Member Reviews
A very pretty book with a very simple story, nicely illustrated, containing tid-bits of information about the history of witches and a feminist subtext. Kind of a good-night, go-to-sleep, quick read.
thanks NetGalley!
I loved the concept of this! This makes it easy to explain the history that many witched have gone through. This was also a fun teaching guide for herbs and different kinds of witches. Definitely recommend for those who want their littles to learn the craft.
Thank you to netgalley, the author, and the publishers for the eARC.
While this was a beautifully illustrated book/graphic novel I found it a bit lacklustre in its storytelling. I think this was intended for a much younger audience and readers so that could be as to why I found it a bit juvenile at times. I did however enjoy the history aspects woven into the book.
Thank you NetGalley and Quarto for an advanced copy of the book.
I have given it 3 stars because although I did not particularly enjoy it, I feel I was just not the audience. THat is not to say the book is necessarily bad. I expected something different, but the illustrations are beautifully made plus there are some snippets of interesting facts interesting historical facts. Unfortunately, I was expecting more of the latter
Possibly best for people who are into the spiritual and religious side of Witchcraft rather than its history throughout the times.
This really is such a beautiful book. The illustrations are so whimsical - they have a real 'old fashioned nursery rhyme' vibe.
I really enjoyed reading this book - it had a ton of witchy facts embedded within the magical storyline. I liked learning about the Goddesses from historical literature.
Really cute, and would make a lovely christmas pressie.
This was such an enjoyable and informative read! I really appreciate the seamless blend of knowledge (e.g. types of witchcraft, famous witches in history, herbal benefits) and history. The artwork is beautiful, and really adds to the impact that this graphic novel makes. The author doesn't bombard us with facts, but instead creates a whimsical narrative that is historically-based. If you're curious about witchcraft and its history, this would be a great (and seriously beautiful) graphic novel to pick up.
Thank you to Leaping Hare Press and Netgalley for the advance copy of this graphic novel.
Witchcraft: A Graphic History caught my attention on NetGalley and I decided to give it a go. So glad that I did! It was such a fun and quick read with stunning illustrations. It follows a story of an Irish witch - Biddy Early, as she mentors her young apprentice, Lindsay. Along the way, we learn some interesting facts about witchcraft history and practice. I honestly wish it were longer and delved deeper into Biddy's story and the world of witchcraft itself. Regardless, I devoured it in one sitting and enjoyed it so much.
I absolutely adored this, thank you so much for this ARC opportunity!! The story was beautiful and the history and learning was incredible. I really want this for my shelf and will be checking out the author’s other work!
I loved it! It was so informative but also interesting. The story was well done, the art was stunning and overall had an amazing time!
4 stars
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Witchcraft: A Graphic History is a beautifully illustrated exploration of witchcraft. This short graphic novel was well written, well researched and an overall enjoyable read.
Using images and written history, the reader gets to explore witchcraft through one real life witch, Biddy Early, and her fictional apprentice. I had never heard of Biddy Early prior to this novel, but was fascinated with hearing her story and learning about her life. I loved seeing the author insert herself into Biddy Early’s story as this apprentice, as well. It was such a creative way to learn about witchcraft and challenge the stereotypes of witches. This could have benefited from a deeper look at Biddy Early’s life and expanded on some of the information. You get a lot of small details about many topics where I would have liked more details about fewer topics. This easily could have been double the pages with information and I would have devoured it.
This was such a beautiful book and with the accuracy of the information, really hit the spot on cozy graphic histories.
I loved learning so much about the history of different witches. Visually this graphic novel was stunning.
I loved to read this book... It has everything a beginner witch needs or If you like this topic it will be fantastic for you.. It's not my personal read but I really loved it.
A beautiful story with even more beautiful illustrations. I love all Lindsay's books and this is no exception, a lovely and enjoyable way to learn about witchcraft history ❤️🌿
Such a great book! I loved this so much. The information and storytelling was done so well and the art was absolutely amazing!
Part story, part information book, all illustrated with beauty and whimsy. I read this in one sitting, though I know I'll be back to explore the information in more detail soon. An excellent and inclusive summary of witchcraft and a gorgeous tribute to Biddy Early.
A lovely graphic novel that explored witchcraft with fabulous illustrations. An enjoyable way to learn about witchcraft.i really liked it.
A visually stunning and informative graphic novel about the history of witchcraft: the stunning illustrations and cover draw the reader in and transport them back in time.
The art style is really pleasant. It is a nice easy to digest brief history of the topic. It skims over events by no means a deep dive. If you are looking for more details it will give you places to start your research. Definitely got me contemplating some things.
**e-ARC received in exchange for an honest review.**
I found "Witchcraft: A Graphic History" by Lindsay Squire to be an interesting dive into the history of witchcraft. This is not an area I have any familiarity with, so I can’t speak to the accuracy of the history or the attention to cultural/spiritual norms.
The artwork was beautiful and helped create a super easy to follow and enjoyable read. The author did a great job of breaking down the history of witchcraft while also waving the history around the context of a more personable character driven narrative. I have always loved this approach to storytelling and teaching history. Even though many concepts are covered, the book never feels rushed or too dense. The pacing was well done.
One of my favourite things about the book is how it challenges stereotypes about witches. Squire explains how a lot of the fear and persecution of witches was driven by cultural and political stuff, not actual witchcraft. The book does a good job of making these big ideas easy to relate to.
If there’s one minor thing, it's that some of the sections felt a bit rushed, especially when talking about major events like the witch trials. A little more time spent on these moments could've added extra depth. But overall, "Witchcraft: A Graphic History" is a fun, accessible, and enlightening read. It’s perfect for anyone curious about the history of witchcraft or just looking for a visually engaging way to learn something new.
4.5 stars
It is such an intriguing and very informative graphic novel about witchcraft, magic and how especially Biddy Early has shaped a lot of what witchcraft is understood as — something which could be considered its own form of science if you work with nature in a balanced way, if you only take what you need without greed. It is beautifully illustrated. I seriously like it.