I loved the art, the concept, and the way the colors changed for each chapter depending on which character was the focus. I also loved the diversity in body size and queerness. The weaknesses I saw in this book were how fast it moved, how fast the characters were introduced (I could barely tell them apart and then the next person was already being introduced), and the dialogue’s surface level text-speech style. With more in-depth dialogue and time taken to really get to know characters this series could flourish! Overalls, I enjoyed reading this, so 4 stars!

This was an interesting graphic novel, but I feel like it would have benefited from more exposition. It feels like the readers were left to connect a lot of the dots. Besides that, the plot was interesting and I liked the art.

The art was beautifully done and I would purchase it in a second based on that! Some of the moments are a bit mature for the school I work in (nothing of offense - bodies, basic human sexuality, etc - but we are in a conservative area and have to watch it so things aren't limited even more). So, yes, gorgeous art, fun story. I liked the tarot structure. Unique and fun, and the sections with different cards lent deeper understanding of the story. My one annoyance is how many times the characters said "haha" or "hahah." It may not be distracting to younger readers who are used to message-style text, but I couldn't stop noticing it.

"Arcana: the Lost Heirs" is the debut graphic novel by Sam Prentice-Jones about a group of friends who are magic users and part of a secret society named Arcana. Eli Jones stumbles into their group and is discovered to be a lost heir to the Arcana's original families.

Prentice-Jones illustrates in a way that is very stylized. The bodies involved are more amorphous anatomy with cartoon dots for eyes, eschewing realism for muted tones and solid shapes. The different depictions of body types, plus sizes and a trans character, are helped by the vague art style, but it makes it impossible to tell the ages of characters or often the genders. One character, Sonny, has a mustache that could put him anywhere from twenty to fifty. It isn't helped by the fact that the characters, ostensibly in their twenties, have dialogue that sounds like fourteen year-olds in a chat room, with "OMG hahaha" repeatedly lobbied between James and Eli out loud. Likewise, the button eyes keep facial features hard to read, which relies on the dialogue to carry tone. There are some panels, like when the fire comes to them in a dream, that the art really flourishes. It's an artistic choice that has many setbacks given there are not many big set pieces where this kind of flat contrast illustration works better, and the smaller character moments suffer from the lack of detail.

The illustration could be a good choice if the writing were better, but this is where "Arcana: the Lost Heirs" really suffers. None of the characters are fleshed out, they all sound very young with the repeated "hahaha" laughs sprinkled throughout, and you can't tell if it's nervousness between two people getting to know each other or they just find small talk hilarious. The main relationship between Eli and James is basically insta-lust where they immediately find the other hot and have sex within a day of meeting each other. Casual hookups between characters is not the problem, but that the writing saw fit to draw their "meet cute" twice where they exchange the same pleasantries, one from Eli's perspective and another from James's, and it is basically a retread with nothing insightful. These pages could have been used to developing some kind of rapport between them, especially since Eli's backstory as an orphan who never grew up knowing about other magical people is such an important plot point. Or the page space could have been given to another character like Koko, whose "mother is dying and refuses magic to save herself" plot is given a randomly interlude and only brought up at the very end of the volume.

The last disappointing part is that this isn't a standalone novel. While some ongoing series have plot hooks sprinkled in and at least one major plot resolved, this one ends with the mystery finally being brought up and on a hook for one of the side characters that had the least amount of time of the main crew. Overall it gives the book the feeling that it's both very slow and abruptly rushing towards an unfinished ending for volume one. While queer infused magical realism is a popular genre, I don't think "Arcana: the Lost Heirs" do anything novel or very well to be worth recommending over other titles.

The illustrations in this graphic novel were great, they did a great job of helping to tell the story. I really loved the tarot aspect of the story and illustrations, and think that my students will enjoy it too. A great fantasy read.

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.