Goat Magic was a delightful read about Trill, a goat herder who can talk to her flock and Princess Alya, the, well princess of the land. I was surprised by the book starting with Alya and then moving to Trill, including the slight time jump, but the overarching mystery and reveals about the "Big Bad" were done well. The art style is not what I usually gravitate towards but I really liked it here and the goats (and all animals) had such personality!

I thought the development of their relationship (both as princess/subject of the land and romance) was really well done and I'm always here for royals realizing they suck and fixing it (tho really abolish all royals LOL).

Loved the artwork. This book gave me major Emperor's New Groove vibes with the royalty to animal than back again thing. It's a story line that we see a bunch in fantasy but I loved the inclusion of goats - because they rock, obviously. And, oh - the queer romance - love that too!

This was a cute read. With some humor, action, and a little bit of love, I was interested. I appreciated the growth you could see in each main character and each side character played their part well. I felt the illustrations were cute and expressive as well.

Trill, a spirited goat herder with a unique ability to communicate with her flock, yearns for a life beyond mountain pastures. 
Princess Alya, known as the “Ordinary Princess” and heir to the kingdom of Capeya, doubts her own royal potential.

I loved this graphic novel.  The world building made this land so believable and real.  The different styles of magic were very unique when added to the age-old story of the upper class taking more and more from the commoners until they either broke or fought back.

I've read some reviews who say the romance was unnecessary.  Maybe so, but a little romance never hurt and story. The slow move from friendship to more was sweet and romantic. 

Highly recommended.  Expected publishing date; August 19, 2025

Thanks to @Netgalley and Oni Press for the opportunity to read this eArc in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

First, thank you to the to NetGalley and Oni Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own and freely given.

3.5/5 rounding up. This was a cute and charming graphic novel with a nice story, but I didn't absolutely love it like I was hoping I'd might.

Things I liked:
- The magic style was unique and the world building was good. I like the curse and its effects later in the story (no spoilers here).
- The characterization was strong and I was rooting for each of the characters both individually and as a duo.
- The goats were super cute and a unique inclusion in this fantasy story.

Things I didn't like:
- I'm mixed on the art style. It was cute and unique, but I think it made the experience a little less enjoyable due to a lack of details or polishing. The coloring was bright and fun and I loved the line art sketches at the end of the book - I almost wish that the final product had looked a little closer to those.
- The romance element felt unnecessary in this. I thought friendship would have been a stronger ending and one that didn't feel quite so forced.
- Though I like how the plot wrapped up, I had a few logic questions with the resolution to the main antagonist's points.

Thank you to Netgalley and Oni Press for the opportunity to read and review this graphic novel. I think this was a fantastic story; I think my only minor issue with this was that there was an unnecessary added "romance". I appreciated the art, the moral lessons presented, and the journey. Because of these points, I have to give this a 4 out of 5 stars

Thank you to the publisher who provided me with a copy via NetGalley.

This was a cute, fun, and quick read. I picked this up for the title alone, so I didn't know what to expect from the story - which is a middle grade coming of age tale with a bit of political/social commentary. The story is pretty straight forward with a few twists, and the art is cute, expressive and colourful. It really fits with the generally lighthearted tone of this book. Each character has a good, well developed arc even if Alya’s is idealistic and not necessarily applicable to the real world and people who have an equivalent social status. (I saw a few reviews that got hung up on that aspect, but not all fantasy needs to be relatable like that).

The only part of this story that I didn’t like was the romance aspect. The art style for Trill didn’t give the impression at all that she was close to Alya’s age. I assumed there was a significant age difference between. The romance itself seemed quite sudden and not very developed, with only a single significant look between them that seemed more awkward than romantically charged before their first kiss.

Overall I think its an enjoyable title and would recommend it to anyone who wants a lighthearted graphic novel to read.

An absolutely precious graphic novel for fans of K. ONeill. I loved the story here and Trill and Alya's slow burn from friendship to something more.And obviously the goats are incredible.

