This was honestly really sweet. A great way for people unfamiliar with witchcraft to learn about the general history of it. Biddy meets young Lindsay, who after finding out that Biddy helps the people of their village with her familial witchcraft, wants to learn her ways and become a witch herself. Much to the dismay of her Uncle, Aunt and the local priest, Biddy takes her on and begins to teach her. This book also included some beginner spells and brief information about different herbs.
I thought that the relationship between the two main characters was a great way to show how this knowledge was passed through the generations. I also appreciated the artwork and style, which had a lovely feel to it. Almost calming in a way. My only criticism is that I would have liked to have seen more about the trial that Biddy went through, as that was mentioned in the beginning of the book, which felt like it was alluding to the plot, but then the story didn’t mention again. I feel it would have been narratively interesting to see the townspeople standing up and refusing to testify against her instead of being quietly and cautiously accepting of her the way it seemed to have ended.
All in all, an enjoyable read. I would recommend this to any beginner witches or anyone interested in a basic history of witchcraft.

I recently had the pleasure of reading an ARC of Witchcraft: A Graphic History by Lindsay Squire, and it was an enchanting experience. This graphic novel serves as both a beginner’s guide to witchcraft and a fascinating mini history lesson on witches, all beautifully illustrated. The artwork is stunning, and I appreciated the well-balanced ratio of pictures to text, making it a visually engaging read.

This is a wonderful introduction for those who are new to witchcraft or simply curious about the subject. Squire provides practical tips and insights in a way that feels accessible and fun, making the information easy to absorb. While the book didn’t completely blow me away, it’s still a solid and enjoyable read, with the beautiful artwork being a real highlight.

Overall, Witchcraft: A Graphic History is a charming and approachable resource for beginner witches or anyone interested in the history and practice of witchcraft. I’m excited to explore more of Lindsay Squire’s work after reading this, as her mix of creativity and knowledge is inspiring.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC! <3

Really quick to read, well illustrated and a very interesting topic! More targeted towards a younger audience, but I didn't mind it. Really enjoyed the reading experience!

A graphic history of witchcraft? Yes, please! I LOVED this book!

This is a super quick read that highlights some facts about one of the first woman ever to appear in historical record as having practiced witchcraft. It’s a well done graphic novel that provokes thought through the use of the authors voice as a young girl and secondary character trying to learn about Buddy and her craft.

First and foremost, the illustrations throughout were beautiful and whimsical. They brought this book to life! Just phenomenal.

Second, I really loved the bits and pieces outside of the story where it mentions different kinds of witches, herbs used, tools of the craft, and even other fairies and folklore creatures.

If you enjoy the true nature of witchcraft, this would probably be a highly enjoyable graphic novel to flip through!

I loved this so much!! Not only was it a great, true story but the illustrations were incredibly beautiful.

This was so easy to digest but was also very detailed. I enjoyed the mix of storyline and historical elements as well as the witchy descriptions of the different tools, herbs, and plants.

I feel like this would be great for readers of any age! I’ll be adding this one to my forever shelf😁

This was a very cool book.
Witchcraft: A Graphic History by Lindsay Squire

This was literally history and the way everything is put as a story and the details are entrancing.

I liked the art, it was decent and good. The history of witches who were tried was particularly insightful. The laws and actions on men and women were good to know about.

The particular part about the herb spells, what to do for inviting luck, money and love, and the familiars was so beautiful and cozy to read.

The whole graphic novel was based on a herb healing witch and her apprentice who sees that the whole town is not really nice to the witch and then when things indeed take a turn for the good, all the people get some common sense in them.

Even though this was a tiny book, it was beautiful and informative in content.

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC.

This book covers a topic I'm unfamiliar with, which made me gravitate towards it. For someone with little to no understanding of witches, I found this informative and easy to digest. I also liked that the facts were relevant to the current plot.

I liked how it starts with a word from the author explaining the reasoning behind the existence of this book and how it came to be. Although the story itself is dramatised, I felt that a lot of research went into this and that the author handled the material with a lot of respect and admiration which was evident through the content.

