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talasterism's review
dark
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
wowwwwwwwwww what an amazingly written book! first the things i didnt like -- i agree with many that the beginning is a bit slow, i was certainly also rolling my eyes at the meek excuses to dislike P. as an academic rival and barely any of them making sense. and GOD the fact that she can recite not only an entire!! book!! line by line but also other niche poems of everyone??? this feels so absurd.
but man, the themes!!! and how lovely they are interwoven throughout the book, and how grippingly real Effy feels with all her doubts and struggles and illusions (or not?), i had shivers several times. i also reallly enjoyed the short lines from Angaharad sprinkled throughtout, the image of the sea haunting the pages, ("Before the ocean is friend or foe, it simply is. And so are you."), i liked the actual darkness of the academia (even if all of this is giving white femi)
i enjoyed how the same metaphor of the sea slowly eating away can make as much sense for a death and for sexual assault (and how easily a parallel can be drawn between a SA and death on its own), the eyes and the mirrors, the fairy king taking over as the way sexualised violence often progresses in intimate relationships, first it's rare, then becoming the norm until the person you once loved is gone entirely , and the sea!!! the horrible realisation of Ianto going "what i see before me is a drowning foundation and two fatherless children" or the end parallel of effy being talked over by three men about her work!!
it was really scary at time too, at time when you don't know if effy is imagining things, if she will be okay, if those things she is seeing are real or not - and it's hard to tell which one would be wworse
"tears, blood, and seawater -- all of it tasted the same. Salt and salt and salt."
"i refuse mirrors. i refuse them for you, and i refuse them for me, if you want to see what you are, look into the tide pools at dusk. look into the sea."
"you can die as esily of thirst as you can of drowning"
but man, the themes!!! and how lovely they are interwoven throughout the book, and how grippingly real Effy feels with all her doubts and struggles and illusions (or not?), i had shivers several times. i also reallly enjoyed the short lines from Angaharad sprinkled throughtout, the image of the sea haunting the pages, ("Before the ocean is friend or foe, it simply is. And so are you."), i liked the actual darkness of the academia (even if all of this is giving white femi)
i enjoyed how the same metaphor of the sea slowly eating away can make as much sense for a death and for sexual assault (and how easily a parallel can be drawn between a SA and death on its own), the eyes and the mirrors,
it was really scary at time too, at time when you don't know if effy is imagining things, if she will be okay, if those things she is seeing are real or not - and it's hard to tell which one would be wworse
"tears, blood, and seawater -- all of it tasted the same. Salt and salt and salt."
"i refuse mirrors. i refuse them for you, and i refuse them for me, if you want to see what you are, look into the tide pools at dusk. look into the sea."
"you can die as esily of thirst as you can of drowning"
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
Moderate: Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Xenophobia, Stalking, and War
leafilys's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I loved the world-building in this book, the lore is quite unique and left me thinking about it even after I finished the book. It earned the book an extra .5 stars for me.
Effy and Preston are interesting and developed characters, and the romance was well paced with lots of chemistry. This book has lots of detailed descriptions and prose, which can be hit or miss with a lot of people, but I loved it. It was so atmospheric and immersive.
Unfortunately the last quarter of the book let me down a bit. The pacing felt too fast then too slow, and the mysteries were wrapped up a bit clumsily in my opinion.
Effy and Preston are interesting and developed characters, and the romance was well paced with lots of chemistry. This book has lots of detailed descriptions and prose, which can be hit or miss with a lot of people, but I loved it. It was so atmospheric and immersive.
Unfortunately the last quarter of the book let me down a bit. The pacing felt too fast then too slow, and the mysteries were wrapped up a bit clumsily in my opinion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Stalking, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, and War
juuliarose's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
A decent, fun read but not anything crazy. I thought the element of confusing fantasy and reality was interesting. I just wish it was expanded on more. I also felt the book cover summary left out a fair amount of what the book actually centers around. Again, still a decent read and I’ll probably get the sequel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Classism
Moderate: Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Animal death and Child abuse
veeronickuh's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Violence, Stalking, and Sexual harassment
scarlett_librarian's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
ali_k0's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
First book of the year and I have a lot of mixed feelings. It was a good story, but I think it drowned (pardon the pin) in its own atmosphere. There were scenes I felt were missing from the book - ones meant to develop the characters and the romance at the center. Effy is a intriguing head to be in, but I think her arc suffered by the authors over commitment to the environment and under commitment to the characters development. I think the book she really wanted to write was Angharad, in which the excerpts we get are where the authors talent shines through.
There was so much in this book I wanted more of: the Drowning, The Sleepers and their museum, the war between the nations. I know a second book is coming and I hope she tells us more, but I feel she missed a lot of foundations here. To pull from the book, I think we'll find it filled with water come morning.
