The Secret of the Ravens

In a post-apocalyptic future, twin orphans Elliot and Liza must sell garbage to survive. One day, while scavenging in a garbage heap, they come across a boy named Connor who introduces them to raven quests. He explains that, when you come upon a raven with a magic mark on them, they will give you a quest which you complete for coins.

Determined to earn more money, the twins decide they need to learn more magic in order to embark on their first quest, and so they decide to steal a book of spells from a local store. Armed with their new magical knowledge, they complete their first quest which earns them enough coins to eat for a week.

However, once the week is over, Liza and Elliot decide that they need a more secure future, and so they decide to head to the capital city of Kawumiti Kingdom. Once there, they learn that not everything that glitters is gold as the royal family and their people despise the poor and arrest anyone living on the streets. With no money and no where to go, the twins meet Seb, a young mage in training who offers them a deal of a lifetime. If they agree to join the King’s Royal Apprenticeship Program, they will have free food and shelter for life. Moreover, they will receive magical training which will allow them to work toward becoming a royal mage or guard in the King’s Army.

Liza wants to accept, but Elliot, who has trust issues, disagrees, instead preferring to continue on with the raven quests to earn money for their food and shelter. And that is when things take a disastrous turn. While on a quest to collect active venom from a Titan snake, Liza is accidentally poisoned. With nowhere to go, Elliot, seeking help, turns to Seb who takes them to the home of an ancient mage named Isra who is rumored to be over 100 years old.

Isra is able to slow the spread of the poison, but, in order for Liza to survive, Isra needs to make an antidote with three very specific ingredients. Elliot, desperate to save his sister, has one month to find the ingredients, and, with the help of Seb, he embarks on the journey of a lifetime to save his sister.

Things start off smoothly as Seb and Elliot are able to track down the first ingredient pretty easily. However, the second and third ingredients prove to be a bit trickier to locate. A tip finally leads them to the King’s castle where Elliot is caught by Royal Guards and is imprisoned. Seb, who is desperate to save him, enters the dungeon when Isra arrives, demanding the final ingredients for her own spell. As the boys have knowledge of where to find them, Isra kidnaps both Elliot and Seb, demanding that they take her to the ingredients themselves.

As the trio tracks down the last two ingredients, Isra reveals that she has no intention of saving Liza. In fact, Isra is the last descendant of the Ryvens, a non-human, magical peoples who were supposedly eliminated by the human Royal Family over 100 years ago. Over the years, Isra created the raven quests to help her collect the special ingredients she needs to resurrect her people.

Elliot, alarmed that his sister might die, decides to make a deal. If he swears his allegiance to Isra and helps her get justice for her people, Isra must save Liza’s life. Isra accepts, saving Liza and disappearing with Elliot in the process. The story ends with Liza safe and sound, agreeing to join the King’s Royal Apprenticeship Program where she and Seb decide to join forces and save Elliot.

A magical adventure story, The Secret of the Ravens is Joanna Cacao’s debut graphic novel as an author-illustrator. The story, while following the traditional hero’s narrative, is fast-paced, and full of heart. The relationship depicted between twins Liza and Elliot is touching and peppered with fun, realistic sibling banter. Moreover, the budding love between Seb and Elliot is also heartwarming, adding a touch of romance to the story as well.

And let’s not forget Cacao’s fantastic illustrations that add much depth to the storyline. Her use of curved, fluid lines really enhances the action scenes of the story, bringing to life the adventures that Liza, Elliot and Seb all embark on. Her choice of colour palette, contrasting vibrant pastels with darker earth tones, adds more complexity to the narrative and its pacing.

Packed with plenty of action, a ton of magical elements, and a whole lot of heart, The Secret of the Ravens is recommended for fans of middle grade fantasy graphic novels.