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The Witch Hunter #0.5
The Healer
Don't miss this bewitching novella, set in the world of The Witch Hunter. John Raleigh, one of the youngest and most talented magical healers in all of Anglia, can relieve any ailment except, perhaps, his own broken heart. Since the deaths of his mother and sister who burned at the stake for witchcraft, John has spent his nights lost in nightmares and his days drowning in melancholy. That is until he's summoned to the home of Nicholas Perevil, the most powerful wizard in the kingdom, who suffers from a mysterious illness that has confounded every other healer. John immediately knows that this is no normal sickness. Nicholas, it seems, is falling apart because of a dangerous curse, and their only clue for a cure is a single name--Elizabeth Grey. Who is this girl and how has she become mixed up with such dark magic? John must put these questions aside when Elizabeth is brought to him from the palace's prison on the brink of death. It will take everything he has to save her, and to save Nicholas, but perhaps he'll manage to save his heart along the way.
52 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 11, 2015
18 people are currently reading
1676 people want to read
About the author
Virginia Boecker
17 books903 followersVirginia Boecker is the author of The Witch Hunter series and An Assassin's Guide to Love and Treason. A graduate of the University of Texas, she had a decade-long career in technology before quitting to become a full-time writer. When she isn't writing, Virginia likes skiing, traveling, cooking, and reading. She has lived all over the world but currently resides in beautiful Lake Oswego, Oregon with her husband and two children.
You can visit Virginia online at virginiaboecker.com or on Instagram @virgboecker.
You can visit Virginia online at virginiaboecker.com or on Instagram @virgboecker.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
February 24, 2017
Aw. That was really nice even though I was hoping for more. John is such an angel omg bless.
Not enough cuteness for me but I'll let it slide for now.
—
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAS.
finally.
I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR NEWS OF THIS.
john is my absolute bae.
(im hoping its backstory + his feelings for her BC THAT WAS JUST SO CUTE)
Not enough cuteness for me but I'll let it slide for now.
—
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAS.
finally.
I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR NEWS OF THIS.
john is my absolute bae.
(im hoping its backstory + his feelings for her BC THAT WAS JUST SO CUTE)
August 11, 2015
I really liked being in John's head! Much more so than Elizabeth's. He's funny and genuine and he obviously has a big heart. He's still reeling from the deaths of his mother and sister a year ago, but Elizabeth's presence is about to change everything once again, which is where the novella leaves us. I really wish the next book was in dual perspective now!
November 16, 2015
Good intro into the series. I definitely want to read book one now more than ever!
January 21, 2016
Obviously this is going to be a quite short review, since the novella was only 32 pages long. Up until a few days ago I didn't even know this little insight into John's life existed but someone on Twitter told me about it and OF COURSE I had to get it immediately!
It's no secret that I absolutely adored The Witch Hunter and that I can't wait for book 2 to be released. The ones who read my review will also know that John is extremely gorgeous and that I love him loads - he's such a charming and loving guy!
This novella is about him and his past, what he's been through and everything that happened before Elizabeth met all the others. I found all this super interesting, even though also heartbreaking. I didn't know John had such a hard past and lost people he loved - maybe I overread it in the actual book? Was it revealed there? I don't remember! I felt bad for him and just wanted to hold him really, really tight ... all the thoughts he had, well it was sad. Poor John.
What's my conclusion? Definitely a must-read for everyone who loved the first book and couldn't get enough of our precious John! Even though it's very short and I wish there would've been some more pages, it was great to read out of his perspective.
www.aworldbetweenfoldedpages.blogspot.com
September 5, 2016
I looooved this short novella about John :) it was so much fun getting to know him and his feelings better :)
March 27, 2017
Eine tolle Geschichte! John wurde mir noch sympathischer! :) Allerdings war es extrem kurz... :(
September 9, 2015
sweet af
Original de: El Extraño Gato del Cuento
La sinopsis está un poquito demasiado dramática, pero precisa, aunque yo la hubiera hecho más corta, la historia no tiene ni 50 páginas. Tanto The Bone Knife como The Healer me han demostrado que en poquitas páginas puedes demoler la vida cotidiana de un lector.
