A Fire Endless by Rebecca Ross

Title: A Fire Endless

Series: Elements of Cadence #2
Author: Rebecca Ross
Source/Format: NetGalley; eARC
More Details: Fantasy
Publisher/Publication Date: Harper Voyager; December 6, 2022

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

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.

**Note: There will be minor spoilers for A River Enchanted.**

I was thoroughly charmed by A River Enchanted, which was released early in 2022. And while it ended at a good place—with the main mystery and conflict solved, and resolutions offered for the emotional arcs—it was still open-ended, which left plenty of avenues the story could take. So, I was very excited to get an ARC of A Fire Endless, the final book in the Elements of Cadence duology. And I have to admit, it was so much fun being back in this world with Jack, Adaira (Cora), Sidra, Torin, and a host of other characters.

This duology has always had a slower pace, but the world was filled with detail. It was the kind of story that I wanted to linger with a little longer, to make sure I didn’t miss anything.

The island of Cadence was still swimming in magic and conflict—both between the limitations imposed by the clan line, the inter-clan relations, as well as trouble with the spirits. Cadence was out of balance, which was a reoccurring theme that finally got its due page time.

With the big reveal at the end of A River Enchanted—with Adaira’s true parentage and departure from the east—as well as events early in A Fire Endless, the main cast was scattered. They had such a good dynamic that I was sad to see it happen, but it also demonstrated the emotional toll left by the wake of what had already happened and what was presently occurring. The stakes were high in this race against time, and their individual ends of the story were still connected by the continued conflict. And with the latest threat—a strange blight with no treatment, sickening the land and people both—it was work together or fall, because something had to change (the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back had arrived).

I was impressed by the way Ross handled all the plot points. It was a complicated story, but all of it came together at the end. So, A Fire Endless was an exciting read and a satisfying conclusion to this duology.

About the author....

Rebecca Ross writes fantasy novels for teens and adults. She lives in the Appalachian foothills of Northeast Georgia with her husband, their lively Australian Shepherd, and an endless pile of books. THE QUEEN'S RISING, THE QUEEN'S RESISTANCE, SISTERS OF SWORD & SONG, and DREAMS LIE BENEATH are her titles for young adult readers. A RIVER ENCHANTED is her adult fantasy debut, publishing February 15, 2022 with a sequel to follow. When not writing, she can be found reading or in her garden, where she grows wildflowers and story ideas. Find her on Instagram @beccajross or online at www.rebeccarossauthor.com.

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Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Harper Voyager) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you! 

Music Monday (237): The NYChillharmonic, The Whispers, G.L.O.B.E. & Whiz Kid, and Everything But The Girl

Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: I wanted to share another one of my favorite songs by The NYChillharmonic: Wax Garden. 

 

Adri: I recently saw that Everything But The Girl started releasing some new music after a long time. Yay! So my picks for today are an older and a newer favorite respectively: Walking Wounded and Nothing Left To Lose

Andrea: Hi all! This week I'm listening to And the Beat Goes On by The Whispers and Play That Beat Mr. D.J. by G.L.O.B.E. & Whiz Kid. Have an amazing week all!

What are you listening to this week?

Quarterly Recap: January-March

It’s already four months into 2023, so it’s time for the first quarterly recap of the year. Not going to lie, I almost forgot that I needed to put together one of these posts. Ironically, it was on first of April (April Fools’ Day) that I happened to watch something that gave me a much needed reminder. As always, starting with reviews….

January Reviews:

• The Keeper's Six by Kate Elliott
• Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

February Reviews:

• Lud-in-the-Mist by Hope Mirrlees
• Clock Striker by Issaka Galadima and Fredrick L. Jones
• Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes by Edith Hamilton

March Reviews:

• The Death and Life of the Great Lakes by Dan Egan
• Four Parties and a Funeral by Maria DiRico
• The God of Endings by Jacqueline Holland
• A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

Other January Posts:

• I Listened to: December Music Roundup
• Hello, I'm Back + Some 2023 Stuff I'm Looking Forward to

Other February Posts:

• Short Stories I Read In January
• So, I Watched Matilda the Musical

Other March Posts:

• Short Stories I Read In February
• I Listened to a Reckoning by Kimbra
• I Listened to 1 by the NYChillharmonic

Looking ahead, I really don’t have any specific plans for the next three months, besides trying to get out of the reading slump I’m currently in. Anyway, some of the reviews this month include two HarperCollins titles that are finally going live on the blog, a highly anticipated album, and my thoughts about a video game that I played toward the end of March.

