Whats not to love about a substantal and magical graphic novel? I absolutely loved following these teenagers as they discover a whole new world of magic!

A rogue witch named Eli is found and recruited by the Arcana, a mysterious coven of witches with generations of magic and secrecy behind them. After joining, Eli and 4 other members of the Arcana must investigate a curse that seems to be plotting against the heirs of the five largest magical bloodlines of the Arcana.

This was a mix of magic, mystery, and complicated witch politics, and boy was it a ton of fun. All 5 main characters are introduced and fleshed out right from the get, immediately indicating how all 5 are directly and indirectly linked to one another. Their stories intertwined in interesting ways, but each of them felt fully realized.

I was immediately intrigued by the politics of the Arcana, especially their recent move to a democratic governance over an heir system. The mystery surrounding this only got more and more interesting as the main characters delved deeper into their histories.

My biggest gripe was that this volume wrapped up so quick. The ending sequence felt rushed and I would have liked either more build up to the finally spell or more fallout from it. I was surprised when I went to the next page and it just said "to be continued."

Overall, this was a fun graphic novel with cute illustrations, incredible magic, and full of representation. I can see fans of Heartstopper enjoying this as I found the relationships of the main cast to be similar to the friends in Heartstopper. I am EAGERLY awaiting volume 2!!

Cool book! Will read the second volume when it comes out. The world building was quite amazing, and the art style kind of reminded me of Nimona.

i received an e-ARC for an honest review of my own free will

i ADORED this. magic, queer people, fighting the system? this was a wonderful read and i can not WAIT to use this for classes. this is such a lovely example of an art style, with not many graphic novels having similar styles to it. the story was incredible and i was so immersed and enthralled by each and every one of the characters. i can’t wait to see where this goes next, i wish i could write a longer review but alas this migraine that’s been festering is saying no. but truly, most definitely a new favorite and one i’ll be recommending to any and everyone i know. perfect for fans of Hilda, The Owl House, Freye Marske, Over the Garden Wall, So This is Ever After, X-Men, and Bee and Puppycat!!

I like the art style, the characters, and the storyline. Lots of paranormal action mixed with mystery and a touch of romance. I can't wait for the next edition!

A shadowy organization of witches called Arcana used to be controlled by a handful of families, but after the death of their parents, a new generation of witches has unleashed a curse upon the Arcana and themselves.

An adorable queer, witchy, tarot graphic novel that left me wanting the next edition!

tarot-inspired graphic novel?! and lots of queer characters. this was right up my alley. a delight to read! the characters were really cute. and -wonderful- art style! looking forward to more from prentice-jones ♥

I loved all the magic, queerness, and humor! Koko made me laugh repeatedly and the use of tarot cards before a new section/chapter was very fun. Already awaiting the second book!

Arcana: The Lost Heirs is a strong debut from Sam Prentice-Jones, made up of lovely, soft illustrations with a muted palette. The style works well for the quieter moments of the story, with rougher textures and changes in color being utilized for the darker aspects of the plot. The details of world building are enjoyable as suspense in the story grows, expressed through ominous imagery and overheard conversations. While I didn’t have a strong connection to any character in particular, the community they form together is interesting, familiar at times, and the different perspectives serve to really immerse you in the Arcana as a collective. The pacing of the plot can be a little jumpy with big moments of exposition pushing things ahead, but my guess is this was to get enough information into the first book of the series. I do think the slower moments are a strong aspect of the story, and giving the larger plot developments a little more time to unfold might have been helpful. Overall an enjoyable read, and I look forward to reading more of this series!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for me to review!

Interesting premise, tarot themes, queer characters, magic... what more can you ask for??

As noted by other readers, the pacing is a little wonky, but the characters are quite strongly introduced. The art is very cute!!

That cliffhanger, though... 😱😱😱 Rounding up from 3.5 stars.

I absolutely loved the art style and the use of tarot cards to show the changes between the sections was really neat. The only issue I think I had with this one, is the pacing of the story itself. Some parts felt rushed, but overall this was a solid graphic novel! I'm excited to see what future volumes bring!
4/5

2.5 stars. I adored the art style of this graphic novel-very detailed and quirky. The story feels a bit rushed and the queer elements are overly abundant. Every character is queer. There should be more focus on their coven/organization and abilities. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC

I enjoyed the story line but feel it moved a long too quickly. The characters were introduced perfectly, giving you a brief sense of who they are with a few of them going into more detail. Graphic novels aren't typically something I read but the disruption and the cover pulled me towards this one. As a person who has always built the images of a book inside their own head, I found myself pausing a lot to look at the images and get a sense of what was going. The imagery was probably my least favorite part. Colors were very monochromatic and soft. I wish there was more detail given, especially to the characters themselves. However, I also feel that those who love graphic novels, will enjoy this one.

I thought the characters were engaging and well-written. The use of tarot cards to divide the sections of the story was well executed. I look forward to more volumes in this series.