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The Witches of World War II
“Vengefully imaginative occult rewrite of wartime history, full of sharp knife twists, proving yet again that Cornell is a storyteller to cherish.” — Chuck Wendig
Inspired by a true story, The Witches of World War II follows a coven of witches as they embark on a mission to help capture Adolf Hitler's second-in-command, Rudolf Hess.
This magic kills fascists! In the darkest hours of World War 2, Doreen Valiente, a junior intelligence officer, twenty years old and already a war widow, is approached by a British General who tells her he knows she’s a witch… and that’s how she can best serve her country.
Valiente, an expert on British folklore and the occult, is to use her connections in this peculiar community to recruit a group of British ‘magicians’ and use their “skills” to gain some advantage over the Nazi high command, who believe fervently “in all this occult rubbish.”
Together with Aleister Crowley, the self-proclaimed “Most Evil Man in the World” Valiente recruits a hard-nosed white witch Dion Fortune, the grizzled and gray-bearded founder of Wicca Gerald Gardner, and exorcist and con man in a turban Rollo Ahmed. Together this coven of witches will travel deep into the heart of Nazi-occupied Europe and gamble their lives, their beliefs, and their powers on a mission to help capture Rudolf Hess, fervent occultist, and second in command to Adolf Hitler himself.
Inspired by the incredible true story of the New Forest coven and Operation Cone of Power.
Inspired by a true story, The Witches of World War II follows a coven of witches as they embark on a mission to help capture Adolf Hitler's second-in-command, Rudolf Hess.
This magic kills fascists! In the darkest hours of World War 2, Doreen Valiente, a junior intelligence officer, twenty years old and already a war widow, is approached by a British General who tells her he knows she’s a witch… and that’s how she can best serve her country.
Valiente, an expert on British folklore and the occult, is to use her connections in this peculiar community to recruit a group of British ‘magicians’ and use their “skills” to gain some advantage over the Nazi high command, who believe fervently “in all this occult rubbish.”
Together with Aleister Crowley, the self-proclaimed “Most Evil Man in the World” Valiente recruits a hard-nosed white witch Dion Fortune, the grizzled and gray-bearded founder of Wicca Gerald Gardner, and exorcist and con man in a turban Rollo Ahmed. Together this coven of witches will travel deep into the heart of Nazi-occupied Europe and gamble their lives, their beliefs, and their powers on a mission to help capture Rudolf Hess, fervent occultist, and second in command to Adolf Hitler himself.
Inspired by the incredible true story of the New Forest coven and Operation Cone of Power.
168 pages, Paperback
Published April 26, 2023
13 people are currently reading
230 people want to read
About the author
Tim Seeley
1,648 books609 followersTim Seeley is a comic book artist and writer known for his work on books such as G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, The Dark Elf Trilogy, Batman Eternal and Grayson. He is also the co-creator of the Image Comics titles Hack/Slash[1] and Revival, as well as the Dark Horse titles, ExSanguine and Sundowners. He lives in Chicago.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
August 27, 2022
This was unique and weird, very promising but that ultimately didn't deliver as much as it promised in terms of story.
Based on a true case of a group of British occultists that fancied themselves wielders of magic and practitioners of witchcraft, and who claimed to have embarked on a psychic war against the Nazis during WWII, this graphic novel uses the real story of these "magicians" to create a fictional tale of espionage and sabotage in which the British intelligence enrolls the help of occultists Aleister Crowley, Gerard Gardner, Dion Fortune, Rollo Ahmed, and Doreen Dominy, the protagonist and narrator, for a mission to lure Rudolf Hess, Germany's heir-presumptive to the Führer into coming to England for a supposed occult revolution bent on ousting the government and handing the isle over to the Germans.
The plot is so insane at times you wonder how much creative licence the writer took with the real story, but at the same time it's plausible and not that hard to believe given all we know about Hess' (and other Nazi bigwigs like Himmler) interest in occultism, paganism, arcane spirituality, and all that esoteric stuff Hitler had personally no patience for. You won't be left wondering, though, because both Paul Cornell and Professor of History Ronald E. Hutton have two afterwords each in which they explain separately what's historical and what's made up for the sake of the plot, as well as the former explaining why he wrote this as it is. Broadly summing up what both say, the characters were real and their beliefs in the occult and magic were real, but their "magic" wasn't like in this graphic novel, and Hess' flight was real enough though far more mysterious as to motives. The rest is fictional.
The story feels incomplete, however. Like there's more that was ultimately cut and left out; transition between chapters is bumpy and everything feels both confusingly slow and too rapid when it picks up speed, it feels compressed, and making the magic real gave this an unrealistic twist that I didn't like. Hess' strange behaviour is even more erratic here, because after ordering the killing of one of the important characters, he suddenly decides to go to England? He reacts as the plot needs, and the circle of witches is never challenged hard but everything goes according to plan. It's just too easy for them.
Doreen was a disappointment as a character, too. She goes from a rational translator at Bletchley Park, that collection of super-geniuses working with British intelligence to thwart Nazi plans and decode their encrypted comms, to a dabbler in witchcraft... despite witnessing what a bunch of frauds and con artists they all are. I never felt a sense of why exactly she had such a change of heart, because she's always doubting. It would've made more sense if she'd stayed the sceptic she started out as instead of becoming a witch by conviction. Crowley was far more consistent and always acted in-character from beginning to end, as were the other supporting characters, but this also makes her inconsistent and not that well-developed character all the more disappointing.
All in all, an interesting story that sent me into reading up on the true events to learn more, but that was ultimately very unsatisfying. The art is lovely, though, with a nice palette and design, and I liked that some panels have an appearance reminiscent of a film noir.
Thank you to TKO Studios for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Based on a true case of a group of British occultists that fancied themselves wielders of magic and practitioners of witchcraft, and who claimed to have embarked on a psychic war against the Nazis during WWII, this graphic novel uses the real story of these "magicians" to create a fictional tale of espionage and sabotage in which the British intelligence enrolls the help of occultists Aleister Crowley, Gerard Gardner, Dion Fortune, Rollo Ahmed, and Doreen Dominy, the protagonist and narrator, for a mission to lure Rudolf Hess, Germany's heir-presumptive to the Führer into coming to England for a supposed occult revolution bent on ousting the government and handing the isle over to the Germans.
The plot is so insane at times you wonder how much creative licence the writer took with the real story, but at the same time it's plausible and not that hard to believe given all we know about Hess' (and other Nazi bigwigs like Himmler) interest in occultism, paganism, arcane spirituality, and all that esoteric stuff Hitler had personally no patience for. You won't be left wondering, though, because both Paul Cornell and Professor of History Ronald E. Hutton have two afterwords each in which they explain separately what's historical and what's made up for the sake of the plot, as well as the former explaining why he wrote this as it is. Broadly summing up what both say, the characters were real and their beliefs in the occult and magic were real, but their "magic" wasn't like in this graphic novel, and Hess' flight was real enough though far more mysterious as to motives. The rest is fictional.
The story feels incomplete, however. Like there's more that was ultimately cut and left out; transition between chapters is bumpy and everything feels both confusingly slow and too rapid when it picks up speed, it feels compressed, and making the magic real gave this an unrealistic twist that I didn't like. Hess' strange behaviour is even more erratic here, because after ordering the killing of one of the important characters, he suddenly decides to go to England? He reacts as the plot needs, and the circle of witches is never challenged hard but everything goes according to plan. It's just too easy for them.
Doreen was a disappointment as a character, too. She goes from a rational translator at Bletchley Park, that collection of super-geniuses working with British intelligence to thwart Nazi plans and decode their encrypted comms, to a dabbler in witchcraft... despite witnessing what a bunch of frauds and con artists they all are. I never felt a sense of why exactly she had such a change of heart, because she's always doubting. It would've made more sense if she'd stayed the sceptic she started out as instead of becoming a witch by conviction. Crowley was far more consistent and always acted in-character from beginning to end, as were the other supporting characters, but this also makes her inconsistent and not that well-developed character all the more disappointing.
All in all, an interesting story that sent me into reading up on the true events to learn more, but that was ultimately very unsatisfying. The art is lovely, though, with a nice palette and design, and I liked that some panels have an appearance reminiscent of a film noir.
Thank you to TKO Studios for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 24, 2023
The Witches of World War 2 was an entertaining graphic novel about how British intelligence uses witches to beings down the Nazis. The overall premise was extremely interesting and the art was well done. The flow of the story was a bit choppy and could've been fleshed out better. This would make a fantastic series if we gave our characters more time to be fleshed out! Overall, a fun, quick read for historical fiction lovers.
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March 8, 2023this book had me hooked right away just because of the title since i love reading historical fiction especially about the world wars and am also really interested in witchcraft and books about witches! this was my first time reading historical fiction in the form of a graphic novel. i thought the art in the book was so detailed and that it brought the book to life in a very vivid way, which i appreciated! unfortunately a lot of the dialogue and the story went a bit over my head, i couldn’t understand a lot of what was going on, even as a native english speaker. however, this might’ve been because i am american and this was written in 1940’s british english. i also thought the book moved quite fast so there wasn’t that much character or plot development. i think the story itself was really interesting, as were the characters, but i wish that the novel would have been longer so these aspects could be developed a bit more. overall, i enjoyed reading the book and looking at the illustrations, and i appreciated the afterword that explained the history of the events and characters as they were in real life!
February 8, 2023
The book is inspired by the true story of British occult groups (New Forest Coven and Operation cone of power) against the Nazis in World War II. The graphic novel mixes history and fiction wonderfully. I particularly appreciated the sources at the end of the collection to demystify the historical facts of the fiction.
I liked the story, but I have to admit that I was really confused with the characters and with the story. Reading the description, I expected more references to witchcraft. However, I liked the story and the aesthetics of the illustrations.
*I received this book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review*
I liked the story, but I have to admit that I was really confused with the characters and with the story. Reading the description, I expected more references to witchcraft. However, I liked the story and the aesthetics of the illustrations.
*I received this book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review*
October 21, 2022
*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free graphic novel*
"The Witches of World War II" follows the stories of real world occultists who used their powers to fight the Nazis. While I knew a bit about the historical persons involved, the graphic novel explores this a bit more and transforms it into a story of magical warfare during World War II. I found parts of it enjoyable, but also a bit over the top. I sometimes found it hard to follow and disliked several characters.
My main issue is though that adding this supernatural elements of Nazi witchcraft being countered by English witchcraft somehow gives the manmade conflict a new nuance that takes the responsibility from Nazi Germany and reduces it to evil magic TM. I know this is unreasonable criticism, but I somehow feels like this excuses the atrocities committed by the Nazis. I don't know how to describe this honestly.
Overall it was interesting to learn more about the occultists though. So 3 stars
"The Witches of World War II" follows the stories of real world occultists who used their powers to fight the Nazis. While I knew a bit about the historical persons involved, the graphic novel explores this a bit more and transforms it into a story of magical warfare during World War II. I found parts of it enjoyable, but also a bit over the top. I sometimes found it hard to follow and disliked several characters.
My main issue is though that adding this supernatural elements of Nazi witchcraft being countered by English witchcraft somehow gives the manmade conflict a new nuance that takes the responsibility from Nazi Germany and reduces it to evil magic TM. I know this is unreasonable criticism, but I somehow feels like this excuses the atrocities committed by the Nazis. I don't know how to describe this honestly.
Overall it was interesting to learn more about the occultists though. So 3 stars
January 4, 2023
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an advance review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Out March 7, 2023.
2 stars
The Witches of World War II follows a (kind of) true story of a coven infiltrating Nazi regime and capturing Rudolf Hess.
I thought, yes this sounds like an absolute winner. Nazis, witches and some alternate history sounds like a great time! Unfortunately I found this graphic novel verbose and convoluted. The story was so disjointed that it was hard to follow. Characters were dropped into the story and it moved so fast that there was no time to become attached to said characters or their own personal motivations.
Great concept, great art and I did like the history lesson at the end where Paul Cornell spoke of the people behind the history. Personally I think that this should have been a series to flesh out the story arc.
Out March 7, 2023.
2 stars
The Witches of World War II follows a (kind of) true story of a coven infiltrating Nazi regime and capturing Rudolf Hess.
I thought, yes this sounds like an absolute winner. Nazis, witches and some alternate history sounds like a great time! Unfortunately I found this graphic novel verbose and convoluted. The story was so disjointed that it was hard to follow. Characters were dropped into the story and it moved so fast that there was no time to become attached to said characters or their own personal motivations.
Great concept, great art and I did like the history lesson at the end where Paul Cornell spoke of the people behind the history. Personally I think that this should have been a series to flesh out the story arc.
January 28, 2023
I thought it was going to be a more adventurous reading from the synopsis but it drag on some parts and in other Crowley was amazing and by far the best and complex character on the story.
It is fun to se all the historical liberties it takes and it has some Riders of the lost ark vibes on it.
The drawing it's gorgeous and I like the palette of colors they chose for it.
It has many old school style of drawing in the design of the 'witches', but the story was a bit meh for me. (Except for the final act witch was all I was expecting to see more developed in the graphic novel)
For me it is a three stars review
It is fun to se all the historical liberties it takes and it has some Riders of the lost ark vibes on it.
The drawing it's gorgeous and I like the palette of colors they chose for it.
It has many old school style of drawing in the design of the 'witches', but the story was a bit meh for me. (Except for the final act witch was all I was expecting to see more developed in the graphic novel)
For me it is a three stars review
October 23, 2022
Voto libro: 3.5
Per leggere la recensione in blog cliccare qui:
https://ilconfinedeilibri.blogspot.co...
Per leggere la recensione in blog cliccare qui:
https://ilconfinedeilibri.blogspot.co...
May 2, 2023
The problem with doing occult World War II stuff is that the temptation is to have your cake and eat it, in as much as you can take the position that all the occult stuff is nonsense whilst at the same time playing it straight because Hitler believes in it. The Witches Of World War II plays this game, and not even with Indiana Jones's rigged deck, it is not a true historical story but it plays with real historical characters who you may never have heard of and Aleister Crowley, who you have. Crowley is the other problem here, though Cornell does his best to play him of as a narcissistic fabulist (wether he has powers or not), but the temptation to write him like Noel Coward playing John Constantine has to be shaken off on a number of occasions.
Without the occult this plays as a neat little spy story, of people guessing and second guessing motivations, and the added flavour of Wicca and covens in the wood are at least as interesting, and certainly more visually interesting, as an Enigma machine (which is a teak box lets be honest). And whilst I have had my Crowley moan above, this obviously could have been told with him as the lead rather than Doreen Dominy (Valiente), who is a much more interesting and questioning lead. Burzo's art does a good, precisely lined and shaded job of capturing a certain ambiguity (the coven scenes are great), and Bellaire's always excellent colours give it all a very muted autumnal feel. But there is a sense that being sensitive to the real history of these people, and the real actual war taking place around them, we have a fun biographical primer on the big movers and shakers in mid-cetury witchcraft in the UK, but it doesn't really pull together for an exciting tale.
Without the occult this plays as a neat little spy story, of people guessing and second guessing motivations, and the added flavour of Wicca and covens in the wood are at least as interesting, and certainly more visually interesting, as an Enigma machine (which is a teak box lets be honest). And whilst I have had my Crowley moan above, this obviously could have been told with him as the lead rather than Doreen Dominy (Valiente), who is a much more interesting and questioning lead. Burzo's art does a good, precisely lined and shaded job of capturing a certain ambiguity (the coven scenes are great), and Bellaire's always excellent colours give it all a very muted autumnal feel. But there is a sense that being sensitive to the real history of these people, and the real actual war taking place around them, we have a fun biographical primer on the big movers and shakers in mid-cetury witchcraft in the UK, but it doesn't really pull together for an exciting tale.
April 13, 2025
The Witches of World War II is a captivating graphic novel that masterfully intertwines historical fact with imaginative fiction. Set against the backdrop of World War II, the narrative follows Doreen Valiente, a British occultist, who is recruited by British intelligence to harness her mystical abilities in the fight against fascism. Accompanied by a diverse ensemble—including the infamous Aleister Crowley and the founder of Wicca, Gerald Gardner—Valiente embarks on a perilous mission to thwart Nazi plans through the use of magic.
Paul Cornell's storytelling is both inventive and respectful of the historical figures it portrays, offering a fresh perspective on wartime resistance. Valeria Burzo's illustrations, complemented by Jordie Bellaire's vibrant coloring, bring the narrative to life with a visual style that is both evocative and immersive.
This work stands out for its unique blend of espionage, occultism, and historical drama, providing readers with a narrative that is as thought-provoking as it is entertaining. It is a testament to the untapped potential of historical fiction to explore alternative narratives and the power of belief systems in shaping human history.
Final Verdict: The Witches of World War II is a compelling addition to the graphic novel genre, offering a richly layered story that challenges conventional wartime narratives. It is recommended for readers interested in historical fiction, the occult, and stories of unconventional resistance.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Note: This review is based on an advance reading copy provided by NetGalley.
Paul Cornell's storytelling is both inventive and respectful of the historical figures it portrays, offering a fresh perspective on wartime resistance. Valeria Burzo's illustrations, complemented by Jordie Bellaire's vibrant coloring, bring the narrative to life with a visual style that is both evocative and immersive.
This work stands out for its unique blend of espionage, occultism, and historical drama, providing readers with a narrative that is as thought-provoking as it is entertaining. It is a testament to the untapped potential of historical fiction to explore alternative narratives and the power of belief systems in shaping human history.
Final Verdict: The Witches of World War II is a compelling addition to the graphic novel genre, offering a richly layered story that challenges conventional wartime narratives. It is recommended for readers interested in historical fiction, the occult, and stories of unconventional resistance.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Note: This review is based on an advance reading copy provided by NetGalley.
September 8, 2023
I quite liked this one, all the ambiguity and doubt goes all through the story, from the belief in magic to the trust in those around you, to the double agent line. It's like a story that tries to fit into the history we know, one might almost doubt if it could have been, if only some of the characters weren't displaced from their real timelines, which is quite fun. The art is good, lends itself to the vibe of a magic that is, to the distant observer, no more than manipulation and reading, but, to the characters, may be something more. I even liked the way the author conceived of Crowley's political stance translating into his actions in this war.
My only complaint is how quickly the story is told. This is one that might benefit from more pages, more time to breath, to peek into some of the characters minds and motivations as the spycraft moves them along and to avoid making some of the recruiting seem so "happy-go-lucky".
My only complaint is how quickly the story is told. This is one that might benefit from more pages, more time to breath, to peek into some of the characters minds and motivations as the spycraft moves them along and to avoid making some of the recruiting seem so "happy-go-lucky".
March 11, 2023
How can a book about occultists recruited by the British government to fight Nazis be this boring?
Received via NetGalley.
Received via NetGalley.
March 4, 2023
I received a free ARC of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review. “The Witches of World War II” was inspired by actual events. Hitler believed in the occult and attempted to use it to his advantage in the war. The British forces manipulated the nazis by creating a team of ‘mystics’ to infiltrate and sabotage Hitler’s forces, resulting in the capture of his deputy. I found the story fascinating, but at times the staged deception and lying was difficult to follow. The illustrations, however, were very well done.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2023
I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher.
The story follows Doreen as she takes charge of a group of occultists, witches, and believers in the other to aid in fighting against the Nazis during World War II. While all of Doreen's recruits are true believers or at least present themselves as such, Doreen is a skeptic who is struggling with what she believes. The group uses its skills to manipulate an underground group of sympathizers.
I really liked this story. While I thought it was interesting, it was not exactly what was promised in the summary of a "true story". The end of the book gives a short synopsis of the truth of the characters.
One thing I did like about the illustrations is how Doreen's hairstyle became more extreme and angular as she embraced her role as a leader.
This is a good story for anyone interested in historical fiction or witchcraft.
The story follows Doreen as she takes charge of a group of occultists, witches, and believers in the other to aid in fighting against the Nazis during World War II. While all of Doreen's recruits are true believers or at least present themselves as such, Doreen is a skeptic who is struggling with what she believes. The group uses its skills to manipulate an underground group of sympathizers.
I really liked this story. While I thought it was interesting, it was not exactly what was promised in the summary of a "true story". The end of the book gives a short synopsis of the truth of the characters.
One thing I did like about the illustrations is how Doreen's hairstyle became more extreme and angular as she embraced her role as a leader.
This is a good story for anyone interested in historical fiction or witchcraft.
February 28, 2023
*thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of this graphic novel! *
I had really high hopes for this, but ultimately had a hard time staying interested. I loved the concept and art, but the characters weren’t as flushed out as id have liked. This would have done better with installments and further development.
I had really high hopes for this, but ultimately had a hard time staying interested. I loved the concept and art, but the characters weren’t as flushed out as id have liked. This would have done better with installments and further development.
February 22, 2023
✨this was a weird one. it kinda felt like watching an episode of RIVERDALE out of context. I think the synopsis was super interesting, and I just don’t feel like the comic delivered in terms of history and really understanding the historical context that some of these characters belonged.
✨the art style was so classically comic, though, and that was nice to see throughout the stories. I also really appreciated the last few pages that explained the intent and the story a lot more than the comic itself did.
✨if you’re into comics and witches and retellings of history I would recommend this, I just don’t think it was for me. Thank you to NetGalley and TKO Studios for allowing me access to a digital copy in exchange for my honest review.
✨the art style was so classically comic, though, and that was nice to see throughout the stories. I also really appreciated the last few pages that explained the intent and the story a lot more than the comic itself did.
✨if you’re into comics and witches and retellings of history I would recommend this, I just don’t think it was for me. Thank you to NetGalley and TKO Studios for allowing me access to a digital copy in exchange for my honest review.
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February 22, 2023I received a free copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review
Well illustrated to the point it would not be out of place with marvel or dc or even Alan Moore, I did feel that the witches of world war ii didn’t quite live up to it’s potential even though it is what it promises. Some parts are good such as the opening and the lead character of Doreen Dominy is interesting enough to carry the plot but it felt like it needed to be a much bigger story than it actually winds up being.
Well illustrated to the point it would not be out of place with marvel or dc or even Alan Moore, I did feel that the witches of world war ii didn’t quite live up to it’s potential even though it is what it promises. Some parts are good such as the opening and the lead character of Doreen Dominy is interesting enough to carry the plot but it felt like it needed to be a much bigger story than it actually winds up being.
February 19, 2023
I thought this one was okay, I did not feel like any of the important aspects were explained enough for me to fully get it though. I did have a fun time reading it, but the pacing felt off and I did not feel particularly attached to any of the characters. I just do not really have any feelings about this one good or bad.
February 18, 2023
I loved the artstyle, and the premise of the graphic novel was definitely interesting, but it felt somewhat rushed. Overall I did enjoy it though.
September 7, 2022
E-ARC provided by Netgalley.
I was really intrigued by the story because I love witches and I never heard of the occult movement that happened during the Second World War. The story is based on real people: Aleister Crowley, Gerard Gardner, Dion Fortune, Rollo Ahmed, and Doreen Dominy. These people are the main characters of the story and Doreen can be seen as the narrator of the whole book. She is told to get a group of people together to get Rudolph Hess into coming to Britain. The whole book has a rather obscure atmosphere which I really liked but I wished to have a bit more magical aspects.
I needed a few pages to like the drawing style. It reminded me of the style used in old comic books which I am not the biggest fan of. But I really liked the character design.
The characters especially Doreen were confusing at times. I could not fathom sometimes why they did things that a few pages before were against everything they stand for. Doreen was kind of naïve but also a tough woman in the 40´s. I didn´t get warm with any character mainly because they were not that well developed. But overall, I liked the supporting characters more than the main narrator.
The story is a wild ride and sometimes a bit confusing.
I loved that they included afterwords from Paul Cornell and Professor of History Ronald E. Hutton that explained the reality behind this graphic novel.
I gave the graphic novel 3 stars because I had fun reading the book but was left a bit unsatisfied with the story and the characters.
I was really intrigued by the story because I love witches and I never heard of the occult movement that happened during the Second World War. The story is based on real people: Aleister Crowley, Gerard Gardner, Dion Fortune, Rollo Ahmed, and Doreen Dominy. These people are the main characters of the story and Doreen can be seen as the narrator of the whole book. She is told to get a group of people together to get Rudolph Hess into coming to Britain. The whole book has a rather obscure atmosphere which I really liked but I wished to have a bit more magical aspects.
I needed a few pages to like the drawing style. It reminded me of the style used in old comic books which I am not the biggest fan of. But I really liked the character design.
The characters especially Doreen were confusing at times. I could not fathom sometimes why they did things that a few pages before were against everything they stand for. Doreen was kind of naïve but also a tough woman in the 40´s. I didn´t get warm with any character mainly because they were not that well developed. But overall, I liked the supporting characters more than the main narrator.
The story is a wild ride and sometimes a bit confusing.
I loved that they included afterwords from Paul Cornell and Professor of History Ronald E. Hutton that explained the reality behind this graphic novel.
I gave the graphic novel 3 stars because I had fun reading the book but was left a bit unsatisfied with the story and the characters.
October 4, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!
I originally requested this book because it intrigued me that it was based on real-life pagans. I know in part, some of Aleister Crowley's history, and I knew that Gerald Gardner is referred to as the father of Wicca. (By the way, this book misspells multiple times. It's not "Wica", it's "Wicca". There IS Seax-Wica, which is a denomination of Wicca, but that wasn't created until the 1970's.) This novel felt very...bland. Something about the dialogue felt off and a bit stilted. The dialogue also swaps between barely any to there being way too much of it. I shouldn't be reading a comic page and have more than fifty percent of it be dialogue. I also found myself getting very annoyed by Doreen always responding with "I don't know...I can't..." when asked about her beliefs. She says that exact sentence multiple times, enough for me to notice it and be irritated. The plot was somewhat interesting, though I kept getting lost as to exactly who was doing what for what reason quite a bit. The character building felt a bit surface-level. There one who gets the most fleshed-out character building is Doreen, but even then there is not much to be had. I guess the weak character-building can be partially excused by the fact that the majority of the main cast is based on real-life people. The art style is fine. If you like classic American-style comics, you will probably love this novel's art style. I just personally don't much care for it, there is nothing wrong with it objectively.
I originally requested this book because it intrigued me that it was based on real-life pagans. I know in part, some of Aleister Crowley's history, and I knew that Gerald Gardner is referred to as the father of Wicca. (By the way, this book misspells multiple times. It's not "Wica", it's "Wicca". There IS Seax-Wica, which is a denomination of Wicca, but that wasn't created until the 1970's.) This novel felt very...bland. Something about the dialogue felt off and a bit stilted. The dialogue also swaps between barely any to there being way too much of it. I shouldn't be reading a comic page and have more than fifty percent of it be dialogue. I also found myself getting very annoyed by Doreen always responding with "I don't know...I can't..." when asked about her beliefs. She says that exact sentence multiple times, enough for me to notice it and be irritated. The plot was somewhat interesting, though I kept getting lost as to exactly who was doing what for what reason quite a bit. The character building felt a bit surface-level. There one who gets the most fleshed-out character building is Doreen, but even then there is not much to be had. I guess the weak character-building can be partially excused by the fact that the majority of the main cast is based on real-life people. The art style is fine. If you like classic American-style comics, you will probably love this novel's art style. I just personally don't much care for it, there is nothing wrong with it objectively.
September 28, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
3 stars.
Spoilers ahead. I will not reveal anything big - most of the review vaguely alludes to plot, structure, and characters.
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I wanted to really love this graphic novel. The art has that classic comic book feel - moderately lined and beautifully colored. The panelization was dynamic and interesting. The subject matter was fascinating - and, in fact, was the main reason I picked it up. I mean, come on. Magic! War! But this fell flat for me. It ultimately felt underdeveloped plot-wise. We're introduced to characters that we expect to be prominent and then they...mostly disappear. We have to connect dots. That, combined with inconsistent characterization made it difficult for me to finish. Mostly, I wanted more context to the characters and why they were doing the things they were doing. This is a very interesting historical topic with a wealth of information behind it. I think that this graphic novel could have been a lot more than what it turned out to be - which is not to say that it's bad; it's fine - it's a fairly solid graphic novel with excellent art, but falls short when it comes to the story for me.
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Again, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
3 stars.
Spoilers ahead. I will not reveal anything big - most of the review vaguely alludes to plot, structure, and characters.
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I wanted to really love this graphic novel. The art has that classic comic book feel - moderately lined and beautifully colored. The panelization was dynamic and interesting. The subject matter was fascinating - and, in fact, was the main reason I picked it up. I mean, come on. Magic! War! But this fell flat for me. It ultimately felt underdeveloped plot-wise. We're introduced to characters that we expect to be prominent and then they...mostly disappear. We have to connect dots. That, combined with inconsistent characterization made it difficult for me to finish. Mostly, I wanted more context to the characters and why they were doing the things they were doing. This is a very interesting historical topic with a wealth of information behind it. I think that this graphic novel could have been a lot more than what it turned out to be - which is not to say that it's bad; it's fine - it's a fairly solid graphic novel with excellent art, but falls short when it comes to the story for me.
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Again, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
December 28, 2022
(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through Netgalley. Content warning for racism and violence.)
At just nineteen years old, Doreen "Dominy" Valiente is a recently widowed, junior intelligence officer, when she is approached by a British General for a covert mission. "I know you're a witch, Doreen Dominy! And that is the capacity in which you can best serve your country." A hobbyist of the occult, Dominy is plagued by doubts about the existence of magic and the supernatural. However, she soon realizes that this is immaterial to her operation: as long as her targets believe in the occult, she can use this to the Allies' benefit. Trouble is, her hatred of Churchill rivals her hatred of Hitler.
