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A River Enchanted (Elements of Cadence, #1)

Rebecca Ross

Start date: September 1, 2024

Finish date: September 30, 2024

Discussion: Book of the Month

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What Members Thought

Jun 20, 2024 Jenn rated it really liked it

Shelves: 4-star-reads, adult-fiction, books-i-own, mythology, fantasy, do-you-believe-in-magic, read-in-2024

I don't know how I had never heard of this duology before. Rebecca Ross came onto my radar with Dreams Lie Beneath and then pretty much solidified her stay with Divine Rivals, but yet this book just slipped right through.

Scottish vibes are very heavy throughout this enchanting tale of a magical island full of mythical spirits and two clans just trying to survive. When Jack Tamerlaine is summoned home to Cadence, he has no idea what awaits him. It's been years since he left to study on the mainl I don't know how I had never heard of this duology before. Rebecca Ross came onto my radar with Dreams Lie Beneath and then pretty much solidified her stay with Divine Rivals, but yet this book just slipped right through.

Scottish vibes are very heavy throughout this enchanting tale of a magical island full of mythical spirits and two clans just trying to survive. When Jack Tamerlaine is summoned home to Cadence, he has no idea what awaits him. It's been years since he left to study on the mainland and if he's being honest with himself, he never wanted to go back. But girls have been kidnapped with no clues left behind to where they were taken and the island needs Jack if they are going to solve this mystery.

Rebecca Ross can write. Her words flow like lyrics on the pages and it's easy to get lost in these fantasy worlds she creates. Not only can she write such captivating characters, but her worlds themselves are characters. This island of Cadence was alive. It had as much personality as any actual character in the story and that just added to the ambiance and vibes of this tale. I would definitely be interested to know how the mainland views this island and if any mainlanders try to come out there. Ross doesn't really explain the dynamic between the mainland and the island, only that they are different.

This book focused mainly on each characters growth. It wasn't seeped in drama or even heavily weighed down by romance - the romance was almost like a blink and you'll miss it type which worked for me here. I was more intrigued by Jack coming to love the island and Sidra finding her place in her family and Torin learning that it's okay to change. The overall mystery of the missing girls kept me guessing until the end. However, I will say if Ross was trying to be sneaky about Jack's father - well, that was pretty obvious to me. And I can't wait to see how this plays out in the next book.

This one ends on a little cliffhanger - enough to keep me satisfied in the ending here but still wanting more. Definitely will be reading the sequel here shortly. ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Apr 17, 2022 Shruti morethanmylupus rated it it was amazing

This is such a beautiful, well-balanced duology. The mythological elements of the setting, in which spirits abound in all the natural elements and magic lives on, add layers to the already atmospheric Scotland. I loved the characters and their story, and I'm so sad that this was only a duology not a series because I didn't want it to end. ...more

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Nov 29, 2022 Kayleigh {K-Books} rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: own-physical, fantasy

A River Enchanted Review on K-Books

“Let them talk. All that matters in this moment is you and met and what we know is true.”

Rebecca Ross is a completely new author for me. While I had heard of her before, as one of my friends is one of her biggest fans, I had never actually picked up anything by her before. When I saw on Instagram that she was running a read-along of A River Enchanted, ready for the release of the second and final book in this duology, I thought it was the perfect time to st A River Enchanted Review on K-Books

“Let them talk. All that matters in this moment is you and met and what we know is true.”

Rebecca Ross is a completely new author for me. While I had heard of her before, as one of my friends is one of her biggest fans, I had never actually picked up anything by her before. When I saw on Instagram that she was running a read-along of A River Enchanted, ready for the release of the second and final book in this duology, I thought it was the perfect time to start. Holy crap! I am officially a Rebecca Ross fangirl! I cannot put into words just how much I freaking adored this book!

A River Enchanted is an adult Fantasy novel, set on a small fictional island called Cadence. While this world is fictional, it is heavily inspired by Scottish culture and their Folklore tales. Right from the start I was absolutely obsessed with this. While Scottish culture isn’t as big of a change for me, as I live in England not too far from the Scottish borders, I absolutely loved all of the magical creatures that were inspired by their tales and myths. I loved the idea of the children going missing and the characters turning to the magical folk of the island to help them find them. I seriously could not put this book down.

Everything about this book is just phenomenal! The world building, the mythology, the characters… I just adored everything. From reading the blurb, I was fully on board to fall in love with Jack and Adaira. Which, don’t get my wrong, I did. But I was not prepared to fall head over heels in love with Torin and Sidra. Their relationship is so complex, and beautiful! They have been married for years, in a marriage of convenience, yet still go through this incredibly journey of accepting how deeply their feelings for each other run. And I just adored every single second of that journey. I adore them both, and I am dying to dive into book 2 to see how everything plays out with them.

A River Enchanted is without a doubt one of my favourite reads of the year. I loved every second of it. Rebecca Ross is such a phenomenal talent and I can’t wait to go back and read her entire backlist. If you want a beautiful fantasy world, a heart-pounding plot that will make you speed through pages as fast as possible and a romance to die for… then you MUST read this book. It was absolutely stunning in every way possible!

“I think your music would bring us back to life, restore out hope.”