Cover Image: Witchy

Witchy

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Member Reviews

I really liked the art and the world this story is set in is very interesting and sweeping. I got some major Arabian Vibes from the story. This is not a typical witchy story, because the witches in this case are everyone who lives in this world, only some are more powerful than the others, and their power lies in their hair, thus is forbidden both to cut and to have hair too long. Nyneve's father was burned for having too much hair and magic, and ever since that happened she has hidden within herself and stopped practicing magic so much, but preferred to study its theory. But in this world, kids are drafted to join the army when they become of age based on their skill with magic and Nyneve will do anything not to help those who killed her father.

Part magical discovery, part magical games and part dystopia resistance storyline, this is a fun, easy to read and lovely story.

I really like the development that Nyneve's character is moving towards and I really hope there will be more books after this one, because it has potential to develop into a great series!

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Explorations of magic aren't unusual in fiction, both traditional and graphic novels. Ries has taken a fascinating approach with this story, tying the characters' magic to their hair. The length of their hair is a representation fo the strength of their magic as well as their respect for the spirits that provide their magic. Magic doesn't have rules, per se, but does have a direct tie to another aspect of the world. They don't fully understand their magic because they don't understand the spirit world. It's a complex mythology but Ries does not shy away from explanations and explorations. The progression of the plot only adds to the complexity of the world. The art is charming, cartoony and unafraid to take risks.

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Beautiful artwork and story

Nyevne lives with her mother and she is kind of angry about school because it’s the year of the enlistment to battle for your country. Nyevne doesn’t like the enlistment because her father was hunted down by the magical government, per se.

She doesn’t want anything to do with Magic and fighting to keep her country save and people scorn her for it.

The book does lightly touch on transitioned genders which is good. It’s not bad entirely, it is brief.

Characters are strong-willed female protagonists.
Art work is also unique and amazing! Loved that each page was colorful and glowing!

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I love graphic novels and I always get excited when a new one comes onto my radar. I was really excited about Witchy but for me, this one just didn't really work. I struggled a lot with the art style, and the pacing of this novel. The world building in this one was really cool, but my struggle to connect with the characters kept me out of the story.

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Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for giving me access to this title!

This graphic novel follows a girl called Nyneve who lives in the kingdom of Hyalin where a person's powers are affected by the length of their hair.
Witchy has a fun art style, it wasn't my favourite, but I found it quite funny sometimes and I liked that it had lots of scenery.

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3.5 stars ⭐


This book is about:

A young witch named Nyneve who lives in the Hyalin kingdom where the strength of your magic is determined by the length of your hair. Those who are strong enough are chosen to become part of the Witch Guard, whereas those with hair judged too long are annihilated. 

Nyneve has been haunted by the death of her father ever since she was a young child and when conscription for the Witch Guard rolls around, she has to choose between joining the institution which played a role in her father's death or stand up for her own ideals.


Pros:

I love how original this story is: this is the first time I've heard about a magic system like this and I found it to be fascinating. There is also a bit of world building which I feel is nicely executed.

Another aspect I enjoyed was how brave and strong Nyneve is, despite her perceiving herself as the opposite of that.

In addition, I really appreciated the mother-daughter bond the protagonist has with her mother and well as the inclusion of LGBTQ+ characters.


Cons:

First, although I found the characters to be likeable, I didn't particularly connect with any of them.

Also, the art style is not exactly my favourite, not to say the illustrations aren't well done, it is just my personal preference.


Final thoughts:

In conclusion, Witchy is an engaging graphic novel, perfect for those who are looking for fantasy stories starring witches with intriguing and unique magical abilities wrapped in a captivating plot and colourful art.

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My Rating : 4🌟

This story definitely intrigued me with it's unique plot and the amazing artwork! The entire plot was easy to grasp and it definitely has some very interesting character additions in the middle that I am not really sure of, but it held a certain charm to it so I am happy. To be honest, I was a little skeptical about the storyline with the introduction and the character potrayal. But it definitely is worth the read and I definitely recommend you guys give it a try!

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Witchy follows the story of Nyneve, a witch who is hiding some truth of herself in an attempt to keep herself and her family safe.

This books takes place in a fantasy world where a witch's magical ability is judged by the length of their hair. However, if a witch's hair is too long they are viewed as a threat to the kingdom and therefore burned. This is what happened to Nyneve's father. We meet Nyneve as she is about to take place in trials for conscription. But, of course, things don't always run smoothly for witches with secrets.

