Raybearer

Last updated
Raybearer
Raybearer cover.jpg
Author Jordan Ifueko
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
SeriesRaybearer Series
Genres Young adult, Fantasy
Publisher Amulet Books
ISBN 9781419739828
Followed by Redemptor  

Raybearer is a 2020 young adult fantasy novel by Nigerian American writer Jordan Ifueko. Ifueko's debut, it was published by Amulet Books, an imprint of Abrams, on August 18, 2020. [1] [2] It is the first of two books in the Raybearer series.. [3] A continuation, Redemptor , followed in 2021. [4] It was included in the New York Times Bestseller [5] It received many awards and acclaim.

Contents

Synopsis

A young girl, Tarisai, is bound by a magical wish made by her mother, who is absent and distant in Tarisai's early life. Tarisai has the ability to see the stories of other people's lives with a touch, while her story unfolds and is yet to be seen. She discovers that while her mother, known as The Lady, is human, her father is a magical being known as an "alagbato". She was conceived to fulfill her mother's plot to kill the Crown Prince.

The Lady sends Tarisal to the city of Oluwan, the capital of the Aritsar Empire in order to train and compete to become one of the Crown Prince's closest confidantes. If Tarisai is picked, she will be joined with the other members of a council through the Ray, a bond considered deeper than blood. In the end, Tarisai resists her mother's plan for her.

Inspiration

Background

The novel is set in a secondary world based on the author's Nigerian heritage. It was influenced by Ifueko's knowledge of West African culture, and experiences as an American child of immigrants in California.

Television adaptation

In September 2021, it was announced that Netflix will be adapting the novel into a television series, under a new overall deal with Gina Atwater. The project will be produced by Suger23 and Macro Television Studios with Atwater as writer, director and producer. [6]

Reception

Raybearer is a New York Times Bestseller and was named one of the best books of the year by People Magazine, Buzzfeed, New York Public Library, Chicago Public Library, Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly. [1]

The book has received many positive reviews. Entertainment Weekly called the book "dazzling." [3] Buzzfeed said it was "one of the most exceptional YA fantasies of all time." People Magazine said it was a "brilliantly conceived fantasy." [5] Seventeen Magazine called it a "bold new world," and PopSugar lauded Ifueko's "exquisitely detailed world." [5]

Awards and recognitions

Sequel

A sequel titled Redemptor was published in August 2021. [4] Buzzfeed named Redemptor one of the best books of August 2021, saying it was "[i]mmersive and gorgeously written." [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nina Kiriki Hoffman</span> American science fiction writer

Nina Kiriki Hoffman is an American fantasy, science fiction and horror writer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terri Windling</span> American writer and editor

Terri Windling is an American editor, artist, essayist, and the author of books for both children and adults. She has won nine World Fantasy Awards, the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award, and the Bram Stoker Award, and her collection The Armless Maiden appeared on the short-list for the James Tiptree, Jr. Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delia Sherman</span> American writer (born 1951)

Cordelia Caroline Sherman, known professionally as Delia Sherman, is an American fantasy writer and editor. Her novel The Porcelain Dove won the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award.

Lisa Goldstein is an American fantasy and science fiction writer whose work has been nominated for Nebula, Hugo, and World Fantasy Awards. Her 1982 novel The Red Magician won a National Book Award in the one-year category Original Paperback and was praised by Philip K. Dick shortly before his death. Her 2011 novel, The Uncertain Places, won the 2012 Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature, and her short story, "Paradise Is a Walled Garden," won the 2011 Sidewise Award for Best Short-Form Alternate History.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ursula Vernon</span> American comic creator and writer

Ursula Vernon is an American freelance writer, artist and illustrator. She has won numerous awards for her work in various mediums, including Hugo Awards for her graphic novel Digger and fantasy novel Nettle & Bone, the Nebula Award for her short story "Jackalope Wives", and Mythopoeic Awards for adult and children's literature. Vernon's books for children include Hamster Princess and Dragonbreath. Under the name T. Kingfisher, she is also the author of books for older audiences. She writes short fiction under both names.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">K. Tempest Bradford</span> African-American science fiction and fantasy author and editor

