Ava Reid

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. . . . 
Part historical fantasy, part rivals-to-lovers romance, part Gothic mystery, and all haunting, dreamlike atmosphere, Ava Reid's powerful YA debut will lure in readers who loved The Atlas Six, House of Salt and Sorrows, or Girl, Serpent, Thorn.

A Study in Drowning

Jillian Roberts

Well— I was a woman when it was convenient to blame me, and a girl when they wanted to use me. 

Emily McMeans

“"I was eighteen, said Angharad again. "That meant I was a woman, in some peoples eyes. Well—I was a woman when it was convenient to blame me, and a girl when they wanted to use me. Everyone thought that I wanted it. I convinced myself that I wanted it, too. Emrys was always kind to me. At least, before the Fairy King took him over entirely. I suppose it was a bit of youthful rebellion on my part, too. I hated my father and wanted to spite him."”

“She wanted someone to know how lanto had touched her—even if she was still trying to convince herself it had been nothing at all. A friendly gesture, a bracing pat on the shoulder. But didn't all drownings begin with a harmless dribble of water?”

This was it. The line that fully broke me.

Camille Osborn-Clark

"I was a woman when it was convenient to blame me, and a girl when they wanted to use me." 

If the monsters are real, so are the women who defeat them. Effy has always believed in fairy tales. She's had no choice. Since childhood, she's been haunted by visions of the Fairy King. She's found solace only in the pages of Angharad - a beloved epic about a mortal girl who falls in love with the Fairy King, and then destroys him. Effy's tattered copy is all that's keeping her afloat through her stifling first term her prestigious architecture college. So when the late author's family announces a contest to design his house, Effy fells certain this is her destiny. But Hiraeth Manor is an impossible task: a musty, decrepit estate on the brink of crumbling into a hungry sea. And when Effy arrives, she finds she isn't the only one who's made a temporary home there. Preston Héloury, a stodgy young literature scholar, is studying Myrddin's papers and is determined to prove her favourite author is a fraud. As the two rival students investigate the reclusive author's legacy, piecing together clues through his letters, books, and diaries, they discover that the house's foundation isn't the only thing that can't be trusted. There are dark forces, both mortal and magical, conspiring against them - and the truth may bring them both to ruin.

Julia Rutgers

" [ . . . ] Even the past isn't guaranteed. You can lose that, too, slowly, like water eating away at stone."

And changing your mind isn't foolish. It just means you've learned something new. Everyone changes their mind sometimes, as they should, or else they're just, I don't know, stubborn and ignorant. Moving water is healthy; stagnant water is sickly. Tainted."

Miserably, and against her will, Effy realized that she was in a Romance after all. Pedestrian as it might be. She wished desperately that it wasn't so [ . . . ] but this was the story she had found herself in, the narrative built up around her like the walls of a great house.

Aimee :)

"I love you." Effy pressed her forehead against his.

"I love you," Preston said, voice wavering. "'m so sorry it's ruined us both."

Behind his glasses, Preston's eyes fixed on her. "Love is a fire that cannot burn alone."

Everyone had said there was something off about the whole affair. Something strange. [ . . . ] And yet she had flung herself toward it like a sparrow against a windowpane, oblivious to the sheen of glass.

"No childless woman came for me," she whispered. "But he did."

Behind his glasses, Preston's eyes narrowed. "Who did?"

if I had to make a gamble...I would bet on us, Effy."

"I swear by Saint Una I'll help you," she said. "And I won't reveal you—us—to Ianto."

"I swear by Saint Una I won't betray you," said Preston. "And I'l fight for you. I promise your name will be there on the cover sheet, right next to mine."

Natalie Unsinn 

“The only reason anything matters is because it ends.

The ephemerality of things is what gives them meaning. That things are only beautiful because they don’t last. Full moons, flowers in bloom, you.”

“Some things are constant. They must be. I think that’s why so many poets write about the sea.”

“Maybe the idea of constancy is what’s actually terrifying. Fear of the sea is fear of the eternal - because how can you win against something so enduring.”

“You’re not just one thing. Survival is something you do, not something you are. You’re brave and brilliant. You’re the most real, full person I’ve ever met.”

She wanted to say I don’t believe you. She wanted to say thank you. She wanted to say tell me more about who I am because I don’t know anymore. 

Or maybe she had always been wrong. A wicked fae creature from the unreal world, stranded unfairly in the real one. 

akshita

A romance is a belief in the impossible: that anything ends happily. For the only true end is death- and in this way, is romance not a rebuke of reality? 

