Jack Tamerlaine hasn't stepped 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 armour, and the smallest cut of a knife can instil 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.
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It was safest to cross the ocean at night when the moon and stars shone in the water. CHAPTER 1
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(@HarperVoyagerUK, 15 February 2022, 320 pages, #ARC from the publisher via # NetGalley)
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This is a new author for me. I decided to read A River Enchanted at random when NetGalley sent out a promotional email. I got hooked on the book within a few pages. I loved the world-building and the way Cadence is brought to life. I liked all of the characters. I loved the fact Jack is a bard and can use music to communicate with the spirits but this can drain his energy so it's not something to be done lightly. I really liked the way the book combines fantasy and thriller elements as Jack and Adaira try to find what's happened to missing girls. This is the first in a series and I can't wait to read the next one.