En The Witch Hunter vemos poco de John, es un personaje importante pero la escritora desarrolla más la relación entre Elizabeth y Fifer, una amistad curiosa. Pero ¿Qué hay con John? ¿Solo relleno? ¿Tanta dulzura es verdad? ¿Y esa Chime, solo es una loca stalker o qué? Pensé que esta historia iría muy atrás y tendríamos vivas a la madre y hermana de John, sin embargo, es unos años después de su muerte, semanas antes de conocer a Elizabeth, y leer desde la perspectiva de John ha sido una de las mejores experiencias.
Siempre se dice que uno no conoce a las personas y con John fue tan divertido experimentarlo, no lo recuerdo muy bien en The Witch Hunter, tiene una participación importante; pero no vemos al completo su personalidad. En The Healer tiene un lado juguetón, la relación con su padre me encanta, y es... normal. Es un chico de 19 años que dice muchas groserías, o al menos eso nos da entender, se va de fiesta de vez en cuando... Su normalidad es encantadora.
La verdad, es que sí, me ha gustado más la voz de John que la de Elizabeth, es más fresca y entretenida, más divertida incluso. Virginia Boecker dice que habrá más historias cortas pero estarán centradas en los demás personajes, espero de verdad que en algún momento pueda volver a ver el mundo de The Witch Hunter tras los ojos de John.
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Original de: El Extraño Gato del Cuento
La sinopsis está un poquito demasiado dramática, pero precisa, aunque yo la hubiera hecho más corta, la historia no tiene ni 50 páginas. Tanto The Bone Knife como The Healer me han demostrado que en poquitas páginas puedes demoler la vida cotidiana de un lector.
En The Witch Hunter vemos poco de John, es un personaje importante pero la escritora desarrolla más la relación entre Elizabeth y Fifer, una amistad curiosa. Pero ¿Qué hay con John? ¿Solo relleno? ¿Tanta dulzura es verdad? ¿Y esa Chime, solo es una loca stalker o qué? Pensé que esta historia iría muy atrás y tendríamos vivas a la madre y hermana de John, sin embargo, es unos años después de su muerte, semanas antes de conocer a Elizabeth, y leer desde la perspectiva de John ha sido una de las mejores experiencias.
Siempre se dice que uno no conoce a las personas y con John fue tan divertido experimentarlo, no lo recuerdo muy bien en The Witch Hunter, tiene una participación importante; pero no vemos al completo su personalidad. En The Healer tiene un lado juguetón, la relación con su padre me encanta, y es... normal. Es un chico de 19 años que dice muchas groserías, o al menos eso nos da entender, se va de fiesta de vez en cuando... Su normalidad es encantadora.
La verdad, es que sí, me ha gustado más la voz de John que la de Elizabeth, es más fresca y entretenida, más divertida incluso. Virginia Boecker dice que habrá más historias cortas pero estarán centradas en los demás personajes, espero de verdad que en algún momento pueda volver a ver el mundo de The Witch Hunter tras los ojos de John.
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August 22, 2015
I know it's only a novella but it was so good! I couldn't stop flipping the pages and suddenly it was over and I didn't even notice. I really want to reread The Witch Hunter now, and the sequel, and the novella about Piper and Schuyler and everything else Virginia Boecker will ever write!
I think my favorite character from TWH was George, but reading from John's perspective really made me love him.
I think my favorite character from TWH was George, but reading from John's perspective really made me love him.
August 13, 2015
Review @ Frannie in the pages.
I'm struggling to find the right words to express just how good this novella was, when all I can find in my head is senseless and gushing gibberish.
It was PERFECT. In every possible way.
1. I. LOVE. JOHN. He's the sweetest guy that ever fictionally existed, his heart knows no bounds and his honesty and selflessness are incredible. Being inside is head was a wonderful experience that I'm so grateful for, I wish I could read the whole book if not more from his perspective.
