When a deadly Smog enter 1952 London, Dorothy Schafer decides its ther perfect time to get revenge against the Circle of witches and mages sworn to protect London since the middle ages
The Circle had wrongfully charged Dorothy's husband John with murder, his punishment: being dragged to hell by a demon and Dorothy's punishment is having her mouth sewn shut
Dorothy begins a quest to craft a blade to kill the demon and free herself from the curse

This was a pleasant read, although the story was a bit grotesque. You are drawn into Dorothy's despair at having lost her husband in such a terrible way and completely understand why she wants revenge. The magical elements are few, but when they do appear, they are an important part of the story. The illustrations in dark, saturated tones also contribute to the feeling of mystery.

Found myself really liking this book and hoping for a sequel ...

The Order of the Circle is more than just a graphic novel—it feels like a fully realized storyboard for a dark, atmospheric film. Set in a fog-choked 1952 London, the story weaves mystery, revenge, and the supernatural together seamlessly. Dorothy’s quest for vengeance against The Circle is gripping, and the high stakes keep the tension strong throughout.

The illustrations are stunning—eerily detailed and hauntingly beautiful. Every panel feels meticulously crafted, adding to the cinematic feel of the story. This isn't just a comic; it’s a well-structured, immersive experience that deserves an adaptation (Netflix, take notes!).

A fantastic dark fantasy that pulls you in and doesn’t let go!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dead Sky Publishing for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of The Order of the Circle by Levi Cory.

So this story was a tad darker than I originally anticipated.

The story focuses on pain, revenge and grief as some of the larger underlying themes. As well as that of demons, magical societies, found friends and love. Personally, I would have enjoyed the second half to 1/3 of the book to be a bit longer because I enjoyed it the most.

Overall, the art style is definitely enjoyable!

Sadly this was a DNF for me. Some pages of the file didn't load, so it was hard to follow the story - but the main issue was that there seems to have been no English oversight on the text. As a British person (who has also been to Kensal Green), it was painful to read slang used so badly, be it misspelled or just inappropriate to a situation. Also the UK uses pounds, not dollars.

An interesting idea, but it needed some editorial oversight from a native Brit.

A really interesting graphic novel - I love alternative Londons! The art is moody and magical, the characters interesting. I enjoyed getting to know Dorothy and her mission for revenge. IThe only thing is I wish the second half was longer, bringing the stakes to a head in a more satisfying way. But overall I loved it!

What a fascinating comic book! This is a 1952 London, playing off true events of history but adding in elements of magic and the paranormal.

The main character takes her fate into her own hand when her husband is taken from her and the organization that did it made her a mute for speaking out against them. This is her story of revenge.

The art is gorey and graphic at times, but it is an adult comic. Not for kids. I would rate it suitable for 18+ but I’m a lot more strict about content then most. Just know that going into it. I look forward to the next volume. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Ok I liked this one - the art was great, the story line was fast paced and gory. You’re dropping into the middle of a plot but that works well here. The magic is good and the characters pull you in.

It’s 3 stars because it is a story line meant to be in England. However, the speech isn’t at all believable. There is the use of Mum is head of Ma’am. Bollocks is spelt wrong in every instance. And the insults don’t ring true. This could have easily been corrected if literally one person from England was consulted.


Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

I liked it but honestly it was nothing special. In 1950 where magic is real and institutionalized, a woman punished for talking too much is moved only by the thirst for revenge that leads her to clash with the Circle, a group of witches who hold the power and who seem to have a lot to hide. In reality there is little else... unexpected friends who will support her, a love story that runs through the entire plot and a very rushed "final" fight. It is not a stand alone because the ending is open to a continuation. Stylistically the drawings are wonderful and what is very striking is the careful use of colors and shades that characterize the scenes more than the depth of the characters.

Netgalley graciously provided me with an advanced copy of this graphic novel.
This is an interesting take on alternative history which incorporates elements of magic and demonology in a London that is both set in the 1950s but still somehow also very Victorian.
The art is beautiful and the story is action-filled. Definitely looking forward to volume 2.

The Order of the Circle was an awesome read! The artwork throughout this comic is nothing short of stunning. It’s one of those situations where it perfectly marries the artwork to the story you are reading and it works together to completely immerse you in the story.

This is a fantasy horror with an interesting magic system where Dorthy works to collect the items she needs to perform a ritual. The journey along the way is dark and painful. The way to revenge is a path that’s paved in hardship.

