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The Raven's Eye Runaways
A gripping, beautifully-told fantasy quest set in a parallel medieval world.
Three young people and a one-eyed raven join forces to fight against the oppressive regime that restricts the gift of reading to an elite few and aims to squash magic.
Getwin is a bookbinder working from dawn till dusk with her mother at Raven's Eye Bookbindery. Joane is a scribe, living in a monastic-style castle, where she and other girls are forced to copy manuscripts until their fingers bleed. Buckle is Getwin's loyal and close friend.
When Joane escapes her prison-like life and the soporific tea that drugs her, she is rescued by Getwin and Buckle. They go in search of Getwin's mother, who has been taken by the regime.
They encounter many dangers and must travel through a fearful city and a magical forest.
Will they find her safe? And what is the terrible truth behind everything they think they know about their world?
Three young people and a one-eyed raven join forces to fight against the oppressive regime that restricts the gift of reading to an elite few and aims to squash magic.
Getwin is a bookbinder working from dawn till dusk with her mother at Raven's Eye Bookbindery. Joane is a scribe, living in a monastic-style castle, where she and other girls are forced to copy manuscripts until their fingers bleed. Buckle is Getwin's loyal and close friend.
When Joane escapes her prison-like life and the soporific tea that drugs her, she is rescued by Getwin and Buckle. They go in search of Getwin's mother, who has been taken by the regime.
They encounter many dangers and must travel through a fearful city and a magical forest.
Will they find her safe? And what is the terrible truth behind everything they think they know about their world?
330 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 2, 2024
5 people are currently reading
117 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
April 16, 2025
What an absolute treat this was 💛 Getwin, Lea and Buckle (and Lolly!!!) have a firm place in my heart (even though I want to have a sit down with Get that will probs turn into a shouting match and tell her not to hold on so tight to her anger especially when it is aimed at the wrong person even though I understand why!!!). This world wrapped me up in the same way I have felt with the worlds of Frances Hardinge and Katherine Rundell. I loved the themes of piracy (and hope for more in book 2?) and the speaking of latin to speak with the trees (ronan lynch hello?!!). Marvellous, wonderful, would recommend.
some of my favourite lines
"The more you read, the more you want to read. That can be a curse. A blessing, too, but also a curse. Not all books are created equally. Some stories, some words, can make a person ill. You'll have to learn how to judge what stories to take in – and which ones to resist."
"I won't pluck you for quills if you promise not to corrupt my soul..."
"That mank-coated rat."
some of my favourite lines
"The more you read, the more you want to read. That can be a curse. A blessing, too, but also a curse. Not all books are created equally. Some stories, some words, can make a person ill. You'll have to learn how to judge what stories to take in – and which ones to resist."
"I won't pluck you for quills if you promise not to corrupt my soul..."
"That mank-coated rat."
February 26, 2025
What a fabulous world to escape into, full of magic, danger and adventure! Getwin and her mother are Bookbinders, but are forbidden (like most people) to actually read any of the books laboriously handwritten by the scribes. The oppressive Stationers hold all the power, but there are small pockets of people who are subversively reading and practicing magic. Getwin and her friends are strong, gutsy characters, uncovering secrets and learning who they are and what they stand for. Gloriously written, this is a stunning children's book.
September 14, 2024
beautifully written.
July 13, 2024
The Raven’s Eye Runaways is the very best kind of children’s fantasy – written with curiosity, intelligence and just the right amount of danger. Claire Mabey is a huge new talent, and her love of language, and for her characters, shines through on every page. I adored it.
August 5, 2024
Getwin is sick of working so much. As her mother's assistant in their bookbinding business, Getwin is a skilled binder in her own right, stitching pages together into beautiful bound books. They often work into the early hours of the morning, tasked with almost impossible timeframes to achieve their best work.
This job is also completed in time for a demanding client. Not that there is any choice in the matter. They live in a world where books are only to be read by Scholars. If anyone knew that both Getwin and her mother could read, they would be in terrible trouble. It's only when a strange girl named Lea arrives in her life that Getwin begins to understand how much trouble is out there waiting for her.
Getwin's mother is called away to a wealthy and powerful home, regarding work within their library. When she doesn't return, Getwin knows something is wrong and she sets out to find her, leaving her best friend Buckle to look after the bookbindery.
Along with Lea, they set out for a town where someone can help find her mother. Lea has had her own story of escape to tell. She is a Scribe. These are children forced to write all day with quills and ink, transcribing books. Their hands become blistered and infected and still they write on, with an evil taskmaster leering over their shoulders. Lea has powerful books in her possession - against every law of the land. But these books save them time and time again.
