I only got a sampler of a few chapters. But this intrigued me enough to make me buy a final edition. Definitely bumped up my reading list.

I found it a bit hard to get into at first, not really sure of what was happening, but the writing is unique and I did find myself more and more interested as I read on. I am now interested in reading the rest of the story! I'm giving this a cautious 4 stars, as I did find it a bit tricky at first, but it might be a different score after I read the whole book though! :) Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this extract!!

I saw Raybearer make the rounds on Booktube and the cover is gorgeous, so I had to read it and I was not disappointed. The story follows Tarisai, who has been brought up by a woman called The Lady, for the purpose of assassinating the crown prince of the empire in which they live. Tarisai travels to the capital to become one of the prince's most trusted advisers and wages an internal battle over her supposedly pre-ordained future.

Alongside the action and adventure and a bit of romance, there is a rich and deep female-female friendship at the heart of this story. The magic of female friendships are something that often get dismissed as frivolous and incompatible with an action story. I disagree wholeheartedly and believe that a portrait of a healthy friendship is a great addition to literally any story. Tarisai and Kirah's friendship was my favorite part of an all-around great and inventive story. I've been lucky enough to have rich and rewarding female friendships and I loved seeing something so positive in a narrative that has very dramatic ups and downs. In the acknowledgments, Jordan Ifueko thanks her "real-life Kirah, the anchor in [her] storms," and it's clear that this sort of strong friendship is something also important to her, and I loved that it got reflected in her work.

At no point in this book did I guess where the story was going. It was so original and I was enthralled. There were a few plot twists (at least *I* thought they were surprise twists in the plot) that made me gasp out loud (and then text all my bookish friends, of course). I can see on Goodreads, that there is a sequel listed and I am so excited – who do I need to blackmail to get an ARC copy of it? Please tell me.

This exerpt of the book was so extraordinary that I had to buy the whole book straight away! I am loving reading it, the characters are so rich and the descriptions so beautiful that I feel like I can see the colours.

What a wonderful book and I am very excited to see where the author takes the rest of the book!

A wonderful excerpt of what I believe to be one of the best books this year, Full of wonderful characters and what promises to be a brilliant story, I cannot wait to read this is full.
I love that the story is choosing to focus on the theme of celebrating friendship. The whole story surrounds how important and significant friendship is. It is strongly represented through the ‘Ray’ that the crown prince and his chosen 11 council members have. It is a beautiful aspect of the story and I look forward to reading more about the wonderful friendships that Tarisai makes.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a sampler of Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko. I've voluntarily read and reviewed this sampler. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Even though this sampler only contained eight chapters I felt completely immersed into the story and was very sad that I couldn't continue. Believe me when I say I immediately ordered my copy of Raybearer. This is such a promising, rich, diverse and magical story with an amazing main character and an intriguing premise. I can't wait to see how things will unfold.

From the sample that I read, The Raybearer is a wonderful example of magical stoeytelling and I can’t wait to read the rest.

"I realised it was safer not to feel. If I was never too happy, then no one could make me sad.”

I absolutely didn’t cry at that part. I absolutely did not.

I did.

I was absolutely invested in these characters. J. Ifueko knew what she was doing with Tarisai, how could I not root for her?

So the spoiler-free story is there is a Ray which occupies the noble leader of their world. His son also bears this Ray, to bear the Ray means you also must have a council of specially curated people who will “love you”. There are rigorous tests for them to “love you” and these kids are tested from young.

This story follows Tarisai, as a young girl, who spends her whole life training to be on this council without knowing it actually exists. Tarisai will do anything her mum wants because she just wants to belong and have a family who loves her and touch her.

Ah man, what a story! What a world! I can see it’s heavily influenced by Nigerian culture, and for that, I must thank Ifueko. Her acknowledgements at the beginning of the gorgeous book read “For the kid scanning fairy tales for a hero with a face like theirs.”

The entire premise was great, it kept me guessing, I can’t gush about this book without ruining it but I will say, SANJEET IS BAE.

Ray bearer is a fantasy set in part in West African myth (which I really wish I knew more about, by the way). Tarisai lives in a big house full of tutors and servants, all training her for one purpose. Her mother rarely visits, and Tarisai wishes she would visit more often - she longs for a mother who will care for he and touch/ hug her. The reason for this becomes very clear as the story progresses.

Tarisai learns that her education has been leading her to one end: to become part of the crowned Prince’s Council of Eleven, and to ultimately kill him. But Tarisai doesn’t want to fulfil her life’s purpose. She doesn’t want to be a murderer, and she actually really likes the Prince.

I shouldn’t be surprised, because I’ve said it often enough myself, but for those uninitiated in YA books, this actually deals with some pretty serious themes: gender roles, and the fact that girls don’t all want their sole life purpose to be that of a child bearer, and parental abuse of children (in this case, physical abuse - eg. hitting). So this isn’t a book for the faint hearted! It’s a beautifully told story though, it has a feel of the fairytale or myth about it, and I definitely think that it was time well spent. To top it off, I see that this is the first book in perhaps a duology or trilogy? I’ll be looking out for the next one, because I’m intrigued to see how this story will develop.

Many thanks to the publisher, Hot Key Books, and to NetGalley for my copy of this book.


