This first volume of 'A Witch's Life in Mongol' follows Sitara, a slave girl taken in and educated by a family of scholars in 13th Century Persia. Her life is upended when she's captured by Mongol invaders, but through her knowledge and resilience, she carves out a place for herself as a trusted aide/teacher in their service.

I absolutely loved the art style of this--it's a unique blend of the intricate detailing of 'A Bride's Story' by Kaoru Mori and the retro style of classic manga, like Osamu Tezuka's works. But while the art style is cute, the story is a historically accurate portrayal of the Mongol invasions and the brutality and devastation that was left in their wake.

This manga also reminded me of Kaoru Mori's works in that it was very well-researched. I came away from reading this with a deeper understanding about 13th-century life in Persia and the Mongol steppes, from Islamic belief and mathematical knowledge of the time, to Genghis Khan's family tree and their military campaigns.

A lot of emphasis is placed on the knowledge in this manga and Sitara wields it like a weapon. I found her very compelling as a protagonist--highly adaptable and a true survivor, with no one in the world to trust or rely upon but herself, and nothing to her name but her own intellect.

I think fans of historical manga like 'Vinland Saga' or 'A Bride's Story' would really enjoy this. I'm definitely looking forward to continuing the series and seeing where Sitara's journey takes her next.

TW: graphic war themes, murder, slavery.

Thank you to Yen Press for providing this ARC for review!

“A Witch’s Life In Mongol” by Tomato Soup is a 193-page fiction comic book released in Japan in 2022. It was first published by Akita Publishing Company Limited, Tokyo, and translated into English by Yen Press, New York, 2025. The book design was produced by Wendy Chan of Yen Press Designs. The paperback has ISBN 979-8-8554-1421-9 and costs $15.00, and the ebook has ISBN 979-8-8554-1422-6 and costs $6.99.

This story begins in the city of Tus, Iran, in the early 13th century and centers on Sitara, a beautiful young girl who was sold as a slave to Mistress Fatima, who is from a household of scholars. There, she meets Mohammed, who encourages her to be educated. Years later, she was captured by Prince Tolui, son of Genghis Khan, and made to serve his wife in Toluqan, Mongol. There, she changed her name to that of her former mistress and sought to face the new life ahead of her.

What will become of Sitara in Mongolia? How will she cope with life under Genghis Khan’s shadow? Find out in this interesting book!

An aspect of this book that I admire is the protagonist’s notable traits. Sitara is able and always presses herself to move forward. Inspired by her previous moments with young Mohammed, she is keen on making the right choices to be a better person, no matter the circumstances. She is adept in her knowledge of linguistics, mathematics, philosophy, history, astronomy, and many much more. Her belief in education as the key to her success is remarkable; even the Mongolian royal family was less educated than she. Her personality is befitting of her name, which means “star.”

The author is very adept at imbuing the narration with moral lessons. This book is very informative in that education is for all, whether rich or poor, slave or free. As Chinqai once said, “When it comes to wisdom, there is no east or west.” Lady Sorghaghtani also sought her knowledge and saw her as a valuable asset and good company. The moral lessons in this book make me have no negative view of it.

I did not find any typographical mistakes or grammatical errors because this book is excellently and thoroughly edited. I, Michael Lartey, the reviewer, find this book to be filled with emotional suspense, as well as being among my favorite genres. It possesses a well-crafted storytelling. Because of this, I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars.

This book is a means to educate the young, especially those from Muslim families, on the importance of education and its role in uplifting individuals up the societal ladder. I recommend this book to lovers of fiction, history, and the Islamic religion. A must-read for the whole family!