This was so atmospheric! The prose was lush and descriptive without being purple. Will definitely be checking out the author's backlist because I loved her atmospheric prose so much.

The plot was very simple and straightforward: little girls have been going missing and presumably the mischievous magical spirits that live on the island are to blame. The ruler's daughter decides to team up with a musician to play music for the spirits to draw them out so they can be questioned. While these investigations are happening, the ruler's daughter is also trying to arrange for a flow of trade between her kingdom and the kingdom on the other side of the island, who they have tense relations with.

It's not much more complicated than that. I found Adaira, the ruler's daughter, to be a super bland character. She could have been very interesting, but she was always so composed and formal and we never really go to know her. Her pov sections I felt like were only so we could see that she was occasionally nervous about Jack, the musician, being interested in her. Seriously, she always had it together and she never cracked for a moment. She wasn't particularly funny or bold or anything at all. Her most unique feature was her silver hair. Yes seriously. Her hair.

Jack was also pretty dull and surface level. He had potential, but his weaknesses weren't weak enough, his strengths not strong enough. He was washed out. He could have been proud, or stubborn, or insecure, or anything. given his background, But we barely skimmed the surface.
Like Adaira, he made rational and level headed decisions every time. He barely displayed any personality.

The other pov characters, Sidra and Torin were much more interesting and had way more distinct voices. I loved their dynamic and the tension in their relationship was EVERYTHING. I wish they were the main characters and the only pov characters, even though they really weren't the ones moving the story forward. But if they had a little more agency and Adaira and Jack had a little less, they could have been main characters. I so wish that had been the case because they were so much more likable and compelling.

Ultimately, the atmosphere was fantastic, the prose was beautiful, but the main characters fell really flat. I don't know if I'll read the next book. Maybe.

“I am death. And you… You are life.”
“…Does that mean we cannot exist as one?”
“No… It means that without you, I am nothing.”
The main romance is very sweet and develops when childhood rivals meet again as adults. The characters and their individual arcs were the center of the plot as a whole. Jack is a bit of a grumpy bard and has been summoned back to his homeland after training and teaching at the university on the mainland for the past decade. There’s a mystery surrounding spirits of the isle where little girls are being stolen in the night. Jack teams with his childhood nemesis, Adaira, to help her solve this mystery. I did want there to be something to move me through the story more, but overall the world building was fantastic and the characters memorable.

I really enjoyed this story.
Im a big fan of the stories of best friends who become enemies when they grow up, but due to life circumstances they reconnect and between resolving important situations the relationship with them begins to grow into love, and even more so when it is at a slow pace.
I like that the story has different voices, it is certainly a plus and I love reading the POVs of the characters that were also important for the for the story and not just the one from main characters.
Without a doubt the fantasy part is what I liked the most in this story, which is something I like more and more and I wouldn't mind if the romance never happens. Give me a good fantasy plot and you got me. But here the author has done well on both.

This one was absolutely beautiful. It was medium paced, at times fast paced. Magnificently woven with a fascinating fantasy plot, characters I really loved and rooted for, not one but two swoon worthy romances, mystery, and an absolutely lush setting you really feel immersed in. Literally all the elements I’ve been looking for and the cliffhanger has me feeling equal parts satisfied in a well done book and also agonizing for the sequel. I don’t have any complaints about this one. Even the writing was poetic and consistently so. I am off to read more by this author.

Thank you Netgally, Avon, and Harper Voyager for sending me an e-Arc of this book to review.

What beautiful story that is both a blend of mystery and adventure. This story is medium-slow paced and a healthy mix of plot and character driven events. You cannot help but fall in love with each character, even though they may be stubborn and/or complicated.

The story takes place in Cadence, the home of a clan with great magic and many secrets. When girls go missing, Jack Tamerlaine, a bard, comes home to help solve the mystery of the missing girls and he must work with his childhood rival to find them. I will admit that this rivalry was built on shaky development and right away you can see their chemistry. However, watching them navigate their feelings and what it means for the clan was fascinating.

The world-building and magical mechanics were also a bit weakly explained. You are told that there are consequences for their magic, but you never really understand why it happens and why magic can be done freely in other lands. I also wished to see a bit more of the spirits and fae influencing the story, but their influence was very sparse,

However, where the book shines is its lyrical prose. You immediately get swept away like the current of a river, and you feel enchanted the entire time.

