I was absolutely blown away by this novel from start to finish. It's got everything that I look for in fantasy; strong, dynamic characters with genuine flaws, an interesting narrative that is well paced and has some unexpected twists and turns and excellent world building with an innovative magic system that is intricately tied to the politics of the world. It doesn't shy away from darker topics, but also doesn't wallow in them. It's frankly a stunning piece of work for a debut author.

Tarisai's upbringing was unusual. Raised by servants in a isolated mansion, she longs for the moments when her mother, The Lady, comes to see her. But The Lady has plans for her daughter, and she's sent to compete to become one of the crown prince's eleven councillors. Each member of the council offers a layer of protection to the prince, making them invulnerable to every form of death barring old age or betrayal. Betrayal is exactly what The Lady plans. Tarisai is bound to follow her mother's direction, and her mother has instructed her to kill the crown prince. Tarisai knows that every moment she spends with the prince brings her closer to having to kill him. Is this a command she can find a way of subverting?

This is a rich and imaginative novel examining love, betrayal, generational trauma and revenge. It's both a personal tale of hopes, dreams and fears, but also a far wider one as the politics of the empire come into closer focus as the novel goes on. It's built up beautifully and I was particularly impressed at the care taken to build not just the lead characters, but also the antagonists and supposed villains. It's carefully layered, giving each character a resonant voice and making them understandable, perhaps even relatable.

All in all, an excellent read and I'm keen to read the sequel. Would have picked it up already if I hadn't put myself on a book buying ban for February.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of the title through the Hugo Awards.

I read this when it was nominated for a Hugo award and loved it. The main character is cursed by her mother to kill someone she's never met. The girl spends the rest of the book trying to break that curse, with some found family along the way. The story asks questions about if you can break out of the molds your parents put you into, while also touching on generational trauma and erasure of women from history.

I enjoyed Tar's insistence on not being who her mother wanted. I loved the relationships between Tar and the rest of her found family.

One of the most original fantasy novels I've read in a long time. Every time I thought I knew what the end would be, the book got there, did something I hadn't expected, and continued on. Highly recommended.

I really enjoyed the work Ifueko created and the story of the Raybearer. I look forward to more of Tarisai's journey in book 2.

This book was wonderful. It drew me in with inventive worldbuilding, and while the pacing sometimes confused me, the overall effect was phenomenal. A remarkable debut

Raybearer is a lovely young adult fantasy novel, the first in a two book series. I read a fair amount of YA, and a good amount of speculative fiction and still Raybearer felt new and exciting. In fact I’d say it’s probably my favorite YA I’ve read so far in 2021. The world building is unique with a wide variety of cultures (obviously influenced by certain real world countries but with enough departure to not feel just relabeled with fantasy names), interesting magic abilities, a sense of history, and an unusual system of government.
While stories of youths rebelling against oppressive regimes are YA’s bread and butter, this takes a deeper look at justice and inequality. I love that Tarisai’s goal for most of this first book is just to protect her friends and chosen family. There are so many that we don't really get to know all of them, but the ones we do know are perfect. While Tarisai has a strong sense of right and wrong (literally, she gets physical symptoms from injustice) the entire time, the book covers her journey from ignoring it, then trying to save individuals, to trying to affect the whole empire. But even when her purpose is to protect, she still sees systemic injustices and comes up with systemic solutions, wanting to fulfill her role as more than keeper of the status quo. This is a story that questions why things are the way they are and how the status quo is maintained, but also looks seriously at what can be done better in the future. The problem isn’t one bad person abusing their power, the problem is the system that supports and maintains inequalities. I appreciated that there are no scenery chewing villains here - everyone has understandable motives, from lashing out to hurt because they were hurt, to fear, and to how easy it is to dismiss injustices that happen to other people, in other places and justify that that’s just how it is, no point in trying to make a difference. Everyone is treated with compassion, even when they make bad decisions or react from their emotions, which they sometimes do.
I’m really looking forward to the second book because I can’t wait to see what happens next.!

This book was so well written! I can't wait for book 2 to find out what happens next. The world building was done very well and as a reader, I got very invested in all of the characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

A truly unique fantasy that pushes the boundaries of YA. I love the imaginative settings. There are lots of characters but it never feels like a burden to remember them all. I'm looking forward to the sequel.

Didn't capture my attention and engagement. Interested in trying it again though and hopefully it will take.

I really enjoyed this book. The world-building was extremely well done, and the author explained things in a way that didn't distract from the story. Although it did take a few chapters before I felt like I was comfortable and understanding the world, once that happened, it was easy to just slip right into this world and be involved in the story and characters.

Although not quite in the same way as in some other books I've read, in many ways this is a "found family" story. Those who join the council leave behind their families of origin and become completely connected to the others in the council--to the point that they become ill if they are separated. For the main character, Tarisai, this is exactly what she's looking for: "I had longed for friends who stayed. For the people I loved to never disappear."

The relationship between Tarisai and Sanjeet was complex and yet also so simple. They both needed something in their lives and found it in one another. I love early on when he says the council is to shine as moonlight and Tarisai says "Why would anyone want to be moonlight? It's white and cold. I'd much rather be sunshine." This says so much about her character and also about how Sanjeet begins to see her.

Although Tarisai and the other council members are still in training, it's clear that the world the Emperor controls has a lot of problems. It is made up of different groups of people (and each is represented by one council member), but it is still very divided. There is also a land that is not included as part of the council which has gotten the short end of the stick as far as one major thing that happens to a large group of children every year. (Being somewhat vague here so as not to spoil anything.) I found this setup to be quite reflective of what goes on in our own world. In particular is this exchange between two characters:
"Why does everyone hate change so much?"
"Because things could get worse."
"Maybe. But do you know what I think? I think deep down, we're afraid that things could get better. Afraid to find out that all the evil--all the suffering we ignore--could have been prevented. If only we had cared enough to try."
That really hit me quite strongly.

Tarisai also wonders which is better: a perfect solution that couldn't be enforced or a weak solution everyone loved.

So many other quotes that I loved.

Finally, "What story will you live for? What story do you live for?"

I'm moving onto the second book right away.

This book turned out to be a really good surprise! It drew me in from the beginning, and didn't let me go until the end. I especially loved how fierce the main character was, something that is rare for me. There were a lot of dynamics in this book, between characters as well as within the plot, and that made it all the more interesting. I cannot wait to read the second book!

Again this was a delight that capitulated me. I switch between digital copy and audio book. Both fantastic! Just when I knew where this was heading I come to realize I was totally off track and that’s what I loved the most in this book.also beautiful luscious detailed world building..

I was absolutely blown away by this book. The world-building is intricate and gorgeous, and world like and unlike our own, where Oluwan stands at the centre of a magically-bound empire and restless shades can be summoned by burning their possessions. The prose is incredible and I was immersed from the very first page, though I had to take some breaks to recover from the spell the book cast on me.

Tarisai is clever but naive, well-schooled but sheltered, doing the best she can with what she's got and making friends as well she can. Beyond her growth - a beautiful story in its own right - we have a story of empire, where unity means uniformity and peace is attained through silence. Being part of the Prince's Council would put Tarisai at the centre of power but she must decide what she truly wants and what future she wants to be part of.

This is one of the best books I've read in a long time and I wholeheartedly recommend it.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley; all opinions are my own

Thank you so much for making this book available to read for people with Hugo memberships. .

This one's on the longer side for a YA and took me some time to read, but mostly because it's an ebook, and ebooks and I aren't great friends. I had heard a lot of good things about it and they were all true!

The worldbuilding was so intricate, it was like walking through that universe yourself. It's a mix of a lot of different cultures in one same empire/continent, and it deals with both the ideas of colonialism, tyranny, and the patriarchy. Our heroine, Tarisai, has been cursed to kill the emperor's son, who's become her best friend... The story focuses on her growing up in a very abusive/neglectful household, being brought up to the palace, and trying her damnedest to escape the fate that was assigned to her while also protecting herself and her friends. I especially liked the themes around the true idea of justice, and how people in power might do better by the people they serve.

I cared about so many of these characters! And I was mad about so many others! (especially some of the parents... are absolutely awful!) I also thought I knew where it was going, but the last 15% of the book were just one big event after another, I simply couldn't stop reading! It's brilliant.

I couldn't read this whole novel in one shot, but I definitely tried. The world Ifueko has created here isn't like anything I've seen before. The ruling principles behind the government were intriguing, the characters felt real, and she stuck the landing. I need to go get the next one now and find out what happens next.

RAYBEARER by Jordan Ifueko

Raised by an absent, ambitious mother and innumerable tutors, Tarisai uses her training and her gift of reading memories through touch to impress the Prince’s Council. If she makes it to the Children’s Palace and gets chosen by the Crown Prince to be one of his own eleven mentally-linked council members, Tarisai will have what she has always dreamed of: a family. But she will also have to fight her mother’s final wish.

A debut novel with great character strengths and some structural weaknesses

The focus of Raybearer‘s fairly character-driven plot is protagonist Tarisai. We watch her grow from an unknowing child to someone who is ready to make her own decisions. Her determination to be more than that which others see in her is admirable and drives the story forward. Even though Tarisai is not perfect, Jordan Ifueko created a protagonist that is a great role model for all those who rebel against restrictions put upon them, whatever kind they are.

Raybearer is also Ifueko’s debut novel, which sometimes shows in the way the novel is structured. The pacing seems off with very little happening towards the beginning of the book and a sudden rush of plot points popping up about two-thirds through the novel. The decision to cut short some of the relationship building by introducing time jumps is also puzzling, as these are absolutely essential to the story. Furthermore, Ifueko fails to flesh out some of the side characters in a meaningful way, giving them the overall impression of cardboard stand-ins for their respective realms/cultures. However, the love and care that went into developing the protagonists, their most important allies and the culture surrounding them shines through on every page and it is not just readers with African ancestry that will feel seen. Raybearer‘s sequel, Redemptor, which was published about a month ago, will most likely not only build and expand on this but also showcase Ifueko’s growing experience as a writer.

Rating

About half-way through the book, I was certain I wouldn’t give Raybearer more than two stars. But once things actually started to happen, I was intrigued and about three-quarters through I was really captivated. Ifueko managed to pull all the strings together for a satisfying ending, while also setting up the sequel. In the end (literally), I liked the book well enough to give it three stars.

This book has such an amazingly vivid world, and the characters are incredibly well-written. It follows Tarisai, who grows up in an invisible house and is occasionally visited by her mother, who is called the Lady. The Lady has raised her to grow up and kill the Crown Prince. Tarisai is sent to the palace to try to join the Prince's Council of 11, and she must decide on whether she will obey her mother's orders or find a way to stop herself from killing someone she has come to love.

The relationships between the Council of 11 was one of the best examples of (mostly) platonic relationships written in books. The world is very richly written, and the stakes were super high. It kept me wondering how it was going to play out the entire time.

The praise for Raybearer has been impossible to miss since its release last year, and I’ve been looking for an excuse to squeeze it into a crowded reading schedule. When Jordan Ifueko’s debut joined an incredibly stacked list of Lodestar Award finalists, it gave me a perfect reason to move it to the top of the list.

Raybearer takes place in a fantasy world in which disparate lands have been joined together into a single continent, ruled by an African-coded hereditary Emperor whose magical bonds with a council of representatives from all 12 states give him invulnerability to any death but old age or attack from his own council. But the revenge-minded Lady, enraged by past wrongs, has raised her daughter Tarisai from birth for the sole purpose of gaining a place on the Crown Prince’s council and killing him. The only problem? She doesn’t want to.

Raybearer packs a lot into a single, moderately-sized novel. There are toxic relationships and gaslighting aplenty, starting with The Lady’s manipulative parenting of Tarisai. But as we see more of the ruling of the empire, we find overt misogyny and social injustice in a host of different forms. And Tarisai’s compulsion to act against the Crown Prince introduces themes of freedom and psychological bondage. It’s a lot, and you could forgive a potential reader for expecting an unfocused, mishmash, diving willy nilly from theme to theme. But Ifueko ties them together expertly, making every individual injustice feel like one thread in a larger pattern—a pattern that grounds the story while also providing the power behind it.

These themes fuel a well-paced plot, with the central conflict of Tarisai’s compulsion to kill the Crown Prince joined by additional conflicts that begin to crystallize as she embeds herself among the rulers of the empire. These keep the story moving at a brisk pace, while integrating so well with the initial conflict that the novel never feels like it’s trying to accomplish too much. Meanwhile, Tarisai proves an excellent central character, with genuine shortcomings stemming from her youth and upbringing, but with a good heart and a quickness to learn. And while we don’t get to know the entirety of the council, she is surrounded by three close friends who feel well-developed in their own rights while also forming strong and engaging bonds with the lead.

Though the themes and the characters are deftly worked, the plot of Raybearer is just a partial success. On the positive side, it is well-paced and interesting throughout, and no one needs break character to serve plot conveniences. But on the other hand, there is a brief journey in the middle of the book that seems totally disconnected from what comes before or after, and the climax involves more than a few conveniences which weren’t totally outlandish but did come off a bit too neat for my tastes. There’s too much good here to call the plot a weakness, but it doesn’t hit the heights of some of the other elements of the novel.

Overall, Raybearer is an engaging and fun debut, one that has a satisfying enough arc to be enjoyed on its own but which leaves enough threads loose for a robust sequel storyline. Its biggest strength is the ability to weave together so many heavy themes without feeling either bleak or overstuffed, with the excellent main cast and well-paced plot serving to grab the reader’s attention and hold it for the duration.

Recommended if you like: YA fantasy, African-inspired settings, books that tackle social injustice and toxic relationships.

Overall rating: 15 of Tar Vol’s 20. Four stars on Goodreads.