I thoroughly enjoyed Raybearer. Strong worldbuilding, an interesting and engaging lead character, and a fun plot, this is a worthy candidate in the incredibly stacked competition for the Lodestar Awards in the 2021 Hugos. Thanks to the author for writing such a compelling work, and thanks to the publisher for making copies available for Hugo consideration!

Wow. This was really good. I really loved everything about it except for the romance, which I didn't dislike; I just didn't actively care.

Born of a vengeful woman known only as The Lady and the djinn The Lady compelled to grant her three wishes, Tarisai is cursed to fulfill The Lady’s third wish. The wish? Tarisai must gain the trust of the crown prince and assassinate him when he selects her to join his Council. To do this, she must compete against other gifted children for a spot in the prince’s Council, in which the members are bound together for life through the prince’s Ray magic, which grants him immunity to a type of mortal peril for each of the eleven members he chooses to bind. Once the Council is complete, only old age or a Council member can kill the prince, which is why the assassin must be Tarisai. Upon meeting the prince, however, Tarisai realizes that the boy is kind and gentle and that she does not want to kill him. Can Tarisai find a way out of her terrible destiny?

This book was not overhyped. It’s an exceptional debut full of vibrant characters and a fascinating world. I enjoyed the nuance of Tarisai’s relationships with other characters, as she struggles with the dissonance of her desire to be seen and loved, and the terrible cost of pursuing that sense of belonging with her mother’s deadly wish hanging over her head. I loved the way the book handled these themes of belonging, loyalty, and justice. Also? I loved that Tarisai and Dayo got to be good friends without forcing them into a romantic subplot. The warmth of the friendships in this book is absolutely lovely.

There are things I loved and things I disliked about the world building. On the one hand, it felt odd and lazy to have identifiable Earth cultures from around the world (across multiple continents) represented here as part of a single empire that mythology states were connected into a sort of Pangaea via magical means, and most of them were not fleshed out beyond “this culture is the one where people where tartan.” On the other hand, the parts of the world where the characters spent real time were beautifully imagined and it was delightful to enjoy a fantasy primarily set in a land based on West Africa (and to have that land as the capital of this vast empire!).

I highly recommend Raybearer, which was every bit as good as I’d hoped it would be. It’s thoughtful and emotionally powerful, and even though I wasn’t completely sold on certain aspects of the world building, I thoroughly enjoyed all the rest. I can’t wait for the sequel.

I truly loved this book. The setting, and the world building were so well done and introduced a truly unique world full of unique characters and problems. While the plot was a bit more in line with "traditional" fantasy than the world building it was still compelling, well paced, and engaging in a way I have found few books recently. Tarisai is a good main character for this type of story. As she has no knowledge of much of the world it feels natural to be a bit confused as a reader seeing the world through her eyes.

This book is very clearly the beginning of a longer series as it introduces more problems and questions than it answers. However I find I do not have a problem with this as I was sucked completely into the story and rather than being disappointed in a story that ends in a cliff hanger I find that I am excited at the prospect of more books set in this world with these characters.

This book is definitely one to judge by its cover - gorgeous, stunning, colorful. You'd never guess this is Ifueko's debut novel. It feels like she's been writing forever - or perhaps this is just the story she was born to tell. The story focuses on the life of Tarisai and her coming to age but with magic. Her mother, known as The Lady, is mostly absent from her life which plays into most aspects of her life. A common theme that arises is loyalty and family - and what we're willing to do for those we love...or should love. The language is a dance that I want to get lost in. I absolutely loved this book and can't wait to read book two.

Received as part of the Hugo Packet for 2022 - it's a worthy nominee and I was quite grateful to the publishers and author for their generosity.

The dominating thought as I read this book was, "How can this be a debut?" It is stunning; it flows beautifully and has none of the self-consciousness you often see in first-time authors. There are twists and turns a-plenty and the world-building is absolutely epic, and I say that as someone who uses that word sparingly given how often it gets overused,

This was definitely one of my top reads of 2020. Black girl magic plus family secrets, love interest, and taking on the patriarchy. A must read!

Raybearer is the debut novel from Nigerian-American author Jordan Ifueko. It's a young adult novel featuring a world seemingly inspired by a non-Western mythology/setting (neither the marketing nor the acknowledgements seem to suggest a specific culture being the inspiration, so I won't try to extrapolate any further) and it was a novel that I saw a bunch of authors I like hyping up recently when it just came out. And as it was available immediately as part of the Hoopla Library, I picked it up and read it fairly quickly (it's not a long novel).

And Raybearer is a fairly solid fantasy debut; the first in a series (trilogy?) but one that ends with a decently satisfying ending. The main character is really damn good, as a young girl who grows up desperate to both please her mother and to avoid the destiny that mother has enforced upon her, who has a good heart in a world filled with pleasant injustice. There's also a lot of depth to this world, not all of which gets explored in this novel, to go along with a very solid mix of characters, so I am definitely interested in seeing where things go from here.


