Summer is for reading! Have this July’s book club meeting at a pizza place and it’s almost like you’re back in grade school getting rewarded with food for books. This month’s FYA Book Club selection is Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko. This West African-inspired fantasy brings a fresh take to the “Chosen One” trope and asks you to contemplate the family you’re born with verus the family you choose. I loved the characters and the unique world-building!
Check out the discussion questions below! (Slight spoilers ahead.)
P.S. If you’ve already read the book, feel free to add any other discussion questions of your own in the comments!
Icebreaker
The Raybearer gains immunity from 12 different deaths once their council is complete, but they are born with one immunity already. What death immunity would you have liked to have been born with?
Questions
1. Ifueko infused West African culture into her fantasy world where the various nations are based off of real cultures/countries but given their own unique spin. What did you consider the most interesting part of the book’s world?
2. Men erasing women’s contributions to society is nothing new, and by the end we learn the entire Kunleo dynasty has been built on a lie. Did you guess Tarisai’s lineage before it was revealed? How did you feel about this twist? Do you think Tarisai’s story falls into the “chosen one” trope?
3. Tarisai is told over and over that “justice is not about being fair. It is about keeping order.” Why do you think she ultimately disagreed with this statement?
4. Tarisai was desperate for a family her whole life, so much so that she erases her own memories so she can stay with Dayo. What did you think of her journey and decisions throughout the novel?
5. What did you think of the Raybearer’s powers and the role of the council, with their devotion to the emperor and dependency on each other? If you existed in their world, would you consider being a part of the council?
6. What did you think of the complicated mother-daughter relationship between The Lady and Tarisai? Once you learned more of The Lady’s story, did you sympathize with her more or less? Do you think she really loved Tarisai?
7. The sequel and conclusion to the duology, Redemptor, is already out now. Will you read it? How do you think Tarisai’s story will continue?
