Thank you to Feiwel & Friends and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I had such a great time reading this! I loved all of the illustrations. I love the group of characters and how they all organically come together to work with each other. I loved the Arcana and how their magic system works. I’m really looking forward to learning more about the past experiences of their parents/grandparents and this curse. I love how open and accepting these main characters are and watching their romantic relationships unfold.

CW: fire/fire injury, transphobia, death of parent(s)

This was a cute mystery. I think there was a bit of unnecessary repetition while over explaining things in the middle but I LOVED the art style.

A tarot-inspired fantasy world rife with witches and magic? Check. A young witch who discovers his powers and joins the Arcana coven? Check. Found family and romance? Check, check.

When Eli discovers he has powers of a witch, he joins his budding romantic partner, James, and a group of friends as they uncover a sinister curse. The mystery surrounding the curse is slowly unraveled, with the group and their family legacies in the center of it.

I loved the art and overall cozy fantasy vibes this one brought. The complex relationships with each character and their point of views was lovely to follow. I already want more! 🪄☕️

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Arcana: The Lost Heirs by Sam Prentice-Jones is a YA contemporary fantasy graphic novel. Eli Jones is convinced that he is the only witch that exists. When he meets James and accidentally reveals his powers, Eli learns that there’s an entire secret society of witches called Arcana. But there are things that Eli doesn’t know and a shared past that is knocking on witch society’s door.

The art is more on the minimalist side and has many characters who have a larger, rounder frame than the more svelte figures that are common in manga. The color palette on most pages is fairly limited with multiple pages being mostly various shades of orange and white and then moving to pages that are blue and white. The backgrounds are also more on the minimalist side, making this a great choice for readers looking for a graphic novel that isn’t super busy on a visual level. Each chapter opens with a different tarot card and a

This is very much the start of an overarching plot that is establishing the relationships of the five main characters (including their romantic relationships) followed by some details of witch society and their families. I think that this is setting the groundwork for some very personal stakes that will have broader consequences in the world. James and Eli start a relationship of sorts and there’s been something brewing between Daphne and Sonny that will hopefully have a conclusion in the upcoming books.

One thing I liked was how all five leads got a roughly equal amount of time to show us where they are starting before Eli joins the others in Arcana. As Eli is the most main character, he gets a bit more time but his first chapter does entwine with James’, helping to establish their romance and their character arcs. There are some triggering concepts depicted, such as Daphne’s father’s sexism and transphobia and Koko’s mother’s health though none of it goes super in depth in this first book.

Content warning for depictions of sexism, transphobia, and a sick parent

I would recommend this to fans of YA fantasy with mostly Queer casts and readers of witchy graphic novels looking for body diversity and a slower pacing

I thought this was really good! I enjoyed the art and I thought it was a really fleshed out story. The pacing was great and I can’t wait for book 2!

This was literally so cute!! I really loved the tarot theme and the cards being used for the different parts and the characters even pulling cards. The art style was super cute and the story is incredibly intriguing. I cannot wait for more of this 😍

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends

A strong start to a promising series! The art is adorable and the premise is really intriguing. This first installment was a bit info-dumpy but ‘tis the nature of exposition! I’ll definitely continue with the series.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for a the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Lost Heirs (Arcana #1) by Sam Prentice-Jones is a graphic novel about a group of 5 witches who come together to break a curse among their bloodlines.

The story was well put together. The illustrations were cute, very contemporary art style. I love the mix of tarot cards to section off the chapters. The target audience I would say is definitely YA. I do feel the pacing of the story was a bit rushed and aspects could have been more developed further but hopefully future installments will fix that and really flesh out the characters and plot more. I think this is a graphic novel could potentially be a great addition add to any library collection because the characters are so diverse and is very unapologetically queer.

This is such a good witchy mystery! The tarot aspect of the story and art is so unique and beautifully done. This gives queer-found family and it is perfectly eclectic. The romance is shallow, but I hope the series' progression makes it flourish.

While I enjoyed the mystery and the main plot, each character still fell flat after their introduction. I hope more care is taken to explain each character in the following volumes.

Arcana: The Lost Heirs is a fantasy graphic novel that blends mystery, magic, and a bit of romance to create a touching story that follows Eli, who unexpectedly finds himself welcomed into a magical world and the family he never had. James, his charismatic love interest, helps introduce him to this new reality, but as Eli and his newfound friends settle into life at the Arcana, they soon uncover that their connections to the place—and each other—are more complicated than they seem. The cursed legacy that binds them raises suspense and intrigue, keeping readers engaged as secrets unfold.

