I really liked this manga! I also had my 23 year old read it, to get her opinion as well, because she has read so many over the years. We both loved it, and my Daughter plans to by a copy and is looking forward to book 2. I think a lot of people will enjoy this book.

I did not dislike this volume, but the story unfortunately did not leave me with the compelling urge to continue reading.
If there is a opportunity, I will give the second volume a chance.

Thanks anyway to Netgalley and Abrams ComicsArt for the trust.

Great Manga! Imagine that the person you love the most and who has raised you is getting increasingly sick and you cannot help them. Would you venture out into the unknown world to try and help them? That is what Pili does and along the way she discovers that the world is not exactly what it appears to be and there are dangers lurking everywhere. Who can she trust and can she fulfill Toura's finally wish to go the Eden and finally be safe.

Pili is a young witch who grew up hearing the tales of Eden, a haven for witches. However, she is not like the other witches; she struggles to communicate with plants and has difficulty growing them. Pili is also the apprentice of Toura, the witch who raised her. Unfortunately, Toura's health is deteriorating, and when Pili seeks help from the town, she is tricked. Now, Pili must find Eden to secure a safe place to live and to carry on Toura's dreams.
After quite some time away from the world of manga, I was thrilled to dive into this particular book. The story captivated me so completely that I found myself unable to stop reading until I had turned the final page in a single, exhilarating sitting. Pili emerged as a deeply compassionate character, radiating kindness and an unwavering concern for the well-being of those around her. Her warmth made the narrative all the more engaging. I couldn't help but feel a desire for more moments with Toura, whose presence evoked sweet and comforting grandmotherly vibes, adding a layer of affection to the story. Overall, I wholeheartedly recommend this manga to anyone in search of a heartwarming experience that will keep you hooked from beginning to end.

Happy Publication Day & Happy Reading, Laly ❤️ 📚

3.5/5

This was an interesting, bleak premise. Humans have (shocker) ruined the earth and only witches live in harmony with plants - all humans live in basically rocky deserts. We start off with Pili and get mentor Toura in their hidden home away from the rest of civilization.

The magic system is still a bit unknown other than these special magical seeds that can grow into huge, powerful animals with plants wrapped around them.

My e-ARC copy didn’t have very high quality artwork, which was a bit disappointing because this is a manga and the artwork is extremely important to telling the story, but I’m sure the final copy will be more polished.

The villain was scary and brutal and I didn’t expect this to be as dark as it was, but it makes sense considering f the world these characters are living in!

I’m interested to see where this story goes, so I would definitely check out the next volume, especially since this first volume had a lot of introductory stuff they had to get out of the way. Overall, this was a quick, interesting read that reminded me a bit of Princess Mononoke meets Witch Hat Atelier. 😊

Aside from the really cool plant wolf, I did not get Ghibli-esque from this. I didn't like the main character much at all. I hope there will be growth for her in future installments.

Pili is an orphan who was saved and raised by a witch. They live outside the city and Pili knows no other life. The world is in poverty and the land is barren, save where witches who can coax plants from the ground. When Pili leaves her home looking for help, she quickly finds out that witches are feared and hated and brings trouble back to her home. She then has to leave, with a promise to her guardian to look for Eden and stay safe. In a style very much like Studio Ghibli, it is an adventurous tale with more volumes to come.

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc!

this was an interesting first volume revolving around a world without flora and fauna due to cruelty of humans. however, only witches are granted the ability to speak to wildlife and nature, as they respect what is not necessarily human.

when apprentice witch pili is betrayed by humans after searching for a cure to heal her elderly witch mentor, she goes on a quest to find eden and live among other witches.

i'm excited for the next installment!

If you adore Eastern mythology and magical plants, this graphic novel has your name all over it. This was a great opener for this series. I wish the main character was just a bit more fleshed out, but otherwise, this was a gorgeous read. The art style and writing had me flipping quickly through each page. I ordered this book for our graphic novel section and expect it to check out!

Thank you NetGalley and Abrams ComicArts for the digital ARC of “Eden of Witches: Vol. 1”! This was an intriguing start to a story of magic and balance with nature. Pili was likable protagonist and I enjoyed the design of the wolf familiar Oak. The first volume sets up the world, a main antagonist for Pili, and a new friend. I would recommend this book to young manga readers who are interested in magical worlds with strong connections to nature.

I appreciated the concept and world-building in this book. We follow Pili, a young witch, who is searching for Eden with her nature spirit/plant/wolf Oak. In this world plants and vegetation are dying and only witches can save it. Oak believes that humans are not to be trusted, while Pili is definitely more open to exploring the potential. Their journey exposes them to themes of both dark and light, from a witch burning to friendship with a young boy. The art and magic system are incredibly detailed and vivid and the pacing overall was quite fast and action packed. I enjoyed this read and the introduction to this world. One complaint actually has to do with the text, at times I was really struggling to read some of the text, but perhaps that can be traced back to this being an ARC, let's hope so. Overall this story was a whimsical blend of fantasy and dystopian themes and I look forward to reading more in the series.

The world has become a barren wasteland in which plants only grow at the behest of witches who can hear nature's song. Pili is a young witch apprentice watches her master get murdered in front of her and inexplicably wakes up a wolf/nature spirit named Oak. Together they must try to find Eden before the forces of the king find them.

Eden of Witches was an intriguing first volume. The art was vivid and detailed and the magic system is fascinating. Fans of Princess Mononoke, Shuna's Journey, Ancient Magus Bride would probably find this right up their alley. For a first volume, the pacing seems a bit off and the villain waaay overdone. I'm still looking forward to volume two.

Thought this book was absolutely amazing and the artwork is just stunning. It reminds me a little of The Girl From the Other Side, can’t wait to read the next volume!

Loved this! Cute, fast-paced, action-packed series starter that felt more complete than most first volumes of manga series. The art seems promising, but it's hard to say for sure given how pixelated the arc was - that also made some of the text a little difficult to read. Can't wait to see what Oak looks like in the final version! And looking forward to more adventures with Pili and Oak!

This manga presented an interesting world of few plants and animals. I will likely read the next volume, but the image quality of this was very poor.

Unfortunately I just couldn't get into this story. The artwork style was definitely not to my taste, so that probably didn't help matters.

I was excited for this one, but as a personal preference the animation style wasn't for me. I can understand the authors illustrations, and adds a special effect to the series. However this style wasn't for me. I will be curious as the volume come along the improvement of this style, as it could grow on me.

this manga blends christian ideas with Pagan myth. The book is about a young witch, Pili, searching for Eden with her cranky plant/wolf named Oak. Oak believes that all humans can not be trusted. Pili on the other hand is learning that the world is not so black and white. On her journey she has seen the darker side of humans, witnessing a witch burning, and the brighter side, befriending a young boy who helps her after her leg gets hurt. This series seems like its gearing up to explore some deep philosophical question about human nature and whether or not we can live in harmony with mother nature. The Manga does a good job of presenting these topics in an easy to understand way.

In a world where the vegetation is dying, only witches can make the world grow. Pili, a young-witch apprentice, ventures into the wider world to look for help and brings the wrath of civilization down on her home.

Although the concept of this was interesting, the art style was not to my taste. The art in the ARC was very pixelated, so I'm not sure if that's indicative to the final product. As always, your mileage may vary.

I really enjoyed this Manga. The storyline was good and you related to Pili and her struggles. I liked that it was fantasy, but also felt a little dystopian. Already looking forward to reading number 2 when it comes out.