Rebecca Ross's prose just never disappoints. After reading the Letters of Enchantment duology, I was a bit worried if this sequel would live up to the first book—that wasn't the case for me with Ruthless Vows, and considering where we left off in A River Enchanted, I was worried this might follow similar beats. It didn't, though, and I was so happy to be back with these characters. I loved that there was still a lot of focus on the relationships, alongside the characters dealing with the ramifications of everything that happened in book one, along with new threats and dangers. It would've been very easy to oversaturate the story with new plots, but I thought it was well-balanced overall.

Getting to see what the West is like after all we've learned about it was fascinating. I will say that it didn't really subvert my expectations—all we know about the Breccans prior to this book is what the Tamerlaines think about them, and it would've been really interesting if we found out that they're not actually as ruthless as they're made out to be, or if the author had chosen to emphasize the impact of prejudices. It did make for an interesting environment for Adaira to navigate, though, and I enjoyed getting to see that.

I wouldn't say that some characters get more page time than others, because I do think the author did a good job at keeping a balance between all four of them. But I did feel like the bigger plot points weren't divided equally. I still really enjoyed this book, and would recommend the duology, but if you're interested in why some minor parts didn't work for me and don't mind spoilers:

It kind of bothers me that the big issues facing the world were both fixed by men, and by men from the East at that. I know that Jack is technically a Breccan, but he's been raised a Tamerlaine, so I don't think it counts in this case. Also, why was it Torin who found the cure for the plague instead of Sidra, the healer?

Even leaving that aside, I thought the way Torin arrived at the solution to the riddle was too convenient.