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A review by christines_reads
A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
3.75
I’m coming off having just read The Queen’s Rising duology by Rebecca Ross and that felt like a great segue into this series. It has a very similar setting and vocabulary.
I really enjoyed A River Enchanted. I’d seen it recommended quite a bit on Booktok but kind of went into it with low expectations. I liked it more than I thought I would but it wasn’t as exciting as other books I’ve rated 4-5 stars.
I found this book to be very relaxing, despite some of the darker elements- like children being kidnapped. Rebecca’s writing is so beautiful and almost lyrical. It all just flows so naturally and peacefully.
SPOILERS!
I wasn’t expecting so many POVs in this book but I found myself invested in each character’s story. They’re all incredibly likeable- even Torin who’s a little rough around the edges! His and Sidra’s relationship was so sweet. I thought they’re dynamic was so interesting and it was fun to see them fully accept each other and come to embrace their love for each other. I also thought their sex scene was very tastefully done. I’m not a fan of smut/spice so to see a sec scene with little description and no explicit language was so refreshing. They’re both such complex characters who have a lot of heavy trauma but to see them try and be there for each other and support each other was beautiful.
Jack’s character development was so fun to see. He comes back to the island with kind of a bad attitude and convinced he’s going to leave as soon as he can. Once he finds out why he’s been called back (the kidnappings) and that he has a younger sister, he decides to stay longer than he originally wanted. He also comes back harboring some pain and anger towards Adi but the more time he spends with her the less angry he becomes. He starts to embrace his role as the clan bard and he realizes he has no interest in going back to the mainland.
Jack also had to deal with the years he spent believing he was unwanted. Then, for him to come back and suddenly start to feel like he belongs with his clan and his family, he has to reevaluate what he’s always believed about to be true himself. He does this so gracefully and almost seamlessly. It’s evident that he still has those insecurities but he pushes them aside to be there for the ones he loves.
No small part of that is due to Adi. She kind of takes the reins from him at first. She puts herself out there and is the first person to tell him she wants him. She proposes to him, granted it’s not a romantic gesture per-se but she tells him she wants it to be him, not anyone else. I’m so old fashioned and I don’t normally like when the girl “leads a relationship” but given all Jack has been through I think it makes sense for them as a couple.
I feel like we could have seen a little more from Adi. She’s such a strong and caring person. She is always putting the clan first and tries to do what she things is right. She’s bold and knows what she wants and goes for it while also being kind, patient and softhearted. The ending was tough where Adi is concerned because her clan essentially turns their back on her and she’s forced to leave the east and go west with her birth mother from the enemy clan. Adi is such a deep and dynamic character, I hope we see more of her in book 2!
This book also contains a little bit of mystery. Who is kidnapping the kids and why? What does Jack’s mom know? Can the east and west ever live peacefully?
I did find the kidnapper’s reasoning to be a little odd and confusing. It didn’t seem like his reasoning warranted him taking children. Was there no other way to get his point across? I don’t know, it just felt dramatic and extreme to me.
Overall, really enjoyable read just missing that “oomph” that makes it a 4 or 5 star read.
I really enjoyed A River Enchanted. I’d seen it recommended quite a bit on Booktok but kind of went into it with low expectations. I liked it more than I thought I would but it wasn’t as exciting as other books I’ve rated 4-5 stars.
I found this book to be very relaxing, despite some of the darker elements- like children being kidnapped. Rebecca’s writing is so beautiful and almost lyrical. It all just flows so naturally and peacefully.
SPOILERS!
I wasn’t expecting so many POVs in this book but I found myself invested in each character’s story. They’re all incredibly likeable- even Torin who’s a little rough around the edges! His and Sidra’s relationship was so sweet. I thought they’re dynamic was so interesting and it was fun to see them fully accept each other and come to embrace their love for each other. I also thought their sex scene was very tastefully done. I’m not a fan of smut/spice so to see a sec scene with little description and no explicit language was so refreshing. They’re both such complex characters who have a lot of heavy trauma but to see them try and be there for each other and support each other was beautiful.
Jack’s character development was so fun to see. He comes back to the island with kind of a bad attitude and convinced he’s going to leave as soon as he can. Once he finds out why he’s been called back (the kidnappings) and that he has a younger sister, he decides to stay longer than he originally wanted. He also comes back harboring some pain and anger towards Adi but the more time he spends with her the less angry he becomes. He starts to embrace his role as the clan bard and he realizes he has no interest in going back to the mainland.
Jack also had to deal with the years he spent believing he was unwanted. Then, for him to come back and suddenly start to feel like he belongs with his clan and his family, he has to reevaluate what he’s always believed about to be true himself. He does this so gracefully and almost seamlessly. It’s evident that he still has those insecurities but he pushes them aside to be there for the ones he loves.
No small part of that is due to Adi. She kind of takes the reins from him at first. She puts herself out there and is the first person to tell him she wants him. She proposes to him, granted it’s not a romantic gesture per-se but she tells him she wants it to be him, not anyone else. I’m so old fashioned and I don’t normally like when the girl “leads a relationship” but given all Jack has been through I think it makes sense for them as a couple.
I feel like we could have seen a little more from Adi. She’s such a strong and caring person. She is always putting the clan first and tries to do what she things is right. She’s bold and knows what she wants and goes for it while also being kind, patient and softhearted. The ending was tough where Adi is concerned because her clan essentially turns their back on her and she’s forced to leave the east and go west with her birth mother from the enemy clan. Adi is such a deep and dynamic character, I hope we see more of her in book 2!
This book also contains a little bit of mystery. Who is kidnapping the kids and why? What does Jack’s mom know? Can the east and west ever live peacefully?
I did find the kidnapper’s reasoning to be a little odd and confusing. It didn’t seem like his reasoning warranted him taking children. Was there no other way to get his point across? I don’t know, it just felt dramatic and extreme to me.
Overall, really enjoyable read just missing that “oomph” that makes it a 4 or 5 star read.