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The Witch's Journey
A key may unlock more than just a door.
In a town beset by demons, from which the children are disappearing, redheaded Mira grows up wild and willful. When she’s around, soups boil over and flowers catch fire, and one night in her sleep she unwittingly turns her house around.
The morning of her thirteenth birthday, Mira receives a gift from the a gold key. It will lead her on a journey, to seek the door her key will open.
The Witch’s Journey is a dark fairytale embroidered with fairytales, full of sorrows and terrors, heartbreaks and delights, chocolates and mayhem and magic.
“A book to savor as you would fine rich, dark, dreamlike, familiar as a fairytale, sweet as sin. I adored it.”
—Alix E. Harrow, Hugo Award–winning author of The Once and Future Witches
“Such a special story; the kind that steps into your dreams then wakes you with the taste of chocolate on your lips as a shadow in the corner walks away, and you are left remembering a place you’ve read about and a witch you suspect knows you’ve been there, and it all feels like the most delicious secret. I loved this book!”
—Mary Rickert, World Fantasy Award–winning author of The Memory Garden
“This is rich and delicious magic for the bravest of readers.”
—William Alexander, US National Book Award–winning author of Goblin Secrets
In a town beset by demons, from which the children are disappearing, redheaded Mira grows up wild and willful. When she’s around, soups boil over and flowers catch fire, and one night in her sleep she unwittingly turns her house around.
The morning of her thirteenth birthday, Mira receives a gift from the a gold key. It will lead her on a journey, to seek the door her key will open.
The Witch’s Journey is a dark fairytale embroidered with fairytales, full of sorrows and terrors, heartbreaks and delights, chocolates and mayhem and magic.
“A book to savor as you would fine rich, dark, dreamlike, familiar as a fairytale, sweet as sin. I adored it.”
—Alix E. Harrow, Hugo Award–winning author of The Once and Future Witches
“Such a special story; the kind that steps into your dreams then wakes you with the taste of chocolate on your lips as a shadow in the corner walks away, and you are left remembering a place you’ve read about and a witch you suspect knows you’ve been there, and it all feels like the most delicious secret. I loved this book!”
—Mary Rickert, World Fantasy Award–winning author of The Memory Garden
“This is rich and delicious magic for the bravest of readers.”
—William Alexander, US National Book Award–winning author of Goblin Secrets
287 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 28, 2025
3 people are currently reading
4265 people want to read
About the author
Keith Miller
6 books206 followersKeith Miller (born 1969) is an American author who has written The Book of Flying, The Book on Fire, The Sins of Angels, and The Witch's Journey. Visit his website at www.millerworlds.com and his blog at www.millerworlds.blogspot.com.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 17, 2025
Such a fun mix of magic, adventure, and heart. The story has this cozy, whimsical feel while still giving you plenty of twists to keep things interesting. The worldbuilding pulls you right in, and the characters have just the right amount of charm to make you care about what happens next. A solid, enchanting read from start to finish.
September 10, 2025
What an absolutely magical book this was! Not only is the story original, with lyrical nods to mythologies and fairy tales sprinkled throughout, but the illustrations are lovely - even in a digital format! I started reading it on my kindle, but shifted to the computer so I could see the illustrations in all their glorious detail - and the decision was well worth it. I'm in the process of obtaining a print copy, thanks to the wonderful folks at Elsewhen Press, and cannot wait to see what they look like in physical form.
The story itself is a delicious blend of elements - coming of age, magical journey, learning to appreciate one's own value - that are melded together into a narrative that is engaging and thought-provoking. There are stories within the story, and these tidbits of fairy tale lessons that Mira encounters throughout her own journey are entertaining and enlightening, and allow the reader to engage in witchy education right along with her.
There's more than a fair bit of darkness and mistreatment layered within the magic here, and it is in those bits that I think Miller really shines as an author. He manages to convey the fear and frustration of Mira's family and the townspeople, who are confronted by something they don't understand and can't possibly do anything about, as well as the anger and frustration of Mira herself, who is equally flummoxed by what is happening and by the sense that it is her responsibility, although not her fault nor of her choosing. The resulting responses to The Other (in the form not only of the demons but of Mira and the other witches she encounters) becomes an all-too telling illustration of the dangers of hating the things we fear and can't (easily) understand, and of using that lack of understanding as an excuse for all kinds of bad behavior. It's a particularly poignant message, given the current state of the world...
But don't be put off by all that seriousness - this is also a phenomenal example of storytelling, plain and simple. The descriptions are evocative, and the illustrations contribute to that magic. The characters are well-developed and easy to engage with, particularly given the consistent pacing. It's a great tale!