Getwin and Lea learn about and meet others who have rebelled against this system of power, neglect and heartlessness. They learn of magic, and discover people with incredible powers that can help them, and with the help of books, enter new worlds alongside their own. But Lea's cruel master is searching for her, Getwin's friend is in trouble, and they still haven't found her mother. Are they too late?
A book about the power, wonder and magical qualities of books, but all is not sunshine and rainbows in this novel. In fact, very few are permitted to own or even read books. Young people are exploited in the making of them, and anyone deemed different is spurned and controlled if an even worse fate doesn't befall them first.
Getwin is a character to cheer for, and the villains of this novel are particularly nasty and easy to hate. I loved the connection of magic and books, and the way characters travel through them, just like we all do when we pick up a book.
The language is lyrical and often sophisticated, and readers from aged 10-14 are its target audience. I often reread sentences as they were beautifully crafted, yet not complicated.
The viewpoint is 3rd person omniscient, portraying thoughts and feelings of characters in the scene. This was never confusing however. The setting of medieval times is clear and equally fantastical with helpful trees, pictures appearing on skin and hungry lions from beneath skirts.
A book not to be rushed, but savoured and maybe, even reading all over again.
This job is also completed in time for a demanding client. Not that there is any choice in the matter. They live in a world where books are only to be read by Scholars. If anyone knew that both Getwin and her mother could read, they would be in terrible trouble. It's only when a strange girl named Lea arrives in her life that Getwin begins to understand how much trouble is out there waiting for her.
Getwin's mother is called away to a wealthy and powerful home, regarding work within their library. When she doesn't return, Getwin knows something is wrong and she sets out to find her, leaving her best friend Buckle to look after the bookbindery.
Along with Lea, they set out for a town where someone can help find her mother. Lea has had her own story of escape to tell. She is a Scribe. These are children forced to write all day with quills and ink, transcribing books. Their hands become blistered and infected and still they write on, with an evil taskmaster leering over their shoulders. Lea has powerful books in her possession - against every law of the land. But these books save them time and time again.
Getwin and Lea learn about and meet others who have rebelled against this system of power, neglect and heartlessness. They learn of magic, and discover people with incredible powers that can help them, and with the help of books, enter new worlds alongside their own. But Lea's cruel master is searching for her, Getwin's friend is in trouble, and they still haven't found her mother. Are they too late?
A book about the power, wonder and magical qualities of books, but all is not sunshine and rainbows in this novel. In fact, very few are permitted to own or even read books. Young people are exploited in the making of them, and anyone deemed different is spurned and controlled if an even worse fate doesn't befall them first.
Getwin is a character to cheer for, and the villains of this novel are particularly nasty and easy to hate. I loved the connection of magic and books, and the way characters travel through them, just like we all do when we pick up a book.
The language is lyrical and often sophisticated, and readers from aged 10-14 are its target audience. I often reread sentences as they were beautifully crafted, yet not complicated.
The viewpoint is 3rd person omniscient, portraying thoughts and feelings of characters in the scene. This was never confusing however. The setting of medieval times is clear and equally fantastical with helpful trees, pictures appearing on skin and hungry lions from beneath skirts.
A book not to be rushed, but savoured and maybe, even reading all over again.
February 23, 2025
I am no a fantasy fan.
I struggle with world building and characters who can do things I don’t understand (and yet I love Harry Potter… go figure…)
But I absolutely loved this book.
I do confess to not fully understanding bits of it and I suspect the author’s depth of thinking goes way beyond what my basic mind can comprehend. BUT, what I did understand I found fascinating and I was able to follow the story for the most part.
And this leads to an important point… we still need books out there that will challenge our thinking. And challenge our students’ thinking. There are still young readers who need this kind of a story, which makes them delve deeper into their own understanding.
There is nothing wrong with the Wimpy Kids and Dog Mans (Men?!) of this world. They do their own important work of hooking in young readers who may not always want to be reading. But we mustn’t forget those children who need something a bit different.
And to add icing to the cake… this is a book by a NZ writer, so it will be one I will be promoting to our students.
I struggled to decide whether to put this into our Year 7/8 section as the story deals with some tricky themes (death, torture, freedom of speech) but ultimately decided not to, as there will be some younger readers for whom this is The Next Best Thing. (Although I likely won’t actively promote it below Year 6.)
Getwin and her mother run the Raven’s Eye Book Bindery in a medieval feeling world where only the privileged few are allowed to read and write.
When Getwin’s mother goes missing, Getwin and her two friends, along with her one-eyed raven, go off on a desperate rescue mission, where they face great danger and meet some wild and unpredictable characters. (That is a VERY basic plot overview!!!)
