I read an eARC of this book so thank you to the author, the publisher and Net Galley for this.

I’ve read three books by Ava Reid now and this one is by far the best, it’s excellent.

This is a wonderful, dark book about two students trying to uncover the mystery of a decrepit house that’s gradually falling into the sea and the author of a book they both love who recently died.

The fairy stories in this are just magnificent. It’s the dark tales I remember from childhood. The fairies in this are to be feared. It’s so beautifully woven throughout the story. The main character has experience with the Fairy King but her mother and doctor put her on medication thinking she’s mad. She is unable to trust her own judgement and tell what’s real and what’s not. There’s also a regional split with southerners believing in fairies but the North dismissing it as superstition.

We also have an academic institute with inappropriate behaviour towards our main character. She experiences frequent discrimination as the only female on the architecture course and was outright refused for her preferred course of literature despite her outstanding academic performance purely for being female.

The setting is so evocative. From the university to the coastal town with the decaying house, it’s all so well described. Highly recommend this book, it was a joy to read

The first half of this book had me captivated and fully immersed but then it got steadily downhill with a very predictable plot. There was no surprises. It was ok overall.

A book that is both eerily dark and beautiful at the same time. A truly broken / addictive / captivating tale.

This book was a brilliantly crafted mix of fantasy, romance, dark Academia and dark folk mythology that quite literally had me hooked.

There is so much I loved about this book. The dark Academia, the gothic vibes of the creepy mansion. The ghostly vibes twisted in with dark folk Lore and tales of the Fairy King.

The heart wrenching yet empowering aspects of this story (no spoilers). The secrets surrounding the main female characters in this book and the way they are treated by men at the time, was such an integral beautifully written part of this book.

To not resonate with Effy (and everyone who life treats this way) was impossible. My heart broke several times for her in this story.

The slow reveal of what happens to Effy, her tragic upbringing, relationship with her mother mixed with her doubts surrounding what she sees and her mental health is one of the most cleverly written plots I've read in ages.

A character and a tale that with stay with me for an indefinite amount of time after.

The light in the brilliant darkness of this book was the ending and her relationship with Preston, a reminder that good people exist, that hope is possible and that courage is found in many forms.

"You don’t have to take up a sword. Survival is bravery, too".

A book that will hold a very special place on my bookshlves.

I have not felt so consumed by a book as I currently feel about A Study in Drowning for a long, long time. And seeing as aSiD is practically a love letter to stories and fictional characters itself, it feels fitting.

I cannot stop thinking about it. It was a PERFECT five stars for me. A brilliant reminder that sometimes the bravest thing a person -real or fictional - can do, particularly women, is simply survive. We all love a strong heroine who can swing a sword and throw a punch, but Effy Sayre is a heroine for the softer, quieter girls who are equally as strong. I loved her with every part of my soul, and am so grateful to Ava Reid for creating such a character. This tale was full of whimsy and downright horror, and had my heart racing multiple times. The writing was exquisite and I flew through the whole thing in only two sittings. I was furious when someone dared to take my attention away.

I’m so excited for this book to come out and for everyone to fall in love with it just as I have. Thank you to Random House UK, Cornerstone, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC. All opinions are my own.

🌊A Study in Drowning🌊

By Ava Reid @avasreid

Description:

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 at her prestigious architecture college. So when the late author's family announces a contest to design his house, Effy feels 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.

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The absolute star of this book was the atmosphere. Ava Reid reminds me of Maggie Stievater in how incredibly well she creates the all encompassing atmosphere of the book. The theme of drowning is delivered so consistently that the whole book feels damp, dank and cold. I love stories about stories, and this book takes a clever look at fairytales and their power.

I really enjoyed Reid’s debut, The Wolf and The Woodsman, and A Study in Drowning is another excellent read. I haven’t got to Juniper and Thorn yet, but it’s on my shelf!

Thanks to @netgalley and @delreyuk for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A Study in Drowning is out on the 19th of September.

I can genuinely say this is one of the best books i have read for a while, i have read and loved other Ava Reid books but this was by far my favorite it was absolutely beautiful !

