Raybearer and Redemptor by Jordan Ifueko (African, Fantasy) - November
1About Raybearer: Nothing is more important than loyalty. But what if you've sworn to protect the one you were born to destroy?
Tarisai has always longed for the warmth of a family. She was raised in isolation by a mysterious, often absent mother known only as The Lady. The Lady sends her to the capital of the global empire of Aritsar to compete with other children to be chosen as one of the Crown Prince's Council of 11. If she's picked, she'll be joined with the other Council members through the Ray, a bond deeper than blood. That closeness is irresistible to Tarisai, who has always wanted to belong somewhere. But The Lady has other ideas, including a magical wish that Tarisai is compelled to obey: Kill the Crown Prince once she gains his trust. Tarisai won't stand by and become someone's pawn--but is she strong enough to choose a different path for herself? With extraordinary world-building and breathtaking prose, Raybearer is the story of loyalty, fate, and the lengths we're willing to go for the ones we love.
About Redemptor: The highly anticipated sequel to Raybearer, the instant New York Times bestselling fantasy sensation that set the world on fire
For the first time, an Empress Redemptor sits on Aritsar's throne. To appease the sinister spirits of the dead, Tarisai must now anoint a council of her own, coming into her full power as a Raybearer. She must then descend into the Underworld, a sacrifice to end all future atrocities.
Tarisai is determined to survive. Or at least, that's what she tells her increasingly distant circle of friends. Months into her shaky reign as empress, child spirits haunt her, demanding that she pay for past sins of the empire.
With the lives of her loved ones on the line, assassination attempts from unknown quarters, and a handsome new stranger she can't quite trust . . . Tarisai fears the pressure may consume her. But in this finale to the Raybearer duology, Tarisai must learn whether to die for justice . . . or to live for it.
About the Author: Jordan Ifueko is the Nebula Finalist & New York Times bestselling author of the Raybearer series and other stories, including short fiction in the Hugo-nominated magazine Strange Horizons. She's been featured on NPR Best Books, NPR Pop Culture Hour, ALA Top Ten, Buzzfeed, and other publications. She writes about magic Black girls who aren't magic all the time, because honestly, they deserve a vacation. Ifueko lives in Los Angeles with her husband David and their 3-legged trustafarian dog Reginald Ovahcomah. Follow Jordan on instagram @jordanifueko.