Goats? Magic? This sounded too chaotic and adorable to miss. And yes, it was both. This is a great story geared towards younger readers with a solid message about class and systems of oppression - and bonus, a queer relationship between our two MCs!
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Trill feels like her unique goat magic is dull and far too common compared to much cooler forms of magic and those that get to study in the city. However, she turns out to be the perfect person to help Princess Alya who is on the run, transformed into a goat.
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Their journey is funny, heartfelt, if a little convenient, but this is middle grade so we let that slide a little. There are great conversations throughout with various characters and we see the two not only grow closer, but grow as characters too.
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The art is lovely and the style is distinct, if a bit leaning towards the “bean mouth” that has gotten popular over the last few years. However, I found several panels to be quite stiff, especially when it came to action. I don’t think younger readers will mind the blockiness of the action but older readers will definitely notice and be taken out of the story with them.
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Overall, I think this is a great graphic novel that I would be delighted to put in the hands of middle grade readers, but would hesitate to recommend to older audiences.
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*I received an eARC from Oni Press & NetGalley. All opinions are my own*
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Hisses & Kisses 🐍

Thank you Oni Press and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this book. I really enjoyed this wonderful story full of magic, adventure, and goats with beautiful artwork, great world building, and such attention to details that it created a fully immersive experience for me. Definitely recommend it to any fantasy adventure lover and am looking forward to what Kate Wheeler is up to next.

Love the illustrations and the overall colour palette of this book but the story feels too simple for my liking. All in all, I don’t recommend you to pick this up.

This middle-grade graphic novel was really cute! Deals with themes of growing up, creating an identity outside of what people expect of you, self-worth, and more. Sweet sapphic romance subplot although I honestly thought it felt a little out-of-place, like there was not much build-up to the relationship that felt romantic instead of platonic, but sometimes middle grade is like that. I enjoyed this lots and thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

A sweet graphic novel with a nice message, following the adventures of Trill, a goat herder, and Alya, a princess and heir, who has been through some difficult times.
At first I wasn't sure about the art style, but it grew on me, and I really enjoyed the interactions between our two main characters. As this book is called Goat Magic, I have to say that the goats were brilliant too!

Goat Magic is a story that captures your attention from the name and continues on from there. With beautiful illustrations and fun storylines and characters, I can see this being popular with people of all ages. Would love to see more from this world in the future

Goat Magic is about Trill a farmer with magic that allows her to speak with goats and Princess Alya, who has been cursed to be a goat during the day.

The art is nice, and the characters are fun, but the world building leaves something to be desired. I don't necessarily think everything needs to be a series, but I think the story could have been spread out into a duology, allowing more time for the story to unfold. The pacing is off.


Unfortunately, Goat Magic doesn't do enough to stand out from the pack of other fantasy graphic novels.

Ever wish you could follow the unlikely duo of a goat herder and a princess as they team up to defeat the evil villain threatening to steal the crown?

This book offers a fun, lighthearted adventure as the two characters gradually build a meaningful friendship throughout their journey. While the plot is straightforward, the message is clear: no matter who you are or what powers you possess, you have something unique to offer. I particularly enjoyed how the story thoughtfully explores this theme of self-worth.

Pick this up for a quick, enjoyable read with vibrant illustrations that bring the story to life.

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

Loved the exploration of different types of magic and how they tie into self-esteem! Enjoyed the world and the illustration style is great for the middle grade reader.

I loved the idea of this book - an adventure full of adorable goats in a fantasy land with two girls overcoming obstacles.

The artwork was beautiful and whimsical; the setting was so well fleshed out and I felt like I was immersed in the world. The goats’ mannerisms and quirkiness made me so happy. However, I did not <spoiler>buy into the romance at all. I genuinely thought Trill was at least twenty years older than Alya. I don’t know if it’s how they were drawn that made her look older, or if it didn’t focus enough on their chemistry to make it feel more romantic than friendly. The ending also seemed to go by very quickly and wrapped up in a way that seemed too perfect.</spoiler>

Overall, it was a super quick read and I loved how whimsical and sweet the story was. It felt like a warm hug.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eArc.

Goat Magic is a whimsical fantasy graphic novel. Princess Alya is cursed to be a goat during the day and human at night and must figure out who did it and stop them from overthrowing the monarchy. Trill is a magical goatherd who is traveling to a market with her herd. She comes across Alya in goat form and adds her to her group. Once her identity is revealed, Trill is reluctant to help Alya, but slowly the two grow closer as they fight common enemies. There is cool magic and a great message that will move any young reader. Some of the characters looked alike so it was hard to tell who was who at times, but I still loved this story. Thanks to Oni Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What an enjoyable story! I like a good quest, and I love it when the author puts thought into geography and animals unique to the world, and I'm curious if she intends to use it for more books. The back matter was also interesting, I love it when writers and artists include that stuff.