Redemptor

<b>Ya'lllllllllll Ifueko outdid herself with this one. I mean this is one of the best YA fantasy sequels that I've read in a long time. My biggest fear is that it would fall victim to second book syndrome and oh my was I wrong. This book was absolutely beautiful. It kept me on the edge of my seat; it made me laugh; it made me cry. This is definitely one of my favorite books of 2021.</b><br /><br /><i>Redemptor</i> picks up right where <i>Raybearer</i> left off. Tarisai is responsible for anointing her own council to appease the spirits of the dead. This book starts off with a lot of action and shocking twists and turns. 7 percent into this book and I had no idea what direction this book was headed in. This book is split into several parts some focused more on Tarisai preparing for her journey into the underworld while the others were actually about the time that she spends in the underworld. Both the character development and plot development in this book were on point and exceptionally well written. In terms of character development, readers will see Tarisai struggle a little bit in this book. There are evil forces at play called Ojiji that are solely responsible for her disconnect to her council siblings. It inevitably becomes a character flaw. Tarisai suffers because she is incapable of asking for help. It breaks that typical "chosen one" trope. Tarisai may be the supposed "chosen one," but she can't do anything without the help of those around her. There are old vices that she struggles with in the first book that play a significant role in the development of this book. Even the introduction of new characters is extremely important to how Tarisai develops as a character. Two of the most important and most interesting come in the form of Min Ja (Woo-In's sister) and King Zuri. Through them she learns of forgiveness, pain, and inevitable sacrifice: the things people are willing to do to protect themselves and the ones they love. What I loved is that no character in this duology "went to waste." From the people that readers are introduced to in the first book to those that we meet in this second and final installment are extremely important and move the story forward towards the conclusion. Additionally, there is more exploration of Dayo's asexuality as well as Tarisai's wish to remain child-less. Both play an interesting and complex role in the narrative of the story. <br /><br />The plot of this book was crazyyyyyy. It was extremely fast paced and had twist and turns that I didn't see coming. I can't even begin to tell you how many times I was sitting in my chair screaming "what?!?" into the abyss. Some of these moments frustrated me and made me angry while others broke my heart and made me cry. If you know anything about me as a reader, then you know that I don't frequently cry when I read books; however, for some reason this book moved me emotionally. The whole concept of the Raybearer is further explored in this book and leads to some surprising conclusions. Jordan Ifueko has an extreme gift for world building. She proves that she can create a fantasy world while exploring issues that we have in our real world like social and economic inequalities. <br /><br />Overall, this was an amazing book. I mean truly breathtaking and beautiful. Such a wonderful, well-written conclusion to the story that took the reading community by storm last year. Ifueko lays it all on the table and gives this story everything she has. No stone was left unturned. I have so much respect for her as an author and I honestly can't wait to see what she's going to do in the future. Ya'll this is a must read of 2021.

<b>Prereview November 2020</b><br />Me: is the sequel to Raybearer out yet?<br />Some poor bookstore employee: no<br />Me the next day: is it out yet?<br />That same poor employee: no<br />Employee on the inside: can't wait until I get tomorrow off and get a break from this guy<br />SpongeBob narrator: the next day<br />Employee: *still asleep*<br />Me from under their bed: is - st0p screaming - is the sequel to Raybearer out yet?<br />Employee: *still screaming*<br />Me: so anyway I was thinking - oh quiet down and let me discuss my theories - so I think the sequel will be called <i>Redemptor</i> and-<br /><br /><b>Update February 2021</b><br />Bookstore employee: *opens fridge*<br />Me from inside the fridge: hey look it got a cover and I was right about the title!<br />Bookstore employee: *screaming* how do you keep getting into my house??????<br /><br /><b>Review September 2021</b><br />Bookstore employee: *driving to work peacefully*<br />Me, popping up from the backseat: hey have you read Redemptor yet-<br />Employee: *screams in a pitch so high only dogs can hear it as they swerve around traffic before screeching to a halt on the side of the road*<br />Employee: how did you get into my car!?<br />Me: the way you're still surprised at this point *smh* anyway did you read Redemptor?<br />Employee: you motherfu- well actually I did and it was amazing!<br />Me: WASN'T IT like THAT is how you do a sequel!<br />Employee: the ending is extremely satisfying and emotionally poignant and the book overall is well paced and as captivating as the first.<br />Me: I agree, though I do feel one of the twists could have had more foreshadowing, I am willing to overlook it because it did make sense as a twist and did not inhibit my enjoyment.<br />Employee: yes and the character arcs were exceptional. I loved how Tarisai was allowed to be nuanced and make mistakes.<br />Me: it made her arc powerful and relatable because despite this being an extremely magical and rich fantasy world with larger than life problems she and the other characters felt grounded in relatable issues. I loved how mental health was explored in this!<br />Employee: and how along with mental health this entire series dealt with themes of love in many different forms. Unconditional, platonic, romantic, familial, etc.<br />Me: yes which is part of why I believe this series is the best found family story. I also love how there is biromantic asexual rep in both books that is done so well!<br />Employee: exactly! Overall the entire series was a magical bundle of adventure and love.<br />Me: most definitely a favorite duology of mine!<br />Employee: same *narrows eyes* now get out of my car you weirdo.<br /><br />*note that I do not encourage the harassing of bookstore employees or employees of any kind*

