⭐2.5

A tarot-inspired fantasy graphic novel set in an a witch academy where our main characters (Eli, James, Daphne, Koko, and Sonny) find out the truth behind the Arcana.

I really love the use of the brown tones in the graphic novel. The art is really charming and unique. You will look at it and feel like it gives you a warm hug. The use of pale coloring really makes the times when they use more black to fill the page to be truly ominous.

This is just the first book in the series so I'm sure there is plenty to explore as it goes on, for me personally; it didn't hook me as much as I would of liked.

The romance between Eli and James felt very fast. Maybe this is coming from a slow-burn lover, but I wish they spent more building it up. I also didn't feel super connected to them as characters which is a bit unfortunate since they are the ones we follow the most.

I do like the mystery of the history of the Arcana and am wondering where Prentice-Jones will take the story!

Favorite character in the whole novel: Daphne. She made me tear up a little bit there.

4.5⭐ rounded up
I inhaled this in a single sitting. I loved the art style and the pacing. There is a variety of queer rep I really appreciated presented in a natural way. I had a few minor things that slightly annoyed me (the number of hahas if there was a counter), but the good far outweighed these. So much of this feels like it's building to a bigger plot, so I'll be excited to see what comes next in this series.

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends for an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book will be published on 6/24/25. I'll be posting to Instagram closer to publication.

I LOVED this graphic novel. It was sexy, sophisticated, magical, haunting, and left me NEEDING (not wanting) more. I cannot wait for the next book in the series!

This is a cute YA graphic novel about young witches that stumble into a conspiracy that threatens them and their community.
There’s humor interweaved in the story that can be dark at times. There’s also themes of found family and acceptance.

Arcana: The Lost Heirs by Sam Prentice-Jones is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel about witchcraft, found family, and a secret witchy organization!
I loved the illustration style of this work. It felt very fresh and fully itself, which I appreciated greatly.
I love the idea of witches and witchcraft, so I do love a story with that implemented. It did also incorporate tarot and the major arcana into different kinds of chapter breaks and also into the plot of the story, which was also fun for me!
The story is one that is meant to continue on in later volumes, so this story didn't feel like it had a satisfying ending in itself, but I'd be interested in continuing on this story to see how it goes. The plot gave enough to be intrigued about.
Overall, the friendships and relationships seemed a little rushed, and I didn't fully get sunk into the characters, but I imagine I could with later volumes.
Thanks to Macmillan for the e-ARC!

Okay I need the next installment ASAP! What a cliffhanger!!!!!
Overall I really enjoyed this. The art style takes some time to get used to but it grows on you. Love the representation. I am totally here for the suspense, the mystery, and the bonds.
At the start of the story it seems so mundane and ordinary but this story is definitely not that! I’d say it picks up rather quickly and I didn’t want to put it down!

I had a feeling I would love this graphic novel! I was about to snag an ARC on net galley and I loved it. Covens, witches and tarot cards, oh my! I thoroughly enjoyed the art style, the inclusion of inner dialogue and the building of the Arcana world. The mystery plot is very fun and I can't wait to see where it goes. Such a very first book. I specifically loved the inclusivity of characters as well. It is always cool to see multitude of differences shown positively.
4.5 stars rounded up to five.
Much looking forward to the next in the series. I have a feeling things are not as they seem!

This is a promising opening to what I hope is an engaging series. The story immediately hooks you with its intriguing premise of witchcraft and enjoyable cast of characters that feel both fun and relatable. The author has crafted a world that, though still in its early stages, hints at a fun storytelling potential and complex interpersonal dynamics that will likely develop further in future installments.

Additionally, the art style—characterized by its clean, simple color palette—complements the narrative well. The simplicity of the visuals allows the story and its characters to take center stage. The minimalistic colors and sketches reminds me of Heartstopper.

If you’re looking for a new witchy adventure and enjoy graphic novels, this book is definitely worth checking out.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends for eARC

Charming art, super fun and fantastic concept, a *plethora* of diversity and representation (ex: vitiligo, let's go??), but the writing style isn't for me. Too many "haha's" and not enough voice differentiation between characters. I sadly won't be continuing the series, though I hope it gels with others.

Trigger warnings are needed for this series, too.

I had no idea what to expect with this graphic novel. In fact, I don't know that I knew that It was a graphic novel when I requested it. However, this book was a slam dunk for me. It was well paced, captivating, fun, suspenseful, and had the most gorgeous art.

This book includes:
- conspiracies
- lots of witches and occult practices
- lost families
- a cutie friend group
- LGBTQIA rep of every kind
- even a metaphorically blue haired liberal working at a cute coffee shop

I will absolutely be returning for book two and I really encourage everyone who is hesitant about picking this one up because its a graphic novel to give it a chance.

I received this ebook as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Sam Prentice-Jones, and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the opportunity to review this book. This review has been posted across my socials under the username @tinynightingales, check out my GoodReads profile https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/62314863
my bookstagram account https://www.instagram.com/tinynightingales/
and booktok https://www.tiktok.com/@tinynightingales?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

This first installment in a new graphic novel series introduces an intriguing magical world and a compelling mystery at its core—but unfortunately, it stumbles a bit in execution.

The story follows a group of young witches—James, Daphne, Koko, Sonny, and newcomer Eli—who are connected through the Arcana, a secretive organization overseen by powerful figures known as the Majors. As they uncover dark truths about their parents’ pasts and the curse that links them, the mystery deepens in an engaging way that promises more twists in future volumes.

Where this volume falters, though, is in its delivery. There’s a heavy reliance on exposition, often telling rather than showing, which feels especially out of place in a visual medium like a graphic novel. The dialogue can feel repetitive, reiterating information the reader already knows. While this might serve to reinforce the stakes, it ends up slowing down the pacing. Additionally, the artwork is decent but not particularly striking.

There are a lot of characters introduced in this first installment, and at times, it was difficult to differentiate between characters. While the reader can differentiate suing the visuals, they are all pretty one-dimensional at this point and seem to have similar background. This makes it harder to connect with each individual character, I never really felt invested.

Still, the premise is strong, and the central mystery is compelling enough that I’m curious to see where the series goes from here. I’m hoping future installments strike a better balance between visual storytelling and exposition, and give each character more distinctiveness and depth.

Illustration: 4/5
Overall: 3.5/5

When I first started reading this graphic novel, I wasn’t sure how I felt about the illustration style. At first, it felt a little kiddish—not young adult, but more light in tone than I expected given the premise. But as the story progressed, the artwork really grew on me. It ended up matching the characters, the tone, and the energy of the story in a way that felt just right.

That said, I do wish the book had gone a bit darker. This is the first in a series, and while it lays a solid foundation—family secrets, a generational curse, mysterious figures in the shadows—I felt like too much time was spent on relationships and casual interactions that didn’t push the story forward. The whole instant-love thing between James and Eli, for example, could’ve been introduced but saved for deeper exploration in the next book.

I wanted more focus on the training, on self-discovery, on building the mythology. We’re told the training is difficult, but we don’t really see it. We catch glimpses of the curse and a shadowy figure attacking, but I would’ve liked a few more questions answered, just to anchor the stakes a bit more.

That said, I’d still recommend this. It’s a solid graphic novel to read in between heavier books, and it has a lot of potential. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on where the series goes next.

Thanks to Feiwel & Friends + NetGalley for this egalley.

I love the premise of this book. Also the Tarot cards starting each chapter and guiding the story along is great. However it seem to take forever for the actual story to start. Like the plot doesn't really kid in until you are about 60% into the book, then once it kicks in it's great.

I loved the little coffee scenes. This was my second graphic novel and now I’m in love with them. The art is so inspiring and really captured this tale. Love is for all and love will always win.

This book gives major Heartstopper-but-witchy vibes, with found family, secrets, and good friends. The queerness in this book cannot be understated and there is so much great body and size representation as well as a character that appears to have vitiligo and multiple characters of color. Cannot wait to see where this series leads! #Arcana #youngadult #yaread #prideTBR #queerfoundfamily #bookreview #arc #graphicnovel

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s publishing for the ARC of this graphic novel.

I wanted to love this story. It’s queer and has witches? Sign me up! Unfortunately, it just really missed the mark for me.

First, and honestly the biggest issue for me-the writing made me feel like I was just reading a text chain between two teenagers. The amount of “haha”s in every conversation and even in a character’s own inner monologue, was excessive and distracting.

Second, the pacing of it all was just so slow. We got the same scene from both Eli’s POV and then James but it added nothing to the story, didn’t give us any new information. The only thing was seeing James inner thoughts, but considering his interactions when we saw it from Eli’s POV, it was nothing surprising.

I will say, I enjoyed the representation in this story and I really loved the tarot cards as chapter breaks. The art was interesting and neat as well. Unfortunately, those were not enough for me to want to continue on with the series. Especially when there are other options out there, even in the graphic novel genre, of queer witch stories.

The art is simple but, it makes the storyline stand out more. The diversity is really strong amongst the characters and so is the gender positivity. The friend group is mixed with gender roles and diversity. The transition between chapters are a tarot card with almost like a summary of what to expect based on what is displayed on the tarot cards. I loved that little feature, this was really cute.
In the beginning, I could tell it was something shady going on between the others when James didn’t seem to know what was going on and had never heard of such a place. He managed to find Eli back but, they stirred up hidden information that the whole friend group needed to know about why they don’t have families. In a way, it made them closer in finding out the truth but, it also raised more questions. The story left on a cliffhanger but, I look forward to reading more.

This wholesome, beautiful and delightfully queer book has my heart. I fell in love with the characters from page one and though their adventure is just getting started, I am so here to see how their story continues in future installments.

Pub Date: June 24, 2025

What a cute story!

ARCANA: THE LOST HEIRS follows Eli, a rogue witch, as they find their coven in the Arcana.

First of all, I loved the art style. It was whimsical and cute. Each character was unique and the author/artist built such a diverse world. I loved how diverse the characters were in terms of lgbtq+, body diverse, and POC characters. I love love love the queer found family in this book!!

I love the tarot inspired story and how each chapter focused on the themes of a tarot card in the major arcana. It’s clear the author knows a lot about the tarot and witchcraft in general.

The plot is super interesting and mysterious and I didn’t want to put this one down! I do wish there was a bit more words to the art - at times it felt like there could have been more said. But the story definitely had me on the edge of my seat.

I cannot wait for volume 2! This one ended on a cliffhanger so I NEED TO KNKW WHAT HAPPENS.

Thank you Sam Prentice-Jones and Macmillan for the ARC!

The title of this new comic, Arcana, sets up this world's version of magic and witches. Witches are any gender but they mostly tend to be part of the Arcana, a sort of leadership organization that monitors and cares for magical stuff and people. To introduce the reader to the world we first encounter Eli, a new young witch just discovering who they are, where they're from, and what they're capable of.

The book is organized in parts sectioned by Tarot, with each card start insinuating the content of that section, which is always a fun concept when done. It's not deep like tying together the meaning of the cards with the section content necessarily, but it's still a fun concept I really enjoy - for example there is a section called The Lovers that focuses on two of the characters as a couple.

Each of these card parts tend to focus on a particular character but the story is an interconnected one and there is the character of Eli that helps bind the stories and characters together, until you find out the true story and then I think they all kind of become main characters? I found this a little confusing at first, as it's not immediately clear that these slices of life are connected by plot. I would have preferred the connecting plot point staying present through each section of the book because the whole first half of the book comes off a series of cute vignettes -and they really are cute- in this magical world. The second half is then laid out with story and it's almost like whiplash, going from casual to serious and finally making the title make sense.

This book is also mainly art, with minimal writing (particularly in the first half). Not that I was looking for a novel but I would've liked a few more words to flesh out the story and the rules of this new world of magic that the author sets up. You don't even really learn what the Arcana is until halfway through. I'm always fascinated by magical systems so I want to know more. But I really enjoy Prentice-Jones unique artwork as well and the panels do add to the story as they should, I just wanted more!

And then... it all ends on a cliffhanger! Just as we're learning what's going on!! Yeah, I plan on buying this and following it lol I look forward to having it on my shelves for sure, but I'm also a sucker for a witchy story no matter lmao I also really love the representation in the story!

Following the artist on instagram now though, because really the art is adorable and unique and color grading is fun and pretty.