This was cute for the age group it was meant for. You’re going to need to suspend your disbelief as an older reader for the setting which becomes much more enjoyable when you can think of it as a Ren Faire fantasy Ye Merry Olde England instead of England. And the right age kid will! I enjoyed reading it as an adult. Daisy is a sweet girl and a likable heroine. The villains are suitable villains for a story aimed at young children where too scary would be a bad idea. There’s some bits about being a decent friend and other bits of suggested good behavior which wasn’t overly preachy but just enough to be a good addition into a kids story. I’d hand this to,a kid of the right age pretty happily.

This was a good start to a fun series. You get to know about the main character and how she did to believe in herself more. Look forward to her journey.

A nice start to a series of graphic novels. I really loved the simple yet charming art illustrations, the story was good and made me read the GN without a stop.

A girl who has big dreams, a girl who goes astray trying to find so called purpose and finally turns into someone who understands it's not about proving anyone anything. This story is a mix of wonder, magic, honesty, raw anger, support, love and friendship. I really liked the flow of the characters and how diverse they are mentally, the situations of the trials could have been more detailed and I would have loved it.

On the whole this was a nice and dangerous book that made me think "What's next?" I would definitely recommend this GN to everyone who wants a new graphic novel to read.

This is surprisingly good and engaging to read! I loved that this focuses on witches and a young witch who's learning to be herself and trust in her abilities. The illustrations are cute and very colorful. That revelation at the end is so good as well, I can't wait to read the next volume.

This graphic novel is adorable! I love the Tudors and anything witches so that is what drew me into wanting to review this! The story is well laid out and doesn't feel choppy. The artwork is done very nicely! I look forward to another volume!

I didn't completely love the art style. It looked too garish at times and some of the colors in the panels just didn't blend very well. The story was quiet enjoyable, though. I reminded me of Kiki's Delivery Service, with all the help our young little witch has been doing, and going around meeting people and learning lessons. Really liked her dynamic with the Queen as well.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for this e-ARC. All opinions are my own.

This is the first book in a new graphic novel series that follows Daisy, who is a witch who sells potions, cures and charms with her mom. This story is set during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. The Queen’s royal witch has died and Daisy sees a poster looking for the next witch that will protect the Queen. However, Daisy’s mother forbids her for trying out for the position. This doesn’t stop her, though and she goes to try out. She isn’t from “good family” so she is denied from even trying out. She sleeps outside of the palace and in the morning a soldier offers her a job as a palace maid. In her bedroom she discovers a rat who she can talk to.

She meets Doctor Dee inside the palace and he gives her permission to join the try outs to be the royal witch. The other girls in the group start to bully her because they only see her as a maid. When the girl tells the rat this, he offers to be her familiar. The rat introduces Daisy to a human friend of his, Valentyne. Valentyne helps her with her magic, and Daisy starts to become better than the other girls that are trying out. Of course they don’t like that and become even meaner to her. Daisy falls for one of their pranks and as a result gets banned from the try outs.
When the chosen royal witch fails to perform her new duties, Daisy is able to help. Unfortunately by doing this, she has made an enemy who is out to get their revenge, which sets up the story for the second book in this series.

I enjoyed the fact that before the story starts, the reader gets some quick background on Queen Elizabeth I. It really helped envision the setting of the story, which is key to the target audience.

I'll admit: I wanted to read The Queen's Favorite Witch because the cover art reminded me so much of John Allison's art (Bad Machinery, Scary Go Round). Having a plot involving Queen Elizabeth I and witches didn't hurt, either. But this graphic novel is adorable! I know others have used that word, but it really is. It's got everything to captivate pre-teen readers: fun art, talking animals, magic, and lessons on trust.

Our protagonist, Daisy Sparrow, is pretty sheltered and naïve (for being a peasant), and spends her days selling potions to other peasants in a market stall. She knows the craft, but isn't really allowed to practice it, which oftentimes leads to performance anxiety. Yearning for more, as most 12 year old girls do, Daisy impulsively leaves home to shoot for the stars: Hampton Court, where the Queen is currently residing. There, Daisy is introduced to politics, court intrigue, and backstabbing. It's a lot for a young girl to go through in a short time, but that's also how life was in the 17th century, wasn't it?

I had to keep reminding myself that this was only the first book in a series, because a lot actually happened in this first book! I'd definitely be interested in reading more, and I'm sure older children would feel the same. The Queen's Favorite Witch is some fun Young Adult reading without the dystopia that seems to saturate that market—thankfully. I'd love to see more YA fiction like this coming out.

This is an absolutely adorable book about a young witch who must learn about friendship, false friends, and how to be mentored as she vies for a role as Queen Elizabeth I's official witch. (Yes, I know it totally ignores the historical persecution of witches during this time period, but whatever; it's an alternate universe anyway) The characters are excellently written and drawn, and I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

Illustrations were so cute and I enjoyed reading this. I had a fun time reading over the story that I semi forgot about that it’s historically inaccurate but that’s what I enjoyed the most. It was just fun and enjoyable.

Queen Elizabeth has lost her witch and is looking for a witch to take her place. Daisy is a 12 year old witch. She lives with her mother and they sell potions and spells. When Daisy hears that the Queen is looking for a new witch, she asks her mother if she can apply for the royal witch position. Her mother says no as it is too dangerous. Daisy decides to apply anyhow. She discovers that she is not allowed but can be a maid in the castle as they need another maid. What will she do? Daisy is down on her luck.

