Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko

10 reviews

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: Xenophobia, Violence, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Grief, Blood, Toxic relationship, Death, Misogyny, and Sexism

Moderate: Confinement, Colonisation, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse

Minor: Stalking, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Slavery, Medical content, Kidnapping, Sexual violence, Rape, and Vomit

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)

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Death, Abandonment, Child abuse, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Death of parent, Blood, Sexism, Violence, and Misogyny

Minor: Sexual assault, Animal death, and Rape

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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, and Abandonment

Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, Misogyny, and Sexual assault

micaela_ru's review against another edition

2.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Child abuse, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Grief, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, and Abandonment

Minor: Sexual content and Incest

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.  

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, and Violence

Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Sexual assault

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, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Sexual assault, Rape, 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, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, and Violence

Moderate: Death

Minor: Vomit, Suicide, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Excrement, and Adult/minor relationship

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

blakethebookeater's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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

5.0

Raybearer is simply the best YA fantasy I have ever read. I need to see whole curriculums based around this book because it is indeed THAT good. 

Tarisai is a child born of a wish. A wish from her mother that destines her to kill the one she is supposed to love. And so begins a tale of magic, found family, and the Underworld. To say more would be to spoil all the wonderful surprises that Jordan Ifueko has cooked up within these brisk 350 pages. And trust me, you do NOT want to be spoiled.

One of my favorite things about this book is the PROSE. Jordan Ifueko's words were so lyrical and beautiful and they wove the story so intricately and vividly that it was so easy to fly through this book. Sentences wound their way inside my heart in the best of ways and I can't how many quotes I scribbled down because they were just too good.

But the story itself is just as wonderful as its wrapping. There are so many twists and turns that Ifueko could easily have stretched this out into a longer series but instead we are getting Tarisai's story completed later this year with Redemptor. This didn't feel like a debut novel. In all the best ways. You can come into this novel secure in the fact that you are dealing with a master storyteller who only has more amazing things for us in the future.

5/5 stars

(p.s. I would die for Tarisai, Dayo, Sanjeet, and Kirah, found family is the best trope 100%)

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault

Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Religious bigotry, and Violence

kenziewol's review against another edition

adventurous inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

I LOVED this book! It was such a good read and is easily one of my favorite books and honestly my top read of 2021 so far. This book was so engaging and I absolutely loved the world, the characters, the magic system and the plot.

The world building was really well done in my opinion. This world fascinated me and left me wanting to know so much more about the lore and history. I loved the way the magic system worked and found it super interesting and different from anything I had read before, it felt fresh and I really liked that about it. The characters were also all super lovable and I enjoyed watching them grow and develop throughout the story. 

Overall I just felt this was a really good book that told an amazing story and I cannot wait until book two is in my hands. Basically, GO READ THIS BOOK!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Misogyny

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Misogyny, and Violence

Minor: Rape and Sexual assault