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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
ashlikes's review against another edition
adventurous
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: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Abandonment, and Colonisation
Minor: Child death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Pregnancy
takarakei's review against another edition
adventurous
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
4.5
The worldbuilding was so rich, unique and well developed. There's a lot of folklore and oral storytelling that happens within the story which I love. Like stories within stories to explain the history and traditions. Court politics, found family, complex characters. Really a fantastic YA fantasy and I'd recommend it to anyone who loves that genre!
audiobook was also well narrated (I did a mix)
audiobook was also well narrated (I did a mix)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Blood, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal death, Rape, and Sexual assault
nozycozy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
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
5.0
What a journey! I loved Tarisai’s story and her motivations. The friendship, love, adversity was engaging and the power and darkness that runs this world was extraordinary. The stakes were high! The past, present and lore had me glued to the pages. The colors and cultures were immersive. I’m excited to read the sequel!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
Moderate: Child death, Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Death of parent
micaela_ru's review against another edition
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Grief, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
Minor: Incest and Sexual content
britreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I thought I phased out of the YA genre, since many of my recent YA reads didn't 'wow' me like the YA books of my teens and twenties. But 'Raybearer' was such an enjoyable read that I'm eager to pick up the sequel to see where Tarisai's story end. There's a lot to admire about this story. Tarisai and her complicated relationship with her mother was fascinating and in some places extremely relatable. This world is amazing and full of magic, mystery and menacing empires. And the writing was also phenomenal and lush!
I sometimes struggled to embrace the 'found family' aspect of the novel. There are so many council members and they didn't stand out from each other, outside of Kirah and Sanjeet. I was also disappointed with Olugbade and the Lady's death near the end. I wish Olugbade appeared in the story more so there was a better understanding of how threatening he was towards Tarisai. I'm also not a fan of Woo In and Kirah's pending relationship, but that's a minor point. I see why so many people praise this story and I can't wait to see how the next book handles the consequences from Raybearer's ending.
I sometimes struggled to embrace the 'found family' aspect of the novel. There are so many council members and they didn't stand out from each other, outside of Kirah and Sanjeet.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, and Violence
Minor: Sexual assault and Fire/Fire injury
jackiepreston's review against another edition
adventurous
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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Injury/Injury detail
bookishbette's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
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
Genuinely one of the most interesting and imaginitive worlds I've ever come across. Truly a top tier story, and a guidepost for anyone who wants to write or read intersectional, original stories. The only issue I have with any of it is a relationship between a girl around 16/17 and a man about ten years older tha her, but I absolutely could have misinterpreted their ages and it's barely covered in this anyway. Other than that, I absolutely adored it. I checked it out from my library to read, and you can bet it'll be on my shelf as soon as I get a chance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Death
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Excrement, Vomit, and Pregnancy
cyrinw98's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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
5.0
TW: On page descriptions of a massacre, emotional neglect, fire, descriptions of blood and bodily harm, descriptions of physical abuse of a child, spousal abuse, and SA
I read the first book of The Raybearer Duology, Raybearer, in 2021 while I was a member of a book club, and this book was our pick for the month. I immediately fell in love with the book and rated it five stars. After almost three years since I originally finished this novel, my rating is still the same. This book is so amazing it broke me out if my yearlong reading slump. If you are interested in reading a young adult novel heavily inspired by West African culture that contains one of the most unique takes on the found family trope, a lovable and resilient heroine, amazing worldbuilding, and even a cute romantic subplot, you are going to want to read Raybearer.
In this story, we follow Tarisai, a young girl who since birth has been raised in isolation. Only knowing the company of maids, tutors, and occasionally her emotionally distant mother who is referred to as "The Lady", Tarisai longs to know the warmth of a family and friends. When Tarisai comes of age, she is sent to her country's capital to compete with other children from around the country for the privilege of being one of the Crown Prince's Council of Eleven. The prize: respect, riches, and ultimately an instant family with a bond that is deeper than blood. However, this journey is not without restrictions for The Lady bestows a wish upon Tarisai: when you win the Crown Prince's trust, kill him. Tarisai is now left with two decisions: stand by and become someone's pawn risking her only chance at a family or to fight to change her destiny.
