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Book Review | Redemptor by Jordan Ifueko

From the publisher: The highly anticipated sequel to Raybearer, the instant New York Times bestselling fantasy sensation that set the world on fire.

Redemptor picks up a little while after the end of Raybearer, and now Tarisai is in a very different place from the last book. No longer a lonely child, nor even a mere council member, she is co-empress in charge of all of Aritsar, and also a Redemptor. She has two years to anoint her own council made up of all the rulers of the nations of Aritsar and journey to the underworld, to stop the sacrifice of Redemptor children once and for all.

In my review of Raybearer, I talked about the unique African-inspired fantasy setting, the diverse cast of characters, and the underlying themes of politics and social justice. All of that is present in Redemptor as well, and on top of that Tarisai is now dealing with some serious mental health issues, caused by a mix of stress and supernatural interference from the underworld. Though she seems to be haunted by literal ghosts, the effects are remarkably similar to what normal people struggling with mental health have to deal with, and it feels very authentic and well done.

There’s a lot going on in this book, and at times I felt like maybe it should have been spread out to a trilogy instead of a duology, but in the end I still really enjoyed this story. I heartily recommend the series to all fans of YA fantasy, and I personally look forward to whatever Jordan Ifueko writes next.

Redemptor is available for checkout at Galesburg Public Library in the young adult section, and also as an ebook through the Libby and Axis360 apps.

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