Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.

The Secret of the Ravens

ebook
5 of 5 copies available
5 of 5 copies available

In this charming middle grade graphic novel, orphan twins Elliot and Liza find themselves taking on a series of mysterious raven quests in order to make money and survive—only for Liza to be mortally injured during one of their adventures. Now, Elliot must team up with a mysterious dark mage in order to save her.

Twin siblings Elliot and Liza only have each other. Their parents are gone. Their home was taken, and to survive on their own, they're forced to scrounge up plastic and metal to trade for coin within an abandoned garbage heap. Desperate to escape the vagabond cycle that they're trapped in, the answer to their plight seemingly appears when they stumble upon a Raven Quest—magical tasks offered by mysterious message-carrying ravens that when successfully completed, promise the victors coin and untold riches.

In a gamble to change their fates, Elliot and Liza follow the trail of Raven Quests to the kingdom's capital, where the greedy rulers of the Kawumiti Kingdom reign and young people are enlisted to train as royal mages for the kingdom's army. But the Ravens Quests aren't as they seem, and the King is on a mission to hunt down vagrant participants like the twins.

When a quest goes terribly wrong, Liza is poisoned, and Elliot finds himself racing against the clock to find the cure. Now the only way to save his sister is to join forces with a royal apprentice and a dark mage with mysterious motives of her own—even if it means sacrificing everything.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

  • Formats

  • Languages

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      September 18, 2023
      Orphaned twins Elliot and Liza, who are portrayed with tan skin, scavenge and sell recyclables from a landfill to afford food, until they see a boy from their village trap a raven with magic and perform a quest in exchange for coins. After swiping a spellbook from a local shop, they teach themselves magic and follow the ravens’ migration to the dazzling capital city of Kawumiti Kingdom. There, they meet Seb, a brown-skinned mage who offers them membership to the King’s Royal Apprenticeship Program, where they can hone their magic and receive room and board. Elliot and Liza instead decide to keep pursuing ravens until Liza is hurt during a quest, forcing Elliot to team up with his crush Seb to save his sister. As the boys venture, they learn more about a century-old war between their kingdom and the land’s Indigenous magical peoples, and, in the face of mounting danger, question everything they’ve been taught about their history. Through boldly outlined, heavily saturated digital artwork that renders sharp movement and detailed character expressions, Cacao (The Tryout) explores the kingdom’s tumultuous past and introduces a new battle for its youngest citizens as they struggle to trust one another. Ages 8–12.

    • School Library Journal

      Starred review from November 1, 2023

      Gr 4-8-Twins Elliot and Liza want what everyone else does: the security of home and health. But that is a farfetched dream for those without parents, living in a kingdom that doesn't care. With raven quests promising them wealth and magic at their disposal, they are prompted to take greater and greater risks until Liza gets hurt. With newfound help from a well-intentioned guard apprentice named Seb, Elliot races to gather the ingredients required by the raven's mage master. Like many fantasy graphic novels, this Filipino-inspired volume provides a safe window through which to critically analyze humanity. Specifically, Cacao paints an empathetic view of poverty through the twins' experiences. Readers can easily see how their status is not due to "laziness" but from misfortune and the failures of state and society to adequately assist its citizens. The thematic drivers of prejudice and inequality regularly push the adventure along by making the characters susceptible to manipulation and by pressuring them to try extreme solutions. While the topic is heavy, the popular middle grade-style illustrations and supportive characters infuse the tone with resilience and hope. VERDICT For those who enjoy adventures such as The Nameless City or NewsPrints, this is another illuminating graphic novel that wraps its social issues around the lives of heart-capturing characters.-Rachel Forbes

      Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • Booklist

      November 1, 2023
      Grades 3-7 Cacao's debut graphic novel tells the tale of orphaned siblings Elliot and Liza, who live in Kawumiti Kingdom. The brother and sister live on the streets in the outskirts of the kingdom, collecting people's trash just to get by. Liza has always dreamed of a better life and persuades her brother to try their luck in Capital City. However, when they arrive, they find its residents to be pretty terrible. While in the city, they make ends meet by taking on quests from ravens and being paid in return for their spoils. During a particularly dangerous quest, Liza is poisoned, and Elliot seeks out help, but in doing so, he becomes a pawn in a mage's quest for revenge from a war that took place hundreds of years ago. Cacao's sharp artwork blends fantasy with a vaguely historical aesthetic, which cultivates plenty of atmosphere, and the pacing nicely unspools the underlying mystery about magic users. Rich backstory and exquisite illustrations give this fantasy adventure lots of appeal.

      COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Formats

  • OverDrive Read

Languages

  • English

Loading