When love is here, I am not. When love is not, I am gone.

Luna

If you can learn to love that which terrifies you, you can dance on the shore and play in the waves again, like you did when you were young. Before the ocean is friend or foe, it simply is. And so are you.

Isabelle

The ocean is beautiful and free. Lovely and dangerous and vast beyond mortal comprehension, the sea makes dreamers of us all. 

I liked how well crafted these characters were. I loved how there was life and lore breathed into the book. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever read.

I’m definitely looking into Welsh mythology after this.

Jawahir M

I did not want to leave this world. 

I liked how well crafted these characters were. I loved how there was life and lore breathed into the book. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever read.

I’m definitely looking into Welsh mythology after this.

if i could give this 10 stars i would….. PRESTON AND EFFY YOU ARE EVERYTHING TO ME

yaya

i love this so much oh my god. read this book for seven days (i've been busy) and normally if this is like some other books, i'd definitely lose interest on the third day. but this, whenever i get the chance to read this, it sucks me. i have all my attention on this book everytime i read it. the atmosphere is also top tier. it does get cringey sometimes and the sex was so unecessary to me ngl

I thought that the beginning was a bit confusing, but once I got through a few pages and went back, it made sense. Effy is studying architecture because she (as a woman) wasn’t allowed to study literature. However, she sees that there’s an opportunity to design her favourite author’s house and so when she wins the contest, she goes to live at the current house. There, she meets the author’s son and another student who is writing a thesis on the author because he’s studying literature.

I liked Preston, but the story was mainly about Effy because she had a stronger connection to what was going on. For this reason, I’m not sure that I actually liked her as a character because I didn’t like the plot and how vague it was.

You don’t really know what’s happening until the very end when it comes to the plot. The magic and the things that are happening are very vague and there are no answers anywhere, just more confusing things. It was kind of annoying at times because Effy and Preston could have done some simple things to get some answers, and yet they did the hardest things and didn’t really get anywhere, for example why not try to see Myrddin’s widow? Effy has always been able to see the Fairy King and she often feels like she’s underwater. She’s been told that she’s crazy, but at the end it turns out that the Fairy King is not just a myth, but a real being that is malicious. Preston doesn’t believe in myths, but he wants to find out the truth about the author of Angharad, which tells a story about the Fairy King.

The imagery in this book was really good, however without the plot or characters, it wasn’t for me.

This book wasn’t for me.

I thought that the beginning was a bit confusing, but once I got through a few pages and went back, it made sense. Effy is studying architecture because she (as a woman) wasn’t allowed to study literature. However, she sees that there’s an opportunity to design her favourite author’s house and so when she wins the contest, she goes to live at the current house. There, she meets the author’s son and another student who is writing a thesis on the author because he’s studying literature.

I liked Preston, but the story was mainly about Effy because she had a stronger connection to what was going on. For this reason, I’m not sure that I actually liked her as a character because I didn’t like the plot and how vague it was.

You don’t really know what’s happening until the very end when it comes to the plot. The magic and the things that are happening are very vague and there are no answers anywhere, just more confusing things. It was kind of annoying at times because Effy and Preston could have done some simple things to get some answers, and yet they did the hardest things and didn’t really get anywhere, for example why not try to see Myrddin’s widow? Effy has always been able to see the Fairy King and she often feels like she’s underwater. She’s been told that she’s crazy, but at the end it turns out that the Fairy King is not just a myth, but a real being that is malicious. Preston doesn’t believe in myths, but he wants to find out the truth about the author of Angharad, which tells a story about the Fairy King.

The imagery in this book was really good, however without the plot or characters, it wasn’t for me.

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. . . . 
Part historical fantasy, part rivals-to-lovers romance, part Gothic mystery, and all haunting, dreamlike atmosphere, Ava Reid's powerful YA debut will lure in readers who loved The Atlas Six, House of Salt and Sorrows, or Girl, Serpent, Thorn.

i have very mixed feelings about this book

Stella 

millena

this was endless boring but the writing isn’t bad, i’m sure this book will be the complete opposite for other people but for me was terribly

Idk this was clumsy and convoluted, and I really didn’t enjoy how the MC was painted as such a victim. Also it’s a pet peeve of mine when authors build a whole fantasy world (and make me learn its nuances) then they still rely on cars and phone booths and vinyl and anxiety meds and cigarettes.

