The Secret of the Ravens by Joanna Cacao is a fun comic for any child 10 and up. The story of orphan twins growing up in a world filled with magic, is similar to that of Harry Potter with a little bit of Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist. When twins, Elliot and Liza move from their small town in search of more riches they wind up in a world of trouble.

The story leads into a mystery of a fabled black lily, and a political subtext of oppression within a kingdom that isn’t all it appears. Our main characters see what it’s like to live on the streets and what it takes to try and make a living. Using their wits, the local library, and magic they find a way to try and make it in their world.

Just when they think they have a handle on life, a tragedy strikes one of them and now one of the twins must find a cure to save the other. Joanna Cacao’s story definitely gives the characters depth and understanding. This book was hard to put down for a 12 year old and his father.

Thank you HarperCollins Children's Books and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this wonderful book. This charming book seem like a fantastic beginning of a new series. Full of magic, adventure, great characters, fast moving plot, and beautiful illustrations, this was a one sitting, too short read for me. Can’t wait to see how the story continues! I’m sure my students would love and enjoy it as much as I did.

The beginning of a magical fantasy tale, The Secrets of the Ravens is filled with action, intrigue, and young protagonists trying to figure out who they can trust in the world. A good pick for upper elementary and middle grade readers who love fantasy.

What worked:
A problem with some graphic novels occurs when the narrative and abstract illustrations don’t fully communicate the plot. That is not a problem in this book. The text is not overly descriptive, as with all graphic novels, but it clearly tells the story of a young orphan trying to save the life of his twin sister. The drawings focus on the characters and events without unnecessary details so readers are able to fully grasp what’s going on. The illustrations effectively convey the evilness of the antagonists to enhance the descriptions in the narrative.
The main conflict finds Elliot doing everything he can to save his twin sister from dying of snake poisoning. The suspense intensifies as time counts down. There’s an underlying problem of persecution that concerns the whole kingdom. The opening scene finds a race of people being pursued by the royal hunters for execution. In the city, people living on the streets are being rounded up and the citizens are unwilling to help. This cruelty by the rulers creates difficulties across the lands and motivates one character to seek revenge.
What didn’t work as well:
The book’s ending is too abrupt as there are unresolved issues. I don’t want to share any spoilers but suffice it to say readers may not be satisfied. A sequel is surely on the way.
The final verdict:
The premise of the plot is engaging and magic is a central part of the story. However, the book ends just as things get really interesting so readers will need to reconcile this issue in their minds. This book will appeal to those who enjoy close family ties and enchantments.

I've been picking up pretty much every fantasy/sci-fi graphic novel that I can get my hands on because besides LGBTQ+, they are the most asked for right now in my library. This one will be a solid addition to my collection, so I'm hoping that open-ending means there's more books to follow in this series.

Super original (catching ravens-->secret quest-->money) with some mystery and creepiness thrown in for good measure. I'm going to need WAY more character development in the next volume if I'm going to continue the series, though. (And yes, I understand that is more difficult in graphic novels.) I also needed more explanation regarding the mysterious long-ago war that is mentioned.

Illustrations are fantastic and remind me a bit of Molly Knox Ostertag's The Witch Boy series. Also super appreciative of the diverse characters.

Beautiful graphic novel, beautiful art, unique story, amazing fantasy world, entertaining and gripping storytelling – this book has it all.
The ending was somewhat… strange. I did not expect it to end with a cliffhanger. But good news, it most likely means that part two is coming soon, right?

Nice art, rich color palette, clear characters, interesting world.

These bullet points are what immediately come to mind after reading The Secret of the Ravens.

This book has poverty and wealth, sibling affection, royal deception, genocide, magic, xenophobia, trauma, chosen family... so many things. The layers are well crafted.

Good for fans of The Dragon Prince (Netflix show GN's), Nameless City (Faith Erin Hicks) and Fantastic Tales of Nothing (Alejandra Green and Fanny Rodriguez)

Recommended for grades 5+

Magic is a useful tool and twins orphaned Elliot and Liza have figured out how to harness it to survive, and maybe even move up in the world by using it to participate in quests called the Raven’s Unkindness. But these quests have risks and the twins might be in over their head. An intriguing and mysterious opening to a new series in which old wrongs must be righted and a trio of kids are in the thick of the trouble.

I wanted to like this more, but I can't convince myself to give it more than 3 stars. I liked the story, art, and characters well enough, but nothing really stood out to me. The plot felt kind of generic, predictable, and some pacing was rushed. However, I enjoyed it enough to read the sequel when it eventually comes out. I was disappointed to find out it ended in a cliff hanger.

Great middle grade graphic novel full of adventure and magic! Following 2 orphan siblings who just want to better their lives. But when his sister Liza gets poisoned, Elliot will stop at nothing to save her life.

Fast paced and wonderfully magical. I was not aware going in to this that it would be more than one Volume but I'm happy that it is. I think the world has some great roots built in this first installment and would love to see more of this plot come to life without being super rushed or condensed.

I enjoyed the characters and the art style/coloring are really beautiful. Very entertaining and I cant wait to get more!

This graphic novel is a fast-paced story of orphaned brother-sister twins who must scrape by to survive. They start making money by using magical spells to capture ravens and fulfill their quests to find special items. The stakes increase and the plot takes a bit of a treacherous turn- revealing sinister secrets kept by both the kingdom and the ravens’ mysterious keeper. The art is fantastic! This LGBTQ+ book will leave you wanting more (to the point of perhaps feeling a bit unfulfilled in the end). I’m grateful to have read a digital copy via NetGalley. Read this if you are a fan of The Deep & Dark Blue by Niki Smith.

A pair of twins who only have each other have to struggle to survive in poverty. When they discover magical ravens that pay those who catch them to do certain tasks, it seems like they may have found something to keep them fed. But the pair dreams of a more stable life, and head to the city to see if they can find real jobs. When that doesn't work out, they go back to helping the ravens, but things go terribly wrong. A new friend promises to help, but they are all in over their heads. The first in a promising series.

The Secret of the Ravens follows homeless twins, Elliot and Liza, as they complete raven quests to earn money to eat and survive. One day, they follow the ravens to the capital city and trouble ensues. Now Liza's life is threatened, and Elliot will do whatever it takes to save his sister.

The magic system in this story was very unique. I loved the raven quests! Elliot and Liza are fun characters to follow. And I also found the art style to be beautiful and vibrant, making the story come alive even more.

This will be the first book in a new series, so it does leave off on a cliffhanger.

Elliot and Liza are homeless orphan twins that turn to magical raven quests in order to simply feed themselves. When the ravens around their small village start to disappear they follow them to the capital city where people are rude and entitled and don't allow any homeless people to dirty up the place. The twins befriend Seb, a young trainee for the royal guard, who wants them to join the ranks. Elliot talks Liza into one more raven quest, but when Liza gets hurt Elliot has to take drastic measures to save her.

The Secret of the Ravens had a great story line. The twins were resourceful and learned what they needed in order to make life better. They worked well together while both having their individual personalities and Seb fit in very well with the dynamics. The artwork was very well done with a nice balance between realism and mangas.
The ending was rather surprising and I am really looking forward to reading the next installment.

In The Secret of Ravens twin siblings Elliot and Liza discover that if they capture certain Ravens they will be given a small quest to accomplish, and the reward is far greater than what they are currently making collecting trash. The story follows them as they seek out these ravens and the quests get gradually more challenging and more dangerous. The magic system is incredibly unique and interesting and Elliot and Liza's journey as they begin to realize that they might want different things is an interesting one. Sometimes the pacing of the story feels a bit rushed and I would have loved more time exploring the characters. All in all though, a fun fantasy read.

The Secret of the Ravens follows twin orphans, Elliot and Liza, as they try to make their way in the world. Upon discovering that ravens around town carry magical tasks that can earn them the money they desperately need to live, the twins follow the birds to the capital city and end up in over their heads. Soon Elliot must team up with a frustrating capital soldier apprentice to fulfill the mission of a mysterious mage and save his sister. But everything in the capital is not as it seems. Secrets will be revealed on all sides and Elliot and Liza will need to decide who they can trust.

I really enjoyed the magic system in this book - simple spells made from different plants and fungus found in nature are relativity common and accessible, but there are complicated spells with dark intentions and rare ingredients too. I also loved the twins dynamic. They love and annoy each other in equal measure in the way only siblings can. Plus, the art is vibrant and fun. I can’t wait to read what happens next - it ends on a cliff hanger so be prepared!

Reviewed for NetGalley:

Honest review from my 10 year old:

I really enjoyed this one! Great illustrations and loved the magic system. Very fun read.

A graphic novel with ravens? I’m in.
This was so fun!
Liza and Elliot are twin orphans trying to earn money for their next meal when they realize they can do quests for ravens for good money so they can move to the city and make a new life.
Adventurous, queer, beautiful art and the first in a series.
I want the next one immediately.
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children for an eARC.

I randomly ran across The Secret of The Ravens on Netgalley while browsing. And being the Six of Crows fan I am, (yes I know ravens and crows are different birds) I requested it mostly for the cover. The Secret of The Ravens is a Filipino-inspired mg fantasy that follows two homeless twins named Elliot and Liza who are struggling to eat and live. One day they catch another kid hunting magical Ravens who provide Quests for money and decide to try it themselves. But it leads to a giant Titan Snake poisons Liza and Elliot decides to do anything it takes to save her including searching with a new ally for an ancient Mage to heal her. Unfortunately, the Mage has secrets of their own.

I enjoyed this graphic novel. I liked the magic system of using herbs and plants for spells. It's a bit different from most fantasies I read. I really wanted more background from what happened before the main story. Not much was explained. The world building needs some expanding. But I definitely can recommend picking this one up.


***Thank you to Netgalley and Clarion Books for providing me with a review copy.***