Magic

Brume (Volume 1): The Dragon Awakens / Jérôme Pélissier, Carine Hinder (Illustrator)

/ Alisha Helms / Leave a comment 
Brume (Volume 1): The Dragon Awakens
By: Jérôme Pélissier, Carine Hinder (Illustrator)
Genre: Graphic Novel, Children’s
Number of Pages: 64
Published: September 20, 2025 (1st Published January 1, 2023)
Publisher: Hippo Park
Dates Read: September 10, 2025
Format: Hardcover

Brume is convinced she’s the village’s next witch after Naïa vanished years ago. After she briefly believed she turned a local village woman into a pig, she adopted a new pet she named Hubert and took him home. Once she fed him some chocolate croissants, the pet was happy to tag along on Brume’s adventures. When her adoptive father gives her a book of spells he found with her when he found her in the woods years ago, Brume opens her own shop and tries to use the spells in the book.

After trying to stop her friend Hugo’s glasses from fogging up, Brume accidentally casts the whole village into a dense fog. On the adventure to undo her work, Brume, Hugo, and Hubert go off into the forest where only witches are allowed.

This was such a cute and adorable graphic novel! I immediately knew I wanted to read this by just seeing the cover alone! A little girl (Brume) with a wand and a small pig tugging on her dress with a dragon in the background is so eye-catching! I may also be a slight sucker for familiars and animal sidekicks because I wish I had one.

The artwork of this graphic novel is colorful, expressive, and easily digestible. Each page catches your eye and keeps your attention – I would always make sure to relook at each page after reading the dialogue to make sure I wasn’t missing anything.

I did think Brume was a bit mean and disrespectful to those around her. I know some of it was her confidence in herself as well as her ignorance of her abilities, and sure, you could chop it up to just being an ornery child, but it all just comes across as rude. I hope in the next volume she grows up a bit in those areas.

Overall, the story and the panels were fantastic and I can’t wait to share it with others when it’s officially out in English in late September. Those who love a spunky little witch who will stop at nothing to show she’s a true witch, this graphic novel would be for you (even though of all ages!)

*Thank you Hippo Park and Publishers Weekly for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

I Feel Awful, Thanks / Lara Pickle

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I Feel Awful, Thanks
By: Lara Pickle
Genre: Graphic Novel, New Adult
Number of Pages: 216
Published: March 5, 2024
Publisher: Oni Press
Dates Read: January 31, 2025 - February 1, 2025
Format: Library Book / Paperback

Trigger Warnings: Mental Health issues, anxiety, depression, toxic workplace, 

Joana is a young witch who just secured her dream job creating potions with a coven in London. But Joana will soon discover the reality of her new city life is not as she thought. Finding a flat is hard, her dream job is actually quite stressful, and she’s all alone. Little by little, she carves her place, but sadness, fatigue, and doubts create dragons that threaten to burst her hard-earned success… until she starts talking to a professional who helps her realize that in order to take care of herself, she must know herself.

I loved that this graphic novel tackled what it can feel like to have anxiety and crafted it in a way that also made it magical as well corporate. It’s okay not to be okay – a saying that everyone needs to be told every once in a while. Joana’s therapist, or Dragon Trainer, as she’s called in the book, gives really good advice on how Joana can help tackle her dragons, aka her anxieties.

Joana’s friends were also a breath of fresh air that were extremely supportive in both pushing Joana to get the extra help she needed and helping in her journey all around. Even her relationship with James and his own journey of self awareness and growth was nice to see.

Oh – before I forget, the art of this is beautiful and so very captivating, it’s one of the reasons I first picked up this book. The panels are brightly colored and there is quite a bit of text on some pages, but nothing I felt took away from the overall art.

Overall, this was a beautiful, fantastic graphic novel that dives into taking care of yourself as you battle anxiety, depression, and the everyday stressors of life – but add a magical twist.

Blood at the Root / LaDarrion Williams

/ Alisha Helms / Leave a comment 
Blood at the Root
By: LaDarrion Williams, Jalyn Hall (Narrator)
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Number of Pages: 432
Published: May 7, 2024
Publisher: Labyrinth Road
Dates Read: November 14, 2024 - November 17, 2024
Format: Library Book / Audiobook / Hardcover

Trigger Warnings: Family death, foster care system, mentions of assault

Ten years ago, Malik’s life changed forever when his mother mysteriously vanished into green smoke and he discovered he had uncontrollable powers. Now at seventeen, Malik’s kept his powers hidden, focusing on looking out for himself and his younger foster brother, Taye. However, after a daring act to rescue Taye, Malik’s found an unexpected connection to his magical ties and to a hidden magical university his mother attended.

At Caiman University, a door opens for a future Malik never could have envisioned for himself – one with magic, and one that includes Alexis, his first love. His search for answers about his heritage, his powers, and what really happened to his mother exposes cracks in the magical community – feuding covens, magical politics, forbidden knowledge, and buried mysteries. While digging, Malik also discovers the reawakened evil dating back to the Haitian Revolution. 

I actually found this book through LaDarrion Willam’s TikTok, right as he was getting ready to publish it – I’ve only just now been able to read and review it. I knew I was going to like this novel, but I didn’t think I would love it as much as I did. This book is action packed and will keep readers turning page after page with anticipation as to what’s to come.

