Review: "Goat Magic" by Kate Wheeler

Goat Magic by Kate Wheeler
Published August 2025 via Oni Press
★★★★

Trill's life and magic are tied to goats—which she loves, but she also dreams of something more. And she just might find that when her story intersects with that of Alya, who is usually a princess but currently a goat...

This was super cute. I love the way Trill in particular is drawn, and her attitude is great—she's competent and a bit snarky; she's practical and stubborn in a way that she miiiight have learned from her goats. Alya has a bit more to learn; she's lived a privileged life but never had to prove herself in a real way. If anything, life as a princess has set her up to be a disappointment, and finding a way to de-goat-ify herself (and, oh yeah, save her kingdom and her mother in the process) is the first time she's had to step up in a way that has stakes.

The villain is intentionally tricky (and that's all I'll say about that), and there's plenty of tension to carry the book through. I didn't really need the romance (a platonic friendship story would have been just fine), but as written it's sweet and low-key, and very little of the tension is relationship drama, which is nice. Really, I'm mostly only sorry that Goat Magic wasn't longer—it felt complete, but I would have kept reading.

I hope this one makes it into a lot of middle school libraries.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.