Review: Witchy by Ariel Slamet Ries // Or, Keep Your Hair to Yourself if You Want to Keep the Head

★★★★☆ |  Choosing your own path with all odds against you

In the kingdom Hyalin the length of your hair is a big deal. It determines the strength of your magic, thus short-haired people have fewer possibilities and are less respected. However, sometimes those in power decide that one’s hair is too long and such a person is a treat to the country. Such a person is burned. Such a person was Nyneve’s father. And now so is Nyneve.

Witchy is a story of choosing your own destiny even with the whole kingdom against you. It’s about the fight against society’s expectations. About sometimes simply running away when things get too intense. About different ways of standing up for yourself. About pain and about healing. About the sacrifice and about accepting it. About living your true life and about being forced to hide.

Witchy has also and interesting magic system with witches, various ways of channelling one’s magic, talking birds, small spirits and so much else.

It’s a tale of a controlling ruler and the manipulation from those in power. Of a determined mother. Of a lost father. Of protecting one another and finding friends where you least expect them.

The art style is original and the colours beautiful. The dynamic and cartoonish shapes seem to move the adventure faster and the colours which are a bit pale yet warm set an almost fairy-tale mood.

I received this copy from Edelweiss+

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