More and more I keep finding books that are not set in the traditional Western European fantasy setting, and I have to say that I really enjoy it. The world and mythology in Raybearer is very original. Because of that, it takes a bit more time to get to understand everything, but when it clicks, it's totally worth it. I really loved the relations between the characters, be it romantic or not (the asexual admission was a very nice touch), and the story was exciting and kept me on my toes.

Great world building but I was not invested in any of the characters.

There really are some good YA fantasies out there.

Tarisai is the daughter of Melu, and ehru spirit man, and woman who only calls herself The Lady. Raised by her mother's servants and unable to burn from fire, Tarisi longs for a family and love. But one day, when she is young, The Lady shows her a picture of a young boy. He is the prince of the Empire of Aritsar and The Lady wants Tarisai to kill him. Soon, Tarisai meets Prince Dayo and he selects her to be apart of his personal council. As she grows up, Tarisai cannot bring herself to kill the prince who she has come to love as a brother. However, she will learn that she may not have a choice.

Raybearer was one of the most refreshing YA fantasies I've ever read! YA fantasy isn't the powerhouse it once was, so there only a sliver of actually good titles out there. Earlier this year I read [b:Night Shine|52593046|Night Shine|Tessa Gratton|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1653496257l/52593046._SY75_.jpg|74725178] by Tessa Gratton, another YA fantasy--it too was an exception! I really loved Night Shine, but I absolutely loved Raybearer as well. So, what makes this YA fantasy so different from all the others out there? I will explain; but I would like to make a note that throughout this review I will occasionally reference J. R. R. Tolkien's essay [b:Tolkien On Fairy-stories|1362112|Tolkien On Fairy-stories|J.R.R. Tolkien|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1326706200l/1362112._SY75_.jpg|58418323], which I was able to read here. Raybearer is not a Tolkienesque book, Jordan Ifueko's writing style and themes and sources are her own, mostly drawn from various African cultures, primarily Yoruban. However, she does something just right with this fantasy story that made me think of the essay.

I think what captured me the most about Raybearer is the book's tone. It changes as Tarisai grows up and the plot progresses, but there is overall this persistent feeling of adventure and wonder. Ifueko makes her world interesting when she reveals things to us; this is heightened as we see everything through Tarisai's eyes and when she discovers something new about herself, her mother, Aritsar, or anything else in the world, no matter how big or small, there is this sense of awe that takes over. Even in the beginning of the book when Tarisai shows and tells us things she's already accustomed to, but we are not, there's just this just this fascinating feeling you feel when you see it.
This is one of the things that is missing from other YA fantasies, or, at least, is not properly conveyed. The world of Raybearer is enchanting, not because of its real-life cultural influences or because of the magic, but because Ifueko takes such care in building this world and showing and describing it to us that it makes us feel like we are in another wonderous world. Everything from buildings, to fashion, to food, to the history, to the politics, and so forth never loses its creative touch. I will lament that I wish we could've seen all of the Aritsar Another reason this is solidified is because of Tarisai herself.

Tarisai is a great character. From the get go we know she wants and family and love. She desires it throughout the book, even when she has it. And when she has it, she never wants to let it go. Her cold upbringing from her mother fuels this desire for family and is why she doesn't want to kill Dayo--along with the fact that the boy is genuinely one of the sweetest kids around, albeit a bit naïve. But then again, Tarisai and the rest of the kids on the council all have their naivete; this is a coming-of-age book, remember that. Tarisai matures as she grows up, but she still remains the hopeful and determined girl we first met, which is something I love. A lot of YA protagonists these days are just...moody and sometimes depressing. Tarisai has her serious and emotional moments, but who she is as a person never wavers, even at the final moments of the big after a big, dramatic climax. I just loved Tarisai! She' just...hopeful.

And this brings my first comparison to Tolkien's On Fairy-Stories:
The consolation of fairy-stories, the joy of the happy ending: or more correctly of the good catastrophe, the sudden joyous “turn” (for there is no true end to any fairy-tale): this joy, which is one of the things which fairy-stories can produce supremely well, is not essentially “escapist,” nor “fugitive.” In its fairy-tale—or otherworld—setting, it is a sudden and miraculous grace: never to be counted on to recur. It does not deny the existence of dyscatastrophe, of sorrow and failure: the possibility of these is necessary to the joy of deliverance; it denies (in the face of much evidence, if you will) universal final defeat and inso far is evangelium, giving a fleeting glimpse of Joy, Joy beyond the walls of the world, poignant as grief.

As I said at the beginning, Tolkien and Ifueko draw upon different sources and themes. Tolkien is drawing upon traditional European fairy-tales for his essay, but what he says here about joy really applies to Raybearer. Raybearer is not an overly saccharine story, there are some serious moment, especially when Tarisai ruminates on her relationship with her mother, Dayo's impending fate, and the structure of the empire and its relationship to the Redemptor sacrifices from Songland, a Korean-inspired kingdom that did not come under the rule of Aritsar during the empire's foundation. The good events and the bad events, to use more basic terms, balance each other in this book, never one totally overwhelming you, but no matter which moment you're in in this book, Ifueko never feels like she avoiding important issues or just "going by the vibes" as some writers like to say these days. Also, there's just this "joy" present throughout the book that ties into that wonder I mentioned before.

The world-building accompanies both this "joy" and is gradually revealed over the course of the book. Ifueko leaves no stone untouched. She shows us how the emperor and his ruling council work; how the Ray works and the relationships it ultimately fosters between Tarisai, Dayo, and the others; how the empire, like many real-life world governments, seeks to control its citizens in ways that at first do not seem entirely suspicious, such as the edict that requires all the individual lands of Aritsar to give up their personal stories and griot drums for empire-official ones; shows us life outside and dissident to the empire's credo; and, my personal favorite touch, how the creation myth of the world diffused down between the different cultures and how their religions, though acknowledging all the same deities, ultimately devote themselves to only one specific one. Most of this is thankfully done through non-info-dumping, though there are still some dumps, but they aren't too much. As Tarisai learns more about this stuff she both realizes what she wants and needs to do for both herself, for Dayo, and the people of the empire is not clear-cut and that she must adapt her way of thinking. Though she is still the same hopeful girl.

Tarisai is not the only character that is well-developed. Dayo learns and grows as well, though he still wants what's best for everyone. The Lady, Tarisai's mother, changes too, albeit don't expect a grand overall change; she's still dedicated to her cause. There's Sanjeet, a towering, muscular boy from the Indian-inspired land of Dhyrma, who gradually comes out of his shell and grows closer to Tarisai--their romance is quite cute and precious. There's also Kirah, Tarisai's first true friend the Blessid Valley who goes from sheltered, reverent girl to getting her own silver tongue and moxy. Side note: Ifueko mentioned somewhere that Kirah's culture is based on an African culture where the women where veils with Scripture onto them--something Kirah actually does--but I cannot think of the specific culture at the moment. There are other characters such as Woo In, Mbali, and Thaddace who are noteworthy character, but my biggest "criticism" here is that I wish we could've seen more of Tarisai's council siblings. A few get some lines and page time, but others I almost completely forgot existed until they were mentioned again. Still, there's eleven of them, so maybe there wasn't enough room for all of that. But nonetheless, that "joy" and Tarisai's want for family can still be found when they are on page. These kids just love each other.

Despite how detailed this world is an all that goes on, the pacing never suffers from it. The beginning is a little slow, but not laboriously slow. So much can happen in each chapter, but thankfully the pacing, Tarisai's perspective, and that "joy" that hangs just above everything, even in more serious and darker moments, keeps things moving.

Something else that needs to be applauded is how Ifueko handled the social-political commentary of the book. This is something else that a lot of YA books, fantasy or otherwise, are weak at or fail on. They either don't properly account for certain considerations or factors, or they incessantly bash you over the head to the point where it feels like the author is shouting at you like they're on twitter. Tarisai finds herself struggle between living up to The Lady's desires for rebellion and helping Dayo become emperor. As Tarisai sees the cracks in the empire and learns what ways it controls its people and keeps Songland subdued (in a way), she question her and Dayo's loyalty to the empire while also hoping Dayo can be a better leader. As she also learns about her mother's own lies and methods, she wonders what can actually be done to help Songland. All empires are formed from conquering and subjugation and imposing of laws that only benefit the higher ups and control those beneath, however, rebellions do not always have the most just leaders who care about others. Ifueko never gives us Tarisai an answer on what to do here, only that Tarisai receives sounds advice from the Storyteller, one of the highest gods: "Only one thing is more powerful than a wish, and that is a purpose."
Again that hope and "joy" leaking through.

One often quoted part of the book is Tarisai's conversation with Sanjeet about why everyone fears change. Tarisai thinks people fear change because they're afraid to learn that all the suffering could've been avoided. After a small rebuke from Sanjeet, Tarisai shrugs at her own words. I don't Ifueko is saying this is the answer. Writing this review in November 2023, I personally don't believe that suggestion with everything going on the world right now, but I am not castigating Ifueko or Tarisai.

Nevertheless, after much climax, Raybearer ends on a hopeful note, but not without prices to pay. Tarisai is satisfied with what she has done so far, but knows there is much to do. She still has hope, despite what labors and conflicts she sees coming. She still has that "joy." Once again, I cite Tolkien: "It is not difficult to imagine the peculiar excitement and joy that one would feel, if any specially beautiful fairy-story were found to be “primarily” true, its narrative to be history, without thereby necessarily losing the mythical or allegorical significance that it had possessed. It is not difficult, for one is not called upon to try and conceive anything of a quality unknown. The joy would have exactly the same quality, if not the same degree, as the joy which the “turn” in a fairy-story gives: such joy has the very taste of primary truth. (Otherwise its name would not be joy.) It looks forward (or backward: the direction in this regard is unimportant) to the Great Eucatastrophe."

Just a damn good YA fantasy.

Tarisai of Swana is the daughter to the woman called The Lady and her father Melu who’s an Ehru. Tarisai is half mortal and half immortal. Her conception is out of a bigger plot The Lady has towards the Emperor. Tarisai was raised specially in an enchanted house with no contact with humans. The Lady grooms her so she will qualify for a program that trains children with superpowers in the Children’s palace. The children who will eventually become council members for the future heir to the throne.

Tarisai of Swana is burdened with a responsibility by her mother The Lady, to fall in love with the Prince and kill him afterwards. But she would realize that the task wouldn’t be so easy to carry out. Tarisai finds family love that she craves in the hand of her council siblings. Would she betray their love and trust just to please a mother she barely knows?

Tarisai would eventually uncover the reasons behind her mother’s motive to kill the heir to the throne. But would the reasons be sufficient enough for Tarisai a council member to betray her oath?