Book Review: Raven’s Eye Runaways

Raven’s Eye Runaways
by Claire Mabey
Review by Alex

This fantasy quest is gloriously bookish, revolving around the magic and power of words and stories. In the city of Wyle, reading is a tightly-controlled activity, under the watch of the Stationers who do the bidding of the oppressive Prime.

Getwin works with her mother as a bookbinder, accompanied by a one-eyed raven called Sharp. Clandestinely reading the books they bind is a risky activity, and when her mother is summoned to the house of an elite Scribe family, Getwin worries they have been found out. Her path crosses with Lea, a young scribe who has escaped enslavement, and they team up to find her mother and unravel the mysterious power held in the books she left behind.

This novel features great world-building, wholly-developed characters and whimsical-yet-earthy language – you can taste the ale at the inn, feel the wooden beams above your head, feel the wind on your face as the trio travels through their world. Excellent middle-grade fiction, perfect for readers who enjoyed The Grimmelings or Crookhaven.