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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: 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
khymihr's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Child abuse
Minor: Domestic abuse and Acephobia/Arophobia
zadsavage'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
4.75
I think this book is wonderful. The world building is fantastic. The African influences are strong and informative and a fun alternative to Greek mythology.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death, Sexual content, Classism, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and War
seilahuh's review against another edition
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
1.5
im not saying anything that hasn't already been said in that adequate characterization was so non-existent things nothing made sense, especially that everyone somehow knew she was a raybearer even though there was no way for anybody to know especially not us readers because there was little focus on foreshadowing this reveal. pacing is way off, the inconsistencies with age and the underage gap relationship is just disgusting. the main romantic plot was so underdeveloped that we really could've gone without it because there was already so much, too much to focus on that detracted from the story. the lady's past, what exactly tarisai was, the mission to kill dayo, songland and the redemptors, sanjeet and his past, and the big theme of self-determination positioned against themes of systemic change. and all in just like 350 pages, it's not enough for the content. so much of it, if not all of it, was not fleshed out right, all forced in like an overpacked suitcase. even dayo's asexual admission was clunky and nonessential because the love-triangle (?) romance with sanjeet subplot fell through as the dynamics of the council were rarely explored on screen. we never get to see their relationships grow nor hear ourselves the whispers of dayo and tarisai being perfectly matched for the admission to make a dent, and the later reveal that they were cousins was just...something had to give!
i wanted to love it like everyone else did, but there's nothing i can find to care for cause from the technical elements to the political implications of devising a story around a corrupt empire that should fall into obsolescence, and creating a character to rehabilitate the image of it as if she can simply erase its capital, continuous crimes, mind you, by being a girlboss in charge cause that was the issue apparently and not the thousands of children it sacrificed...it's nothing about that story i can love when it's so incredibly hollow (especially the supposed lgbtq+ rep).
so it gets 1.5 stars 🙂
i wanted to love it like everyone else did, but there's nothing i can find to care for cause from the technical elements to the political implications of devising a story around a corrupt empire that should fall into obsolescence, and creating a character to rehabilitate the image of it as if she can simply erase its capital, continuous crimes, mind you, by being a girlboss in charge cause that was the issue apparently and not the thousands of children it sacrificed...it's nothing about that story i can love when it's so incredibly hollow (especially the supposed lgbtq+ rep).
so it gets 1.5 stars 🙂
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Misogyny, and Fire/Fire injury
theaceofpages's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Oooh I loved this book. I was intrigued om the fist page. Although, full disclaimer, I do love it when fantasy books are based on different cultures. This was a massive plus for me and I kept finding myself wanting to learn more about this world.
The book mainly focusses on Tarisai's journey and I loved seeing her grow and become more confident through the pages. We meet her as a child and learn more of her world as she matures and grows up. The whole concept of the curse is fascinating and I loved seeing her struggle with it, her largely unknown family and what she wants for herself. I enjoyed seeing the subtle shifts in the writing as she grew up to reflect her own changes. While this book is marketed as YA, it is definitely just as suitable for adults. It feels a lot more fleshed out than a lot of the YA books I've recently read and doesn't rely on romance to push the plot forward. The characters feel real and I think that people of all ages can It focuses a lot less on romance than modern YA books seem to and spends more time looking at self growth and destiny and the importance of other forms of love (something I absolutely love and want to see way more of in books). While some characters were definitely more of a focus than others (especially Tarisai and Dayo), all of them felt well thought out. I very much enjoyed how deeply flawed they all were and learning about their weaknesses and fears just as much as their strengths.
There is a lot of beautiful imagery in this book and I liked how it tied back to its African folklore inspirations. The author did reuse a lot of descriptions though and often in the same scenarios. I enjoyed the unique magic system and the concept of the council. The way it works and grants power is fascinating. I don't think I've seen anything quite like it before. The world is clearly well thought out and the book does and incredible of of exploring it and just how diverse all its cultures are, while also looking at the dangers of xenophobia and attempts at cultural suppression for the sake of conformity. Although I felt some parts towards the end were a little bit expositiony, this is largely done in a natural way through the plot.
