The Summoning is a graphic novel following a young witch and her familiar as she applies to Ridgewood Coven. I expected the illustrations to be in color due to the cover, and at times I wish they were. However, I really enjoyed the humor and the art style. Overall I enjoyed this graphic novel and look forward to Volume 2.

I received an ARC from Oni Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this graphic novel. I liked the art style for what the book is about and think the lack of color was a great choice. I felt the font was a little hard to read at times because of how thin it was, but I think the style of font worked well with the "witchy" vibes. The character growth in this was great and I'm interested to see where Vol 2 goes.

Claire sees a flyer and suddenly is desperate to get into the Coven to train her magical art skills. But first, she must complete a set of grueling tests, and she'll be competing against little-miss-perfect herself, the local magical influencer Swan. But if the two can overcome their differences, perhaps other challenges won't be so insurmountable.

This graphic novel dances at the edge of goth fiction. I admit I was a little confused that there are anthropomorphized characters and also regular talking animals, but other than that, I really loved the art style and creative characterizations. The idea of using art to create magic is a lot of fun and speaks to my heart as a creative person. I'm curious about some of the dropped threads in this book and looking forward to seeing how they tie in with book 2.

Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

—3.5 stars

so this comic is in black and white, with pencil sketches?? it's a different kind of graphic than i'm used to, and i wish this was in colour! the world looks so magical and shiny, it's almost a crime to not see the vibrancy.

the starting was slow, and i didn't entirely like claire at first. she has major self-esteem issues, her upbringing playing a part and feeling so different from everyone else. but her character gradually grew as the story picked up, and i did end up becoming quite fond of her.
the story is predictable in some places, but i was mostly on my own trying to figure things out. the tasks were both fun and spooky, and i had a great time.

page 172 deserves it's own approval. i love the heart eyes and like, cats have 9 lives for a reason. though edgar was kinda useless if you ask me 🙈

there's also an angry bunny called flufftops. just, putting that out there.

all in all, with its eerie magic and manifestations, this is the perfect book to read around halloween—at least that's the time i'd recommend.

thanks netgalley and oni press for the arc!

"The Summoning: The Art of the Craft Vol. 1" is a YA graphic novel by Elyse Castro about a young witch named Claire who is trying to improve her magic. When she sees that a local mysterious coven is offering tryouts, she applies against her mother's advice. She now is competing against other young witches for a spot. Claire is full of self-doubt, but with her friends to help her, she finds her strength. Illustrations are cute and humorous. A suggested purchase for YA graphic novel collections, especially where fantasy and witches are popular.

i want to live inside this story!!

the main character claire (cat like witch) is on a mission with her familiar (full cat) to try and get into this coven program to get better at magical art, like it doesn’t get better than that

i thought i would be bothered by the fact that there was no color, but i think the b&w style somehow made it cozier. loved the illustrations and all of the characters. this was 10/10 for me

thank you netgalley!

Magic is truly an art form.

Follow manifestation witch Claire as she strives to be admitted to the illustrious Ridgewood Coven, along with her familiar Edgar and her hilarious neighbour Flufftops. During the tests to get in, she encounters potion influencer Swan and many other unique magic practitioners. But is everything as it seems?

Illustrated fully in black and white, Elyse Castro's debut graphic novel is a smash hit. I was sold on the story immediately, and loved seeing the way the plot unfolded while also building this magical world. Flufftops is an amazing injection of sinister comedy, while readers will empathize with the doubts that Claire faces about herself.

I truly hope that Volume 2 comes out soon, because I need to know what happens next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for the opportunity to read this book for free in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me a copy of The Summoning: The Art of Craft Volume 1.

This is the story of a witch-Claire- who wants to pursue art and tried to join a coven that has an art program “The Art of Craft”.

I was actually quite surprised to see that it was in black and white! With the cover being in colour I thought the whole book would be similar!

The story was great as well as the drawings. It was easy to get attached to Claire and Edgar! I enjoyed Claire’s personality and her relationship with others.
Edgar was such a great character and it was lovely to see him with Petal as they got to know each other better.

I enjoyed the mix between art and magic! It felt like a concept I hadn’t seen before!

I would love to read book 2 as I thoroughly enjoyed this one!

Cute, a little creepy and a bit quirky? Sign me up. I loved this comic. So much so I finished it in just one sitting and then went back to reread it. The art is brilliant, it's got a strange but kooky vibe that I love. The storyline is rather wholesome and a little funny too. The characters let me say they are perfect because they are! If you are looking for something a little different but also with a gripping and lovely storyline look no further.

This little manga/comic was super cute.
Claire is a little witchling who just wants to better her craft, so she applies for a position in a prestigious local coven. Her discoveries lead her on many adventures. It was a super cute easy read, I enjoy witchy things so it was even more fun for me. The art isn't extravagant but I still thought it was fun.

I would die for Pickles, and I will not explain myself lol

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC, I always enjoy the little mental break mangas give me.

So cute! I absolutely adored this graphic novel. The art style is charming and unique. It was refreshing to see a graphic novel in black and white with a pencil sketch type style to the drawings. It made the story feel more organic and personal. The characters in this are so charming, relatable, and funny. There are plenty of adorable side characters (a poetic spider, oracle caterpillar, and a bunny with anger issues). I loved the world and all the different species of life. I found myself scanning the background of same panels for a look at some of the unique creatures from the world. The story has a great message regarding self esteem and believing in yourself. I really enjoyed seeing Claire go through the trials and using her magic. The magic system in this story is so interesting. It is related to someone’s craft. (Drawing, potions, weaving, etc) The magic has a lot of heart in it, just like this story. This is only volume 1 and I am eager to read the next installment. Definitely a new favorite. I will be buying a physical copy upon release!

This was a cute story about a witch and her cat familiar in trying to join a coven academy for their new art program. It really gets into the mind of failure and to not give up on your dreams. The illustrations were well drawn and the names of some of the characters were funny.

The Summoning Vol. 1 tells the story of Claire and her familiar, Edgar, as she goes through trials and tribulations during her application to the Ridgewood Coven. Filled with beautiful black and white artwork, the story highlights Claire’s kindness and uniqueness while trying to understand the mysterious Ridgewood Coven. Left on a cliffhanger, I will definitely be checking out Vol. 2- hopefully we don’t have to wait too long! 4⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Summoning Vol. 1!

The summoning vol 1 is a very unique graphic novel. It has simple black and white illustrations with interesting characters. I never saw similar illustrations before.

The storyline is about a young witch who wants to be accepted in a coven of witches to learn more about her magic. Her familiar is a cute and chaotic cat. She’s also friends with a very strict and angry bunny, which I thought was very funny.

The ending kinda finished the story from this first volume but also makes you want to read the next one. You want to know what happens next.

It’s a cute and funny story about friendship and finding yourself, with hilarious characters and scary experiences.

I’ve received this book as an ARC through NetGalley, but this is my honest opinion.