Coven: A Graphic Novel by Soman Chainani
Published by HarperAlley on April 1, 2025
ISBN: 006297968X
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Graphic Novel
Goodreads

Witches Anadil, Hester, and Dot, or The Witch Coven, live in The Endless Woods and are available to provide protection or investigative services to those in need. Their friendship is tested when they are asked to travel to Red Isle, where not only has a long-term battle between the Light and the Dark reached crisis level, but ongoing abuse of the environment and the overconsumption of the precious resource raaka has left the area barren and broken. On top of that, they need to stop a murderer who is killing townspeople by stealing their faces, and figure out who the three witches who look just like they do really are. The trio must rediscover what unites them and rely on the strength that each provides in order to defeat the seemingly insurmountable trouble plaguing Red Isle.

This is the first graphic novel based on Chainani’s hit series The School for Good and Evil and fans will be thrilled. Having some familiarity with the books might be helpful, particularly with the dynamics between the Witch Coven, but is certainly not necessary as this reads easily as a standalone volume. The illustrations are bright, energetic, and help keep the story as light as possible despite some bleak themes.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath