The style of this book is so different from anything I’ve read in a long time. A very different fantasy story, the writing has a wonderful rhythm to it, and a story that draws you in from the start. The characters are building up nicely just as you come to the end of the sampler.  This is the first time in ages that I’ve actually thought I must buy this book.

Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for an ARC sampler in exchange for an honest review.

First, let me just say that Raybearer is utterly incredible, the sample eARC I was given wasn't enough. I was left bereft and desperate to know more.

Jordan Ifueko has created a truly incredible world with characters that are each both so unique and fascinating that I am left wanting more. From the beginning of page one to the moment I realised I had come to the end of the sample; I was left breathless by the beauty of the story and how vivid and interesting the characters are and the world in which they live.

It's the first fantasy novel I have read that doesn't follow a familiar pattern that you can recognise and that in itself is excellent. It really is special and I can not wait to have it finding a home on my bookshelves so I can return once more to the story of Tarisai, The Lady and the Crown Prince. Oh and of course the other children of the Council who each have a tale to tell of their own - I am utterly enthralled by ’Bear’ and want to know absolutely everything about him.

Whilst there is a fantasy side to Raybearer, there is also the more simple side to the tale of Tarisai creating a family from those around her. You have these lovely glimpses of humility, fear, kindness.. you name it and Jordan Ifueko provides it. 

I would highly recommend this for children and adults alive who love fantasy and value incredible worldbuilding, a realism and relatability in characters and the love of a story that you can lose hours in.

Raybearer is a story unlike any other and I hope that this will be book one of many.

https://books-i-recommend.com/2020/08/07/anticipating-jordan-ifuekos-raybearer/


As a lover of epic fantasies, I can't help but be excited for the release of Raybearer, the first in an African-inspired duology by debut author Jordan Ifueko. It has been absolutely everywhere on Twitter, and for good reason - having been fortunate enough to read the first 100 pages already, it truly deserves all of the attention it's getting, and is sure to be a five star hit when it is released later this month.

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Synopsis
Tarisai has always been able to see other people's memories. Born to a mother known only as 'The Lady', she was raised alone by a rotating number of tutors too afraid to touch her, and always longed for a true family of her own.

One day however, her mother returns, giving her a task she is magically compelled to obey - to kill the Crown Prince of Aritsar, Ekundayo. To do this, she must become bonded to him by the Ray and become a part of his Council, a group who will become even closer than the family she's always wanted. However, Tarisai doesn't want to kill Dayo, and must therefore fight the magic that binds her to chose her own path and achieve what she's always dreamed of. 

Why You Should Add it to Your TBR
Having read a sampler of Raybearer, I'm even more excited for its release than I was when I first heard about it. Ifueko's world-building is incredible, and her lyrical descriptions really bring the story to life in a way that will also work perfectly for audio. The backstories she has created for her characters are wonderfully rich, and her idea to start the story when Tarisai is still a little girl is an inspired one that really allows the reader to connect with Tarisai as she and her relationships grow and develop. The etymology of the names she has given her characters also hold a lot of meaning, with Ekundayo meaning 'sorrow becomes joy' and Tarisai meaning 'behold', showing how much research has gone into giving this book real depth. 

I'm also really excited for more readers to be able to see themselves reflected in fantasy and for blackness to be celebrated within the genre, and Raybearer has this at its heart. From the diversity of its characters to smaller details, such as her re-imagining of the richer families being 'known as bluebloods: blue, because their skin was so black, it shone like precious cobalt", it is evident that Raybearer keeps representation at its forefront. Combined with the book's empowering message of forging your own path, this representation will allow many readers who often feel forgotten to find themselves in Raybearer's pages and to go forwards feeling more hopeful long after reading, which is why this is one of my must-reads for 2020. 

Jordan Ifueko's Raybearer comes out on August 18th 2020 in paperback, e-book and audio formats.

A sampler of this book was kindly gifted to me in the form of an e-ARC. My thanks go to Hot Key Books and NetGalley for sending me a copy.

From the opening Raybearer is rich, beautiful and fully immersive. The world building is incredible, I felt as though I'd been swept away to Aritsar, a world full of magic and wonder. I just love all the nods to African folklore. This sampler is an excellent introduction to what's to come and to sweet, loving and precocious Tarisai.

Wow! Raybearer gets off to an absolutely incredible start! Right from the first page the writing is magical, the world building immersive and the characters unique and surprising. I cannot wait to read the rest of this amazing book!

This sampler has left me feeling completely intrigued and needing to know what happens next.

The story feels so fresh and unique; so many of the elements of the story are things that I have not come across before. Despite jumping eight years through the course of this extract, the pacing didn't feel forced or rushed.

I was so invested very quickly in this lush, spell-binding and completely original fantasy. I can't wait to read more!

Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko is set in a world where people can be born with Hallows, a special skill, where the ruler has a council of eleven, and where ehru, djinn exist.

I've read the first 105 pages, and it was a really enjoyable YA fantasy.  Tarisai is a young girl, whose mother is called The Lady, and who only appears occasionally, and then will leave again without explanation.  Tarisiai is brought up in a palace, with none of the servants touching her as they don't want her to steal their memories. This is her Hallow.

