Welcome to Litsy!

Oh, this was good. Rich world-building, unique magic system, complex characters, nuanced political dynamics, and a fascinating examination of power, culture, history, and gender. All wrapped up in a fast-paced chosen-one/coming-of-age story with a (very complicated) found family vibe. The author makes bold choices here, exploring several very heavy themes and offering some jaw-dropping twists that kept me on my toes. Now I need the sequel!

All the stars for the amazing characters, plot and world building ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I can‘t wait to start the next book!

@Catsandbooks - thank you so much for this delightful #FallingforFallSwap box!! I‘ve been wanting to read Raybearer for so long & have seen so much buzz about The Witch‘s Heart—I‘m really excited about both!! I look forward to a relaxing bath, some tasty hot chocolate, and maybe a little audiocoloring with the fun little coloring cards. (Also I may have to hide the hot chocolate from my husband, who can‘t resist Peeps!) 😊 Thank you so much! #FFFS

Listening to the tagged book while getting stuff ready for my son‘s birthday party. Stuff cups with candy, tie on tag, repeat ….
Listening to This book is definitely helping get me through the task. It‘s definitely one I am glad I am listening to. The language, drum language and characters are all well done by the voice narrator.

This was a great read (excellent audio performance). Very little romance and no spice (if you‘re not really into that or like me, just need a little break from it 😄). I feel like if you like Tamora Pierce but want more complexity than the Lioness books, then this is for you.

Officially the prettiest cover I've seen in a long time, looking forward to the story!

#ScarathlonDailyPrompts Oct 24 #Lies

Our MC‘s whole life is built on lies. This is an excellent YA duology, I highly recommend!

#Scarathlon2022 #TeamMonsterMash

Okay, I liked the book. The problem was it was a lot. I had to keep going back and re-reading because I forgot who, what or how things mentioned earlier in the story. There was a lot of, “wait! Who is that again?” during my read.

That being said, I did love the world, the concept and the characters. It‘s a good foray into the Afro-futurism genre.

Amazing 🤩 I loved the world-building so so much, lush and vivid characters. Do yourself a favor and get the audiobook, the narrator is fantastic.

This is a fun YA fantasy adventure. I am probably not reading the next book, however. The #audiobook is well done. It's read by the same narrator that did The Other Black Girl. And there's singing.

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

This cover is gorgeous!!! And so is my little meowdel. #readharder2022 #huey #catsoflitsy

I really liked parts of this book. I was also very confused during other parts. So many strange names for locations, animals, etc. i realize that this is par for the course with the Fantasy genre, however; I‘ve read other fantasy books and didn‘t have this much of an issue. I did love the life lessons presented in this story, which included strength and dedication.

I really enjoyed this book, I loved the universe and it‘s refreshed my love for reading and i‘m excited to read the sequel! I did feel like the pacing jumped around quite a bit, however it is definitely a page turner and I recommended to anyone who enjoys fantasy/magical books.

A slow start was needed for the world building and boy is there world building! Loved it all, as Tar makes it out into the world, the character development and world building both are amazing. Listened to the audiobook and would highly recommend, the narrator puts so much into the story and voices, really bringing them to life.

The premise sounded interesting and as a whole, it didn‘t disappoint. There were a few eye roll moments throughout the book, but that might very well be because I‘m not an angst-y young adult anymore. :)

This one gets a lot of love, and I'm glad it's found its audience. Unfortunately, it was mostly a miss for me. (Surprise! Old dude finds YA book too angsty for his taste! Details at 11!) Hope those who loved it enjoy the sequels too.

I loved this book and I can't wait to read the next in the series! So far there's only the two books, but hopefully it will be at least a trilogy.

Oh my goodness this was remarkable. At first it seems like another “chosen one” YA book. However, the world Ifueko created is beyond beautiful and original. I recommend going in w/o knowing much. 5+⭐️ Another book done for #anywayyoureadathon & #Scarathlon2021 +15 for #teamhendrix there are lots of supernatural elements in this fantasy. Also this is my #doublespin read!

“I shouldn‘t have been surprised that fairies exist.”

#firstlinefridays

1. Yes, totally do. Most of my physical books have pretty covers.
2. I like to get an idea of the story but no spoilers.
3. These are the UK covers and are so amazing. Yay for Book Depository free delivery to the US.
#sundayfunday

Y‘all I did It to myself but I have no regrets! I should have been getting ready for tomorrow but I HAD to finish this book. It was amazing. I loved the fantasy world.
I loved the characters. Everyone was so multi-dimensional, and anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE that because it moves us away from classic boring tropes. The best thing is that book 2 is already on it‘s way to me and I can‘t wait to read it!

“I wound the garment around my body. Across my hips, a huntress and heavy-maned beast repeated in a pattern, silhouetted in ochre and crimson. The figures connected at tail and spear, so that the woman and monster blended together. Even as my eyes crossed from gazing, I could not tell which would devour the other.”

I am posting one book per day from my to-be-read collection. No description and providing no reason for wanting to read it, I just do. Some will be old, some will be new - don‘t judge me I have a lot of books.
Join the fun if you want. This is day 250.
#bookstoread
#tbrpile
#bookstagram

Thank you, @DarkMina for the tag!🖤
#Two4Tuesday @TheSpineView 🌷
1. Oh yes it does, I love a beautiful cover! It backfires sometimes.
2. Raybearer, tagged!

