Thank you to the publisher for sending me an eARC of this one. ☺️
I thought the artwork in Season of the Bruja was beautiful, especially the bold use of colour.
The story had a lot of really strong points but I think it would have benefited from taking more time as there were a lot of big moments that felt rushed. It ended on a cliffhanger which would have had more impact if there had been stronger overall development. That said a lot of interesting things were set up in this first volume and while I’m not sure if I’ll continue the series myself I can see a lot of potential for the next one.
Rating: 3.5/5🌟

"The past is the past, that cannot be changed. . . . Do not let it dictate the future." - Abuela

Althalia's learning about her powers and how she can utilize them. But being young and a little naive she doesn't fully understand the extent of her abilities or what the price for using them is. She wishes to control the things she can since there are larger things out of her control. . . Namely the prejudices people have against her people and her ancestors.

Things change drastically and our young bruja's about to begin her coming of age journey when a priest approaches her and her grandmother. A situation occurs leaving 'Lia with so many unanswered questions and a mission that she will not detour from! But our little witch is about to learn some lessons the hard way. Will her spirit be broken? Or will she come out stronger?

First of all, the art in this comic is utterly beautiful! I got feelings of "Coco" and "Encanto" as I read through the book and loved everything I saw. The vibrancy of colors and the depictions of everything was just utterly phenomenal! The illustrator did such an amazing job and there were a few panels that gave me chills because of the beauty and the impact of the work.

'Lia's being a little carless with her gift and being the overly confident teenager that most of us can relate to. She knows she's strong and doesn't hold back when others are trying to warn her to be careful. I loved her attitude and her personality when we are first introduced to her in the beginning of the story. I chuckled several times with just how she handled the "bad" they were up against. She's already a very strong young woman!

'Lia's surrounded by people with abilities even if they don't all have the gifts her and her Abuela do. She works for a shop focused on oddities and helping others with supernatural problems. Because we humans are curious creatures and sometimes meddle in things we shouldn't or things we should do more research about! Luckily the team is able to help when situations arise, even if 'Lia tries to pull a one-woman-show.

This read does touch on the underbelly of prejudices against Latinxs' and their culture. History is very much interpreted by the "victors". . . I believe all cultures and races have dark histories and I appreciate that the author mentioned this through some of the dialogue. When you get away from the "approved" history books that schools issue you will be amazed by what you find.

The more I learn about Hispanic cultures, their beliefs, history, and holidays the more I am in love honestly. There's so much beauty in the world and within other cultures that are not your own and it is very sad that some still choose to be closed minded and ignorant. I really love the Day of the Dead, Día de los Muertos, and just all the decorations, symbolisms, and everything about the holiday. Was excited when I recognized some of the elements within this book because of "The Book of Life".

There are also depictions of how religion can be very toxic and manipulative. Controlling the masses and doing things in the name of a god. . . Religion can be a good thing, but it can also be a very harmful thing. Wiping out whole civilizations of people or enslaving thousands all for the name of religion is very wrong on so many levels!

'Lia's Abuela helps to balance her and help to teach 'Lia that there are two sides to every story. I loved Abuela in this book and her familiar! The familiars of the two bruja's were perfect and I enjoyed the comedy they helped to provide for the read. This is a YA comic series and things are kept lighthearted for the most part. But there's grief in the read, loss and some wonderful action sequences!

I do wish some of the Spanish was translated down in the footnote or maybe have an asterisk to direct you to the glossary. A glossary would be very nice as well to help teach others about words used with the read and how to properly say them. There were a couple of moments where I was little lost on what was specifically said but could tell from body language and things revolving around the panel what was being conveyed.

The language is clean except for a curse word in Spanish here and there. Some violence and a scene of someone getting body modification done but it's cut off. Things are implied but you don't see the full process. The volume does end on a cliffhanger, but it is a gentler one. I also really enjoyed that there was a recipe in the back of the book along with notes from the author and the illustrator! The team did a great job with this installment, and I cannot wait for more!

Enjoy the read with so much beauty, action, wonderful characters, and some angst! Don't forget to give the author some stars!

Season of the Bruja: Vol. 1 caught my eye one day while scrolling through the influential streets of Bookstagram. I got introduced to a badass, head-strong Latina witch-in-training willing to prove that she could change the supernatural world.

In the beginning, the graphic novel started off confusing for me. It was a lot going on. But as the story progressed, the narrative started to smooth out. I loved that Duran included Aztec mythology in the story. Mixing those tales with the discovery of America and the lineage of Bruja practice, the story held my attention until the last page.

3.5 stars

From a young age, Althalia knew she would someday be the last of her kind—a bruja, tasked with keeping the power and stories of the ancient ways from fading fully into history. Never alone, Althalia works in a paranormal museum with her friends, a real-life Chupacabra and a were-coyote, while living with and caring for her beloved abuela. Through these powerful connections, her skills and knowledge grow.

But the prejudice her people have always faced continues, and after a seemingly random encounter with a priest, Althalia feels the weight of hundreds of years of religious oppression coming down upon her and her abuela. She must realize her destiny and grow into it quickly if she is to prevent the church from achieving its ultimate goal—destroying the last bruja.

The art is excellent, with rich colors and inventive illustrations. Althalia, despite her power, comes across as a convincing young girl who struggles with her grief and anger in ways that aren't photogenic or convenient. The church is a terrifying villain, with powers more demonic than anything Althalia could summon from the underworld. Wish there were more - it felt like no sooner had I become engaged in the story than the volume ended.

