Eden of Witches, Vol. 1

Gr 7 Up–Pili is an apprentice witch in a world where humans have destroyed their relationship with plants and animals. She hopes to one day hear the spirits of the plants, and her master assures her she’ll get there with practice and patience. But when her master falls ill, Pili sets out to find help, only to find disastrous consequences instead. Now, she must set off on a perilous journey to find Eden and other witches, all while avoiding humans as much as possible. Yumeji taps into the sweet, young maiden archetype for Pili, similar to Coco from Witch Hat Atelier and Mira in Call the Name of the Night. She evokes deep sympathy, making readers root for her protection from the hardships they know she will have to endure along the way. With moments of betrayal and violence, this title isn’t for the faint of heart. The illustrations are beautiful and transport readers to another world, though the overuse of the same filler shading on a few pages can be distracting.