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A review by liamliayaum
A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross
4.0
Jack Tamerlaine grew up on the isle of Cadence, only to be discarded and sent to the mainland to study music. After ten years of study, a mysterious summons appears from the leader of the clan of Tamerlaines. Knowing he can't ignore his laird (leader), Jack begrudgingly heads back to Cadence and his world gets spun in many directions: reuniting with his mother, the weaver Mirin; an invitation to be the bard of the East from the Heiress Adaira; and troubling news of lasses going missing from the Captain of the Guard, Torrin, and the clan healer, Sidra. Will Jack, Adaira, Mirin, Torrin, and Sidra be able to solve the mystery and find their lasses before it's too late?
While the story starts slow, it picks up pace once Jack is rooted back into the magic of Cadence. The people of Cadence live in somewhat harmony with the folk of the isle, the spirits of water, fire, Earth, and wind. Sometimes the folk are kind and sometimes they are cruel. The West side of the isle is ruled by the Breccans, the enemy clan to the Tamerlaines. The divide has created a magical clan line and unbalance on the isle.
The world building is lush and I could feel the Earth between my toes, the wind whispering in my ear as Ross wove the mythical with the real. The prose switched between Jack, Adaira, Mirin, Torrin, and Sidra seamlessly, once the novel gained some momentum. The plot was well paced, and the turns weren't expected. This novel made me feel more connected to the spiritual world around me and to a life that wasn't as burdened with all of the expectations of modern life. The characters were distinct and each had their own beautiful character arc and conflict to overcome. I connected the most with Sidra, the healer who is afraid that she cannot help those dearest to her.
While I was apprehensive of the length, there is little that felt unnecessary to either the world, character, or plot building. This is truly a book to be lost in and the pages fly by. I am pleased that this is book 1, however, because that ending has left me wanting book 2 ASAP!
While the story starts slow, it picks up pace once Jack is rooted back into the magic of Cadence. The people of Cadence live in somewhat harmony with the folk of the isle, the spirits of water, fire, Earth, and wind. Sometimes the folk are kind and sometimes they are cruel. The West side of the isle is ruled by the Breccans, the enemy clan to the Tamerlaines. The divide has created a magical clan line and unbalance on the isle.
The world building is lush and I could feel the Earth between my toes, the wind whispering in my ear as Ross wove the mythical with the real. The prose switched between Jack, Adaira, Mirin, Torrin, and Sidra seamlessly, once the novel gained some momentum. The plot was well paced, and the turns weren't expected. This novel made me feel more connected to the spiritual world around me and to a life that wasn't as burdened with all of the expectations of modern life. The characters were distinct and each had their own beautiful character arc and conflict to overcome. I connected the most with Sidra, the healer who is afraid that she cannot help those dearest to her.
While I was apprehensive of the length, there is little that felt unnecessary to either the world, character, or plot building. This is truly a book to be lost in and the pages fly by. I am pleased that this is book 1, however, because that ending has left me wanting book 2 ASAP!