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A review by seilahuh
Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko
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