Overall, a wonderful POC magical YA novel written in a world that Malik is still learning about (so readers can too). I’m definitely keeping my eyes out for the second book in the series.

*Thank you Labyrinth Road and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic / Breanne Randall

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The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic

By: Breanne Randall

Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Number of Pages: 322

Published: September 19, 2023

Publisher: Alcove Press

Dates Read: December 16, 2023 - December 20, 2023

Format: Library Book / Audiobook / Paperback

Ever since Sadie Revelare was told about her four heartbreak curse that accompanies her magic, she’s never doubted the price wouldn’t be worth it. But when Gigi, her grandmother, is diagnosed with cancer and only has weeks to live, and her first heartbreak, Jake, returns after being gone for a decade, Sadie’s life feels like it’s unraveling and her magic can’t fix it. Even more, upon hearing about Gigi’s diagnosis, Sadie’s estranged twin brother, Seth, returns as well, uncovering family secrets that will tear her world apart.

Gigi has been the backbone to the Revelare family for generations, and with her death, Sadie must try with everything she’s got, to not only keep her family together, but her magic as well. As her feelings for Jake begin to respark, Sadie must decide if love is more important than her magic.

I don’t actively go about reading romance books, but this had the tagline “for fans of Practical Magic and Gilmore Girls” and I decided to give this a shot. I absolutely called the ending pretty early into the book, especially once everything was established. Though I was a little confused about Sadie’s curse… I still am to be honest. Also – witches who go to a christian church? What?

Overall, the book was okay. The premise of it was excellent, but it fell short for me.

*Thank you Alcove Press and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

The Spells We Cast / Jason June

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The Spells We Cast
By: Jason June
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Number of Pages: 352
Published: October 2, 2023
Publisher: Melissa de la Cruz Studio
Dates Read: October 25, 2023 - October 27, 2023
Format: Library Book / Audiobook / Hardcover

Nigel Barrett spent his whole life preparing for the Culling – a spell-casting competition that determines which of the world’s teenage magicians get to keep their powers, and those who will be stripped of them, in order to keep and preserve the magical balance. He’d been ready – until he met Ori Olson.

The moment they meet, sparks fly, their powers are stronger, more thrilling, but also it seems, more dangerous. As the Culling field gets more and more narrow, Nigel and Orio realize just how much is at stake – and it may very well ride on the connection between them.

I don’t know where I saw this being marketed as “magical gay cowboys” but I grabbed this as soon as I could because of it. And boy, did it not disappoint! I also don’t know what it is about teenagers and them being on the verge of losing their magic forever that gets me into these stories, but I’m down.

I did give out quite a few eye rolls when Nigel would talk about his breakup with Jeremy. He’d talk about how he knew they wouldn’t work out and listed all this stuff – but then would compare interactions with Ori to Jeremy and I’d be sitting there going, “It’s not the same!”. And, the whole insta-romance thing is never my type. This book happens over 3 days!! <spoiler> I know this plays on soulmates, but it’s still a bit too fast </spoiler>.

But, even though I didn’t care all that much for the romance aspect of it (or rather, the pining on Nigel’s part for a partner who is no longer even in the photo), I still enjoyed the novel and its story. It ended on a cliffhanger and I’ll be keeping an eye out for the sequel for sure!

*Thank you Melissa de la Cruz Studio and NetGalley for a digital advance copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review

The Forbidden Spell (Mark of a Caster #1) / Kaely Rose

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The Forbidden Spell (Mark of a Caster #1)
By: Kaely Rose
Genre: Fantasy
Number of Pages: 244
Published: October 9, 2022
Publisher: Self Published
Dates Read: June 15, 2023 - June 24, 2023
Format: eBook

Due to a curse put on him at birth, Senrind’s been forced to live stuck as a werewolf, unable to change into a human. With the help of his friend, Quinn, they go to a fortune teller who introduces them to a shapeshifting cat named Carithway.

Carithway can help him break the curse, but Senrind in return, must help Carithway out at his shop. Sentrind agrees and is thus thrown into a world of witches, spells, potions, and magic. As Sentrind tries to find answers to his past, he undercovers secrets from his father as well as something Carithway is hiding too. Was Senrind safer in his wolf form and now that he’s human – what can he do to help?

I’m not sure what it is with me stumbling upon cozy fantasies with found family tropes but I’m here for it and absolutely love it. The characters of this book are all so lovely and I’m a sucker for cats with magic, so Carithway could always make me smile.

With a lot of books, the main character gets everything bad thrown at them. But with this book, though there are trials and learning paths, Senrind seems to be doing well and it wasn’t filled with suspense and danger around every corner – hence why I’m calling it cozy fantasy. Sometimes that’s just what you need though.

There is a little romance in this book – but it’s just beginning, which I love because it seems very much more authentic and not rushed into in a few pages. This novel is marked as being #1 in the series, so I’m excited to see this relationship grow as well as the rest of the storyline continue.

This is a cozy read that would be perfect to snuggle up with in the fall – or honestly, you can be like me and read it right at the beginning of Summer and dream about the fall weather that’s mentioned in the book!

*Thank you Kaely Rose and The StoryGraph for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review