Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross

8 reviews

kbowles24's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Kidnapping

Minor: Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Pregnancy, Death, Death of parent, and Grief

rsb12's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Death, and Violence

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Terminal illness, Grief, Blood, Chronic illness, Death of parent, and Miscarriage

Minor: Medical content, Self harm, Fire/Fire injury, Infertility, Abandonment, Pregnancy, and Sexual content

rayreyes's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny inspiring mysterious relaxing sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Wow wow wow. Killer. I’m so grateful I came across this book because of an instagram post by another favorite author. Truly fantastical and enthralling. I’ll sing this book’s praises all year. Reads like this give new weight to a five star read.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Death of parent, and Kidnapping

Minor: Stalking, Grief, Torture, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, Child death, Abandonment, War, and Miscarriage

cakrolik's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Grief, Blood, and Violence

Moderate: Murder

Minor: Death, Miscarriage, Torture, Violence, Sexual content, Child death, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

kjf524's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping

Minor: Murder, Confinement, Violence, War, Death of parent, Grief, Infertility, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

chrisljm's review

adventurous mysterious reflective medium-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Blood

Moderate: Death, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Bullying, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Medical content, Miscarriage, War, Murder, Self harm, Terminal illness, Torture, and Violence

Minor: Child abuse

beautifulpaxielreads's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective slow-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

4.0

A River Enchanted is the kind of novel to read snuggled up in bed when the rain is pouring and the wind is blowing a gale outside. A steaming cup of your preferred beverage on your bedside table.  Disclaimer - you don't have to read it this way, I certainly didn't - but if you're looking for a cozy read, this one will be right up your alley. Lovers of Scottish folklore and Scottish culture will also no doubt find much to enjoy here, as will fans of the Outlander books and tv series.

With her first foray into adult fiction, Rebecca Ross has created a rich, atmospheric world, full of magic, mystery, and a whiff of political intrigue.

The plot hinges on the return of Jack Tamerlaine, a gifted musician from the Isle of Cadence, who is coming home after being away on the mainland for ten years, immersed in his studies at the university. Upon his arrival, he discovers that young girls are being kidnapped - and the spirits of the Isle are being blamed.  At the same time, an old, ancient grudge continues to burn between the Tamerlaines of the Isle's East and the Breccans of the West.  Jack must work with his childhood enemy, Adaira, heiress to the Laird of the East, to discover the truth of the kidnappings. But those they love carry deep, long-held secrets, and none will be left unchanged by the events to come.

A River Enchanted is beautifully and lyrically written. Although the main plot hinges on a traumatic event - the kidnapping of young children - Ross treats the subject with great delicacy. Care is taken to describe the effects the kidnappings have, not only on the children taken but on their loved ones left behind. There are scenes of violence, as well as scenes of a more sexual nature, but these too are tastefully handled and are not graphic in detail. The tension between the Tamerlaines and the Breccans was also well done - I love political intrigue in fantasy worlds, and this delivered.

Although, for the most part, I enjoyed A River Enchanted, I did have the occasional issue. Sometimes I felt that I wasn't as invested in the

romance between Jack and Adaira

as I should have been, and cared more about the political intrigue and the other supporting characters in the novel, such as Torin, Sidra, Frae, and Mirin.  I don't know if this was the fault of the writing, or if that was just me. The novel is told from the point of view of five characters, and though for the most part I could tell who was narrating, there were occasional times when I became confused. But those were minor issues.

Overall, I really loved the richness of this novel, and look forward to seeing what happens in the sequel and final book in this duology, A Fire Endless.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Kidnapping, and Death of parent

Moderate: Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Violence, Blood, and Medical content

Minor: Pregnancy

Brief description of a traumatic birth where the child is stillborn. The plot hinges on the kidnapping of young girls, although

they are told to keep silent about what has happened, they are not described as having suffered any physical, verbal, or mental abuse

. Practitioners of magic do so

at a cost to their health and vitality.

. Raids on homes and villages are described. Many weapons are

enchanted, not only injuring the bodies of their victims, but also have other supernatural side effects.

beckyg1016's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A great adult fantasy in a world inspired by Scottish culture & lore - there is love and magic, sorrow and joy, secrets and lies and truths that run bone-deep. 
This was so good - 450+ pages read in a single week - and my only disappointment is that the 2nd book of the Elements of Cadence Duology isn't due out for nearly a year!! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping

Moderate: Blood, Abandonment, and Death

Minor: Infertility, Pregnancy, Sexual content, and Child death