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

adventurous dark emotional funny 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

5.0

I thoroughly enjoyed The Drowned Woods. I absolutely devoured it in about 3 hours, and it was non-stop from start to finish. The pacing was excellent, the characters likeable, and the plot was interesting. The author integrated world building into the story very well, it never felt like there was information being dumped or things done for the sake of world building.

I enjoyed the short storytelling sections at the start of each part. It gave the whole book a fairytale vibe, as if we were being told the story around a campfire. It didn’t feel out of place at all, and flowed into the narrative very smoothly. 

There were enough twists and turns and reveals to keep the reader engaged, and evoked emotions on behalf of the characters - pity for Fane as he was trapped by his own unwitting bargain, anger and pride on behalf of Mer, sadness near the end for the loss the characters went through. I almost cried when Mer faced the waves near the end. When she stood up and chose her path.

If you are looking for a novel that is part heist, part fairytale, and fully enrapturing, then The Drowned Woods is the book for you!

Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for a review copy in exchange for an honest review!