A River Enchanted reads like a delicious meal, something that slowly sinks in and makes you want to savor it!
The story includes a multi-pov cast that will draw you in and leave you yearning to know them and love them in real life. With a backdrop of Scottish folklore, this book is the perfect atmospheric read for a cold February night. The selling point for me was easily the romance! Jack and Adira serve tropes in the best way, and I was constantly rooting for them and hoping they could overcome their childhood animosity and reconnect as they fought to save the kingdom. I will absolutely be reading more in the series!

3.5
This book is a very well thought out story. It’s complicated, simple, fast paced, slow paced, and packed with information all at the same time.
Jack Tamerlaine has been content studying music at the mainland university. He hasn’t been back to Cadence in ten years but when young girls begin disappearing from the isle, he receives a summons to return to help find them.
Enchantments run deep in Cadence where gossip is carried by the wind (literally), small little cuts can instill incredible fear, and plaid shawls can be just as strong as armor. The isle is ruled by the spirits (fire, water, earth, wind). They play an integral part in the lives of the residents. Adaira, Jack’s childhood enemy and also the heiress of the east, knows that the spirits only answer to a bard's music and she is hoping that Jack can bring them out to help with the missing girls.
As the two work together, they start to realize they make better allies than they do enemies so their new partnership begins to develop into more. However, it’s soon apparent that the trouble with the spirits is far more than what they first expected and an older and darker secret about the isle is beginning to surface.
This is a good book but it does have some relatively slow moments. The book is full of information and makes this a perfect set up for a second book. If you get the chance to check out the audiobook the narrator is excellent and reads the book with her Scottish accent so it really adds to the story but it’s just as good to simply read it as well.
If you are interested in checking out a new fantasy series that leans a lot on folklore (the isles mainly) you may be interested in this one.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

First off, wow. Rebecca Ross knows how to write an atmospheric novel. The language in this book is beautiful, the world and magic system she builds are beautiful. The characters are beautiful. Basically, this whole thing is beautiful.

It took me a little longer to read this book than I was expecting as I was more savoring this story versus devouring it, but once I got past the 60% mark I couldn't put it down. The revelations! The secrets! It was one dramatic thing after the other and I couldn't get enough.

I'm not sure how I'm going to be able to wait till December for book 2 and the finale of this story. Rebecca Ross has built something really special with this one.

Let me start this off by saying I did find this an enjoyable read. It was very strong in some aspects, but not in others. I think one of my favorite aspects of this book was how atmospheric it was, and it was very easy to get a clear image of the world and just the entire aesthetic. I completely adored Torin and Sidra, they had such amazing chemistry and it was so heartwarming to watch them strengthen their relationship and push past their obstacles. I thought the main characters(Jack and Adaira) were well suited for each other and their passionate moments were so sweet and gentle, but I just couldn’t help but feel that their relationship as a whole seemed pretty rushed, and it seemed a bit unnatural. Because the book focuses heavily on the setting and atmosphere, there really wasn’t a ton going on plot wise besides the occasional raid or performing for some spirits so I found it a but hard to stay interested at some points. I did really enjoy the premise but I felt that the length of the book might have made it seem more slow moving. But anyways I did enjoy this book and it was really a perfect escape from reality!

I thought this was great. I love folklore and fairytales. The Scottish folklore vibes are fantastic. It's very atmospheric. I enjoyed the clan dynamic.
The magic is interesting. It can be woven in plaids and worked into weapons. I also loved the part the elements played in this. How the wind can carry secrets, and if you call for someone the wind will carry your call.
I wish I had the next book in my hands right now!

It's been a while since I've read an adult fantasy book and, I have to say, this one was so good! I forgot how most adult fantasy books have more free room to explore tropes and mature themes that are typically banned from young adult books. I loved the political intrigue that the author built up in this world, the characters were so relatable and diverse, and the hint of romance was beautifully done! Definitely pick this one up if you are in the mood to read a good adult fantasy book.

A River Enchanted is a beautiful and majestic story of friendship, belonging, and music. Rebecca Ross weaves her story with grace and skill. Jack and Adaira have a complicated relationship which adds depth to the story. I can't wait for the second installment.

I loved the setting of this Scottish folk fantasy and the compelling relationships between the two central couples. Though I think some passages could have been more succinct in writing style, I definitely enjoyed this novel and upon finishing, couldn’t wait for book two!

This Scottish-inspired epic fantasy is somehow cozy and inviting while still ushering in that prickling sense of being watched, of spirits that work in unfathomable patterns. The isle of Cadence is a wild place caught between two lairds with a magical barrier and a long history of enmity between them. Our story begins when Jack and his harp are called home to the isle after a decade away. His clan needs a bard in a time of crisis. Young girls are disappearing without a trace. There's a slow build of tension and mystery for the first part of the book, no less compelling for the steady pace that layers in intrigue and the weariness of an impossible task. Secrets lose their power in the final, wild unfurling of the plot, giving the buildup a worthy conclusion and a taste of the drama that's yet to come.

The story packs in not one but TWO romance plots with all POVs accounted for. On the one hand, we have childhood rivals who have become unwilling allies in adulthood. There's not exactly a wedding of convenience, but it's in the vicinity. There's also a marriage tested by the kidnapping of their daughter. What was once started as a practical match now runs much deeper if the two can share some honesty. This second romance plot convinced me that all men should experience a silencing enchantment so they might suffer time with their inner thoughts, revelations about their feelings, etc. without the sound of their own voice. It seems a good use of their time.

The book has world-building that is enticing, steeped in legend, and detailed without feeling heavy. There's also a clear sense that we have much more to learn about the enemy clan to the west and about the machinations of the spirits. From the brief interactions summoned by Jack's harp, I found all the spirits arresting, but the aesthetic of the air folk has me especially hoping we'll see more detail about the four winds in future books. I'm always chasing that magical ambience.

This fantasy kicks off a new series with lingering atmosphere, introducing a cast of characters I'm excited to see more of. I particularly demand more Sidra content in future outings. Thanks to Harper Voyager for my copy to read and review!

In her newest novel A River Enchanted, Rebecca Ross takes readers on a journey into Scottish folklore about the power of music and the true meaning of home.

Overall Rating: 4.5✰
Tropes: enemies to lovers, rivals to lovers, forbidden love
Content Warnings: abduction, violence, blood

While it took me a few chapters to grow fully invested in the story, I loved A River Enchanted! Rebecca Ross’ writing style is very polished and flows very well through the pages. She does a great job at getting the storyline and characters to develop, and the plot twists were planted well and were not overabundant.

As a protagonist, Jack was very easy to relate to and to root for, especially as his views on himself and his homeland grow throughout the story. The same goes for Adaira, as she is perceived to be a despised character by Jack, but as I learned her true intentions, I grew very fond of her.

I also loved the Scottish folklore in the story, especially with spirits. While I am not Scottish, I know a little about Celtic-based folklore and how moving and cultured it is from a storytelling perspective.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for providing me with a copy of this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I feel somewhere in the middle about A River Enchanted. The writing was beautiful and I loved how the book was simultaneously a melancholic and cosy. It was also a rare instance for me where I loved the world and I wanted to see more from it as a character. I especially would have liked to have seen more foreshadowing and playfulness from the various element spirits in terms of the main plot reveals, which ultimately came from character monologues without much lead-in. These large plot reveals, leading into the main mystery of the missing lasses, felt very low-stakes, as did my engagement with the major characters. In particular, I felt that the “enemies to lovers” storyline may have been narratively convenient in terms of the relationships between Jack and Adaira, the Clan, and Cadence itself, but it also didn’t really make sense or add to the plot and was ultimately a distraction. Overall, 3.5 stars from me, rounded up, largely due to the imaginative world and the strength of the atmospheric writing.

“A River Enchanted” by Rebecca Ross is a fantasy novel with strong fairytale vibes. The isle’s lore and culture, think Scottish lore, enchanted me. Ross weaves the spirits and their mythology into the story as it unfolds, allowing the reader to piece everything together.

A river divides the Isle of Cadence, but the division goes deeper than water. The river separates the two clans, who hate each other because of a long-standing feud. In the past, the spirits divided the magic unequally between the clans. I suspect the series is going to deal with this issue. Add the elemental spirits, who are capricious, speak in riddles, and interfere in relations between the clans, to the mix and a reader can expect serious problems.