I'm in absolute awe of this book. This is now my favourite duology ever. <br /><br />With Raybearer having been one of my absolute favourite books of 2020, the finale to this duology was one of my most anticipated 2021 books. And then I got BLESSED: right after the cover and release date were announced, the book went up on Netgalley and I got approved within a day. Needless to say, I dove in right away. <br /><br />Very often, when I've really loved the first installment in a series, I will end up very disappointed by the second one, because it will just not live up to the first book. So if that happens to you too, let me just state right away: there's no need to worry about that here. When I started reading, I was immediately transported back into this world, and everything about it - the writing, the plot, the characterization - felt completely consistent with the first book. <br /><br />One of my favourite aspects of the first book was the way the found family trope was used. This is one of my favourite tropes in general, and while I adored it in Raybearer, I think it might have even been better in Redemptor. I especially still very much adore my beloved Dayo. <br /><br />But really, this book just has it all: amazing characters with enough loveable interactions to keep me happy, an engaging plot, intricate world building, absolutely exquisite writing. Whether you like to read for the plot or for the characters doesn't matter - you will be fed here.

Still deciding between a 2.5 and a 3 stars<br /><br />Raybearer was one of my favorite books I read last year, it was a fresh and unique story, and I found it endearing. So, believe me when I say, I’m sad I didn’t love this as much as the first.<br /><br /> Let’s start off with the good parts of this story. One thing I really appreciated was how Jordan Ifueko wasn’t afraid to explore themes of systematic oppression regarding class. All throughout the story, Tarisai is learning about how unjust the empire is, she learns how her privilege has afforded her comfort. I love seeing Tarisai question and go against the status quo. Unfortunately, that's all I really enjoyed.<br /> <br />One thing I loved the most about the story is the found family aspect, seeing Tarisai come from an abusive home to the Children’s Palace where she was able to find a family to call her own was heartwarming. The only critique I did have was that I wished the relationships were fully explored and I was hoping to see that familial bond explored even more in the second story. Unfortunately, the second book doesn’t explore those dynamics at all. We were constantly being told how much the Council Siblings cared for each other, but we were never shown it.<br /><br />Female friendships aren’t explored enough in fiction and I felt that Raybearer did an amazing job exploring the friendship between Tarisai and Kirah and it was one of the best parts of the story. So, I was incredibly disappointed that she only made a few appearances. Even her relationship with Sanjeet and Dayo is put on the back burner. It felt as though character development was being sacrificed for the sake of the plot, which was especially disappointing to me because the characters are the reason, I loved the first book so much.<br />Even when it came to Tarisai building her own council, it felt as though we were being held at an arm’s length. None of their characters were fully developed<br />And it felt like Tarisai’s Council Siblings were there for the plot and nothing more.<br /><br />In terms of plot, it felt like the story lacked consistency. There was a specific plotline that didn’t serve much of a purpose and was only used as a plot device (can't go into details because of spoilers). It felt as though the story I was reading in the beginning was completely different from the end. I felt like this could've been separated into two books and that would have made for a more cohesive storyline. I'm a high-stakes reader, which made the ending feel a little anticlimactic.<br /><br />The way the magic system was handled was also disappointing to me. I loved the idea of being in love in order to be bonded through the Ray, it made the found family aspect that much sweeter. I didn’t like the idea of that love being distorted.<br /><br />Overall, I don’t think this is a bad book. The first book set the bar so high and this just didn’t live up to it.

BEYOND FIVE STARS<br />!!!!!!PARTIAL SPOILERS BITCHES!!!!!!!!<br />RARARARARA, OOLALALALA, GAGAGAGAGA......WANT YOUR BAD ROMANCE!!!!!!!<br />I have been officially yassified, slayed, gay-spelled, hexed, bi-tastrophied, diagonitallicalitsied (yes, I know that's not a word). This book hurt me. Destroyed me. Ruined me. (insert violent or dirty verb here) me!<br />But Ifueko still did it again. Wonderful writing, wonderful characters, and an almost love triangle I was actually rooting for.<br /><br />Let us go over things that I liked:<br />1. The characters:<br />once again, they all slayed and were amazing and I fell in love with them and there was bi panic and zuUURRRRRIIII. #Zuriwassohotandcoolandattractiveai'msoangryhe'sdead<br />2. the writing:<br />ifueko was boasting about her several thousand English lessons to us within a 300 page book<br />3. the worldbuilding:<br />still managed to add more than what she had previously. i loved learning about the culture.<br />4. the PLOT TWIST:<br />ABSO-FUCKING-LUTELY YASSIFIED<br /><br />things I didn't like:<br />.................zuri's death<br /><br />thank you for coming to my TedTalk.....<br /><br /><br /><br />----------------------------------<br />WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK HAPPENED<br />review to come<br />——————<br />currently reading<br />2/3rds thru, and now I have a new book boyfriend crush<br />I'm just a simp for tall snarky dreadheads!

This review and others @<a href="https://bookerification.com/redemptor-by-jordan-ifueko/ " rel="nofollow noopener">Bookerification</a><br /><br /><i> <b>Rating: 4.5 stars </b> </i> <br /><br />Wow. Just wow! <br /> <br />Jordan Ifueko did not play around with this sequel! <br /> <br /><i>“You don’t get to choose why people love you. But what you do with the love you receive . . . that’s a choice you make every day.”</i> <br /> <br />At best, I expected <i>‘Redemptor’</i> to be just as good as the previous book in this series. I certainly did not expect it to be such a strong step up! Jordan Ifueko not only maintained all the features she did well in the previous book but was able to improve on these features in a way that was beyond belief. As a result, the tale that unfolds in this book is even more captivating and engaging than its predecessor. <br /> <br />In this book, the stakes are higher. The twists are more frequent and unexpected, right from the beginning. There also seems to be a lot more action taking place, making the pace of this story faster than that of the previous book. These moments of action are skilfully broken up by an infusion of political elements and personal reflections to give a well-paced, gripping story from start to finish. <br /> <br />The elevation of Jordan’s writing in this book is also really impressive. Her words flow more vividly and are more enchanting than before. With every sentence, more details and complexity are added to the characters and world introduced in the first book. While parts of the world-building are still established through bursts of information, I did not mind as much this time given the depth and clarity this information provides. <br /> <br /><i>“The more I learn, the more I think the only decent way to use power is to share it with others.”</i> <br /> <br />Despite my praises, Jordan’s writing was not the highlight of this book to me. That position would have to go to the main character Tarisai. I loved her so much more in this story, especially her growth and inner strength. No longer the little girl who craves love and family more than anything, Tarisai now explores what it means to take up her own unique space in the world and I WAS HERE FOR IT! <br /> <br />Then, there is Sanjeet! Honestly, every time I heard “sunshine girl” I melted like ice in front of a warm fire. <br /> <br />We actually do not get much of Jeet in this book as his connection with Tarisai is forced to take a back seat. Personally, I thought this was a great move as it allowed Jeet and Tarisai to learn more about themselves and become stronger characters. I also liked that Jeet’s absence prevented unnecessary anguish and drama which would have decreased my enjoyment of the story. <br /> <br />The remaining characters, including Dayo and Kirah, were also given minimal roles in the story - and this felt right. It certainly prevented the focus of the story from getting messy and disjointed as the focus remained on Tarisai and her journey. That being said, I think it would be interesting to have a few books centred on some of the other characters like Kirah and Princess Min Ja. <br /> <br />Once again, Tarisai’s journey is the gateway to various themes which are cleverly explored. Themes that had been introduced in the previous book are explored in greater depth through the evolving perspectives of the characters. A few new themes such as mental health and dealing with change are also presented as the characters face new challenges and obstacles. These were equally fascinating to consider and contributed greatly to the appeal of the story. <br /> <br />In essence, <i>‘Redemptor’</i> is an amazing sequel that utterly outshines its precursor. Everything from the writing to the characters has all been stepped up flawlessly. With such a great accomplishment, I can not wait to see what Jordan Ifueko brings out next! <br /><br /><br /><br />_________________________<br /><br /><br />RTC @ <a href="https://bookerification.com/ " rel="nofollow noopener">Bookerification</a><br /><br />Cover: ????<br />Writing: ????.5 <br />Plot: ????.5 <br />Main character(s):????.5 <br />Secondary characters: ??? <br /><b>Final rating: 4.5 </b> <br /><br />Loved this a lot more than the first book! <br /><i>"Do not ask how many people you will save… Ask, to what world will you save them? What makes a world worth surviving in?”</i>

Redemptor is a worthy sequel to one of my favourite reads of 2020, Raybearer. In this second instalment, we follow Tarisai as she faces new challenges and enemies and ultimately braves the underworld itself. With brand new fascinating characters and several heartfelt moments, Redemptor explores exploitation, oppression, nobility, and class divisions in a thoughtful and multifaceted way. <br /><br />Redemptor asks questions that are so important for young people to consider. Why does blood or birth determine our lot in life? Why are some lives more expendable than others? Do those in power have a responsibility to change the status quo for the better? Who deserves the power to decide?<br /><br />I am in love with the world Ifueko has built with this series, and I cannot wait to see what she creates next!<br /><br />Trigger/Content Warnings: Death, blood, suffering, child death, child labour, murder, amputation/loss of limbs<br /><br /><br />VIDEO REVIEW: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="https://youtu.be/Z6jPExstT1Y">https://youtu.be/Z6jPExstT1Y</a><br /><br />You can find me on...<br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/plantbasedbride" rel="nofollow noopener">Youtube</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/elizabethturn/" rel="nofollow noopener">Instagram</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/ElizabethTurn" rel="nofollow noopener">Twitter</a>| <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@plantbasedbride?lang=en" rel="nofollow noopener">TikTok</a>

I don't know how to rate this because I love these characters and the world so much that I was bound to love this sequel and conclusion to the story. <br /><br />What I can say is I absolutely LOVE Tarisai's story and how Ifueko sets everything up from the very beginning of <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/50158128.Raybearer__Raybearer___1_" title="Raybearer (Raybearer, #1) by Jordan Ifueko" rel="noopener"> Raybearer</a>. It's clear she planned everything out very well, and with that she is able to do so much in just two relatively short books.<br /><br />The themes in this one are particularly powerful; the idea of being a revolutionary, finding your passion in life, inspiring change that goes against the very actions your ancestors may have taken to cause a lot of harm in the world; the idea of pursuing your calling even if it goes against the voices of many, sometimes the very people you need to support you. It's all very complicated but Ifueko handles it with such care through the lens of this coming-of-age story.<br /><br />My only small complaints for this one were that it could have been longer, and there were SO many characters. Part of that is just in the world-building, and I think she did a good job of giving info as needed, having a world with so many lands and people groups means that naturally you have to neglect some to focus on the main story. I'm a sucker for good world-building, and you can tell there is a lot more Ifueko could do in this world, so maybe she will give us more someday. But I liked how throughout both books in this duology, she really just focuses on one girl and her story.<br /><br />And with that being said, I appreciated how this sort of stuck to but also subverted the 'chosen one' tropes. Everything makes sense and has a reason for <i>why</i> Tarisai is the way she is, what decisions she makes, and how the construct of their world necessitates certain decisions or actions. Though there is magic and lore in this world, it never exists just for the sake of explaining things away. Through the final chapters of this book, every previous decision or historical fact serves a purpose and for that I was impressed.<br /><br />All in all, I can see myself returning to both of these books again and again. In fact, I recently re-read the first book via audio to prepare for this one, and I absolutely want to read this one in audio form now to immerse myself even further in the world. The narrator is fantastic and something about hearing all the names and countries and magical elements read out loud just brings it to life even more for me. <br /><br />Truly a special and unique series for me that I'll think about for years to come.

<i>raybearer</i> is one of the best YA fantasy books i've read so to say i was highly anticipating its sequel is an understatement. maybe in doing that i set this book up because i had so many issues with it - and i definitely think the first book is by far the better one. <br /><br />while i loved the worldbuilding and mythology as much as i did in <i>raybearer</i>, i wish the plot could've been different - as in, more focused on the already existing side characters rather than adding tons of new ones who i simply didn't care about (zuri, in particular, irritated the living hell out of me). i wish we could've seen tarisai bonding with her original council siblings rather than forming new bonds with new characters. the original siblings had such unique personalities and powers, it felt like a massive missed opportunity. <br /><br />i appreciate that the author included themes of class disparity and workers' rights as well as questioning the system of monarchy. but the execution didn't work for me at all - if you're going to make liberating the common people from the tyranny of nobles a major theme in your book then you should go all the way with it instead of chickening out and still upholding your main princess character as the hero. tarisai was all for having the workers own the lands and free them from the control of the nobles - but only to a certain extent, as long as it didn't cross <i>her</i> personal limits of using magic (because that's ultimately more important than the suffering of the workers i guess). i feel like the author used this subplot just to show how good and genuine tarisai is, how she's not like those other cruel nobles, even though she grew up in privilege and literally has the power to make more change than she's willing to make. <br /><br />apart from that, i still liked tarisai and dayo's relationship - they're nice enough characters and i enjoyed seeing their interactions and the way they're basically platonic soulmates. <br /><br />although this sequel was kind of disappointing for me, i still like the duology as a whole and do think they're worth the read, especially for anyone who loves YA fantasy.<br /><br /><i><b>cws:</b> mentions of child death, amputation</i><br /><br /><i><b>rep:</b> nigerian/west african-coded world + cast, biromantic asexual side character</i>

<u>Star Rating</u>: <i>—&gt;</i> <b>5 Stars</b><br /><br />WOW. I absolutely CANNOT BELIEVE how lush, vivid, BRILLIANT (pun intended? Haha)☺️ &amp; teeming with folklore/mythology, brilliant relationships between the characters, whether by found family, friends, lovers (though I must say that I could've done with a little bit more romance, this is one of the very few YA fantasy series out of a very, very many that I've read where I've actually honestly endlessly enjoye this mobdk novel that had little to no main plot line love story/ stories (not that it lacked a main lover or even something of a false love triangle , or other supporting characters dalliances/ romances (def sparks notes vers, lol, but you'll understand when you read ?). In other words, this was so INEXORABLY good that I feel like the romance wasn't even NEEDED, in all honesty, it didnt do much to add the storyline (but I did LOVE what romance there was was! Disliking romance in books is not a prob of mine, haha, this was just impressive AF)... which is AMAZINGGGGGG bc it is so rare that any UMG, YA, or even ADULT novels and the many different age caveats that exist within the wide, wide expanse that is the adult world of books, as well, can hold its own without the support of some sort of romantic kind of love story, often found interwoven with the majority of the plot, so this was super refreshing!<br /><br />All in all, I recommend, &amp; HIGHLY! What an INCREDIBLE high fantasy debut (I haven't yet left a review for raybearer &amp; prob won't ??‍♀️, it was my second tolast read of 2021 &amp; I. AM. EXHAUSTED after New Years! Phew. Plus I'm hoping this short, but sweet, review for Redemptor, which WAS my VERY last read of 2021... will suffice ;)). <br /><br />WHAT A FANTASTIC WAY TO CLOSE OUT THE READING YEAR, ALL!