2. It is not the same story of The witch hunter, repeated like a parrot from John's PoV. These few pages focused on his life, his unbearable and heartbreaking pain at the loss of his mother and sister in such a terrible and merciless way, his failing attempts at dealing with it and starting new; how he became Nicholas' healer and at last, only a smidgen of it, the moment he met Elizabeth and how he helped her recover from the prison fever that would have killed her. Yes, there was this one scene also present in the 1st book which perfectly matched the dialogues, pauses and glances and I loved to see what John was actually thinking during those exchanges, but the rest of it was something entirely new.
3. The Healer is just the novella, and nothing else. You don't get tricked with a snipped of The witch hunter or the 2nd book. I didn't feel betrayed, because the length of the novella wasn't, in fact, respected. I had 108 pages on my kindle in total and got exactly 108 pages of unadulterated John. Which is all I ever wanted. Ever.
4. The writing style, the descriptions, everything made me feel as if I was reading a proper shorter novel. Some novellas are written just to fill in the gap between one book and the other, therefore you can see they are rushed, not truly cared for. This thought never crossed my mind while reading The Healer. The accuracy of the details, the elegant prose, the carefully chosen words and expressions, the laid-out plot lines of the novella themselves... A perfect extremely shorter novel, that's what it was.
What else can I say? As I've told you, I'm struggling to find the words. I'm already surprised I could write down these 4 points and make some kind of sense.
Just.. I love Virginia Boecker now, she's officially entered the exclusive circle of my favorite authors ever and nobody could ever dethrone her. Absolutely 100% recommended.
It has Frannie's stamp of approval.
Ps. If you haven't approached Virgina Boecker's books yet, start with The witch hunter and then read this novella ;)
January 22, 2016
Yay! John get's his own spin off story in the Healer. I was honestly very excited for it. It had so much potential but it sort of fell flat on itself.
For those that have read The Witch Hunter You have some idea of who John is, and he is that guy. He is a sweetie, who is trusting and just the perfect person to have on your list of allies. So what happened?
Well it was great to from his own POV, what he was like before the adventure unfolded. He is exactly that guy that I had mentioned earlier. Sweet, trusting and a good person to have on your ally list. (Or just in your party in general if you are going to be going after some unspeakable horror) When I reached the end of the book, I found myself wanting more and not necessarily in a good way. It got resolved too easily, too quickly. I think this was more of a world building book, show who he is but it still doesn't show who he is If it was to parallel the novel. I think I would have felt more satisfied as a reader.
So that's just what I am, an unsatisfied reader who wishes she had a bit more of John to read, because what I was given was just not enough for me.
For those that have read The Witch Hunter You have some idea of who John is, and he is that guy. He is a sweetie, who is trusting and just the perfect person to have on your list of allies. So what happened?
Well it was great to from his own POV, what he was like before the adventure unfolded. He is exactly that guy that I had mentioned earlier. Sweet, trusting and a good person to have on your ally list. (Or just in your party in general if you are going to be going after some unspeakable horror) When I reached the end of the book, I found myself wanting more and not necessarily in a good way. It got resolved too easily, too quickly. I think this was more of a world building book, show who he is but it still doesn't show who he is If it was to parallel the novel. I think I would have felt more satisfied as a reader.
So that's just what I am, an unsatisfied reader who wishes she had a bit more of John to read, because what I was given was just not enough for me.
November 13, 2015
This was a really great novella.
My one complaint about novellas is that they always feel too short and while I still wish that this could have been longer that more has to do with how much I was enjoying it rather than it feeling incomplete.
I really enjoyed reading from John's point of view and I actually felt like this novella really added a lot to him as a character.
Definitely recommend picking this up if you enjoyed The Witch Hunter.
My one complaint about novellas is that they always feel too short and while I still wish that this could have been longer that more has to do with how much I was enjoying it rather than it feeling incomplete.
I really enjoyed reading from John's point of view and I actually felt like this novella really added a lot to him as a character.
Definitely recommend picking this up if you enjoyed The Witch Hunter.
