(4 / 5) – It’s Worth It!
Who doesn’t love a good sequel am I right? The same characters, a new challenge and often time a new foe to vanquish. Jordan Ifueko’s, “Redemptor,” her second in the Raybearer duology, hit every note for a sequel and it was a great read that offered a fresh perspective on the traditional and often times toxic “hero arch.”
In this installment we join up with Tarisai in her new role as Empress and the internal and external weight of such a role as it begins to crush through a myriad of relationships her emotional, mental and physical health. Ifueko weaves a multiplicity of characters, new and old into the fabric of who Tarisai is becoming and each plays an important role and helps her see herself more fully and vulnerably.
Ifueko wrestles with overarching themes of love, loyalty, change and justice all grounded in Tarisai and her struggles to “do the right thing” and “be the change” she wants to see in the world. There is a clear detour taken from the martyr archetype who will sacrifice until death and it was honestly a breath of fresh air. There is nothing easy or uncomplicated about the choices Tarisai makes but they are often decided after much struggling and revelations of truths that heroes do nothing alone and they are not saviors, simply players in a grand symphony where their music matters but is not always the melody.
I so enjoy these books and Tarisai in particular. Her inner struggles are relatable even for those of us who are not even close to immortality and her temptations feel so palpable for today’s world. I am grateful to have read these books and now to have them on my shelves to come back to and eventually share with my children.
Happy Reading!
Hannah
