Lyrical and bewitching, Ifueko's lush fantasy hinges on a sinister Council and the bond that both unites and destroys its members.
Shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize Older Readers Prize 2021
'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?
Publisher: Hot Key Books
ISBN: 9781471409271
Number of pages: 496
Weight: 360 g
Dimensions: 198 x 129 x 27 mm
Fresh and utterly transportive, Raybearer is a fantastical fight for freedom, family and justice at all costs - Heidi Heilig
A fresh, phenomenal fantasy that begs readers to revel in its brilliant world - Kirkus starred review
The prose is effortless and poetic from the very first sentence. Ifueko's mesmersing debut stuns as it weaves a tale of loyalty, fate, destiny, family, and revenge - Booklist starred review
A stunning debut - Publishers Weekly starred review
Ifueko's debut is full of lush world building and detailed, Nigerian-inspired mythology, giving life to a myth of epic proportions and a tale that is bound to stick with readers long after they finish it - Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books starred review
This intensely readable, satisfying fantasy asks questions about identity, choice, power and obligation, against a vivid, richly imagined backdrop of west African-inspired magic. - Imogen Russell Williams, The Guardian
I believe Jordan Ifueko's impressive science fiction fantasy, the Raybearer duology, falls into the same category and will be an effortless way to share a reading experience with your teenagers. Jordan Ifueko, the daughter of Nigerian immigrant parents, born in Southern California, began imagining the incredible fantasy world with its 13 culturally distinct realms when she was just 13 years old herself. Another 13 years later in 2020, her first book Raybearer was published. The heroine of this unique world is 16 year old Tarisai who can jump into other people's minds and search out their past. With unspeakeable curses, spellbinding magic and mystical creatures infused with West African inspired folklare, this remarkable other world pays significant tribute to our own world and ancient cultures. - New African Magazine
Thank you so much to the publisher for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.
As a YA fantasy this isn't my usual genre, and I'm not the target audience, so I went into this one apprehensively,...
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As this was described as a Young Adult book I was slightly dubious about reading it. I thought the First impression was great but I am always wearing that as a twenty odd year old I would find the plot juvenile. This... More
This is a wonderful fantasy novel with fascinating and original ideas quite unlike anything I've read before. It tells the story of Tarisai, a young girl who has been raised in isolation by the mysterious Lady.... More
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