Published By: HarperCollins
Pages: 512
Released On: 08/12/2022
East and West. Humans and Spirits. Breccans and Tamerlaines. The Isle of Cadence has always held itself and its residents in a tenuous balance. But now Bane, the spirit of the North Wind, has pushed everyone and everything in his path off-kilter in a bid to claim dominion over all.
In the West, Adaira struggles to adjust to the more brutal, bitter ways of life among the Breccans. Striving to find her place in the clan, she swiftly realizes that it just might be the last role she desires to hold. And while magic blooms effortlessly for the Breccans in the west, the spirits continue to suffer beneath Bane’s harsh power, felt in every gust of wind.
In the East, Jack is adrift without Adaira until he sings to the ember-weak fire spirits, acquiring a dangerous mission he never expected. One that is destined to lead him westward. Likewise, Torin and Sidra are consumed by a new mystery as sickness spreads first amongst the crops, and then to the people of the Tamerlaine clan. While Sidra desperately searches for a cure, Torin dares to strike a bargain with the spirits–a precarious folly anytime, but especially now as the days grow darker.
With the island falling further out of balance, humans and spirits alike will need to join together to face Bane, and Jack’s gift with the harp will be called upon once more. Yet no one can challenge the North Wind without paying a terrible price, and the sacrifice required this time may be more than Jack, Adaira, Torin, and Sidra can bear to pay.
*****
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
I absolutely adored the first in the series – A River Enchanted – it was so good I was immediately sucked in. I’ve been looking forward to a sequel for ages, so I settled in for the long haul with this book, perfect for a winter evening.
I’ve said it before that I don’t think many books warrant a long page count and the ideal for me is about 300. So 500+ is an instant red flag, but you’d never know it was that long. And quite frankly, I’d read 1,000 pages of this book if I could.
There’s no dithering at the start, it opens with a bang and maintains that pace throughout. An impressive feat at 500+ pages.
I did have to refresh myself quickly on the ending of the first book, but that took no time at all, and then I was fully absorbed.
I fell the characters are more developed in this one. In book number one, they were still finding their feet and we were figuring out who they were. They feel more familiar, which means you can dive straight in.
This is a fantasy story with such depth. It’s beautifully written, with wonderful character creation, gorgeous scenery, wonderful themes..and I think I’ve used all the adjectives I’ve got. It’s so much more than “just” a fantasy. It’s got so much heart and soul in it and I would put it up there with one of the best fantasy series I’ve read. It’s a shame people aren’t making more of a song and dance about it as it deserves to be on everyone’s bookshelves.
There is nothing – nothing – negative I can say about it. I’m always honest in my review snd I try to balance the good and the bad, but there just isn’t any bad stuff. I can’t pick a favourite character as they’re all brilliant, the themes are so touching and so real, the plot quick but doesn’t rush, it’s exciting but not overwhelming. It’s just perfect.
Everyone that knows me knows I love an early night. There’s nothing better for me, especially in the winter, to be snuggled up in bed with a cup of tea by 9pm. But I couldn’t put this down. I had about 200 pages left by the time I went to bed but there was no way I could sleep without finishing it. So if I’m cranky today, it’s Rebecca Ross’ fault.
I tried to think of other popular, mainstream fantasy books I could compare it to. Not Harry Potter because it doesn’t have witches and wizards in a school. Not Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit because it doesn’t involve…well…hobbits. Not The Hunger Games as there’s no televised fight. It is of its own kind, and that kind is bloomin epic!
From what I can gather, this is a two-book series, and whilst it’s all neat and tidy at the end, I could read this story for much longer so if she ever decides to return to it, I’ll definitely be there.
I’ve run out of fancy writer ways of saying how good this is and why you should buy it. So I’ll put simply: this is so good and you need to buy it. Now. Please.
Books By Your Bedside 