Of Chaos and Cadence is an enthralling romantic fantasy book by Constance Lopez — with plenty of adventure, magic and a quest (yay!). It’s book 2 of the Kasmian Chronicles and follows Liam and Isa, both of whom played pivotal roles in book 1 (Of Stormlarks and Silence), which I loved.
Liam (mage, close friend and advisor to Tristan from book 1) sets off to find his childhood friend, a mage who has gone missing… like many other mages, it turns out. He’s accompanied by half-elf Isa, who needs Liam’s help to master the human side of her magic. Their quest takes them across the continent to the magic-hating nation of Arn.
I really enjoyed learning more about Isa and her complicated relationship with her elven kin. At the start, she doesn’t really identify with her human side, but by the end she’s embraced it and managed to control her unruly human magic. Her growth arc is really satisfying and I loved how the book ended for her.
It was also good getting to know Liam better. I loved his passion and determination to find and rescue the missing mages (and Isa!). The book gets quite tense and creepy there for a little while… perhaps a bit darker than I like. I was extremely relieved they liberated the mages from a horrible situation.
Next up will be book 3 of this series: Of Tides and Treason. Its MMC, Prince Ahane Ryu, is an antagonist in Cadence. I do love a good redemption arc!
NOTE: I originally wrote this review on first reading the book in September 2024. I’m playing catchup!
Ellen Gregory 
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