I can definitely recommend this book to fantasy lovers who would like to explore a unique world, particularly those who would like to read beyond the typical European-inspired fantasy realms (not that there is anything wrong with them of course). And to those who enjoy YA fiction but are tired of how romance and love triangle heavy the genre has gotten. I will definitely be reading the next book as this one, while it has a good end point, definitely leaves a lot of questions unanswered about the future of Tarisai's world
The book mainly focusses on Tarisai's journey and I loved seeing her grow and become more confident through the pages. We meet her as a child and learn more of her world as she matures and grows up. The whole concept of the curse is fascinating and I loved seeing her struggle with it, her largely unknown family and what she wants for herself. I enjoyed seeing the subtle shifts in the writing as she grew up to reflect her own changes. While this book is marketed as YA, it is definitely just as suitable for adults. It feels a lot more fleshed out than a lot of the YA books I've recently read and doesn't rely on romance to push the plot forward. The characters feel real and I think that people of all ages can It focuses a lot less on romance than modern YA books seem to and spends more time looking at self growth and destiny and the importance of other forms of love (something I absolutely love and want to see way more of in books). While some characters were definitely more of a focus than others (especially Tarisai and Dayo), all of them felt well thought out. I very much enjoyed how deeply flawed they all were and learning about their weaknesses and fears just as much as their strengths.
There is a lot of beautiful imagery in this book and I liked how it tied back to its African folklore inspirations. The author did reuse a lot of descriptions though and often in the same scenarios. I enjoyed the unique magic system and the concept of the council. The way it works and grants power is fascinating. I don't think I've seen anything quite like it before. The world is clearly well thought out and the book does and incredible of of exploring it and just how diverse all its cultures are, while also looking at the dangers of xenophobia and attempts at cultural suppression for the sake of conformity. Although I felt some parts towards the end were a little bit expositiony, this is largely done in a natural way through the plot.
I can definitely recommend this book to fantasy lovers who would like to explore a unique world, particularly those who would like to read beyond the typical European-inspired fantasy realms (not that there is anything wrong with them of course). And to those who enjoy YA fiction but are tired of how romance and love triangle heavy the genre has gotten. I will definitely be reading the next book as this one, while it has a good end point, definitely leaves a lot of questions unanswered about the future of Tarisai's world
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, Death of parent, Colonisation, Xenophobia, and Misogyny
Moderate: Abandonment, Suicidal thoughts, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, and Confinement
eni_iilorak's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Toxic friendship, and Violence
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Confinement, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Domestic abuse, Bullying, Classism, and Medical content
Minor: Acephobia/Arophobia, Alcohol, Rape, and Slavery
readandfindout's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
5.0
Style/writing: 5 stars
Themes: 5 stars
Characters: 5 stars
Plot: 5 stars
Worldbuilding: 4.5 stars
Themes: 5 stars
Characters: 5 stars
Plot: 5 stars
Worldbuilding: 4.5 stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Colonisation, Death, Confinement, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Murder, Genocide, Death of parent, Violence, Blood, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Rape, Suicide, and Vomit
brynnfai'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? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: War and Child death
mariebrunelm's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
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? N/A
4.75
Hidden between the walls of a fortress none but its inhabitants can see, Tarisai grows up longing for her mother's love. But The Lady is often on the road and her visits home are short. She is however determined for her daughter to carve a future worthy of her, and so she sends her to the capital with the mission to kill a boy while taking part in a competition. Tarisai soon discovers that the series of trials held in the company of the prince will determine the members of his council. She is supposed to take part like the others. But as soon as she meets the prince, a terrible urge to kill rises in her. She has found her mother's target.
Ready for a breathless adventure alongside very loveable characters in an Africa-inspired land? Raybearer was more YA than the adult novel I'd expected, but I didn't have time to wonder about that as I was swept away and held on the edge of my seat by Jordan Ifueko. The novel kept a fast rhythm, as fast as the drums that keep beating in the background of Tarisai's whereabouts, but it never lost sight of its characters and their emotional journeys. I loved the cast and the lush world-building, and if the last revelations were a bit too hasty to leave me time to process them, they all sounded right and made the pieces click together.
Rep: polyamourous characters, asexual character.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Toxic relationship, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexism
Minor: Murder and Child death
akvolcano's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-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
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Genocide, Slavery, Abandonment, Bullying, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Police brutality, Classism, Confinement, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Death, and Domestic abuse