Book Review: A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

A Study in Drowning (A Study in Drowning #1)
Publisher: Del Rey
Pub Date: 19 September 2023
Genre: YA Fantasy/Dark Academia

Panda Rating:

(4.25 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

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.

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.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

From the Trigger Warning Database:
Ableism & internalised ableism, sexual harassment & sexual assault mentioned, alcohol consumption & abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety, panic attacks & nightmares, amputation (protagonist is missing her finger), death of a parent mentioned, torture recounted, car accident recounted, drowning & attempted drowning, flood recounted, animal death mentioned

*Context: A secondary character is kissed without consent and has plans to kidnap and hold her captive.

I might’ve gotten a bit carried away with my thoughts on this book—sorry for the essay—but I guess you can say I loved it. 🤭 Also, I buddy read this with Chris @ Biblio Nerd Reflections and it was an awesome pick as there’s plenty to discuss and rage about, lol!

TL;DR: A Study in Drowning was an interesting blend of dark academia, fae lore, and gothic romance. It was stunningly atmospheric and I felt every single drenched moment in Hiraeth down to my bones. Experiencing the story through Effy’s POV was also perfect because it added to the dreamlike and otherworldly quality of the story, where you’re unsure about what’s real and what’s not. This explores some dark themes, including how misogyny runs rampant in the academic world, and at times it was heavy to read. That said, I was loathe to put it down every time I had to adult, and overall, I thought this was a compelling and satisfying read!

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Top 5 Saturday: Books with Bones on the Cover!

Welcome back to another Top 5 Saturday! Just in case you don’t know Top 5 Saturday is a weekly meme created by Mandy @ Devouring Books and it’s where we list the top five books (they can be books on your TBR, favourite books, books you loved/hated) based on the week’s topic. You can see the upcoming schedule at the end of my post 🙂 This week’s topic is actually: Bones on the Cover

It’s been a hot minute since I did a Top 5 Saturday post but of course I had to come back on the day when the topic is a toughie (for me!) LOL. 😂 It took a little bit of digging on Goodreads but I managed to find 5 books that are on my TBR that have bones on the cover and that I can’t wait to read! ☠️

If We Were Villains

Oliver Marks has just served ten years in jail – for a murder he may or may not have committed. On the day he’s released, he’s greeted by the man who put him in prison. Detective Colborne is retiring, but before he does, he wants to know what really happened a decade ago.

As one of seven young actors studying Shakespeare at an elite arts college, Oliver and his friends play the same roles onstage and off: hero, villain, tyrant, temptress, ingenue, extra. But when the casting changes, and the secondary characters usurp the stars, the plays spill dangerously over into life, and one of them is found dead. The rest face their greatest acting challenge yet: convincing the police, and themselves, that they are blameless.

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