K. Tempest Bradford is an African-American science fiction and fantasy author and editor. She was a non-fiction and managing editor with Fantasy Magazine from 2007 to 2009 and has edited fiction for Peridot Books, The Fortean Bureau, and Sybil's Garage. She is the author of Ruby Finley vs. the Interstellar Invasion, her debut middle grade novel published in 2022, which won the Andre Norton Award in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robin LaFevers</span> American novelist

Robin Lorraine LaFevers is an American children's book writer from California.

Lisa Mantchev is an American author of fantasy novels and short stories. She is best known for her Théâtre Illuminata series, a trilogy of young adult fantasy novels.

Yoon Ha Lee is an American science fiction and fantasy writer, known for his Machineries of Empire space opera novels and his short fiction. His first novel, Ninefox Gambit, received the 2017 Locus Award for Best First Novel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leigh Bardugo</span> Israeli–American fantasy author (born 1975)

Leigh Bardugo is an Israeli–American fantasy author. She is best known for her young adult Grishaverse novels, which include the Shadow and Bone trilogy and the Six of Crows and King of Scars duologies. She also received acclaim for her paranormal fantasy adult debut, Ninth House. The Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows series have been adapted into Shadow and Bone by Netflix, and Ninth House will be adapted by Amazon Studios; Bardugo is an executive producer on both works.

Amie Kaufman is an Australian author. She has authored New York Times bestselling and internationally bestselling science fiction and fantasy for young adults. She is known for the Starbound Trilogy and Unearthed, which she co-authored with Meagan Spooner; for her series The Illuminae Files, co-authored with Jay Kristoff; and for her solo series, Elementals. Her books have been published in over 35 countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah Beth Durst</span> American novelist

Sarah Beth Durst is an American author of fantasy. Her 2016 novel The Queen of Blood won a 2017 Alex Award from the American Library Association. Durst writes for adults, young adults, and middle grade level readers.

Neon Yang, formerly JY Yang, is a Singaporean writer of English-language speculative fiction best known for the Tensorate series of novellas published by Tor.com, which have been finalists for the Hugo Award, Locus Award, Nebula Award, World Fantasy Award, Lambda Literary Award, British Fantasy Award, and Kitschie Award. The first novella in the series, The Black Tides of Heaven, was named one of the "100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time" by Time magazine. Their debut novel, The Genesis of Misery, the first book in The Nullvoid Chronicles, was published in 2022 by Tor Books, received a starred review from Publishers Weekly, received a nomination for the 2022 Goodreads Choice Award for Science Fiction, and was a Finalist for the 2023 Locus Award for Best First Novel and 2023 Compton Crook Award.

Fonda Lee is a Canadian-American author of speculative fiction. She is best known for writing The Green Bone Saga, the first of which, Jade City, won the 2018 World Fantasy Award and was named one of the 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time by Time magazine. The Green Bone Saga was also included on NPR's list, "50 Favorite Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books of the Past Decade".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tamsyn Muir</span> New Zealand writer (born 1985)

Tamsyn Muir is a New Zealand fantasy, science fiction, and horror author best known for The Locked Tomb, a science fantasy series of novels. Muir won the 2020 Locus Award for her first novel, Gideon the Ninth, and has been nominated for several other awards as well.

<i>Riot Baby</i> 2020 adult novella by Tochi Onyebuchi

Riot Baby is a science fiction novella written by Nigerian American author Tochi Onyebuchi published in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jordan Ifueko</span> Nigerian American writer

Jordan Ifueko is a Nigerian American writer of fantasy and young adult fiction. She is best known for her novel Raybearer, which became a New York Times bestseller, and its sequel, Redemptor. She also writes short stories, which have been published in Strange Horizons.

Nina LaCour is an American author, primarily known for writing young adult literature with queer, romantic story lines. Her novel We Are Okay won the Printz Award in 2017.

