Witch Hat Atelier Vol 3 by Kamome Shirahama

After the fallout of Coco drying up an entire river, Qifrey discovers the ink pot she bought in town may be more than it seems. He takes them both back to the shop and questions the ink master, who realizes the ink in the bottle is the same on the dragon’s seal that he’s been examining for Qifrey. Coco and Tartah chat about different dyes and what effects they have on inks, when a mishap sends many bottles to the floor. He reveals he has silver blindness and memorized the bottles by their placement since he can’t see their colors. Later, coco works so hard and has many nightmares to the point where she gets sick from exhaustion and fever.

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Albeit brief, Richeh and Tetia finally show some divergence in this volume during a discussion about the value of the witch’s tests  Richeh seems indifferent to their necessity, and Tetia dreams of her future and all the things she will be able to do once she's a full witch. We also see a bit of a darker side to Qifrey, and he is very much an ends justifies the means kinda guy during the events of this novel.  This really deepens the mystery that's been building about the Brimmed Hats, and it seems that it's not just Coco who has something to settle with them.  The art continues to be a highlight of this series.  There is more magic in this volume, and the illustrations of the witches casting are beautiful. There are also a few two-page spreads of landscape that make me want to walk into the page and into that world.

Sara's Rating: 10/10
Suitability Level: Grades 5-12

​Reviews of previous volumes in this series: vol 1, vol 2
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Tags: Rating: 10/10, Suitability: Elementary School, Suitability: Middle School, Suitability: High School, Manga, Fantasy, Magical Girl