---------------------------------------------------Plot Summary-----------------------------------------------------
Tarisai was raised in isolation in a manor magically concealed from anyone else. She was raised by an assortment of people, with her only family being the mysterious Lady - her mother - who only appears from time to time and rarely shows any endearment. Her loneliness is only slightly abetted by Tarisai's special power, her ability to know or take the memories of any person or object she touches and she has longed to be in the outside world. But when she flees the manor one day, she finds out the truth behind her origins: her mom created her as part of a bargain with an Ehru, for the sole purpose of killing someone. And finally the day comes when Tarisai is sent away from the manor for that purpose under a specific order from her mother.

But the world Tarisai finds outside the manor is far different than she could have imagined, ruled by an Emperor with the power of the Ray - a Raybearer - who uses his power to tie to him 11 others....and cannot be killed except by one of his eleven chosen. It's a world where children are sacrificed every year as part of a peace treaty with demons, but the only children so chosen are from an outsider nation, and the Emperor's nation itself is made up of many cultures with their own traditions which the Emperor wants to strictly unite. And the Emperor's kind son, Dayo, the second bearer of the Ray, is assembling his own council of 11 to impart the ray, a person chosen from every tribe in the country.

Tarisai's order from her mother, an order her blood commands her to obey, means that she must learn to love Dayo and then, once given the Ray and made one of the only ones who could kill him, to kill him. But Tarisai doesn't want to have her destiny chosen for her, nevertheless one so clearly evil in nature. But finding a way toward a destiny of her own choosing, to a world of justice, will not come without cost and may not be truly possible.......
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Raybearer is told entirely from Tarisai's perspective, as she grows from a little girl to a young woman by the end (with a few timeskips that are honestly barely noticeable thrown in there). It's through her perspective as a young girl sheltered from the outside world that we learn about the world - as she experiences it for the first time - and we see the truth for what it really is. Adult readers - and probably most older YA readers - will see pretty quickly that the world is one filled with injustice in ways that resemble our own world and perhaps in others. Tarisai may not realize the injustices immediately (although she senses how wrong they are inwardly even when she's persuaded otherwise), but the reader will quite quickly.

So on a fantastical level, for the Raybearer to obtain his full immortality, he must bind a group of people who love him to him - and I do mean bind, with his council being unable to separate from him for too long without suffering a potentially lethal sickness, and their mind sort of melded to his forever at that point. But on a realistic level, we have a country filled with a number of cultures which the ruler insists should all meld together - assimilation being his ultimate goal, no matter their own wants and beliefs.....potentially by force. You have a treaty with demons that requires innocent children to be sacrificed.....and the children supposedly chosen by fate seemingly always are chosen from the same poor people, a people who lack representation in the world. You have a rule that essentially is patriarchal at the top, with women rejected for any possibility of rule, and where a female council member is sort of expected to provide an heir for the ruler, whether either of them really want it or not. And while the book isn't fully able to deal with all of these issues - and parts of this setting are left for the sequel to deal with, Tarisai's perspective allows for all these aspects of the world to be weaved together with aplomb, so it never feels like the book is trying to do too much.

That works because Tarisai and the secondary characters are really damn strong. Tarisai is arguably an example of the Pinocchio archetype - she's a made girl who wants to be real, with control over her own fate - but unlike the usual version of that archetype, it isn't only love that will allow her to pull that off, but finding a full epic purpose. She's really intelligent and good hearted, and the love she has for all she sees, especially one fellow member of the council (romantically) and her friends on the rest of it (platonically), really makes her an easy character to root for. And she finds it hard, unlike her mother, to hate even those she has good reason to - so she can't help despite it all to want her mother to love her, as well as everyone else, and as a result she struggles when she comes across injustices throughout the world that others claim are inevitable.

The secondary characters again are also great. Love interest Sanjeet is the big brutish character you would expect to be well, the brute, but instead he wants to use his power to see weakness in others for healing and health, and his reactions to everyone and his and Tarisai's falling for each other is really well done. Tarisai's best other friend Kirah is a healer who like Sanjeet saw through her childhood the injustices in the world and feels desperate to get out of the trap to change them. And of course, the prince himself Dayo, is like Tarisai a boy who wants only to do good, but struggles with expectations that suggest he must go in other directions. He's also an ace character in a world that expects him to provide an heir, which is yet another injustice here, but really works as representation (it is as far as I can tell though, the only queer representation in this novel). And even the antagonists are really effective, with each having motivations that feel very real (outside of the demons for now, because well they're demons) that make them arguably sympathetic to some degree, even when they do go over the edge.

