Set in the same world as the Raybearer duology, you don't necessarily need to read the original books to get into this one. You just might miss some of the references to the original characters. This is such a lovely fantasy read; Ifueko is so good at writing captivating stories that read like mythology. There is a focus on storytelling in this one, as well as singing and magic. The narrator for the audiobook also does an excellent job.