In this engaging graphic narrative, Lindsay Squire breathes vibrant life into the often-misunderstood history of witchcraft through the compelling lens of Biddy Early, the renowned wise woman of County Clare. By framing the story through a curious 19th-century protagonist named Lindsay, Squire creates an accessible entry point into a complex historical tapestry of healing, persecution, and folk wisdom.
The book's greatest strength lies in its thoughtful approach to demystifying witchcraft while honoring its cultural significance. Through detailed illustrations of healing practices, herbal remedies, and potion-making, Squire grounds magical traditions in practical knowledge and community care. The author particularly excels at showing how figures like Biddy Early served as essential community healers, offering their services not for money but for simple trades like home-brewed alcohol.
Squire deftly handles the political and social complexities of the era, especially the tension between folk traditions and institutional power. The portrayal of Biddy's conflict with the Catholic Church adds crucial historical context about the persecution of wise women, while her connection to the sidhe (faeries) captures the rich supernatural beliefs of Irish folklore.
The graphic format proves perfect for this material, making complex historical concepts accessible without oversimplification. Detailed illustrations of medicinal plants and healing practices serve both educational and artistic purposes, while the visual storytelling brings warmth and humanity to historical figures who often exist only in dry records.
"Witchcraft: A Graphic History" succeeds as both historical document and engaging narrative, reminding us that what we call witchcraft often represented practical knowledge, community service, and resistance to institutional control.

Witchcraft: A Graphic History is a beautifully written and illustrated book focusing on the history of Irish legend, Biddy Early. I loved that this book focused on the more European aspects of the history of the craft and the witch trials as most focus on the American side. I found that the writing for the story sometimes came off a bit too expositional, but loved the spreads showing the items, creatures etc to keep and informative nature alongside the narrative. However, between chapters there is a description of what is to come, which I do think spoils the narrative the author is trying to tell because you know what to expect and how. Overall a recommended read for some simplified history of witchcraft.

The main takeaway from this book is how stunning the artwork is. The style is whimsical and comforting, reminding me of classic fairytale books of my childhood. I am aware I am older than the intended demographic of this book, however I have been dabbling in researching witchcraft recently and how the modern day witch culture has developed from those in the history book. This graphic novel was a perfect starting point, telling the story of the history of witchcraft in an easy and digestable way using an overarching narrative whilst pinpointing important elements such as famous historical witches or the types of witches that exist. This book was absolutely stunning and I cannot wait to buy a physical copy, merely to just look back over the illustrations and be able to reference back to it when I do further research into the topic.

I am unfamiliar with this topic and found this book extremely interesting. However, I am curious about the historical accuracy and if anything this book has encouraged me to do a little research to make comparisons. The artwork is absolutely beautiful and felt very whimsical; the format was perfect and helped the book flow. I do feel I have a number of patrons who will naturally be drawn to this book and know that it will circulate well. It seems that it will lend to good discussions and lands more on an upper-young adult interest level.

This graphic novel explores the history of witchcraft and Biddy Early. In the story we different aspects of witchcraft are explained and different techniques that are used. I thought the art was so cute and I found the story to be very clear and compelling! A great read for anyone looking for my info on witchcraft or for a fun graphic novel to read during spooky season!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Such a great informative story while also having beautiful illustrations! I will absolutely be buying a physical copy when it releases! A much for a beautiful story

Es una historia informativa y entretenida, me gustó ver todo a traves de los ojos de la nena. Si queres aprender lo básico de lo básico en brujeria, te conviene leer este libro!

This is a beautifully illustrated story of one witch and some history and background information about witchcraft. It was both an educational and engaging read. I really loved the art work for the book and it added a lot to the book. It's informative without being overwhelming, making it perfect for someone without a lot of background knowledge of witchcraft or the history of witchcraft.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an advanced copy of this book.

A very pretty book with a very simple story, nicely illustrated, containing tid-bits of information about the history of witches and a feminist subtext. Kind of a good-night, go-to-sleep, quick read.

thanks NetGalley!

I loved the concept of this! This makes it easy to explain the history that many witched have gone through. This was also a fun teaching guide for herbs and different kinds of witches. Definitely recommend for those who want their littles to learn the craft.

Thank you to netgalley, the author, and the publishers for the eARC.

While this was a beautifully illustrated book/graphic novel I found it a bit lacklustre in its storytelling. I think this was intended for a much younger audience and readers so that could be as to why I found it a bit juvenile at times. I did however enjoy the history aspects woven into the book.

Thank you NetGalley and Quarto for an advanced copy of the book.

I have given it 3 stars because although I did not particularly enjoy it, I feel I was just not the audience. THat is not to say the book is necessarily bad. I expected something different, but the illustrations are beautifully made plus there are some snippets of interesting facts interesting historical facts. Unfortunately, I was expecting more of the latter

Possibly best for people who are into the spiritual and religious side of Witchcraft rather than its history throughout the times.

This really is such a beautiful book. The illustrations are so whimsical - they have a real 'old fashioned nursery rhyme' vibe.
I really enjoyed reading this book - it had a ton of witchy facts embedded within the magical storyline. I liked learning about the Goddesses from historical literature.

Really cute, and would make a lovely christmas pressie.