A review by mrtvavrana
The Drowned Woods by Emily Lloyd-Jones

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

The Drowned Woods was...okay. I found it quite difficult to get into, and before I realised, the book was almost over.

I did love the premise, and I really liked some parts of the story, but ultimately I think it was a bit underdeveloped and boring. Also, the author concentrated a lot on things that were not that important to the story.

What I enjoyed the most was how The Drowned Woods is a mix of fantasy and fairy tales with some exciting action. In some aspects, it reminded me of Chloe Gong's These Violent Delights and Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows.

The pace was okay, but more on the slower side. I think it was a bit unusual given the plot. The plot was, well, predictable. Nothing extraordinary happened.

As for the characters, I have to say I did not really like any of them. Well, apart from Trefor (the corgi). I do think, though, that the characters were easy to connect with, and there was also quite a lot of backstory for everyone. I would have loved it if the relationships had evolved in different directions, though.

The ending was simultaneously exciting and disappointing. Exciting because of the connection to The Bone Houses, disappointing because of everything else. I hoped it would not be that positive.