So, I wasn't a big fan of this one. The art is great and honestly the best part of this one. However, the title is quite misleading, as it appears to be nonfiction. There are definitely nonfiction elements to this graphic novel, but for the most part it is very much an original story using Biddy Early almost like a plot device.

This was honestly a big let down, but I'll live.

2/5

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an e-copy of this book. It was such a delight to read! It was so cute and sweet and also fun to read about a real person in history and find out about that time period. I loved the happy ending as well. I highly recommend this for graphic novel fans or fans of books about witches! A very quick and easy read, I read it in like 30 minutes. Also perfect for spooky season!

This graphic book is based on a true story, that of Biddy Early, an Irish herbalist/witch who lived during the 19th century. The story is compelling and full of interesting historical facts about the tragic fate of healers and other knowledgable men and women who only dared to live differently from the rest of their villages at a time when being different was seen as evil.
I would've liked for the ending to feel less rushed (the trial of Biddy was completely omitted), but it was a good read. The friendship turned mentor/mentee with the little girl is well written.

This book was really lovely and pretty, and I think would be fun and more appropriate for an audience younger than myself, but I did enjoy it. It was a very quick read and a beautiful layout.

This book is about Biddy Early (1798–1874), an Irish witch who learned her healing magic from the fairies. Her story is interspersed with informative spreads about other notable witches, types of magical creatures, herbs, etc.
The artwork is lovely from the color choices to the depictions of nature and Irish cottages. I also love seeing some positive pagan Irish representation.
Since the main story follows Biddy Early, I was expecting some depictions of what is mentioned in the introduction (that she was brought to court and then released) and in the book's description (that Biddy would swap alcohol for her healing services and that made her cottage a hub of the community).
Instead the focus is split two ways. One, following a fictional relationship with a young apprentice, and two, informative spreads about generally witchy things.
I understand that this is marketed as a graphic history of witchcraft, but I think it would serve the story better to choose to focus on Biddy's story, especially the historical events that are known.
Overall, it was a touch too surface level for my tastes and seemed more fit for a younger reader.

2 stars - It was ok

Witchcraft: A Graphic History tells the story of Biddy Early, a famous wise woman in Ireland who was tried as a witch. This is a dramatized version of her story and the relationship but the relationship between her and her apprentice is false and is just used as an element to move the story along.

I found this graphic novel to just be ok because this is supposed to be a nonfiction graphic telling the story of a witch’s life, but instead we have this fake apprenticeship that basically becomes the main story. I wanted this to focus on Biddy and the facts of her life but instead we see mostly the teacher/apprentice storyline.

Another issue I had with the story is that we see Biddy being given a court order for being accused of witchcraft but we don’t see how that trial plays out, only how the townspeople react to it. I really wanted to know how this trial went without having to go to Google to find out.

In between the story of Biddy and her apprentice we get brief informational sections about witchcraft, famously accused women, and witch hunts. I really liked these informational sections and think they were a great way to give brief info dumps on witchcraft. But, they only discussed women and so felt very exclusionary.

My last real issue is with the title. I went into this expecting a graphic novel discussing many women who have been accused of witchcraft and the history behind it. Instead this focuses only on one woman, so I think the title should have said ‘story of a wise woman’ or ‘story of Biddy Early’ to be more accurate.

Overall, this was an ok story with beautiful graphics. If it had been more focused on the actual history of witchcraft or on Biddy’s history, I probably would have enjoyed this more.

3,5 ★

German review
(English review below!)

Lindsay Squite erzählt in "Witchcraft: A Graphic History" wie das Leben von Bridget "Biddy" Early, einer irischen Heilerin, die während des 19. Jahrhunderts gelebt und der Hexerei angeklagt wurde, ausgesehen haben könnte und fügt eine jüngere Version ihrer selbst als Lehrling in die Geschichte ein.

Die Handlung wird immer wieder durch Seiten mit kurzen Informationen unterbrochen, zum Beispiel über die verschiedenen Arten von Hexen, Kräutern, magischen Wesen, Bräuche oder den Hexenprozessen. Dabei ist alles sehr hübsch illustriert. Es ist offensichtlich, dass viel Wissen, Sorgfalt und Liebe in die Geschichte gesteckt wurde.

Es war sehr interessant, mehr über Hexerei zu erfahren, allerdings deckt die Geschichte nur die Grundlagen ab. Ich hätte mir eine ausführlichere Darstellung von Biddys Leben, der Rituale und der Hexenverfolgung gewünscht. Außerdem hat mich die Geschichte bei der Auffassung verloren, dass es magische Kreaturen in Wirklichkeit gibt.

Allgemein ein sehr süßes und informatives Graphic Novel, geeignet für jeden, der unvoreingenommen ist und sich für Hexerei interessiert.

Vielen Dank an Netgalley und Leaping Hare Press für die Möglichkeit, dieses Buch im Austausch gegen eine ehrliche Rezension vorab lesen zu dürfen.


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English review

In "Witchcraft: A Graphic History", Lindsay Squite tells what the life of Bridget “Biddy” Early, an Irish healer who lived during the 19th century and was accused of witchcraft, might have been like and inserts a younger version of herself as an apprentice into the story.

The plot is repeatedly interrupted by pages of brief information, for example about the different types of witches, herbs, magical creatures, rituals or the witch trials. Everything is beautifully illustrated. It is obvious that a lot of knowledge, care and love has been put into the story.

It was very interesting to learn more about witchcraft, but the story only covers the basics. I would have liked a more in-depth portrayal of Biddys life, the rituals and witch hunts. Also, the story lost me at the conception that magical creatures do exist.

Overall, a very cute and informative graphic novel, suitable for anyone with an open mind and an interest in witchcraft.

Thank you to Netgalley and Leaping Hare Press for the opportunity to pre-read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I think this graphic novel has an audience, for people who are fascinated by witches (not the dark parts, but the natural, healer aspects) and magic, but I’m not that audience.

With a short foreword, this graphic novel tells a fictionalized account of Biddy Early, a real person who on Wikipedia is called an herbalist and diviner and was falsely accused of witchcraft, but is presented here as a witch. It talks a bit about different types of witches, a brief history of witches and magic, what they do and how they’re not like how they have been depicted in history, and the treatment/ostracism they have received because they didn’t fit with society’s expectation. The story itself isn’t much of a story, more used as a vehicle to explain witchcraft, so it reads a bit like it’s aimed at kids, but I can’t tell if that was the intent.

It’s very earnest with how it talks about witches and magic, so if you don’t believe in that I don’t think you’d enjoy this very much. The illustrations are nice, very pastel and charming.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC!

A graphic novel that explores witchcraft with enchanting illustrations. In this book you learn more about the history of witchcraft, including Biddy Early, an important witch in witchcraft history.

Witchcraft is not a topic I know much about, though I've always kept an open mind about it. With that I mean that I neither believe or not believe in it and I respect anyone who does. However, I do believe that witches have always unfairly been given a bad name.

Going into this with an open mind is the best thing to do - even if you don't particularly believe in it. There is a lot of historic information as well that I've never read about before. Graphic novels like this are always a great way to learn about history. I 100% recommend this if you are interested in learning more about history or witchcraft.

However I did expect a bit more about history rather than the one fictional part of Biddy meating her apprentice. I would've liked to see her full story from birth to death and I felt like it was marketed as such.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for making it possible to read this arc. I'm very excited for the release on October 15th!

I've come across this book randomly a few months back and instantly put it onto my TBR. I was not disappointed; we are taken along the history of witchcraft by following the story of Biddy Early, who tells us all she knows about her craft. Not only is the concept unique and engaging, the illustration is astonishingly beautiful and I can see this graphic novel being perfect for beginners as well as seasoned witches alike.

I’ve never enjoyed a graphic novel so much! I’ve never really been one to read graphics but this was utterly delightful with a truly compelling story. The tale itself wasn’t only fab but it held nuggets of true wisdom too.

I loved the balance between storytelling and a non-fiction element that told you all about different types of witchcraft, historical trials and all in the witches arsenal. It was a really well written and greatly entertaining read.

The illustrations were also stunning and it’s a book I would read and reread again no problem. It’s certainly a book to have physical on your shelf. I’d love to see this beautiful story and accompanying illustrations in my hands as it would be a joy to flick through! It’s a must for all with an interest in witchcraft and its history.

Really enjoyed this, it was beautifully made perfect book to aim towards the younger generation to teach them about witchcraft. This is the kind of book I would give my child to teach them about my own craft. It’s just perfect.
Thank you for providing me this ARC.

(I received this book from the editor and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)

This is such a beautiful graphic novel! I fell in love with the design of the characters from page one. They felt just perfect for the kind of story the author wanted to tell us. In the end, this is a story about a young witch who teaches another one, not a history of witchcraft per se. It does give you a lot of information about familiars, different type of witches, some potions, but I thought it would be more about the role of witches throughout history and less about a particular one.
Still, it was entertaining and maybe useful for people looking for a little bit of information in the topic.

A lovely quick read with lots of great artwork and an interesting and informative storyline
This is a good one for beginners who want to know the basics or for youngsters as an overview of the history of witchcraft
A good read for spooky season!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

Thank you NetGalley for this arc. This is a beautifully done graphic novel! I’m thankful to have access to it’

“Witchcraft: A Graphic History” by Lindsay Squire is a pretty cool read, especially if you appreciate great illustrations. The artwork is stunning and really brings the history of witchcraft to life, making it visually appealing and engaging.

That said, I felt like the content didn’t dive as deep as I hoped it would. It touches on a lot of interesting points about witchcraft but often just skims the surface. I found myself wanting more detail and context, especially around the impact of witch trials and the social dynamics at play.

In short, it’s a nice mix of eye-catching visuals and a broad overview of the topic. If you’re after something more in-depth, you might be a bit disappointed, but it’s still worth checking out for the illustrations alone. A solid 3.5 out of 5 stars!

This is a super pretty graphic novel about one witch's life and persecution. I expected it to be less focused on one person, but actually liked that aspect. It is very much presented from the perspective of witchcraft is real, which wasn't what I expected. While that doesn't follow my specific beliefs, I found it really interesting and engaging.

Thanks to NetGalley, Lindsay Squire, and Quarto Publishing for the chance to read and review. My opinions are my own

Such a wonderful graphic novel and a wonderful introduction to witchcraft for anyone. Packed full of interesting information surrounded by a really interesting tale. I really enjoyed this short read.