This was such an interesting fantastical read. Within the first few pages I knew I found a novel to fall in love with. The concept was so creative and fun and so well thought out. Beautifully written and illustrated, this is a must read

I was promised magic and intrigue and instead was left with not so much magic and too many questions. There were a few pages that had dialogue bubbles but no words written in them. This was inconvenient because it was also at a seemingly pivotal moment in the story so I certainly missed important details. I liked the main character and the representation and diverse cast of characters throughout. The story was more political than I imagined, but still not enough to give us all the details. Also the ending was completely unsatisfying and left me with more questions than answers.

I enjoyed this graphic novel. The plot is interesting but I felt it moved pretty fast. I don't know how I feel about the art style, however that's more subjective. Overall though, it's a fast read and is something you should pick up if you're interested in stories about witchcraft and are also wanting to get into graphic novels. If this gets a sequel, I probably will pick it up.

*Received via NetGalley for review*

A wonderfully illustrated, lush, and well-realized world is what awaits in Witchy, this graphic novel about a young girl who hates that her long hair marks her as a powerful magic user when it was precisely that that got her father killed. Even with her long hair, which is supposed to connote incredible magical talent, Nyneve isn't very good at her magic lessons and is the brunt of every joke her classmates can think of.

When her hair-shortening spell is discovered and she's conscripted in the Royal Guard, Nyneve cuts off her hair and is forced to flee, fearing for her life. On the run, she meets a group of hidden revolutionaries who practice different disciplines of magic than what she's used to. Fearing retaliation on them for harboring her, Neve runs off again, vowing to go far, far away.

She's joined by a talking raven and (in the sequel(s), I assume) her two school friends: Bantu and Prill, new members of the Royal Guard.

The characters are all lovely and well-drawn, distinct when they need to be. The only things is that it's hard to tell who's male and who's female: just because everyone has long hair doesn't mean that their faces and bodies need to be androgynous to the extent that they are.

A fun, standard tale of rebelling against something you don't like, even if you don't quite understand it yet.

The art on this was fabulous! Really loved the world building and the concept of hair length vs power. Wish there was more action, since the second half seemed like an information dump about the world building. Would definitely read the next volume!

I was intrigued by the concept of this book, with magic being gauged by the length of your hair. It's a creative idea, and I liked how it was executed.

What I really liked about this book was the casual diversity. Prill is a trans girl, but it's never explicitly stated. There's lots of characters of different races and genders and sexualities. This was really nicely done, especially in graphic novel format, because it's obviously quite visual!

The world-building is great, even if the history was a bit hard to follow sometimes. I liked all the characters. Nyneve is likable and relatable.

The hair-length-magic did raise some questions, because doesn't all hair grow at the same rate? Wouldn't everyone be equally powerful, then, if they just let their hair grow? That question never gets answered. I wasn't a fan of the art style, honestly, which is the main reason why I gave it 3 stars. It's just a little too stylized for my personal taste. However, this was an interesting read and I would consider picking up the next one.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Witchy is a graphic novel set in a world where magic comes from the length of one's hair, but when one's hair is too long, the government takes it as a threat and executes them. Our main character, Nyneve, is about to go through circumscription but she really doesn't want to be part of the army since her dad was one of the people burnt at the stake by the government.

I liked the drawing style, it was very unusual, in a good way. The plot was very good too and I really liked the characters. I felt like it jumped a bit fast at times though and I wished it had been longer on some parts, that it would have explored some things more thoroughly. It was still a great read though and I would love love love for it to have a sequel.

i loved this!
the illustrations are so pretty, the colors, the style, everything.
i really enjoyed the plot ant it left me wanting more.
i liked how there's something to each character that makes them interesting even if we don't get to learn they're whole story.
representation, character development, confrontation, relationships, friendships, everything was just great and so enjoyable.

This was such an interesting concept! I really loved the idea of a person's magic capabilities being measured by the length of their hair. I also really loved the diversity in this story and all the incredible characters. Nyneve was so amazing and I can't wait to see where she takes us on this journey to fix the world. I loved her relationship with her mother and I need to know more about her and the father because they seem like badasses. I really loved Batu and Io and how great they both were. And then Prill was just the greatest and I need SO. MUCH. MORE. of her.

This was a really wonderful and magical story, and I can't wait to see how Nyneve fights back against the corruption in her world.

In the kingdom of Hyalin, the length of a witch's hair shows how much power they have. For Nyneve, whose father was killed in a witch burning for having too much power, her long hair is more of a curse than a blessing. "Witchy" follows Nyneve as she and her fellow students take the test that will determine whether they are conscripted by the Witch Guard -- the very institution that killed Nyneve's father.

I'm not quite sure how I feel about "Witchy." The world of Hyalin was incredibly interesting and well-developed. The author perfectly walked the line of explaining what rules governed the magic system and leaving some elements open for further exploration in the next installment.

My biggest complaint about "Witchy" was that I wanted more -- more of Nyneve's growing friendships, more of her mom's backstory, and a bit more at the end that would've helped explain some of Nyneve's choices. It will be really interesting to see where the story goes next.

I love when I pick up a graphic novel and, within just a few pages, know that I’ve found a new favorite series to follow (at least, I’m assuming it’s going to be a series, based on the ending). Witchy takes place in a magical world where each person’s power is dictated by the length of their hair. Having watched her father burned when she was a child due to his hair being deemed too long by the government, Nyneve spends her life hiding who she is in hopes of going unnoticed by the army.

The art style in this is fun and light, but the plot has a lot of nuance and subtle heaviness to it. There’s an oppressive militia/government, a lot of hurting children and families, and something suspicious going on in the way the kingdom of Hyalin’s history is steadily being rewritten and erased. There’s also a ton of gorgeously effortless diversity, including characters of color, casual queerness, a trans girl, and more.

Between the cast of characters, the plot, the world-building, and a certain snarky talking raven, I loved Witchy a whole lot, and I really hope I’m right in my expectations of a sequel, because I definitely need more time with Nyneve and her friends in the kingdom of Hyalin.

Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for this early copy!

I was surprised at how much I really enjoyed the graphic novel. It was well-written, had stunning art, and I connected with the main character.

I will be checking out more from Ariel Slamet Ries in the future!

I am looking forward to the next issue because I cannot wait to find out what happens next!

A solid, engaging first volume to what looks to be a very promising series: phenomenal art, a compelling cast and a fantastical setting. The characters were the highlight for me, but the vibrant settings and build up of the world around were an absolute delight to see while progressing through the story. I loved just about everything about this.

I can't wait to read the next volume! This is a great book for fans of Nameless City, The Okay Witch, and the Amulet series. The characters were really well done and you'll left feeling very invested in the story and universe.

A solid introduction to what looks like it will be a series. As a graphic novel, I was impressed by how much information was conveyed through the artwork and the dialog. The main character is different and compelling, and I think the struggle between the current power and those of the rebellion will be interesting to follow. I enjoyed the artwork and the story and look forward to future additions to the series.

It was late.

I figured I would just look at this book, because the cover looked so interesting.

And here I am, at 1:17am, writing the review, because, although it was late, I had to finish this first installment of this amazing fantasy world.

In this world, hair gives your magic the little bit extra push. The more hair you have, the stronger the magic.

Nyneve's father was killed because of his hair.

She does not want the same fate, and she doesn't want to work for the guards who killed him. So, when she is conscripted, she cuts off her hair, and runs away.

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The drawings are amazing. The characters are fully formed. The world is well built.

My only complaint is that there isn't more of it.

A great book for children of all ages, including those who are adults.

Highly recommend this story of a girl who doesn't fit in and doesn't want to fit in.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.