A fantastic fantasy book with great world building and plot. The pace can feel a bit off towards the end, with a lot of events cramped together, but it holds well for the sequel. 
The characters are interesting and so sweet, and the protagonist, Tar, is really cool. 

I throughly enjoyed reading this book, it was delightfully different to other fantasies out there in the best way. Ifueko’s world building transports you to Aritsar and Tarisai’s life, this is a book that you can’t bear to put down. While events in the story happened seemingly in rapid succession, I think it works, because nothing feels like a placeholder or pause before the story continues; the story is always happening.

All of the characters in this book are so unique and complex and written in such a way that I can envision them standing before me. A lot of the characters are definitely lovable and even those who may not be are given reasons for their negative traits, but these are never presented as excuses for their bad behaviour. 

I found myself relating the themes of this book and the societal issues within the story to our real world, such as sexism and equality. Can people who have been pushed down for so long rise up against the system? I’ll let you read and find out.

While there were these positive things, I was confused by the lodestones (idk if this is the right spelling), because I couldn’t quite imagine what they   looked like, which brought me out of my immersion a bit.

One things I wasn’t expecting was Ekundayo’s asexuality. I am pleasantly surprised that this was presented in this book, and that it linked with Dayo’s character and the story as a whole. I hope this will be seen more in the second book.

Overall, a great story with a brilliant cast of characters and can’t wait to get my hands on the second book.

This was such a beautiful, incredible book. I loved the plot, the characters, the writing, and honestly, I don't have anything bad to say about it. Writing style is so important to me, and every word of this book just filled me with such joy. I gave this to my younger brother to read before my loan at the library expires, and I will be recommending it to any teens or adults I come across from now on! I cannot wait for the sequel!!

This book has such incredible things to say about different types of love, systems vs. individuals, admitting & fighting historical prejudice, found family, pride, empathy, the importance of names, cycles of abuse, gaslighting, and even gossip. There is asexual and queer representation, and it's unquestioningly accepted by the characters, which is so great for young people to read. The characters are racially diverse, and I didn't take issue with the clear real-life inspirations for the different lands. I loved learning about the magic as well as the religions of Aritsar, and as a government major, I loved the political aspect as well. READ THIS BOOK!! :) 

There are SO many amazing-looking diverse YA fantasies coming out these days, so many new series are starting, and it's awesome! But also, I feel so behind in getting to them. I cannot keep up! And I'm also a little nervous about starting them all and then not following through on finishing. I have a weird ability (curse?) to do that and I end up starting so many series that I don't finish. (I do it with tv shows, too - my partner hates it.) But I feel guilty waiting til the entire series is published to binge-read it, becasue that doesn't help ensure that the publication continues. And I don't know what to do! Anyways, me and my anxiety will continue to sit with that. But in the meantime, I finally got around to this series-opener, thanks in large part to the fact that I received the audiobook as an ALC from Libro.fm. 

 

Raybearer opens with Tarisai being raised in isolation, tutored intensely by caregivers under the direction of her oft-absent mother. Then, she is suddenly thrust out into the world in a most dramatic way, competing to become one of the Crown Prince of Aritsar's Council of 11. If she is picked, she'll become connected to the Prince and the rest of the council through the Ray, making them closer even than family. Tarisai wants more than anything to have that kind of bond after her lonely childhood, but she tries to resist because she knows that if she agrees, she'll be forced to follow through on her mother's magic wish, a wish that she cannot help but complete, to kill the Crown Prince once she's gained his trust. But the history of her mother's magical wish is even more intense and fraught than Tarisai knows and, as the story comes out, she realizes that she is much more, and has a much greater purpose, than she'd ever anticipated. 

 

This was a spectacular high fantasy novel. The concept and world-building were amazing and so in depth. The idea of the Ray-bound Council of 11, making the Emperor basically immortal (with the exception/loop-hole of being killed by the hands of one of those 11) was so original. And the depth of the world itself, the different realms, the way they are each represented on the Council, the magic and magic system, the detailed history of the Aritsar Kingdom, and ESPECIALLY the foundational mythology of the nation and how the central ideology and Council of 11 was invented, was wonderful. I did have some questions about the entire Redemptor/Songland storyline... I mean, I get that that's the "big deal situation" that the rest of the series is building to, based on the ending and since Tarisai's mother/magic wish situation was wrapped up in the opening book, but it seemed like an afterthought and not as developed as the rest of the world and plot. I am assuming it'll get more delved into later, but to be honest, it just didn't feel as right included here. There was so much packed into this first novel - I had a sensation of being pulled along by the story and the numerous twists and turns (like, my goodness, there was never a moment to take a breath with everything that happened and the years passing) and I loved that. The *need* to keep turning pages is a great reading experience, always, and I will never be mad about it. But there were definitely a few times where things felt a bit rushed. I can tell you for sure that this was in part because of how many characters were introduced over such a short period of time and, with years and years passing from the start of the book to the end, there were a lot of relationships to work on understanding and buying into. Honestly though, I was impressed with how much I was invested in most of them, especially the big ones, like Tarisai with her mother, the Crown Prince Dayo, Kirah and Sanjeet, and even with Woo In. There was great casual diversity in their backgrounds, interests, types of relationships (the focus on found family was wonderful and there was an ace side-character), goals/plans, etc. 

 

I want to also point out a few major themes that I really loved. First, and in main part, the pitfalls of forcing a "melting pot" situation. There is no real unity that comes from being forced, and requiring people to lose their individuality in order to come together as a single nation/people is doomed to failure. We all have our own strengths and things we bring to the table and there is real beauty and importance in recognizing that and celebrating differences, individually and culturally. I hope that we get even more of that as further background in the coming novels about the split between Aritsar and Songland is developed. I was also, of course, into the power grab situation that led to a single male heir to the throne of Aritsar and the hidden history of the female leader(s)/sister to the first Emperor. It's such a clear indictment of the way power can corrupt and a wonderful reclaiming of power from males by females. I appreciated everything Tarisai did to undermine and reclaim that history as she learned more about her own lineage and came into her own power/position. 

 

Overall, like I said, this was a really original and stunning fantasy. I hesitate to say visually stunning, since it is a novel, but that's how it felt to me as it played out, in my head and as I listened to it unfold (because let me just say, the narrator crushed it).  A super lush and detailed new world was laid out as the plot unfolded and I found myself irresistibly pulled along by the many twists. Tarisai was a wonderful and strong leading lady, soft and tough in perfect measure, and I'm definitely planning to pick up her story when the sequel comes out! 

 

“You write your story, not the people who came before you.” 

 

“I hope you never win the pride of a monster, Tarisai. It’s worse than their contempt.” 

 

“‘Why does everyone hate change so much?’ I demanded. ‘Because things could get worse.’ ‘Maybe. But do you know what I think? […] I think deep down, we’re afraid that things could get better. Afraid to find out that all the evil – all the suffering we ignore – could have been prevented. If only we cared enough to try.’” 

 

“Was it better to have a perfect solution that I couldn’t enforce? Or a weak solution that everyone loved?” 

 

“No, we don’t deserve the burdens that our parents gave us. But we can’t defeat monsters that we won’t face.” 

 

“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.” 

 

“But our greatest good is the one we can’t contain: compassion, loyalty, softness, fierceness. The ability to win hearts, or recognize beauty, or weather a storm…Our gift could be anything really. And when we use our greatest good for something beyond ourselves, that’s our best desire. Our purpose.” 

 

“Uniformity is not unity. Silence is not peace.” 

 

“Peace comes when stories are celebrated, not erased.” 

 

 

 

 

 

An incredible story. Pretty much everything about his book is loveable. I especially appreciated the theme of a narcissistic/neglectful parent, I feel the author explored very well how that affected Tarisai and how she was able to overcome that. Such believable, meaningful human themes woven into intriguing magic/fantasy.