Reviews with content warning for Fire/Fire injury - A River Enchanted

A River Enchanted is the kind of novel to read snuggled up in bed when the rain is pouring and the wind is blowing a gale outside. A steaming cup of your preferred beverage on your bedside table. Disclaimer - you don't have to read it this way, I certainly didn't - but if you're looking for a cozy read, this one will be right up your alley. Lovers of Scottish folklore and Scottish culture will also no doubt find much to enjoy here, as will fans of the Outlander books and tv series.

With her first foray into adult fiction, Rebecca Ross has created a rich, atmospheric world, full of magic, mystery, and a whiff of political intrigue.

The plot hinges on the return of Jack Tamerlaine, a gifted musician from the Isle of Cadence, who is coming home after being away on the mainland for ten years, immersed in his studies at the university. Upon his arrival, he discovers that young girls are being kidnapped - and the spirits of the Isle are being blamed. At the same time, an old, ancient grudge continues to burn between the Tamerlaines of the Isle's East and the Breccans of the West. Jack must work with his childhood enemy, Adaira, heiress to the Laird of the East, to discover the truth of the kidnappings. But those they love carry deep, long-held secrets, and none will be left unchanged by the events to come.

A River Enchanted is beautifully and lyrically written. Although the main plot hinges on a traumatic event - the kidnapping of young children - Ross treats the subject with great delicacy. Care is taken to describe the effects the kidnappings have, not only on the children taken but on their loved ones left behind. There are scenes of violence, as well as scenes of a more sexual nature, but these too are tastefully handled and are not graphic in detail. The tension between the Tamerlaines and the Breccans was also well done - I love political intrigue in fantasy worlds, and this delivered.

Although, for the most part, I enjoyed A River Enchanted, I did have the occasional issue. Sometimes I felt that I wasn't as invested in the

romance between Jack and Adaira

as I should have been, and cared more about the political intrigue and the other supporting characters in the novel, such as Torin, Sidra, Frae, and Mirin. I don't know if this was the fault of the writing, or if that was just me. The novel is told from the point of view of five characters, and though for the most part I could tell who was narrating, there were occasional times when I became confused. But those were minor issues.

Overall, I really loved the richness of this novel, and look forward to seeing what happens in the sequel and final book in this duology, A Fire Endless.

Content Warnings

clarabooksit's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional slow-paced

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

3.25

Content Warnings

jzthecatlady's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.0

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I was an easy to digest fantasy, as the world was easy to understand and get accustomed to. I did wish the beginning had not gone quite as slowly, but once the book hit it's stride, I read most of it pretty quickly. I'm definitely looking forward to the rest of the series, as I've grown attached to all of these very distinct and well-constructed characters. My two biggest issues were 1. we got multiple perspectives, which fundamentally is fine, but some perspectives we got throughout the entire books, some only once or twice, and sometimes the shift in perspectives was a little clunky. But that's always a pet peeve of mine with multiple perspectives, so it probably won't bother most people. Also, I feel like this book is terribly mismarketed. The blurb makes it seem like Jack and Adaira's story, and while it is, it's also equally Torin and Sidra's story. We got their perspectives just as much if not more than the supposed main characters. And while it worked for the book, it was surprising as it wasn't what I was expecting. We barely saw Adaira for the first 100 pages. All that to say, I loved the characters and the story, despite it not being exactly what I was expecting, and I'm excited to see what happens in the rest of the series.

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