In this graphic novel, you find out that will laugh at times, worry for Daisy and smile a lot — at least I did! The author has written an enjoyable story with characters that are sneaky, good and bad! The colors of the illustrations along with drawings are perfect for this engaging story. The novel is a mystery, with themes of self confidence, not lying and kindness. It is also about telling the truth. The only thing I didn’t like is having to wait for the next book to come out! It’s a great beginning of a story.

I received an electronic ARC from Papercutz through NetGalley.
Readers are transported to Queen Elizabeth I's court. They meet Daisy, a young witch who helps her mother sell potions. She wants more from her life and leaves home to audition to be the royal witch. Dickson presents a realistic look at the intrigues of this court and the sharp distinctions between classes. We see the ways the young women work to sabotage Daisy during the trials. They also see her grow and finally gain confidence in her own abilities - a message that applies far beyond the story told here. Daisy does receive the position and we see her talking with Dr. Dee about why he made sure it happened this way. Readers also see some of the group of conspirators to kill the queen revealed as the book ends. A terrific set up to move to the second book.

ARC received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!!

I really enjoy graphic novels, and this one is too cute. I also love the Era of Queen Elizabeth 1. So this was up my alley.

I really enjoyed the story and her friend pushes her to take the opportunity of becoming the Queens's witch., encourages her.

It's a positive graphic novel, my first from Papercut. Thank you.

Pick up your copy now!!

...
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me this advanced copy of this book, and my legitimate thanks to the author for giving me the opportunity to read his book.

When Daisy -- a precocious young witch -- learns of the death of the Queen's Royal Witch, she flies to London to audition as her replacement. But Daisy is from a poor family, and they don't let just anyone into the Royal Court. The only way into the palace is to take a job as a cleaner.
As Daisy cleans the palace, she draws the attention of Elizabeth's doctor (and arch-heretic) John Dee, who places her into the auditions -- much to the chagrin of her more well-to-do competitors. But Dee knows how dangerous the corridors of power have become, with dark forces manipulating events for their own ends. To him, Daisy represents a wild card -- one that may decide the fate of many.
With so many wanting her to fail, Daisy will need all her grit and determination to make it through these auditions -- not to mention a sense of daring and adventure...

It is a very entertaining adventure and I would like to read the second part, I thought I needed it, that's true. I liked that one does not have to depend on someone for one to thrive in life, being better than many at something.

4.0

A cute, quick read that I think many middle grade readers will have a lot of fun with. At that age I had a weird niche interest in reading about Tudor England (probably sparked by a Royal Diaries book) so this would have been right up my alley. Dickson leans on a lot of tropes, but that likely won't bother the intended age group. It was definitely a pacey read with some memorable characters that will hopefully get more fleshed out in the sequels. I will be keeping an eye out for #2!

A fairly charming tale about the daughter of a potion-making countryside witch has big ambitions: she wants to be the queen's witch! In an attempt to make this happen she runs away from home and gets caught in courtly intrigue that goes way over her head; befriends a talking rat; and deals with a bevy of witchy mean girls. Don't pick this comic up looking for historical accuracy of any sort and you'll be just fine. This is the sort of comic I'll likely order for the children's section of my library--it's definitely going to have an audience--but am unlikely to continue reading myself.

When I saw the cover, I was expecting a cute story about a young witch and the Queen having magical misadventures. I did not expect all the twists and turns in this comic! From the first page, I was hooked and wanted to know more about the villains and the heroes of the story. The art style is simple but very expressive at the same time. You really feel the moods of the comic through the illustrations. At first it seems like a simple fairy tale story of a young girl who wants to be more than just a potion seller. However, like many fairy tales in their original texts (and not in the movies), there is a lot of darkness and intrigue. There are lots of moments of great humor as well, especially for people who know the history of England. I very much enjoyed the first issue and cannot wait to see where the story goes.

Digital ARC provided by Netgalley/Papercutz

Daisy is a 12 year old witch who works with her mother to provide spells and potions for the local townspeople. But she craves so much more. She just has to be given a chance. So when she sees that the Queen's Witch has passed on and they are looking to replace her, she feels nows the time time to take her shot! What could go wrong?

I really enjoyed this graphic novel. The art fit perfectly with the story, I loved the realistic relationship between Daisy and her mom. The story had a few tiwsts and turns that kept us on our toes. The historical background of it made it more interesting as we coudl relate it to real life people and events. I really enjoyed the feeling of finding friends/allys when you least expect it as well as beliving in yourself is the greatest magic of all.

Although this is is classified as middle-grade, I would recommend it to someone of any age. I very much am looking forward to the next volume in this series.

Daisy longs to be the Queen’s Royal Witch and when she discovers there is an opening, she sets out on her own to fulfill her dream. When she is refused admittance to the palace, she takes a job as a maid. After finally being placed in the auditions for the role of a lifetime, Daisy must face her insecurities and find the confidence she needs to win. But will that be enough?

This was such a fun graphic novel! I loved the preface about Queen Elizabeth I and think it was a perfect way to set the stage. The story was fast-paced and very entertaining. There was a good amount of humor and the characters, especially Daisy, were very relatable. The magical elements were a delightful addition to the story. The messages were heartfelt and beneficial for all ages.

The illustrations were incredible! The detail was fantastic and I especially loved the vividly broad range of facial expressions of all the characters.

Though this is a middle-grade graphic novel, I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves history and historical fiction!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Papercutz for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm hooked. What a delightful story. Creative twists and turns. Love what Daisy goes through on her journey to being a witch. A good set up for the next story edition. Good read. Recommended.