August 18, 2016
This was such a nice little short story to read! I loved getting to see more of John as he's my favorite character in this series. I liked getting the snippets of his life before he met Elizabeth and also seeing how he felt about her upon first meeting her. It was very sweet.
I definitely recommend this novella for anyone who likes The Witch Hunter series and especially if you like John as much as I do!
I definitely recommend this novella for anyone who likes The Witch Hunter series and especially if you like John as much as I do!
April 9, 2017
Gut aber leider sehr kurz!
January 20, 2020
Nettes eShort, welches man nicht unbedingt lesen muss.
Aber ich mag eShorts, deswegen musste ich es lesen xD
Aber ich mag eShorts, deswegen musste ich es lesen xD
April 1, 2016
John was one of my favourite characters in The Witch Hunter, so I was happy to get a chance to see more of him in this novella.
The Healer is told from John's perspective, covering a time period from shortly before The Witch Hunter up to and including events (but not the full story) of the novel. Thus, it's a mix of a prequel and a parallel.
As such, I'm not sure it is strong enough to stand on its own. There's character portrayal here, certainly, but there's very little conflict - at least, not much which we haven't already seen resolved in The Witch Hunter. Unfortunately, this deprives the story in The Healer of some of its potential to hit points of high tension. Perhaps the novella and the novel should really have been told in parallel; or at least read that way - though at this point I'm not sure when, specifically, it would be safe for someone in the middle of reading The Witch Hunter to pick this up.
The Healer provides further emotional depth to John's character, showing layers which weren't as visible in The Witch Hunter. This is essentially a good thing: he's every bit as sweet as you would have expected, and we get a clearer picture of how his past has affected him. But it's complicated, too; because while the novella adds depth, it also adds discord. Not because the John we see here couldn't go on to do the things he later does in The Witch Hunter - it just seems to me like it should take longer for him to get there. Of course, this is just my (totally subjective) opinion - I'm sure if his POV continued throughout the events of the novel the full picture would have been more consistent. Right now, however, I feel as if I've gained one piece of information only to realize instead I'm missing another.
Rated three stars - though the story itself mostly struck me as "okay", the book deserves an extra star solely because of Boecker's writing, which is very easy to read without seeming too simplistic.
The Healer is told from John's perspective, covering a time period from shortly before The Witch Hunter up to and including events (but not the full story) of the novel. Thus, it's a mix of a prequel and a parallel.
As such, I'm not sure it is strong enough to stand on its own. There's character portrayal here, certainly, but there's very little conflict - at least, not much which we haven't already seen resolved in The Witch Hunter. Unfortunately, this deprives the story in The Healer of some of its potential to hit points of high tension. Perhaps the novella and the novel should really have been told in parallel; or at least read that way - though at this point I'm not sure when, specifically, it would be safe for someone in the middle of reading The Witch Hunter to pick this up.
The Healer provides further emotional depth to John's character, showing layers which weren't as visible in The Witch Hunter. This is essentially a good thing: he's every bit as sweet as you would have expected, and we get a clearer picture of how his past has affected him. But it's complicated, too; because while the novella adds depth, it also adds discord. Not because the John we see here couldn't go on to do the things he later does in The Witch Hunter - it just seems to me like it should take longer for him to get there. Of course, this is just my (totally subjective) opinion - I'm sure if his POV continued throughout the events of the novel the full picture would have been more consistent. Right now, however, I feel as if I've gained one piece of information only to realize instead I'm missing another.
Rated three stars - though the story itself mostly struck me as "okay", the book deserves an extra star solely because of Boecker's writing, which is very easy to read without seeming too simplistic.
June 8, 2017
Usually novellas only hit the 3-star mark for me, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Healer. It gets 4 well deserved stars.
This novella takes place during The Witch Hunter and is from John's perspective. I loved seeing into his head. I also really like that he's a good man but not a perfect one. And the little crush he started forming on Elizabeth while she slept was cute. I appreciated Fifer's friendship in this book and liked seeing her personality and interactions with John when she wasn't having to be so protective of them.
