What a PHENOMENAL YA debut fantasy! I mean I haven't read anything like this ever. And please please please if you read this book do not attempt to compare it to Children of Blood and Bone. 4.5 Stars

Trigger Warnings: parental emotional abuse, blood magic, death of children, rape

Thank you to Abram Books and Hear Our Voices Book Tour for allowing me to not only be a part of this tour, but also for providing me with an ARC. All thoughts are my own.

I don't know what I was expecting when I picked up Raybearer, but it was not this! Oh my goodness this book was AMAZING. Ifueko crafts this brilliant world where we find out that our main character Tarisai is being raised to not only become part of the crowned Prince's council of 11, but to also kill the prince. This novel is complex in so many different ways from the world building to the magic system. Although this book has some basis in West African myths and legends it does not put an emphasis on the Orisha which means that Ifueko created this brand new world in which the religions and customs and traditions of each realm were those that she developed herself. I know it must have taken a lot of time and consideration to build such a complex and intricate world. One of the most interesting aspects of this magic system is the "ray." Every crown prince in the empire is destined to connect to 11 members of the other realms. Each person represents a realm. As children they compete to connect to the prince through this Ray. The bond that they have is unlike anything that I have seen in any other book. And Ifueko utilizes this as an opportunity to illustrate the importance, the significance of friendships.

There are also some heavy themes covered in this book like generational trauma and identity as well as gender roles. The women in this book have to fight to define their place not only in their families, but in the empire as a whole. Tarisai has to learn to navigate and carve out her own life and purpose, one that is separate from The Lady's. Watching her develop as a character was such a beautiful experience especially since she has so many doubts about her identity and where she stands within her circle of friends. While there was a hint of romance in this book, I truly loved that Ifueko used the love found in friendships to help Tarisai figure out who she needed to be in this complex world. It made me root for all of them the entire way. Speaking of characters, Ifueko knows how to right complex and multi-dimensional characters. NO ONE and I mean absolutely no one was a black and white type of character. Everyone had character flaws and you could see how some characters were a product of the way in which they were treated by the generations that came before them. It makes you feel for characters that you would typically even consider the villians.

The only criticism that I have of this book is the pacing. I found parts of the beginning to be rather slow, but when the action picked up I'm tell you I couldn't put this book down. There were so many twists and turns that genuinely caught me by surprise. There was no way I could have figured out how everyone was connected in this book and that's only half of thrill of this book. If you haven't picked up this book please I'm begging you to purchase it when it comes out. It's definitely well worth a read.

Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko is one of the greatest pieces of young adult literature I have ever read. My only problem with it is what do I like best: the fantastic world building, the complete mythology that has been painstakingly built, the characters, or the innovative plot? I cannot decide the only thing I know for sure is you need to read this book, immediately. Drop everything and pick it up.

“Only one thing is more powerful than a wish, and that is a purpose.”

First of all thank you to @netgalley and the wonderful author @jordanifueko for allowing me the pleasure of reading this advanced readers copy with the @hearourvoicestours book tour with @sometimesleelynnreads

This book was absolutely amazing! My confession is that I am not usually reading fantasy YA and this is probably one of the first Fantasy books I have dived into however this was absolutely a phenomenal gem!!!! The journey was so wonderful yet colorful, fun and astounding. Every sentence I have already pictured in a movie. Every character, every single wardrobe described and every land discovered.

It was a beautiful ride and such a rich story that captivated your imagination to picture every single moment.
We dive into the importance and power that stands in loyalty and unity. This book was such a great promise from the beginning to be fully invested in every character and every chapter of story development and I recommend this over and over again and look forward to seeing the success to follow this outstanding book.
Get your copy TODAY! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Follow me at @nancyluvsbooks for more book reviews.

