Raybearer

A central theme in Raybearer involves the tension between fate and personal choice. Which of the two has the strongest impact on Tarisai’s development?

Families of origin and families of choice each play an important role in the identity formation of many characters in the novel. Which scenes demonstrate the power and the limitations of familial love?

The Arit empire has a very long history, but Tarisai learns that some of these records have been altered or forgotten. How does Tarisai’s quest to uncover Arit’s past add nuance to The Relationship Between Destiny and Choice? How does this broader journey of discovery impact her personal growth?

In Tarisai’s role as the High Lady Judge, she is admonished that justice is meant to maintain order, sometimes at the cost of fairness. How does Tarisai strive to cultivate fairness in her official decisions and in her personal life?

In addition to Tarisai, analyze at least two other characters who must undergo a pivotal moment of disillusionment as part of their coming-of-age journey. How are their lessons and realizations similar to or different from Tarisai’s?

How does the novel portray the universal search for connection and intimacy? Compare and contrast at least two different examples of intimacy.

Death casts a shadow over many characters and events in the novel. What does the narrative suggest about the power of death and the possibilities of the afterlife?

The women in Raybearer are quite powerful but are often limited by the empire’s rigid gender roles. How do certain characters resist the expectations and conventions placed upon them, and how does their individual resistance act as a symbol for the broader history of the Arit empire?