Goat Magic is a sweet cozy story about magic and intrigue, but also about a corrupt ruling class. This little book packs a punch - a goat herder with magical abilities (related to her goats) stumbles upon a missing princess who has been cursed. The princess, Ayla, believes her family are the rightful rulers of the land, and she needs to get back to the capital to reunite with them. The goat herder, Trill, loves her animals, but wishes for a little more adventure. When they come together, each had to adapt to survive and figure out who is hunting them.

What a lovely graphic novel is "Goat Magic"? I adored it!

Not only do I like the art style - it's color components and the often slightly quirky but always detailful way of showing and transporting feelings and story progression. I also liked the characters and how they developed throughout the story.

Trill is a wonderful dorky character with curves that loves to explore and wants to see the world. Even if it means challenging her own family and monsters they don't give up and believe in their magic. She has a lovely humor but is also able to work hard and clever to problem solving.

Alya is a little bit naive at the beginning but starts to learn more about the world and her kingdom. She is challenged quite a lot but able to open up and listen to the complaints in the country. It is through this empowerment that she is able to become the queen she wants to be.

I adored almost everything about this, the goats made it so much more special! I definitely want to read more by Kate Wheeler!

4/5⭐️ First of all, thank you to NetGalley, Oni Press and the author for an arc of “Goat Magic”. The aesthetic of this book and some aspects of the story reminded me of “The Emperor’s New Groove”, which is one of my favorite Disney movies! I found this story very endearing, loved to see al the goats!!

Goat Magic was a sweet little story that managed to capture my heart. The goats, the adventure and the will to be more, to be something bigger so badly that you cant see that you really are more than enough.

I can definitely recommend it, both for grown ups and children.

An adorable graphic novel. Alya is known as the ordinary princess. She struggles to live up to her Warrior Queen mother's expectations. Trill is a goat herd whose magic seems to be only good for herding goats, though she wishes for more. Their paths cross when someone curses Alya into the form of a goat. Can this unlikely pairing find the culprit and break the curse before it's too late? They'll have to use a bit of goat magic to be sure.

This was a quick read with a cute story and colorful and fluffy illustrations. I loved the look of the world in which the story takes place. I wasn't really feeling the budding romance between the two main characters though. Felt like friendship would have been more suited, but it didn't take away my enjoyment.

4.5 stars / Thank you NetGalley and Oni Press for this advanced copy.

Goat Magic is an absolute gem of a book! The art style and story are so charming and accessible. I can see middle graders through high schoolers enjoying it.
Like a lot of graphic novels for this age group, Goat Magic's story moves at a fast pace, but it feels respectful of readers (which is a weird way to phrase it). There is the right amount of exposition given, character decisions make sense, and the world-building is unique.

The extra bits of art, like the moths and vines coming through and around the panels, add such a touch of magic and whimsy. It's also fun to see a South American/Andean-inspired magical world.

Goat Magic 100% deserves a place on your shelves!

Content warning: Classism, Minor Violence/Peril, Minor Blood // 1 instance of a curse word being used, but another character calls it out.

With its suspenseful opening, Goat Magic immediately pulls you into a story that is both fun and profoundly deep. Kate Wheeler writes her characters—human and animal alike—with a delightful realism that makes every interaction feel authentic. The goats, in particular, are unpredictable, roguish marvels that steal every scene they’re in.

Beneath the enchanting story of a goatherd and a displaced princess lies a rich and deeply resonant subtext. The novel masterfully explores themes of political greed, classism, and the crushing weight of familial expectations. It’s a powerful call to action—a reminder that we always have the choice to break free from our constraints, embrace our true selves, and see our differences not as flaws, but as strengths.

This is a stunningly beautiful read that brought tears to my eyes on several occasions. Goat Magic is a whole new level of amazing, and with it, Kate Wheeler has earned a permanent spot on my favorite author list.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Unique concept with adorable art and colouring, very easy to read and get into. I love goats more now than before reading!

3.5/5

Goat Magic was a delightful read about Trill, a goat herder who can talk to her flock and Princess Alya, the, well princess of the land. I was surprised by the book starting with Alya and then moving to Trill, including the slight time jump, but the overarching mystery and reveals about the "Big Bad" were done well. The art style is not what I usually gravitate towards but I really liked it here and the goats (and all animals) had such personality!

I thought the development of their relationship (both as princess/subject of the land and romance) was really well done and I'm always here for royals realizing they suck and fixing it (tho really abolish all royals LOL).

Loved the artwork. This book gave me major Emperor's New Groove vibes with the royalty to animal than back again thing. It's a story line that we see a bunch in fantasy but I loved the inclusion of goats - because they rock, obviously. And, oh - the queer romance - love that too!

This was a cute read. With some humor, action, and a little bit of love, I was interested. I appreciated the growth you could see in each main character and each side character played their part well. I felt the illustrations were cute and expressive as well.