#bibliophile #bookworm #jordanifueko #bookaholic #bookish #bookstagram #readAndchill #quarantineAndread #instagrambooks
#booksarelife #melanatedbooklover #goodreads2020 #readallthebooks #allthehasgtags #readinginjapan #hovtours #hearourvoices #fantasy #fantasybooks #booktour #fantasyya #advancedreadercopy #blackauthors #nikon #nikon50mm #photography #bookblog #netgalley #bookquotes #nikonphotography

"For my sake, I hope that woman claims her wish. But for your sake, daughter, I hope that day never comes"

Content Warnings: suicide, emotional abuse and neglect, violence, murder, sex

A giant thank you to the Hear Our Voices Team and Jordan Ifueko and her team for allowing me the opportunity to read an advanced e-copy of this story ahead of its release. This in no way affects my review.

Whoo Boy, where do I even begin with this one? I think it is fair to say that RAYBEARER is one of my favourite reads of this year, and is absolutely my favourite Young Adult Fantasy of recent years, if not all time. This story is so stunning in so many ways, layered with love, and complex relationships, politics and incredible world-building. I was blown away from the very first chapter and my love for the story and these characters only grew as the story went on.

I do believe that Jordan Ifueko’s writing is a gift to the book community, and I for one am excited for any and all of her future projects. Ifueko has a very evocative writing style, it gently weaves emotion into near every word, letting the story and its world gently unfurl in an almost whimsical manner. It isn’t too flowery, and definitely makes an impact when necessary. I often found myself rereading lines just to absorb them again. The writing in RAYBEARER makes it easy for you to imagine the world our story is set in – from the characters’ physical descriptors to the detail of the fabrics and artefacts of the different cultures, Ifueko brings forth a fully actualised and vivid world. The pacing of the story worked really well for me. We spent time with certain events that were important not only to the story but for the development of the character relationships, and had a few big time jumps that definitely worked for the arc of the story. I felt the first half was emotionally stronger than the second, though the second half still held its own plot-wise. Not to mention, the final climax was one I did not entirely see coming and had me audibly gasping.

The story and the worldbuilding in RAYBEARER truly felt like a breath of fresh air. The scope of the narrative isn’t as wide as it usually is in most fantasy stories. Earth is not on the brink of extinction, there isn’t an overbearing Big Bad that needs to be defeated, yet the stakes feel just as high as they would were that the case. I had such a fun time with the plot because of this. Another would be how culture is woven into the story. Aritsar is an empire filled to the brim with various cultures and histories, and its culture is evident in all the songs and practices we see throughout the book. The magic system as well was one that was so new and exciting to me and I truly enjoyed learning about each character's Hallow and how that affected how they moved in the world.
This is a largely character-driven story, and as it is told through first-person so we see it through Tarisai’s interactions with the people in the world. I love character-driven stories, especially when the characters are easy to fall in love with and invest emotion into. I loved all of the characters in RAYBEARER, regardless of how much time we spent with them. Tarisai is such an interesting person to see this world through. Her desire for love and belonging definitely influences her actions and is the root of a lot of her internal conflict. The cast was filled with complex side characters, and a compelling villain, and I would readily read whole books on their stories before RAYBEARER, and during those moments we don’t get to see during the book. No plot needed, just chapters of character and relationship development. Yes, please.

One aspect of this story that I am still not over is how much care the characters have for one another. If you’ve spoken to me recently you know I loved The Old Guard and am obsessed with those character relationships and how overwhelmingly evident love is in all their movements. I feel the same way about RAYBEARER. Tarisai goes from being a touch- and affection-starved child to being completely surrounded by people who love her fully and whose care for her is so explicit in all ways. Ifueko also explores the complexities of loving an abusive parent. This exploration being in stark contrast to the care and healthy love we see amongst Tarisai and her council siblings – we are given the love Tarisai was taught to accept, with its limitations and conditions, against the full and unconditional love she, and everyone, deserves. And even then, knowing the love she is worthy of, we see her grapple with the confusing feelings she now harbours towards her mother, someone whose love and acceptance she has yearned since childhood. The bond of the Council of 11 is so compelling to me and I so desperately want to see more of it.

I could write full chapters on how much this focus on love and care in the book meant to me, but as it’s a little difficult to properly delve into without spoilers, I’m going to save it for a discussion post after the release of the book.

RAYBEARER is ultimately a story about love, devotion, and loyalty. It is filled with rich cultural aspects, casual queerness, and stunning visuals, and I cannot wait to read more stories set in this world in this future. Tackling identity, sense of self and belonging, and flawed power systems, Ifueko’s debut is one that deserves all the hype and praise it is bound to get. To read a young Black girl who is afforded the space to make mistakes, and is loved explicitly, a South Asian boy who only wants to heal those around him, and a Black boy who couldn't cause harm even if it was demanded of him is one of my heart’s greatest joys, and I am so grateful I have this story and its characters in my heart now. I am excited to see where Ifueko’s journey takes her and her stories, and I cannot wait for everyone to get to know and fall in love with the world she has created.



I did notice some ableist terms were used in the early parts of the book; none that were used against any characters, or with explicit malintent, just as is usually casually used in some descriptive language. I understand this is likely just a result of how normalised these terms are, and how wider discussions of how they could be harmful are a fairly recent development, but I still wanted to let that be known as a heads up to anyone going into this story.

I LOVED this book. Books are written to take you to another world and this book did just that. Lost in the world of magic, curses, culture and friendship it was easy to fall in love with these beautiful characters and cheer them on and feel their pain. Aritsar’s prince needs his council as he uses his Ray to choose those who will surround and protect him but Tarasai has a secret and she fights everyday against the very essence of herself, or is it who she really is!? A book about love, devotion, the power and strength it takes to change a world steeped in tradition and the ability of a single voice to change the world. I LOVED THIS BOOK! ( I know I said it twice but I really really did)!

This is one of the best books I have read in a long time.

Raybearer is a Fantasy about a girl, Tarisai, who is sent by her mother to compete for one of 12 spots in the prince's council. If she is successful, she will be anointed with the Ray, share the deepest of bonds with the prince and other council members, and become one of the 12 people in the world who can kill him. Though she does not want to hurt the prince, her mother has cursed her to kill the prince as soon as she is anointed. Tarisai must figure out how to write her own destiny, fight against her demons, and find her true purpose, or risk losing everything she loves.

Honestly, it is really hard to get a 5 star review from me. I save it for books that absolutely blow me away. This book blew me away. I was sucked in by the authors gift for story telling. She wove a magical tale that kept twisting and turning until it finally took on the beautiful shape that is Raybearer. The world building was amazing. From page one, I could tell that I was reading something really special.

The characters all had their own dynamic personalities. It has been a while since I have read a book where most of the characters are not just purely good or evil, but all have faults and gifts.

I loved this story of love, betrayal, loss, and empowerment. I don't know how I will survive the wait for the second book.

I received a copy of this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is an incredible epic YA fantasy in a world and setting we’ve never seen before. I absolutely loved the way Ifueko developed the ARC and stakes for Tarisai, from a young child raised in an isolated way for a specific mission to rich characters from the Crown Prince’s Council. Often we don’t get a chance to empathize with characters who are considered a villain or nemesis, Ifueko led with depth in building the characters from The Lady to the children raised by rules of the Council. Ifueko’s worldbuilding and writing is intricate and immersive. It’s an absolutely must read for fantasy lovers, and one for those (like me) who typically don’t read fantasy. I’ve never read anything like this before and I can’t wait for book 2!

This is one of my favorite books of the year and one of my favorite YA fantasy books EVER.

I don't even know where to start. I absolutely loved every page of this book.

First, I adored all of the characters. I loved watching Tarisai develop and grow into this beautiful, strong, independent young woman as she struggles to figure out who she is and save a kingdom threatened by war. All of the side characters are lovable as well.

Second, the story is fantastic. It's got everything a fantasy lover needs. It's got action, romance, magic, creatures, and more. I was engaged the whole time and found myself reading well past 2 in the morning.

Lastly, the writing is stunning. We get these beautiful, vivid descriptions that barely leave anything for the imagination. Everything is clear and I was never confused.

I recommend Raybearer to all fantasy lovers.

Raybearer owns my entire heart.
Full of magic, intrigue, politics, and an incredible plot, this Black-inspired fantasy will undoubtedly be a favorite read of 2020 — if not an all-time favorite fantasy. I highly recommend this book to every fantasy-lover out there: even if epic fantasy scares you, give this book a try. I promise you won’t regret it.


A DIVERSE CAST OF CHARACTERS

There’s nothing that makes me fall in love with a book faster than complex, fleshed-out characters. And oh my god, the characters in Raybearer are so well-written, so shaped-out, so delightfully complex! Whether it’s our main character, Tarisai, the side characters, or the villains, Jordan Ifueko shapes each character with backstories, flashbacks, specific characteristics, and quick scenes that really make us feel like we know these character!

The story starts out when Tarisai is young — seven years old, I think. This is something that’s so rare in YA, but I absolutely *adored* it. Seeing Tarisai as a young girl, just longing for her mother, “The Lady”, and just wanting to be loved and to be belong, and then watching her grow up into a young adult just adds so many layers to the story. Tarisai’s clever and intelligent, but at the same time, so kind and sweet!

I loved Tarisai’s friendship with Kirah, someone’s who’s kind and smart, and a total mom-friend, her unconditional relationship with Dayo, the innocent, pure-hearted prince, and her romance with Sanjeet, the tall-dark-mysterious boy with a troubled past and a heart of gold.

My favorite, though, are the villains. Are they villains? Jordan Ifueko has woven characters that are so complex — their motivations, their intentions, their pasts, all are intertwined together to the extent where it’s impossible to label them as “good” or “bad.” The characterization and cohesiveness of the story and characters is simply astounding!


INTRICATE WORLD-BUILDING

The world-building in Raybearer is awe-inspiring. Instead of being easily digestible, the empire of Aritsar is huge, vast, sprawling across a whole continent. Because of this, it’s incredibly believable.
Aritsar is not a monolith! Instead, its different regions each have different customs, traditions, and religious beliefs — it’s not easy to swallow or remember, and that’s what makes it so amazing!


THOUGHT-PROVOKING THEMES + POLITICAL THEMES

Raybearer explores a plethora of incredibly hard-hitting concepts and themes. Here are some of them:

- An exploration of justice vs. fairness — a character claims that there is no fairness, only order, and I thought that was so interesting. Is this what societies and their laws are built upon?
- The accountability of those in power/those with authority.
- What is the cost of peace? What cost is too pricey?
- “Uniformity is not unity. Silence is not peace.” This line gave me actual goosebumps!
- - Defeating the patriarchy!
Leadership, and the responsibilities that come with it.

All in all, the politics that are developed throughout Raybearer are fascinating! That being said, I’d like to mention that this book is definitely more towards the slow side of the pace spectrum. This is definitely not a negative — there is so much explored in Raybearer, and the personal sort of writing style that Ifueko has makes every second of the book enjoyable!

RAYBEARER follows Tarisai, a young girl starved for love and touch, who is soon sworn to protect the very boy she was born to destroy 😭🌸

—

This book has left me speechless. The craft, the storytelling, the pacing, the plot — all was done brilliantly to create a world so lush, so real, so new and yet so familiar it brought tears to my eyes when it was over. As a Nigerian through and through, seeing MY world, MY customs, MY language, MY traditions, MY clothing and stories and fairytales, all woven to create this gorgeous fantasy honestly felt like a different kind of coming home 🌸

—

Right from the first page, Ifueko took me on a journery spanning through the first few years of Tarisai's life, immersing me so completely in her journey in such a small space of time that I was left bereft and starving for more when it was over 😭🌸

—

If you want a story about life and love (both platonic and romantic!!), and finding your purpose, your voice, and making your own story in a world sorely determined to bend you to its will, I highly recommend this book! A soft Black girl MC, an even softer asexual biromantic prince, an EVEN softer love interest who refuses to be a killer when the entire world has decided he is so, a fallen Mother, twisted with betrayal and her desperate need for revenge ... this book has it all. All I can do now is wait impatiently for the sequel😭🌸

—

A big thank you to Hear Our Voices Tours for the opportunity! An ARC was provided for an honest review. All opinions are my own 🌸

—

CW: violence, child abuse, attempted murder, rape, enslavement, death (please check the author's website for more warnings! https://www.jordanifueko.com )🌸

—

Find me on bookstagram https://www.instagram.com/vianoniomoh 🌸

I really loved this book and I'm not sure how to review it to show how good it is.  Just pick it up if you love a good fantasy.




There are twelve realms in the Arit Empire.  Tarisai was raised by tutors and only saw The Lady (her mom) once in awhile.  She was being trained to become one of the council for the crown prince.  She already has a harrow, seeing or taking people's memories.  Before she leaves, Tarisai finds out who her father is.  There is a curse and Tarisai is to kill the crown prince once he anoints her.




Tarisai spends her time with the other council children.  Once they're accepted, they share the Ray.  Dayo is the Raybearer.  He gains a way to survive death from each member of his council.  They also get sick if they are apart for long.  These children are connected for life or until Dayo dies.  Things are going well.  Tarisai feels a connection to Dayo right away.  She meets Kirah who becomes her best friend.  And she starts to have feelings for Sanjeet.  Tarisai finds a way to erase her memories to kill Dayo.  It works for awhile, but The Lady finds her.




Tarisai needs to find a way to keep Dayo safe and also change some of the laws of the empire.  Not only does she have to dig deep to find out about her past (and The Lady's), but she needs to find out the real history.  The one that has been erased.




There is so much more to this book, but I think it's best to go in only knowing a little bit.  The writing is wonderful, I loved the characters, and the pacing was good for me throughout the whole book.




I gave this book 5 stars.  Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my review copy.




Warnings:  This book has some pretty dark topics.  There is a lot of talk of emotional and physical abuse.   There's death and manipulation.  I know there are other things that I'm blanking on right now.

I absolutely loved Raybearer! Our main character Tarisai has had a phenomenal education growing up, but she's been lonely most of the time due to an absent mother. She also has the power to see memories from people and objects, which makes her eligible to join the prince's council. But this opportunity to find the family that she has always yearned for might put that family in the utmost danger. Tarisai's growth and strength is what I loved most about Raybearer. The high stakes and intricate worldbuilding gave the story a wonderful foundation for the plot to expand and layer, to the point where I was so excited to learn what the author had come up with next. Raybearer blew away my expectations, and it read like a book from an established career author. If I hadn't known this was Ifueko's debut, I never would have guessed it just from reading the book. With Raybearer as her starting point, I am even more excited to see what the author writes next.

When I first heard the author Ifueko talk about her debut during YallWest I was really excited about reading this book, even more so after I saw the cover. I'm happy to say it lived up to my excitement and I really enjoyed it! It reminded me of Kingdom of Souls a bit, especially the super complicated mother-daughter dynamic, but I liked this one better.

Tarisai is isolated and touch-starved as a child until she is sent to the Emperor's palace by her distant and mysterious mother. She meets the crown prince and she's one of the many children who are vying to be part of his council- one member from each nation that makes up Aritsar, who will declare their love and total loyalty to the emperor. Once she becomes part of the council she will never be without a tight-knit family. This part was a little weird at first, it seemed like the bachelor for kids but in a magic cult. But as the council gets older its more about found family and the different kind of close bonds you can have with people and I loved Tarsai's relationships with Sanjeet and Kirah. The only problem is that her mother has cursed her to kill the prince Dayo, the same person she has sworn to love and protect above all else.

The magic system is interesting and there are strong themes of blood-bonds and sacrifice. For example as each council member swears his or herself to the prince he becomes immune to another form of death until he is unkillable, except by the members of his council. I thought the different cultures that make up Aristar and beyond were really intriguing as they struggle with unification and assimilation. Another main theme is the sexism that Tarisai faces; even though she is an honored council member it is understood that the most important thing she can do is bear a son who will be the next raybearer/emperor. The idea of women claiming their name and power was a really important part of the book. There's a beautiful scene that becomes a big turning point when Tarisai embraces her true self as she embraces her natural hair.

Most of the plot points and turns I was able to see coming (in a good way) but there were a few twists that surprised me; I was never sure what Tarisai was going to do. I definitely can't wait to read the rest of the series to see what happens!