Jack, a young bard who left Cadence years ago, returns when the leader of his clan sends him a summons. He returns to discover he has a sister he didn’t know about, and someone is kidnapping young girls. He stays to help find the girls and stop the kidnapper.

At its heart, this story is about family, relationships, and romance. The story is told from multiple points of view. Jack, the bard, whose music can summon the spirits; Adaira, the Heiress of the East, who didn’t get along with Jack when they were children; Torin, the captain of the guards, and Sidra, Torin’s wife, are the main point of view characters.

What I liked:

The fairytale style of the story. This book could have started with “Once upon a time…” and I would have been happy to follow Jack and the other characters on their adventures.

I love stories about characters, relationships, and family dynamics. “A River Enchanted” digs deep into these relationships. This is the greatest strength of this story.

The lore intrigued me. An example: the wind hears what people say, and people can call each other by speaking aloud, but on the flip side, anything spoke where the wind can hear becomes public knowledge. If a character wants to say something private to another character, they have to get inside, make sure the windows aren’t open, and speak to each other.

What I wasn’t crazy about:

The romance: while other relationships developed at a realistic rate, the romance happened too fast and seemed superficial.

Slow paced: this didn’t bother me; I enjoy well-written books that focus on character. However, readers who want action and a plot that moves along at a faster pace beware.

Recommendation:

Go into the story knowing it’s slow paced and focused on characters and relationships. It takes awhile before the characters solve the mystery, and we get some of our questions answered.

I want to thank NetGalley and Harper Voyager for an ARC copy of “A River Enchanted.”

A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross is a charming, atmospheric book steeped in myth and lore. The prose is lyrical, and I was thoroughly engaged with the story, wanting to know what would happen next. Ross creates characters that you quickly grow to care about deeply. I highly recommend this beautiful book! I look forward with eager anticipation to the next book of the Elements of Cadence series.

Thank you so much for an opportunity to read this book! I fine from time to time an enchanted fantasy is exactly what the book reading vibes are sending me and this book did not disappoint.
This was an entrancing lyrical tale with thematic movement, relatable characters, and a rich, world building that left me wanting more after each page. It did take a while to get invested in the narrative, but I think this is always true for fantasy tales and particularly those that intend to become a series. I'll definitely be picking up the next book when it comes out.

An utterly enchanting read! This is Rebecca Ross’ first adult novel and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I have read her The Queen’s Rising duology and loved those books as well. Her writing draws me in. Even though this is an adult novel, I would say readers of YA can enjoy this book. There are no lengthy and detailed sex scenes or disturbing violence. I don’t read a lot of adult fantasy books but I can say I didn’t need either of those things for me to enjoy this book.

Jack Tamerlaine, after years of being away, returns to his childhood home, the isle of Cadence. Jack wishes to return quickly to the Mainland and continue his teachings in music, but his clan needs his help in finding their missing girls. This brings Jack face to face with his childhood nemesis, Adaira. There is so much more than just two enemies working together but spirits of the isle, feud between the two clans, complicated relationships and mysteries to unravel.

I freaking loved the characters. Everyone seems so reasonable. The characters are so lovable because they are flawed and have issues to resolve, while having each other’s backs. We have perspectives for several characters but it never felt jarring or disjointed. Jack is a little grumpy pants who really doesn’t want to be there but knows they need his help as a bard to call the spirits. Adaira and him have a enemies to lovers type of dynamic but they overcome their past rivalry and work together because they care more about finding the girls as oppose to any prior pettiness. Really loved Jack and Adaira separately and working together. Torin, Captain of the Guard, has a lot on his plate but I love how slowly him and his wife, Sidra, work on their marriage. It isn’t easy sharing your burdens but they find a way to make it work.

The world-building is riveting and magical. Secrets are woven into plaids strong as armor, blades held enchantments and gossip can be carried through the wind. I love how there was history explained about the feuding clans and the isle. The world-building was amazing and rich but not so overly complicated that you wouldn’t be able to follow.

This book had a wonderful blend of romance, action, high stakes, mysteries, complex and realistic characters, enchanting setting and lyrical writing. I’m about to pre-order the next book because I can’t wait to find out what happens next!

*Received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*