Really enjoyed this retelling of the fragmentary tales of 'Welsh Atlantis'. (Celtic mythology is rife with sunken lands btw - there's one off the coast of Ireland, Lyoness off the coast of Cornwall and various other mysterious lost lands in both Arthurian and Celtic myth.) The main thrust of this story is about acceptance and belonging - both finding a place where you fit in and learning not to run away from everything for fear of losing it. The main character, Mhair is a water diviner with power over water. Diviners are sought after and owned by the corrupt king, and just to muddy the waters further (haha) the king's spy master is a thoroughly morally grey father figure to Mhair, who is somewhat lost in her own life and never stays in one place for long. Added to the crew is Thane, a man with a fair folk gift on him. Anyone who knows anything about the Tyllwyth Teg will know how that's going for him. This is a quit fantasy story in many ways but I appreciated its examination of friendship and personal responsibility, and I loved the setting and the Welsh mythology.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this novel from the first page. The set up of the story had me hooked and I was excited to find out how the heist would go.

There were lots of twist and turns and I loved that the plot kept me guessing throughout the book.

While I found all of the characters to be likeable, and enjoyed the snippets of memories which showed more about each of their backgrounds, I did feel that I wasn’t as invested in the characters as I would have liked. I felt like there wasn’t much build up to the romance, and would have enjoyed it if the author had spent more time describing the characters and allowing the reader to get to know them better.

That being said, I did really enjoy the book and thought that the storyline and pacing were excellent.

I’m gutted but I’m just not sold on this. Everything was okay. The characters were alright, the plot was good, the names of things threw my head for a loop at times I won’t lie 😅 but it just didn’t wow me like I’d hoped it would.

I enjoyed the story and the basis in Welsh folklore. The magic system was really intriguing and felt fresh. While I enjoyed the concept of the characters, I didn't feel like they were fully developing; the story could have done more showing than telling, especially in terms of character development and motivation. I wished the romance had been a bit more progressive through the book; it felt like it was really rushed at the end, and I didn't have a chance to see the relationship between Mer and Fane develop. Then the next thing I knew - the ending (I won't spoil it) happened and I was a bit surprised. A lot of the dialogue felt wooden to me, but that was probably because of some phrases ("my dear") that were likely meant to assist character development but just felt repetitive and forced, or words that felt out of place and pulled me out of the story ("mayhap"). Overall, though, this was a fun fantasy adventure with a unique magic system based in interesting, mystical folklore.

This is a magical book and this author knows how to bring that across with her words. No matter what happens in this book you're guaranteed to feel something whether it be happiness, sadness or confusion you will feel it. This book includes welsh mythology, a dog, otherfolk magic and a kingdom underwater.

I really enjoyed this one! I preordered a copy for my shelves right away! Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book early!

tl;dr: THE DROWNED WOODS does not stand out in comparison to other YA novels. It is a perfectly entertaining read, though, and a good candidate for easy holiday reading, as long as readers don’t expect much actual Welsh content.

THE DROWNED WOODS by Emily Lloyd-Jones

An ARC was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The Drowned Woods will be published on August 16 2022.

Mererid “Mer” is one of the last living water diviners and thus extremely sought after by Wales’ people of power. After escaping the prince’s service, she is ready to live a quiet life that is truly hers. When her old minder and the prince’s spy master finds her, he offers her what she has always dreamed of in exchange for one final mission.

A perfectly fine holiday read for any non-Welsh destination

The Drowned Woods is marketed as a dark fairytale heist novel with Welsh roots. It is definitely darkish and has both faerie and heist elements. Unfortunately, the story’s Welsh seeds failed to take root properly. Overall, The Drowned Woods is a rather generic fantasy novel with lots of known tropes and a setting that could stem from pretty much any other vaguely medieval place. Welsh culture and mythology are only present in the margins and most often embodied solely by words that look difficult to pronounce. More often than not, these are then “translated”, straining the reader’s suspension of disbelief for the supposedly Welsh characters even further. Similarly, Welsh nature is often highlighted in the novel, the actual elements are, however, described only vaguely, such as “meadows of wildflowers”, without ever being specific, and really grounding the story. Welsh readers might disagree but for an outsider, the Welsh elements feel like a rather artificial way to spice up an otherwise fairly bland novel.

