Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - Redemptor

Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Redemptor by Jordan Ifueko

30 reviews

emily_mh's review

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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thenovelmaura's review against another edition

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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

5.0

This is the sequel to Raybearer, an incredible book, and I'm happy to report that the end of this duology is as satisfying as the beginning. This reminded me of the Six of Crows duology because a great sequel picks up right where the first book left off and keeps the same energy level throughout. Ifueko's pacing is so excellent and she knows how to keep a reader the edge of their seat. Just like in Raybearer, I had no idea where the story was going but I loved where it ended up!

In my review of the first book, I talked about how I could tell that Ifueko put a ton of thought into world of Aritsar and that she had a solid foundation to expand on for the sequel. My wish came true and we were exposed to so many more of the customs, traditions, and differences between the realms. I'm keeping things vague to avoid spoilers, but there are valid critiques that certain characters needed more page time and others were introduced too quickly for the reader to truly connect with them. However, I really enjoyed the overall plot and the themes of mental health (specifically activist burnout) that were conveyed throughout this part of Tarisai's journey. All in all, fantasy duologies really hit the spot for me as a reader right now, and I wholeheartedly recommend adding this one your list.

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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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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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genny's review against another edition

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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

4.0

My heart twinged as I watched Tarisai, so fiercely idealistic and stubborn, try to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders - I think her internal struggles about responsibility and morality can be relatable to a lot of people. Like in Raybearer, however, I got annoyed with how slow she was to pick up on some things. An improvement is that we now see more of her relationships with council members other than Sanjeet and Kirah! Buuut then, due to circumstances in the story, we were introduced to even more characters...many of whom we barely heard from. 🤷🏽‍♀️

People may hate me for this, and even Tarisai herself would disagree, but I have to say it: she had way more chemistry with

Zuri than with Sanjeet

. 😆 I understood why they weren't compatible in the end, but man! I lived for their interactions. Even his ~~unhinged~~ spiel

about his history with The Lady, etcetera

.

I listened to the audiobook over the course of 2 months as I was very busy at the time, so that likely affected my perception of the pacing, but I think the story got too long and meandering. Despite my criticisms, I really did enjoy the journey, and the ending was satisfying. Ifueko handles familial trauma well. I recommend this duology :)

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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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queergoth_reads's review

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adventurous 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

This was a fantastic end to the story of Tarisai. I really enjoyed Raybearer and honestly I think this book was even better. It was written beautifully I truly felt like I was on that journey as well. It was so wonderful.

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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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kaziaroo's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

4.5

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