RAYBEARER - Review

Book Review:
Title: RAYBEARER
Author: Jordan Ifueko
Publisher: HotKeyBooks

“It's no use bringing up the past. You write your story, not the people who came before you.”

Tarisai has always longed for the warmth of a family. She was raised in isolation by a mysterious, often absent mother known only as The Lady. The Lady sends her 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 Eleven. If she’s picked, she’ll be joined with the other Council members through the Ray, a bond deeper than blood. That closeness is irresistible to Tarisai, who has always wanted to belong somewhere. But The Lady has other ideas, including a magical wish that Tarisai is compelled to obey: kill the Crown Prince once she gains his trust.
Tarisai won’t stand by and become someone’s pawn – but is she strong enough to choose a different path for herself?

This was such a solid debut novel. I had quite a lot of fun reading RAYBEARER, and I very much recommend it to YA fantasy lovers – if RAYBEARER isn’t already on your radar, here’s 4 things to expect:

1.) Unique and intricate plot/world-building
First of all, the premise of this story is so fresh. Having lived quite a sheltered and isolated childhood, Tarisai is given the opportunity to join the Crown Prince’s council. This means family, friendship, and never being alone again, something Tarisai has yearned for…but it comes with a cost: once she joins the council, she must kill the Prince.

We then have the concept of the ‘Ray’, this bond between all council members, and how it only works when there is love between the individuals. I really enjoyed this addition because it made the whole thing just a little bit more wholesome and endearing and once again, it felt very new and unique.

Based on Nigerian folklore, the culture and atmosphere in RAYBEARER was so vibrant and rich. There are multiple nations in this book, and we get to learn so much about each of them. In addition to Tarisai’s self-discovery, Jordan Ifueko packs in so much detail about the world, including how each nation differs – from their traditions to their clothing/style – and the history of the empire and gods. There really is so much to appreciate in this story.

I think the only thing that didn’t completely work for me was the pacing – it was a little off at times and I was waiting for things to pick up here and there – but if you enjoy getting lost in a lush world, this book might work perfectly for you

2.) Complex villains/morally grey characters
I love nuanced antagonists/morally grey characters. Personally, I prefer when the ‘bad guys’ in a book actually have a purpose and a motivation, and they’re not just ‘bad’ for the sake of being bad. I want characters where I can acknowledge that what they’re doing is wrong, but also understand them and, in some small capacity, sympathise with them and their backstory – this is exactly what Jordan Ifueko gave me.

The Lady, one of the antagonists in RAYBEARER, was so incredibly complex and fascinating. Her relationship with Tarisai was one of the highlights in this book for me. The Lady’s aim is to get vengeance, leading to a ‘better’ life for Tarisai, but through that she has neglected her own daughter and never gives Tarisai the opportunity to find herself. It’s quite a manipulative relationship. However, despite her questionable methods, I can’t help but feel *something* towards the Lady and that’s because it’s clear that her upbringing has shaped her into the woman she is now – it doesn’t excuse her behaviour, but like I said, it makes her more nuanced and definitely added an extra layer to the story.

3.) A brilliant and strong main character
A little cliché but seeing Tarisai’s journey and development throughout this whole novel was beautiful. She’s already very bold at the start, but we see her in some very vulnerable positions in this book, physically, mentally, and emotionally, which gives her so much more depth. We witness her internal struggle of wanting to fight her mother’s wishes while trying to discover her purpose, but from that we subsequently see how she utilises these raw emotions and feelings to better herself. Her self-awareness and social awareness is honestly inspiring.

Furthermore, her need and want to feel loved and accepted felt so real. Having been neglected for most of her life, she craves a real family of her own. Friends. People she can lean on. And I think given how raw, selfless, and real she is with everyone, it’s really easy to love her and I personally was just rooting for her at every stage.

4.) Heart-warming friendships and found family
So yes, Tarisai wants friends and a family…and thankfully she ends up with the most beautiful friendships. Tarisai, Sanjeet, Dayo and Kirah were just the perfect foursome. The mutual respect. The unconditional love. The honesty. The appreciation. It warmed my heart.

We don’t really get to see interactions between all 11 council members, which is understandable because that would be *a lot*, but it can possibly make it a little difficult to imagine and understand the dynamics completely - really you only see this pure bond and relationship between the core 4. But I didn’t really have much of an issue with that, because like I said before honing in on Tarisai, Dayo, Sanjeet and Kirah provided some wonderful scenes and it’s probably safe to assume that the other council members have very similar relationships.

Overall, I just loved how there was a key focus on friendship.
🦁
And with that, we conclude the 4 things to expect from RAYBEARER – if any of these things intrigue you, then do go pick up a copy and enjoy this unique and powerful debut novel!

3.75 Stars
Goodreads