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thebakerbookworm's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Let's start with the good: Tarisai is one of the best YA leads I've read in a while. Her growth and development from the first book continues into this one. She makes mistakes (frustrating from the reader's perspective haha), but she learns from them and she's not afraid of failure. The world-building continues to be beautiful and unique in this book—so vivid and compelling.
A big part of this story is that Tarisai has eleven "Council siblings" that she loves and is bonded to, and my one complaint from the first book was that we only really got to know three or four of them—the others were just kind of there. And I was hoping to get to know them better in this book. But right from the start pretty much, the council is sent away and separated across the land. They have less of a presence in this book than they did in the first book. Even the ones we got to know, Kirah and Sanjeet, are barely in this book. And then we're introduced to a whole new cast of characters, and the same thing happens—we get time with a few of them but the rest are just there for plot. There's a lot of "they are family" talk but not much of that is actually seen. It was disappointing.
I actually wish this was a trilogy instead of just a duology. The world is so fascinating, and I think the characters could have been fleshed out more if the story had more time to breathe. The ending was very anticlimactic, and the one thing I thought would be a major part of the story was resolved in about a chapter.
Anyways, I'm glad I read this series. But the first book was definitely the best.
A big part of this story is that Tarisai has eleven "Council siblings" that she loves and is bonded to, and my one complaint from the first book was that we only really got to know three or four of them—the others were just kind of there. And I was hoping to get to know them better in this book. But right from the start pretty much, the council is sent away and separated across the land. They have less of a presence in this book than they did in the first book. Even the ones we got to know, Kirah and Sanjeet, are barely in this book. And then we're introduced to a whole new cast of characters, and the same thing happens—we get time with a few of them but the rest are just there for plot. There's a lot of "they are family" talk but not much of that is actually seen. It was disappointing.
I actually wish this was a trilogy instead of just a duology. The world is so fascinating, and I think the characters could have been fleshed out more if the story had more time to breathe. The ending was very anticlimactic, and the one thing I thought would be a major part of the story was resolved in about a chapter.
Anyways, I'm glad I read this series. But the first book was definitely the best.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, and Blood
foreverinastory's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Grief, and Sexual content
ok7a's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Murder, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Child abuse and War
Minor: Death of parent, Genocide, Suicidal thoughts, and Ableism
gem114's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
After reading Raybearer in 2020, I was really excited for this sequel. Ifueko did not disappoint! I honestly liked Redemptor even better than Raybearer. It built beautifully on the world created in Raybearer, and I thought the conflicts, both internal and external, were so much more compelling.
The best analogy I can come up with to describe this duology is that Redemptor is like Raybearer's big sister. They're clearly cut from the same cloth, but Redemptor is a little darker, more complex, and more worldly.
The themes of justice, sacrifice, love, and family make this a GREAT book for discussion with people of any age (I would say 12+; there are some sexy scenes, so if you plan to read/chat with kids, be prepared). It's also a wonderfully accessible introduction to politics for young people. What do we value in our leaders? Who has power/a voice in our community? What is class privilege? How do we address income inequality? BIG questions, but so important.
Finally, I genuinely appreciated the discussion about reproduction! Having children is a choice, not an inevitability, and it's completely valid to decide it's not for you.
Thank you, Jordan Ifueko!
Thank you to Netgalley and Amulet Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The best analogy I can come up with to describe this duology is that Redemptor is like Raybearer's big sister. They're clearly cut from the same cloth, but Redemptor is a little darker, more complex, and more worldly.
The themes of justice, sacrifice, love, and family make this a GREAT book for discussion with people of any age (I would say 12+; there are some sexy scenes, so if you plan to read/chat with kids, be prepared). It's also a wonderfully accessible introduction to politics for young people. What do we value in our leaders? Who has power/a voice in our community? What is class privilege? How do we address income inequality? BIG questions, but so important.
Finally, I genuinely appreciated the discussion about reproduction! Having children is a choice, not an inevitability, and it's completely valid to decide it's not for you.
Thank you, Jordan Ifueko!
Thank you to Netgalley and Amulet Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, and Death
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