The plot and pacing of The Drowned Woods are also pretty average. It is written as an easy to read young adult novel that, for the most part, ist perfectly entertaining. The ending, however, fails to be truly engaging and instead made it difficult to, again, suspend disbelief and the final twists were hard to care about, with the revealed motivations feeling underdeveloped. The very obviously planted corgi sidekick also adds little more to the story than a marketable cuteness factor. The casual queer representation, on the other hand, was a nice touch and felt much less forced, making it a welcome read for Pride month and a good addition for summer beach TBR piles once the book is released in August.

Rating

The Drowned Woods was sufficiently dark, fairytaley and heisty to be a reasonable three star book. But the Welsh background felt rather tacked on, as did some of the character motivations – and the corgi. The previously published The Bone Houses is set in the same world and might provide a bit more background, though both books are standalone novels. I haven’t read it so I can’t say whether Lloyd-Jones’ Wales actually has a bit more depth. Overall, though, The Drowned Woods was an entertaining enough read to get more than two stars. I’d recommend it for fantasy readers looking for casually queer stories with young adult content.

4 stars from me!

A dark fairytale heist-style story centred on the legend of the "Welsh Atlantis" and the creation of today's Cardigan Bay? Yes, I absolutely jumped at this one! Welsh language and mythology are hard to find in mainstream YA or NA novels, so I was very excited to receive an ARC from Netgalley.

I sped through it - the plot was compelling and moved pretty fast, dipping into past scenes to build the characters' backstories, and the main characters are easy to love. The pacing did feel a bit up and down in parts, and I do wish there'd been more of a focus on the folklore side of the story. There's a slow-burn romance and a bit of LGBTQIA+ diversity (no scenes for fans of spice, to my relief!), and different levels of found-family vibes

It would be amazing if there was more to this story as the resolution did feel a bit rushed compared to the rest of the book, but I enjoyed it the whole way! I believe it's set in the same world/mythology as another of the author's books, so I'll be looking that up

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this ARC

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest and fair review.

A soon as I read "part heist novel, part dark fairy tale, and rich with Welsh legends", I knew I had to read it asap. It had also been on my TBR for so long and I was waiting for it to be published so badly. For the most part The Drowned Woods did not let me down! I really liked it.

Mererid, "Mer", is an eighteen-year-old girl and she's the last water diviner in the kingdom. She was taken when she was really young to work for the prince in order to locate the wells of his enemies, and after she found them he poisoned them without her knowing and that caused hundreds of deaths. As soon as she found out, she refused to help him anymore, so the prince marked her under her left eye, but then she managed to escape. Even after disappearing for a long time, she still felt unsafe and kept running away, without staying in the same place for too long until she met Renfrew, who used to work at the castle and had taught her much while she was there. He proposed her to join this heist in order to bring down the prince and in return she would have enough money to disappear completely. However, once she joined, many things happen and not everything goes according to what she expected.

I really liked the plot and how the author decided to build the whole story. I LOVED the setting of the book and the landscapes (such as the cliffs). I felt as if I was there with the main characters: I felt the cold, the water on my face and in my boots, I felt grief and fear with all of them. I felt like one of them. Also, I really liked how the prince finally understands and how behaves at the end of the story.
However, what I did not really like was how the character weren't really well-described: I actually wanted to know more about all of them, especially Renfrew. The truth is that we saw only small aspects of them and not even that deeply enough as the author rushed them a bit, so I didn't really feel any connection with them. Moreover, I felt like the plot twist was pretty much foreseeable and not even halfway through the book I already knew who was the "bad guy" among them.

If you know me, you guessed right about the ending: yes, I did cry. I didn't expect it and I really loved it.

My rating: 3.5!

