Reviews with content warning for Child death - Raybearer

Reviews tagging 'Child death'

julesadventurezone's review

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adventurous informative mysterious medium-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

4.75

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keao12's review

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adventurous emotional reflective tense medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

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kylieqrada's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring 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

I haven't been picking up YA fantasy as much lately, but I am so glad that I grabbed this one. I probably would have loved it just for the asexual rep, but it is actually just an all-around really good book as well. The world-building and character development that Ms. Ifueko was able to accomplish in such a relatively short novel is incredible, and definitely sets the stage for the second installment in the series. The use of time jumps within the narrative allows the author to provide a good amount of back story for Tarisai without getting bogged down, and keeps the story moving along. While I definitely felt that the characters were the main draw for me personally, the plot had just enough intrigue and twists and turns to keep me hooked. A very enjoyable reading experience overall.

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sunsetcity's review

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adventurous inspiring mysterious tense fast-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

4.0

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peachani's review

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective tense 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

4.5

"No, we don't deserve the burdens that our parents gave us. But we can't defeat monsters that we won't face."

A fantastic novel about love, duty and desire: how they can shape - or distort - who we are and who we become.

I found that the story picked up in Part 2, and from then on, I was engaged. Ifueko reveals mysteries bit by bit, which made me want to keep reading till the end. (Confession: I almost tapped out at around 90% because I thought the main story was over and everything else was filler. I am glad I continued, not only because that wasn't the case, but also because Jordan Ifueko writes nicely!)

I tried to figure out what was going on, which I don't actively do, usually... and I was wrong as hell, which I appreciate. 😂

Also of note:

Cool to see ace representation as well, though I cannot judge whether it is 100% accurate
The description of Tarisai's loneliness, particularly in the first book resonated with me, as a child who was often left to her own devices. Unlike Tarisai, though, I was able to make and keep friends at school and in my neighborhood.

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xoodlebooks's review against another edition

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adventurous dark inspiring 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

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whatellisreadnext'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

5.0

𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨: 𝘈 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯.

Tarisai was raised in isolation by her mysterious and often absent mother. Now she is being sent Artisar to become one of the coveted eleven that the Prince keeps as council. But she is bound by a wish her mother made, once she gains the trust of the Prince, she is to kill him.

Is it really a surprise to anyone that I loved this book so much? Most of you have been yelling about how good it is for months, and I'm just super late to the party. I'm not going to lie I saw 'fairies' mentioned in a few reviews, and it totally put me off. Well let me tell you, I was wrong to deny how good this would be, and fairies play a very small part, plus they're kind of cool💁🏻‍♀️

The world building is incredible, and I love all of the characters so much. Tarisai is a complete badass and Sanjeet is a sweet baby angel. The stakes are super high, and the journey the main character goes on is so so fascinating. And THAT ENDING. Don't even get me started on how good the ending is, I need the next book Redemptor like now please.

If you love fantasy, you need to read this book immediately. It is SO FRIGGIN' GOOD

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crinspire's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective 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? Yes

5.0

I didn't expect a YA fantasy to be my favorite read of the year so far, but look.

The story is gripping from the first to the last page. I don't think there was a single chapter that was lacking or that wasn't needed. It's also divided in 4 parts with short chapters within, so if you struggle to read plot heavy books because there's nowhere to stop, this one is for you. I was intimidated by the novel before picking it up because fantasy usually requires some effort to get into the world, but in this case it was immersive and made it so easy to dive in.

The main characters are so easy to root for. Tarisai is a wonderful protagonist, complex and strong without falling into Mary Sue territory. Dayo is a literal ray of sunshine, and Kirah and Sanjeet are both lovely and complex too. When it comes to the rest of the characters, though, this book also shines, portraying grey characters in a manner that makes sense, where no character is just plain evil. I found my opinion about so many characters changed organically as I found out more, both for better and for worse.

The immersive atmosphere aids to the rich worldbuilding of the book. I could see each scene perfectly thanks to the beautiful descriptions that didn't fall into purple prose. The story is complex, gripping from chapter one, filled with well crafted plot twists that build the puzzle that is this story. The world is not as perfect as it seems, and you find out along with Tarisai what justice truly means in a situation that reflects colonialism and erasure of culture, and patriarchy in the real world. By the end of the book, I was thoroughly satisfied but so happy that this is actually a duology and we're getting one more dive into this beautiful world and another chance to be with the characters.

This has it all. Found family. High stakes. Complex, deep rooted problems. Beautiful imagery. Hope. I strained my brain to find something I didn't love so that this review isn't me gushing nonstop, and the only thing I could come up with is that I wished there was more Dayo. So there you go. Take this as a push to pick this up.

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