History Literature / Raybearer

** Biraslov, Quetzala, Moreyao, Mewe, Nontes, and Sparti seem to have various Slavic, pre-Columbian American, Chinese, Celtic, Medieval France, and Ancient Greek influences, respectively.

** The nations located in the center of Aritsar are broadly based on other Sub-Saharan cultures: Swanna seems modeled after the various Bantu peoples of lower Africa, including what is now Botswanna and South Africa; Nyamba on several West African Empires such as the Mali Empire; and Djbanti on the Swahili peoples of East Africa.

** Swanna seems modeled after the various Bantu peoples of lower Africa, including what is now Botswanna and South Africa.

** Biraslov, Quetzala, Moreyao, and Sparti seem to have various Slavic, pre-Columbian American, Chinese, and Ancient Greek influences, respectively.

Luckily for her, she may just have a chance to get exactly that when she's ferreted off to the capital. There, she joins other children around her age in a test to eventually become apart of Prince Enkudayo's Council of Eleven. Only those who love the Prince and are able to connect to his Ray can be accepted into his Council. Unluckily, The Lady has ordered her to kill the Prince as soon as she's accepted into the council. Will she be able to get the family she's longed for or will she end up destroying it?

* FantasyCounterpartCulture: The setting of this story is meant to reflect Nigeria in its pre-colonial aspect, though it is a fictional nation with its own unique takes. T=However, the many kingdoms in Aritsar, based on the naming conventions of both the realms and their citizens, seem influenced by various historical cultures across the globe:

*** Despite not having been anointed at the time, Tar is able to hear Dayo's call for help over the Ray during the Children's Palace-fire. [[spoiler: Because she has it too.]]

* LoveTriangle: Seems to be set up with Dayo, Tar and Sanjeet. Tar has obvious feeling for the latter, while a lot of people also suspect she is interested in the former. [[spoiler: Ultimately subverted, as neither Tar nor Dayo like each other that way. All the better, since Tar and Dayo are later on revealed to be cousins.]]

* FantasyCounterpartCulture: The setting of this story is meant to reflect Nigeria in its pre-colonial aspect, though it is a fictional nation with its own unique takes.

* IKnowYouKnowIKnow: Olugbade and his Council immediately see that Tarisai is the Lady's daughter, and assume (correctly) that the Lady sent her to kill Ekundayo. The Lady, of course, knew that they would see this, and so deliberately raised Tar completely ignorant of both the concept of the Ray and her own background and plans; thus, unless the Council could prove that she was faking her innocence (and [[TruthSerum Mbali's powers]] confirmed for them that she was not), or if she didn't have a Hallow, divine law obligated them to allow her a chance to be on Dayo's council. Thaddace realizes that this must have been the Lady's plan, and comments on the brilliance of it.

* SideBet: When Tarisai orders herself to be cloistered in a tower with Sanjeet, Mayazatyl bets that it's because she's pregnant and needs to hide it. Mayazatyl has to pay up seven gold coins when the truth comes out- but more importantly for the already wealthy Council, [[CosmeticAward she has to admit she was wrong]].

* HumanMomNonHumanDad: In order to ensure her child would have a Hallow, The Lady forced an ehru to bed her. Understandably, there is no love lost between mother and father.

''Raybearer'' is a 2020 [[YoungAdultLiterature young adult]] {{fantasy}} novel by Jordan Ifueko. A sequel named ''Literature/{{Redemptor}}'' was released during August 2021.

* RomanticAsexual: [[spoiler:During their "date" underneath Enitawa's Quiver, Dayo confesses to Tar that while he's had crushes on men and women before, the idea of actually having sex makes him severely uncomfortable.]]

* {{Asexual}}: [[spoiler: During their "date" underneath Enitawa's Quiver, Dayo confesses to Tar that while he's had crushes on men and women before, the idea of actually having sex makes him severely uncomfortable.]]

* WorthIt: One of the things that makes [[NiceGuy Dayo]] so great is that he never stops believing it was a good choice to anoint Tarisai, despite [[spoiler:the attempt on his life that she could only make because of it. Given the fuckton of lives she saves as his councillor and co-ruler, he is quite justified in this]].

* FamilyOfChoice: The Council of Eleven serves as type of close family to that of the Raybearer.

%% * HeterosexualLifePartners

* HeterosexualLifePartners: [[spoiler: While Tar and Dayo do love each other and share a unique bond as the two Raybearers of their generation, their relationship is purely platonic.]]

%%* BrotherSisterTeam:

'''The Lady:''' But sometimes, I have learned, the fruit is unlike the tree.\\

%%* HeterosexualLifePartners:

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Tarisai and her friends have successfully uncovered the imbalance in the treaty with the abiku towards Songland and have stopped the treaty from unfairly dooming another generation of Songland-children. Tar has also proven the existence and legitimacy of female Raybearers, meaning the empire will be ruled by both emperors and empresses in the future like it was meant to be. However, Tarisai had to become a Redemptor in order to save the Songland children and the children of Aritsar and now she must anoint a council for herself in the timespan of ''two years'', a near impossible task. Not only that, in order for her Raybearer-blood to be potent enough for the new treaty, the Anointed Ones must be the rulers of the twelve realms of Aritsar. Save to say, Tar will have her hands full in ''Redemptor''.]]

* FreudianExcuseIsNoExcuse: [[spoiler: Despite her rather tragic past described above, the book never once pretends The Lady's abuse of Tarisai is in any way justified. Tar herself ultimately rejects the notion that her changing the empire for the better was her stepping in her mother's footsteps and while she does forgives her mother, she also makes it clear that the way The Lady treated her wasn't right.]]