I've been a fan of Emily Lloyd-Jones since The Hearts We Sold and I was so excited when Hodderscape announced that they were doing her new one and ran to request as soon as it was available!

I very much enjoyed this one, the characters relationships between each other was well done, the plot was interesting and I was glad we could see some past information to help us make sense of the present day.

It was an incredible book, the last 30% I really flew through, I was happy with the ending we were given too!

Thanks to Netgalley for the eARC

The Drowned Woods was a pleasant read but I expected something more!
I really enjoyed the rich and enchanting Welsh folklore, as well as the magical atmosphere and the captivating writing style, but I would have preferred a greater care in the characterization and in the development of the story.

A delightful adventure into a mythological Welsh infused world!

I loved seeing more Welsh folklore incorporated into fantasy, it really has such a colourful and enchanting culture, almost reminding as a contemporary version of The Mabinogion. The plot was so rich in storytelling, magic systems, and amazing world-building. Llloyd-Jones has such a way of explaining everything as part of the story rather than just telling it.

Mer as a main character was someone you could truly feel for and support in her journey. I loved the fact that she was a water-diviner which gave her something original as a main character. The author adds just the right amount of character banter and gravity. creating a motley crew of colourful and interesting characters.

Down a star as some scenes in the journey grew stale, but all in all a very entertaining read! A fantastical heist set in an imaginative folkloric world!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this eARC in exchange for an honest review

"She felt like some old spirit, returned to haunt the home it had once loved."

The Drowned Woods is inspired by Welsh mythology and it tells the story of Cantre'r Gwaelod, an ancient sunken kingdom.

It follows Mer, a water diviner, and a crew of allies who go on a quest to find a magical well and consequently find themselves faced with the fate of the kingdom in their hands.

I was really looking forward to read this for the Welsh lore and because I loved The Bone Houses also by Emily Lloyd-Jones.

Sadly I was disappointed with this book, despite the promising beginning, the plot and characters fell flat to me. The resolution felt rushed and way too easy for my liking.

Ultimately The Drowned Woods did not live up to my expectations.

Inspired by the myth of Cantre’r Gwaelod, a sunken kingdom off the coast of Wales, that has been described as the “Welsh Atlantis”, this fantasy from Emily Lloyd-Jones is a part heist, part dark fairy tale, set in the same world as The Bone Houses, but with a whole new cast of characters.

As the last living water diviner, the eighteen-year-old Mererid “Mer” has spent years running from the prince who bound her into his service. When Mer’s old handler returns with a proposition, she is resolved to use her powers to bring down the very prince that abused them both. The best way to do that is to destroy the magical well that keeps the prince’s lands safe. With a motley crew of allies, including a fae-cursed young man, the lady of thieves, and a corgi that may or may not be a spy, Mer may finally ‌be free and in peace with herself. At least, it’s what she hopes.

The prologue sets up the book nicely, and the epilogue is also beautifully written, but the overall pacing of the story is very slow. There are too many supporting characters that are only present for the sake of the plot but don't really add anything to it. Although Mer has one of the best opening lines ever, I feel like I didn't know her well enough to get attached to her, and even though I was heartbroken before I got to the end, I didn't cry drool and snot-like I usually do. Still, I liked the tension felt between Mer and Ifanna and the (maybe a little too very) slow burn with Fane.

I'm sorry that, with such a good premise and a cast of characters that had everything going for it, the author or publisher decided that this should be just a stand-alone. The political issue could have made this story more than a disappointing heist. Despite this, the writing is really beautiful ‌with some deep thoughts, especially regarding how oppressive regimes act. Somewhat thought-provoking, it also addresses the power of sacrifice for the greater good.

I received an eARC for free, through NetGalley, and I am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

Not a very inventive fantasy debut, but definitely an enjoyable one! All of the tropes that a good YA romp needs to have, and lovely to read something Welsh-inspired for a change.

Having really enjoyed Lloyd-Jones’ The Bone Houses, I expected The Drowned Woods to be similarly good. This was not the case for me though.

I found the Welsh mythology really interesting. It’s not mythology I know much about, but I’d definitely like to read more of it now.

The heist plot was fun. It’s a trope I usually enjoy, as was the case in this book, but the overall plot didn’t *blow me away*.

The characters were only okay. I honestly don’t have much of an opinion on them. They stayed rather one-dimensional.

The pacing of the story seemed a little off to me. The first 30% were solely focused on assembling the team. For me personally, that was way too long.

I liked the corgi. Mostly because I like corgis in general.

Overall this was not a bad read, but it did not live up to my expectations.

★ Absolutely stunning. ★

Emily Lloyd-Jones has outdone herself. The Drowned Woods was so beautiful, and is without a doubt my top book of the year so far. I will cherish this book forever, and am so glad to have stumbled across it on Netgalley (thanks to its gorgeous UK cover).

If I was to talk at length about everything I loved about The Drowned Woods, we'd be here all day, and I'd rather anyone reading this review spend their time reading this masterpiece of a book instead. What I will say, however, is that these characters completely captured my heart. I adore Mer, and how complicated she is, and her history, and her dynamic with Renfrew especially (ELJ really tugged at my heartstrings with this one). Fane was wonderful, but of course Trefor the corgi was even better (what a sweet little baby <3). And I can't not talk about Ifanna, the princess of thieves who exudes the most Chaotic Good energy.

I usually prefer a bit more romance in my books than what we got here, but honestly, I don't even care. The Drowned Woods didn't need any more romance than what it had, and everything else about it was so perfect anyways. Unfortunately I didn't have time due to university exams, but I could have very easily devoured this in one sitting. It was simply enchanting, and I was hooked from the very beginning.

I will 100% be reading more of Lloyd-Jones' work now (especially The Bone Houses); her writing style is so beautiful, and the 'fairy tale' description you've no doubt seen alongside this book is right on the money. I really hope ELJ writes more books set in this world, because I adored the worldbuilding and magic system, and would absolutely love to see more of it.

Anyone who enjoys fantasy books should pick this up. You won't regret it.

The biggest thank you to Kate Keehan at Hodder and Stoughton for the eARC!

↠ 5 stars (and a place on my all-time favourites list)

3.75*

”People wanted her dead. And in her contrary heart, that made her want to live.”


SUMMARY
Mererid finds out she is the last living water diviner when her old spymaster, part father figure, part teacher, finds her and recruits her for a heist that involves destroying the prince of Cantre’r Gwaelod, Garanhir.

With an unlikely crew that includes Mererid, Renfrew the spymaster, Fane who can’t be beaten in a fight, Emrick the scholar, Ifanna a thief so good she’s almost royalty, Gryf whose job is as secretive as his stares, and Trefor the corgi who is or isn’t a spy for the tylwyth teg (welsh fairies), each person is promised something, but only some of these promises can come to fruition when trying to topple a kingdom.

OPINION
A reimagining of Wales’ very own Atlantis, Cantre’r Gwaelod, I just had to read it, didn’t I?

This is described by the author herself as part dark fairytale and part dark heist. I fully support this description as it was everything it promised to be. I loved that the fairytale aspect held true to welsh folklore whilst the heist was able to explore those morally grey characters.

The plot was fantastic. Really past faced, tense, and emotionally provoking. ELJ really knows how to write a story this much is clear.

Living in Wales, we really do have SO much untapped culture that authors should really take advantage of. We are a country dripping in stories ready to be reimagined and I’m so glad it’s been noticed. There’s many people in the UK who would love to see the Welsh language die out and If I meet any of these people I will faerie-curse them. But anyway, my point is that just because we love our w’s and y’s doesn’t mean we aren’t a culture worth knowing.

I wish I could have rated this higher but a few aspects fell flat for me. Some of the heist characters felt more like plot points rather than multi dimensional characters that my heart could really wrap its strings around. Additionally, and I use this term very very loosely, the ‘romance’ in this book is, well… it’s non existent until it suddenly exists, I guess. I hate to be harsh but of all the plot twists, there’s one kiss that really THREW me for a moment, and I daren’t say more lest I spoil it for all of you.

RECOMMENDATION
Anyone who enjoys powerful female MCs, morally grey characters, faerie-cursed boys, and a skip full of magic should pick this up.

They say that a girl was responsible for the flooding of Cantre'r Gwaelod, an ancient kingdom off the coast of Wales where Cardigan Bay now stands. They say she was the guardian of a magical wellspring, and when she deserted her post, the magic failed and the sea rushed in, drowning The Lowland Hundred.

Now, we hear the tale from her perspective.

Mererid is the last living water diviner, taken from her family as a child and pressed into service by the prince of Caer Wyddno. After the prince uses her powers to find and poison the wells of a neighbouring kingdom, Mererid realises the true nature of the man she serves and runs.

She has spent years of the run, the prince's men forever on her heels. Just when she thinks that perhaps she will never be able to stop running, her former teacher, spymaster Renfrew, offers her the chance of a lifetime: find the Well, steal the magical items within, bring a kingdom to its knees. She would be rich enough to run somewhere that she could truly begin anew. She would finally have justice, finally be free.

All they need now is a team.

Fane is an ironfetch, pledged to the service of the Tylwyth Teg, the fae. Blessed with the ability to sense iron and cursed with the magic of death, Fane once sought to avenge his family, killed by mercenaries when he was a child.

Now, Fane is tired of death and violence. He only wants his seven years of service to be over. But when he kills the mercenary that Mererid sought to hire, he finds himself signing up for a heist.

Together with a princess of thieves, a scholar, a man of dubious background and a corgi who may or may not be a spy for the Tylwyth Teg, the group must find their way through treacherous sea cave and magical traps, and past the water horses known as the Ceffyl Dŵr and the legendary chief of the boars, Ysgithyrwyn.

The Drowned Woods is a magical tale that transports you to the beautiful lands of Wales, filled with legend and myth. It's beautifully written, and the characters each have their own, understandable motivations. The line between good and bad and hero and villain is blurred in many cases. There is intrigue, humour and adventure, and throughout it all Welsh folklore is interwoven in a way that feels so alive.

A wonderful, captivating read.

And yes, the dog survives!

Mer lost her chance at a normal life the day people discovered she was a water diviner. She was taken into the prince's custody and used as a weapon in a war she wanted to have nothing to do with, and now that she has managed to flee all she longs for is a quiet and peaceful life. But when the prince's old spymaster comes to her with the opportunity of a lifetime, to ruin the prince and ensure her own safety, she cannot turn it away.

This book is a completely wild ride. Even if you're acquainted with Welsh lore, the world-building is incredibly rich and filled with surprises, and if you aren't, it's like finding a treasure trove. One of my favorite aspects of it was the magic system. Although we only get to know it through the perspective of a water diviner and a "fae-touched" person, rather than seeing every single kind of magic, I felt like it had clearly defined limits, and it was nice that having magic didn't make Mer omnipotent, though it was frustrating to see it hindered in those moments where I was really rooting for her.

As for the characters, like with most books, it's impossible to connect with every single one of them, but I found the protagonist to be very well developed and it was heart wrenching to read all she had suffered through. I loved the way she slowly realised she had more in common than she thought with the people she considered ruthless or "less good", and yet she still tried to do better every chance she got. This was a big theme throughout the book, the ways we can still hurt others even when we don't mean to, and how we must strive to be better today than we were yesterday, along with how far we can go for "the greater good", which I thought was really well explored.

The story itself was really well crafted, with a couple of mind-boggling twists that actually made sense in retrospective. Some of the characters' actions were quite questionable, but I think that just added to their humanity. My only complaint is that I got a bit lost during the fight scenes, which is probably actually my fault as I tend to skim over those because it did get a bit gory for my taste, and that the tension felt a little dragged out in the grand finale.

All in all, this was a really good read. If you like fantasy with some heist aspects, this book is for you. And if you're still not sold: there's an adorable dog character!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.