The Raven’s Eye Rebellion

By Claire Mabey

Reviewed by Mia Macrossan

This is the sequel to The Raven’s Eye Runaways, 2024, which introduced us to an original fantasy world where only a privileged few are allowed to read, where books have enormous power for good or ill and where ordinary people are oppressed but those who are ‘strange’ in any way are in grave danger. For strange read magical and or gifted in some way.

Four young people find themselves working together to undo the strict rules and regulations that control their world. They are Buckle, a young boy who makes friends readily and easily. He is best friends with Getwin, a bookbinder who was the main character in the previous book, Lea, a former scribe who has an unusual and rare ‘strangeness’, and Mir, a young Scholar, who now has a much more important and significant role.

These four drive the action which mostly alternates between Buckle and Lea as they set up a subversive reading group and Getwin and Mir who infiltrate right into the heart of the organisation. I’m too impatient a reader to be a fan of this style of writing especially when the chapters are short, but it does give a panoramic view of the action which helps when the plot is complex, as this one is.

The writing is rich and descriptive, creating vivid word pictures which immerse the reader in this unusual world. There is a magical boat, enchanted books, powerful forces embodied in trees, beings and people, and the raven Spark, who has been Getwin’s companion for most of her life, but who turns out to be someone totally unexpected and wonderful.

I think it helped that I had read The Raven’s Eye Runaways, although there is plenty of exposition here explaining the background for most developing situations. The four protagonists are each different enough and interesting in their individual ways to keep the reader engaged. The changing relationship between Getwin and Mir is believable and realistic.

Themes of family, friendship, loyalty, courage, and justice as well as the power of the written word, the importance of libraries and books in the world are paramount in this engrossing story.

Suitable for all fantasy lovers age 10 +.

A & U Children’s NZ 2026

Claire Mabey