I'm a Lindsay Squire fan (of both her books and her IG), so it pains me to give a three-star rating. This book felt like it was really two different books crammed together. While I liked it, I wish it had been either a book about the history of witchcraft, or a book about Biddy. I love graphic novels, and I would definitely read both of those books. I just don't think it really worked to put the two concepts together. The illustrations were beautiful. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

It was a fantastic novel to read.
The drawings are really beautiful, whoever drew them is a real talented artist, I loved all the drawings.
Unfortunately, every now and then the boxes of descriptions or dialogue are out of place and not centered in relation to the text.
There are a couple of pages that were not turned the right way.
I really enjoyed the descriptions of the types of magic and the various famous sorceresses from the past and from mythology. It was also very interesting to learn about the various types of magic practiced in the past and how they were practiced by women.
The story touches deep to the heart, unfortunately, however, I felt that some things happened a little too quickly and casually. It would be a good idea to expand some passages in the chapters, it would be better to go deeper into some scenaries of the story.
All in all it was enjoyable to read, a very touching story with perfect drawings. I also found the story very educational, there are many things to discover and learn.
I thank the author for the ARC and compliment everyone who made all the narration and the drawings. This novel is so artistic.

The art of this graphic novel is stunning! The storyline was interesting and I really liked the additional information on different topics that was provided. As a whole, I really enjoyed it.

I did not expect the book to go into the trials throughout history. Overall, the story was good. The art was immersive and I liked the artists style. Although there were a few pages where the word format was a bit strange. It didn’t align with the text etc.

I really enjoyed this book. Going from storytelling to different "fun facts" was great. Even just labeling the different types of witches was informative. And the facts about how many people lost their lives due to accusations was beyond sad.

This was a fun take on part history lesson of witches and part teaching what it looks like now. I think the font could have been a little darker or bigger or just a little easier to read but the art was great and it was a fun quick graphic novel.

Thanks to netgalley and quarto publishing for an eARC.

I really liked this, but some of the factual stuff was inaccurate. It wasn’t, for example, real witches that were almost ever burned at the stake. They were just regular women who in some ways challenged the established norms. Also, Biddy likely was accused of witchcraft for marrying the son of her husband after his death, or for going on to marry a total of four times I just don’t think m there was a very full picture. The I to witch info was really good, though.

This was a very good book about witches and witchcraft with a unique approach.
I love it how easy it was to read this.

This was a fantastic graphic novel with beautiful illustrations and educational contents. It's sectioned short chapters that focus on different topics related to witchcraft and its history. I especially love the incorporation of Biddy and Lindsay's relationship and how they develop into master and pupil. This graphic history contained the perfect amount of introductory knowledge to witchcraft, but also a wholesome story between Biddy, Lindsay and the townsfolk. I highly recommend for all of the witch-lovers out there, especially during late-autumn/Halloween time!

I really enjoyed this book! I found the story to be compelling, the illustrations to be a delight, and I just thoroughly enjoyed reading this book!

The art in this book is very pretty and really made the book appealing. I liked the idea of the book which focused on the history of a famous Irish wish, and included explanations of witchcraft practice throughout more generally. Unfortunately the balance of storytelling and being informative about witchcraft and the history of witchcraft was not right for me.

The comic, mostly exposition with a girl asking questions that were answered felt too much like an informational comic strip for me to feel immersed but as non-fiction goes, because of the simplistic nature i found the information lacked depth or nuance that a more prose format would have allowed. I think this format and book may appeal to a younger audience who enjoy the lighter informational format of the comic, and are not wanting a more critical or academic focus. It was well done I just discovered while reading it that i was not the right audience.

an interesting story and history. In some places the contrast / color made the text difficult to read. This could have been my device?

Lindsay Squire’s Witchcraft: A Graphic History presents a compelling proposition for a graphic novel, elevated by Lisa Sausi’s captivating illustrations. The artwork beautifully captures the mystical atmosphere I had hoped for, adding depth to the book’s overall aesthetic.

However, I found the writing didn’t quite live up to the same standard. It felt somewhat simplistic, which left me wanting more substance. On reflection, this may be due to my initial misjudgment of the intended audience. While I approached it as a book for a general readership, it seems more appropriate for younger readers, particularly those just starting to explore witchcraft themes.

In the digital version I reviewed, there were significant formatting issues, notably on pages 30, 33, 41, 66, and 72, where text alignment problems distracted from the reading experience. These issues would need to be addressed for me to confidently recommend the book based on its visual appeal alone.