Amelia Hruby

this was very good! the atmosphere was super well done, like for much of the book I wasn’t sure whether it actually was magical or imagined, and I thought it was very effective for the story she was telling. the romance was sweet, I love nerdy cuties. the whole thing made me want to actually read this epic poem of angharad. I will say I wish we maybe got a bit more on the literary analysis and writing the thesis, and also maybe more sections of the angharad, I could’ve done with more academia. but overall it was really engaging and I liked it a lot!

fris🐝

Overall enjoyable. The themes and symbolism are good and the plot is decent, but I felt like Angharad itself— the fictional book— was far more interesting than this book. 

Ian de Villava

big ab

um.. ok. i can see what the book is TRYING to do with themes of bigotry, misogyny, and sexual harassment/assault. but i do feel like it’s taking on these extremely big topics, making it the central theme of the book, and handling them all so haphazardly that it’s so disappointing and leaves me kinda icked out.

A unique story, I liked reading it but I fail to see the wow factor many others do. It may just be my taste as I don't gravitate towards books with fae folk, however, I still found the concept of this book interesting. The commitment to water imagery was well done, it really makes you evaluate the sea as a symbol. I also liked how each chapter opened with an extract of some sort, it gave it that dark academic feel. I didn't completely like Effy's character I found her a little insufferable and childish at times, I understand she apologises and grows but her earlier behaviour towards Prestion left a bad impression on me that did not go away. Nonetheless, its worth the read, especially if you enjoy water imagery and reading about evil fae. 

Marz 

Jennifer Gosnell

4.75 ⭐️

Ohhhh this one is for the feminine rage. Loved it. It was so infuriating, relatable, and fascinating. I loved how atmospheric and immersive the setting felt. The characters were great too… loved that the main protagonist is layered and confusing at times. The writing was beautiful and haunting. The only thing holding it back from being a 5 star book for me was that I saw almost all of the reveals coming very early on. Still loved the storytelling and themes though!

While Ava Reid's atmospheric prose shines, especially in her descriptions, I found that most of the book's plot felt lost in all of her writing and world-building. And when the world-building was being done, it was to establish just one person (Myrrdin) and not to establish this historical fantasy-like setting that Reid drops us into. I would have liked getting to know more about the two countries as well, especially considering one of her main characters is established early on as being Argantian. Plotwise, it felt like not much was happening for a good portion of the book aside from trying to hand us clues that didn't quite fit without the progression of the actual plot. The core of this narrative deals with larger issues of academic/institutional elitism and misogyny, mental health, and the power dynamics not only between men and women, but between teacher and student. Reid handles these masterfully, weaving them into Effy's personal narrative and into the plot, which is where it does shine. Overall, I did enjoy this, and I'm glad to see it will be getting a sequel, as I think that will help unravel more of the things I discussed here.

Side note: The Shakespeare scholar in me was really digging the authorship plot, and it made me think about Katie Bender's play, "Judith," which I just saw performed a few months ago... highly recommend checking that out. 

While Ava Reid's atmospheric prose shines, especially in her descriptions, I found that most of the book's plot felt lost in all of her writing and world-building. And when the world-building was being done, it was to establish just one person (Myrrdin) and not to establish this historical fantasy-like setting that Reid drops us into. I would have liked getting to know more about the two countries as well, especially considering one of her main characters is established early on as being Argantian. Plotwise, it felt like not much was happening for a good portion of the book aside from trying to hand us clues that didn't quite fit without the progression of the actual plot. The core of this narrative deals with larger issues of academic/institutional elitism and misogyny, mental health, and the power dynamics not only between men and women, but between teacher and student. Reid handles these masterfully, weaving them into Effy's personal narrative and into the plot, which is where it does shine. Overall, I did enjoy this, and I'm glad to see it will be getting a sequel, as I think that will help unravel more of the things I discussed here.

Side note: The Shakespeare scholar in me was really digging the authorship plot, and it made me think about Katie Bender's play, "Judith," which I just saw performed a few months ago... highly recommend checking that out. 

issa

I love this book. So whimsical and romantic. I wish Angharad was a real book. Ava Reid is a new favourite author.

Ellen Ivey

This was an interesting mystery story with a little bit of fantasy sprinkled in!

Hannah Williams

she should’ve been a selkie / mermaid but that’s it ..  

envie,

Anjorin Molayo 

3.75 ⭐️ 

great premise, great writing, but overall it fell flat for me. i wasn’t really connected to the characters. 

what i liked about this book was the spooky and eerie vibe it gave. the mmc was somewhat bland, but it wasn’t a huge deal to me. it just felt as if he was the only nice guy to Effy. 

it only got okay towards the end, the romance was cute between Effy & Preston.

Overall, the book was “okay”. However, I did not truly get into it until about 45% through, which to ME is way too long for a book to pick up its pace. The set up and exposition are necessary, but I wish the author found a way to do it a bit faster. 

The author clearly has a deep understanding and love of literature as it reflects in her writing style. I think the two main love interests are sweet and endearing but there wasn’t enough of them for me to truly understand where the strong romantic feelings are coming from. 

The book very outwardly addresses misogyny in both a metaphorical and tangible sense, which was enjoyable. However, there was also a little bit of xenophobia or “othering” of another nation/ group of people that don’t exactly get explained or fully handled. I wish there was more exploration of that. 

Basically, the book felt drawn out and tedious at times, and the characters aren’t memorable. The ending was also very predictable to me, but I can understand how it’d be enjoyable for someone that didn’t see it coming. I initially gave it a 3 when I first read it months ago, but now, having read much better literature, I have to lower my rating. 

Nik ✨

Overall, the book was “okay”. However, I did not truly get into it until about 45% through, which to ME is way too long for a book to pick up its pace. The set up and exposition are necessary, but I wish the author found a way to do it a bit faster. 

The author clearly has a deep understanding and love of literature as it reflects in her writing style. I think the two main love interests are sweet and endearing but there wasn’t enough of them for me to truly understand where the strong romantic feelings are coming from. 

The book very outwardly addresses misogyny in both a metaphorical and tangible sense, which was enjoyable. However, there was also a little bit of xenophobia or “othering” of another nation/ group of people that don’t exactly get explained or fully handled. I wish there was more exploration of that. 

Basically, the book felt drawn out and tedious at times, and the characters aren’t memorable. The ending was also very predictable to me, but I can understand how it’d be enjoyable for someone that didn’t see it coming. I initially gave it a 3 when I first read it months ago, but now, having read much better literature, I have to lower my rating. 

if i needed to explain this book, i'd use this quote from it

“I was a woman when it was convenient to blame me, and a girl when they wanted to use me.” 

frick men (not you preston sweetie), effy and angharad deserve the world

laia

This has quickly become one of my all time favorite books. Once I picked it up I could not put it down. It consumed me completely for three days. I finished it a couple months ago and I still think about it frequently. 

“the danger was as ancient as the world. but if fairies and monsters were real, so were the women who defeated them.”

a dark fairytale and haunting story that for me took a little longer to settle but at the end it became one of the most heartfelt books i’ve read as a young woman. 

young adult fantasy books are slowly getting boring for me as i grow older but this one has the perfect amount of plot that kept me reading till the end, there is romance but it’s really not that relevant compared to the main problem we’re facing here and i couldn’t want it any other way. 

i think this book is perfect if you’re looking for that warm cozy feeling but with a little bit of mystery and eerie atmosphere that i personally love so if you’re into that, this will be perfect for you. 

auri 🪐

“the danger was as ancient as the world. but if fairies and monsters were real, so were the women who defeated them.”

a dark fairytale and haunting story that for me took a little longer to settle but at the end it became one of the most heartfelt books i’ve read as a young woman. 

young adult fantasy books are slowly getting boring for me as i grow older but this one has the perfect amount of plot that kept me reading till the end, there is romance but it’s really not that relevant compared to the main problem we’re facing here and i couldn’t want it any other way. 

i think this book is perfect if you’re looking for that warm cozy feeling but with a little bit of mystery and eerie atmosphere that i personally love so if you’re into that, this will be perfect for you. 

rating: ★★★.5

Ellie M.

This book was a sight to behold. I’d never thought a fantasy read could never be cozier till I met A Study in Drowning, whose story deals about a girl defying all the odds as an architecture student and a woman while struggling to make sense of her reality, and a literature scholar with a knack for academic integrity. Ava Reid’s writing is absolutely meticulous and at the same time it articulates the prejudices of a patriarchal society.

It’s incredibly impressive how she built a fantastical world off of European folkloric tradition and culture involving gods and the Fair Folk, with amazing prose and rhetorical imagery. The twists and turns in this book were truly unexpected. The soft and slow-budding romance between our sensitive but hard-driven main character and her smug but adorably handsome male lead was also not only emotionally gratifying to read, but it also takes us through their humorous, banter-filled adventure in the pursuit of truth that might end in a perilous conclusion.

A Study in Drowning

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