Redemptor by Jordan Ifueko

 

Welcome Back, Booklovers! I was lucky last year to have the opportunity to both read Raybearer early and interview author Jordan Ifueko. And it was one of the best fantasy reads of 2020 for me. So you don't understand how excited I was to get an early copy of the sequel from Abrams Kids. 

We revisit the world of Aritsar where Tarsai is working on creating her own council as she takes on her new role as Empress Redemptor. The beginning of the story starts off with a bang! I did not expect what happened so early on but it grabbed my attention. 

While Tarisai is determined to help the people and unite the realms, her council siblings are reluctant to see things her way. Some of them feel she's dramatically changed and should leave things the way they've always been. They feel she was selfish offering herself up to the Underworld without consulting them. Even Sanjeet has trouble understand her motivations though he tries to stand buy her and support her the best he can.

Tarisai is still grappling with her complicated relationship with the need to be loved. She still at times feel like that little girl who wanted her mother's attention. So when she tries to build her own council he has trouble connecting with potential council members because she must open herself up in a way she never has before. And she spends most of her time trying to bury her past and present a stronger more perfect image of herself. She has to learn that erasing the past won't change the future and that suppressing her memories isn't the best option. 

Throughout the story she's being taunted by the spirits of dead children called the Ojiji who keep telling her that's she's weak and must work harder. While doing this they also spill some truths that keep Tarisai doubting herself. Those parts did get a little repetitive for me but that didn't completely ruin enjoyment of this story. I wish Tar would've been more open with her council siblings about their visits. 

There are many new characters introduced but I would say the most notable for me were Woo In's sister Princess Min Ja and King Zuri. I did want to see some more of the old council though. They had their presence but because of new ways to avoid council sickness they were split between different realms. Ai Ling has a strong presence and helps Tarisai throughout providing her much needed support alongside Dayo. I also enjoyed her bond with Kirah. And of course I was still happy to see her complicated relationship with Sanjeet even though he wasn't on page as much as I would've liked. This story does delve a bit more into his asexuality and his feelings towards being a ruler and continuing the Kunleo line. 

While I enjoyed this and it's a solid end to the duology I didn't enjoy it as much as Raybearer. I felt like it spent a little too much time building towards Tarisai's trip to the Underworld which didn't happened until part V. So part IV and V were loaded the heavier action and shocking twists while most of part II and III ebbed along. Which made the story feel longer than it actually was. I find that a lot of epic fantasies struggle with the pacing in the middle of the story. This could've been corrected in this case with a little less emphasis on the need to complete the council and Tarisai feeling inadequate. I felt Raybearer was a little more evenly paced. However this still had some unexpected twists and is one of the stronger YA series I've read. Jordan Ifueko's descriptive writing continues to shine through allowing readers to experience a wide range of emotions while reading.