I wish the world-building had been stronger. I don't think I have come across this concept in a graphic novel - witches, conscription, a possibly corrupt army, the chance for resilience and revolution. The concept is fascinating and exciting to me and yet Ries didn't make use of this world-building potential enough.

In addition, the ending was very abrupt. As I understand, this is an ongoing series adapted from a web-comic. So sure, there is more to come. But there was no conclusion or nice rounding out at the end of the story. Please note, this could also be due to my ARC copy as well. I would love to know if the finished publication provides a more rounded out ending.

And I really loved the art style - it was whimsical yet could portray a dark and serious setting. It really tied in well with the story and the plot's tone.

Overall, I enjoyed Witchy but was left a little wanting in the end.

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A very atmospheric, engaging book about a strong witch and her will to stay free and true to herself. The plot and the characters are strong, the story is nice and compelling, but at the end of the book it hasn't got very far. It is hard to judge a long and well-thought, complex webcomic just by the first volume. One can sense that the story is to be developped, so as the characters, and the reader is not satisfied with this read alone - i wasn't. But that's not a bad thing : i just want more of the story and characters to judge. As a whole, the book is very nice, it's a quick read and very enjoyable.

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Based on a webcomic that i had heard about but never read. After finishing this book, i went online and got caught up on the story. Takes place in a magical world where the length of your hair influences your power. People with too long hair may be killed.

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No raiting or thoughts or anything on this book never got a chance to download the book before the due date. This book is out in September but got archived back in July

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An interesting opener, although not really my jam personally. If you're the kind of person who wants to pick apart the logic behind worldbuilding, you may find this a frustrating read (magic is stored in your HAIR??? so like does the thickness count for anything, or just length? is shaving your legs as heretical as cutting the hair on your head? if it's against the local religion to cut your hair does nobody ever get theirs trimmed, and they're all just walking around with three feet of split ends? as a person with very long hair, I feel like hair would be an incredibly dumb place to store your magic, although I guess the concept may be based on cultures where long hair on people of all genders is expected) but if you're willing to roll with it, it's fast-paced and entertaining. The world itself appears to be based on a grab-bag of influences from Asia and indigenous Oceanic people. (I really can't tell from the author bio if they are Asian or indigenous or if this is Faith Erin Hicks and The Nameless City Part 2: Electric Bugaloo.) The protagonist's mean-girl frenemy from school is trans, and may play a bigger part of the story in future volumes, although the first book is mostly Nyneve's adventure. The art is eye-catching, although again not to my personal taste.

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The artwork of this graphic novel is beautiful. It was a fun enjoyable read. I loved the fact that the characters were diverse. Looking forward to the next volume!

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Too many important words blanked out. The concept of magic based on hair length is absurd and does not follow the rules of life. Hair grows. There were interesting things about transgenderism in this fantastical world, but as mentioned above the words were blanked out in my galley. I did not find myself liking any of the characters, and to be honest it reminded me a bit of Children of Blood and Bone for the way the teacher was illustrated, but there were also hints of Mortal Engines, etc. This was not for me. I tried, but it failed.

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Thank you for the book, but sadly, due to vacation, I haven't been able to read this book and now I can't even read it as it is archived. :|

I have to give a rating, and since I don't know the book I have to give it 1 star. Sorry!

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This was a fun graphic novel. I knew with in a few pages this graphic novel was for me! I loved the world building and the magic is so cool!

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Thanks NetGalley for this ARC, in exchange for an honest review. I LOVE THE ART WORK!!!! Both the coloring and the style are beautiful. I love the story, I mean who doesn't love a witches, games, high stakes and talking birds? I can't wait to see what happens next!!

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This was a really cute read. Who doesn't enjoy witches and magic. I really enjoyed the graphics, they were awesome, and the story line was easy to follow, however it is a little leghthy with over 300pgs.

Rating 3

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Nice middle grade/YA graphic novel. Great graphics. Story isn't unique for a fantasy book- special young person needs to save her people from an evil ruler. At almost 300 pages, this is just a prequel to the actions.

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I loved everything about Witchy. The artwork is beautiful and eye catching all the way through. Nyneve is a character that readers will instantly root for and deeply care about. Her family's tragedy is all too relatable in today's political climate. The main friend group forms in an honest way with all the complications of group dynamics and the friends she makes along the way react to her in very realistic ways. Overall, Nyneve's journey is scary, exciting, and worth reading in one sitting. I look forward to reading this again and eagerly await future graphic novels in this series.

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