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melliedm's review against another edition
- 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
In Redemptor, Tarisai must balance the guilt she carries over her past, present, and possible futures with her convictions about what the world could be. We see into the darkness of her own mind (metaphorically) as the supernatural abiku put their plans into motion, and see whether she will become her own or not.
My only complaint is the same as in book 1: the weird age-gap relationship of two side characters.
Graphic: Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, and Classism
Moderate: Ableism, Child death, Misogyny, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, and War
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Pregnancy
friendly_neighborhood_grandma's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Colonisation
eni_iilorak's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Child death, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Child abuse, Sexism, Slavery, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Classism
Minor: Confinement, Drug use, Sexual content, and Abandonment
emily_mh's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Classism
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment
Minor: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body shaming, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and War
Moderate: capital punishment, loss of a loved one, neglect, volcano, Minor: flood, earthquake, mass deathhollyk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
But this book lacked some of the charm of the first book--namely, Dayo's council, who barely make an appearance before going back to their home realms. And in their place we have Tarisai creating a whole new council of people that to be frank, I had no real interest or investment in with the exception of Min Ja.
It also seems like the empire still isn't really fair? Like sure,
The Redemptor arc was only the fifth section, and the previous book seemed to imply that it would be a major part of this book--but at the end of the day, it was barely a factor and could have been a much larger portion with more significance, especially in regards to
I still enjoyed this book, the writing is beautiful and the characters are great, but there were just some elements that left me wanting more.
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Mental illness
Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Child abuse, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Alcoholism, Panic attacks/disorders, and War
brokenbodybitch's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
“in the words of my council sister Queen Min Ja,” I whispered back, “that’s what makes me so popular”
Graphic: Ableism, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Acephobia/Arophobia, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
mental illness - heavy on intrusive thoughts *these are only ones that I caught/remembered please do not take this as the end all be all*lisa_m's review against another edition
- 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
Raybearer was one of my favourite books this year so naturally I was super excited for the sequel.
I feel like most of the praise I have for this book would just be me repeating my last review.. but still:
There are strong friendships, self doubts, goals, betrayal, righteousness and justice, power structures and questioning of the way things are run.
There is a great mixture between political, mystical and emotional content.
I loved the setting, the characters and it is amazingly connected. The ending was something I did not expect and I was wondering throughout the entire book how the whole story will tie up. The author didn't change the characters personalities and everything made sense while still being quite idealistic.
I don't think I can say much more without spoiling this book for anyone who hasn't read it. I can only say that I HIGHLY recommend this Duology and it is a clear 5 star book. This is how you do a conclusion to a series!!
I just want to write down a list of things I really liked about these books / that inspired me :
- dangerous magic is called 'the pale arts'
- power structures like royalty, though presented are criticised
- the solving of the problems of the empire is one that (in a magical world) would actually work
- everything is really well thought out
- the characters remain consistent in their traits and characteristics throughout the books
- the use of song and music
- the different 'hollows' and how they each got used
- the concept of pure love even if it is just platonic
- asexual representation
- compassionate partners and understanding without pressure
- realistic fights and issues that are not purely made up but would realistically happen in those situations
- self doubt in the form of ghostly figures and the journey from believing them because they do speak true sometimes to seeing how they undermined ones self worth and confidence
- toxic relationships with parents and how sometimes we may love someone even if they were toxic and that we can love someone deeply and still decide to sever ties
- that some people never change and if they tell you who they are, you should believe them
- it doesn't make you weak to believe in justice or fairness
- you could love anyone if you knew their whole story, their pain, wishes, hopes and dreams. Loving someone is knowing someone. Even the parts they don't love about themselves.
- not everyone is destined for greatness but everyone can play a part in something great
- your past does not define you. You are more than your parents and more than your past choices.
- if you are going through hardship, remember the ones you love and let them guide you through
- I thought it was so interesting how Tarisai explained why she deserved to live. It was such a strong statement.
- you have to be able to live for yourself. You can't live for other people.
- you have to find a passion but don't let it consume you. You are more than what you can do.
- let people who love you, love you. We don't control who loves us, how much or why. We can only let them.
- let others help you. Asking for help is strong. You don't have to do everything on your own. Even if your thoughts tell you that no one understand you, still try to talk to the people you love. They just want to help and understand you.
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Child death, Death, Murder, Abandonment, War, and Classism
overbooked207's review against another edition
- 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
1st book of February 2022 and 11th of the year:
I absolutely LOVED this duology, and this was such a perfect conclusion to the story! Once again, the writing, story, and world building were beautiful, immersive, and expansive; the audiobook was beautifully done; the characters were strong, badass, caring, and new favorites of all time, and I love them with all my heart; the representation was great; the quotes and themes were fantastic and important; and I loved the found family aspect so much! These books are definitely two of my new favorite books of all time, and I want everyone to read them! Also, they’re getting adapted, and I couldn’t be more excited! TW for death, murder, blood, war, anxiety, panic attacks, parental neglect and abuse, drug & alcohol use, ableism, suicidal thoughts, negative self image, grief, gaslighting, injuries, misogyny, and violence📚💜🏳️🌈
Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
booksthatburn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
In the first half, because Tarisai needs to get her own council it felt like she was doing again something we already saw the first time around. Much of the early book is figuring out what she needs to do, accepting that it's really the same thing that happened in book one and then doing it, which made it the pacing drag for me. Also by adding a second council of equal number to the first, it made the character list feel enormous and meant I had trouble feeling like I got to know more than a handful. I'm not new to large casts in fantasy, but normally there's more stratification in how important they are to the main character(s). In this, there was text telling me how important they all were, but not enough room to show scenes of all of them being very important in a way that showed that connection rather than just telling.
The second half is where it really shines, with answers to what was plaguing her in the first half, events moving more quickly, and a really fantastic ending to the duology. It proposes to answer immensely complicated questions in a very small space and finds a resolution to them which fits this context and characters. In a world where the Ray exists, it's a good answer.
The Underworld is interesting and well-described, the worldbuilding really shines there even though it's a relatively short section. The rest of the worldbuilding is very robust, with special care given to the descriptions of clothing from various parts of the Empire. It feels like a lived-in world, even in the small part of it that the story has time to cover directly.
This wraps up a very major thing left hanging from RAYBEARER. It has a storyline which starts here and wasn't present before, with several major things that are both introduced and resolved in this volume. It is the last book of the duology and it wraps up pretty much everything left hanging while also giving a vision of what the basic trajectory is for these characters after the book is over. It feels finished, which is good since there aren't any more planned in the series. The main character is the same as before, Tarisai, and her voice is consistent in this book. This wouldn't make a lot of sense if someone started here without reading RAYBEARER. This is book two of a two-part series, so please start with RAYBEARER. There's enough explanation that someone could probably get settled enough to enjoy the ride after the first 20%, but really it needs the first book to be whole.
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Ableism, Child death, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Medical trauma, and Murder
Minor: Sexual content and Vomit
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
- 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
Overall, the pace in this book was faster than the first, probably because a lot of the world building happened in the first book. Not only did this sequel expand on what we already know from the first book, but it also gives us more characters to learn to love. Tarisai's arc works so well in this book, as she learns to acknowledge her privilege and work to make things better in the future. All in all, you can tell this is a well thoughout duology that has a home in YA fantasy.
Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, and Blood
Minor: Ableism, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent