Reviews

Witch Hunt by Annie Bellet

chocorosemary's review

adventurous dark inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

pine_wulf's review

3.0

A short read. Entertaining enough, but didn't really pull me in. There's a few awkward sentences that disrupted the flow, which I don't especially feel like going back to find. I do remember this one.

"Somewhat was wrong here."

I don't know if that somewhat is an outright mistake or intentional and misused. I had the feeling it could be either.

There are some moments I think others might find funny, but don't really jive with me, such as Bill, the flying pink unicorn. The characters seem interesting enough, if not super developed because of the story length. I did think Killer's curse was a bit weird. Giving comfort is a type of communication, but not killing? Overall, it wasn't too bad and if I was looking for something to read, I wouldn't mind checking out the next one.

erothoniel's review

4.0

Very straightforward.

You have a classic D&D party with influences from annual Azeroth Valentine's celebrations among other things. You have bad witches in Witcher-like swamp and Skyrim-like peasants in great need.

Full blown novel as such might be too much even for most hardcore D&D fans, but as a short story it is exactly right. A great hook for all the series. Very enjoyable if adventuring rpg is your thing.

a_h_haga's review

3.0

Review written using my phone, so sorry for any mistakes.

This was a fun, short read. As a DnD-player, I could almost hear the dice rolling at points!

As usual from Bellet, it was well written and straight to the point. There were a bit too many characters for such a short story, but I did manage to know them toward the end, and I'm looking forward to seing what they might be up to next.

rellaenthia's review

adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

valie's review

3.0

Simple, RPG-based, fun, it wasn't the greatest thing I read this year, but I did enjoy it. Don't know if I'd read the whole series, but I'd like to know if the elf gets released from her curse...

djbroder's review

adventurous medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

D&D

sarah42783's review

4.0

Actual rating: 3.68954789 stars. And a half.

The Clueless Barnacles Keep Reading Annie Bellet Wrong Curse (CBKRABWC™) strikes again! Okay, so this story doesn’t seem to be as widely misread as [b:Justice Calling|22825711|Justice Calling (The Twenty-Sided Sorceress, #1)|Annie Bellet|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1406594734s/22825711.jpg|42380129] of the Desperately Tragic 3.61 Average Star Rating, but still. There’s an awful lot of ridiculously ridiculous 2-star ratings for this novella out there

including one from my beloved wife Choko, who must have been really high on poor quality stuff when she read this story. It is the only plausible explanation for such an uncharacteristic display of spectacular lack of judgement on her part and stuff

and even some dumbfoundingly dumbfounding 1-star ratings, which seems to indicate that the CBKRABWC™ is pretty strong in this one. And that People of Despicable Book Taste (PoDBT™) will be People of Despicable Book Taste and stuff

I love you, too

.

Anyway, PoDBT™’s main gripes when it comes to this story are that:

① It is too short. A novella that is short, and not a full length-novel?! Bloody shrimping hell, what a shocking shocker!



And you know what else is shockingly shocking and disappointingly disappointing here? Not only is this short story short, it is also free! I kid you not. Now if that isn’t highway robbery, I don’t know what is. How dare you abuse your readers in such a shameful manner, Annie Bellet?! Such immoral practices are totally unacceptable and should be outlawed, if you ask me.

② It is a first person narrative. Which I must admit is totally outrageous and completely uncalled for.

③ It reads like a D&D campaign/quest/whatever. And that seems to be a Very Bad Thing (VBT™), according to PoDBT™. I wouldn’t know. I mean, we were still living in the 16th 20th century the one and only last time I played D&D, and I was slightly (if disgustingly) underage at the time, so my two ever-failing grey cells are kinda sorta struggling to determine why/how/when/where/whatever the D&D thing would be a VBT™. Is it frightfully illegal or something? Probably is. You puny humans seem to have a thing for banishing all fun stuff (like chopping people’s limbs off, or offering newborn babies in sacrifice to one’s favourite authors), after all.

So the long short and short of it is, ① + ② + ③ =



YES, this story is revoltingly short and YES, it is about a small group of people who have been tasked with ridding a small town of witches and monsters and stuff. But also nevertheless, I don’t see what the problem with that is. And but also nevertheless, said small group of people is comprised of a cursed elf who cannot snort communicate because she’s been a bad, bad girl in the past

yay!

, a pony-sized mist-lynx who goes poof on demand, a half-orc shaman with a potentially badass, sword-wielding human wife, a dashing rascal-type guy, a pixie-goblin who hurls fireballs around, and last but bloody shrimping not least, a bloody shrimping mini-unicorn!! Now if that alone isn’t worth picking this FREE STORY up for, I don’t know what is. Oh, and by the way: owlboars and crocodile men. Also, fun and action and adventure and great potential and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series and stuff and I rest in my case. And stuff.



Don’t ask.

· Book 2: Twice Drowned Dragon ★★★★
· Book 3: A Stone's Throw ★★★★
· Book 4: Dead of Knight ★★★★
· Book 5: Brood Mother ★★★★
· Book 6: Into the North ★★★★★



[Pre-review nonsense]

It's [b:Justice Calling|22825711|Justice Calling (The Twenty-Sided Sorceress, #1)|Annie Bellet|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1406594734s/22825711.jpg|42380129] all over again! Countless barnacles have given this slightly enjoyable, free tale—which features a bloody shrimping mini-unicorn—a low rating! Funny how barnacles have the tendency to read Annie Bellet’s stories wrong. Must have something to do with their genes and stuff. It’s so sad that all puny creatures on this planet don’t have my Glorious Chromosomes of Impeccable Book Taste (GCoIBT™). It would make for more sensible book ratings, if you ask me.



➽ Full It’s Not Me You, Clueless Barnacles, It’s You Me Crappy Non Review (ITMYCBIYMCNR™) to come.