Issues I Had with this Book:
*DoinTooMuchitis-This is the next book to suffer from this ailment and it's almost always debut fantasy authors. Sometimes when it's an own voices and it's set in a different country, they tend to want to put so much in their story that there is no focus and the story becomes confusing. This is what happened here. This story has a very simple plot; at least it did for the first 50%. And then the second half started.

Although I only had one issue with this book, I still dropped it to a 3/5 because there was so much to focus on and I stopped caring about everything around the 75% mark and I guessed a major thing within the first 5 chapters.

What I Liked About This Book:
*The Pacing on the first 60%-Ifueko did lots of stuff differently than the traditional YA fantasy and I liked that.
*The Folklore-There was one story with the Phoenix and the earth and the sea that was really good.
*The Underworld-There is an underworld component that was nice but it's almost an afterthought until it's either info-dumped or brought up when it's convenient.
*Themes-Feminism; revenge; jealousy; friendship were among the themes in Raybearer which makes this book a good book club selection.
*Diverse-Although it's an African fantasy, there are diverse characters within the world-Middle Eastern, European, and East Asian.

Jordan Ifueko’s debut novel, Raybearer, may leave you in tears. An epic fantasy tale of a world led by a West-African inspired royal family with a long and murky history of power and magic. A world with mystical creatures and horrific demons.

Raybearer is a coming of age story of Tarisai, a daughter yearning for the love and presence of her mysterious and absentee mother. A girl child coming into her own power and identity in the immediate shadow of corruption, misogyny, inequality, and lies spanning generations.

Tarisai was an isolated child, raised and imprisoned by a succession of tutors afraid to touch her because of her unique powers to experience the history of people and things with a touch. Tarisai spent most of her childhood longing for the presence and affection of a mysterious and often absent mother known only as “The Lady.”

While still very young, The Lady sends Tarisai to the capital of the global empire of Aritsar to compete with other children to be chosen as one of the Crown Prince’s Council of 11. If picked, Tarisai will be bonded to the Prince and Council via a bond deeper than blood through the Ray.

At the age of 10, Tarisai starts to experience the connection and community she has always longed for among the Prince and the council of children he begins to form. But she soon discovers that The Lady has long had other plans for her and the entire empire. Tarisai finds herself under the bondage of a magical wish with a command she is compelled to obey: kill the Crown Prince once she secures his trust.

Book Review

That is the plot in a very abbreviated nutshell. But Raybearer is a nuanced, intentional, and lovely YA novel that does not fall victim to the many pitfalls of the genre.

So much is done to and chosen for Tarisai. She is a weapon, a means to an end, and a child laden with expectation and responsibility. She is also deeply intelligent, observant, strong-willed, and passionate. She makes hard decisions for reasons beyond herself. She falls in love, but her journey is not defined by it. Her complexity is not minimized.

The world of Raybearer is filled with complex characters. A well-paced plot that is not entirely predictable, with storytelling that does not drag along.

For me, the icing on the cake was the cultural gradation. The diversity of cultural storytelling and representation. The narrative within the narrative that will make you pause at times when you think how often it is erased in popular North American literature. I found myself pausing more than once to soak up the intimacy and detail of a scene.

There were moments that I did find myself frustrated with Tarisai. But these moments were often mitigated by the pace and progression of the narrative. The story is the first book in the series, and while it ends with work to be done and journeys to be completed, it does not close with an extreme cliffhanger that leaves the reader bereft. There is clear closure of a chapter that leaves you with a sea of complex emotions.

Raybearer is an engaging and exciting read. A reader’s level of enjoyment will come down to taste but, in my opinion, worth taking a chance on.

Comments On Narration For Audiobook Listeners

The voice actor had their work cut out for them. There was an array of cultural accents, songs, and characters to voice. The acting was neither annoying nor a distraction. The narrator was emotive, clear, and consistent. Overall solid, and if your preference is for Audiobooks, I think you won’t have any material issues or complaints with Raybearer.

