Why do I keep starting new series, when I swore I wouldn’t? Who knows, not me.

In Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch by Julie Abe, Eva wants to be as powerful and impressive a witch as her mother, who’s one of the Grand Masters of the realm. To start this process, Eva has to complete a quest to become a proper Novice Witch. However, unlike her mother, and unlike most witches, Eva has only a pinch of magic, barely enough to do multiple spells a day. So when she heads off to a new town to complete her quest, she hopes she has enough power to achieve her dream.

This is such a charming story!

I really like Eva. She’s sweet and gentle-natured, but full of desires and ambitions. And as an underdog, it’s really easy to root for her. The other characters, like Rin and Davy and Charlotte and of course the adorable Ember, are great. There isn’t as much personality or development for them, but since this is the first of a series, I’m sure we’ll see more of them.

I enjoyed watching Eva’s growth, though. The descriptions of her magic, as well as her fluctuating confidence in her abilities, are well done. I liked the way this shows kids that there’s never one single way to solve a problem, and that you can be creative and adapt your actions based on your particular skills. It’s a nice message.

A small quibble—some of the action scenes weren’t the most well written. Some of the settings, particularly during the storm toward the end of the book, were a little unclear to me. But in the end, this is an entertaining, sweet tale about a girl discovering her own unique powers, making new friends, and gaining confidence. It’s a fun start to a series, and I’m looking forward to the second book!

Overall rating: 8.6/10