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bookjudy42's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Blood, Kidnapping, and Grief
Moderate: Sexual content, Violence, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Self harm, Torture, and Medical content
minnow's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
It's entertaining and is, in parts, beautifully written. However, it's at best a snack, and not a very filling one. It takes some of the tropes I love and over-uses them until it made my eyes roll every time they popped up in the text--how many times can Jack rake back his hair with one hand? There are so many aching chests that this story needed a cardiologist more than it needed a bard. Every emotion is set at ten, every moment is The Most Dramatic Moment, which reduces every truly heightened emotion and moment to zero. If everything is in stereo, nothing is in stereo.
Yet the world-building is lovely and well-done. I wish it had been focused on more and there had been less romantic navel-gazing and reminiscing performed by secondary characters. The development of the main characters feels abrupt; it's handled better with the supporting characters Torin and Sidra. There is one mildly spicy scene that is well done but feels poorly placed in the narrative.
A beautiful premise that feels shallow. I won't read further into the series as it didn't enchant me.
Moderate: Chronic illness, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Self harm, Sexual content, Torture, Blood, Death of parent, and Murder
cassie7e's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Death, Self harm, Violence, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, and Abandonment
Minor: Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Blood, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
rsb12's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death, Violence, Xenophobia, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Chronic illness, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Infertility, Self harm, Sexual content, Medical content, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
linneak's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Xenophobia, Blood, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Drug use, Miscarriage, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and War
blueberry_waffle29's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Child death, Self harm, Sexual content, and Violence
heatherjchin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content, Violence, and War
Minor: Self harm, Torture, Blood, Death of parent, and Murder
karin_gorham's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Kidnapping
Moderate: Miscarriage and Violence
Minor: Self harm
chrisljm's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Blood, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Miscarriage, Self harm, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and War
Minor: Child abuse
jessiereads98's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
The setting of the Isle of Cadence and the magic in this book clearly take their inspiration from Scotland. I really enjoyed the world building here. The magic system is well crafted, and I appreciated the way Ross handled the cost of wielding magic. I also really enjoyed the concept of the folk here. It was well done, and the folk felt both mystical and like just another part of nature, as they should. Ross definitely got it right in creating folk who were benevolent, those who were tricksters, and those who were ambivalent. The descriptions of the setting in this book also feel magical. The surroundings are described with reverence, without it feeling overwrought.
Ross also created compelling relationships between her characters.
The mystery of the missing girls is sensical, without being too easy solve. As a reader, I was able to add things up and notice the important details as things progressed, so when we reached the solution it didn’t seem to come out of nowhere. The final twist to the mystery managed to be both predictable in one way, and surprising in another. I was satisfied by the conclusion, and didn’t feel that I had been tricked for the sake of the shock value of a twist. It set up nicely to leave me looking forward to the second book in the duology, without being devastated by the cliffhanger.
A River Enchanted reads like folklore with its lyrical prose and lush setting inhabited by the folk. I can’t wait to return to the Isle of Cadence and its inhabitants in the conclusion to the duology.
Graphic: Violence, Blood, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
Minor: Self harm, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail