A Study in Drowning

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Reluctantly, Effy allies with Preston, hoping to use the credit on his paper to gain entry to the literature college. Together they uncover a decades-old conspiracy, all while being menaced by mysterious, supernatural forces. But the truth is more horrifying than Effy could have imagined, and it might bring her and Preston–and their entire nation–to ruin. But stories were devious things, things with agendas. They could cheat and steal and lie to your face. They could crumble away under your feet.” I wish Effy was less relatable and that her experiences were conscripted to the past. However, this is still an accurate reality, fairytale beauty or not. It was an eternal feeling, this sense of being unwelcome. No matter where she was, Effy was always afraid she was not wanted.” I love you.” Effy pressed her forehead against his. “I love you,” Preston said, voice wavering. “I’m so sorry it’s ruined us both.”

No one owns the right to tell a story,” he said flatly. “Besides, I’m not pushing any particular agenda. I’m just here for the truth.” Overall, this book is scary, ominous, intense, moving, bold, and one of the best reads I've had lately! It’s never not infuriating to read about how these famous intellectual men espoused progressive values while wretchedly mistreating their wives. And it is almost impossible to talk about the archetypal “tortured male genius” without talking about the real women who they themselves tortured. It took me a little while to become immersed in this book, but once I did I fell in love with the characters and the gothic world. The writing is beautiful and very lyrical. The plot was interesting and engaging, although it was predicable. I loved the gothic and dark academic vibes, it's the perfect read for a rainy fall day. The world building was very interesting, but it was confusing to me at first. I enjoyed the incorporation of a fairy tale into the story. The author did an excellent job of discussing misogyny and showing that women are not treated fairly compared to men. This book's message of inequality is very important and relatable in the real world. I really enjoyed the ending, it resolved the story and made me proud. I appreciated how the author discussed anxiety, several people in my family have anxiety and the author showed it in a realistic way. so i originally thought this was set in medieval adjacent type era, with the years being 190-220 AD for example. but then the characters drink coffee and smoke cigarettes, go to a cafe called the Drowsy Poet, drive cars, have telephones (but not mobile phones), there are media tabloids and publishing houses, so it would suddenly shift and feel incredibly modern, and it was so jarring and out of place. then because of these features, it felt almost Edwardian at times, maybe post-WWI… i just wanted to feel grounded in the story and i truly couldn’t because i felt as though i was missing so much of the story.

My final critique is that the ending felt a bit awkward. The issue of the Faerie King is resolved way too easily, especially given everything he represents and what a significant figure he was in Effy’s life. The mystery was glaringly obvious from the second it was introduced. Which is fine. This is a YA novel and I can accept some level of in-world explanation for Effy and Preston’s ignorance. But it was really strange how the story walked the reader through each individual element of the reveal in one sit-down conversation. That amount of hand-holding for the reader was completely unnecessary as the mystery was extremely simple and it made the ending feel stilted and unnatural.

The word “girlboss” has done irreparable damage in understanding the nuances of female characters & any female character that dares to show anger, isn’t some martyr, and wants revenge is being dismissed as a “girlboss” A Study in Drowning also deftly mixes Effy’s mental health struggles and recurrent PTSD with the themes at work in Angharad , as she desperately tries to determine what is real and what isn’t in the world around her. Though her slow-burn rivals-to-lovers romance with Preston is telegraphed from very early on in the book, it’s nevertheless incredibly satisfying to watch unfold, as both parties are forced to confront their internalized prejudices about each other’s cultures and pasts.But musty, decrepit Hiraeth Manor is an impossible task, and its residents are far from welcoming. Including Preston Héloury, a stodgy young literature scholar determined to expose Myrddin as a fraud. As the two rivals piece together clues about Myrddin's legacy, dark forces, both mortal and magical, conspire against them--and the truth may bring them both to ruin. I actually didn’t have very much more of it written than what appears in A Study in Drowning . I tried not to be overly indulgent with my in-world lore, because I wasn’t sure how much patience people would have for reading academic discourse about books and authors that don’t exist. But writing the excerpts and epitaphs were some of my favorite parts of the book. I loved building a canon from scratch and imagining what sort of literary traditions this fictional world would have. this is an dark academia story, set in a historical but different world than our own, where two regional factions (north and south) are at war with one another, and two students who are from different sides (and who attend the same university) are tasked with different academic missions at a very remote sea side manor that is falling into the sea. this is also a story about storytelling and finding safety and comfort and escapism in words and tales and myths. even if this story at the heart of this is about a fae king who will stop at nothing to take and take and take what his entitled self views as his. it just confused me and ruined any potential attachment to the characters, but specifically Effy that i craved. I’ve gotten so much unexpected interest from readers that I did end up writing some of Angharad as bonus material for a special edition of ASID. So I hope people enjoy that!

I am truly impressed with this book, it was very different and had much more depth than I was expecting.Our main character, Effy, loves the book 'Angharad' more than anything, it connects with her on a level deeper than the male scholars could ever possibly understand. It's a story that sings to her truth, it provides her shelter and comfort from the storm of her reality, and it gives her courage to rewrite her own history. I think every book lover can relate to the feeling of having that one book that speaks to you, that one story that feels like it was written just for you (mine is He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker-Chan).

Effy Sayre has always believed in fairy tales. Haunted by visions of the Fairy King since childhood, she’s had no choice. Her tattered copy of Angharad—Emrys Myrddin’s epic about a mortal girl who falls in love with the Fairy King, then destroys him—is the only thing keeping her afloat. So when Myrddin’s family announces a contest to redesign the late author’s estate, Effy feels certain it’s her destiny. As a fantasy, I wished we had a bit more worldbuilding and context regarding the hate, war and the drownings. A map would have been nice as well, I don’t know if the final version has it or not.this was the downfall of this book. The romance didn’t gave what it was supposed to gave. Their rivalry banter was so bland or i’m just so stupid to understand it idk. But I didn’t feel the chemistry. Or the romance between them until i was like 84% into the book 🤡 i was very disappointed.