What a hauntingly beautiful book, I was captivated from the start - drawn in by the mystery, urban legends and storytelling.

'And the sea, the sea, it whispers the secret of how all things end'.

Synopsis
Effy is the only female student in the Architecture College, her passion has always been literature, but they don't allow females into that college. When an architectural competition opens to design Emrys Myrdden's home, Effy jumps at the chance - for he wrote her beloved book, Angharad - a tale about the Fairy King. Effy has memorised every word of this book, it helps with her night terrors and hallucinations: a beacon in her dark.

Effy wins this contest, travelling to Emrys Myrdden's home to make a start on the design. But there's also a literature student there, Preston, who is writing a thesis on the writer.

Starting out as enemies, Effy and Preston begin to work together to uncover Emrys secrets, all while Effy is battling her nightmares of the Fairy King.

Thoughts
Haunting, beautiful and captivating. It consists of dark academia, enemies to lovers, urban legends and myth - but also its thought provoking - men abusing their positions of power, and how women were viewed by men in the publishing and literary industry.

Effy grows so much throughout this book, she was struggling within herself - but we see her transform into a strong, brave character - one who fights in what she believes in.

'Better to pen a story of your own. Better to build your own house, with a foundation that was strong, with windows that let in plenty of light'.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for this copy. This review is voluntary.

A Study in Drowning is a gothic fantasy that follows architecture student Effy as she is tasked with redesigning the home of her favourite author. There she meets Preston, a literature student uncovering the truth behind the author's work.

Ava Reid has a beautiful writing style. This is the first book of hers I've read and I loved how she writes. It captured the atmosphere of the cold cliffs and rotting house perfectly.

Effy was so well characterized too, I could see parts of her in myself and women I know. Too often girls and women are told to ignore their instincts and be polite, and then questioned why they didn't speak up or fight. A big theme of the book is Effy surviving this double standard.

I predicted a lot of the plot points as I read, but reading it unfold was still enjoyable. I actually think this is the easiest 5 star I've given this year and I'll be adding all of Ava Reid's books to my TBR.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for the arc.

I don't think I can show this book enough love 💚 A Study in Drowning by Ava reid is a gorgeous, poetic story, that does not shy away from the less flattering truths of the world.
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A Study in drowning is at its heart, a mystery. But it's so much more than that. It deals with themes of PTSD and of mental wellness, as well as the fears that plague a person if they are even the slightest bit out of sync with society. It shows that surviving is fighting, and sometimes that's all a person can manage to do, and that is enough 💚
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The setting of the story and the villages involved, as well as the continued water references all paint the environment as another character, one just as involved with the plot as the people, and almost reflective of the novels characters at times.
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Effy was such an amazing character, and I loved learning more and more about her as the story went on, it felt like she was revealing her true self to me at the same time she was acknowledging her trauma. She shared her gradual healing with us.
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Reading this felt like a dream, and the lyrical story telling flowed from the page. A highly recommended read.

This is my first Ava Reid book, though not the first book of hers that I’ve wanted to read.

I find it quite hard to rate this one, because there were a lot of things I loved, and also a lot of elements in the story that I felt needed more expansion in order to function properly. In many ways, this feels like a draft of a book, albeit a very good one. But it all feels a little over the place, there are so many different topics for the author to focus on that I felt like the book was too short and ended too quickly for all of them to be truly explored. I feel like I wanted to give this a 4-star but its more of a 3.5. Like I said, I feel very conflicted because there is a lot of good stuff in here. Let’s break it down.

The first thing I have to say is that this book is the perfect Gothic book. No, this one is not dark academia, the main character spends practically only the first chapter in university, and then its off to a mansion by a cliffside. I am writing my thesis on DA and so in the parameters I have set this one doesn’t check all the boxes, and the most important one is the focus on academic life and being set in a university. This book just proves that not ALL books that feature academics or a university are by default a dark academia book, there are way more elements required.

Despite that, this book didn’t make me frustrated for not being DA. That was just a tiny thing. Because truly, this is *the* Gothic book. I was immediately enthralled with the descriptions of the crumbling mansion that is slowly being submerged by the sea. In fact, that made me think of Crimson Peak (2015) right away. It also made me think of any Gothic story of a young maid, a virgin, afraid, and unsure if she is going crazy or not, walking by the hallows of a deteriorated house. The imagery here is very strong, and I appreciated that. It made me wish that the age rating of this novel was different. This appears to be Reid’s YA debut and at a lot of times it made me ache that this book was adult and not that kind of adult that just reads like YA (those are a lie! I don’t like them!) a truly adult book. For a number of reasons. The scary parts, the psychological parts, the romance parts.

Here’s the thing, I feel like none of those parts were completely developed to their full potential. The romance for instance is quite non-existent. In one moment they are acquaintances (if I read one more review selling this as an enemies-to-lovers book I am going to lose it) and the next the MC is sitting on the love interest's lap. Like, zero development to get there! It was very frustrating and honestly tiring. Insta-love is not something I appreciate. And they could have been a good couple if only they had been developed better.

The psychological part of the novel is very interesting but again I feel like it felt a bit flat. MC has been on pills for the “visions” and “apparitions” she sometimes sees, ever since she can remember. Anytime she feels like she might be going crazy or is afraid she will see the Fairy King, she takes a pink pill. This is a huge part of her character as a person but it is one that reads the most like a draft. Plus, I feel like this one at least thematically-wise would be so much better in an adult book, opening up so many discussions and different angles to work on. The famous Gothic trope of "is she crazy" "is she actually seeing this" is very present here and it made for a very interesting read.

I didn’t know much about this book before picking it up because: I don’t read the synopsis, like almost never read them. And I didn’t read reviews of this before I read my arc. Therefore only AFTER I finished the book I went and read those two, then and only then did I find out that this book is inspired by welsh mythology and that it is set in a somewhat alternate version of the mid-20th century. Some of the setting, time-wise was a bit confusing for me while I read. I wasn’t very clear *when* the story was happening. Yes, I could gather pretty fast that the story was not set in our world, but again I blame this feeling of unsureness on a lack of development in the story. I feel like this book wanted to be too much in just too little pages. Its a novel just under 400 pages and it tries to convey a lot.

Another aspect of the novel that was really interesting is the representation of women speaking up about the abuses they suffered and exposing the men that committed assault against them, kind of like a #MeToo vibe. This was good, but you guessed it, it also felt like it lacked.

Basically what I’ve been saying this whole review is this: I really enjoyed this book. I read it fast, it kept me engaged, there were a lot of elements that had really great potential, but all of them felt like something was missing to me. The whole Fairy King plot was nice and all but it ended way too easily and was solved in a very silly manner. In a way, I thought maybe my problem was that this was a YA book because I’ve been reading less and less of it these days, but then again an age rating is no excuse for a book to be underdeveloped, so I rationalized that my problem is with the book itself.

This is a story I do recommend, especially for the Gothic fans out there. The atmosphere is incredible, the mansion by the sea setting was my favorite thing in the whole story.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK for providing me with an ARC!

I absolutely fell in love with this story and couldn’t help but finish it in one sitting! A Study in Drowning is an atmospheric fantasy with dark academia, romance, and slight gothic elements.

The writing was beautiful and intricate, weaving the story together so elegantly. The world building and magical elements were also intriguing and brilliantly written — I thoroughly enjoyed reading the incorporation of the characters reality with the fairy tales.

Effy and Preston were also strong characters who I immediately fell in love with. I loved their dynamic, it worked so well together and helped to not only develop them as characters but also their relationship. They had such a beautiful and soft relationship as the story moved along, I was really rooting for them. As individuals, they were both strong, well-developed characters, and I loved their personalities. Effy was complex and such great protagonist and I loved how in the end she was able to take control of her life —Angharad further revealed the themes that were so beautiful woven through the story.

