At once a fast-paced mystery and a love story as warm as a hearth . . . This is a classic in the making." — Ava Reid, internationally bestselling author of The Wolf and the Woodsman, on A River Enchanted I lost almost all of my interest in this series while about 25% through A Fire Endless, for no apparent reason at all. I'm having a hard time thinking of anything to say about it because my apathy is speaking very loudly right now. I really liked the first book (a Scottish inspired fantasy with romantic elements), even if it wasn't a favorite or anything, but by the time I got to this one I just didn't care anymore! I honestly could have DNFed and never thought about it again. This does not seem to be the average reaction! Especially for people who liked the first book, as I did. I can't explain it! This isn't to say that I think love stories are immature; truly, I love love and prefer my stories to have at least a little romantic tension in them. My concern is this: When there are other concurrent plotlines, especially ones written to have major implications for the story, I find following the romantic plot instead misguided.

House of Earth and Blood meets The Witch's Heart in Rebecca Ross’s brilliant first adult fantasy, set on the magical isle of Cadence where two childhood enemies must team up to discover why girls are going missing from their clan. East and west. Humans and spirits. Breccans and Tamerlaines. The Isle of Cadence has always held itself in a tenuous balance. But now Bane, the spirit of the North Wind, has pushed everything off-kilter in a bid to claim dominion over human and spirit alike. In the West, Adaira struggles to adjust to the more brutal, bitter ways of life among the Breccans. Striving to find her place in the clan, she swiftly realizes that it just might be the last role she desires to hold. And while magic blooms effortlessly for the Breccans in the west, the spirits continue to suffer beneath Bane’s harsh power, felt in every gust of wind. I don't know what it's like to have a missing child, but I do know what it's like to be part of a community impacted by a child's disappearance, neglect, or death. I know what it's like to have sympathy for those affected. I know it's not a time to party. In the west, Adaira struggles to find her place. And, though magic blooms there, the spirits suffer beneath Bane’s harsh power, felt in every gust of wind.Her gaze shifted to Hamish’s feet. His tanned-hide boots were tethered up to his knees while his friends were barefooted, as all isle children who swam in the sea were supposed to be. Her nan had once told her that most healers hold the gift of premonition, that she should always follow those feelings, no matter their oddity, and now she couldn’t explain the gooseflesh that suddenly rippled over her arms. She nearly reached for the boot tethers, but then stilled her hand and turned instead to the three boys who stood around her. East and West. Humans and Spirits. Breccans and Tamerlaines. The Isle of Cadence has always held itself and its residents in a tenuous balance. But now Bane, the spirit of the North Wind, has pushed everyone and everything in his path off-kilter in a bid to claim dominion over human and spirit alike. He can’t be dead,” one of the lads said, over and over until Sidra reached out and took hold of his arm. “He can’t be! You’re a healer, Lady. You can save him!” The tide receded with a whisper. Clouds began to build in the northern sky. The winds shifted, and the air suddenly felt cooler as a raven cawed overhead.

I fell in love this with this enchanting world and the amazing characters even more in this book. The pacing was perfect and the plot engaged me the entire book. There were several plot twists that I didn't expect that had me at the edge of my seat. I loved learning more about this unique world inspired by Scottish folklore. I enjoyed learning more about the elemental faeries (earth, wind, fire and water) and their past. The stories of the past flowed seamlessly through the lyrical and descriptive writing. The fall vibes in this book was immaculate and made me want to snuggle up in a cozy blanket. The ending was so beautiful and heartbreaking. I was so happy that the characters had the ending that they deserved. I honestly cried both happy and sad tears. This book has my whole heart.

Summary

this series is definitely different from all other fantasy books ive read and im not sure how to describe the vibes it gave me but it felt like i was in the setting of the movie brave with this enchanted forest and whisps and elemental spirits all around me!!

