or says. Even when the witch warns her about men coming to harm her with pitchforks and such, Ceceline believes in the Mistress. Between Ceceline and the Mistress, it is them against the world: a world that Ceceline isn’t even allowed to see.

And all that changes when an unknown visitor comes “crashing the party.” And this new party crasher (we will call her Grace) comes in and throws everything off. Now, Ceceline is hiding her actions, being sneaky, and even lying to the Mistress. And this is making her uncomfortable because Ceceline is never the one to come off as untrustworthy. Yet, it's Grace’s inquisitive nature and questioning that make Ceceline reconsider her present situation. Even to the point where Ceceline leaves the house with Grace (something the Mistress forbade with all her being). This one action changes everything within the story.

The great thing Jacque did was tell the story in a linear form that brought everything full circle and made sense toward the end. Breaking the chapters up between Ceceline’s first-person accounts and the 3rd-person, reminiscent story of Sunday and Asoka (people I won’t explain because spoilers can be all over the place) kept the story moving. At first, I didn’t fully understand why the story of Sunday and Asoka even mattered. Yet, it all made sense during the falling action and resolution of this tome.

With monsters, witches, spells, curses, and trauma, I Live to Serve the Witch is a true love story. It is that love that drives many of the characters to make some of the best and worst decisions in the story. Nonetheless, all choices have consequences, and actions have repercussions. Even when choices come from good intentions, the results can be cataclysmic. Still, I Live to Serve the Witch teaches us that true love, mixed with true dedication, wins in the end.

[abs · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars out of 5 stars for witchcraft and heart.

It has been a long time since I sat and DEVOURED a book in less than 24 hours (one that I didn't have to read for work, anyway), but this one grabbed me right away and didn't let go.

The characters are so nicely rendered and lovable. The worldbuilding is quite soft, but in a way that lends to a cozy, whimsical atmosphere. The book deals with heavy topics like trauma and abuse in a way that feels realistic, respectful, and faithful to the overall tone from the novel. (There are so many fantasy books that break into 21st-century therapy-speak to discuss mental health. This one doesn't!). Despite the darkness and tragedy that the story grapples with, there's something cozy about it that I can't put my finger on.

There are a few hiccups in the narrative where the characterization could be stronger, which bring this down a star for me. (Like the sequence where Friday tells his traumatic backstory out of nowhere and declares that he's poisoned himself and is going to die in three days is like... soap opera levels of unexpected melodrama.) I do think that this would have suffered a bit if it were stretched out into a longer, epic-fantasy-length novel. As it is, the story clips along nicely, and it does A LOT in less than 200 pages.

I will say that I'm a little scared to see that this is the first book in a series. The story and main themes seem to be wrapped up very nicely in this one. As such, I'm not sure what a full sequel will do that a solid 10-page epilogue couldn't. However, I might be intrigued enough to read what comes next...

TL;DR: Fantasy book about the persistence of generational trauma somehow feels like a warm hug... but maybe that's just my mommy issues talking.

Obligatory mention that I received a free ARC of this book and am leaving a review voluntarily.

[DrizzleReads · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The change in POVs per chapter was interesting. I didn't love it or hate it. It was just different.

I feel like there is some Info missing. I guess my main question when reading this book was: "how is the MC so self aware?" It sounds like she has been with the witch since she was a child and acts of service was a way for her to feel useful and to thank the witch for taking her in…. BUT there is a big difference between a character going “I know what will help her feel better I'll make tea!" and "I reverted to the only way I'd ever shown care- to be at service."

Unless someone straight up told her you are a servant, I would image a child who grew up in these conditions would think they were helpful not someone who loves to serve.

And maybe the definitions are loosely connected in this book and I’m just defining it a bit more literal than it needs to be.

But some of the ways the main character was thinking and acting didn’t really match the background that I had of her. Even when she would compare something, she read to the real world I felt like some of those comparisons would’ve been wrong and would’ve really highlighted how little she knows and taught herself. But in the book every time she compared a situation to something she read, it was either irrelevant or accurate.

I was slightly curious about how the separate storylines were going to intertwine. Once the big reveals started, the pacing of the book sped up a lot. I think after a point there ended up being slightly too many revelations and connections.

Overall, the storyline wasn’t bad. It was kinda whimsy and cute. I just didn’t really connect with the characters or the layout of the book. I think I just needed a little bit more information from every single character.