Published: December 6, 2022
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Series: Elements of Cadence #2
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 497 (Hardcover)
My Rating: 4.25 Stars
Synopsis:
In the stunning conclusion to the Elements of Cadence duology, A Fire Endless finds the delicate balance between the human and faerie realm threatened by Bane, the spirit of the North Wind, whose defeat can only come through fire, song, and heart-rending sacrifice.
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.
I find myself going for faster paced books these days simply because they feel easier to get through. Occasionally though, I pick up a slower paced book and am reminded of how much I enjoy the slow exploration of a setting and the characters within. A Fire Endless was an excellent sequel and a beautiful ending to the Elements of Cadence duology.
Adaira has gone to the West both as hostage and daughter to Ennis Breccan whilst her brother Murray remains prisoner in the East for his role in kidnapping daughters of the East. Jack, having remained in the East to continue on as Bard, pines for his wife and fears that he will never see her again. Torin is becoming accustomed to his new role as Laird and Sidra, his wife, is investigating the cause of a blight that is afflicting both trees and any humans that come in contact with it. And above it all, is the North Wind – Bane – the cruel king of the fae who oppresses those who oppose him and punishes Jack for daring to play his harp.
Though the characters in this tale are spread out on the isle, their fates could not be more entwined and watching their inexorable movement toward the culmination of this tale was a delight. Torin travels to the realm of the fae, and the longing he feels for Sidra as he observes her but she cannot see him is palpable. Adaira and Jack are on a steady path toward one another, but throwing in the spirits and hostile Breccans makes their path a long one. At times it was frustrating to see so many ‘near misses’ of the characters intersecting with one another, but that just made the moments of reunion all the sweeter. The ending was a dramatic and emotional one that elegantly wrapped up the various threads – the plague, Bane, and the divide between Breccan and Tamerlain.
This was a fantastic ending that I will be thinking about for some time. If you’re looking for an atmospheric fantasy with low-key romantic elements I’d highly recommend this series. The audiobook narration really helps to bring the story to life, so I’d encourage you to check out the series in that format as well. Rebecca Ross is quickly becoming a favorite author and I can’t wait to see what her upcoming release, Divine Rivals, has in store!
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