Lilibet Bombshell's Reviews > A Fire Endless

“A Fire Endless” moves at a faster clip than the first half of this duology, “A River Enchanted”, but it both gains and loses some things in the transition between the two books.

What “A Fire Endless” lacks that “A River Enchanted” was filled with was ample lyrical prose, bringing the world of Cadence to life around you with brilliant world-building and character development. There was a certain prosaic and even bucolic feel to “A River Enchanted” that “A Fire Endless” simply doesn’t have time for, nor does the book carry the same tenor that would allow for that, and it caused me to long for that pastoral feel the first book had, but I knew this book had other matters to concern itself with.

What “A Fire Endless” gained that was lacking in “A River Enchanted”, beyond the expected deep look into the lands of the West, is a deep dive into the character development of both Sidra and Torin, as well as a long and serious look into the cultural and spiritual history of the isle of Cadence as a whole. Most surprising was the truly revelatory character development arc of Torin, which not only leads to some of the most evocative imagery in the book but also some of the most poignant scenes.

As is usual for the second half of a duology, the action and plot do move a bit faster, much like when you have reached the crest of a trail and need to start the way back down to the bottom. You always end up moving just a bit quicker. That doesn’t make this book any less satisfying. The two books, when read back to back, make quite the cozy, fantastical, satisfying read… even if it means reading almost 1,000 words in the process. I don’t feel any of it is time wasted. Rebecca Ross is one of the best fantasy writers working today.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for granting me access to this title in exchange for a fair and honest review.

File Under: Coming of Age/Fairy Tale & Folklore/Fantasy Romance/Steamy Romance