Arcana: The Lost Heirs is a captivating book. The cast of characters and incredible illustrations pulled me in from the start. The writing made it impossible to put down and I finished this in one sitting. I can't wait for the second book to find out what happens next!

The Lost Heirs is everything I look for in a contemporary fantasy graphic novel - sweet, whimsical, and engrossing with a hilarious cast of queer characters - and I absolutely loved the atmosphere that Prentice-Jones builds with their intricate worldbuilding and colorful art style! I feel like fans of Tillie Walden and ND Stevenson will really enjoy this one. That said, I do think the pacing of the novel is a bit difficult to follow with such a large cast of characters, and there was definitely a bit of a slow-down around the middle of the book. However, this didn't bother me too much since this is the first book in a series, and I definitely do think I will check out the author's work in the future! 4/5

The Lost Heirs (Arcana #1) is the introduction to a society of Arcana witches, a group of young witches whose pasts are intertwined with the society’s mysterious history, and the growing relationships between these new and old friends.

I found it to be an excellent start to the series. We learn a little bit about all of the characters, centering us on their personalities and background. We don’t learn a lot about the magic of the Arcana directly, but I don’t feel bereft of the knowledge. The conversations are authentic, and the art style reminds me a little of Heartstopper.

I’m excited to continue the series! Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book.

Magic, romance, covens, curses and secrets? Yes please!Eli is a part time barista full time witch, who while practicing his magic is discovered by the Arcana. The Arcana is a coven of witches who seem to be hiding a secret that Eli and his new group of friends set out to uncover.
I think the quirky art style and muted color tones really fit the story and vibe of this graphic novel very welll. The tarot card chapter headers were such a nice touch too. The romance did seem a little quick in my opinion but I thought they were very cute together. Overall I enjoyed this and will be impatiently waiting for the next volume!

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan for the eARC of this graphic novel!

Sadly, as much as I love these type of original content creator works, this one never grabbed my attention. The lead character felt too much like a Marty Stu, the other characters thinly drawn, the plot pedestrian, the bad guys moustache twirlers, and not much happened.

Story: Eli Jones has magic - but goes through his life working at a coffee shop and otherwise just taking one day at a time. When a hot guy arrives at the shop one day, Eli finds that there are other magic individuals out there and is invited into the Arcana society - a group who protects magic. But his reception is strangely off - and there are alarming events happening.

The main character is kind of an 'aw shucks I'm sweet but geeky and unconfident' that should be cute but here seems very codependent. The characters all act in a very superficial way that feels somewhat juvenile, lacking nuance and depth to flesh them out as more than cardboard cutouts. The plot was kind of silly and did not feel realistic or organic. It all was a set up to give a loner young man a boyfriend and some new friends, with a plot of magic shenanigans uncomfortably thrown in.

Typically, I always hope to find reasons in a graphic novel as to why this is better with illustrations than just words. I did not find it here - other than that if you take away the illustrations, the plot would have been even sillier and shallow. The art style is distinct to the author but I can't say that it really pushed the plot further or added to the story.

In all, this is best described as a sweet cuddly little teddy bear of a Scooby Doo type of magical mystery. There is a complete arc here and no cliffhangers. It should appeal to the Heartbreakers fans as a result. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

Thank you to NetGalley, MacMillan Children’s Publishing Group and Feiwel & Friends for this ARC.

I loved this graphic novel! Queer and witchy representation, check. Simple yet impactful art, check. Intriguing storyline that leaves you wanting more, check. A final comment, the amount of “haha’s” used in the narrative was very distracting to the overall story.

Please tell me where will be more in this series!

Lovely artwork brings to life a magical story told through shifting POVs of the main characters--a group of young witches who find out that they've been, somehow, cursed. There's a lot of questions raised over the course of the story--who Eli's parents were, who cast the curse in the first place, why it was done... Many of these remain unanswered by the end of the story, but there are enough hints to leave the reader wanting more. I'll be looking forward to the next volume in this series!

3.5 rounded up

This was such a fun read! I was hooked from the very beginning and the art was stunning. The play with colors and blending of boarders kept this not only visually interesting but thematically as well.

I finished it in one sitting and cannot wait for the next one. What a cliff hanger for a supernatural mystery graphic novel!!

thank you to Feiwel and friends for letting me read this arc!

What a fun ride!

I just recently got into my own tarot journey, although I've been interested for a long time. So, when I had the chance to get my hands on this, I took it! And I'm so glad I did. ARCANA: THE LOST HEIRS follows Eli, a rogue witch, as they find their coven in the Arcana!

I liked the art style so so much. It was fun and whimsical and so cute. I loved all of the nods to tarot, especially how the hierarchy in the story parallels how the tarot is actually set up. I also really enjoyed how queer this book is. I'm really interested in queering my own tarot, so this felt so perfect for what I'm trying to do in my own life.

The plot of ARCANA: THE LOST HEIRS is intriguing, captivating, and thrilling! I'm loving all the mystery and intrigue of the Arcana and what's going on with everyone. It had me on the edge of my seat throughout the story. It's also quite romantic, which was incredibly enjoyable. I love love.

Definitely a found-family aspect, which is always so lovely to experience. I cannot wait for volume 2!

This was a fun and gripping ride! I always finish graphic novels super fast, but this one I couldn't put down! The characters and the plot were just so well done.

I and excited for the next installment, and sad it's not already out.

This debut graphic novel was amazing! I loved the diversity of the characters and how each chapter introduced a new perspective from someone else's point of view. It starts off slow to introduce everyone, then deep dives into the thick of the plot.

This novel is suspenseful, emotional, and leaves you wanting more. There is found family, cozy witch vibes, and a lot of lgbtqia+ representation. The artwork is eye-catching and fits well with the story. It's definitely a quick read and I absolutely cannot wait to read more about this friend group!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for the e-ARC of The Lost Heirs!
4 / 5 ⭐

Kisses, coffee shops, and magic. And lies, deadly secrets, and magical fires. The Lost Heirs is the first entry in The Arcana series, and I’m excited to see what comes next.

This debut graphic novel, and the first in an expected series, was ultimately a mixed bag for me. It follows a group of young witches as they try to uncover a long-hidden secret while also dealing with their own personal issues.

The characters were fun, if a little similar to one another. But I'm also solidly in the camp of finding queer stories engaging and fresh-- the more, the merrier. I enjoyed the art style; having been a longtime fan of ND Stevenson, Prentice-Jones' art reminded me a lot of theirs-- it matched the cozy-witchy vibes well that I felt the story was going for. But what did not work for me was the dialogue. Every bubble felt like I was reading a chat rather than hearing someone speak, and this ended up being a big turn-off for me, personally. I'm interested in the story, but I'm not sure yet if the cons I mentioned will be enough to make me skip the follow-up volume. I think I'll wait and see what the preview looks and make my judgment call then.

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.