It has been years since I watched The Craft, but I still remember how mesmerized I was at it. First of all, I had a crush on Rachel True, as everything about her, kept my eyes on the screen. Second, I knew girls like the ones in the movie, and I remember them being completely obsessed about the movie, and this was years before the internet. Since then, the entertainment industry has depicted witches on conflicting ends of the spectrum, but none of them quite as authentic as what was in that movie.

Jaomette Gil’s first book about witches reminded me of that film, Power & Magic, which was quite immersive, and mind blowing, as the tales told in that volume, were all excellent and belong with the best in the genre. So, when I heard that she put to gather a sequel, Immortal Souls, I wanted to see what creators and stories she would gather and curate for the sequel, and I was not disappointed.

In the first story,” Magical Girl Crisis,” a young witch who is necromancer doesn’t want to sacrifice who she is for what is she meant to be. In “Heirloom”, a young witch’s obsession with curses go too far and she may lose everything with one curse.

In “Mahk Ichi,” a witch ashamed of her heritage learns its true beauty through dance. In “Mu,” a fortune telling witch makes a man pay for his past sins in the most nightmarish way. In “Admonitions,” a girl enlists a witch to find her friend who just so happens to be amongst a spirit plain, leaving her and the witch forever changed. In “An Unexpected Sister,” witch who does exorcisms help a young woman who is being haunted, but finds out the demon thought she was helping her. In “The Woman Who Waits,” probably the eeriest story of the anthology, a woman makes a deal with a witch which lasts ore than lifetime but ultimately ends in tragedy. In “Hungry,” the grief of losing a parent causes a young lady to cast a necromancy spell but it is not what she thought it would be. In “Requiem,” a nurse who is also witch during wartime uses her powers to protect patients when soldiers were killing anyone in their sight. In “Bon Voyage, My Chains,” in a world where witchcraft is prohibited ad witches are actively hunted, one young witch has to hide her ability of clairvoyance, but breaks it to save a life which leads her and her family to go on the run.

Overall, an excellent sequel, which continues in the same vein as the first book but elevates in so many ways. The stories by the different creators, are funny, scary, smart, and entertaining. The art by the creators are gorgeous. Altogether, an excellent installment to a series which highlights creators color, features character of color and has fun doing it.

Story: Patdag, Clara Em, Sunny Ochumuk, Yeon Kyung Cha, Amber Huff, Francis Quintero, Lira Kraunik,  Joamette Gil, Ayanni C. Hanna, Sonia Liao
Art: Patdag, Clara Em, Ani Mackie, Yeon Kyung Cha, Amber Huff, Francis Quintero, Nyka, Joamette Gil, Melanie Tingdahl, Sonia Liao
Story: 10 Art: 10 Overall: 10 Recommendation: Buy