One of the novel’s greatest strengths is its depiction of friendship and found family, making it a heartwarming yet suspenseful read. The monochromatic illustrations add a dreamy, almost timeless quality to the storytelling, enhancing the novel’s atmosphere and emotional depth.

Perfect for fans of magical academies, Arcana: The Lost Heirs is an engaging read that will captivate both middle-grade and young adults.

This was an enjoyable graphic novel. I liked the overall storyline of this book and I loved the cast of characters and the found family vibes. This was a great start to a new series and I look forward to future installments.

Read this if you like:

📖 Lgbt reps
📖 Magic
📖 Found family

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy.

this had a surprisingly good mystery that left me intrigued for the next volume and the chapter titles being the major arcana in tarot was a really cute touch, but the art style left much to be desired for especially from such a magical setting and the main relationship moved at lightning speed. There's also a lot of repeating information for this to be a young adult novel, like this was just explained not even 10 pages ago, we don't need a detailed reminder, but I do want to see where the story goes

A captivating read for young adult readers who crave stories of self-discovery, identity, and the power of found family, particularly those who are drawn to LGBTQIA+ themes, fantasy, and adventure.

Ooooohhhhhhhh!!! This was absolutely perfect! What starts out as a lost royalty trope storyline ends in a group of 5 young witches finding each other and becoming some semblance of a coven. Plus, it’s gay AF!!!! And I loved every second of it!

When a disturbance is posted about on social media, a witch is sent out to investigate. Instead of a ghost or something of the like, he finds an adorable wild witch. Someone who knows nothing about how to control his magic. So he not only has something to report to the Arcana, but he also has a new guy to crush on.

With the help of his friends, they begin to look for clues as to what is going on. Instead of finding answers though, all they find are more questions. And the Majors (basically the rulers of the coven) are hiding secrets, but could they be deadly ones or are they actually trying to save them?

This combined two of my favorite things: witches and the LGBTQIA+!! All of the main characters are people I’d want to be friends with, so of course I fell in love with them immediately. On top of that, I LOVE the art style. It isn’t one you see as much in graphic novels and has an old timey feel that I vibe with.

Things to love: queer joy, many body types, sweet illustrations. This book will be great for the YA reader who loves queer flirting, sweet and cozy character development, and illustrations of cool apartments. The connection to tarot is mostly artistic and in naming characters and chapters, so tarot fans may or may not connect. The focus on witchcraft, spells, and the coven is also light. The pacing is odd - the setup is very novel-esque, while the ending is very comic book-esque. So the mystery (and ideally the hook for the next book) is rushed. The vibe and art are 5, while the storytelling is 3 - so 4 stars. The art is so darn cute, so I will continue the series.

"Arcana: The Lost Heirs" is the first of a YA graphic novel series by Sam Prentice-Jones. Eli is a young adult living on his own, hiding his magical powers. When an agent from the Arcana (an organization of magical humans) is sent to investigate magical power spikes at an abandoned house, Eli is discovered by James. James is a young adult who has grown up in the Arcana. Romance blooms between Eli and James, while we see that the leaders of the Arcana are worried about a hidden truth being discovered now that Eli is training his magic. An intriguing mystery and cute romance that will leave readers wanting the next book immediately. A must buy for YA graphic novel collections.

Thank you Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends, and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this book. This is an interesting debut with a muted palette and a rushed storyline. I was expecting to like it more than I actually did and would have liked the story to focus more on the coven.

I loved the art, the concept, and the way the colors changed for each chapter depending on which character was the focus. I also loved the diversity in body size and queerness. The weaknesses I saw in this book were how fast it moved, how fast the characters were introduced (I could barely tell them apart and then the next person was already being introduced), and the dialogue’s surface level text-speech style. With more in-depth dialogue and time taken to really get to know characters this series could flourish! Overalls, I enjoyed reading this, so 4 stars!

This was an interesting graphic novel, but I feel like it would have benefited from more exposition. It feels like the readers were left to connect a lot of the dots. Besides that, the plot was interesting and I liked the art.

The art was beautifully done and I would purchase it in a second based on that! Some of the moments are a bit mature for the school I work in (nothing of offense - bodies, basic human sexuality, etc - but we are in a conservative area and have to watch it so things aren't limited even more). So, yes, gorgeous art, fun story. I liked the tarot structure. Unique and fun, and the sections with different cards lent deeper understanding of the story. My one annoyance is how many times the characters said "haha" or "hahah." It may not be distracting to younger readers who are used to message-style text, but I couldn't stop noticing it.