Short Stories I Read In February

It’s March twenty-ninth. So it’s time to talk about the short stories, podcast episodes, and miscellaneous posts I read or listening to in February.

Silver Necklace, Golden Ring by Marie Brennan (Uncanny Magazine; Issue Fifty)

I wasn’t too sure about this story going into it. But, I’m so glad I stuck around till the end, because I ended up loving Silver Necklace, Golden Ring by Marie Brennan. This story is best described as the beauty, whimsy, and darkness of a Grimm’s style fairy tale all wrapped up in just over three thousand and seven hundred words. With evocative and atmospheric language, the story chronicles bargains and ice palaces alongside a young woman displaced and in a situation that required every inch of wit she could gather. All-in-all, Silver Necklace, Golden Ring was an enjoyable story.

Guidelines for Using the Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library by Marie Brennan (Lightspeed Magazine; Issue 153)

As it so happens, the second and last short story I read in February was a piece of flash fiction written, also, by Marie Brennan. I typically like stories like Guidelines for Using the Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library, which consists of a narrative that has a list-like structure and that tells about a specific object, person, or place. This time around, the story delves into the guidelines on how to navigate a fantasy library, which wove together a little bit of history, references to Dante Alighieri, and a whole lot of magic. Loved it! 

From around the web…

• Ologies Podcast: Vampireology Part One
• Ologies Podcast: Geology Part One & Two
• There's Really No Wrong Way To Read A Book [Molly Templeton; Tor.com; February 16, 2023]

Four Parties and a Funeral by Maria DiRico

Title: Four Parties and a Funeral

Series: Catering Hall Mystery #4
Author: Maria DiRico
Source/Format: NetGalley; eARC
More Details: Cozy Mystery
Publisher/Publication Date: Kensington; March 28, 2023

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Agatha Award-winning author Maria DiRico returns with the fourth book in the Catering Hall Mystery Series, starring Mia Carina who is coming to grips with being back in Astoria, Queens, and running her Italian-American family's catering hall, Belle View Banquet Manor but a TV casting call is about to put murder in the spotlight . . .

The June events schedule at Belle View is busting out all over--proms, graduations, and of course, weddings. There are unexpected bookings too, including a casting call for the pilot of Dons of Ditmars Boulevard. But soon, Mia's fears about the cheesy reality show are confirmed . . .Belle View quickly becomes the site of a sea of wanna-be goombahs and phony girlfriends, and some of Mia's friends insist on getting in on the action. The production company owner and his executive producer ex-wife--who's also very minor British royalty--have assembled a motley crew that does as much infighting and backstabbing as the on-screen "talent." Even so, it's a shock when a dead body is found in the pool house of a local mansion rented by the show . . .Murder might boost the ratings. But Mia intends to make sure the killer gets jail time, not airtime . . .

One of the cozy mysteries I was anticipating this year was Maria DiRico’s Four Parties and a Funeral. It’s the follow-up to It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder, which was one of my favorite reads of 2021. That book…I adored the characters, the mystery was engrossing, and, generally, I had a great time with it. And, so far, its sequel is one of my favorite reads of 2023.

Four Parties and a Funeral picks up after the events of It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder. The holidays are over, it’s June, and the familiar cast and crew of Belle View (a catering hall)—Mia, Shane, Ravello, Cammie, and others—are busy. However, they quickly get embroiled in the over-the-top hijinks of reality show filming with a side of murder. I liked the way the story gradually built up to the mystery as well as the actual introduction of the crime. It was seamless. By then, there were a handful of characters who had the potential to be a suspect, because the situation was, for the most part, tense and competitive—especially between the cast of the show as well as the production team behind the camera. Added to all of that, the book also delved into the various relationships between the usual cast, giving each one some time to develop further. And I was pleased by how those aspects were sprinkled throughout the story, heightening the emotional stakes alongside the present danger.

Maria DiRico really delivered with another witty and entertaining story—full of the same charm, family drama, and sleuthing as its predecessor.

About the author....

Maria DiRico (the pen name of award-winning author Ellen Byron) was born in Queens, New York, and raised in Queens and Westchester County. She is first-generation Italian American on her mother’s side. On her father’s side, her grandfather was a low-level Jewish mobster who disappeared in 1933 under mysterious circumstances. While growing up in Queens, Maria/Ellen's cousins ran the Astoria Manor and Grand Bay Marina catering halls.

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Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Kensington) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you!