Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - A River Enchanted

Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross

83 reviews

jennagrant's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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chloemakesbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

This was fine. I'm not burning to read the next installment, although the book did end on a cliffhanger of sorts. Probably a good thing because it'll probably be 5 years til the next one publishes.
When I read the description to my husband, he said he tuned out after a single sentence, which cracked me up. A lot of mysterious hinting throughout (sigh), partnerships where one partner can't just say what they want/are thinking (HEAVY sigh), and some basic fantasy conventions. Worldbuilding was minimal and based on Celtic lore. Characterization was a bit ham fisted, but I liked them anyway because that's my thing. Writing was forgettable except for the few places I snorted at cliches. (Do authors know you don't HAVE to write sex scenes?) Just not sure I'll remember this one.

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jessiereads98's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

A River Enchanted follows bard Jack Tamerlaine’s return to the divided Isle of Cadence, where he has been summoned by Adaira Tamerlaine, heiress of the East, to help her solve the mystery of girls going missing. Rebecca Ross weaves together fantasy, romance, and mystery in this atmospheric novel with lyrical prose.

The setting of the Isle of Cadence and the magic in this book clearly take their inspiration from Scotland. I really enjoyed the world building here. The magic system is well crafted, and I appreciated the way Ross handled the cost of wielding magic. I also really enjoyed the concept of the folk here. It was well done, and the folk felt both mystical and like just another part of nature, as they should. Ross definitely got it right in creating folk who were benevolent, those who were tricksters, and those who were ambivalent. The descriptions of the setting in this book also feel magical. The surroundings are described with reverence, without it feeling overwrought.

Ross also created compelling relationships between her characters.

Jack and Adaira’s progression from childhood nemeses to lovers is incredibly sweet. Neither character’s development is sacrificed for the sake of their relationship. We get to see them grow together in such a tender and heartwarming way.

I also really enjoyed the relationship between Sidra and Torin. Following a more mature relationship as it changes and grows isn’t something you see often in fantasy romance, and Ross executed it very well. They face real problems, and have real mature conversations about them. Things aren’t perfect, but they’re working on them. This is handled without it ever feeling clunky or like the author is trying to spoon feed a point to the readers without taking previous characterization into account. The characters, and their relationships, felt very real and grounded here.

The mystery of the missing girls is sensical, without being too easy solve. As a reader, I was able to add things up and notice the important details as things progressed, so when we reached the solution it didn’t seem to come out of nowhere. The final twist to the mystery managed to be both predictable in one way, and surprising in another. I was satisfied by the conclusion, and didn’t feel that I had been tricked for the sake of the shock value of a twist. It set up nicely to leave me looking forward to the second book in the duology, without being devastated by the cliffhanger.

A River Enchanted reads like folklore with its lyrical prose and lush setting inhabited by the folk. I can’t wait to return to the Isle of Cadence and its inhabitants in the conclusion to the duology.

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savvyrosereads's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Jack Tamerlaine is summoned home to help his home isle of Cadence find its missing girls, using a magical power only he possesses.

I really wanted to love this one—its an interesting premise, including lots of Celtic magic vibes, and has really beautiful prose and fun characters. Unfortunately, it ended up being a pretty slow read for me, with the first half or so dragging, some increase in action in the middle, and a pretty fast-paced conclusion that ultimately boosted my overall rating quite a bit.

It’s possible that some of my issue with this one was that I haven’t read straight fantasy in a while (I tend to read a lot more urban fantasy when I read any), but I think it was also because I craved a little more world-building than I ultimately got—I still don’t feel like I really understood all the magic or lore of the novel’s world.

All that said, I ultimately landed more on the “enjoy” side of the coin with this, so I wouldn’t call it a bad book at all, and I’m looking forward to picking up A Fire Endless when it comes out and rounding out the duology!

Recommended especially if you like: Celtic fantasy; faerie stories; multiple character POVs.

CW: Kidnapping/missing children; pregnancy loss/miscarriage/stillbirth; death of parent.

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hannahbailey's review

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adventurous hopeful lighthearted mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

This is a sweeping yet cosy tale that feels like reading by firelight under a warm blanket on a rainy day. Well-written with atmospheric scenes and a beautiful landscape, this book had a lot of promise. I was drawn in by the fact that it's inspired by Scottish folklore/mythology, however it didn't feel like I was reading something Scottish (although I'm not an expert so take that with a pinch of salt). I did enjoy the writing style and the descriptions of the magical isle so it's not all bad!

Sadly what lacked for me were the one-dimensional characters. Each chapter was very long, and reading the third-person narration of characters trying too hard to be good/perfect with no inner conflict was a slog. As it shifted between the perspectives of four main characters, I think it would have benefitted from first-person narration so we could get a deeper look into the characters' psyches. That said, my favourite character (and probably the most developed) was Sidra, who did have inner turmoil as well as difficult decisions to make. Petition for the sequel to be about her please (it won't be)!

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