Scan barcode
escapismforlife's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
4.5
This sequel and series ending was done in the closet way to flawless. Ifueko is a genius in creating this world and power system.
Every little description of the world of Aritsar in the duology was so vivid. And I loved reading more about it in Redemptor. It was just the best type of fun colorful world that every fantasy reader loves. No description got left unforgotten about in this world. It made me heart so happy to learn new things about this world.
Now all of these characters in this book were beyond realistic. They each had traits which gave them complexity. And that's the standard I want going into all of my fictional YA and adult books. Characters that could be real. No scratch that are like real humans. That can evolve and have layers.
It's a matter of the art of storytelling reflecting actual issues. Each of the characters new and old that were around and away from Tarisai and Dayo had to deal with true potential issues. And the result of that was a beyond good ending.
To wrap up I would say that the plots of some of Tarisai new relations did seem to be her own fault. And since this book follows her progression certain things about her became evident.Some things were better than others.
In the end it didn't draw away from the good and the change. And that says a lot because it had big shoes to fill after Raybearer.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Misogyny, and Murder
Moderate: Chronic illness, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
paperbrownies's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
4.5
- lgbtqiap+, ya fantasy, magic, west african-inspired fantasy, DIVERSE, found family, friends to lovers trope, royalty, badass mc, curses and betrayal
- m|f, f|f, m|f
- black mc, ace sc, sapphic sc, and a diverse casting of queer and poc characters, disability rep
a terrific ending to an amazing duology!! ifueko did such a spectacular job with the sequel, i dont think i could have asked for more bc that conclusion was everything i had hoped for!! 😩🤌
it had all the elements that made me fall in love with raybearer, the found family aspects, the vivid descriptions, the characters and of course tarisai!! whom i somehow managed to care for even more??! she is such a beautifully written character, following along on her journey, seeing her go through the things she did, face the world and her own demons, tarisai is hands down one of my favourite ya heroines!!
also can we talk about the ace rep?? bc it was perfect and it made me SO SO happy!!
IF YOU HAVENT READ THE BOOKS YET, YOU ARE MISSING OUT!!
- m|f, f|f, m|f
- black mc, ace sc, sapphic sc, and a diverse casting of queer and poc characters, disability rep
a terrific ending to an amazing duology!! ifueko did such a spectacular job with the sequel, i dont think i could have asked for more bc that conclusion was everything i had hoped for!! 😩🤌
it had all the elements that made me fall in love with raybearer, the found family aspects, the vivid descriptions, the characters and of course tarisai!! whom i somehow managed to care for even more??! she is such a beautifully written character, following along on her journey, seeing her go through the things she did, face the world and her own demons, tarisai is hands down one of my favourite ya heroines!!
also can we talk about the ace rep?? bc it was perfect and it made me SO SO happy!!
IF YOU HAVENT READ THE BOOKS YET, YOU ARE MISSING OUT!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Sexual content
lena_loves_reading's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
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
Moderate: Murder and Violence
agustdefault's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
i could probably talk about this duology for hours and hours. jordan ifueko the gift you are!!! wow. this is one of the most well written fantasy books ive ever read. the series overall with the beautifully detailed world building with a number of fantasy elements (but not too hard to follow along), an interesting plotline, and strong woc main character, lgbt representation (including an ace mc!!!), AND a compelling romance plot. what more could we ask for truly. i have a big fat crush on ai ling and min ja if anyone was wondering.
the Only negative i have about this book was the fact that there were a few references to dayo and tar being….Together?? like obvs they werent but there were romantic/sexual jokes made about the two of them when they are quite literally cousins. it only happened once or twice and it in no way impacts the plotline but i thought id mention it bc it was a little…icky
although they are very different, i think lovers of sabaa tahir and an ember in the ashes would enjoy this!!!
okay zuri made me a little emotional but when da seo did the dance where she painted the words Oh i cried.
i also felt like tars time in the underworld was a little rushed and the author couldve spent a lot more time there, since that is what the entire book had been leading up to. she probably couldve made this a trilogy honestly and gone into way more detail. however!!! i am still giving 5 stars bc i love this book either way and i fell in love with her characters
the Only negative i have about this book was the fact that there were a few references to dayo and tar being….Together?? like obvs they werent but there were romantic/sexual jokes made about the two of them when they are quite literally cousins. it only happened once or twice and it in no way impacts the plotline but i thought id mention it bc it was a little…icky
although they are very different, i think lovers of sabaa tahir and an ember in the ashes would enjoy this!!!
i also felt like tars time in the underworld was a little rushed and the author couldve spent a lot more time there, since that is what the entire book had been leading up to. she probably couldve made this a trilogy honestly and gone into way more detail. however!!! i am still giving 5 stars bc i love this book either way and i fell in love with her characters
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Grief, Murder, and Panic attacks/disorders
queer_bookwyrm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
5.0
5 ⭐ CW: murder, violence, suicide, descriptions of blood and gore, child sacrifice, child soldiers, anxiety attacks
"You don't get to choose why people love you. But what you do with the love you receive... that's a choice you make everyday."
Redemptor by Jordan Ifueko is the second book in the Raybearer duology. I fucking loved this book so so much. Yes, it was good enough for me to swear about it lol 😂. I just love love the way Ifueko weaves a story and suspense and the way she explores characters flaws without magically getting rid of those flaws.
We pick up where we left off with Tarasai after she dissolves the treaty with the Underworld and becomes a the last Redemptor, freeing Songlander and Arit children from being sacrificed. We follow Tar as she attempts to get the Vassal rulers of Aritsar to love her enough to be anointed with the Ray to her own council.
Surprisingly, the majority of the book doesn't take place in the Underworld. Instead we learn more about each of the Vassal rulers as Tar tries to get them to love her, even using her memory Hallow to share all of her memories to aid the process. She soon finds out that you can't hide the parts of yourself you don't like and expect people to love you. How can they love you if they don't have the full picture, warts and all?
We see Tarasai become consumed with the need to do something about the Redemptor children who died in the Underworld, to the point where she is now seeing visions of them, ojiji, who act as a metaphor for anxiety, imposter syndrome, burnout, and intrusive thoughts. The thing that ultimately helps Tar through this--like in the previous book--is love (and not romantic love). We see more themes on intimacy being more than just sexual or romantic, but a basic need.
As always I love our wise cinnamon bun, Dayo, always there to be helpful and hopeful, usually at the wrong time. Dayo learns he can have a nonsexual relationship and have it be just as fulfilling. We also get Tarasai not wanting to have children! The last female character I read that was up front and honest about that was Katsa in Graceling by Kristin Cashore. We also get some disability rep in this book with a character who is an amputee and a character with PTSD and a stutter.
As much as I loved this duology, I'm sad it's over! I can't wait to see what's next for Ifueko!
"You don't get to choose why people love you. But what you do with the love you receive... that's a choice you make everyday."
Redemptor by Jordan Ifueko is the second book in the Raybearer duology. I fucking loved this book so so much. Yes, it was good enough for me to swear about it lol 😂. I just love love the way Ifueko weaves a story and suspense and the way she explores characters flaws without magically getting rid of those flaws.
We pick up where we left off with Tarasai after she dissolves the treaty with the Underworld and becomes a the last Redemptor, freeing Songlander and Arit children from being sacrificed. We follow Tar as she attempts to get the Vassal rulers of Aritsar to love her enough to be anointed with the Ray to her own council.
Surprisingly, the majority of the book doesn't take place in the Underworld. Instead we learn more about each of the Vassal rulers as Tar tries to get them to love her, even using her memory Hallow to share all of her memories to aid the process. She soon finds out that you can't hide the parts of yourself you don't like and expect people to love you. How can they love you if they don't have the full picture, warts and all?
We see Tarasai become consumed with the need to do something about the Redemptor children who died in the Underworld, to the point where she is now seeing visions of them, ojiji, who act as a metaphor for anxiety, imposter syndrome, burnout, and intrusive thoughts. The thing that ultimately helps Tar through this--like in the previous book--is love (and not romantic love). We see more themes on intimacy being more than just sexual or romantic, but a basic need.
As always I love our wise cinnamon bun, Dayo, always there to be helpful and hopeful, usually at the wrong time. Dayo learns he can have a nonsexual relationship and have it be just as fulfilling. We also get Tarasai not wanting to have children! The last female character I read that was up front and honest about that was Katsa in Graceling by Kristin Cashore. We also get some disability rep in this book with a character who is an amputee and a character with PTSD and a stutter.
As much as I loved this duology, I'm sad it's over! I can't wait to see what's next for Ifueko!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Suicide, Blood, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Murder
meaghanelizabook's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Blood, Child death, Grief, Gore, Murder, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: War
puttingwingsonwords's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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, Child death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Alcohol, Child abuse, Death of parent, Drug use, Genocide, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, and Violence
Minor: Sexual content
booksthatburn's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
REDEMPTOR is a story of love, friendship, promises, and exploitation as Tarisai strives to end, once and for all, the cycles of poverty and violence that have heretofore been the social and economic underpinnings of the Empire.
In the first half, because Tarisai needs to get her own council it felt like she was doing again something we already saw the first time around. Much of the early book is figuring out what she needs to do, accepting that it's really the same thing that happened in book one and then doing it, which made it the pacing drag for me. Also by adding a second council of equal number to the first, it made the character list feel enormous and meant I had trouble feeling like I got to know more than a handful. I'm not new to large casts in fantasy, but normally there's more stratification in how important they are to the main character(s). In this, there was text telling me how important they all were, but not enough room to show scenes of all of them being very important in a way that showed that connection rather than just telling.
The second half is where it really shines, with answers to what was plaguing her in the first half, events moving more quickly, and a really fantastic ending to the duology. It proposes to answer immensely complicated questions in a very small space and finds a resolution to them which fits this context and characters. In a world where the Ray exists, it's a good answer.
The Underworld is interesting and well-described, the worldbuilding really shines there even though it's a relatively short section. The rest of the worldbuilding is very robust, with special care given to the descriptions of clothing from various parts of the Empire. It feels like a lived-in world, even in the small part of it that the story has time to cover directly.
This wraps up a very major thing left hanging from RAYBEARER. It has a storyline which starts here and wasn't present before, with several major things that are both introduced and resolved in this volume. It is the last book of the duology and it wraps up pretty much everything left hanging while also giving a vision of what the basic trajectory is for these characters after the book is over. It feels finished, which is good since there aren't any more planned in the series. The main character is the same as before, Tarisai, and her voice is consistent in this book. This wouldn't make a lot of sense if someone started here without reading RAYBEARER. This is book two of a two-part series, so please start with RAYBEARER. There's enough explanation that someone could probably get settled enough to enjoy the ride after the first 20%, but really it needs the first book to be whole.
In the first half, because Tarisai needs to get her own council it felt like she was doing again something we already saw the first time around. Much of the early book is figuring out what she needs to do, accepting that it's really the same thing that happened in book one and then doing it, which made it the pacing drag for me. Also by adding a second council of equal number to the first, it made the character list feel enormous and meant I had trouble feeling like I got to know more than a handful. I'm not new to large casts in fantasy, but normally there's more stratification in how important they are to the main character(s). In this, there was text telling me how important they all were, but not enough room to show scenes of all of them being very important in a way that showed that connection rather than just telling.
The second half is where it really shines, with answers to what was plaguing her in the first half, events moving more quickly, and a really fantastic ending to the duology. It proposes to answer immensely complicated questions in a very small space and finds a resolution to them which fits this context and characters. In a world where the Ray exists, it's a good answer.
The Underworld is interesting and well-described, the worldbuilding really shines there even though it's a relatively short section. The rest of the worldbuilding is very robust, with special care given to the descriptions of clothing from various parts of the Empire. It feels like a lived-in world, even in the small part of it that the story has time to cover directly.
This wraps up a very major thing left hanging from RAYBEARER. It has a storyline which starts here and wasn't present before, with several major things that are both introduced and resolved in this volume. It is the last book of the duology and it wraps up pretty much everything left hanging while also giving a vision of what the basic trajectory is for these characters after the book is over. It feels finished, which is good since there aren't any more planned in the series. The main character is the same as before, Tarisai, and her voice is consistent in this book. This wouldn't make a lot of sense if someone started here without reading RAYBEARER. This is book two of a two-part series, so please start with RAYBEARER. There's enough explanation that someone could probably get settled enough to enjoy the ride after the first 20%, but really it needs the first book to be whole.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Ableism, Child death, Death, Medical trauma, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Violence
Minor: Sexual content and Vomit
kylieqrada's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
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
4.0
Jordan Ifueko WENT. THERE.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Mental illness, Violence, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Drug use, Murder, and War
Minor: Ableism and Suicidal thoughts
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