If I did not already make this clear, I love this book. The prose is engaging, flows easily, and the author writes in such vivid detail that I can visualize the people, places, and events in this novel. The novel is 367 pages long and divided into four parts. This also helped the story flow well by breaking it up and distinguishing the plot arcs. This novel is a masterclass in worldbuilding as well. The author really took care in incorporating and distinguishing different customs with the people of Aristar and did it in such a way that was not info dumpy. There was not one moment in where I felt as if the story was dragging.
Another thing that I appreciate is Ifueko's ability to write lovable, sympathetic, and well-rounded characters. She is responsible for writing one of my favorite YA protagonists in Tarisai. She described Tarisai's longing for a family so well that I wanted to reach in and give the baby a hug. It was such a joy to see Tar's character growth. Ifueko even had me feeling empathetic towards characters I am not supposed to like. I loved how the author wrote the depth and complexities of the different types of relationships and love in this book. One of my favorite things was the casual inclusion of asexuality, queerness, and disability.
My only con is that I would have liked to see more casual interactions between the newly anointed council, and I wanted to see how the others were anointed. We see in depth Sanjeet and Tarisai's anointing but none of the others.
I read the first book of The Raybearer Duology, Raybearer, in 2021 while I was a member of a book club, and this book was our pick for the month. I immediately fell in love with the book and rated it five stars. After almost three years since I originally finished this novel, my rating is still the same. This book is so amazing it broke me out if my yearlong reading slump. If you are interested in reading a young adult novel heavily inspired by West African culture that contains one of the most unique takes on the found family trope, a lovable and resilient heroine, amazing worldbuilding, and even a cute romantic subplot, you are going to want to read Raybearer.
In this story, we follow Tarisai, a young girl who since birth has been raised in isolation. Only knowing the company of maids, tutors, and occasionally her emotionally distant mother who is referred to as "The Lady", Tarisai longs to know the warmth of a family and friends. When Tarisai comes of age, she is sent to her country's capital to compete with other children from around the country for the privilege of being one of the Crown Prince's Council of Eleven. The prize: respect, riches, and ultimately an instant family with a bond that is deeper than blood. However, this journey is not without restrictions for The Lady bestows a wish upon Tarisai: when you win the Crown Prince's trust, kill him. Tarisai is now left with two decisions: stand by and become someone's pawn risking her only chance at a family or to fight to change her destiny.
If I did not already make this clear, I love this book. The prose is engaging, flows easily, and the author writes in such vivid detail that I can visualize the people, places, and events in this novel. The novel is 367 pages long and divided into four parts. This also helped the story flow well by breaking it up and distinguishing the plot arcs. This novel is a masterclass in worldbuilding as well. The author really took care in incorporating and distinguishing different customs with the people of Aristar and did it in such a way that was not info dumpy. There was not one moment in where I felt as if the story was dragging.
Another thing that I appreciate is Ifueko's ability to write lovable, sympathetic, and well-rounded characters. She is responsible for writing one of my favorite YA protagonists in Tarisai. She described Tarisai's longing for a family so well that I wanted to reach in and give the baby a hug. It was such a joy to see Tar's character growth. Ifueko even had me feeling empathetic towards characters I am not supposed to like. I loved how the author wrote the depth and complexities of the different types of relationships and love in this book. One of my favorite things was the casual inclusion of asexuality, queerness, and disability.
My only con is that I would have liked to see more casual interactions between the newly anointed council, and I wanted to see how the others were anointed. We see in depth Sanjeet and Tarisai's anointing but none of the others.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
kitkat_kate's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Raybearer is an immersive fantasy that I could not put down. A determined young protagonist who has to discover more about her past in order to save her future, as well as her kingdom's. A rich cast of supporting characters. A story about finding the truth, and seeking justice. An antagonist with understandable motivations, and believable actions. A plot that takes all the seemingly unimportant details, and weaves them into brilliant reveals... and honestly, even if you see them coming -- they're no less brilliant!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault and Violence