A fire endless by Rebecca Ross

The second in the duology commencing with A river enchanted, brings this gripping fantasy to a satisfying conclusion. Cadence has balanced between the Breccans and the Tamerlaines, East and West, with Bane the spirit of the North Wind, trying to dominate both sides. Adaira has been claimed by her birth mother in the West and finds it difficult to adjust to the brutal lifestyle, while Jack longs for her in the East, while composing music to lure the spirits to him. Torin and Sidra are faced with a dangerous disease that has spread from orchards to humans and both must play a vital role in finding a cure and uniting the clans.

I picked this up immediately after reading A river enchanted, longing to discover the fate of Jack and Adaira, separated by distance and politics. Ross answers this question in a memorable way in A fire endless, with some unexpected dangers and sacrifices made along the way. Torin too, grows in character and understanding, as he must find his way in the unique spirit world, which is described vividly and is fascinating. Sidra takes on unexpected burdens while struggling to find a cure for the deadly sickness that is attacking trees and humans. The feelings between Jack and Adaira, and Torin and Sidra, will be enjoyed  by readers who like strong relationships in their fantasy, and while Ross classes this duology as adult the romance scenes are fairly low key.

There is plenty of action, danger and unique world building for lovers of high fantasy. Readers are also left with a feeling of optimism as both warring clans and dying earth are healed through sacrifice. Readers who enjoyed the music in the story may like to move onto the Warrior Bards series by Juliet Marillier, beginning with Harp of kings and those who enjoyed the magical aspects may like Spells for forgetting by Adrienne Young. 

Themes: Fantasy, Magic, Music, Sacrifice.

Pat Pledger