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I love how Tarisai was introduced to us.
The Raybearer is an interesting fiction about West Africa (Nigeria specifically) traditions. It is beautifully written and takes the reader on a journey, to sympathise with Tarisai, Sanjeev and Prince Dayo.
I was drawn to the characters especially Tarisai, wanting to understand her, her want for love from the lady and her love for Dayo.

The story is compelling in its writing style, marrying different techniques together and still ensuring the reader is not lost within the different customs, cultures and stories introduced in the novel.

I had hoped more information would be given about Mehu and the Lady, and the Lady and the Emperor before Tarisai left Bhekina House. Also, a brief introduction of the Arit empire and its surrounding lands would be better, to assist the reader understand more about the novel.

OMG what can i say i was well impressed with this book from start to finish. Its deffo one you can lose yourself in and takes ya off to a magical place. This book will stay with ya long after its read. I love children of blood and bone nd its up there with that for me nd if ya havent read that book nd enjoyed this book then its deffo one to pick up. Loved it and will deffo read again.

Thanks for the chance to read the opening of this novel. Enjoyed what I read but will see if I keep thinking about it before seeking out a copy.

Although I can see this would and does appeal to some readers, I could not get into it the characters did not feel real and everything felt wrong. Unfortunately not my cup of tea and I really wanted to like it. But if everyone liked everything our choices would become very limited.

This is a wonderful fantasy novel with fascinating and original ideas quite unlike anything I've read before. It tells the story of Tarisai, a young girl who has been raised in isolation by the mysterious Lady. Sent to the capital to win a place on the council of 11, she enters into a world more dangerous than she imagined. I thought that conceptually, this book was fabulous. The notion of the Raybearer and the council members being forever joined by the Ray is really interesting and I thought that Ifueko did a great job of demonstrating the importance of this bond. I also thought that the world building here was superb. The empire of Aritsar was vibrant and vivid in its detail, and the customs of each individual land within the empire slowly being subsumed by it, felt authentic and spoke to a history of colonialism in a new and unique way. The narration of the audiobook was also excellent, given that there is a musical quality to a lot of the rituals described and I think that the narrator did a great job of bringing the story to life. Overall, I found this to be a compelling and enjoyable read and will eagerly await the next instalment.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Even though this is just a sampler, i was completely engrossed in it. I had to finish it in 1 sitting!

This has first 8 chapters and by the end I was left wanting for more. Can't wait to get my hands on this book.

For now the rating 5 star for me. Hopefully the book will not disappoint either.

Thank you NetGalley, Bonnier Books UK and Hot Key Books for an early sampler in exchange for my honest review.

Reading the first few chapters of this on Netgalley blew me away! I wasnt even intending on reading it all but once I opened it I literally could not put my phone down. Absolutely amazing; I was invested in the characters straight away and couldn't wait to buy the book when it was published. Which I did do, and am currently reading 😊 highly recommend this, a real pleasure to read.

I have only read a sampler of the Raybearer from NetGalley (the first 8 chapters), however in that short time it is building up to be a cracking story. Tarisai is sent by her mother, The Lady, to become one of the Crown Prince’s trusted council, and, once anointed, to kill him. But once she’s reached the palace, away from her mother’s influence, she becomes attached to Prince Dayo. Can she find a way to break her mother’s wish?

The Raybearer starts slowly, and slightly confusingly, with references to the different realms and the talents, or Hallows, that people possess. But once you get into the swing of it, it’s fascinating and has left me wanting to know more. What is the back story between The Lady and the Emperor, and why does she want the prince dead?

The friendships developing between Tarisai, Dayo and two of the other candidates, Kirah and Sanjeet are surely signs of the struggles and decisions to come later in the book.

A brilliant start to what I am sure is a great book.

If I didn’t already want to read Raybearer enough, this sampler made me even more excited to get my hands on it! Already, the complex worldbuilding and magic system is introduced in rich detail that has left me longing to learn more. Set in a world where the Crown Prince must connect his mind to eleven council members, eleven-year-old Tarisai is sent to infiltrate the council of Prince Dayo so she can kill him. But as she grows closer to Dayo and fellow council members to-be, Kirah and Sanjeet, her decision becomes increasingly harder. I loved seeing Tarisai grow up in the early chapters of the book, and how she keeps her softness and vulnerability as she grows into adolescence. Her inner conflict is already gripping as she struggles to choose between gaining the approval of her mother (a mysterious figure known only as The Lady) and her love for her friends. I can’t wait to read the full thing!

I dislike the term "young adult" when describing a book genre. As someone way past his teen years, I have enjoyed many so-called YA books, and found them as gripping, thought provoking and satisfying as any other genre.

Raybearer will inevitably be compared to the likes of Tomi Adeyemi's Children of Blood and Bone, but this debut book stands all on its own. From the 100 page sampler, we get a lush, well rounded world and a heroine in Tarisai. It mixes African mythologies with a new world of magic and machinations.

The writing is tight and flowing, and written in the first person, you can hear Tarisai's voice clearly. I wanted more than 100 page sampler.

Well worth a look.

What an excellent introduction to this magical book. I loved it, loved all the characters and the colours it created in my mind of a different world with strange and magical beings. A definite must read for YA. A rival to other fantasies out there