Thanks to Elsewhen Press for my obligation-free review copy.
The story itself is a delicious blend of elements - coming of age, magical journey, learning to appreciate one's own value - that are melded together into a narrative that is engaging and thought-provoking. There are stories within the story, and these tidbits of fairy tale lessons that Mira encounters throughout her own journey are entertaining and enlightening, and allow the reader to engage in witchy education right along with her.
There's more than a fair bit of darkness and mistreatment layered within the magic here, and it is in those bits that I think Miller really shines as an author. He manages to convey the fear and frustration of Mira's family and the townspeople, who are confronted by something they don't understand and can't possibly do anything about, as well as the anger and frustration of Mira herself, who is equally flummoxed by what is happening and by the sense that it is her responsibility, although not her fault nor of her choosing. The resulting responses to The Other (in the form not only of the demons but of Mira and the other witches she encounters) becomes an all-too telling illustration of the dangers of hating the things we fear and can't (easily) understand, and of using that lack of understanding as an excuse for all kinds of bad behavior. It's a particularly poignant message, given the current state of the world...
But don't be put off by all that seriousness - this is also a phenomenal example of storytelling, plain and simple. The descriptions are evocative, and the illustrations contribute to that magic. The characters are well-developed and easy to engage with, particularly given the consistent pacing. It's a great tale!
Thanks to Elsewhen Press for my obligation-free review copy.
September 15, 2025
Because I hate to give three stars to the second review of a book on Goodreads - if you're reading this review and haven't heard of Keith Miller already, please go do yourself a favor and read The Book of Flying and The Book on Fire. They are two of my favorite fantasy novels ever.
This one is a fun read, but it didn't quite hold up. It is, easily, Miller's strangest novel.
This felt like a softer, more feminine version of The Book of Flying, with a young protagonist on a hero's journey trying to escape prejudice and follow her destiny. In a town where demons come by on stormy nights and steal children, Mira is a witch, cursed to do strange things like flip her house around in the middle of the night and carve strange faces into wax candles.
The problem is that you expect Miller's books to be clever allegories, and this one is just cozy fantasy where not much happens. There maybe seems to be a message in here about the current political state of the world, and I'm not convinced after reading this book that baking chocolates, raising cats, and reading books will make a difference in the state of things.
Because once Mira commences her studies with the witch Mrs. Zaccaroth, that is pretty much all she does - she learns to cook, reads fairytales, and dreams of purchasing a house on a cliff with a fat cat and a small collection of books. The big arc in the middle of Miller's novels, which are spectacular romances in both Flying and Fire, is now an extended scene where she apprentices and transforms a chocolate shop in the city. There is some conflict that creeps in near the end of the novel. But overall, the goal seems to be to introduce a sense of kindness and softness to the hero's journey, an unambitious task, but one Miller succeeds at with aplomb.
This book is well written and it's definitely one for cozy fantasy fans to watch, because it has a highbrow and refined writing style which surpasses most other novels in the genre. It's not bad, and I'm sure Miller fans will think about this one, and the point of it, for a while. But for me, even one of fantasy's best writers can't really salvage the genre.
This one is a fun read, but it didn't quite hold up. It is, easily, Miller's strangest novel.
This felt like a softer, more feminine version of The Book of Flying, with a young protagonist on a hero's journey trying to escape prejudice and follow her destiny. In a town where demons come by on stormy nights and steal children, Mira is a witch, cursed to do strange things like flip her house around in the middle of the night and carve strange faces into wax candles.
The problem is that you expect Miller's books to be clever allegories, and this one is just cozy fantasy where not much happens. There maybe seems to be a message in here about the current political state of the world, and I'm not convinced after reading this book that baking chocolates, raising cats, and reading books will make a difference in the state of things.
Because once Mira commences her studies with the witch Mrs. Zaccaroth, that is pretty much all she does - she learns to cook, reads fairytales, and dreams of purchasing a house on a cliff with a fat cat and a small collection of books. The big arc in the middle of Miller's novels, which are spectacular romances in both Flying and Fire, is now an extended scene where she apprentices and transforms a chocolate shop in the city. There is some conflict that creeps in near the end of the novel. But overall, the goal seems to be to introduce a sense of kindness and softness to the hero's journey, an unambitious task, but one Miller succeeds at with aplomb.
This book is well written and it's definitely one for cozy fantasy fans to watch, because it has a highbrow and refined writing style which surpasses most other novels in the genre. It's not bad, and I'm sure Miller fans will think about this one, and the point of it, for a while. But for me, even one of fantasy's best writers can't really salvage the genre.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews