IT was alright. I flew by the graphic novel in a day which is what I like about these because they're quick to read. The story is not bad, it has potential to be good, but the only characters I really cared about or was interested to know is Sonny and Daphne because our ACTUAL main character, I am so sorry but I could care less about them and their romance with the other dude whose name I forgot. By the end, I was just annoyed that I knew most of what would happen next but that I would have to wait to see the development of this series if I remember to pick up future books

Secrets, curses, witches? Oh my!

What started off feeling like a cozy, witchy tale quickly took a turn into something deeper. Just when I thought it was all vibes and magic, I got hit with grief, impending loss, and a gut-punch of emotion. And then? Plot twists. Things went down. I was locked in, with no choice but to keep turning pages.

The art style is simple yet expressive, and I loved the alternating color schemes that matched the tone shifts. Some of the panels are completely wordless, letting the visuals speak for themselves and I found myself getting lost in them.

There’s powerful rep here too: nonbinary, queer, trans characters, and an honest depiction of panic attacks. And that cliffhanger? I need the next volume now!

Sam Prentice-Jones perfectly captures everyday queer life with warmth and hope that genuinely reminded me of Heartstopper--except in Arcana, that queer community is wrapped in an eerie fantasy bureaucracy. As the romance and found-family relationships unfold gently, so too does the suspenseful plot until a series of dramatic twists rocket the characters toward their cliff-hanger ending. A second book will follow to conclude the duology. A unique and exciting addition to any YA graphic novel collection.

I had a lot of fun reading this! I really liked the art style and interesting setting. I was disappointed the plot wasn't finished in one volume, so now I have to wait for the next one!

Magic, Queerness, and a conspiracy!

Fun to read, not a super crazy story in my opinion.

I was just along for the ride. I liked all the characters, but the designs were odd.

Enjoyed my time.

I enjoyed this debut a lot! The art style wasn't necessarily one I would've been drawn toward and it wasn't completely consistent, but I think it worked well for the tone of the graphic novel, especially during the dream sequences. I am super intrigued by the tarot backdrop to the entire plot, and have been enjoying how we're going through each chapter with a major arcana card. It's very fast-paced, sometimes I did think it did so at the expense of world-building and getting to care about all the characters, but it does get you into the heart of the plot quickly and is good at capturing your attention. I'm very curious about how this secret society of witches and their mysteries plays out, so I'll be definitely reading any upcoming volumes. It's great for anyone who likes supernatural intrigue, and most of the main characters are queer.

I am an avid graphic novel reader. The artwork is not my typical favorite but is so nice! I like the vibe of the novel even if I didn't vibe with it myself. I found the story a little boring but it could be I'm not the target demographic for this genre.
Thanks to netgalley, the pub and the author for the earc!

Arcana: The Lost Heirs reminds me of Heartstopper, but aged up and witchy, with an art style that feels reminiscent of ND Stevenson. It manages to feel so familiar, yet distinctly its own thing all at once. The story follows five witches in their early twenties as they come together and uncover a mystery that haunts their families’ pasts. The characters are distinct and diverse and while the plot pulls from a lot of the sources you’d expect, Arcana still manages to feel fresh. As with all first volumes for graphic novel series, there’s a lot of set up here and it drags the pacing a little. This is also marketed as YA when the characters are a bit older than the typical YA protagonists and act their age. I can’t wait to see where this series goes.

Thank you to Macmillan and NetGalley for this eARC given in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

This story had lovely art with lots of variety in body shapes! I really appreciated seeing fat characters in this graphic novel, especially with the emphasis on looking cute and enjoying fashion. Koko was def my favorite character.
I really love how this book is structured. The story is told through little snapshots of life so that it feels a bit like a short story collection with all the characters entwined. It really is the tale of a big friend group. I do wish they had more time all together but I suppose that's for later books. Because by that RUDE ENDING there are more books. I do wish we'd gotten a bit more resolution in this one but I guess we can't have everything. At least we have cute fat gays and theys.

This is so cute I could puke.
Eli is a barista who dabbles in a little magic on his own...until he is discovered by James, a witch who is part of the Arcana organization. A romance blossoms between the two of them while something more sinister and mysterious lurks in the background. They, alongside Sonny, Koko, and Daphne, attempt to figure out what is being hidden by Arcana leadership and what really happened to their parents.
The romance in this is very insta-love, but it's so cute I forgive it. I was intrigued by the story and by each of the characters and their personalities, but the real star here are the illustrations. They are FANTASTIC. The color choices give it a bit of an old-timey and cozy charm, there is a plethora of body types and skin tones and gender expressions, there's also lots of queer rep. The characters are implied to be in their 20s (and James's "Tender" profile says he is 20), and the pop culture references and relationships and vibes give it more of an adult feel (I'm 32 and I feel like this is PERFECT for my friends), but there's nothing inappropriate that would mean teens couldn't/shouldn't read it. I can't wait to see what book two brings!

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Lost Heirs scratched that itch that can only be scratched with a queer coming of age witchy story full of love and friendship. I don't make the rules! Gorgeous artwork and charming storytelling by Sam Prentice-Jones with found family vibes, dark magic brewing, a secret magical society and an intriguing mystery to solve. I need the next installment!

Ｅｂｏｏｋ Ｒｅｖｉｅｗ
🌟🌟🌟🌟.5
Arcana by Sam Prentice-Jones is a paranormal, witchy graphic novel with queer representation! This is like my second graphic novel ever, and I am loving them. I love how the author used tarot cards as the chapter names. The illustrations were greatly done! The storyline had me hooked, and the characters are well-developed! Please give me book two now!

Thank you, NetGalley, and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the ebook in exchange for my honest review.

James, Daphne, Koko, and Sonny have grown up in the Arcana, Britain's MI6 for the paranormal. They're witches, from families of witches, specifically the former ruling families of the Arcana, before democratization...that happened because the last set of leaders died when our main characters were young. Eli doesn't even think of himself as a witch, doesn't realize that there's anyone like him out there, but when James finds him as the source of some mysterious magic, Eli quickly makes it into the fold. For the first time in his life, he has a family, a community. But there's some sinister things at play, between mysterious history and a newly unveiled curse.
So, tragically, my only complaint is that this is the first in a series and it ends on a cliffhanger, so if that's a problem, maybe put it on your TBR and wait for the next one to come out. Okay, I lied, there are two complaints, I really wanted to see more of my dude Sonny. I think he was my favorite, as a major history nerd and general little sweetie. Daphne was also an absolute star and she deserves all the best. I really loved the art style and color palettes. I'm already looking forward to the next volume, because this left so much to be known and found out.

I really enjoyed this graphic novel and I'm looking forward to volume 2! The art style was simple but very cute and I loved the author's use of colors. I love a good witchy story and I really liked the use of tarot cards---as chapter headers, hierarchy of the witch council, and plot points.

My biggest complaints about the story is that the romance was quick quick and I wished it was a much slower burn. This volume also felt almost like a prologue to the main story, with many of the first chapters focusing on just getting to know each of the characters. I feel like we didn't get to see much of the main plot with the curse and their families' shared history.

Regardless, I still enjoyed this story a lot and I'm definitely going to read volume 2 so I can see where Eli and his friends end up!

This was very fun. I love a fully queer cast of witches! It had a nice balance between the bigger plot and the new friends and relationships. Though there is a cliffhanger ending which now I have to wait for the second volume and I don't know when it comes out! I definitely am invested in these characters and am intrigued to know just what happened to the old families.

ummmmm im kinda obsessed!! i need the next novel immediately. the art style and pacing was very enjoyable, making the experience so so good. i love supernatural things so this was virtually perfect for me

A wild ride mystery centered around witches and the major/minor arcana cards of tarot? Yes please! This was a good story with mystery, family dynamics, friendship, romance, and great LGBTQ+ representation! I really enjoyed the story and look forward to the next installment!

I loved this graphic novel and am looking forward to reading the series. I really liked the illustrations including the color choices and character proportions. It made it interesting! I think the storyline is super interesting and I can't wait to find out more about the curse!

Absolutely obsessed love the story love the characters kept me hooked and wanting more throughout the whole graphic novel and I cannot wait until the next part comes out .

Love the lgbt representation , love the plus size positivity the only issue I have with this book is the font that they use , I am visually impaired and struggled a significant amount trying to read a good chunk of the graphic novel.

I highly recommend this graphic novel it is a lot of fun to read, witches, magic , curses and mysterious pasts!

Thank you Netgalley Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends

After discovering that a world with witches exists thanks to a run in with witch James, Eli Jones is thrown into the organization known as Arcana. Arcana protects the magical world, but suddenly something sinister is happening. Eli and other witches try to figure out what is happening.

Rating: 3.7/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really enjoyed the tarot card concept in this graphic novel. I also loved the mystery and how it wasn’t completely answered in this debut book in the series.

The art is incredible beautiful. The blues and browns, are you kidding me?! Stunning..

The romance between Eli and James felt really insta-lovey, which took me out of it completely. I also thought the pacing in the book was incredibly fast in general, but maybe it’s correct for a graphic novel…I’m not sure.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARac in exchange for an honest review.