Effy's trauma define her as a character, and how she responds to this trauma, not by taking up a sword but simply surviving, I think is very relatable to a lot of people. Although my version of survival and hers are very different, I still saw myself in her, and I think many others will too. I just wish she had been given more time to grow. Past her trauma, but also her prejudices.
The mystery itself was timeless in its own way. Anyone who knows literary history can guess the true author of Angharad from the moment the question is posed, but I don't think the obviousness is what the mystery suffers from. The book is sold as "part historical fantasy part rival to lovers romance and part Gothic mystery" and although it was all of those things, I think breaking it into so many parts made all of them suffer. None really has the time to shine, as the authors commitments to written aesthetic seemed to be the most important thing here.
Lastly, although the tale of stolen works is one that needs to be told, the starting evidence for the case Myrddin wasn't the author is, "a southerner is not smart enough to write this, so it must be a northerner" which then turns out to be true. Myrddin did write works, but they were bad middling poetry and one unsuccessful romance. In the end, it was the ingenious Northerner who wrote Angharad, only she was a women, which was the twist. I really think this book could have been better if the author went the route of, "it was a Southern girl, which everyone thought would be to much to believe, so it was given to a southern man." That the male lead Preston is so against how his people, the Argantians, are stereotyped, but is fine with the ones around southerners, leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
In the end I still liked it. It's dark and dreary but also enchanting, a perfect book for cold nights by warm fires. I don't know if I'll pick up the second book, but I don't regret that I picked this one up.
There was so much in this book I wanted more of: the Drowning, The Sleepers and their museum, the war between the nations. I know a second book is coming and I hope she tells us more, but I feel she missed a lot of foundations here. To pull from the book, I think we'll find it filled with water come morning.
Effy's trauma define her as a character, and how she responds to this trauma, not by taking up a sword but simply surviving, I think is very relatable to a lot of people. Although my version of survival and hers are very different, I still saw myself in her, and I think many others will too. I just wish she had been given more time to grow. Past her trauma, but also her prejudices.
The mystery itself was timeless in its own way. Anyone who knows literary history can guess the true author of Angharad from the moment the question is posed, but I don't think the obviousness is what the mystery suffers from. The book is sold as "part historical fantasy part rival to lovers romance and part Gothic mystery" and although it was all of those things, I think breaking it into so many parts made all of them suffer. None really has the time to shine, as the authors commitments to written aesthetic seemed to be the most important thing here.
Lastly, although the tale of stolen works is one that needs to be told, the starting evidence for the case Myrddin wasn't the author is, "a southerner is not smart enough to write this, so it must be a northerner" which then turns out to be true. Myrddin did write works, but they were bad middling poetry and one unsuccessful romance. In the end, it was the ingenious Northerner who wrote Angharad, only she was a women, which was the twist. I really think this book could have been better if the author went the route of, "it was a Southern girl, which everyone thought would be to much to believe, so it was given to a southern man." That the male lead Preston is so against how his people, the Argantians, are stereotyped, but is fine with the ones around southerners, leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
In the end I still liked it. It's dark and dreary but also enchanting, a perfect book for cold nights by warm fires. I don't know if I'll pick up the second book, but I don't regret that I picked this one up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Stalking, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death, Grief, Death of parent, and Colonisation
meldellima's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Menuda salvajada de libro. He tenido que parar más de una vez por lo intenso que es, pero a la vez no quería soltarlo.
La asfixia, el ahogarse de verdad... Qué montón de sensaciones agobiantes y qué bien descrito y narrado. Qué guay, por favor.
La asfixia, el ahogarse de verdad... Qué montón de sensaciones agobiantes y qué bien descrito y narrado. Qué guay, por favor.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexual assault, Stalking, and Gaslighting
thegabscast's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Misogyny and Gaslighting
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Stalking
sherylkay's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Death, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual assault, Blood, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
michelethestick's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A Study in Drowning was a lengthy look into how superstition is just the ugly side of magic. This is a dark and icky world where female characters have no agency. It felt like a cross between Rebecca and the Magicians. A devotee of a book discovers what it's like to understand her hero. It's a little soggy.
Well written though, this novel was filled with beautiful descriptions. The characters were multi-faceted. The world building was rich and filled with minute details.
I don't love the way Reid handles SA and its been present in all of her novels I've read so far. Which I also don't enjoy.
There were a few times when the characters' decisions seemed too convenient and not fully in character. But for the most part, it's a good book.
Well written though, this novel was filled with beautiful descriptions. The characters were multi-faceted. The world building was rich and filled with minute details.
I don't love the way Reid handles SA and its been present in all of her novels I've read so far. Which I also don't enjoy.
There were a few times when the characters' decisions seemed too convenient and not fully in character. But for the most part, it's a good book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Abandonment