I had read this book a while back. I was like sixteen I think, which marks me closer to the age of our heroine. The book is a quick, light read that is delightful, but it suffers from being so short. A lot of time is spent before the 'trouble' of the book even begins and the detail is well placed there. We learn about the daily lives of the people, of Ariella and a lot about the Harvest Time.

Unfortunately when her father dies and her life changes the nature of the book changes. The action happens quickly and the resolution even quicker. I think if this had been a book of Lackey's normal length we would have been given better details as far as the feelings and thoughts of Merod and Ariella are concerned. As it is 128 pages is just too short a novel to richly imagine the world and circumstances. ( )

Could have been longer. :-) ( )

Cute, a bit shallow - well, it is a fairy tale retelling (variant - I don't think this one exists, exactly). She is abandoning her people, at the end, but it's not like she has much choice in the matter. And a Kelpie swan-man is going to be interesting...I wouldn't mind seeing these characters again, somewhere. ( )

Ariella lives a somewhat sheltered life in the family manor, under the watchful eye of old cousin Magda. Spending her free time in the forest, she discovers she has a talent for healing the woodland animals. Indeed, one day a handsome, wounded Kelpie, a water-living, magical creature in the shape of a horse, requires her assistance. Soon after, Ariella's world is shattered when tragedy befalls her father, and she is sent off to marry a horrible cousin. The River's Gift is filled with many, many predictable and clichéd story elements. However, for me it was a short, sweet escape from mundane reality during my lunch break. ( )