The Witch's Throne Volume 1

A quest to stop a prophesied evil, full of fantasy archetypes and special attacks and based on a popular webcomic.

Agni is a human alchemist with skeleton arms who dreams of making friends and taking down a powerful witch. Danger in the form of bandits almost immediately finds her, but her potions are explosively powerful. Before long, she befriends Grom, an elf/giant blacksmith with an eye patch and prosthetic legs who can summon an array of bladed weapons. Together they beseech Reksha, an orc/dwarf combat expert, to train them for the upcoming witch hunt tournament that determines the heroes who will fight the witch. Agni grew up sheltered and possesses a painfully altruistic worldview that endears her to others. Sepia-toned flashbacks reveal the characters’ backstories and motivations, gradually fleshing out their personalities. Video game and shonen manga influences are explicit as characters shout the names of their over-the-top special attacks, resulting in shock waves and damage. Fighting game parries also figure into the action. The world operates according to tabletop and video game logic laid down by a wizard, which is all the explanation needed when the characters are this fun and compelling. The narrative’s shifting perspective keeps track of an expansive roster of friends and foes. The diverse cast includes a range of skin tones and colors, including human and fantasy races.

Put down that controller, manga, and 20-sided die and get lost in this tale inspired by them all. (Graphic fantasy. 13-17)