Reviews with content warning for Grief - Redemptor

Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Redemptor by Jordan Ifueko

29 reviews

aseel_reads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark slow-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

3.0

pretty disappointed in this one tbh. i liked the conclusion but the plot was so slow and we kept returning to the same issues for ages until we find made some plot progression but it was so slow. i think this one lacked the depth of plot that the first one had.

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emily_mh's review

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adventurous emotional mysterious reflective 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

5.0

This book took everything I loved about Raybearer and made it better. It was once again SO original and so refreshing. I cold never tell where it was going next, but not in a directionless plot kind of way - in a subverting the YA fantasy genre kind of way. I loved Tarisai even more in this instalment: how deeply she loved others, and the way she struggled to make sense of the world yet still tried her utmost to do right by it. This book also improved on something I didn’t like in Raybearer: the time jumps. In this there were far less, so the narrative flowed cohesively.

Redemptor as a book says so much, and I loved each and every theme it delved into. The narrative explores the evils of capitalism. It shows how justice is a marathon and not a sprint; that there must be self-care so that you can continue to contribute. It even illustrates that guilt is not an adequate motive for fighting for justice. This quote on this subject was my favourite from the book:

“Don’t confuse guilt with conviction. Guilt is self-centred, and leads only to destructive obsession. But conviction brings balance - a sense of purpose beyond oneself.”

Redemptor also examines the paradox of sacrificing your values to create a society BASED on your values. It questions what power should look like, and what must be done to achieve that. Overall, I loved that the book challenged the systems that are part-and-parcel of “traditional” (usually white and Western) YA fantasy world-building, namely monarchy and capitalism.

I was initially going to give this book 4.5 stars, not 5. This was because I thought the love triangle was unnecessary and also that I wish Dayo had had more of an active role. But after reading that ending… I knew that nothing less than 5 stars would suffice. It was so satisfying and so well suited. It made me sob MULTIPLE times. It was perfect. Needless to say I can’t wait to see what Ifueko puts out next.

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ashlikes's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful 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

2.0

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hollyk's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective tense slow-paced

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

I can't help but feel a bit disappointed by this book. I wanted to love it--I loved Raybearer and thought it was so unique and loved all of the diversity.
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,

Nyamba

underwent a revolution and became a more egalitarian state with no poverty, but Tarisai (and Dayo) didn't really keep that same energy when it came to Aritsar as a whole--sure,

the Ray can now be passed to anyone at any time, but that doesn't really change the fact that other realms have poverty and the capital has the majority of the resources, which aren't being redistributed like Nyamba did

. Nyamba also isn't a focal realm in the first book as far as I can remember, so it felt like this choice was less impactful than it could have been.
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

the Redemptor children and the abiku's army. That plot line felt too easily wrapped up when it was a major point of contention in the first book.

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.

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fromjuliereads's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark 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

4.25

Fantastic sequel!

I love the characters in this duology and how their flaws and what they are going through in finding themselves is front and center. They are trying to stay true to themselves while making it a better world. And it is fantastic to read about.

I had thought the part with the Underworld might be longer or more integral to the book - it was pretty short for having worked up to it since book 1. But I still loved the story and of course the characters.

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a_libra_library's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional 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? N/A

4.0

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rhm04's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional 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

4.0

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brokenbodybitch's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful fast-paced

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

5.0

This book was somehow even better than Raybearer and that was a very easy 5 stars; I do want to preface this one with an added warning that if you have any issues with intrusive thoughts or feelings of not being enough you should go into this book with caution, it may be immaculate, but it also took me 12 days to be able to finish and normally it’s a few days max. However, Jordan Ifueko is very easily an auto-buy after this duology. Also sorry this is a long one...

*SPOILERS PAST THIS POINT YOU’VE BEEN WARNED*

At this point I don’t think I can say a bad thing about the duology, the writing was so detailed and layered that I yet again can’t figure out where to start; the dynamics between Tarisai, her childhood and her mother, and how it continues into this second book or, even what other character to talk about and what I enjoyed about them and their relationship with Tar, Dayo and other council members or… maybe the way intrusive thoughts, self doubt and other terrible thoughts are able to manifest in these more tangible forms in a way that is truly horrific yet I can’t help but give 5 stars because it is genuinely immaculate and spot on.

Jordan Ifueko has truly masted the art of giving enough depth to characters, no matter how much of a focus they are; they are given the perfect amount of history and backstory in the moment or leading up to events, that no matter the character or sequence of events, each character you read about has layers and nuance to them. I genuinely hated certain characters, like as ‘people’ but the depth they are given, make you at minimum have some level of understanding for the situation that they find themselves in, so even if you think someone is a piece of shit you are still some level invested in their trauma or their story of what lead them to this path and why they became that way, which is a talent.

There’s also this depth to the relationships between characters which I really loved reading; the aspects of found family are explored so much more in this book and the discussions of what counts as love are really interesting. You see them not only trying to figure out the balance 1 on 1 but, they are also trying to find their place in the council itself. Most notable relationships I enjoyed the dynamics of were the ones between: Tar & Sanjeet, Tar & Zuri and, Tar and Min Ja. Tar and Sanjeet have this cozy and warm love that radiates the feeling of a hug which contrasts so well with her relationship with Zuri that is a lot more fire-y and abrasive. Tar and Zuri have this dynamic where they will cause the other to burn brighter but they may also burn each other to the ground - a harsher expression, where as Tar & Sanjeet is much more of a supportive, softer kind of love. I also had to add, how much I enjoyed the plot line with Min Ja because it is a very challenging start to their connection and it gets a little rocky for a while but ultimately they end up loving each other and having a very adorable dynamic. A line I love is when Tar goes…

“in the words of my council sister Queen Min Ja,” I whispered back, “that’s what makes me so popular”

I don’t know it was just really sweet how she ended up having such an impactful moment with her after how they started.

I must say though, the ojiji spirits and the abiku are straight up fucking nightmare fuel, they will and have been in my nightmares for a bit…but at the same time I can not help but admire how well it was done. The way these terrifying spirits are written is a painfully accurate analogy for what it is like to have these deep feelings of not being enough, that manifest as intrusive thoughts but in this case, it’s manifesting as these oh so lovely creatures that, I will let you read the descriptions of because I physically shuddered when I read it. The creep factor aside I really do love the way these spirits and her time in the underworld were done, as for me at least, it was a fantastic way to show these awful thoughts, that loop in your head and when they tend get worse, along with generally some of the effects of trauma; but in a less direct way by using these things outside of just mental ‘thought loops’.

I really really love what happened with Tarisai and her mom in the underworld, it was very satisfying to read Tar walking away that final time, and it was like second hand therapeutic tbh. The way Jordan Ifueko shaped the underworld is very interesting yet terrifying; the idea you must walk though your regrets and all these hard things was truly immaculately done. From the scene with the Abiku masking itself Zuri and her only recognizing it because he can’t physically touch her without her asking (that shattered my heart just a bit...), to her animal guide in the underworld, to ‘The Lady’ pretending to help her but leading her to her death, to those fucking stairs of mirrors, that show you versions of yourself and life that tempt you into the mirrors…. Damn is literally all I have to say.

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aformeracceleratedreader's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

A wonderful sequel to Raybearer. Although not as good for me as the first book, it is still a solid book. Loved expanding on the ACE character. A little slow in a few parts but nothing so slow that it ruins the story.
Also the narrator is fantastic! Joniece Abbott Pratt embodies Tarisai perfectly and does a great job with the other characters as well.

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overbooked207's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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

5.0

📖 Redemptor by Jordan Ifueko Book Review 📖

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📚💜🏳️‍🌈

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