I really wanted to love THE WITCHES OF WORLD WAR II, but I often found the storytelling confusing. Based on a true events - Doreen Edith Dominy Valiente was a crucial figure in the English Wiccan movement, and in Operation Cone of Power, a group of British witches attempted a "magical assault" on the mind of Hitler - the story felt incomplete and, well, surprisingly boring. Cornell spends entirely too much time focusing on Dominy's personal doubts and existential crises. Crowley feels like a caricature (although perhaps this is accurate for a man dubbed “Wickedest Man In The World”). And I never did understand Dominy's antipathy toward the war (aside from blaming it for her husband's death at sea).
At just nineteen years old, Doreen "Dominy" Valiente is a recently widowed, junior intelligence officer, when she is approached by a British General for a covert mission. "I know you're a witch, Doreen Dominy! And that is the capacity in which you can best serve your country." A hobbyist of the occult, Dominy is plagued by doubts about the existence of magic and the supernatural. However, she soon realizes that this is immaterial to her operation: as long as her targets believe in the occult, she can use this to the Allies' benefit. Trouble is, her hatred of Churchill rivals her hatred of Hitler.
I really wanted to love THE WITCHES OF WORLD WAR II, but I often found the storytelling confusing. Based on a true events - Doreen Edith Dominy Valiente was a crucial figure in the English Wiccan movement, and in Operation Cone of Power, a group of British witches attempted a "magical assault" on the mind of Hitler - the story felt incomplete and, well, surprisingly boring. Cornell spends entirely too much time focusing on Dominy's personal doubts and existential crises. Crowley feels like a caricature (although perhaps this is accurate for a man dubbed “Wickedest Man In The World”). And I never did understand Dominy's antipathy toward the war (aside from blaming it for her husband's death at sea).
August 28, 2022
The Witches of World War II is a graphic novel inspired by the true story of the New Forest Coven and Operation Cone of Power. In this book, we follow Doreen, a 20 year old junior intelligence officer and war widow as she helps form a group of “witches” for a unique mission-capture Hitler’s second in command, Rudolf Hess.
With this being inspired by true events, I was very excited to go into it. A lot of WW2 books I have read focus on the really sad parts of the war, which obviously it is all sad. But I feel like I never really find anything that feels hopeful. So I thought a book about a mission to capture a high ranking nazi would be really interesting.
While I love graphic novels, I feel like the overall story in this one doesn’t quite fit this style of book. It felt very disjointed and confusing because we never got a lot of character development. I feel like someone who is already familiar with this story would really enjoy it but going in knowing nothing about it, I kept getting lost.
The artwork is stunning. The color palette really works for the historical setting. I just wish the story would have explained more about what was going on.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book ahead of its release. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
With this being inspired by true events, I was very excited to go into it. A lot of WW2 books I have read focus on the really sad parts of the war, which obviously it is all sad. But I feel like I never really find anything that feels hopeful. So I thought a book about a mission to capture a high ranking nazi would be really interesting.
While I love graphic novels, I feel like the overall story in this one doesn’t quite fit this style of book. It felt very disjointed and confusing because we never got a lot of character development. I feel like someone who is already familiar with this story would really enjoy it but going in knowing nothing about it, I kept getting lost.
The artwork is stunning. The color palette really works for the historical setting. I just wish the story would have explained more about what was going on.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book ahead of its release. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
January 9, 2023
Witches, magic, and WWII? Sign me up! This graphic novel is an alternate history where a group of British occultists are recruited to defeat the Nazis, specifically Rudolf Hess. Doreen Dominy, a war widow, is tasked with rounding up Aleister Crowley, Gerald Gardner, Dion Fortune, and Rollo Ahmed to perform intelligence work for the British government. They all practice different types of magic and Crowley and Ahmed are also con men using magic/sleights of hand for their own purposes.
Trust me, I really wanted to like this graphic novel. It has everything I like. But it falls really short for me. The story felt like it was rushed through. It would've been great if there were explanations in the panels instead of just dialogue. It was hard to fully understand the characters' motives. I didn't mind that we viewed everything through Doreen's skeptical lens, except that it provided a very limited understanding of the other characters and how dire a situation would turn out to be.
I also didn't really like the art. Throughout the story, I couldn't stop looking to see how tall Doreen's hair was getting.
Thank you to TKO Studios and NetGalley for this arc!
Trust me, I really wanted to like this graphic novel. It has everything I like. But it falls really short for me. The story felt like it was rushed through. It would've been great if there were explanations in the panels instead of just dialogue. It was hard to fully understand the characters' motives. I didn't mind that we viewed everything through Doreen's skeptical lens, except that it provided a very limited understanding of the other characters and how dire a situation would turn out to be.
I also didn't really like the art. Throughout the story, I couldn't stop looking to see how tall Doreen's hair was getting.
Thank you to TKO Studios and NetGalley for this arc!
February 2, 2023
DNF at 60%.