Season of the Bruja was one of my most anticipated reads for January but unfortunately, it feel a little flat. Straight away you are thrown in action, which I like, but none of it made any sense. Althalia and her colleagues are dealing with a demon, which is part of their jobs. However, none of this is explained very well and throughout the entire graphic novel I was lost on what was happening.

After reading a couple of pages and not understanding who these people were or why they had some kind of magical powers, I worried I had somehow stumbled into the middle of the series, but no. That’s just how it is written. There is no introduction just pure action.

After a while you come to understand these things a little better, but it made the reading experience very disjointed for me. It might just be me but I like it when characters are properly introduced and you get to know more about them.

I absolutely love the art style. Everything was so vibrant and perfectly detailed. The cover is what first drew me into Season of the Bruja and the artwork did not disappoint.

The plot was definitely interesting and I’d love to learn more about this world and its magical history, but the pacing was off. Everything happened a little too quickly and it was over before I knew it.

I did really enjoy the characters though. Their love for food and how its a big part of their friendship was really sweet.

Season of the Bruja Vol. 1 was a fun read, but one that was a little too quick for my liking. The art style is absolutely gorgeous and the story has a lot of potential. It is a series I may consider continuing in the future.

I didn’t have time for this book when I was approved. I plan to read it in the future though. Looks fun!

This was beautifully illustrated. The story itself was really emotional and showed so much love and grief. Lia is fortunate to have a bad ass support system to help her while she navigates her emotions and her powers. Her hair… I cannot with how beautiful it is! Ten points for the Catholics being the bad guys 🤣🏆

We follow Athalia as she came into power in the beginning of the story. The whole plot is exciting and gripping from the get go. Athalia is the last bruja and also the last one to keep the knowledge and power that has been passed down for generations. She is oblivious to what having that power really means as she tries to live a normal life with her abuela and working in a museum but all that changed when she is faced with an unexpected circumstance. An unusual meeting with a priest forced her to see why the church is hell bent on eliminating the bruja community and what it means for her. Athalia is forced to step into her role before learning the ropes.

I love the pacing of the story and it kept me engaged the whole time. I love Athalia’s character development as she began to understand what it really means for her to be the last bruja and this comes with many heart breaking moments as she deals with her grief and hardships but I am glad that she came out stronger than she believed.

I loved the whole plot but I did find the ending a little too rushed and convenient but I hope there will be a sequel! Thank you NetGalley and Oni Press for the arc.

While this was a bit confusing to start with, I ultimately ended up enjoying it thanks to the magic and the wonderful artwork!

Unfortunately, this one archived before I had a chance to download and read it. I will be reading it once it's published instead.

A wonderfully illustrated graphic novel that manages to be heartfelt, well-paced, and emotive. This was a real winner for me.

This was a 10 out of 10 start. It was a long enough for you to get some of the characters, but also short enough to keep you hooked for more. The pacing in this book was spot on and I absolutely adore the main character. She is powerful brave willing to do anything for her family and I relate to a lot of things in the main character. I think the plot twists were unexpected and I definitely would recommend not reading the blurb or anything for going to the book as it will surprise you and keep you hooked

The artwork for this graphic novel is beautiful but I was disappointed to see that my attention drifted off and I got a little confused about what was going on. I would definitely revisit it but the only thing that has really stuck with me is that it was stunning to look at.

This story was pretty surprising to me. From start to finish I wasn't sure where it was going, which was great, until it wasn't. Towards the middle my interest started to fizzle, the more I felt like the characters only have surface appearance and not much development or growth. -- Sort of just there for side characters and filler.
Aside from that, the art was so incredibly beautiful. I wish I really enjoyed this more than I did.

**Thank you to Oni Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.**

A great graphic series. The art style works well with the story. It's full of magic and family. I am excited to see where this story goes. This is going to be a great addition to our library cannot wait for it to come out.

The story really surprised me in a good way. The plot is really interesting. The types and styles of magic displayed are incredible. The characters are charming so it's easy to like them. When they talk about Mexico it's like a hug to the heart. I would like to read more about this story

Season of the Bruja is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel following an energetic witch, her unusual grandmother, and her collection of not all the way human friends. I loved all the bright colors used to make this story pop. And the magic system and quirky familiars are just the kind of things I love in my fantasy reads.

Thank you for this ARC.
Writing ****
Art ***
Colors ****
Lettering *****
Cover ****

The story was alright. I'm not likely to remember it.

The artist did a good job, making good use of space and panel placement. She could of used more gutter placement but she had several full frame drawings. my favorite two full panel artwork, being pages 87 and 98.

Dialog and thought balloons, good lettering, easy to see and read. There was some spanish with no translation. We needed captions for that information.

2.5
I was excited to read it, but when the time came, to be honest my interest fizzled out fast, some parts of the story were not that well interwoven, so the plot was a bit chaotic and somewhat predictable. However, the secondary characters (the friends of the main character)

Beautiful art style, confusing story.
Season of the Bruja follows three magical friends (a bruja, chupacabra and werewolf) who work in a paranormal museum to protect their powers and stories from fading into history. The premise seemed simplistic and fun, so I was surprised to find myself really lost throughout the entire story.

From the very first page, we are thrown into the middle of a fight scene, where the magic system and scope of fantastical creatures already becomes a bit confusing. From then on, more and more magic was piled on in a way that never quite clicked to me. The high-fantasy lover in me can usually scrape by with assumptions to fill the gaps, but my boredom took over halfway through this graphic novel. My dwindling interest never heightened, though I did enjoy a lot of the character designs and visuals! The villains and demons in particular were really cool. Overall though, this wasn’t for me!