Witchy by Ariel Slamet Ries #GraphicNovel #Owlcrate #Fantasy #LGBT #Witches

Hey book lovers! I’m here with a book review for Witchy by Ariel Slamet Ries. I read volume 1 of the special edition by Owlcrate which has a beautiful orange and green cover. Volume 2 was published in February, so I’ll have to check that one out soon.
You can read Witchy for free HERE.

About The Book 📚

Title: Witchy (Witchy #1)

Author: Ariel Slamet Ries

Publication Date: May 2020 (first published 2019)

Publisher: Oni Press

Suggested Reader Age: 14+

Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy, LGBT, Witches

About The Author

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19047577.Ariel_Slamet_Ries

“Ariel Slamet Ries is an eggplant and/or human from Melbourne, Australia. After studying animation at The Animation Workshop in Denmark for 4 years, they lost their degree in the post and unceremoniously bumbled into making comics for a living. In their free time you might find them sewing badly, making music badly, or looking at pictures of opossums screaming.

Their first two major print releases, Witchy and Cry Wolf Girl, were released 2019, with Witchy Volume 2 (Oni Press) releasing in March of 2022. They are currently squirreled away in a hermitage creating their fourth book, Strange Bedfellows, set for release in 2024 from Harper Collins.” https://arielries.com/about/

My Review

› Witchy takes place in Hyalin. The strength of magic is determined by the length of your hair, but if your hair is too long then you can be burned. Those who are strong enough are forced to join the Witch Guard. They are in charge of making sure people follow the rules and protecting them in times of war. Viceroy Jinheung Nyoto Jung is the longest-haired witch in Hyalin. Jung is the Captain Regent of Hyalin.

› The main character is Nyneve Jaga Ahmadzai, a young witch living with her mother. Nyneve has a hard time trusting anyone after her father is killed and decided to hide her long hair. She spends most of her time studying and loves books. Nyneve’s mother is Veda Ahmadzai. She hasn’t been the same since her husband Jaga was killed. Nyneve’s school nemesis is Dai “Prill” Si Yue, a trans girl. She’s not kind, but charismatic. She didn’t meet Nyneve until after her father’s death so she doesn’t know about that history. Mongke Batu is a kind and loyal friend who lives on a farm. He’s been friends with Nyneve for a long time. He hopes that Prill and Nyneve will eventually become friends because he has relationships with both of them. Nyneve also meets a talking raven and someone named IO, who started an orphanage hidden amongst ruins.

› “People we trust fed us misinformation because they too thought it was the truth. This place was founded with the intent to preserve the history that the empress and emperor tried to erase.”

› Characters: 9
› Atmosphere: 6
› Writing Style: 8
› Plot: 7
› Intrigue: 8
› Logic: 9
› Enjoyment: 8
Average 7.9

1.1-2.2 = ★
2.3-4.5 = ★★
4.6-6.9 = ★★★
7-8.9 = ★★★★
9-10 = ★★★★★

My Rating ★★★★

› Final Thoughts
• Witchy is a really fun read with an imaginative world and a diverse cast of characters. I’m looking forward to checking out the next volume.