Raybearer

Ifeueko, Jordan.  Raybearer  2020.  Amulet Books, New York, NY.

A magnificent fantasy world that encompasses an entirely new empire.   Tariesi is the daughter of the Lady.  Raised in isolation in a far flung province of the empire, she is raised away from all worldly things and taught by her tutors, she wants for nothing but the love of her mother, the mysterious Lady who appears only occasionally to check in on her before she disappears again.

At the age of 11, Tar is sent on a mysterious journey to the heart of the empire.  She is tested by a group of adults who then send her in to meet a prince, who is a Raybearer.

The ruler of the kingdom is known as the Raybearer.  Each Raybearer has a council of 11 people.  Each person protects him against a danger that could cost him his life.  Wait, let me back up - each person is born with a special protection which provides them with protection against a danger.  Tariesi is immune to fire.  She can walk through flames without incurring any danger.  Were she to join the council, she would provide the prince with protection against fire.  It won't hurt him.  Each person on the council, joins minds with the prince and with each other through the Ray.  This Ray is a bond that ties all of the council members together, forever.  They are one, and they are able to talk to each other through the Ray.

Children throughout the kingdoms have been sent to the Palace, where they will work with each other and the Prince to see if they are chosen for the council.  Tar has been sent across great distances to be considered for the council.  There is just one problem.  Her mother, the Lady, has implanted a compulsion in her subconscious to kill the prince when he anoints her to be a part of his council.  Tariesi tries desperately hard to fight the compulsion and eventually, she succeeds in forgetting her life before she joined the council.

As Tar grows into her role in the council, she discovers that she can't keep the compulsion to kill the prince at bay forever, no matter how hard she tries.  As Tar seeks to find a way to break the bonds that tie her to her mother, she discovers shocking things about not only herself but also the family history which makes her rethink everything she has ever known about herself, her mother, and the kingdom itself.

What will Tariesi do with the knowledge she has gained? Will she save the kingdom?  Will she follow her mother's wishes and desires?  Or will she set an entirely new path for the kingdom?

Bettina's Note:
I love the world building, the complex unexpected plot, and the unique Point of View, with a female heroine and characters of color.  While the world itself is unique in the fantasy universe, there are shades of Game of Thrones running throughout this book - but it is a much kinder and gentler game than the one that took place in the world of George R.R. Martin.  I am looking forward to the sequel.


Raybearer is Jordan Ifueko's first novel.

Author Web Site:  https://jordanifueko.com/

The Mermaid, The Witch, and The Sea

 

Tokuda-Hall, Maggie.  The Mermaid, The Witch, and the Sea

Book Talk:
In this intriguing intersection of three lives, we find very distinct characters whose lives are forever changed by circumstance.

Evelyn is an Imperial whose parents have arranged for her to be married to a nobleman in the Floating Isles.  Without any consultation with her whatsoever, she is sent off with her casket to live the rest of her life with a man she has never met.  She is forced to abandon her beloved Keiko, her maid and beloved who has been with her forever.

Flora has been living aboard the Dove, a pirate ship under the direction of the Nameless Captain for years.  In order to be safe among so many men, Flora lives her life as a boy named Florian.  She and her brother do their best to keep themselves hidden and safe in a life filled with danger.  While her brother is an addict of alcohol and the drug of Mermaid Blood, he tries to keep his sister safe as best he can.

But the Dove has a deep, dark secret.  Not only are they a pirate ship.  They are a slave ship.  They take paying passengers on board, and once they are far enough out to sea so that they are not in danger of being found out by Imperial Ships, they kidnap their passengers, put them in the Brig, and then sell them to the highest bidder on one of the outlying islands.  Florian is not happy about this turn of events, but he willingly participates so that she too, is not sold into slavery.  Even worse, when the pirates catch a mermaid, instead of tossing her back into the sea as the sea demands, they keep her, and then kill her when they reach shore and sell her blood to the highest bidder.  It is a wicked practice that has brought them the attention of the Pirate Supreme and the Sea Herself.

Paths cross when Evelyn's parents book her passage on the Dove to travel to her new husband.  Florian is set to be her guard and stand outside of her door to keep the crew from bothering the rich, young, valuable woman.  Who would have expected Evelyn and Florian to fall deeply in love with each other?

When the time comes for the passengers to be led below, Florian begins to search desperately for a way out of this situation.  When a rare opportunity presents itself, Florian grabs the Lady Evelyn and the Mermaid and they jump overboard without any real plan other than getting away from the Dove.

When they make landfall, Florian and Evelyn find themselves in the nets of  The Witch, who is not to be trusted.  While attempting to make Florian whole, she sends Evelyn off to her husband where things are not all sunshine and roses. 

My thoughts:
I wish that the author had spent more time adding elements of Asian Pacific culture into the story.  While there is a mention of Kimonos, there is no real mention of culture- why the Lady Evelyn would have acquiessed so easily to the will of her parents, duty to country, and the importance of nature in Asian Cultures.  It is hinted at, but not really explained.  The focus on the story is the love story between Evelyn and Florian. 

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