I throughly enjoyed my time reading ‘The Order of the Circle’ and I recommend it to any horror lovers out there.

The Order of the Circle gave me big The Mummy or Sherlock Holmes vibes at first. I could see those two in the same art style. This is the first installment, but it felt like you were jumping into the middle of an already-formed story. Though I appreciated the quick pace of the graphic novel, it felt like I was only reading half the story. I would love to see Dorothy's husband's story and his version of the story. This is a beautiful entry into a gritty magical mystery.

For getting dropped in the middle of a new world and story the author did a great job at providing all the information needed to under stand the story. The art was stunning and really helped bring the story to the next level. I am already looking forward to the continuation of this story and world.

This will be posted to Goodreads, Storygraph, and Fable.

Thankyou to NetGalley, the publishers and Levi Cory for an ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.

I was initially drawn in by the title and stunning cover artwork and was pleased to find that the artwork inside is equally as beautiful.

We find ourselves in London with Churchill as prime minister and a dark and magical order trying to gain power.
Our main character is interesting, tough, easy to empathise with and I'd love to see her again in the next book.

Will more than happily read the second, an excellently dark and magical graphic novel.

A 3.5/5 star rating for me.

This book takes us to a smog-engulfed London in the post-WW2 era.
The city is ruled by a magical entity consisting of witches and mages, by which the book is named.
Dorothy is on her quest for revenge - she wants to uncover the corruption and evil behind the Circle, which unfoundedly (or maybe not?) blamed her husband John for murder, and sent an evil demon to drag him to hell.

It was fast-paced, and a bit confusing at the start, but it took very little time until everything fell into place.
The illustrations and colouring were beautiful.

A lot of things remain unsolved and ambiguous at the end.
Now, if it were noted anywhere that this was only Book One of a series, it would probably be given four stars.
However, since it isn't mentioned, I have to take it at a standalone value.
If that's the case, there are a lot of plot holes, and the ending isn't satisfying enough.
Because of that, I truly hope we will get a sequel.

Another thing that drove me insane is that the book was in the protected EPUB format, not PDF, so while reading it on my desktop, I couldn't zoom in, and lost half my eyesight until the end.
That is obviously not the authors' fault. I just have to mention it.

Overall, I fairly enjoyed this book and I would like to read more.

Thanks to NetGalley, the authors, and the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Revenge is my destiny."

In The Order of the Circle, the bereaved Dorothy commits herself to avenging her husband, who has been banished to Hell - for crimes he did not commit - by an organisation called The Circle. She vows to bring their corruption to light and is willing to give up everything to see that happen.

The art and colouring of this graphic novel is absolutely stunning, with each panel being fully detailed. The story and world are intriguing, with an ending that screams "to be continued".

I loved that there wasn't too much exposition and that the plot moved along at a great pace. You're provided with just enough understanding of this world to get what is happening, but nothing more, so you don't get overloaded with information in these 100 pages.

Overall, this is a must-read for anyone looking for a fast-paced graphic novel with mature themes and a story that keeps you hooked from start to finish. Highly recommended!

I quite enjoy it, the art isn't one i'm particularly sensitive to but it isn't bad.
This is a VERY quick reading, the final scene could've been longer and not rushed like I felt it was.
Looking forward to the next one...

Thank you net galley for the copy

Loved this - the artwork was fantastic and I was instantly drawn in by the story. The world-building was fantastic. I was super impressed. Highly recommended.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this story.
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW

Holy Hell! This was such a good story. Dorthy is a badass and so damn smart! She and her friends followed through on her plan perfectly. I was ecstatic to see her fight and win so many times. I feel like that's a little rare in stories like this. It even sounds like theres going to be a sequel which I'm glad for. This plot and it's characters were so interesting that it warrants having another volume.

"There is no truer justice than that of the purest revenge"

The order of the circle follows Dorothy, a widow who is looking to enact revenge on the order of the circle and the demon that executed her husband after he threatened to expose the extent of their corruption.

I enjoyed the artwork of this graphic novel and I think it fits the tone and the atmosphere of the world well. It was a compelling start to a story and one that I want to see more of.

The world of this comic is rather bleak. It is set in an alternate version of the UK in the 1950's. We never really get much context or world building into the magic system of the world or who the order are. Unfortunately, it is to the stories detriment. I can only hope future volumes explore this more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dead sky publishing for providing an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own