SIGH. The Witches of World War II had such great potential. A graphic novel about a coven of witches that are on a mission to capture Rudolf Hess, Hitler's second-in-command? Inspired by true events? Sounds absolutely amazing. Unfortunately, the execution was just so mind-bogglingly confusing that all of the potential coolness was just lost. If you asked me who any of the characters were, what they were doing, who the witches were, or if the witches were actually witches, I could not tell you. If you asked me to describe a single thing that happened in the 100 pages that I read, I could not tell you. I think that the idea behind the graphic novel is the perfect fuel for a great graphic novel or novel in general, but unfortunately, it just was not pulled off in The Witches of World War II. I can't recommend this book to anyone.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a free digital copy of the Witches of World War II in exchange for an honest review.
SIGH. The Witches of World War II had such great potential. A graphic novel about a coven of witches that are on a mission to capture Rudolf Hess, Hitler's second-in-command? Inspired by true events? Sounds absolutely amazing. Unfortunately, the execution was just so mind-bogglingly confusing that all of the potential coolness was just lost. If you asked me who any of the characters were, what they were doing, who the witches were, or if the witches were actually witches, I could not tell you. If you asked me to describe a single thing that happened in the 100 pages that I read, I could not tell you. I think that the idea behind the graphic novel is the perfect fuel for a great graphic novel or novel in general, but unfortunately, it just was not pulled off in The Witches of World War II. I can't recommend this book to anyone.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a free digital copy of the Witches of World War II in exchange for an honest review.
June 28, 2024
I really wasn't sure what to expect from this graphic novel, having only picked it up because it's a Hugo finalist and it's in the packet. I've had mixed success with Cornell's work in the past. He's a good writer, but it's often quite dark, and that's something I don't necessarily like. But I enjoyed this story of five "magicians" coming together to thwart the Nazis in WW2. All the five leads are real people, according to the afterword, although the story obviously plays fast and loose with the details. I loved the idea of the Bletchley Park translator (Doreen Valiente) being asked to step up and lead this rag-tag group, at least one of whom cheerfully admits he's a conman. She spends the whole book being unsure about whether magic is real or not, but either way, they use the Nazi obsession with the occult to help the war effort.
The art style is clean, with strong lines and muted colours, and feels appropriate to the story that it's telling. It's definitely work that everyone involved can be proud it, and its Hugo finalist status is well-deserved.
The art style is clean, with strong lines and muted colours, and feels appropriate to the story that it's telling. It's definitely work that everyone involved can be proud it, and its Hugo finalist status is well-deserved.
September 14, 2022
I thought that the premise to this graphic novel was super interesting, being that the story is based on actual events (an acknowledgement is at the end of what is real, and what were creative liberties). The art style is excellent and the characters all different enough that they weren't confusing. The story was interesting enough to keep me reading.
However, I felt that the story became disjointed between chapters and the dialogue at times was choppy or too much. The characters' motives did get confusing at times and I wondered why certain people were taking certain actions.
Perhaps if I knew more of the history to it, then it would have been clearer to understand the plot and motives.
Overall, it was still interesting and a solid three star read.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this advanced reader copy, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
However, I felt that the story became disjointed between chapters and the dialogue at times was choppy or too much. The characters' motives did get confusing at times and I wondered why certain people were taking certain actions.
Perhaps if I knew more of the history to it, then it would have been clearer to understand the plot and motives.
Overall, it was still interesting and a solid three star read.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this advanced reader copy, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
September 24, 2022
If you enjoy historical world war 2 fiction with a slight witchy twist then this one is definitely for you! Although it could do with a little bit more magic in my opinion!
Overall this was an interesting story with some lovely illustrations. I gave this book 3 stars because although I enjoyed it, I did find some parts hard to follow and some parts of the story I had to read several times in order to understand exactly what was happening. I feel like this book could use some context when going into the scenes - perhaps a small amount of text to tell you what’s happening. The characters were fairly interesting and the dialogue was sometimes hard to follow.
After reading this book I did follow up with some research into the New Forest Coven and into the story itself. The book does provide an afterward detailing extra information on the characters and storyline.
I received this an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Overall this was an interesting story with some lovely illustrations. I gave this book 3 stars because although I enjoyed it, I did find some parts hard to follow and some parts of the story I had to read several times in order to understand exactly what was happening. I feel like this book could use some context when going into the scenes - perhaps a small amount of text to tell you what’s happening. The characters were fairly interesting and the dialogue was sometimes hard to follow.
After reading this book I did follow up with some research into the New Forest Coven and into the story itself. The book does provide an afterward detailing extra information on the characters and storyline.
I received this an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
October 30, 2022
3.5 Stars
Came across this graphic novel on Netgalley and was intrigued enough to request it! I think my rating would have been higher if the novel was longer - perhaps even double the length. This would have smoothed out some of the more confusing scenes and also allowed us more time with the characters, each of whom I found very intriguing but didn't really get to live up to their potential. After reading the authors' notes at the end I wish we'd seen more of their backstories in the novel itself.
However, I liked the parts I could follow quite a lot, and the different kinds of magic/con-artistry on show - the mix of both along with the espionage was fun. The art style was appropriately vintage and I particularly liked the use of colour.
Overall a quick, fun and interesting read inspired by true people and events, which could have benefited greatly from being a much longer novel.
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