Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko

69 reviews

hiddeninfantasy's review

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

vrhayes08's review

adventurous challenging hopeful inspiring 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

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

whimsykat's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful inspiring 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Classism

Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Police brutality, and Abandonment

Minor: Death, Slavery, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism

taroroot's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

i loved this book from start to finish and i'm very excited to read the sequel soon!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Violence, Blood, and Death of parent

Minor: Rape and Sexual content

fromjuliereads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging hopeful inspiring 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

4.25

I really enjoyed this! This was one of my 12 friend recommendation reads for this year and I was so happy I enjoyed this one! The characters and the story are so well done. I can't wait to read the sequel next!!

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Abandonment

a_libra_library's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny inspiring lighthearted 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

This is genuinely one of the best YA fantasy books I've read in so long. The world building and character development was everything! Tari's journey is one of healing and finding self identity. 
The plot twist and "info dumping" were built into the story so seamlessly. 
I cannot wait to continued in Redemptor! 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

angelsbooks's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark inspiring 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: Violence, Blood, and War

Moderate: Alcohol

genny'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? Yes

4.25

It's a little hard for me to review this as it's been about 2 months since I finished it and I barely took down any notes...but I do know that I enjoyed it! The prose was engaging and the audiobook narrator (Joniece Abbott-Pratt) did a great job of bringing multiple characters to life. I loved the vivid settings. I went into this expecting a very popular trope to drive the story

(enemies to lovers)

but what I got was completely different - in a good way! I liked the found family aspect, though we didn't see enough of Dayo's council to make their love for each other completely believable. As Tarisai spent most of her time only with select members of the council, I often forgot just how many of them supposedly lived together and cared for each other. There also came a point when I felt that Tar had gotten too slow on picking up obvious clues...it dragged the story as you're waiting for her to figure out what you already did ages go. And the blossoming

Kirah and Woo In

romance made me uncomfortable because of the age gap, considering one of 'em is a minor. 😬

All that said, it's a worthwhile read and it proved to me that there's still space for fresh, unique stories in YA fantasy. I dove into the sequel immediately after finishing this :)

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death, Death, Sexual content, and Death of parent

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Rape

lisa_m's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This book was phenomenal! I truly did not expect to like it as much as I did. I loved the different culture and the unique premise. The characters were all so loveable and unique and the main character was flawed and not perfect though trying her best.

It deals with sexism in such an interesting way and it was truly empowering to read it. This is definitely a book that will stick with me for a long time. I might even reread it one day but for now I just really want to read the sequel. I'm happy that it's a Duology since I don't really have time to read something longer right now. I also liked that the ending was closed even though the story itself obviously isn't.

I thought that the review by Nic which is on the blurb sums up the center of the story pretty well. This book is about "our most basic of human desires: to belong, to be loved, and to walk a path of one's own choosing".

I'm excited to dive back into this world again very soon. I would recommend this book to any lover of Fantasy and especially people who like a bit of social commentary and well thought out plots in their books ;)

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Classism

bookishdaylight's review

adventurous challenging medium-paced

4.25

The world-building and magic system is so well crafted and explicit when it comes to describing things in a way that made me engrossed in the whole story itself. 

It started at the beginning of Tarisai's young age when she was made to study and learn everything to become one of the council 11. Tarisai, longing to be part of a family along with being cared for and loved, follows The Lady's command for she is compelled to obey. When she was sent to the palace to be anointed, this is where she meets the other characters that I grew fond of as the story progressed. The relationship she has with Dayo, Jeet, and Kirah was everything in the story though there are some characters that we barely got a glimpse of. Hopefully, we'll get to know more of them in the second book.

Tarisai who is loyal and fierce and defies The lady's command starts to face a lot of challenges along the way to protect her friends and to make sure that there would be justice and peace in The city of Oluwan as well as the whole Aritsar Empire itself. 

This was truly an amazing and unique read!!

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Blood, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail