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A review by heartbrekker
A Fire Endless by Rebecca Ross
adventurous
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
5.0
“The other day… I was thinking about all the different paths our lives take, how little choices here and there suddenly guide us to places we never expected. How sometimes even the worst of experiences turn us into what we need to be, even though we would rather avoid the pain. But we grow stronger—we grow sharper—and before we truly even know it, we are looking back on it all. We see who we were and we see who we have become, and it is why the spirits watch us and marvel.”
The Elements of Cadence snuck up on me back in January and became my first five star fantasy read of 2022. The whole duology now sits amongst my favorite reads of all time because A Fire Endless did not disappoint in the slightest. It's actually my favorite book of the duology if I HAD TO pick one. I’m not sure if I’ll ever experience a book/ series like this again. It was gentle yet dark, empathetic and resilient; The Elements of Cadence was truly a breath of fresh air for the fantasy genre.
What made A Fire Endless even better than A River Enchanted was Rebecca Ross's decision to place her lead characters in situations they're uncomfortable with. Sidra? Forced to take up the mantle of running the East. Torin? Forced to interact with the creatures and beings on the island before his loved ones. Adaira and Jack's separation from one another being the last big hoop for the leads. Just everything was perfect in my eyes. The prologue of A Fire Endless is now one of my favorite chapters of the duolgoy because of our new introduction to a special character.
The other reason A Fire Endless beats out A River Enchanted as my favorite between the two is the mere fact that A Fire Endless gives us the West. We did our time in the East in book one, and now its time to give the West its due. I remember feeling cozy whenever the East was described in the first book, but all I could feel in the West was tension, suspicion, and pain. It’s a society built off of brute force, and Rebecca did not hold back with showing readers that at all. All the warmth I had felt previously was completely snuffed out like a candle. The significant difference is only exacerbated by Adaira who has only known the East. Her beliefs are stark against the values of her birth parents. Basically, the difference of cultures between the East and West were fascinating to behold. Plus, the whole reason this plot exists for the duology is because of the West, and unraveling that secret was so interesting—I couldn't put my book down!
Lastly, the ending. Damn was it beautifully tearful. I never once expected that result in the climax, but I knew from that moment there was no way that would be the end to these characters' stories. It made everything a full circle moment with the change in power, and from the beginning, I knew the beings of the island would get their authority over their lives back. Every one of these characters holds my bookish heart in some way, and I feel so incredibly honored to have gotten to know them. I can't wait for Rebecca to write more adult fantasy.
Thank you to HarperVoyager and NetGalley for the eARC access. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Elements of Cadence snuck up on me back in January and became my first five star fantasy read of 2022. The whole duology now sits amongst my favorite reads of all time because A Fire Endless did not disappoint in the slightest. It's actually my favorite book of the duology if I HAD TO pick one. I’m not sure if I’ll ever experience a book/ series like this again. It was gentle yet dark, empathetic and resilient; The Elements of Cadence was truly a breath of fresh air for the fantasy genre.
What made A Fire Endless even better than A River Enchanted was Rebecca Ross's decision to place her lead characters in situations they're uncomfortable with. Sidra? Forced to take up the mantle of running the East. Torin? Forced to interact with the creatures and beings on the island before his loved ones. Adaira and Jack's separation from one another being the last big hoop for the leads. Just everything was perfect in my eyes. The prologue of A Fire Endless is now one of my favorite chapters of the duolgoy because of our new introduction to a special character.
The other reason A Fire Endless beats out A River Enchanted as my favorite between the two is the mere fact that A Fire Endless gives us the West. We did our time in the East in book one, and now its time to give the West its due. I remember feeling cozy whenever the East was described in the first book, but all I could feel in the West was tension, suspicion, and pain. It’s a society built off of brute force, and Rebecca did not hold back with showing readers that at all. All the warmth I had felt previously was completely snuffed out like a candle. The significant difference is only exacerbated by Adaira who has only known the East. Her beliefs are stark against the values of her birth parents. Basically, the difference of cultures between the East and West were fascinating to behold. Plus, the whole reason this plot exists for the duology is because of the West, and unraveling that secret was so interesting—I couldn't put my book down!
Lastly, the ending. Damn was it beautifully tearful. I never once expected that result in the climax, but I knew from that moment there was no way that would be the end to these characters' stories. It made everything a full circle moment with the change in power, and from the beginning, I knew the beings of the island would get their authority over their lives back. Every one of these characters holds my bookish heart in some way, and I feel so incredibly honored to have gotten to know them. I can't wait for Rebecca to write more adult fantasy.
Thank you to HarperVoyager and NetGalley for the eARC access. All thoughts and opinions are my own.