Three friends and a one-eyed raven find themselves up against the rulers who restrict the gifts of writing and reading to an elite few.
They must go on a wild and unpredictable rescue mission. Who and what will they meet along their way? And what is the terrible truth behind everything they think they know about their world?
‘You will be bewitched!’ GRACI KIM
‘Sparky and spooky, humorous and luminous.’ ELIZABETH KNOX
‘I adored it.’ RACHAEL KING
‘Beautiful, warm and assured debut.’ HERA LINDSAY BIRD
‘Claire Mabey writes like a dream.’ ANNA SMAILL
Format: Paperback
Pages: 336
Imprint: Allen & Unwin
Publication date: 02/07/2024
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.
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