This book is so complex and has so many moving parts! I‘m highly impressed by Ifeuko‘s world-building abilities, and I can‘t wait to see how she further develops Tarisai‘s world in Redemptor. There is truly nothing missing from this wonderful novel. Diverse and 3 dimensional characters, enchanting myth and lore, a creative magical system, and a vast and multi-cultural world are some of the many aspects you can look forward to in this book!

This book was everything. A young woman determined to create her own path despite being caught in the middle of long-standing feud. Raybearer not only presented a strong Black woman as the heroine but had her surrounded by characters of all races. What a powerful and inclusive read. Truly a book I wish existed when I was a teen.

@ads0123 @kellyann28 @Erinreadsthebooks

This arrived today! #lmpbc

This YA book is a fantasy incorporating West African traditions, and doing a great bit of world-building on top. Tarisai's mother raises her to kill the crown prince as revenge on the king, but first Tarisai must love and respect him to be part of his inner circle. She and her friends tackle systemic issues of racism and sexism, just wanting to make their homeland better. Gorgeous cover, too!

"Why does everyone hate change so much?" I demanded.
"Because things could get worse."
"Maybe. But do you know what I think? ... I think that deep down, we're afraid that things could get better. Afraid to find out that all the evil - all the suffering we ignore - could have been prevented. If only we had cared enough to try."
- Jordan Ifeuko, Raybearer

#change

It‘s okay, you can judge this book by its cover—this epic fantasy is just as brilliant and spellbinding as it looks! Tarisai has been raised in obscurity, groomed by her mother, The Lady, to be wise and powerful—and to kill the beloved Crown Prince. Read Raybearer for rich, diverse world-building, a West African-inspired setting, the magic system, hidden feminist history, criticism of empire, friendship, romance, and a heroine to follow anywhere!

I recommend this on audiobook, there is singing, drum sounds and characters with accents, it was really pleasant to listen to. And the narrator is really great. But, no matter how it is consumed this is a fantastic book. I loved the world building, and the MC Tarisai is not frustrating. She makes good choices!! While it may technically be YA, I think anyone who can appreciate a good fantasy would enjoy this. Book 2 out in August! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I really liked this one! It is a YA so the exposition dumps were a little over the top, but I‘m not going to fault a book for writing for its target market 🤣 just an observation 🥰

Aaaaaaaaa excellent. This one had a rocky start, a lot of time skipping that didn't particularly help you settle in. But all the pieces come together in a Very satisfying manner. Eventually. ;) Otherwise, gorgeous setting, characters you definitely come to live and root for, wonderfully musical language, and some refreshing (and new to me) elements. A+ can recommend, particularly for the kind of casual #queerbooks rep You always love to see. 💚

I want these kids to succeed so badly....

Absolutely magical. Why aren't more people talking about this book? I listened to the audiobook and was completely entranced. The narration was phenomenal, I never wanted it to end. The setting description is lush & engaging. The characters will be in my heart forever. I love Tarisai of Swana, Kirah, Sanjeet, & Dayo. I also really enjoyed the magic system & resulting political system. I am so excited for the second book coming out this summer. ⁣

I heard about this when watching Domic Nobel‘s YouTube channel. It really is a pretty good book, not one of your standard fantasy novels. How much is fate and how much is up to you?

I struggled with this at the beginning, and then read almost half of it in one go; I'm not entirely sure why it suddenly clicked for me. Mostly, I guess, because we finally got to the meat of the story. A lot of the rest felt like setup.

Apparently something clicked for me with this book, because I just inhaled a big chunk... but alas, time for bed, just as I want to read more!

I'm intrigued by the ideas, but this feels so young I'm having trouble getting engaged with it. Sticking with it, though!

This was a really fun new fantasy read and I hope you all enjoy it too! I'll get this mailed out next week 🧡💜 #LMPBC
@TheBookKeepers @Erinreadsthebooks @ads0123

*OUABC August 2020 Pick*

I really wanted to enjoy this one, but sadly I didn‘t. I don‘t really know what it was but I just didn‘t get that rush when I read a good book. The writing was really well done and the world was built very well, I guess this just wasn‘t for me. I think I am going to reread this when the sequel comes out. Maybe I‘ll like it more then.

🎧📚 There‘s a definite tinge of YA with MC angst & insecurity. Of course this was somewhat annoying but the book is well written with likable defined characters & good world building!!

I was on the edge of my seat! I enjoyed this audiobook in one sitting!

Emperor, Empress, treason, neglect, family, bitterness, a beast, royal court, 3 wishes, Magic, longing to belong & be loved ... not a romance, ultimately complicated. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

With RAYBEARER, Jordan Ifueko takes a ton of recognizable fairy tale tropes and blends them into an exciting, character-driven story that always feels original despite its familiar bits. I loved so very much about it, but I‘m most taken with how she explores many different kinds of love, often in unexpected permutations. It‘s damned good stuff.

I finished my little diamond painting! It was a lot of fun.

I also made a good start on RAYBEARER, and my goodness. This is exciting stuff. I sure hope it stays that way. #audiocrafting

#12Booksof2020 #day5
Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko

YA is usually not my thing, but this one was so well-written and not cluttered with teenage angst and hormones, lol. Surprised a YA novel made the top of my list this year!

Text says: I think deep down we're afraid that things could get better. Afraid to find out that all the evil - all the suffering that we ignore - could have been prevented. If only we had cared enough to try.
Some books, I literally put it down and yelled Oh my, that is so great.
Content note: death of a parent, murder, bad parenting