The Witch of Duva Short Story Review

The Witch of Duva (The Grisha 0.5) by Leigh Bardugo

Published: June 5th 2012 by Tor

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

You can read it for free on Tor.com

Goodreads Summary:

There was a time when the woods near Duva ate girls…or so the story goes. But it’s just possible that the danger may be a little bit closer to home. This story is a companion folk tale to Leigh Bardugo’s debut novel, Shadow and Bone.

This story is set in a town in Ravka, and that is about as much similarity that we get. But oh, Bardugo did not disappoint in this short story! The world building was phenomenal, and the characters were very well developed. There aren’t many of them, but they make you want to find out more about them and their story as soon as you start reading.

‘“Be back before dark,” they whisper. “The trees are hungry tonight.”’

This fable has some elements of Hansel and Gretal, but the only similarity is the witch in the woods who takes in a child. Although, I couldn’t help but wonder if she was going to cook Nadya. The ending has a big twist that I did not see coming a mile away, and it just made the story all that much better.

“Real fear came upon the town.”

With it being October, this short story has all of the elements you want! It is creepy, a bit dark, and has so many twists and turns it’ll keep you on edge.

“She has him already, thought Nadya. He is under her spell.”

I really can’t say anything without ruining the whole short story for you, but if you love the Grisha series then you should definitely check this story out. If you are not a fan of Leigh Bardugo’s work, and love fables, check this story out!