Award-winning writer and illustrator Donya Todd’s new dark fantasy graphic novel, The Witch’s Egg, hits shelves this week from Avery Hill Publishing. Today, The Beat has an exclusive sneak peek at the book’s interior art, which showcases Todd’s peculiar character designs and atmospheric approach to storytelling.
The book explores the horrors of domestic violence and intergenerational trauma in a magical setting. Todd evokes the work of E.M. Carroll and Emil Ferris in this macabre familial tale. Here’s the full synopsis:
It was a spiderweb moon
And the imps did wonder
What dark delights wouldst the cat-witch conjure
By the Sardine Queen, by salt and the devil, by blackwormy earth, and by the deep, dark sea, the catwitch Urfi conjures an angel to love her and have children with her. But angels aren’t meant for love, and with the embryonic egg of their unborn children, Urfi flees from her partner’s violence, enduring terrible trials to find a new and safe home in the faery forest.
As her children, Isobel, Batzel, and Mazel, grow up with her, they find the horrors their mother endured during her flight to the forest returning to their lives—this time for the three of them to defeat for good. With secret magic, solemn bonds of friendship, and sisterhood, they can at last stand against the threat of the angels’ terror and insanity in this dark fairytale of motherhood, magic, and apocalyptic romance.
A gorgeous intergenerational family story of promises made, promises kept, and a mother who would do anything to protect her daughters.
Check out interior and cover art below.
The Witch’s Egg will be available everywhere books are sold on October 7.
English (US) · 