Jordan Ifueko's debut was stunning and perfect in every possible way. From the first paragraph, she draws you in to this gorgeous fantasy world overflowing with beautiful imagery and culture. Not a single sentence is wasted - every beat of this story is paced perfectly and tells a heartfelt story of love, family, and justice.

The magic system in this world was unique and utilized perfectly. The relationships between characters were complex, deep, and utterly gut-wrenching at times. The entire concept of the Raybearer - a leader with an unbreakable covenant with a chosen family - is such a beautiful tool to express ideas of unity and selflessness while still hammering in the importance of individual culture and identity.

Everything about this book was wonderful. I cannot wait to see how Tarisai's story unfolds next.

Raybearer was such a fresh take on the YA Fantasy Genre. I loved the mix of fairy tale and political intrigue in this African-inspired fantasy tale. The book follows Tarisai, a young girl that has grown up with a distant mother. She discovers that has been kept at arms length because she is half-jinn and she is the result of her mother's final wish: that she kill the Prince. Tarisai is sent to the palace to become a member of the Prince's council, and when she pledges her love and vows to protect the prince, she is then sworn to kill him.

I loved Jordan Ifueko's take on classism, misogyny, and racism, The members of the council in particular provide an interesting exploration of the deep bonds of friendship and how they exist within different power structures. Each council member has a gift, and all of the council members share a bond that connects them. I especially loved the relationship between Sanjeet and Tarisai. The Lady, Tarisai's mother, is a fascinating, complex character that was held back from her potential because of her gender. She is banished and that is when she finds the jinn and makes her wish. This is a complex, layered tale for a YA fantasy novel and I recommend it to fans of the genre that are looking for something new. 3.5/5

Thank you to Netgalley and Amulet books for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Tarisai was raised in luxury but kept at a distance from everyone lest she steal their stories through her touch. Only her mother, The Lady, touches her, but she is always away and visits rarely. Tarisai is sent to the capitol of the Empire to compete to become a member of the heir’s Council. Only eleven children are selected, one from each part of the realm. But Tarisai is part ehru and has been ordered to kill the heir when she gets close to him and has his trust. The magic of the wish binds Tarisai to comply, but her destiny is not that simple.

The depth of this teen novel is remarkable, particularly for a debut novel. It is a book that submerges the reader into a world they have never seen or experienced before. The world building is incredibly detailed, each element supporting the entirety, woven together into a complex but whole pattern. Based on the author’s Nigerian roots, the book is filled with African notes, settings and tributes.

The characters are so well drawn, particularly Tarisai, who is just as complex as the world she inhabits. As she learns more about herself, she transforms in front of the reader yet never leaves her lonely little girl beginnings behind. The result is an organic growth that makes sense and will leave the reader entirely satisfied.

One of the best fantasy novels this year, give this one to fans of Tomi Adeyemi. Appropriate for ages 13-18.

I'm declaring Black female fantasy writers as the winners of 2020. I know what you're thinking: 2020 has been a wash, right, so that's not such high praise. But if there is one thing people have had time to do, it's been to read, voraciously. And both of my top picks of the year go to women of color writing in the fantasy genre.

"Raybearer" was one of the most immersive fantasy novels I've read in quite some time. While reading, creating imaginary settings in my head, a lot of fantasy novels tend to create the same images. But not Ifueko's realm. Her descriptions of place and time were excellent without feeling overdone or intrusive. I never found myself reading overdeveloped, flowy prose, but I was left with distinct impressions of the world in which her characters lived.

I was also impressed with the plot, which was unique and intriguing throughout the entire book. I didn't get bored or tired of reading (although I had to put the book down for a few days at around 40% because I wasn't ready to be emotionally throttled at that moment, and I could feel it coming...). Some of the plot points were predictable, but the way they were executed felt victorious and validating, rather than contrived and boring when they were revealed.

To say I am excited to read the next book would be an understatement. This will be another double purchase -- one for me, and one for the classroom so my students can fall in love with this story as much as I have. Please don't take too long for book two, Ifueko!

Review for this title published at BookBrowse https://www.bookbrowse.com/mag/reviews/index.cfm/ref/pr262848