Highly recommended.
I struggle with world building and characters who can do things I don’t understand (and yet I love Harry Potter… go figure…)
But I absolutely loved this book.
I do confess to not fully understanding bits of it and I suspect the author’s depth of thinking goes way beyond what my basic mind can comprehend. BUT, what I did understand I found fascinating and I was able to follow the story for the most part.
And this leads to an important point… we still need books out there that will challenge our thinking. And challenge our students’ thinking. There are still young readers who need this kind of a story, which makes them delve deeper into their own understanding.
There is nothing wrong with the Wimpy Kids and Dog Mans (Men?!) of this world. They do their own important work of hooking in young readers who may not always want to be reading. But we mustn’t forget those children who need something a bit different.
And to add icing to the cake… this is a book by a NZ writer, so it will be one I will be promoting to our students.
I struggled to decide whether to put this into our Year 7/8 section as the story deals with some tricky themes (death, torture, freedom of speech) but ultimately decided not to, as there will be some younger readers for whom this is The Next Best Thing. (Although I likely won’t actively promote it below Year 6.)
Getwin and her mother run the Raven’s Eye Book Bindery in a medieval feeling world where only the privileged few are allowed to read and write.
When Getwin’s mother goes missing, Getwin and her two friends, along with her one-eyed raven, go off on a desperate rescue mission, where they face great danger and meet some wild and unpredictable characters. (That is a VERY basic plot overview!!!)
Highly recommended.
April 30, 2025
The sinister Stationers Company controls access to knowledge. Reading is restricted to wealthy Scholars, the aristocracy in this medieval-like world. Strong minded Getwin and her mother are book binders, working to exhaustion to survive. But when her mother disappears and a Scribe run-away Lea needs shelter, Getwin and her best friend Buckle begin their steps of rebellion.
Dark themes speak of power and the violence needed to sustain it. The society is steeped in fear - fear of magic and other. The tween characters are courageous and the reading is thrilling. I loved the connection of tree and paper and writer. Beautifully written and I think welcomes a re-read. Highly recommend 4.5+ stars
If you like this try ‘The Book of Stolen Dreams’ by David Farr.
Dark themes speak of power and the violence needed to sustain it. The society is steeped in fear - fear of magic and other. The tween characters are courageous and the reading is thrilling. I loved the connection of tree and paper and writer. Beautifully written and I think welcomes a re-read. Highly recommend 4.5+ stars
If you like this try ‘The Book of Stolen Dreams’ by David Farr.
August 15, 2024
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?
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Guest review from my niece Emma (age 14): “The characters were unique and likeable, the concept, magic system and plot was very interesting as well. From the start, there was a sense of mystery, and although the plot was slightly predictable towards the end, there were still some elements of surprise throughout the book.
Overall, I would rate it 4/5 stars”
.
Guest review from my niece Emma (age 14): “The characters were unique and likeable, the concept, magic system and plot was very interesting as well. From the start, there was a sense of mystery, and although the plot was slightly predictable towards the end, there were still some elements of surprise throughout the book.
Overall, I would rate it 4/5 stars”
February 23, 2025
What a wonderful adventure! The world this story inhabits is so cleverly wrought, the characters so interesting and the plot so fresh and compelling. And the prose is divine. I cannot wait to read more about Getwin and Buckle and Lea and Sharp and I just know this story has some very exciting twists and turns ahead. Recommended.
September 1, 2025
I wanted to love it. The premise was imaginative and charming and I kept waiting to be swept away, but I never felt like I knew enough about any one character to appreciate what was going on. Gave up at 80% when no longer had any clue what was going on. Probably best left to people who like hard/epic fantasy.
December 16, 2024
DNF for this one. I just couldn't follow the thread of any one character. I got about a third in and just couldn't get a sense of story for any of the characters. I figured if I'm getting bored then any kid reading it will have got bored long before I did.
February 25, 2025
What a stunning novel with incredible world building and loveable characters. As someone has said before me, this is a cosy fantasy adventure wrapped up in a world of BOOKS! I'll be looking out for more Claire Mabey books in the future.
August 1, 2024
Loved this YA book! Such detailed world building, reminiscent of LOTR. Can't wait for sequels.... I sense a series in the making!!
August 27, 2024
This is a delightful middle-grade adventure that will entice readers of all ages.
September 2, 2024
Review to come.
December 28, 2024
Would have given it a higher rating, but the beginning was disjointed and somewhat confusing.
January 23, 2025
Stunning. I devoured it.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews