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Emily Lloyd Jones returns to the world ofThe Bone Houses, to weave a tale of magical heists, corgis and water diviners. I didn't enjoy this as much as The Bone Houses, simply because the magical system is very much dependant on the elements, and less about necromancy, however I really liked how this managed to incorporate a rather intriguing magic with some interesting characters.

Mer is someone with a haunting past. Forced to leave her home and put into the service of an abusive prince who forces her to do terrible things with her magic, her only father figure is a man who acts as part guard, part instructor. This creates a lot of complicated feelings when he reemerges to offer her a deal she can't turn down. Can she trust this man who reminds her of all the awful things she's done? Her twin in this regard is Fane. A man with an equally murky past, but an additional adorable sidekick in Trefor the corgi - who was easily my favourite character. Emily Lloyd Jones has some knack for creating weird yet adorable sidekicks. First the undead goat, now a Fae spy disguised as a corgi. I love it.

The plot is your pretty standard magical heist story, with some high stakes along the way. I will say I didn't see the twist coming, and thought the payoff to its conclusion was really well done. The lore is nice, and not overwhelming, but I could have one with a bit more overall world building. Most of the plot is set in one city, with little descriptions of the surrounding areas. I thought the last 50 pages or so also could have been wrapped up a bit quicker as it drags the ending out a bit too long. I loved the subtle nod to The Bone Houses though.

Overall, an enjoyable read. I've since noticed there's going to be another book set in this world - so I'm really excited to tackle The Wild Huntress soon.

This was a fantastic dark fairy tale that had loads of twists and tuns - However, I feel like it could have been a little bit longer to give us more backstory on the characters.

"The Drowned Woods" by Emily Lloyd-Jones is an enchanting fantasy novel inspired by Welsh folklore. The story follows Mer, a girl who can control water, and Fane, a man with a troubled past, on a risky adventure. The book touches on themes like power, betrayal, and redemption. Lloyd-Jones’s writing is vivid and magical, making the world feel real and full of wonder. The story is well-paced and keeps you engaged with its exciting twists and turns.

Thr Drowned Woods is all about a group heist, with characters who become allies by necessity rather than choice for most of them. I found the coming together of the chracters for the heist to be quite slow, and the antagonist (the prince) doesn’t really play into the story as much as expected. There is however a plot twist which makes the heist have much higher risks near the end of the book, which I don’t want to spoil but definitely made me want to not put the book down.

Throughout the story I loved the magic system and how Mer was born with her powers, but Fane got his through a deal with the others. With Mer being a water diviner, I loved how Emily Lloyd-Jones didn’t shy away from the darker uses of this power such as boiling people alive, or removing all water from a body. However, whilst dark the book isn’t gory or explicit around the mentions of these abilities for Mer.

Whilst Mer was our main character, I also loved see Fane’s POV and learn more about his background. Whilst Mer was kidnapped and trained to serve the prince, Fane went out in order to find his power and they have very different backgrounds whilst fitting well together in the present. These backgrounds were also slowly uncovered throughout the book so we were learning as each of them learn about one another too.

I adored the inclusion of Trefor, our lovely corgi companion and potential spy for the otherfolk. I also loved how Fane continued to take care of him, even in high stakes situations which is exactly what most dog owners would be like.

The book also introduces Ifanna, who is the heir to the thieves guild which is run by her two mothers. She’s also Mer’s ex who betrayed her the last time they met, which causes some inter-group tension at first,. Her ego is focused on becoming the best thief, and being famed for it which is why Mer believes her convinced to join the heist. I kind of wish there was a spin off book following either her or her parents.

Renfri, the spy master is also an intriguing and elusive character. Whilst acting like Mer’s kind of family, despite kidnapping her for the Prince as a child… their relationship changes and develops across the book as Mer tries to deal with her childhood issues. He’s also the mastermind of the heist, and one of my main questions throughout was why he’s suddenly against the Prince?

The character concepts are super interesting, but I do wish there was some expansion for some of the characters. I do think this is because we’re mostly reading from Mer’s POV and so we don’t know everything, like understanding Renfri’s reasons more, as well as the two other characters who came on the heist who Mer didn’t interact with as much (and I’m struggling to remember the names for because of this!).

There’s very clear Welsh influence in the names of places especially throughout the story which was a welcome surprise for me. I believe some of the magic/stories within the world are influenced by folktales from Wales too although I don’t have the knowledge to know which ones. I did love the influence though and would love to continue seeing Welsh folklore and language used more in books.

The pacing of the book as mentioned as the start isn’t great, with the middle section of the book being quite slow. However the ending does pick up and in general The Drowned Woods is a quick read. Based on folklore means that the overarching plot is not overly complicated, and is overall an enjoyable read.

Positives of The Drowned Woods
Brilliant concept and take on Welsh folklore
Intriguing characters and plot arcs
Negatives of The Drowned Woods
Slow pacing
Middle part of book does get a bit long

I had put off reading this because I had fallen out of love with YA fantasy, but I'm so glad I looped back because this was such a great book. I thought the author did a great job of balancing all of the elements, and I found myself drawn to how dark and magical this book was in parts. I haven't read The Bone Houses, but I know that this ties in to that book in an unexpected way. It was so interesting reading a story based on Welsh mythology, and I'll definitely be looking out for more books based on this because it added a foundation that bled throughout the story.

Don't overlook this one, it's beautiful, captivating and magical in equal measure.

This is a really unique part-tense and spooky, part-cosy fantasy where our main character is utterly chaotic - and I was so here for it. The characterisation was lively and unique, in fact every single character totally leapt off the page. It was a little far-fetched at times but I forgave that in exchange for the lovable characters. The magic system was intricate and unique, and I will definitely read this author again.

Welsh legends? I'm in! This book is INCREDIBLE! Filled with magic and power, twists and love, it's so good and intriguing

Initially diving into this book with reserved expectations, I was pleasantly taken aback by the sheer depth of adventure it offered. The storytelling prowess within these pages was truly exceptional, captivating me as the layers of the narrative unfolded gradually. Laden with intricate political schemes, the book emanated a vibe reminiscent of the grandeur found in 'Throne of Glass' and the immersive world-building akin to 'Lord of the Rings'. If these are stories that resonate with you, this book is a must-read. I'd comfortably rate it 3.75 stars, acknowledging its engaging narrative and its echoes of beloved fantasy classics.

Unfortunately I could not get into this book, even after a few attempts to read it. I think the writing style is not for me.

Ich habe das Buch angefangen und bis zur Hälfte gelesen. Seitdem liegt es auf meinem Bücherregal. Ich weiß nicht warum, aber es motiviert mich nicht wieterzulesen. Es ist spannend die Charaktere sind super, es ist gut geschrieben, aber es passt wohl einfach nicht zu mir.

Full review was delayed due to reviewer illness. I'll need to re-read the book to provide a full review, but star rating is accurate.

I don't remember ever reading a book based on a Welsh legend before, but I really enjoyed it. I loved the Emily built her world as well as the characters within it. The magic system was interesting, and I loved the element aspect of it.

Will definitely be reading more from Emily Llyod-Jones in the future!

A really enjoyable read from start to finish. No 'babbling', straight to the point. Would read again

Thank you for my eARC of this book! Firstly I love the setting, and found it really refreshing., the book was engaging and well paced too., I look forward to more from this author!

I really don't know why I waited with reading this for so long! It's such a good story, it's part heist, which I instantly loved. I've actually been looking for more and more heist novels after reading Sixof Crows.

This book was nicely paced, I don't lik ebooks where the story drags on and on, so this was a good change of pace so to say. And the most important part of starting a new book for me: the worldbuilding. If there's no worldbiulding, and the story doesn't make it right, I'm done. But this was done right from the start!

And can I say how happy I am that this book has a good ending, I'm not going to disclose anything, but definitely read this after The Bone Houses, just.. you'll be happy!

This was my first Emily Lloyd-Jones book and will not be my last! This was such a solid read and I really liked the premise of it all!

I really liked our main characters Mer and Fane! They were amazing and I loved getting to learn about each of their pasts and what lead them to where they are now. However, whilst those two were amazing the show was stolen by Trefor, a corgi companion who quickly stole my heart.

The magical element of this book was so intriguing and I really loved the idea of it all and felt that it was really well executed! I also liked that this one wrapped up nicely and I wasn't left with a million questions!

A great standalone ya fantasy that I recommend picking up!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Heist novel set in a fantasy world? It had me clicking on request immediately because I love this premise so very much. This read so much like a fairy tale and I loved that. The characters were really compelling and the writing was absolutely beautiful. I love this book so much and it gets extra points for being a stand-alone too!

I read this about 6 months ago and unfortuantely totally forgot to post a review - this was part of my problem with this book. Although I enjoyed a Welsh folkloric setting, whole swathes of this book felt fairly unforgettable, as did the characters. It felt as though they were being dragged through a (fairly unbelievable) plot without a huge amount of agency, or much else to set this apart from other books in the genre.
Totally fine as a stor, but didn't offer me much else.

I am fairly new to Emily Lloyd -jones books and I must say that the Drowned woods really makes me want to explore more of her writing! This book was not what I was expecting it to be, Just wow!!

From the welsh mythology, the storytelling, the heist to the world building and the enchanting folklore-eske, the drowned woods keeps you hooked.

Thank you netgalley and publishers for allowing me to have this e-are.

I also have this book as an Illumicrate exclusive and I love it!
It is such a good story! Emily Lloyd-Jones writes magically