This concept was pretty interesting, but it's giving crackfic, to be honest. I was very detached and will absolutely forget this story. It was executed perfectly fine, but stories like this remind me why things like Hitchhiker's Guide and litRPG doesn't work for me.

This is probably the closest that a myth retelling has made me feel to what Circe accomplished. Hewlett's choice of Melantho as a perspective character reframes the Odyssey beautifully for the characters left behind. The sapphic love between Penelope and Melantho is beautiful and terrible, but ultimately inevitable.

I received an electronic copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Kamome Shirahama's Witch Hat Atelier is a magical manga following a young girl called Coco. When Coco accidentally uses forbidden magic, she finds herself a newly appointed witch's apprentice. Coco wants to undo the harm she did with the forbidden spells and save her mother, but there is much to learn in the meantime to be able to do so.

This manga was a really fun first installment in the series. There is a good hook and reasonable stakes to drive the story as well as some beginnings of interpersonal drama with Coco and one of her fellow apprentices. The art style really conveys the whimsy of the story while being firm enough to easily guide the reader through the pages. There is a nostalgic style that may appeal to fans of the magical girl subgenre.

Overall, I would be happy to continue with this series and may look for opportunities to read more soon.