Raybearer
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''Raybearer'' is a 2020
young adult In medicine and the social sciences, a young adult is generally a person in the years following adolescence, sometimes with some overlap. Definitions and opinions on what qualifies as a young adult vary, with works such as Erik Erikson's stages ...
fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures. The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, ...
novel by
Nigerian American Nigerian Americans (; ; ) are Americans who are of Nigerians, Nigerian ancestry. The number of Nigerian immigrants residing in the United States is rapidly growing, expanding from a small 1980 population of 25,000. The 2022 American Community S ...
writer Jordan Ifueko. Ifueko's
debut Debut or début (the first public appearance of a person or thing) may refer to: * Debut (society), the formal introduction of young upper-class women to society * Debut novel, an author's first published novel Film and television * ''The Debu ...
, it was published by Amulet Books, an imprint of Abrams, on August 18, 2020. It is the first of two books in the ''Raybearer'' series. A continuation, '' Redemptor'', followed in 2021. It was included in the ''New York Times'' Bestseller list. It received many awards and acclaim.


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 Tarisai 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.


Background

Ifueko began writing the novel in its early stage as a teenager. The novel is set in a
secondary world A fictional universe, also known as an imagined universe or a constructed universe, is the Continuity (fiction), internally consistent fictional Setting (narrative), setting used in a narrative or a work of art. This concept is most commonly as ...
based on the author's Nigerian heritage and other world cultures. It was influenced by Ifueko's knowledge of West African culture, civilizations and experiences as a child of immigrants in California.


Television adaptation

In September 2021, it was announced that
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
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.


Reception

''Raybearer'' is a ''New York Times'' Bestseller and was named one of the best books of the year by ''People'',
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,
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,
Chicago Public Library The Chicago Public Library (CPL) is the public library system that serves the Chicago, City of Chicago in the U.S. state of Illinois. It consists of 81 locations, including a central library, three regional libraries, and branches distributed thr ...
, ''
Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus. The magazine's publisher, Kirkus Media, is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fiction, no ...
'', ''
School Library Journal ''School Library Journal'' (''SLJ'') is an American monthly magazine containing reviews and other articles for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, wi ...
'', and ''
Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...
''. The book has received many positive reviews. ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' called the book "dazzling." Buzzfeed said it was "one of the most exceptional YA fantasies of all time." ''People'' said it was a "brilliantly conceived fantasy." ''Seventeen'' called it a "bold new world," and ''
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'' lauded Ifueko's "exquisitely detailed world."


Awards and recognitions

*
Andre Norton Award The Andre Norton Nebula Award for Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction (formerly the Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy) is an annual award presented by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) to the ...
Nominee (2020) *
Kitschies The Kitschies were British literary prizes presented annually from 2009 to 2024 for "the year's most progressive, intelligent and entertaining works that contain elements of the speculative or fantastic" published in the United Kingdom. The awa ...
Golden Tentacle (Debut) Shortlist (2020) *
NPR National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...
Best Books in December 2020 *
Goodreads Choice Award The Goodreads Choice Awards is a yearly award program, first launched on Goodreads in 2009. Winners are determined by users voting on books that Goodreads has nominated or books of their choosing, released in the given year. Most books that Good ...
Nominee for Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2020) *
Goodreads Choice Award The Goodreads Choice Awards is a yearly award program, first launched on Goodreads in 2009. Winners are determined by users voting on books that Goodreads has nominated or books of their choosing, released in the given year. Most books that Good ...
Nominee for Debut Novel (2020) * BookNest Award Nominee for Best Debut Novel (2020) *
Association for Library Service to Children The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) is a division of the American Library Association. ALSC has over 4,000 members, including children, experts in children's literature, publishers, faculty members, and other adults. The Associa ...
's Notable Children's Books (2021) * American Library Association's (ALA) Top Ten
Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults The American Library Association's Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults, formerly Selected Audiobooks for Young Adults, is a recommendation list of audiobooks presented yearly by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) division. The Yo ...
(2021) * ALA Top Ten
Best Fiction ''Best Fiction'' is the third greatest hits album by Japanese singer Namie Amuro. It was released on July 30, 2008, by Avex Trax and features seventeen singles released between 2002-2008, which included five new songs, three of which were release ...
(2021) * Ignyte Award for Best Novel for Young Adult Fiction finalist (2021) *
Audie Award The Audie Awards (, rhymes with "gaudy"; abbreviated from ''audiobook''), or simply the Audies, are awards for achievement in spoken word, particularly audiobook narration and audiodrama performance, published in the United States of America. They ...
for Fantasy finalist (2021) *
Waterstones Children's Book Prize The Waterstones Children's Book Prize is an annual award given to a work of children's literature published during the previous year. First awarded in 2005, the purpose of the prize is "to uncover hidden talent in children's writing" and is the ...
for Older Readers Longlist (2021) * Lodestar Award Nominee (2021) *
Mythopoeic Fantasy Award The Mythopoeic Awards for literature and literary studies are given annually for outstanding works in the fields of myth, fantasy, and the scholarly study of these areas. Established by the Mythopoeic Society in 1971, the Mythopoeic Fantasy Awar ...
Finalist (2021)


Sequel

A sequel titled '' Redemptor'' was published in August 2021. Buzzfeed named ''Redemptor'' one of the best books of August 2021, saying it was " mersive and gorgeously written."


References

{{reflist 2020 American novels 2020 debut novels 2020 fantasy novels 2020 Nigerian novels American bildungsromans American fantasy novels Amulet Books books Debut fantasy novels Literature by African-American women Nigerian fantasy novels Young adult novel series