This book is a ray of excellence! ….And I will not apologise for using a completely appropriate title pun just now 😌 I just absolutely adored every page of Raybearer. (Well I listened to the audiobook, which was also incredible and I can’t recommend enough!!) It felt fresh and powerful, creative but also gives that comfort of a good sprawling fantasy world that you can just lose yourself in.

I suspect this will be the best YA fantasy I’ll read this year and I am here, in awe.

This is generally what sells a book for me, and oh I love the cast of Raybearer so much. Tarisai is cunning and clever, soft and vulnerable. She just wants a family and to be loveeeeed. Her voice is spectacular; she has the kind of narration that makes every scene a delight to be in. She also has a very specific gift: she can see the memories of a person or object just by touching them. She can also erase or dull memories, and she actually uses this for good to take away her childhood friends’ bad dreams. 🥺

The side characters also stole my heart too. I loved Dayo (the prince) and his and Tarisai’s really tight friendship. Then there’s Kirah who was practical and clever but also that mothering friend. And Sanjeet! The one who is too tol, too intimidating…but secretly an utter marshmallow. (Also can we take a second of deep appreciation that a YA book exists where the first boy Tarisai meets isn’t the love interest 😂👌🏻 thank you.)

The complexities of the villains (are they villains 👀) were also thoroughly captivating. I also loved the coming-of-age bent to this. The prince and his Eleven are still only growing up, so while they learn politics, the adults are still busy controlling the world. Their backstory was both layered and dark and fascinating too.

The world is so deliciously complex and huge, it had so many layers. It felt REAL. Vast and unmappable. You don’t have to remember or understand every people group or country, because it reminds you of who is who until you fall into the rhythm of the story. I genuinely appreciate a complex world and history! The backstory is amazing too. Like you could easily want a prequel following The Lady’s life?! (Or am I just craving more from this author…also that.)

The story starts when Tarisai is young: it follows her growing up under tutors and being taught to be terrifically smart. But all she wants is the love and affection of her distant mother, known only as The Lady. At 12 years old, Tarisai is taken to the palace to join the contest to become one of the prince’s sacred 11. This is how the kingdom is ruled: the king (the Raybearer) has a council of 11 and they are all completely interwoven and close and can talk through their minds and all linked by deep deep love.

Of course there are SO many twists and backstories and I’m not even going to go into it too deeply because just read it!!!! But least to say Tarisai gets chosen by the prince and the world unravels and changes from there.

Raybearer really captured my heart and imagination, and I can’t properly articulate just how exquisite this story is. It was creative and nuanced, beautiful and layered. I’m still thinking about it days later and aching with need for the sequel — because w o w that ending has left me both whole and wrecked. I love.

Wow! This audiobook was fabulous! Such a magical thrill ride that I was not expecting to love so much!! I am SO glad I was able to listen to this book via netgalley.

SURPRISING.

Is one word to explain my feelings towards this book. This book is so unlike any YA fantasy book I've ever read, it takes such basic tropes and twists them so perfectly in just the slightest of ways.


The first line immediately caught my interest and I was in love by the first dialogue. I love the songs and spoken storytelling woven into this book and the main plot, I love almost all the characters, good, bad, or gray for various reasons!

Jordan Ifueko truly did an amazing job in capturing the reader's attention and using so many amazing West African inspirations that I'm sure had own voices Nigerians in love because, I, as an Jamaican reader truly connected and loved this book because of those portrayals and the foods mainly!

This book came together so perfectly, I truly enjoyed it and it's now one of my TOP favorites of this year!!!!

Phenomenal narrator, she slipped between the diverse cast of characters seamlessly. Every character had a distinct voice. There are many audiobooks I need to do something while I listen, this one kept me enraptured to the point I often couldn't drive and listen!

Engaging, moving story, I believe middle grade and teen readers will love the narration as much as adults. Full of mythology, a world that is decidedly not Western and strong women and the men who surround them. Just when you think you understand the motivations of a character you are surprised.

A book I will listen to again and again.

First of all, thank you to Amulet Books for approving me for an ALC of Raybearer on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

Tarisai is the only daughter of The Lady, and in her blood is the last wish that Tarisai must obey: once she gains the trust of the Crowned Prince, she must kill him. The Lady sends her to the capital where she must compete with other 11 year-olds to be chosen for the Crown Prince's Council of 11. If chosen by the Prince, she will counnect with him and the other Council members through the Ray.

Tarisai has never really belonged, but surrounded by other children with Hollows (gifts), this might be everything she could have wanted. All Tarisai wants, now, is to be a part of something, but the wish of The Lady is growing stronger inside her.

THIS BOOK. This book. ThIs BoOk. Like, where do I start? The world-building, the magic, the backstory. The characters are just YES. And the writing is beautiful and easy to read. This is definitely a fast read, but just becuase I was so sucked into the story and the world! It's so immersive, you'll stay up until 1 a.m. reading it. The romance in it is so sweet, and the characters, though young, are mature and thoughtfully written.

AND THE AUDIOBOOK! Like, one second, you think the physical copy is amazing, BUT WAIT. THERE"S MORE. Abbott-Pratt did an absolutely amazing job with this book! Her voice was absolutely perfect for this book, her pacing was amazing, and it just made me love Raybearer EVEN MORE, if that's even possible! So read it, listen to it, or, ya know, DO BOTH!

I just want to scream about this book becuase it is AMAZING. I don't know what else to say but read this! Add it to your TBR, because this might be my favorite debut of the year!

Why I Requested This: I love a shot at reading new debut books ahead of time. The starting point to this YA fantasy series was no exception after seeing this cover and reading that description. Additionally, this story is Nigerian inspired fantasy and I’m trying to get more into non-western fantasy worlds.

Pros:
The story hooks you from the starting point while learning about Tarisai’s backstory and about The Lady who is clouded with mystery.
Speaking of Tarisai, the characters in this one are absolutely fleshed out making their motives fully understandable.
Did I mention straight-up world-building yet? Because this world is so unique that I just kept wanting to learn more especially about the magic system.

Cons:
Sometimes the pacing does feel a bit wonky which is probably due to the fact that this is a debut novel.

Overall: Despite some pacing issues, this is a story that hooked me from the start that I can’t wait to see where it heads.

An instant classic! I finally found something new that I can use in my classroom!

(The audiobook is an absolute treasure as Joniece Abbott-Pratt provides award-worthy narration throughout.)

I simply can not wait for the next installment -- I just hope it arrives soon,, before "council sickness" sets in!

Time to be honest. It's a very long time since I listened to an audio book. Years, possibly (mumble) decades. But I wanted to try out this new option Netgalley have given us, so I requested the audio book of a book I've read and really enjoyed. I thought that would be the best way to try this.

So I loved the narrator. Perfect speed, beautiful tone, differentiated between characters really well. I was never confused about who was speaking. Joniece has a wonderful voice and I really enjoyed listening.

However, I've decided that audio books aren't really for me. This has nothing to do with the narration, or the story itself, which was also brilliant. I just don't do well at listening; my attention tends to drift and I have to find my place again.

If you're looking for a wonderful story with an excellent narrator, this is definitely the one for you.

Wow, this is a debut? Jordan Ifueko is one to watch. This was absolutely BRILLIANT and YA fantasy at its best. The world was so lush, I felt like I was transported into another realm while listening. It was well paced and every time I thought I knew where the story was going, Ifueko proved me wrong. I think this book is best read just diving in without knowing too much and just allowing yourself to experience the magic.

The narrator was fantastic and really brought the story to life. I definitely recommend reading it on that platform if you are an audiobook fan.

The only negative about this book is that I don't already have book 2 to dive into.

READ THIS BOOK!

Full review will be live on www.readandwander.com on 17 August

A wonderful story with a strong female protagonist. Tar is smart and powerful and the story is captivating with pacing that makes you not want to put it down. The narration was excellent.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of the book to review!

I loved this book! It felt like everything I was missing in many YA fantasy books I’ve been reading these days. The world building was excellent and had a complex and interesting magic system. I found myself really compelled by the magic system and it’s rules.

The one thing I think that really made this book for me was the fact that it doesn’t shy away from exploring racism, misogyny, patriarchy, intergenerational trauma, classism, and colonization. The interweaving of these topics within a fantastical world really worked for me. Along with the characters who were well flashed out and really lovable.

I seriously loved Tarisai (Tar) so much, she’s loyal, badass, and absolutely sweet. The loneliness Tar undergoes in the beginning of the book was so completely compelling and as we are going through this pandemic is sat heavy on my heart. It was the perfect time to read a book such as this because I felt a deep connection to Tar. I also felt the side characters were fun, but at times a little flat.

I guess my only complaint is that about the half way point the story gets a little slow until almost the end. Since I enjoyed the characters it helped me get through.

Otherwise I’m excited for the rest of this series!

Ifueko's writing and the narrator worked so well together that it sold this book to me and I couldn't put it down. Sometimes, especially with high fantasy books, authors fall between a too simplistic writing style or too descriptive, but Raybearer does such a good job with being readable but not sacrificing prose that are pure magic.

Does this book have flaws? Sure. But they were personal and so inconsequential to how wonderful this story truly is, especially for a debut. I'm serious, if you're thinking about reading this book you should. Ifueko has such a talent for storytelling that I will definitely read whatever she writes from now on.

Nothing is more important than loyalty. But what if you’ve sworn to protect the one you were born to destroy?
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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.
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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?
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Raybearer releases on the 18th, go get your preorders in now.

Raybearer was my first advanced audiobook from Netgalley. I like to consider myself a bit of an audiobook connoisseur and believe me when I tell you that a bad narrator can make or break an audiobook. Well, Joniece Abbott-Pratt did a fantastic job. I loved the different voices she used for the character. I was never confused about who was speaking. She was wonderful and I would certainly listen to more books narrated by her.
Not only was the narration great, but the story was wonderful too! Tarisai was such an interesting character. I loved all of the internal struggles she went through throughout the course of the story. The world-building was great! The political system that was set up was so interesting and the more I learned about it the more impressed I was with how well it fit into the overall story.
There are a ton of side characters in this book, oftentimes that leads to confusion, but it was handled very well in this book. The different levels of side checkers helped with really 3 main side characters and others that played an important role but were not mentioned as much.
I really enjoyed this book and am already looking forward to the next book in the series.

This story immediately captivated me. I absolutely loved the exotic and enticing feel of a culture I'm not super familiar with (West Africa) blended with my favorite genre (fantasy). It was breathtaking and beautiful, and the audiobook narrator was absolutely incredible. Thank you so much, Librofm and Netgalley, for the audio!

This one was good! Not a new favorite or anything like that, but very solid. I loved the friendships best. The characters were a little young for my reading tastes, and I think that's what held me back from really loving this one, but I definitely would highly recommend it to young teens. The magic system was really unique, another aspect that I enjoyed. A perfect read for young readers looking for something other than the normal, cookie-cutter YA fantasies crowding the shelves!

***ARC given by publisher, Hot Key Books, and the audiobook given by US publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review/reaction***

I'm not sure how to write this review/write-up as I did like it. Hugely. I found the world building and the magic system really interesting and rich. The plot, once it found its feet, was strong and had many twists. The characters were engaging and the ideas of how the characters respect their culture and traditions, but also to individuality felt fresh.

However, the pacing. The pacing is a problem because, several times, I almost DNFed because the first half of the book was so slow. The book is split into four parts. Part one is very much a prologue, setting everything up and explaining details (very similar to how Sarah J Maas wrote Part One of [book:House of Earth and Blood|44778083], something I didn't like either). Part two is really when the book begins, so the pacing begins to pick up, but it's parts three and four when the book really finds its stride for me. Now, I get why the first two parts are slower - the world building, the culture, the magic system, the detail and character development - but I can't help but wonder if there was a way to show us all this but have the pacing a tad faster... A happy medium?

But, saying that, this is a solid and quite unique debut, and am intrigued to see where the next book in the series goes...

Unfortunately, I was not able to finish this book, as I was incredibly bored. I did like the choice of narrator, but at three hours in the audio, you would think that something interesting would have occurred. It seems this one is just paced a little too slowly for me.

This book is everything I want in a fantasy novel. It's perfect and I can't wait to read the second book in the series.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of Raybearer in exchange for an honest review. What an absolutely wonderful read. The world-building was amazing, the pacing and plot were perfectly aligned; and, the narration was impeccable.. Tarisai was raised in isolation, but yearns for the closeness she could have as one of the Crown Prince's Council of 11; however, her mother, only referred to as "The Lady," has coerced her, through magic and manipulation, to kill the Crown Prince.