Based on a webcomic that i had heard about but never read. After finishing this book, i went online and got caught up on the story.

Takes place in a magical world where the length of your hair influences your power. People with hair too long may be killed. ( )

*Received via NetGalley for review*

A wonderfully illustrated, lush, and well-realized world is what awaits in Witchy, this graphic novel about a young girl who hates that her long hair marks her as a powerful magic user when it was precisely that that got her father killed. Even with her long hair, which is supposed to connote incredible magical talent, Nyneve isn't very good at her magic lessons and is the brunt of every joke her classmates can think of.

When her hair-shortening spell is discovered and she's conscripted in the Royal Guard, Nyneve cuts off her hair and is forced to flee, fearing for her life. On the run, she meets a group of hidden revolutionaries who practice different disciplines of magic than what she's used to. Fearing retaliation on them for harboring her, Neve runs off again, vowing to go far, far away.

She's joined by a talking raven and (in the sequel(s), I assume) her two school friends: Bantu and Prill, new members of the Royal Guard.

The characters are all lovely and well-drawn, distinct when they need to be. The only things is that it's hard to tell who's male and who's female: just because everyone has long hair doesn't mean that their faces and bodies need to be androgynous to the extent that they are.

A fun, standard tale of rebelling against something you don't like, even if you don't quite understand it yet. ( )

Okay, first up, a warning: despite no indications on the cover or opening pages, this is obviously the first volume of what is intended to be a series. There is an arc of sorts, but not a complete story. Fortunately, I had an inkling that was the case so the non-ending did not taint the book for me.

Actually, I enjoyed it quite a lot and am hoping a second volume is not too far in the future.

In this fantasy world, hair-length is an indicator of how powerful a witch you have the potential to be. But it can also make you a target if the authorities think it means you'll be so powerful you'll be a threat to their rule. Having seen the consequences of that in her own family, Nyneve Ahmadzia casts a glamour on herself every day to make her hair appear shorter and keep herself under the radar, especially when it comes to conscription into the national military service. Obviously, things are not going to go as planned.

Terrific and powerful female characters (including one trans woman) fighting an unjust social system? Nice art? Count me in for the long haul! ( )

Let me just start by saying that this graphic novel was just beautiful inside and out. The art was so interesting and the story was really wholesome even though it dealt with some dark things, and it was something that kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I read it in a couple hours, and I really couldn’t get enough of it. I also loved that this is another book that the main character had almost my exact old haircut, as I’ve been seeing a lot lately in comics. Makes me feel good, and makes me want to shave the back of my head again. But this isn’t about my hair.

Check out my full review here!

https://radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com/2019/09/17/witchy-by-ariel-slamet-r... ( )

Too many important words blanked out. The concept of magic based on hair length is absurd and does not follow the rules of life. Hair grows. There were interesting things about transgenderism in this fantastical world, but as mentioned above the words were blanked out in my galley. I did not find myself liking any of the characters, and to be honest it reminded me a bit of Children of Blood and Bone for the way the teacher was illustrated, but there were also hints of Mortal Engines, etc. This was not for me. I tried, but it failed. ( )