Overall, this is a visually stunning work that could certainly resonate with its target audience. While it may not fully satisfy more seasoned readers, especially older teens and adults, I believe many will appreciate the enchanting illustrations and the story’s charm.
Thank you Quarto Publishing Group for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

જ⁀➴ 2/5 ❄️

[💌] this was not it for me, boring & too much surface level for a ‘history’ book

Witchcraft: A Graphic History: Stories of wise women, healers and magic

The book started of with the quote: we are the granddaughters of the women you did not burn. Which i don’t like because most women who were killed weren’t witches but were killed because they were knowledgable women and not witches. It was hard for me to know which part was fiction and which was non-fiction.

This book was really boring and only dove into the mainstream known parts of witchcraft. If you were looking for a more historical context as i was hoping for: this is not the book for you. It was hard to connect to the characters in the book itself. I may have had too big expectations, but this was not worth the read for me. If you wanna get a story with context this book is not it.

However i thought a 1 star was too harsh considering the beautiful illustrations in this book. I still didn’t like the story, not my style. If you’re an absolute beginner to witchcraft and maybe of a tween demographic you might enjoy this.

thank you to netgalley for providing me with this free book, in exchange for an honest review

This book was a dream to read! Giving a brief overview of the history of witchcraft with absolutely gorgeous illustrations throughout. We follow the story of a little girl discovering the basics of magic through interacting with the wise 'Biddy' Early, while also being introduced to some of the important figures and events from the history of witchcraft. The beautiful, detailed artwork ads more than a thousand words to this otherwise short narrative, and makes this an easy, yet intriguing read, great for someone experiencing difficulties with reading or attention, and bound to inspire readers both young and grown to venture further into the world of myths and magic. The mellow, natural colours create a sense of wonder, while also perfectly fitting the more serious tone of the grave aspects of history that are revealed. While giving due respect to the persecution and suffering of those accused of witchcraft throughout the centuries, the book stays well away from any disturbing, graphic depictions. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in the mysteries of magic and witchcraft, women's history, or just with a love of graphic novels and beautiful art. I only wish it was longer!

As an Irish person myself I appreciated the opportunity to learn about this iconic Irish figure, Bridget Early through a beautiful graphic novel. The art was stunning and I loved the story. Biddy was inspirational and so ahead of her time, a time that was extremely restrictive for women due to religion and of course the patriarchy

This was very an informative and beautiful graphic novel. I do wish that Biddy’s trial wasn’t so rushed through.

Thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group –Leaping Hare for a free copy of this graphic novel in return for an honest review.

3 stars!

Witchcraft: A Graphic History introduces us to Biddy Early, one of the most influential witches in Ireland, and one who despite being trialled as a witch, is saved from persecution by the testimonies of all of those who believe her to be a healer of merit. The book is a good introduction to witchcraft, and how witches are women who are gifted and have deep roots in nature, but are seen as a threat to society due to religious ideals (and let's face it, the patriarchy in general). What was missing from this graphic novel for me was the actual trial, however, and I felt this was glossed over and solved too quickly. It was good to see the relationship between Biddy and her apprentice, but we miss out on a lot of that too. If only there were more pages to flesh out the story! The art was gorgeous and I shall keep an eye out on the author's upcoming works.

First of, absolutely gorgeous art! Everything has a sort of pastel-y quality that makes me think of watercolor. It really fits the story being told.
And the story itself is great, it really manages to incorporate info about witchcraft and its history into a compelling story. I wish it would have gone more into that most witches were hanged or drowned, and not burned, but that’s me being nit picky.

"And wherever there is magic, there will be witches." —p 16

Witchcraft: A Graphic History - Lindsay Squire
Pub date: 15 Oct, 2024
★★★☆☆

Thank you Netgalley and Leaping Hare Press for the copy in exchange for an honest review!

We've read a lot about fictional story with witches and their magic, but is there an actual witch in this world? This book represent you a brief and compact history of the so-called-witches from different country, culture, and tribe in a form of colorful and lighthearted graphic novel.

We get to see thay witches could be differ in form. They're often healers, with a vast knowledge of plants, medicine, and potion. It blends the actual history with some mythology, and it also serves you the tale through a and i feel like reading a witch-101! I only wished it had a slower pace at the end and a better conlusion.

I picked it up for spooky season and it's a perfect light read!