sophia_sol: photo of a 19th century ivory carving of a fat bird (Default)
soph ([personal profile] sophia_sol) wrote2021-06-10 04:33 pm
  • Add Memory
  • Share This Entry
Entry tags:

Raybearer, by Jordan Ifueko

One of those standard YA fantasy novels about a special girl who is an outsider who must REVOLUTIONIZE her country and also fall in love, but you know, it's a very good one of those! I was invested in the special girl and her efforts to be able to make her own choices instead of following what's expected of her! Also a character who would in a normal one of these books be part of a love triangle with her is instead asexual and totally uninterested and he loves her platonically, and I'm extremely charmed by this.

Also it's a West-African-inspired setting with themes that celebrate diversity over conformity, and I always like seeing that these days the classic YA tropes are now available with this kind of representation. Everyone deserves to have tropey YA that they can see themselves in!

This is a first novel for the author, and I can see that in some uneven pacing in one part of the book, but overall it's very strong writing for a debut, and I'm impressed. Definitely an author to keep an eye on in the future!
Flat | Top-Level Comments Only
schneefink: River walking among trees, from "Safe" (Default)

[personal profile] schneefink 2021-06-12 12:52 pm (UTC)(link)
Also a character who would in a normal one of these books be part of a love triangle with her is instead asexual and totally uninterested and he loves her platonically, and I'm extremely charmed by this.
Yes! That was very nice.

Afaik the sequel comes out soon and I look forward to it :)
sophia_sol: photo of a 19th century ivory carving of a fat bird (Default)

[personal profile] sophia_sol 2021-06-12 03:26 pm (UTC)(link)
That's exciting about the sequel! I'll definitely be interested in reading it.
cahn: (Default)

[personal profile] cahn 2021-06-14 01:31 am (UTC)(link)
Oh yes! I forgot to mention the asexual love triangle element when I wrote about it, I was also quite charmed!

Yay I'm glad you liked it!
sophia_sol: photo of a 19th century ivory carving of a fat bird (Default)

[personal profile] sophia_sol 2021-06-14 01:56 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah! A first book, but a very promising first book, and I'm glad I read it -- like you, I probably wouldn't have made it through if it weren't for the Hugos, so I'm grateful it was on the Hugos list to encourage me to read it.
lokifan: black Converse against a black background (Default)

[personal profile] lokifan 2021-06-23 08:51 pm (UTC)(link)
Haha I love this kind of review. "An excellent example of this very recognisable kind of thing!"
sophia_sol: photo of a 19th century ivory carving of a fat bird (Default)

[personal profile] sophia_sol 2021-06-23 08:59 pm (UTC)(link)
:D and what else is there to say? It's that thing and it did it well!
Flat | Top-Level Comments Only