A Study in Drowning

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The history of Welsh folklore–its broad dissemination and integration with the modern Western fantasy genre–is inextricably tied to English colonialism of the Celtic countries, which itself is a major theme in A Study in Drowning. I’m always interested in the political salience of fairy tales and folklore; how they contribute to building national identity; how they often connote deep, centuries-old social tensions. These are ideas that crop up in pretty much all of my books, and I wanted to explore them in ASID too. I did like how soft and sweet the romance in this book was and I did like the other character in the romance a lot, however I was never as gripped by this aspect I was by many of the others. But I did appreciate how caring and gentle and always kind it was, I thought it a brilliant contrast to the cruelty of the surrounding world and characters. 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."

I enjoyed this book immensely, this is my first Ava Reid book and I cannot wait to read their adult works as well. The writing in this book was astoundingly beautiful. Every word bleeds with emotion, I kept stopping so that I could admire the words I was reading in depth. The estate of Llyr’s national author EMRYS MYRDDIN is soliciting designs for a manor home outside the late author’s hometown of Saltney, Bay of Nine Bells. 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." Argant was always claiming that Lyrian treasures and traditions were really their own. Llyr was forever accusing Argant of stealing their heroes and histories." A Study in Drowning is a YA dark academia fantasy that follows Effy, an architecture student who desperately wants to study literature but is barred from it because of her university’s archaic, sexist laws. When she sees an advertisement for a competition to design a home honoring her country’s national author–the author of her favorite book–she leaps at the chance. But when she arrives, she finds herself in a remote, crumbling manor, full of disturbing secrets and ruled over by the author’s enigmatic and capricious son. She also meets her academic rival, Preston, who is there for his own reasons: to prove her favorite author was a fraud.

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It’s also obvious Reid did not research architecture or technical drawing. Even someone like me who took only a semester of Technical Drawing in High School (I wanted to go into chemical engineering before deciding I liked biochemistry more) realizes she has no idea what an architect actually does or the tools they use. The narrative makes it sound like Effy is always just sketching or doodling as if she’s taking art classes: there’s no mention of trigonometry, geometry, or algebra, not even in passing. 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.” 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. Overall, this book is scary, ominous, intense, moving, bold, and one of the best reads I've had lately!

Families can talk about consent in A Study in Drowning. Why is Effy both confused and horrified by the advances of Master Corbenic, her college advisor? How does what others in the college and in society think of women make it harder for her to realize his actions were wrong? What other characters in the story had similar experiences? The mariner's hubris isn't necessarily in his belief that he won't die, but his belief that the worst the sea can do is kill him. My next book is Lady Macbeth, an adult historical fantasy reimagining of Shakespeare’s play from Lady Macbeth’s perspective. We’re pitching it as Circe meets Wolf Hall. It’s out from Del Rey next summer, and I’m very excited to share more about it in the coming months! this is YA and as someone who has read many thrillers in her life, YA mysteries are predictable 9 times out of 10; This story will appeal to you if you like books about books, but it is also so much more than that. It's quite a difficult book to summarise as it explores so many different themes, with great nuance, that are interwoven with such complexity. It's also, on the surface, a mystery (or, at least, very mysterious) and so I fear saying too much in case I give something away. But at its heart this book is about the characters.

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In line with the previous question, one of my own favourite Welsh myths is that of Cantre’r Gwaelod, the sunken kingdom below Cardigan Bay – represented of course in Llyr’s ‘Bottom Hundred.’ You also mention a similar Breton myth in your notes, that of Kêr-Is. What drew you to this particular story frame? Literal and metaphorical drowning is, of course, the main theme of A Study in Drowning , and the notion of a sunken land was always central to the story I wanted to tell. There are the socio-political and economic connotations that harken to real-world climate change: the idea that the most deprived people suffer the most when nature takes an unnatural course. There is the deep sense of grief, of loss, of disconnect and severance: the feeling that Effy is trapped in an unreal reality, unmoored from her fellow humans, akin to living in this ruined city beneath the waves. 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. We’ve get all this, and it is great. However, what I feel this books accomplishes best, is describing and validating experiences of abuse (sexual and parental abuse) and panic, dealing with trauma, misogyny and sexism, and finding agency and a new sense of self. And all of it works so beautifully. A seamless blend of narrative, characters I absolutely loved, mysteries to unravel, and an ambiguously fantastical setting that you will question again and again. I loved this book so very much.

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. A Study in Drowning is set in a world inspired by mid-century England and Wales, and Effy belongs to a class of women who would have been among the first non-aristocrats to be able to attend university. While she has the privilege of being upper class, as a woman she is still subjected to horrifically dehumanising institutional sexism. 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 favorite author is a fraud. Cruel magic was the currency of the Fair Folk as they appeared in Myrddin’s books. She had read them all so many times that the logic of his world was layered over hers, like glossy tracing paper on top of the original.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. Otherwise, the romance is more substantial than the one in Juniper & Thorn, but another big problem for me is that Preston just seems so vague and lifeless - I never really felt a true sense of what made him distinct or complex or interesting as a character at all. He’s a cynic who loves talking about his academic theories and he is kind and respectful to Effy when literally every other man in the book is a lascivious slobbering monster. There is one scene where he tells Effy about his father’s death, and that’s pretty much the most significant spotlight moment that he gets throughout the book. Ava Reid specializes in crafting powerful stories of female trauma and rage. A Study in Drowning captures the many conflicting ways that women are treated by society and the tendency for their voices to be lost. Effy proves that there is strength in softness and perseverance. Her experience was so raw and emotional and I know that it will resonate with many readers. I was really impressed by how Ava Reid presented these complex topics for a YA audience. Pixieltd on Reading The Wheel of Time: Taim Tells Lies and Rand Shares His Plan in Winter’s Heart (Part 3) 2 hours ago i can see Reid’s vision, i know what she was trying to do here but… sadly it just wasn’t executed effectively therefore i had little to no interest in the story.

this book is perfect to read during fall. i'd recommend it to anyone that is looking for an atmospheric and immersive read that touches on some heavier subjects while also having loveable characters and an engaging plot/mystery.i went into this book not knowing anything about it, and i think that's the way it's meant to be experienced. i really enjoyed gradually unraveling the story. 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! It was very beautifully written, very poetic. I loved the dark atmosphere and the gothic horror vibes. It was very refreshing especially in this weather 🫶🏻 i liked the plot of the story it was very predictable but the massage behind it was very important and touching. It left me aching for effy and Angharad and everyone else involved ❤️‍🩹 the misogyny and the way men was treating women in here was very provoking and real i wanted to to kill all the men on earth. I was very satisfied and proud with how everything ended. this book has taken me over a month to finish, which is incredibly rare for me. i found this to be an odd book to review and rate, because from the perspective of a literature graduate with special interest in the Gothic in all its forms, this was layered and enthralling, clearly a lot of effort has gone into crafting this story. the gothic aspect was phenomenal, truly. but from a reader’s perspective? someone who just wants to sit and enjoy a book? I still had a great time reading it : in the end, it didn’t truly matter if I guessed everything, because I enjoyed the journey anyway.