Rebel Dawn Written by Ann Sei Linn. Reviewed by Radhika, Age 10

This is the third and final book of Ann Sei Lin’s action-packed, heart-warming and thought-provoking series – Rebel Fire, Rebel Sky and this one, Rebel Dawn. With her incredible mastery over words, she has created a masterpiece that many of us couldn’t even dream of. I, for one, was astonished by how she wove together the story into a diaphanous web filled with exciting plot twists, vicious enemies and impossible behemoth beasts.

Shikigami are life-sized origami creations with a mind of their own. Kurara and Haru are one of the first Shikigami ever created. They have the blood of the stars which comes from the sap of the Star Tree on their core. This means they have their own emotions, look like ordinary people and can control what they do. After all the legendary Star Trees were cut down by power-hungry crafters (people who can control paper) Shikigami were forced to have the blood of a crafter on their core or otherwise face insanity. Crafters modified Shikigami ruthlessly, so they became helpless tools for war who needed no rest or food and had to obey orders blindly.

Kurara, Haru and Himura are searching for a way to make the fabled star seed bloom. Using the sap from the tree, they will free the Shikigami from the bonds that have been forced upon them. But time is not on their side. Like grains of sand slipping through your fingers, seconds are ticking away mercilessly. The empire is at war – the sky cities are fighting the groundlings and it is not going to be long before the empire collapses. Meanwhile, Shikigami everywhere are losing their minds, blaming the elusive “Aki” for all the destruction. Can Kurara save the Shikigami in time?