Raybearer

Raybearer is a young adult fantasy novel, as well as a coming-of-age narrative, or Bildungsroman. The novel draws on many structures and tropes from both literary genres, while also challenging their conventions in creative ways. As with many works of young adult fantasy, Raybearer takes place in a completely fictional world that is populated by magical creatures and characters with powerful abilities. Tarisai, the protagonist, embodies many of these traits, for she possesses unique powers and is also technically a magical creature, given her heritage as the daughter of a deity-turned-djinn. Her ability is to look into and take the memories of another person or object. Tarisai’s friends also have unique powers of their own, such as the ability to fly or to heal through song, and some even have connections to the giant cats from the Underworld. The author’s in-depth world-building, much of which stems from West African folklore, places Raybearer in conversation with works such as Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series (The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, The Titan’s Curse, The Battle of the Labyrinth, and