A River Enchanted: A Novel (Elements of Cadence, 1)

“Exquisitely written with compelling characters and romance . . . I was swept away by the enchanting and magical world Rebecca Ross crafted, and loved every moment of it.” — Sue Lynn Tan, bestselling author of Daughter of the Moon Goddess

Enter the isle of Cadence in this novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Divine Rivals—a Scottish-inspired fantasy brimming with enemies-to-lovers romance, magic and spirits, and a captivating mystery

It starts with a letter and an ominous journey across dark waters. Ten years after being sent away to the mainland to become a bard, Jack Tamerlaine is summoned home to Cadence. Girls are going missing from the island, and Adaira, his childhood nemesis and the future leader of the clan, believes Jack is the only one who can find them.

The elemental spirits that dwell in every breath of air, splash of water, blade of grass, and flicker of fire find mirth in the lives of the humans, and a bard’s music is the only way to summon them and ask that the girls be returned. Yet as Jack and Adaira get closer to solving the mystery, it becomes apparent that an older, darker secret about Cadence lurks beneath the surface, and no harp song may be strong enough to stop it.

With unforgettable characters, a thrilling plot, and a lush folklore-infused world, A River Enchanted is a stirring story of duty, love, and creating harmony between opposing forces. This first book in the Elements of Cadence duology marks Rebecca Ross’s brilliant entry on the adult fantasy stage.

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496 pages

Average rating: 7.65

177 RATINGS

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Shanleyroach

Mar 27, 2025

7/10 stars

I think this was a good little 3.5 ⭐️ Fable / 3 ⭐️ Goodreads / 7 ⭐️ here fantasy read. This is Rebecca Ross’s first foray into adult fantasy from my understanding, though the writing was maybe still a tad YA, and it was a good little read. Felt like the pace was steady but winding in a way that felt slow at times maybe. The second half felt it had more direction though and I like the ending a lot. Set in a Scottish/inspired island of Cadence filled with magic and spirits of nature, with two warring clans with deep-running prejudice and hate toward each other. All of the characters I thought were interesting and I enjoyed switching (3rd person) POVs to follower many of them through the story. Jack is definitely my favorite followed by Adaira. But also a lot of things Sidra said and thought really resonated with me. I loved how the book dipped its toes into more deep questions about what makes a person belong somewhere. Blood ties? Upbringing? Actions? Ties to those you love? I loved seeing the characters grapple with this toward the end. I also loved seeing characters grapple with choosing your path and making choices in your life. The twists at the end really set up the next book and I am curious to see what awaits our characters!

mg.happyhooker🧶

Mar 17, 2025

8/10 stars

âï¸ 3.5

The book was beautifully written but it just took me a long time to get into it. I appreciated the beautiful imagery, but it was hard for me to root for anyone (except for Sidra! Loved her from the very beginning) at first. About 2/5ths of the way in I finally became interested in the storyline. I appreciated the character growth and also Iâm a fan of the slow burn romance, but, me personally, definitely needed just a bit more

n3k0g1rl

Jan 29, 2025

9/10 stars

My goodness, this audiobook took me 3 days to listen, it was very interesting and it felt like if I was listening to a movie! I loved the narrator it was amazing how she read this story, it came so alive I felt it was a real story, not many can succeed with this! But anyways I can't wait for the second book to come out! I'm very interested what happens next!

Isobelle

Jan 14, 2025

10/10 stars

Loved it! First 5-star read of 2022. Loveable characters, beautiful prose, and a truly magical setting.

blewballoon

Nov 21, 2024

Did not finish book. Stopped at 32%.
This book is not gripping me at all. I feel like I'm forcing myself through it, and I have too many books on my TBR to wade through a slow one like this. If I was invested in the characters I wouldn't mind the slow plot as much, but they feel too flat to me. I don't care about them or anything that's happening. I had high hopes for this one, maybe I'll try again another time.