When she turns 11, her mother comes to her with 2 guardians, and also shows her a picture of a boy that she wants her to kill.

I really enjoyed the part of the book that I've read, and I look forward to reading the rest of it in the future!

If you've enjoyed Children of Blood and Bone, then you should get a copy of this! 

 Raybearer  was published on 17th August 2020, and is available on  Amazon ,  Waterstones , and from  your local bookshop .

You can follow Jordan Ifueko on her  website ,  Twitter  and  Instagram .

I was given this extract in return for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Bonnier Books UK.

I read this extract last night and just lost myself in Tarasai’s story. Beautifully written and showing a lot of promise, this left me wanting more.

Solid start story/plot wise and if you enjoy this sampler 100% give the whole book a go. 

Unfortunately the writing style is not for me and it kept me from being fully immersed. I might give the book another try in the future as I do really want to like this.

This book is going to be massive. I had the same feeling reading children of blood and bone last year. Shame I can’t read the whole book, I won’t fully know until then but a great start!!

Holy moly I need this book in my life already! I had the opportunity to read the first few chapters of this in March and loved it, now reading this promotional chapter of Part One of the story and I'm already predicting that this is going to be one of my five-star reads and probable favourites of the entire year!

Darkly delicious, full of magical, mythological stories and a female lead who is determined to chart her own path - what more could a fantasy loving girl need?! It's so hard to believe that this is a debut novel as it is highly polished with exquisite world-building and storytelling. I'm a huge fan of language, description and vocabulary and Ifueko seems to have hit this heavenly balance by mixing traditional African terms with old folktales whilst continuing to drive the story forwards at a welcome pace. 

I am counting down the days until this beauty comes into the world so I can finish the rest of it and find out what happens to Tarisai, Dayo, Kirah and Sanjeet!

I don't usually read samplers, but I wanted to check out whether to preorder this book, so I thought I'd give this a go. It's a fascinating opening -- definitely enough to make me keen on preordering the book. It kind of surprised me how quickly stuff happened: some books would have lingered over that opening and the mysteriousness of the narrator's origins, and The Lady, but this one gives you a bit of kindling to fan the flames. 

I didn't read too much, because I hate getting into a book only to get cut off, but I will probably pick this up when it comes out.

eARC Sampler provided by NetGalley , thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Books UK. All opinions are my own.

There is 1010 pages in this sampler. I can tell this is going to be a popular YA fantasy pick of the year. 

It's lush, dark , dangerous and different. It's like a wild animal pacing - I kept waiting for more and more strikes. It was poetic without being over the top, which I loved. The characters were interesting and it was different and imaginative.

It is however impossible to judge a book on less than a quarter of it, I will have to wait to read the full edition but I can say it was stunning debut launch sampler.

I really look forward to reading this book and I am so grateful to have gotten the sampler!

What a gripping start to a book. I have no preorder the finished book because I need to keep reading. Lucky it’s only a few day until it comes out. I think this book is one to go into blind because it is so beautifully written and captivating. I highly highly recommend picking a copy up especially if your a fan of Katherine ardens writing. 100% going to be a 5 out of 5 star.

What an amazing sampler! 
I'm never much of a samplers lady, but this one got me hooked from page one. 
Very excited to read on and see where this story leads us!

A good beginning of a new story. I am  looking forward to the book's release. The cover art is beautiful.

Great sample! I'm very much looking forward to the book's release. The writing style feels fresh but at the same time immersive because there is something recognisable about it. The cover art is stunning.

A very strong opening to a novel that has me excited to continue reading and wishing I could already have a full copy in hand. I will definitely be picking up a copy upon release. 

The story follows a young girl named Tarisai, the child of a mysterious and distant women known only as The Lady. She has grown up alone, knowing only her tutors while remaining isolated from her peers.  She is sent to contend for a spot on the council of the Crown Prince of Aritsar -  a council bound by a force called the Ray; a bond deeper than blood. The Council could provide Tarisai the warmth and love of a family she never had, but she is also compelled to obey her mother's wish: to kill the Crown Prince.

Ifueko's prose is stunning, vivid and engaging from the very first page and kept me gripped throughout the promotional sample. The world-building, particularly the setting of Aritsar and the magical-fantasy weaved around West African folklore is intriguing. From the very beginning you are drawn into an elaborate setting, with explanations of the world, its magic and its creatures delivered seamlessly without feeling like an information-dump with heavy-handed exposition. I am definitely excited to learn more about the intricacies of the world Ifueko has built as the story progresses. 

Tarisai herself has a very distinct voice as the main character that I can already find myself connecting to and her primary dilemma has been set up incredibly well for the remainder of the book. She yearns for some kind of connection with others, having been denied love and warmth her whole life. Now, having finally been given the perfect opportunity to do so, she finds herself torn.  I have found myself unable to wait to find out what happens next; to read and follow Tarisai as she finds the strength to carve her own path in light of her dilemma. 

Overall, I definitely recommend anyone interested in young adult fantasy, particular those looking to diversify their reading habits, to pick up a copy of Raybearer when the novel is release. I for one will definitely be doing so!