Charis welcomes Jordan Ifueko in conversation with Ytasha L. Womack for a celebration of Redemptor, the hotly anticipated sequel to the instant New York Times bestselling YA fantasy, Raybearer, about Tarisai's quest to change her fate. This event is co-hosted by the Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History.

For the first time, an Empress Redemptor sits on Aritsar's throne. To appease the sinister spirits of the dead, Tarisai must now anoint a council of her own, coming into her full power as a Raybearer. She must then descend into the Underworld, a sacrifice to end all future atrocities.

Tarisai is determined to survive. Or at least, that's what she tells her increasingly distant circle of friends. Months into her shaky reign as empress, child spirits haunt her, demanding that she pay for past sins of the empire.

With the lives of her loved ones on the line, assassination attempts from unknown quarters, and a handsome new stranger she can't quite trust . . . Tarisai fears the pressure may consume her. But in this finale to the Raybearer duology, Tarisai must learn whether to die for justice . . . or to live for it.

Jordan Ifueko is the Nebula Finalist & New York Times bestselling author of the Raybearer series and other stories, including short fiction in the Hugo-nominated magazines range Horizons. She’s been featured on NPR Best Books, NPR Pop Culture Hour, ALA Top Ten, Buzzfeed, and other publications. She writes about magic Black girls who aren’t magic all the time because honestly, they deserve a vacation. Ifueko lives in Los Angeles with her husband David and their 3-legged trustafarian dog Reginald Ovahcomah. Follow Jordan on Instagram @jordanifueko.

Ytasha L. Womack is a critically acclaimed author, filmmaker, dancer, independent scholar, and champion of humanity and the imagination. Her book Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi & Fantasy Culture (2013) is the leading primer on the exciting subject which bridges science fiction, futurisms, and culture. The book is a 2014 Locus Awards Non-Fiction Finalist. She's currently developing other Afrofuturist films including Bar Star City(www.barstarcity.com).

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Redemptor: Jordan Ifueko in conversation with Ytasha L. Womack