Can't wait for The King Slayer!
Note: Some mild swearing.
This novella takes place during The Witch Hunter and is from John's perspective. I loved seeing into his head. I also really like that he's a good man but not a perfect one. And the little crush he started forming on Elizabeth while she slept was cute. I appreciated Fifer's friendship in this book and liked seeing her personality and interactions with John when she wasn't having to be so protective of them.
Can't wait for The King Slayer!
Note: Some mild swearing.
August 30, 2016
**SPOILER DE CAZA DE BRUJAS**
Me ha ENCANTADO conocer un poco el punto de vista de John. En esta micro historia o "extra" encontraremos a un John destrozado por la muerte de su hermana y su madre, dejándose ir día tras día y en su peor momento es requerido por Nicholas para que le diagnostique, como curandero. Así empieza a encontrar una nueva motivación que le de fuerzas para salir adelante. También podemos ver como trata a Elisabeth en esas dos semanas en las que en el libro principal (Caza de brujas) está inconsciente y lo que piensa de ella.
Lo dicho, era un personaje que me encantaba y saber un poco más de el ha sido una delicia.
Me ha ENCANTADO conocer un poco el punto de vista de John. En esta micro historia o "extra" encontraremos a un John destrozado por la muerte de su hermana y su madre, dejándose ir día tras día y en su peor momento es requerido por Nicholas para que le diagnostique, como curandero. Así empieza a encontrar una nueva motivación que le de fuerzas para salir adelante. También podemos ver como trata a Elisabeth en esas dos semanas en las que en el libro principal (Caza de brujas) está inconsciente y lo que piensa de ella.
Lo dicho, era un personaje que me encantaba y saber un poco más de el ha sido una delicia.
January 6, 2017
The Healer is a short novella featuring John Raleigh, and it takes place before and during the first book in The Witch Hunter series. It's a insight into John's character, how he dealt with his mother & sister's death, how he came to work with Nicholas and his feelings when Elizabeth first arrived after being rescued by the wizard, including his thoughts on the scene where he and Elizabeth first interact in book 1.
Like I said before, I don't care much or even like John's character. He always felt a little flat for me and I expected more out of his romance with Elizabeth. This little story gave me a better understanding on him, but still not enough for me like him much than I did.
Like I said before, I don't care much or even like John's character. He always felt a little flat for me and I expected more out of his romance with Elizabeth. This little story gave me a better understanding on him, but still not enough for me like him much than I did.
June 29, 2016
Une sympathique nouvelle qui nous présente le début du premier roman mais cette fois du point de vue de John. On découvre sa vie avant l'arrivée d'Elizabeth. Le récit se termine d'ailleurs au moment où celle-ci se réveille après que John l'ait soignée.
Un peu trop court tout de même à mon goût, et même s'il semble logique de s'arrêter à cet endroit, quand on est dans sa lecture cela semble un peu abrupt.
Un peu trop court tout de même à mon goût, et même s'il semble logique de s'arrêter à cet endroit, quand on est dans sa lecture cela semble un peu abrupt.
April 7, 2017
SONUNDA OKUYABİLDİM ÇOK MUTLUYUM.
January 22, 2018
John is precious and I love him, that is all.
August 12, 2015
John's story!!!
September 1, 2025
John's story. It starts off when he lost his mother and his sister because of witch hunters. This could have been more traumatic, yes, but also more interesting if I got to read his story with his family, but this was mainly John joining Nicholas' team as the healer, healing Elizabeth and falling for her in the process. I got to know George and Fifer better though, so that was good.
December 31, 2017
Oh, this is a good start. I have to read this series now!
January 28, 2018
An interesting insight of John's mind. I really enjoyed it even if it didn't add anything to the main story.
April 24, 2018
Schöne Ergänzung zur Hauptstory!
July 14, 2019
An interesting enough teaser to pull my attention to a new set of books.
September 3, 2020
amazing book, the ending left me a little on edge though :(
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews