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

fast-paced

5.0

The Drowned Woods is a story about magic, thievery and corrupt kingdoms. It follows multiple characters who devise a plan to bring down a prince. 

I loved this book! From the second I started it I was hooked. The magical system was compelling and I loved how it was used between the characters. Mer’s magic is unexplained and rare, while Fanes was gifted. Both are an interesting contrast to each other and add another element to the story. I love how there are mentions of otherfolk and Fae without them being so directly involved in the story.

The cast of characters are fun and all have their own quirks. Mer was amazing and such a strong lead character. I loved how resourceful and kindhearted she was. Her backstory is so interesting and I enjoyed her development throughout the book. Fane was a sweetheart for lack of a better word. While he didn’t speak much, I enjoyed getting his POV and reading through his chapters. Ifanna was another really strong female lead that was ruthless but still had a heart. She knew what needed to be done for her guild and didn’t shy away from that. I think with all characters in this you get a great sense of who they are and how their backstory has shaped them. 

I did have a feeling that Renfrew was the one who was betraying them early on so that wasn’t such a surprise to me. I enjoyed learning about Gryf’s role in the plan and his unfortunate backstory. I also loved the corgi, such a cute addition to the story like the goat in The Bone Houses. He felt like a familiar and I appreciated how he was included in this. 

I loved how this connected to The Bone Houses. The ending was tastefully done and such a good nod to the other book. I also enjoyed Ifannas comment about map makers. I felt the connection was the perfect touch without being overly done or obvious. I am normally not big on spin offs but I felt that you could read both separately and not relate the two. For me that is the best way to join two stories. 

This was an amazing standalone book. You get everything you could want in a fantasy story with the perfect pacing. I loved the ending and the subtle connection to The Bone Houses. I think that all of the characters were interesting and made for a great cast. The kingdom and it’s corrupt prince were the perfect setup for this story and I felt magic elements only added to the book. I would definitely recommend this book to any fantasy reader!