‘Only one thing is more powerful than a wish, and that is a purpose.’
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 Eleven. 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?
The Review:
I’ve had Raybearer, the first book in this duology, on my shelf for two years.
I’m not sure why I kept putting it off but when I finally picked it up – gosh it did not disappoint.
We’re introduced to Tarisai as a young girl, isolated from everyone and everything, including her own mother, with only her tutors for company. Tarisai does not know much until she’s told that she is to go to the capital to join the Prince’s beloved council, despite her overwhelming urge to kill him.
And once she figures that bit out, her next task is seemingly impossible. How does she break a centuries old curse where children are sent to the underworld in order to stop a war breaking between the below and the above?
“It’s no use bringing up the past. You write your story, not the people who came before you.”
Whew…does this series not take you on a journey. There’s so much that you’re introduced to and Jordan Ifueko does not let up. It’s one thing after the other.
Every twist and turn is crafted so meticulously to keep the reader hooked.
And whilst, I liked Raybearer. I was blown away by Redemptor. I simply could not put it down.
Do you know how rare that is? To like the SECOND book more than the first book? Normally, it’s the other way round.
But Redemptor had me addicted. I inhaled those pages like crack. In my lunch break…after work…I blew through the pages determined to see how Tarisai solves the impossible.
“Only one thing is more powerful than a wish, and that is a purpose.“
I understand why the first book won awards. I even tweeted that I have never read a book where the found family trope is so profound…so beautifully written. Gosh, I ached with the love and ready acceptance that came with it. Yes, this book had romantic love and beautiful friendships but at the heart of this entire series was this foundation of making friends into families.
There’s a saying that “friends are the family we choose.”
One I heavily resonate with. My friends are my whole heart. My girls for life.
I could probably go on for ages talking about my love for them.
And this book discusses that sometimes the unconditional love we seek. The eternal love we crave and should readily get from family, is sometimes elsewhere. Family is the foundation of our understanding when it comes to love.
Everything we know. Everything we’re taught comes from familial love.
As we see for Tarisai and for much of the characters in this series e.g. Dayo, Sanjeet and even Woo In, sometimes, the example they set can be damaging or misguided. An example of their own lack of love. Sometimes we forget just how human our parents are. How often they will make mistakes. When you’re younger it just seems so natural to believe that your parents should be perfect…
They’re dictating our lives, clothing us…feeding us. Why would they not be perfect?
But yet, they have their own childhoods and backstories, ones that may have tainted their idea of love. A childhood they may not have healed from…
But most parents do the best they can, striving to do better…be better than what they had.
And in other cases…well not so much.
“But I knew, deep down, that love had never fixed anyone. It had only given them the strength to try over and over and over again.”
I think we’re reminded of that in this book quite often. We’re also reminded of this idea of legacy.
What happens when we want to choose our own future? When we want to break free from tradition and centuries old prophecies? What do we do then?
Tarisai definitely fought for an answer and she refused to give up.
This book is adventurous and beautifully written. Albeit, it often read on the younger side but it is a Young Adult book so bare that in mind when going into it. Tarisai naivety is a reflection of the readership and even her own childhood. Although, by Redemptor I was very confused as to how old she was.
Was she 18? 16? 20? It does get cleared up sometime during Redemptor and it’s not a HUGE issue.
It’s just something I noticed reading it.
But, familial love and found friendship aside, Jordan Ifueko explores issues that plague our real-world with social and economic inequalities. It’s discussed heavily in both books but perhaps more so in Redemptor. To weave this discussion in and have it constantly sit at the fore front of the book was so interesting. It’s not something any of the characters can ignore as much as they would love to. It leads to Tarisai having to make some very difficult choices. Ones that risk her sanity.
Also, I loved the use of folklore and storytelling. It’s very reminiscent of African and Caribbean culture. The use of stories to explain morals and reveal secrets, to show the past and glimpses of the future. It’s a never-ending cycle. At times, I did feel like the stories went on for a few pages and I really struggled to remain engaged in them. However, I was soon drawn back into the story as though nothing had happened.
“Peace comes when stories are celebrated, not erased.”
All in all, I can see why Raybearer won awards and why this is a loved series by many.
I thoroughly enjoyed living in this world for a few days. And if you love intricate fantasy stories with unconditional love, adventure, war, self-discovery and the old-age tale of heroes shrugging years of tradition to create their own futures…then this is for you.
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