There was so much hype for this book, which is completely warranted by the way, but honestly what got me interested in this book was seeing the author speak at YALLSTAYATHOME.  She was very well spoken and I found the plot very interesting. I was excited to find it on NetGalley, and even more excited to test out the audiobook feature of it.

The audiobook was really well done.  I really liked the narrator.  She was good at voices and she really brought the story alive for me.  I will admit that I had a lot of difficulties with the Netgalley app but that's not anything against the audiobook itself.

Storywise, it was excellent.  As I mentioned, it is completely worth the hype.  Jordan Ifueko has built a really fantastic world and I was really intrigued by the magic system and how things were going.  The whole council system felt really intriguing and was definitely not something I've read about before.  Sure, other fantasy worlds have council systems, but they were never really like this one and the bond between Tarisai and the other characters on the council were really interesting.  Past the council, I liked the different magical powers that each of the characters had.  There was a special word for this but because I read it as an audiobook I'm not really sure how to spell it.  I loved learning about the royal family and how the dynasty worked, and it was really evident that Jordan Ifueko put a lot of thought and care into her world.  It made for a fantastic debut novel.

On the note of characters, I was obsessed with each and everyone of them.  I loved Tarisai a lot, of course, and you really empathised with her for her impossible choice.  I also really grew to fall in love with the side characters.  They were all really well developed and I liked the connections they shared.

This book really stressed me out, but in a good way.  It's been awhile since a book gave me such a visceral anxiety-esque reaction that I had to set it down for a good while.  It got to the point where my students were lightly teasing me for not finishing (I have a currently reading thing up on the whiteboard in my classroom).  However, once I got back into it, it was really quick to devour the rest of the story.  I just needed to know what was happening and I was very satisfied with how it all played out.

I'm definitely behind on the times with this book, but honestly, I highly recommend it and if you haven't already checked it out, you should definitely find yourself a copy of it to read.  Since it's already out, that shouldn't be too hard! :)

“Uniformity is not unity. Silence is not peace.”
•
Oh please, if you are going to read this book, try the audiobook. Not only the narrator is great and the names would be too difficult to pronounce, but there are also nursery rhymes and songs that I really enjoyed listening to! Tarisai is a girl with a power: she can see the past of any object or any person she touches. Her mother plans to use her to take revenge.. she wants her to kill the crown Prince. The only problem is that the Prince is blessed and only his most trusted people can actually kill him, so she is sent to become one of his closest circle and betray and slay him. Tarisai’s story is very sad, she has never been shown loved before going to the palace and once she has found a true family, she is cursed to disappoint everyone and kill one of the few people that has actually known and loved her. But she is more powerful than she thought and you are going to love to see how she becomes aware of it and what she can do with it. The atmosphere is really magical and the social structure is so original. It’s actually very interesting to see how people’s believes can be manipulated if you instruct them since when they are very young. Though not everyone can be put down and if they are strong enough, they’ll find their own voice. Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this great audiobook.

4 -4.5 stars

& a million stars for the talented narrator.

Raybearer is a unique tale that stole my breath away from the first page.

First, let’s talk about that beautiful cover. Saw it and immediately had one of those moments that I KNEW I was going to love this book. And guess what? That’s exactly what happened. That feeling is never wrong.

The world-building was epic, with the beautiful lush voice of the narrator describing the places and the people, I felt like I was right there in the book. And that kind of storytelling is incredible. The different people, the different religions each pulled me in and made me fall in love some more.

On to the characters, no one beats Tarisai for the best character. She was incredible from the start. All this brilliant girl wanted was family, a family that she deserved and slowly but surely she gets it. Her companions Daya, Kirah, and Jeet were all lovely and I quickly loved them all. Even The Lady and all her meanness, I loved. Her backstory was sad and cruel but so interesting! Now I don’ want to spoil anything so just read it and you will understand what I mean.

If magical settings and epic characters are things you like, then read this. And if you are an audiobook fan, then pick it up for this one. Trust me, you won’t regret it. But seriously, when is book 2 coming?

Thanks, NetGalley for the audiobook!

Raybearer is a phenomenal fantasy novel written by a very talented debut author, the plot is full of intrigue, suspense and power. The detailed and imaginative writing plunges you straight into this vast empire full of magic, curses and wishes. Tarisai’s unique story captivated me from the very first page, her quest for information and knowledge was a fascinating journey to accompany her on. The world building within Raybearer was so complex and incredible I felt transported into this Nigerian inspired world, if you love discovering new worlds then that is reason enough to pick up Raybearer. When can I travel by lodestone?

When the novel begins, Tarisai is a young girl living in anticipation of seeing The Lady again, steadily throughout the novel she grows up alongside the other children she meets after moving to the palace. I felt a fondness and protectiveness over Tarisai and her close peers after seeing them grow and mature into young adults. Raybearer includes an amazing cast of complex characters, including an asexual side character as well as the best found family aspect that is so satisfying to read about.

Both covers for this book, UK & US, are absolutely beautiful but my favourite is the UK paperback edition (the one pictured above) have you spotted the face? I switched between listening to the audiobook and reading my physical copy of this book, I would definitely recommend listening to the audiobook even to just familiarise yourself with the pronunciation of the beautiful names and prose within this book. Raybearer is an epic, immersive fantasy novel, elegantly written with an utterly unique and attention grabbing plot and beautiful cover, you will not regret buying this five star read. I am desperate to get my hands on the sequel!

I want to start by saying YA fantasy is my least favorite genre. I have a hard time getting into the story and they all feel the same, but not this one, not Raybearer.

I enjoyed everything about this book, the plot, the characters the AUDIOBOOK (it was beautifully narrated). So many good descriptions, the side characters are wonderful, its hard to imagine that this is a debut novel.

I will be recommending this to my library, friends who are fantasy lovers and people who are interested in fantasy but not sure what to pick up.

Please take this review with a grain of salt because my main issue with this was that I "read it" through an audiobook. And I wasn't able to connect with the story at any level.
I want to properly read this book in the future as this was my first attempt at listening to an audiobook and it propably will be my last one.

(Note: it is NOT because of the narrator, Joniece Abbott-Pratt, who made a really good job)

But let me tell you that Raybearer has all the ingredients to become a pretty good YA fantasy book. Furthermore it is african fantasy so that's a plus. It has such a wonderful worldbuilding and a deep character creation and if you're a fan of fantasy books you won't want to miss this one.

This book is among the best in the YA African fantasy genre!

Tarisai's gift of sight makes her special but also isolated. She can see memories in anything she touches. She lives locked away in from the world and only see's her mom a few times a year. When she finally gets the opportunity to leave the house, it is with the condition that she becomes a member of the Crown Prince’s Council of 11. Her journey begins with the Council of 11 and her mother's past.

Tarisai is a likable character who readers get a good understanding of. The romance is mild but entertaining. The story features a large cast of characters with varied plots. There were a lot of moving parts in this book but it comes together in the end. Aging with the characters in the story allowed readers to develop more of an emotional bond to the story.

The plot moves moderately, glazing over the minor details and leaving time to developed the plot of larger events. The dialogue between characters is revealing and contributes to the reader's perception of characters. The African aspects of the fantasy are seamlessly woven into the plot without seeming forced or excessive. While the twists and reveals were predictable, they were handled well and drew on several perspectives.

I would readily recommend this story to readers interested in a refreshing fantasy. I'm looking forward to the next book!

“You don’t have to help me change the world. But you mark my words; when I get going, this world will change. And you can be a part of that...or you can stand back and watch.”

Raybearer is the first book in its series and the first book by Jordan Ifueko. Blending a high fantasy with afrofuturism, Ifueko tells the story of a sixteen-year-old girl named Tarisai. Growing up secluded from the rest of her nation, Tarisai wants nothing more than to have friends and spend time with her mother, The Lady. One day, The Lady sends her to Oluwan city to vie for a position on the prince’s council, earn his trust, and ultimately assassinate him. The longer Tarisai is away from her realm and The Lady, the more she realizes that she doesn’t want to kill the prince; instead, she wants nothing more than to be friends with those she has grown close to. Bound by her mother’s wish, Tarisai must fight to follow her own path and create her own destiny.

Raybearer is narrated by Joniece Abbott-Pratt. Joniece does an amazing job portraying the wide variety of characters and her vocal versatility brings the characters to life. With her engrossing, youthful depictions, listeners will be drawn into Ifueko’s story.

I started reading this one but didn't hold my interest. I though the concept was good but I wish I could have connected with the characters more.

This is a YA fantasy debut. I listen to the audiobook which was really well done. The narration definitely adds to the story which felt fresh and powerful. The main character is described in a way that you can't help but become attached to her. The overall pacing is a little bit slower, but the story is enchanting.

This was a book unlike anything I've ever read, while still hitting many of the emotional beats that one would expect in a typical in modern YA fantasy novel. Nigerian-American author Jordan Ifueko has built a very rich story-world, complex relationships, and an amazing heroine in Tarisai. The internet tells me that the name Tarisai is of Zimbabwean origin and means "look" or "behold". I don't know if that's true, but if so it's fitting. Tarisai starts out literally hidden away from the world, but ultimately beheld as the powerful sum of all her parts.

Based on the publisher's description, I went into this book expecting more of a competition story, like so many on the YA market but in a West-African-inspired fantasy setting. It turns out that's not what this book is. Like, at all. The "competition" to join Prince Dayo's Council -- essentially a psychically-bonded chosen family comprising members from different regions of the Empire-- is actually over pretty early on. Rather, this book is about loyalty, justice, gender and sexism, intergenerational trauma, love of many kinds, and the notion that things are almost never as they may seem. I’m removing a star due some pacing problems, info-dumps, and general resultant confusion in the first several chapters that almost made me give up at one point. I'm very glad I didn't, but still. Psychic bonds of the kind between council members here also tend to be a quite hard sell for me, but that is subjective.

There's a lot going on, and Ifueko fits it all together very well. There are a few First Book Problems, to be sure, but overall this is an outstanding debut.

The audiobook, narrated by Joniece Abbott-Pratt, is also quite good and I would definitely recommend it to fans of the format. Abbott-Pratt's voice acting paints a clear picture, especially as Tarisai. Not all of the other characters come off as equally compelling, though I suspect that's the fault of the novel for not giving sufficient development to some of the major characters, including most of the Prince Dayo's Council besides Sanjeet and Kirah. (Though Abbott-Pratt sounds like she was having fun with some of the more colorful minor characters.)

Wow. It took me forever to finish this. Not because I didn’t like it, quite the opposite, in fact. I enjoyed this so much, and I wanted to give it the full attention it deserved, which is sometimes had for me when it comes to audiobooks. I was absolutely worth my time though. It’s such a good book, with great characters, great world building, and, also very important for an audiobook: a great narrator. I loved her voice, and the way she used different accents while still being very clear and understandable, even for a non-native speaker like me. I had some trouble following the story, but that was due to my inability to completely follow an audiobook without zoning out at least every now and then. If you have the same problem, I suggest reading the print version of this book instead, because it’s a must-read, in whichever format you choose.

The need for unconditional love and acceptance is at the heart of this story. Tarisai is a girl created for a specific purpose by her mother, otherwise known in this world as, The Lady. Tarisai grows up never feeling unconditional love rather, The Lady visits once a year and keeps her child at a distance to be raised instead by staff. Though the reader learns the reason for this later in the book, it never felt justified to me, more like the agenda of a person on a mission and choosing to sacrifice a relationship with a child for revenge.
Tarisai is shaped by her upbringing and I like how the author keeps her behavior consistent throughout the narrative. I never felt like Tarisai suddenly became someone else, no, she was and is the person her mother helped form. This story, to me, feels like an epic fantasy and that's what we see in the beginning. The world building is vast and the magic system is intricate, I never felt lost though, it's just another facet of the world.
The reader follows along as Tarisai goes from childhood to older teen, becomes a chosen one, counsel member, and gains a new understanding about her power. The character of Tarisai grows and becomes more insightful, shifting her perspective.
Overall, I enjoyed my time in this world and am looking forward to continuing on in the next book. I did listen to this on audio and loved the sounds and songs included in the story. The audio adds a little more depth to this immersive story. I would recommend this to anyone who loves strong world building and well developed, complicated characters. This book will take you on a ride. :)

Disclaimer: I received this audiobook from Macmillan Audio. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Raybearer

Author: Jordan Ifuenko

Book Series: Raybearer Book 1

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: lesbian side character, asexual and bisexual character, African inspired

Recommended For...: fantasy, epic fantasy, LGBT+

Publication Date: August 18, 2020

Genre: YA Fantasy

Recommended Age: 16+ (sex mention, violence, abuse, sexism, suicide, racism likeness, gore, sexual content)

Publisher: Amulet Books

Pages: 400

Synopsis: Nothing is more important than loyalty.
But what if you’ve sworn to protect the one you were born to destroy?

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 11. 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?

Review: I really loved this book! The magic system was unique and so well written and described. The author did well with the characters and the world building. The book was rich with descriptions and I could listen to this audiobook on repeat without getting tired of it. They did well to find a narrator who accurately portrayed what I thought the MC sounded like. I also loved the commentary on the criminal justice system and how corrupt and unfair it can become and is in some countries.

The only part I didn't like is that I thought the relationship with two characters, one a demon kinda, was a bit weird with what I think the age difference is (maybe it's not a bad age difference. It's hard to flip back through an audiobook. I do know he's a child when he became part of counsel but idk how long ago that was). The audiobook also had a glitch on Chapter 23 so I won't know what's in that chapter until I get another version of the book.

Verdict: An excellent book! I loved it!

Thanks NetGalley for this Advanced Copy of the Audiobook for Raybearer. I've already commented on the beauty of the world building and amazing character development in a previous review. The narrator for this audiobook was pretty good. Of course, I would've enjoyed a full cast, however her ability to truly give each character their own unique voice was good. She did bring a bit more to an already incredible story. It was great having a clear pronunciation of some of the names, that really helped pull the story together for me, as well as the singing of the songs/chants. All in all, this was a beautiful production.

Unfortunately I tried for weeks to successfully download this book and was unable to access it on my NetGalley shelf app, I communicated with NetGalley as well, so I won't be rating this here. I have heard good things though and look forward to listening or reading a finished published version at some point!

This was easily a 20/20 read for me! I could not fault anything. The world building is so expansive and so complex it, was a joy to get totally immersed in it. The world is opened up to us through stories, and recounting of histories of the people/tribes and they are so interesting in themselves that it does not feel like info dumping at all. From the first moment where were are introduced to little Tarisai, a little girl given everything she could possibly need. I had to know. What was she being so carefully being prepared for? and why was she deliberately kept away from the rest of the world? And this was even before the magic system was introduced! In the empire of Aritsar, the emperor rules the empire with the aid of his Council of Eleven, who are joined emotionally and telepathically through the Ray. These eleven members are chosen when an emperor is still a child as one of the conditions for the ray to work is that they must love their future king unconditionally, even giving up their own life for his. Seeing Tarisai and other potential candidates grow up together and form a family of was beautiful, I had no idea I would enjoy the found family trope as much as I did. As Tarisai grows up, finally finding the family and sense of belonging she has craved all her life, The tension and the sense of impending doom is strong. For like Tarisai we know the time for her to fulfil the wish of her mother draws closer and there is absolutely no way to get out of it. Ifueko does such an effective job I had no idea which direction she would take. I also appreciated the author did not go down the typical YA route of a love triangle. All the relationships were so beautifully developed and came about so organically, that it was easy to believe them. All the morally grey characters were great too.
This story that could have easily got bogged down in its own complexity is instead brought to vivid clarity by Ifueko's wonderful writing style, it flows effortlessly and in such a way as to make you think the story was going one way and then suddenly a new twist is introduced or a hidden truth is uncovered and then suddenly you are forced to question what was really going on. I found it wildly imaginative, the world that Ifueko lays out before us, is expansive and complex and full of interesting myths and lores that I feel there could be a book on just the history of the land alone. And I would love to read it.
The narrator Joniece Abbott-Pratthas did an amazing job on the audio of Raybearer , her cadence and articulation was perfection. The emotions she was able to convey brought the characters to life and hightened my enjoyment ten fold. I highly recommend the audiobook.

I. AM. SPEECHLESS.

I rarely listen to fantasy books on audio - I can’t, with some many different and new character, words and pronunciations to learn and remember - it becomes hard to concentrate while listening to the audiobook a whole new level of superpower.

So while I was wary of reading the audiobook; the absolute love this book has been receiving had me overcoming my own apprehensions and picked it up.

And to be honest; IT WAS BEST FREAKING DECISION I EVER MADE.

Raybearer is a stunning fantasy debut that will keep your attention right from the start till the end - even though more than half of the book is a slow world building; a world that is breathtaking in its originality and expression!

It seems obvious that Iflueko has taken inspiration from reality; but she has made this world her own and owned it absolutely!

Tarisai, a young girl has been bought up in isolation - with only visits of The Lady to look forward to; considering the fact that the servants employed to teach her everything; and I do mean everything, about the different realms, aren’t EXACTLY her friends. When she finds out that she has been groomed and brought up to become part of the 11 Council Members of the Crown Prince of Aritsar.

While I would DEARLY LOVE to ramble on and on about the intriguing storyline; wonderful characters and the plot that would keep you hooked, I won’t, because I was told that I need to go in blind and trust me, so do you! It so dearly and surely worth it!

A beautiful, absolutely heartwarming fantasy novel about friendship, found family and a stunning world building with a hint of romance that will make your soul happy - Raybearer is a beautiful diverse fantasy novel, the first in what looks to be a series *fingers crossed* - and since I just read that there would be a sequel, because *THAT* ending had me holding my breath, I am literally on pins and needles to know EXACTLY where the author takes my babies to!

I received an ARC of Raybearer (print and audiobook) from NetGalley. I enjoyed this fantasy book. The characters were all well developed and had depth. The story was interesting and complex. I felt like I was transported to Ifueko's amazing, complex , West African inspired world. Raybearer touches on the topics of roles of women in society, gender roles, poverty, loyalty, and morality. I highly recommend this book. I will be purchasing it for our library. I loved the narrator for this audiobook. I think she added a enhanced the story.

I’m very cautious when it comes to hyped books because we’ve all stepped into the trap of expecting the world of a novel, only to end up disappointed that it doesn’t deliver what was promised. In the case of Raybearer I needn’t have worried. The hype machine worked pretty hard to promote this book but I am so happy to report that Ifueko’s debut novel not only does what it says but surpassed all my expectations.

RAYBEARER
by Jordan Ifueko

Published: Amulet Books, 2020
eBook: 368 pages
Audiobook: 13 hours 48 minutes
Series: Raybearer #1
My rating: 8/10

Opening line: I shouldn’t have been surprised that fairies exist.

-----------
One of the gripes I have with many YA books that end up falling flat for me is that they only have one thing – one theme, one issue, on idea to set them apart – that is supposed to carry the whole story. Say, for example, the protagonist has a special power, and that’s all there is to make her interesting. Raybearer is the exact opposite of that, which is probably why I liked this book so much. There are so many ideas here and they all come together beautifully to create a fascinating world peopled with complex characters – what more can I want from YA, really?

Tarisai grows up in a magically hidden away house where she is mostly left alone by her mother, The Lady. She longs for family and love but the servants won’t even touch her because of her gift of reading and even taking away memories. This so-called Hallow is why The Lady sends Tarisai off to the capital in order to compete with other children to become one of the Crown Prince’s Council of Eleven. This Council is a group of eleven people, each with a Hallow, who are connected to the Prince and to each other via the Ray – a magical bond closer than blood. If they are too far from each other, they feel pain; they can telepathically communicate, they can share their thoughts and feelings and each Council member also provides a unique magical protection for the Prince. Once the Council is fully anointed, the Prince cannot be killed by anyone except a member of that council.
There are so many great ideas in that premise alone that it would have been enough for a great story, but Jordan Ifueko doesn’t stop there. The world of Aritsar has even more to offer, both in terms of politics, lore, songs, and history, that there is always something new to discover.

What really makes this book shine, though, are the characters. Tarisai is a great protagonist, not because she is flawless by any means, but because she is made of conflicts. The Lady compelled her to become a Council member and to kill the Prince. But Tarisai actually grows to love Prince Dayo like a brother and wants to do everything in her power to protect him. Instead of just bemoaning her fate, though, she puts her brain to it and searches for ways around her curse. Her cleverness, her kindness, her love for Dayo and their friends are what made Tarisai so lovable.
Many YA books also tend to use character development solely only on the protagonist and leave the side characters almost blank. Maybe they get one character trait each, but that’s it. In Raybearer, we don’t get to know every single member of the Council very well but instead focus on a select few who are shown to be layered, believable people with dreams and feelings of their own. I thought this was a great decision on the author’s (or editor’s?) part. Tarisai’s best friend Kirah felt like a real person and the girls’ friendship was simply beautiful. Even more beautiful was Tarisai’s relationship to Sanjeet and how their bond slowly grows over time. Every time these two had an interaction, it warmed my heart!

But wait, this book isn’t done yet! There is also a plot and it packs a punch. Do you know those books that start out as one thing and then slowly peel away layers and layers to reveal that the world is so much bigger than you thought, that there are mysteries within mysteries? Yeah, I love that kind of book, and Raybearer absolutely delivered on that part. I thought I was going to read about a girl destined to kill a boy she loved and how she fights against that compulsion. And while I did get to read about that, there was so much more. We learn about different cultures and traditions, about how the magic in this world works and what the implications are, about Raybearers past and present, and about why The Lady kept Tarisai hidden away for so long only to send her on a cruel mission. There’s inequality in the world that needs fixing, there are secrets that want to be revealed, friendships that want to be saved, and in the middle of it all a young girl yearning for a family, for a place to belong.

I think the first moment when I realized this wouldn’t just be a good book but a great one was when Tarisai takes a certain action at about a third into the book. This action – I’m being vague for fear of spoilers – could just as easily have been the resolution to the whole story, had this been a simpler, less well thought-out YA book. The fact that she did what she did so early on in the story made me realize that Jordan Ifueko has a lot more to tell and doesn’t have to hold back her ideas. And then she does the same thing again, later in the book. I thought I knew what kind of quest I was on with Tarisai, Sanjeet, Kirah, and Dayo, but it turns out, things go even deeper than that. We get to see different parts of the Kingdom, meet other cultures, learn about the land’s history, and watch Tarisai grow up through all of it.

In case you haven’t guessed it yet, I have endless amounts of love for this book! Because the last thing that could have ruined it is the writing, and the writing happened to be fantastic. There is nothing particularly flowery about the language, but I adored how Ifueko added songs and drum sounds into the story. What sealed it for me was the way she described her characters interacting. It could have been so easy to turn Dayo into Tarisai’s love interest (the destined to kill the one you love trope is a trope for a reason, after all), but instead, the two are just incredibly close friends and – at least for me – that bond felt even closer than a romatic relationship could have. Whether it’s Tarisai and Sanjeet or Tarisai and Kirah, or even Tarisai and one of the tutors teaching the new Council, the author always managed to not just convey information thorugh her writing but to also add an emotional layer. No conversation is simply an exchange of words.

As for the ending… well, that was something else! Not only do a LOT of things happen, but the ending also somehow manages to satisfyingly finish the main arc of the story while setting up the story for the sequel. And, boy, what a setup it is!

I listened to this on audio, so I have to mention the narrator (and actress) Joniece Abbott-Pratt. What a great job she has done of bringing Ifueko’s brilliant characters to life. I was especially impressed with how she showed the characters at different ages while still keeping them distinct from each other. She also actually sang the songs in this book which added a lot of atmosphere. I’m still a bit annoyed that I couldn’t access my NetGalley copy of the audiobook, but in retrospect, I don’t begrudge the book (or the author, or the narrator) the Audible credit it cost me to buy my own copy. And this way, I can re-listen to the book when the sequel comes out.

MY RATING: 8/10 – Excellent!