East and West. Humans and Spirits. Breccans and Tamerlaines. The Isle of Cadence has always held itself and its residents in a tenuous balance. But now Bane, the spirit of the North Wind, has pushed everyone and everything in his path off-kilter in a bid to claim dominion over all. If I am weak for wanting you, then let me embrace that weakness and make it my strength, and if you must haunt me, then let me haunt you in return." She let them all go because he was her home, her shelter. Her endless fire, burning through the dark." Sidra was quiet, listening to the ebb and flow of the tides. The foamy roar of the sea, sounding both angry and perhaps apolo- getic, seemed to say it was not the water spirits’ fault this boy had drowned. Sidra had never seen an ailment so unearthly, and she thought about the magical afflictions she had healed in the past. There were two kinds: wounds made by enchanted blades, and illnesses that came as a consequence of wielding magic. Weavers who wove secrets into plaids and smiths who hammered spells into steel. Fishermen who knotted nets with charms and cobblers who made shoes from leather and dreams. In the east, casting magic through one’s craft exacted a painful, physical cost, and Sidra had an array of tonics to ease the symptoms.A sublime mix of romance, intrigue and myth, A RIVER ENCHANTED is a stunning addition to the canon of Celtic-inspired fantasy. With its lyrical prose and tight world building, this story is both modern and timeless, drawing from the traditions of genre greats like Steven Lawhead and marrying them to the sensibilities of modern works like Genevieve Gornichec’s THE WITCH’S HEART and Tana French’s IN THE WOODS’ Sidra’s throat had constricted, too narrow to allow her to speak, but her expression must have conveyed enough to the boys gath- ered around her, shivering in the wind. The air turned somber. this was a conclusion i didnt know i wanted. the first book was an okay read and didnt leave much hope for this one, but i found this to be a better installment overall. i was more invested in the characters. i feel like i got to know them more here after all the plot twists about them in the first book. the plot was more engaging even though it did feel slow at times. i also think the relationships (friendship, family, romance) felt more tender & emotional. I really loved this series; it was a solid four-star duology throughout and that is really great! The only thing I would say is that some things felt very underdeveloped to me and left me a tiny bit disappointed. Moray's storyline felt like a plot device and a missed opportunity, we never really got to see his motivations for wanting to find Adaira. I was expecting more answers there. The ending also felt really anti-climactic, and I think an epilogue could have really helped tie up all the loose ends that were left hanging bc the ending felt really abrupt to me and left me with so many questions.

The wind was blowing that afternoon, bearing hard from the east. Sidra had been walking on the northern road, which skirted the coast, carrying a basket of warm oatcakes and several bottles of herbal tonics, squinting into that keen wind. The boys’ frantic shouts had drawn her attention, and she had rushed to aid them, but in the end she had been too late. Speaking of romance, I feel like that word truly encapsulates the entirety of the duology. Not just in terms of the relationships themselves, but regarding the setting, and the magic, and the writing itself. The tone of the narrative is intensely romantic. Reading this made my heart hurt, but in the best way possible. Something about the loveliness of Ross’s craftsmanship and creativity made me yearn.Torin and Sidra-My King and Queen! My love for them can't be measured but I confess that Sidra is my absolute favorite character throughout this series. This woman is a pillar of strength, grace and wisdom. She is PERFECT and I am devoted to her! This book really allows her to show how strong and capable she is, and I was loving all it. My poor Torin found himself in a precarious situation again and even though I loved how he ultimately handled his business; I have to admit I was not a fan of how they had my babies separated for most of the book. Especially since they couldn't communicate for some of book one and now again, they were shoved apart and I was quite grumpy about to be honest. The tenuous balance of the Isle of Cadence is under threat from Bane, the spirit of the north wind . This was way better than river enchanted in my opinion. The characters development and struggles and the mystery, the plot twist everything was very good and it was the perfect conclusion to the story that started in river enchanted 🫶🏻 i can’t recommend this series enough 😭 i think everyone one should experience this lyrical and beautiful writing and the magical story. If you loved divine rivals you’re definitely going to adore this series. Because this is absolute ✨P.E.R.F.E.C.T.I.O.N ✨ As if it were weakness to share one's burdens with another. But I am with you now. I am yours, and I want you to lay your burdens down on me, Adaira. Whatever A River Enchanted had, A Fire Endless has that only its MORE. It is more romantic, more adventurous, more heartfelt and has a plot that just expands deeper with each chapter. I wont go into details because this is a second book and I think you know by now how much I love it.