River Magic is a book that surprised me in all the best ways. It took me a few chapters to get into the flow of this one, and then seemingly between one breath and the next, I was hooked and unable to stop reading.
This is a book that appealed to me on several levels, firstly was the use of folklore and mythology that permeated throughout the book, some of which I was familiar with through a fascination with Celtic mythology and folklore, although I liked the twists the author put on certain aspects to tailor them to the setting. In particular, I enjoyed the various aspects of the mermaid, and her role in the story, and how Phillips used this magical aspect to also explore a very real environmental concern, and how the river, which was as much a character as a location in this book had a voice through her.
Secondly, was the exploration of faith and beliefs, and how people can explore their paths and find their own one changing through new encounters and experiences. This was something that resonated very deeply with me. It was done beautifully here, and from various angles, and I enjoyed how Phillips looked not just at the challenges and conflicts, but at the quiet moments, the blossoming moments – and how it flowed out into each person’s wider life, such as Lacey’s inspiration to write growing as she found herself and her path. It felt very natural, very human and very relatable. River Magic is very much a story of life and change and growth, from personal growth with relationships and changing family dynamics, to the community, to the more natural sense with the passage of seasons, growing faith.
River Magic is a very character-driven story above anything else, and Phillips did an excellent job of creating a fascinating cast of unique voices that each brought something different to the story, even those who were in the background stood out as individuals. And as mentioned above there was a lot of growth, and this was particularly evident with the characters, and I enjoyed how we got to experience most of that growth and change alongside the characters as it happened, and for me that always helps to bring a story and characters to life. I particularly enjoyed Lacey and thought she made a fantastic protagonist, and I liked that her ability didn’t give her an unfair advantage, and indeed brought complications and conflict, but beyond that, she was a very relatable character. I also loved Lidia and their relationship, and how it shifted and changed throughout the book, and it was a genuine, believable friendship.
All in all River Magic was a delightful read that hit on a very personal level in places, and one that I would highly recommend. I will certainly be keeping an eye out for more books in this series and by this author.