Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

A Fire Endless by Rebecca Ross

8 reviews

linneak's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75


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beautifulpaxielreads's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective slow-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? No

4.0

A Fire Endless is a fitting end to the Elements of Cadence duology and an equally fitting sequel to A River Enchanted.

Rebecca Ross has crafted these twin books with great care, and it shows in the writing. Whilst reading Fire, I could feel her expert hand guiding the plot and characters, rather like (at least as it seemed to me) a chess master moving all their pieces into place to reach - in this case - a winning conclusion.

There were times when it seemed that Ross's writing held me under some magic spell, that to stop reading would be to break it.  I realise that may sound odd and faintly ridiculous, but it is a testament to the immersiveness of the world and characters Ross has created that I felt this way.

I don't mean to say that this book was without flaws. Sometimes in between reading sessions I would lose the thread of certain plot elements, and had to accept that they had already been explained so I did not have to go back and reread. And that phrase I referred to earlier, about the chess master? Well, there were times when the chain of events seemed a little too convenient, too planned, too predictable.

But these quibbles didn't affect my overall enjoyment of the novel, and I am greatly looking forward to reading more from the extremely talented Rebecca Ross.


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chrisljm's review against another edition

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

4.0

A great conclusion to the duology; I enjoyed this book more than the first one. The pacing is slow but it built so much tension that way and left me eager to find out how it all concludes. I think Rebecca Ross did a fantastic job formulating this novel and making all the separate arcs/characters come together. I especially enjoyed the journey that Torin had to take and the way him and Sidra had to step into the other's role. And while I didn't care for the romance between Jack and Adaira, I loved seeing them reunite again. I'm glad to have gotten to read these two books. 

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mcbuckelew's review against another edition

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

4.5


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xta_07's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

More like tears endless… I have felt all of the feelings… And I mean that as a huge compliment. Ross’ writing style simply swept me away, it was a lovely story that was beautifully written.  Adaria/Jack’s relationship is simply the sweetest, and reading Adaria’s journey of finding her voice and strength was such a pleasure to read. I also really enjoyed Torin/Sid’s story as well; as they struggle to find balance between what’s best for the Isle, and what is best for their partner.

This was a story of couples learning to trust in the strengths of their partners, when to lean on them, and when to take their burdens. ❤️

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krisalexcole's review against another edition

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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? No

2.25


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thecriticalreader's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful 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? Yes

4.5

I was excited to see the sequel to A River Enchanted was listed as an add-on for the December Book of the Month picks! 
 
Blurb: 
In this conclusion to the Elements of Cadence duology, a blight is infecting the East and West of the isle of Cadence, and the spirits are restless under the despotic rule of Bane, King of the Northern Wind. Jack remains in the East while his wife, Adaira, lives with her parents from the enemy Breccan Clan. Tensions and stress run high as the Tamerlaine and Breccan Clans struggle to trust one another amidst a war in the spirit realm. 
 
Review:
Rebecca Ross’s writing has a magic of its own. Every time I opened A Fire Endless, I forgot that I was reading and became completely immersed in the world and story she created. Her writing allowed me to grasp the storyline, feel the emotions the characters were feeling, and understand the world’s magic with little to no effort, which is not an easy feat in the fantasy genre. I also appreciate her ability to build stakes without making her story too dark. 
 
As I read, there were very few moments that pulled me out of the story. One thing that struck me was how Rebecca Ross eschews cheap plot devices or lazy story conventions to further the story. The main characters, although not perfect, act intelligently and respond appropriately to their situations. Ross lets her story unfold naturally and at its own pace. The result is a magnificent story that is enjoyable to read and provides a satisfying conclusion to the duology.
 
The only thing that is keeping me from rating A Fire Endless as a 4.75 or 5 is that Ross did not take any risks with the ending of the story. That does not mean that the ending is bad—far from it. I am glad that she chose the safe route if she did not feel that she could handle a bolder ending. That being said, I think if she had been able to successfully shake things up more at the end, A Fire Endless might have been a masterpiece.
 
The Run-Down: 
You will almost certainly like A Fire Endless if you liked the first book in the duology. 
 

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brontesauruses's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious 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

4.75

The publisher gave me early access in exchange for an honest review.
There is so much genuine love in these books and in these characters. There is blood and death and tragedy, but there is always love too. That might be my favorite thing about them, really

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