A River Enchanted

All of Rebecca Ross’s books fall into the fantasy genre. Fantasy allows the author to craft their own world, which Ross does with Cadence and the mainland. The mainland is shrouded in a bit of mystery, as Jack only spends one chapter there. He refers back to his time at the Bardic University in Faldare, but no scenes are set there. Cadence is where most of the story takes place; it is an isle divided in half, inhabited by two clans with a shared history and shared folklore, though parts of their shared history are lost by the violence and division between the two groups. The land of Cadence becomes its own character, the earth basking in Jack’s music, the wind spreading secrets around the isle, and the sea steering Jack’s boat toward the wrong side of the coast. The personification of the isle comes through in the description of the various elements and in the magic of the spirits.

Cadence’s magic system plays a central role in the novel. The mainlanders do not believe in the spirits and have no magic of their own. On Cadence, isle dwellers are able to wield magic to craft enchanted plaids and dirks that have special qualities. However, there is a difference in how the two clans use magic, which goes back to the clans’ ancient feud and the curse that has been placed on them. The spirits grant the Tamerlaines magic abilities, but at a cost: They get ill after using magic. The spirits let the Breccans easily use magic, but their lands suffer from scarcity. This dichotomy highlights the isle’s division and illustrates the negative consequences of disunity. The magic system is integral to the narrative and Ross’s worldbuilding.