this was my first foray into the writing of Rebecca Ross and WOW was I impressed. 

this book wasn’t anything like what I expected. again, I am not familiar with Rebecca’s writing style, so I was so pleasantly surprised when I started reading. this book, to put it simply, is beautiful. The writing is gorgeous - ethereal, lyrical, purposeful. It feels airy and magical, truly representative of the story that’s being told. 

Jack, a bard who’s been studying on the mainland, is called home to the magical isle of Cadence to help solve the mystery of missing girls in the East. There, he reunites with his childhood nemesis, Adaira, who also happens to be Heiress of the East, daughter to the current laird. written with multiple POVs, this book tells the story of two clans divided, the people who dare to dream of peace after centuries of conflict, and what the cost of that peace is. 

I genuinely was astounded by what I was reading. some of the sentences miss Rebecca wrote had me scoffing at the audacity to be so good. the mystery kept me on the edge of my seat, the characters were incredibly fleshed out - all beautiful and flawed and real in their own ways. the romance, while it isn’t necessarily the focal point, is purposeful and poignant. the connection to the spirits and the folk, and the magic of the isle was described so beautifully, you truly feel transported while reading. 

I can confidently say that this is one of the best books I’ve read, and I’m anxious to get through the sequel to see how this story concludes.