Scan barcode
peculiarly_reading's review against another edition
4.25
Amazing, wonderful, fantastic, needed to be 100 pages longer to really hit it out of the park AT LEAST. it actually could have been like 600 pages. Also had no business being a YA novel. Good for the kids, but age them up!
thelilbookwitch's review against another edition
5.0
Full review [here].
I was hemming and hawing about starting this book (as I find myself wont to do lately), but from the first chapter, Raybearer kept a grip on my attention and imagination as the world of Aritsar came to life.
This is also one of my rarer 5 star reads! Maybe even the first of the year? Tarisai’s story is complex, at times an odyssey, and at others an introspection, but entirely compelling.
The plot and the craft alone that Ifueko uses to tell this story is absolutely beautiful, and there is little that has not been taken into consideration when it comes to how the world and the magic works. The biggest stumbling block for readers will likely be the first few pages, as Ifueko does a careful job immersing readers in the lore, as new terminology (to this reader at least) is introduced.
It’s easy to root for a protagonist; especially in YA, but Tarisai truly feels like she earns the adulation of the reader as the story progresses. She is complex and while her motivations are easy to understand, that does not detract from the depth Ifueko explores them and uses them to create emotionally impactful moments. Her character development is nuanced, as are the rest of the ensemble’s development. Thankfully, despite the possibility for a larger cast of side characters (there are 11 children on the council after all), Ifueko does an excellent job of not overwhelming the reader with unnecessary or hollow sounding dialog from characters that don’t have much impact on the story. So, while we learn who Tarisai’s council siblings are, it never becomes too much. I do hope that we will see more of her relationships with them, as well as get to know their personalities.
Of the side characters mentioned in the book; everyone gets some meaningful emotional weight and development that has an impact on their relationship with Tarisai. Most importantly, is The Lady. Never named, she functions as a non traditional anti-hero rather than outright villain; and the nuance of love Tarisai feels for her despite her emotionally and physically distant upbringing by her grants a tragic tint without being melodramatic. Out of all the characters, she is probably the most complex and has the most agency which she wields to her advantage in unpredictable, yet compelling ways.
There are no wasted words in Raybearer either, and Ifueko does a wonderful job placing innocuous breadcrumbs through the book that build into beautiful revelations later. I absolutely understand why my Sanderson-loving friend fell over himself urging me to finally read this despite it sitting on my TBR for a few months. The passage of time is also treated incredibly well, and Ifueko doesn’t get bogged down by describing anything that doesn’t merit being known.
Tarisai starts as a child, about 7 years old, and the book quickly progresses without feeling forced or like I missed anything to her being 17 or so. The age change doesn’t make the book less appealing for me either; and I found it refreshing to have an author take their time with a protagonist’s internal and interpersonal development. It makes the relationships Tarisai builds with others that much more believable because there is time behind them, making the emotions there ring truer though still intense.
The magic system, while not wholly unique, functions incredibly well within the lore. The use of Hallows, or innate magical abilities, has definitely been used before in fantasy, but the concept of the Ray and the council is where the story does great work with establishing something new. The bonds that are created, are shown incredibly well throughout the story, and the sense of family is overwhelming without stealing the limelight from the main themes of fate and destiny as it ties to ourselves, and as it ties to others, especially as we experience different modicums of power.
The world in Aritsar and the surrounding countries have a history, cultures, and values tied to religions, not to mention magical creatures (though not as many as I imagined, something hopefully explored in the sequel).The government, ruled by the Council, may seem a little flawed when you consider that they all were selected as children, but the selection process isn’t without incredible training either. Thankfully, Ifueko doesn’t spend inordinate amounts of time discussing the training, which rules this book out for readers looking for a competition based fantasy.
I also understand the choice to split Tarisai’s tale into a duology. It would be too long for a single YA novel, and this story fits exceedingly well into this first book. I am absolutely planning on reading the sequel when it comes out later this year, and in the mean time will be handing this book out to as many of my fantasy loving teens as I can, and maybe some coworkers who I know are in a similar camp as me to their fantasy novel preferences.
I heartily recommend this for grades 8+, only due to the fact that it is a high fantasy setting with a decent threshold of terminology to understand, and some mild representations of sex (other characters are having) that a younger reader might not understand or feel comfortable with despite the respectful and non-graphic nature of those moments. Perfect for fans of Brandon Sanderson, or those looking for another Afro-inspired fantasy setting like in Nnendi Okorafor’s Akata Witch, or readers looking for a fantasy without a strong romantic subplot influence. This story feels wholly authentic, and well worth adding to your TBR pile (if not shifting it to the top if it’s already there).
I was hemming and hawing about starting this book (as I find myself wont to do lately), but from the first chapter, Raybearer kept a grip on my attention and imagination as the world of Aritsar came to life.
This is also one of my rarer 5 star reads! Maybe even the first of the year? Tarisai’s story is complex, at times an odyssey, and at others an introspection, but entirely compelling.
The plot and the craft alone that Ifueko uses to tell this story is absolutely beautiful, and there is little that has not been taken into consideration when it comes to how the world and the magic works. The biggest stumbling block for readers will likely be the first few pages, as Ifueko does a careful job immersing readers in the lore, as new terminology (to this reader at least) is introduced.
It’s easy to root for a protagonist; especially in YA, but Tarisai truly feels like she earns the adulation of the reader as the story progresses. She is complex and while her motivations are easy to understand, that does not detract from the depth Ifueko explores them and uses them to create emotionally impactful moments. Her character development is nuanced, as are the rest of the ensemble’s development. Thankfully, despite the possibility for a larger cast of side characters (there are 11 children on the council after all), Ifueko does an excellent job of not overwhelming the reader with unnecessary or hollow sounding dialog from characters that don’t have much impact on the story. So, while we learn who Tarisai’s council siblings are, it never becomes too much. I do hope that we will see more of her relationships with them, as well as get to know their personalities.
Of the side characters mentioned in the book; everyone gets some meaningful emotional weight and development that has an impact on their relationship with Tarisai. Most importantly, is The Lady. Never named, she functions as a non traditional anti-hero rather than outright villain; and the nuance of love Tarisai feels for her despite her emotionally and physically distant upbringing by her grants a tragic tint without being melodramatic. Out of all the characters, she is probably the most complex and has the most agency which she wields to her advantage in unpredictable, yet compelling ways.
There are no wasted words in Raybearer either, and Ifueko does a wonderful job placing innocuous breadcrumbs through the book that build into beautiful revelations later. I absolutely understand why my Sanderson-loving friend fell over himself urging me to finally read this despite it sitting on my TBR for a few months. The passage of time is also treated incredibly well, and Ifueko doesn’t get bogged down by describing anything that doesn’t merit being known.
Tarisai starts as a child, about 7 years old, and the book quickly progresses without feeling forced or like I missed anything to her being 17 or so. The age change doesn’t make the book less appealing for me either; and I found it refreshing to have an author take their time with a protagonist’s internal and interpersonal development. It makes the relationships Tarisai builds with others that much more believable because there is time behind them, making the emotions there ring truer though still intense.
The magic system, while not wholly unique, functions incredibly well within the lore. The use of Hallows, or innate magical abilities, has definitely been used before in fantasy, but the concept of the Ray and the council is where the story does great work with establishing something new. The bonds that are created, are shown incredibly well throughout the story, and the sense of family is overwhelming without stealing the limelight from the main themes of fate and destiny as it ties to ourselves, and as it ties to others, especially as we experience different modicums of power.
The world in Aritsar and the surrounding countries have a history, cultures, and values tied to religions, not to mention magical creatures (though not as many as I imagined, something hopefully explored in the sequel).The government, ruled by the Council, may seem a little flawed when you consider that they all were selected as children, but the selection process isn’t without incredible training either. Thankfully, Ifueko doesn’t spend inordinate amounts of time discussing the training, which rules this book out for readers looking for a competition based fantasy.
I also understand the choice to split Tarisai’s tale into a duology. It would be too long for a single YA novel, and this story fits exceedingly well into this first book. I am absolutely planning on reading the sequel when it comes out later this year, and in the mean time will be handing this book out to as many of my fantasy loving teens as I can, and maybe some coworkers who I know are in a similar camp as me to their fantasy novel preferences.
I heartily recommend this for grades 8+, only due to the fact that it is a high fantasy setting with a decent threshold of terminology to understand, and some mild representations of sex (other characters are having) that a younger reader might not understand or feel comfortable with despite the respectful and non-graphic nature of those moments. Perfect for fans of Brandon Sanderson, or those looking for another Afro-inspired fantasy setting like in Nnendi Okorafor’s Akata Witch, or readers looking for a fantasy without a strong romantic subplot influence. This story feels wholly authentic, and well worth adding to your TBR pile (if not shifting it to the top if it’s already there).
thelilbookwitch's review against another edition
5.0
Getting to re-read this thanks to Battle of the Books, and it holds up (not to mention didn't feel like a chore).
Original review here
Original review here
jnvreads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
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? It's complicated
4.0
Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko - Rating: 4/5⭐️
When Tarisai was eleven years old, she learned of her fate. The daughter of an evil absent mother and faerie, she was bred to obey a magical wish to kill the Crown Prince. As she competes with the other children of Aritsar to be chosen as one of the Crown Prince’s Council of Eleven, Tarisai must push against the weight of her destiny.
LIKES:
👍🏾 The whole magic system. The way the gods interwove with the humans in a natural way and the hallows were my favorite.
👍🏾 I’ve never read anything inspired by West-African folklore…and apparently I need to more. It brought out this connection to the culture that made you sense the world.
👍🏾 The center of the entire story is a thoughtful examination of cultural imperialism and how history can influence the stories we share. A beautiful approach to the insidious power that an empire can have and how the poison it exudes can slowly eat away at its culture.
👍🏾 A rich cast of characters that had this tender vulnerability. The yearning of belonging bleeding into fighting to save themselves to make a world worth living in. And I appreciated that they were about to hold their integrity in being complex and not easily categorized. Sanjeet quickly became my favorite.
👍🏾 The religious aspects. Especially the stories of the underworld and parade of dead souls.
DISLIKES:
👎🏾 The world building was a slow and confusing heavy-hitter in the beginning.
👎🏾 The pacing. Starting with the time jump of 4 years suddenly and then continued to have these time lapses. It sometimes took me out of the story and led to less of a connection to the characters and storyline. Then with the making herself forget - it didn’t last long enough and didn’t add the angst to the story that I think her continuing to fight her impulses during that time would’ve. I also think that there was a lot that went on and non at all until the very end.
Overall, a great read that was jam-packed with culture, magic, and world building.
shelvesofivy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Blood, and Abandonment
Moderate: Violence and Death of parent
Minor: Child death and Sexual assault
kikireads1232's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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? It's complicated
5.0
AHHHHH
Have you ever been in awe of someone creativity? That was me, the whole time with this book. I can't believe how inventive this world is, I could read a hundred books set in it. Unlike anything ive ever read
Have you ever been in awe of someone creativity? That was me, the whole time with this book. I can't believe how inventive this world is, I could read a hundred books set in it. Unlike anything ive ever read
lihinidz's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
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
cnikreads's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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
pieceofschmitt's review against another edition
5.0
I love this fantasy realm so much! It's very unique and imaginative and I absolutely cannot wait for number two~
kjavery37's review against another edition
3.5
Strong first half and final couple chapters, but there's a stretch between that I found grating.