A decent conclusion to a fantastic duology, that fell just a little short of the very high expectations set by the first book. The author discusses some heavy topics, by having Tarisai learn about/uncover systematic oppression and the injustices taking place across the kingdom. While the exploration of found-family was prominent in the first book, those relationships were not explored more in this book, leaving the characters Tarisai was supposed to build her council with very underdeveloped. The plot didn't seem consistent, and while it is somewhat obvious what the book is leading to (foreshadowed by the ending of the first book), it was anticlimactic. Overall, a good but not great book.

I LOVED Raybearer, so I was obviously very excited to get my hands on the sequel, Redemptor. The world that Ifueko has crafted is so rich and full of details, so it was a pleasure to return to it. She does an excellent job weaving African mythologies along with magic to create a unique and interesting world. Like any elaborate fantasy world, it can be hard to keep up with all the new words. But if you just roll with it, the story comes together well.

I loved the twist of Tarisai building her own council and enjoyed the dynamics of these new characters. The parts that took place in the Underworld were also fascinating, and I wanted more of them. I honestly could have read half of the book of Tarisai trying to escape the Underworld.

Redemptor brought back all of my favorite characters from the first book, while also introducing a whole new cast of secondary characters, with new personalities. However, early on in the book, it was a bit unwieldy to keep track of everyone. Not only did I not 100% remember all the characters from the first book, then I had 11 new ones to remember (not to mention all the other secondary characters!). Tarisai, on the other hand, is a strong protagonist. One of my pet peeves is when teenaged characters in positions of power act outside of their age. So I was pleasantly surprised when Tarisai made choices fitting with her age.

Besides too many secondary characters (many who have little-to-no personality), I struggled a bit with the middle of the book. For the second book in a duology, Redemptor drags a little as Tarisai is building up her council. I think the introduction of all these characters is what drags the book down a bit. There are too many people that the reader encounters in rapid succession, and, with the exception of a couple, you don't really get to know any of them, making the scenes and conflicts with them a bit lackluster..

Overall, a solid follow-up to Raybearer that left me wanting at least one other book, giving Ifueko more space to explore these characters and plots.

Loved it so much. I read it all in one day. It was the sequel we needed. I absolutely loved the cover too and think that it was a good fit for the book. Would definitely recommend.

4.5/5 stars
Let me start off by saying that this book was so much more enjoyable than its predecessor Raybearer. While I loved the former book in this duology, I found that Redemptor really pulled me in and made me feel connected to the characters. The story felt alive in a way that made me much more intrigued and excited to continue. The character development in this book is next level in so many ways. I am such a sucker for a good character arc and this book truly came through with that. I loved the direction this story went in and the ending was amazing. I did find myself lost at some parts but it was easy enough to get back on track. And can we talk about the anxiety representation in this book? I felt incredibly seen in the way that Tarisai dealt with her intrusive thoughts and emotions. The writing did an amazing job at portraying the way this feels. And not to mention that there is an amazing female protagonist who makes you feel so confident in who you are. I would definitely recommend this duology to anyone who wants a unique fantasy that deals with inner demons and female struggles in society.
Thank you to NetGalley and ABRAMS Kids for letting me read this eARC.

I received an advanced copy of Redemptor from the publisher so I could share my review with you!

Redemptor is the second book in the Raybearer duology so my review contains spoilers for the first book, Raybearer. If you haven't yet read Raybearer, I would recommend checking out my review for that novel first!

Content Warning: Death, murder, child neglect (remembered), child labor, and child death.

Tarisai claimed her rightful place, on the throne next to Dayo as Aritsar’s first-ever Empress Redemptor. Her place did not come without a cost, though, and justice has a heavy price to pay. After making an exchange with the spirits of the dead, Tarisai must now anoint a council of rulers from across the land, and journey into the Underworld, to save generations of children from facing the same fate. Though she is not supposed to venture into the Underworld for quite some time, Tarisai is haunted by visions of deceased Redemptor children, demanding she fights harder for their salvation. Balancing herself between being the Empress, being a Redemptor, and being able to see the suffering of those she rules, Tarisai is barely holding herself together. There are too many battles to fight, and not enough time before her Redemptor journey. Ultimately, Tarisai will have to determine if she is willing to die for the things she believes in, or if she is willing to try to live for them instead.

You can get your copy of Redemptor now from Abrams Books!

The Raybearer duology is packed with so many wonderful characters with individual depth, and I was so excited to get to revisit them all in Redemptor, after the events of the last book. I had such high expectations for Redemptor, because Raybearer was in my top ten favorite novels last year, and I was somehow still delighted and surprised by how amazing it was! This duology has some of my all-time favorite world-building, and I am so sad to see the end. Fortunately, Jordan Ifueko gave the duology such a fantastic ending that I can walk away from the books satisfied, even if I will always hold a place in my heart for Tarisai, Kirah, Dayo, and Sanjeet. After this amazing debut series, I don’t know what Ifueko will do next, but I can’t wait to see!

My Recommendation-
Raybearer and Redemptor should be high on the tbr of any fantasy fan! I would especially recommend this duology to fans of Spin the Dawn and Sisters of the Snake.

Favorite Quotes:
"I think I’d rather be hated as a weakling than loved as a monster".......

“Do not ask how many people you will save,” I murmured: “Ask, to what world will you save them? What makes a world worth surviving in?”

'You don’t get to choose why people love you. But what you do with the love you receive .... that’s a choice you make every day."

Summary:
The hotly anticipated sequel to the instant New York Times bestselling YA fantasy about Tarisai's quest to change her fate

For the first time, an Empress Redemptor sits on Aritsar's throne. To appease the sinister spirits of the dead, Tarisai must now anoint a council of her own, coming into her full power as a Raybearer. She must then descend into the Underworld, a sacrifice to end all future atrocities.

Tarisai is determined to survive. Or at least, that's what she tells her increasingly distant circle of friends. Months into her shaky reign as empress, child spirits haunt her, demanding that she pay for past sins of the empire.

With the lives of her loved ones on the line, assassination attempts from unknown quarters, and a handsome new stranger she can't quite trust . . . Tarisai fears the pressure may consume her. But in this finale to the Raybearer duology, Tarisai must learn whether to die for justice . . . or to live for it.

Final Thoughts:
New favorite Duology. Completely immersive experience. I worried that the second novel would fall victim to second-book syndrome and I was delighted to be so, so wrong! You will absolutely fall into this world and not be able to leave. Highly recommend adding the set to your classroom library or including it in a mythology unit!

Jordan Ifueko has done it AGAIN! Raybearer was one of my favorite books of the year, so I had very high expectations going into this long anticipated sequel, and not only were those expectations met, but they were exceeded.

Redemptor has all the lovable elements that Raybearer has and more. Ifueko's writing style is /so/ unique. Reading these books feels like you're reading a fairy tale for children, with relatively simple language used and characters that act their own age. In this way, the writing style is reminiscent of Aristotle and Dante to me.

The characters in this novel are so amazingly written to have fleshed out journeys. Tarisai is a heroine every young girl can look up to and love as she builds her council and enters the Underworld. I loved all of the side friendships, romances, and the quirks each character has that give this book such flawless representation.

This book was fantastic, thank you so much for the ARC!

Now that she has taken her rightful place as Empress, Tarisai has a lot to accomplish. Along with establishing her own council so she can venture into the Underworld, she also finds herself confronted with the task of uprooting injustices throughout the land - injustices with which her friends don't seem as concerned. And of course, there is the matter of all the attempts on her life. This book builds so well off the first one, with Tarisai both growing and also confronting her mistakes and shortcomings. It's fast-paced, thought-provoking, and incredibly satisfying.

I loved Raybearer, so I expected to like this one. Wrong. I LOVED it, and I did not think it would be better than Raybearer, but somehow it was. We spent less time getting used to the detailed magic system and world and more time on adventure, and my favorite, political intrigue. I'm not here for the romance in these books because they stand so well without it. But it was sweet while blossoming. This series is so original, which is hard to find in the YA fantasy genre. I loved the roots in African culture, and I think the author is brilliant at creating such a vivid setting.

I featured this book as a Book of the Day spotlight and included it in my weekly roundup and monthly post of new releases on my Black Fiction Addiction platforms.

Tarisai, Empress Redemptor and co-ruler of Aritsar, is determined to save her people and end child sacrifices. She needs to anoint a council before entering the Underworld, in order to survive and find her way out. But now she sees child spirits, hears voices, and there are violent uprisings against the nobles. She must be strong. She must succeed.

Amazing again! Wonderful characters, exciting plot, strong themes. Recommend reading the first one first, though.

Redemptive - book 2 in the Raybearer duology - was a fantastic ending and thrilling ride. Raybearer had wonderful characters, grand adventure and setting that drew me in and Redemptive continued on it and gave me even more. This duology and it’s political intrigue and tropical vibes is a definite standout in the YA fantasy world. Pick these books up!

4.5 ⭐️

AHH THIS!! BOOK!! I WAS SO EXCITED TO HAVE RECEIVED AN ARC FOR REDEMPTOR, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH TO NETGALLEY, THE PUBLISHER, AND THE AUTHOR!!

I read the first book, Raybearer, right before I picked this up and I was so in love with the world, the characters, and plot. That book was incredible and I'm so happy that this sequel totally lived up to that book. This was as immersive, fun, and entertaining as the first book and I completely recommend it.

The writing continued to be so good -- I was able to vividly imagine the world in my head and I love the tropical vibes. The author's ability to world-build is truly something to watch out for and I love how she was able to build off what she created from the first book. I also really liked the pacing of this book; it wasn't too fast or too slow, but perfect.

In addition, the characters are certainly one of the top standouts! My girl, Tarisai, is killing it and it was so fun and engaging getting to watch her journey as the new Empress Redemptor. It was definitely so entertaining. Not only that, the plot of this book was mind-boggling. I was so immersed into the world that I felt like I was physically there for every plot point!

However, although I wholeheartedly had an enjoyable time reading this book, I do still believe that Raybearer is still better. This was a great sequel, don't get me wrong, but that first book was simple *chef's kiss*!!

4.5 - Even better than the first! Redemptor is a thrilling, adventure-packed finale to the Raybearer duology. Dangerous quests, fraught political machinations, blossoming romance, and found family abound; it reminded me (in the best ways) of the classic, quest-centered fantasy I grew up reading while always being wholly original. Jordan Ifueko has written a wonderful, satisfying conclusion that cements this duology as a must-read for any young fantasy fan.

Wow. I was incredibly nervous about how Jordan Ifueko could follow up something as stunning as Raybearer, but as soon as I began Redemptor, I was engrossed in the same enchanting way I experienced with Raybearer. I still have no idea how she did this. This book reinvigorated my belief that a better world is possible. It gobbled me up and spit me back out, completely shaken up. The prose is lyrical and firm, the voice is unwaveringly strong, and the characters all ooze purpose and complexity. Not a second is wasted, and no threads are left loose. In the last chapters, I thought I had predicted the ending, but it managed to stun and surprise me to the last page. While the duology is marketed for young adults, it is only so in that the protagonist is young. It can serve as a challenging text for young readers or a complex world for adults to sink into. All the plots weave together effortlessly, and despite having so much to keep track of, I never felt lost. This duology is absolutely outstanding and I cannot wait to see what more Ifueko brings us in the future.

Raybearer was one of my favorite books of 2020 - like what a PHENOMENAL fantasy.

"The only difference between a murderer and a hero is who tells the story."

WHEW. These are the kind of statements that Ifueko drops this entire book. It deals with grief and death but has a whole plotline about social status and class. There are some really awesome parts with the battles between the ruling class and the working class that were really well done. Plus the amazing and diverse rep! I loved the new secondary characters too. This is what fantasy can be.

I was extremely excited for Redemptor and hype to get an ARC. Redemptor starts right where Raybearer left: Tarisai made a deal with the demons of the Underworld and has 2 years to anoint her Council and becoming immune to death before she has to go to the Underworld. The beginning of this book really took off - super strong, fast paced. Tar's council siblings know she is struggling, feeling the weight of her burden on her shoulders, and they want to help. But she keeps shutting them out. Then the book slowed down a bit. But the ending was once again epic. Like a perfect wrap up to this series. I want more but I can't wait to read what Jordan has in the future.

4.5 stars and a must read!


Thank you to Abrams Books and Pique Beyond for my copy to review

What an ending! There were incredibly powerful moments in here, and an overall message of love and doing the best you can do. Very clever. I almost felt like there could be a third one!

I hate having to write this review. I was incredibly pumped for this book, but it comes nowhere near living up to its predecessor. Essentially nothing happens until the end of the book, and by then, I’d completely lost interest, so what’s the point?

Wow, this was fantastic ride! Redemptor concludes the Raybearer duology and a LOT happens in this book. There is a lot of ground to cover in terms of plot (including a trip to the underworld!), but it's also so rich in character development. It's an impressive second book, and I say that having been disappointed by quite a few YA sequels this year. Redemptor did not disappoint.

Tarisai has a heavy burden on her shoulders and spends a lot of the book believing she's alone and no one understands how she feels. This is a book that viscerally explores the experience of depression and anxiety, even if in this case there is a magical twist to what's happening. We also continue to get great representation with a diverse cast of characters, including one who is asexual & sex repulsed.

Thematically this book also deals with injustice, poverty, and appropriate uses of power. It's vivid with lush descriptions and an action-packed plot that keeps things moving. It's also not afraid to deal with darker themes of death, violence, and grief. I really liked the direction this took and found the ending to be very satisfying. Definitely one worth reading! I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Plot is very well done as is the story resolution. For me, this didn't have the same pull where I felt the characters as much as in Raybearer, but a terrific book.