Trill, a spirited goat herder with a unique ability to communicate with her flock, yearns for a life beyond mountain pastures. 
Princess Alya, known as the “Ordinary Princess” and heir to the kingdom of Capeya, doubts her own royal potential.

I loved this graphic novel.  The world building made this land so believable and real.  The different styles of magic were very unique when added to the age-old story of the upper class taking more and more from the commoners until they either broke or fought back.

I've read some reviews who say the romance was unnecessary.  Maybe so, but a little romance never hurt and story. The slow move from friendship to more was sweet and romantic. 

Highly recommended.  Expected publishing date; August 19, 2025

Thanks to @Netgalley and Oni Press for the opportunity to read this eArc in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

First, thank you to the to NetGalley and Oni Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own and freely given.

3.5/5 rounding up. This was a cute and charming graphic novel with a nice story, but I didn't absolutely love it like I was hoping I'd might.

Things I liked:
- The magic style was unique and the world building was good. I like the curse and its effects later in the story (no spoilers here).
- The characterization was strong and I was rooting for each of the characters both individually and as a duo.
- The goats were super cute and a unique inclusion in this fantasy story.

Things I didn't like:
- I'm mixed on the art style. It was cute and unique, but I think it made the experience a little less enjoyable due to a lack of details or polishing. The coloring was bright and fun and I loved the line art sketches at the end of the book - I almost wish that the final product had looked a little closer to those.
- The romance element felt unnecessary in this. I thought friendship would have been a stronger ending and one that didn't feel quite so forced.
- Though I like how the plot wrapped up, I had a few logic questions with the resolution to the main antagonist's points.

Thank you to Netgalley and Oni Press for the opportunity to read and review this graphic novel. I think this was a fantastic story; I think my only minor issue with this was that there was an unnecessary added "romance". I appreciated the art, the moral lessons presented, and the journey. Because of these points, I have to give this a 4 out of 5 stars

Thank you to the publisher who provided me with a copy via NetGalley.

This was a cute, fun, and quick read. I picked this up for the title alone, so I didn't know what to expect from the story - which is a middle grade coming of age tale with a bit of political/social commentary. The story is pretty straight forward with a few twists, and the art is cute, expressive and colourful. It really fits with the generally lighthearted tone of this book. Each character has a good, well developed arc even if Alya’s is idealistic and not necessarily applicable to the real world and people who have an equivalent social status. (I saw a few reviews that got hung up on that aspect, but not all fantasy needs to be relatable like that).

The only part of this story that I didn’t like was the romance aspect. The art style for Trill didn’t give the impression at all that she was close to Alya’s age. I assumed there was a significant age difference between. The romance itself seemed quite sudden and not very developed, with only a single significant look between them that seemed more awkward than romantically charged before their first kiss.

Overall I think its an enjoyable title and would recommend it to anyone who wants a lighthearted graphic novel to read.

An absolutely precious graphic novel for fans of K. ONeill. I loved the story here and Trill and Alya's slow burn from friendship to something more.And obviously the goats are incredible.

Goats? Magic? This sounded too chaotic and adorable to miss. And yes, it was both. This is a great story geared towards younger readers with a solid message about class and systems of oppression - and bonus, a queer relationship between our two MCs!
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Trill feels like her unique goat magic is dull and far too common compared to much cooler forms of magic and those that get to study in the city. However, she turns out to be the perfect person to help Princess Alya who is on the run, transformed into a goat.
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Their journey is funny, heartfelt, if a little convenient, but this is middle grade so we let that slide a little. There are great conversations throughout with various characters and we see the two not only grow closer, but grow as characters too.
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The art is lovely and the style is distinct, if a bit leaning towards the “bean mouth” that has gotten popular over the last few years. However, I found several panels to be quite stiff, especially when it came to action. I don’t think younger readers will mind the blockiness of the action but older readers will definitely notice and be taken out of the story with them.
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Overall, I think this is a great graphic novel that I would be delighted to put in the hands of middle grade readers, but would hesitate to recommend to older audiences.
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*I received an eARC from Oni Press & NetGalley. All opinions are my own*
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Hisses & Kisses 🐍

Thank you Oni Press and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this book. I really enjoyed this wonderful story full of magic, adventure, and goats with beautiful artwork, great world building, and such attention to details that it created a fully immersive experience for me. Definitely recommend it to any fantasy adventure lover and am looking forward to what Kate Wheeler is up to next.

Love the illustrations and the overall colour palette of this book but the story feels too simple for my liking. All in all, I don’t recommend you to pick this up.

This middle-grade graphic novel was really cute! Deals with themes of growing up, creating an identity outside of what people expect of you, self-worth, and more. Sweet sapphic romance subplot although I honestly thought it felt a little out-of-place, like there was not much build-up to the relationship that felt romantic instead of platonic, but sometimes middle grade is like that. I enjoyed this lots and thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!