Hi friends, happy Wednesday I hope you’re all doing well! Today I’m going to be posting my review of Jordan Ifueko’s novel Raybearer.

Raybearer by: Jordan Ifueko: Tarisai grew up alone without a family and with a mother who was barely ever around called, The Lady. Once Tarisai comes of age she is sent to the capital to compete with other children to become one of the chosen Crown Prince’s Council of Eleven. But The Lady has other plans for her and Tarisai now has to make her own choices on the type of person she’s wants to be. This was a whirlwind of a novel; not only was it fast-paced, the story also spanned across multiple years and that really made the plot progress quickly. Sometimes it felt like plots and stories moved too quickly as it left the reader trying to understand what they just read. It didn’t give them enough time to absorb what was going on. The world building was done well, but there were moments throughout where the reader was confused by the world and its system. There were parts that were unclear, then the pacing would pick up and so it felt like there was never a true moment to fully digest what was truly going on. It did have really intricate and cool magical elements that the reader was curious about and they hope that come the second novel the systems will be more fleshed out and better to follow and appreciate. As for the plot, it was interesting, at times slightly predictable, but still enjoyable and was able to engage the reader to continue, it helped that the writing was beautiful without being too overly poetic and prose-y. What really sold the reader were the characters; they were so well developed and the reader just felt for them every step of the way. They held so much heart and watching their growth from the start of the novel to the end felt rewarding. The reader is tuned in and ready to see where the second book takes them. In the end, this was a complex story with delightful writing and lovable characters.