Review: A River Enchanted (Elements of Cadence #1)

A River Enchanted (Elements of Cadence #1)
By Rebecca Ross

Published By: Harper Voyager
Publication Date: February 3, 2022
Date Read: November 30, 2022
Genre: Adult – Fantasy
Source: Bought
Format: Paperback / Audiobook
Pages: 480

From Goodreads:
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.

Jack Tamerlaine hasn’t set foot on Cadence in ten long years, content to study music at the mainland university. But when young girls start disappearing from the isle, Jack is summoned home to help find them. Enchantments run deep on Cadence: gossip is carried by the wind; plaid shawls can be as strong as armor; and the smallest cut of a knife can instill fathomless fear. The capricious spirits that rule the isle by fire, water, earth, and wind find mirth in the lives of the humans who call the land home. Adaira, heiress of the east and Jack’s childhood enemy, knows the spirits only answer to a bard’s music, and she hopes Jack can draw them forth by song, enticing them to return the missing girls.

As Jack and Adaira reluctantly work together, they find they make better allies than rivals as their partnership turns into something more. But with each passing song, it becomes apparent the trouble with the spirits is far more sinister than they first expected, and an older, darker secret about Cadence lurks beneath the surface, threatening to undo them all.

With unforgettable characters, a fast-paced plot, and compelling world building, A River Enchanted is a stirring story of duty, love, and the power of true partnership, and marks Rebecca Ross’s brilliant entry on the adult fantasy stage.

“Let them talk. All that matters in this moment is you and met and what we know is true.”

Rebecca Ross is a completely new author for me. While I had heard of her before, as one of my friends is one of her biggest fans, I had never actually picked up anything by her before. When I saw on Instagram that she was running a read-along of A River Enchanted, ready for the release of the second and final book in this duology, I thought it was the perfect time to start. Holy crap! I am officially a Rebecca Ross fangirl! I cannot put into words just how much I freaking adored this book!

A River Enchanted is an adult Fantasy novel, set on a small fictional island called Cadence. While this world is fictional, it is heavily inspired by Scottish culture and their Folklore tales. Right from the start I was absolutely obsessed with this. While Scottish culture isn’t as big of a change for me, as I live in England not too far from the Scottish borders, I absolutely loved all of the magical creatures that were inspired by their tales and myths. I loved the idea of the children going missing and the characters turning to the magical folk of the island to help them find them. I seriously could not put this book down.

Everything about this book is just phenomenal! The world building, the mythology, the characters… I just adored everything. From reading the blurb, I was fully on board to fall in love with Jack and Adaira. Which, don’t get my wrong, I did. But I was not prepared to fall head over heels in love with Torin and Sidra. Their relationship is so complex, and beautiful! They have been married for years, in a marriage of convenience, yet still go through this incredibly journey of accepting how deeply their feelings for each other run. And I just adored every single second of that journey. I adore them both, and I am dying to dive into book 2 to see how everything plays out with them.

A River Enchanted is without a doubt one of my favourite reads of the year. I loved every second of it. Rebecca Ross is such a phenomenal talent and I can’t wait to go back and read her entire backlist. If you want a beautiful fantasy world, a heart-pounding plot that will make you speed through pages as fast as possible and a romance to die for… then you MUST read this book. It was absolutely stunning in every way possible!

“I think your music would bring us back to life, restore out hope.”