Raybearer

At the beginning of the book reveals were peppered in, constantly giving me answers to some of my questions while delivering more things for me to question. It think this really kept the energy high while reading and contributed to how quickly I devoured the book. Information was dropped along the way and without the necessary context I couldn???t solve the puzzle.

I particularly loved the ending. At this point a lot of the questions raised are answered and it feels like a arc of plot and characterisation has been completed. But Ifueko drops in just the hint of an opening for a sequel without needing to rely on a cliffhanger. It???s left me dying for more.

Monsters were nothing. The true terrors were people like me ??? the ones who saw suffering, who heard the screams of a hundred generations echoing for miles around them ??? and still did nothing.

Rich, powerful emotions, detailed characters and descriptions, and a powerful journey & struggle with oneself. I love the innate queerness and closeness of the Council system, I love our main characters, I love all of the small details about the world and cultures and people. The details about hair are such a joy to read. I wanted to pick up the sequel immediately!

4.5 A fully realized world, complex characters, great writing, and even included a list of character name pronunciations and a glossary of in-world terms for readers. I appreciated the themes of toppling patriarchy and the freedom/power of finding your purpose and using your voice. Really great first book, will definitely be looking out for more from Ifueko. This book is fully contained, but I can definitely see her building this world out in sequels. The audio by Joniece Abbott-Pratt was very well down (she also killed it reading Grown). A strong recommend if you like fantasy that rises about clichés!