It results in a plot that is a really strong ride with excellent plot twists and leads to an ending that is both really satisfying but also leads a lot open - with the injustices of the land laid bare, our heroine setup for a new quest for the next novel, and new potential antagonists on the rise - ones who are set up well and already sympathetic and interesting. The book has a number of side characters who are never really developed - Other than Kirah, Sanjeet, and Dayo, I have no clue anything about the other 8 members of Dayo's council, which feels like kind of an important oversight (one is mentioned as a gossip but I kind of forgot who she was) - so there's more work to do there for the next novel potentially. It's one I look forward to either way, to see how this world expands from here.

The writing, the world building, the characters (most notably Tarisai and her amazing narrative voice), and the feeling that the author knows more beyond the page made for a fast, all-encompassing read. Seriously can't recommend enough. (It's also a delight to listen to!)

This book is so magical.

The worldbuilding is incredibly interesting, and I loved seeing how the Ray works, the Council, and how it shows different kinds of love (romantic, familial, platonic) and how they play into it. I love the discussion on colonialism and how Dayo's Ray are all unsure of how to stop it but all agree that it's WRONG.

There's a discussion to be had about complicated emotions when it comes to abusive relationships, but I don't think I'm the person to have that discussion. From what I read, I thought it was handled well, but I'd have to read other reviews to know for sure.

I only have two concerns:
1) The pacing was a little all over the place. It starts and then the next chapter is a couple of years later, then suddenly it's four years later, and then suddenly it's six months later. Sometimes I wouldn't realize it had skipped time.
2) I wish we had gotten to know more of the other members of Dayo's Ray. I'm hoping in that the sequel we get to learn more about them!

Overall though, I can't wait for everyone to read this book!!

This story was absolutely exquisite! Nothing like I have read before!! I loved the flow of the story, the different elements in magic, and wow! the world building. I dont understand how this doesnt have more praise! The character development was intricate but without a doubt easy to follow. I enjoyed the plot twists, this kept me at the edge of my seat! I am looking forward to reading more by this author and the sequel!! I cant believe it took me so long to review this title!

Creative, meticulous world building, intriguing, layered characters, a fresh mythology, and masterful plotting all work together to create one of the best young adult fantasy books of the year. This is a must read!

If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I would! Fantastic YA Fantasy story and characters in a great world built around Afirican folklore. The magic of the realm is compelling and unique. Fans of Tomi Adeyemi will love this. 10 thumbs up!

Raybearer is a truly magical read set in a sweeping West African inspired fantasy world. I was charmed by every page.

Tarisai has been raised for treason, by a mother as mysterious to her as the outside world. All she wishes for is a family and a purpose of her own choosing. When she is sent by her mother and enveloped into the Crown Prince’s Council, she finds herself experiencing the love and friendship she’s always desired. But her joy is overshadowed by her mission to gain the prince’s trust and then take his life.

This story is an enchanting tale of the power of bonds, of friendship and love and blood. I was bewitched by the stories within stories, mythology and lush world building.

I especially loved the LGBTQIA+ rep in this. There is no shame in loving who you love – in fact, it is expected and celebrated amongst the Council members, whose love for one another is deeply entwined. Most of all, in appreciate the aro/ace representation and how important it is for the narrative of the story, I imagine it will be touched upon more in the next book!

I remember watching a Yallstayhome panel with Jordan this past Spring, hearing her talk about this book and thinking: “Damn, it sounds better than most of the books releasing this year!”

I can honestly say, it is.

Jordan Ifueko's Raybearer is delightfully entertaining and filled with magical world building that's both engrossing and fresh. Tarisai longs for the love and affection her mother, who is called The Lady. The Lady grooms Tarisai to become one of the Anointed 11 to the Crown Prince, Dayo. Once Tarisai is anointed, she's to kill Dayo and upset the balance of power within the empire of Aritstar. Tarisai struggles with her loyalty to help and protect those she loves. Raybearer cleverly hits on various social and political themes with deft imagination. Raybearer is a richly detailed fantasy debut that readers will truly enjoy.

Raybearer is a beautifully crafted Young Adult fantasy that creates such an amazing and unique world that is filled with strong characters that I think it will transcend the YA genre and that adult lovers of fantasy would enjoy this book. This story builds and builds to a startling climax.

This was a wonderful story about finding yourself and fighting for what you know is right. Tarisai is a wonderfully strong character who feels very real and whole. Ifueko created a beautiful world that invites readers to want to come back for more--to find out more. I can't wait to read more of Tarisai's adventures.

<i>"We weren't raised to see the world as a small place, where nothing matters but our happiness. That isn't our story. And...I don't think it ever will be."</i>

I. Freaking. Loved. This. Book.

That's it. That's the review.

Well, not really. But it could be. My longer reviews are often the ones where I don't like the book, or where I'm frustrated with the premise and want so much more. When I love a book, I don't have nearly as much to say because I'd basically just be gushing.

Ifueko <b>delivered</b>. This is, I believe, her debut novel, which just blows my mind because it was one of the best fantasies -- YA or otherwise -- I've read in awhile. Like, read-until-2-in-the-morning-and-regret-nothing *good.* Okay, let's take a step back:

PLOT PREMISE: We're in the land of Aritsar -- which is a fictional fantasy empire, but is basically a version of Pangaea. That is, most of our story lies in "Africa," but the other countries have recognizable analogues in our world (e.g. Russia, France, Scotland, China, etc.). Aritsar is ruled by an emperor, who possess The Ray, and his council of 11, with each member representing one of the 11 nations that make up the empire. The council is chosen when the heir/prince and the future council members are all children, thus allowing them all to grow up together as a family. Our heroine, Tarisai has been groomed since birth by her mother (the engimatic Lady) to sit on the emperor's council....and kill the emperor-elect. Anything else gets spoilery.

✔︎ -- DIVERSITY. Both our heroine, Tarisai, and the emperor, Dayo, are from the Africa-analogue in this world, and are dark-skinned with dark hair, which are celebrated. Jeet is, I believe, from the India analogue, and while I'm not entirely sure where Kirah is supposed to be from, I get the vibe that she's from the Middle East or Egypt? Or Israel, perhaps? The point is -- all the main characters are dark-skinned and it's not just a plot device or surface-level point. It's integral to the story and the customs and traditions come alive.

✔︎ -- NO LOVE TRIANGLE! Maybe we're moving away from this trend or I'm just selecting books that don't deal with that anymore, but either way, I'm glad. There's a brief moment where there's confusion -- someone THINKS someone they love is in love with someone else -- but it's just that: confusion meant to increase the pathos of the reveal. (And there's another facet to this relationship, but that's spoilery, so....)

✔︎ -- SISTERHOOD. One of the main premises is that the Council becomes a family, and there's a lovely theme about found-families being just as strong as blood-families. But what I appreciated is the relationship between Kirah and Tarisai. There's an element of competition while the characters are still children, vying for places on the Council (although it doesn't seem to be a cutthroat competition) and there's a little bit of that retained even after they've grown up and the Council is formed. But Kirah and Tarisai are our two main female protagonists and their relationship is just refreshing. There's no fighting, no jealousy, no cattiness: just two women, supporting each other, and having the other's one back. There's a moment, too, when Jeet thinks the worst of Tarisai (which was my only quibble, but more on that in a minute) and Kirah never falters, never wavers. And I loved that.

✔︎ -- THE MYTHOLOGY. Lawd, I don't know why I didn't lead with this one. The worldbuilding that Ifueko has done is just...delightful. She gave you all the information that you (as the reader) needed to know; I didn't have questions; there were no gaps or inconsistencies -- it was tight, coherent, and immersive. There are trapped genies, evil underworld spirits (and some in the form of creepy ghost children), mystical realms -- you can tell Ifueko not only grew up on fairy tales and fantasy stories, but that she loves them and <i>understands</i> them.

✔︎ -- THE TWIST. Well, IDK if it's the twist so much as the impetus for the sequel, but whatever it was, I loved it. One of my greatest pet peeves is when stories drag out, clearly setting up the next book, and you know it'll be more of the same (same conflict, same setting, etc.). Here, Ifueko set up the twist (which I saw (most of it) coming, but whatever, it was excellent plot-wise ) and once it was executed, you *know* that the next book is going to do something different. We have more mythology to uncover -- but we still got answers to the most pressing questions introduced in this book -- and we'll go different places.

﹅ -- I can't even call this a negative, but it was my only quibble: there's a moment when Sanjeet just completely turns on Tarisai. Kirah, Dayo, they all support and believe in her, but Jeet just...drops her. And it bugged me a little bit ... to be fair, it didn't last long (thank goodness!), and Jeet admitted his mistake in the end, but it just seemed a bit out of character. I know it was done to cement their relationship, as well as give Tarisai a chance to "prove" herself to him, but I think his motivation here was supposed to stem from his relationship with his brother, and his loss of his brother. That wasn't as formative an experience (in the context of the story) as I think it needed to be in order to justify that behavior, but I got what Ifeuko was going for. It just didn't land 100% for me, mainly because their relationship was rock solid from the beginning. But again -- that's a minor quibble and not even a negative for me.

This was, by far, one of the best books I've read all year and I cannot wait for the sequel. And any other books Ifueko will write.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved everything about this book from the world-building to the unforgettable characters. I cannot wait for my students to get their hands on it.