<i>Redemptor</i> 2021 novel by Jordan Ifueko

Redemptor is a 2021 young adult fantasy novel by Nigerian American writer Jordan Ifueko. It is the sequel to Raybearer and the last book in the Raybearer duology, it was published on 17 August 2021 by Abrams Books.

Cherae Clark, also known under the pen name C. L. Clark, is an American author and editor of speculative fiction, a personal trainer, and an English teacher. She graduated from Indiana University's creative writing MFA and was a 2012 Lambda Literary Fellow. Their debut novel, The Unbroken, first book of the Magic of the Lost trilogy, was published by Orbit Books in 2021 and received critical acclaim, including starred reviews at Publishers Weekly and Library Journal. The Unbroken was a Finalist for the 2021 Nebula Award for Best Novel, the 2022 Robert Holdstock Award for Best Fantasy Novel from the British Fantasy Awards, the 2022 Ignyte Award for Best Novel - Adult, and the 2022 Locus Award for Best First Novel. Her work has appeared in Beneath Ceaseless Skies,FIYAH Literary Magazine of Black Speculative Fiction, Glitter + Ashes: Queer Tales of a World That Wouldn't Die, PodCastle, Tor.com, Uncanny, and The Year's Best African Speculative Fiction (2021). Clark edited, with series editor Charles Payseur, We're Here: The Best Queer Speculative Fiction of 2020, which won the 2022 Ignyte Award for Best Anthology/Collected Work and the 2022 Locus Award for Best Anthology.

References

  1. 1 2 Ifueko, Jordan (2020-08-18). Raybearer. Abrams. ISBN   978-1-68335-719-3.
  2. 1 2 3 "Raybearer". Goodreads. Retrieved 2021-09-15.
  3. 1 2 Canfield, David (2019-08-30). "Get a first look at 'Raybearer,' a dazzling West African-inspired YA fantasy". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2021-09-16.
  4. 1 2 Ifueko, Jordan (17 August 2021). Redemptor. Amulet Books. ISBN   978-1-4197-3984-2. OCLC   1262873440.
  5. 1 2 3 "Raybearer (Raybearer Series #1)|Paperback". Barnes & Noble. Retrieved 2021-09-16.
  6. ↑ Petski, Denise (September 28, 2021). "Gina Atwater Inks Overall Deal With Netflix; Sets 'Raybearer' Adaptation As First Project". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Nebula Awards® Nominees and Winners: Andre Norton Nebula Award for Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction Nebula Awards®". The Nebula Awards. Retrieved 2021-09-16.
  8. ↑ "2020 Awards". The Kitschies. Retrieved 2021-09-16.
  9. ↑ "NPR's Best Books Of 2020". NPR Visuals. Retrieved 2021-09-16.
  10. ↑ Schulte-Cooper, Laura (2021-03-30). "ALSC names 2021 Notable Children's Books". American Library Association. Retrieved 2021-09-16.
  11. ↑ "2021 Top Ten Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). 2021-01-05. Retrieved 2021-09-16.
  12. ↑ "2021 Top Ten Best Fiction". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). 2021-01-14. Retrieved 2021-09-16.
  13. ↑ Lewis, L. D. (2021-04-22). "Announcing The 2021 Ignyte Awards Shortlist". FIYAHCON 2021. Retrieved 2021-09-16.
  14. ↑ "2021 Audie Awards". Audio Publishers Association. Retrieved 2021-09-16.
  15. ↑ "Waterstones Children's Book Prize winners 2021". Waterstone's. Retrieved 2021-09-15.
  16. ↑ "2021 Hugo Awards". The Hugo Awards. 2021-01-01. Retrieved 2021-09-16.
  17. ↑ "Mythopoeic Awards 2021". The Hugo Awards. Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  18. ↑ Kingsbury, Margaret (2021-08-05). "BuzzFeed's Best Books Of August 2021". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 2021-09-16.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.