Overall, I really loved this story and would recommend for anyone who loves dark academia, gothic fantasy, and romance! I would also recommend for anyone who has read and enjoyed Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross. I look forward to reading more by Ava Reid.

I was hugely torn by this - I absolutely loved some bits (some really lovely writing, and great descriptions / ideas), and felt underwhelmed or frankly annoyed by other bits (overly wrought romanticism that seemed out of place).
I did on the whole enjoy the story, and the strength of the female characters (I’d love to have read more about Angharad - there wasn’t enough of her!)
Essentially - I did like it; I just wanted to / expected to like it more

thank you to netgalley, the publisher, and the author for this arc.

3.5 stars.

i took so long to finish this. i had the feeling that absolutely nothing was happening the first third of the book, and that part took me a while to get through. the rest of the book was rather slowly paced as well, but not as terribly. the ending, on the other hand, felt a little rushed. everything suddenly happened too quickly, whereas previously, it was all moving too slowly. it gave me a literary whiplash, as you will.

the story itself, however, i enjoyed. i love effy and preston and the way they grow throughout the book, each as their own person but also the two of them together. i loved watching their friendship bloom, the tension was good, and this was overall just well done.

i wish i'd gotten the chance to get to know the other characters on a deeper level, though. i felt they were neglected a little. ianto, for example. despite him being a very present character, i know barely nothing about him except what happens to him in the book.

so yes, overall, i enjoyed this. i don't know if i would read this again, but i could see myself recommending it to someone else.

One of my very favourite books of the year. Haunting, atmospheric, this completely nailed the setting of the sinking house at the end of the world, all salt-soaked, wind-battered cliffsides and tides and coasts. The similes and metaphors were stunning and I probably underlined them all. It was perfectly creepy and very dark, both the external plot and the cruelty and abuse of women at the hands of many of the male characters. I loved the line about water, for women, being "metamorphosis or a homecoming" and this felt true to the character arcs of many of the female characters in this book. The romance was so tender and I enjoyed how the dynamic between Effy and Preston unfurled across the course of the book. At the beginning, I found the story was a little weighted down, perhaps leaning into Effy's interiority at times a bit too much, and the ending was a little rushed, but I still couldn't rate this less than 5 stars for how ensnared I was reading this and how breath-catching the prose was.

I was really excited for this book, and ecstatic when I was picked for an ARC. Unfortunately, while I was in love with the premise, I was unable to fall in love with the book.

It took me a while to get into "A Study in Drowning," and the story and plot, I felt, were extremely lacking at times. I persevered, hoping that the story would finally grip me, only to fall flat.

I felt the book flitted through various plot points without actually finishing any that left me feeling satisfied. Similarly, the crescendo to Effy's final confrontation with the Fairy King felt rushed and disappointing.

The story within a story, Angharad, on the other hand, I would have loved to read, and felt emotionally invested in that particular fairytale more than I did the main characters, who similarly felt lifeless and lacking.

A Study in Drowning straddles many genres - fantasy, thriller, mystery, romance - and came off quite well with it for around 70% of the novel.
This had a dark academia aesthetic, particularly with the two main characters being studious, willowy, beautiful. I enjoyed the character development with Preston and Effy and loved reading their interactions, so much so that I almost wanted to skim some of the paragraphs that became quite repetitive because their relationship became more interesting.

I loved the Welsh folklore threaded throughout the novel, until the last quarter of the book was wrapped up entirely too easily. I found I skimmed the last three chapters as the tension and mystery suddenly plummeted and it felt like I was left with not much plot.

Overall, this was beautiful lyrical prose and I enjoyed the read - I'm just a bit disappointed by the ending.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

“Anything can be taken from you, at any moment. Even the past isn't guaranteed. You can lose that too, slowly, like water eating away at stone.”

Today we are talking about a book coming out this fall that I had the opportunity to preview thanks to Netgalley
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A study in Drowning is the third book by Ava Reid and like the others on the works it is a very atmospheric fantasy book in part dark academia, but also gothic horror and with the addition of a Romance Academic rivals to lovers that I loved!
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It is about sexism in the academic environment; about stories and the relationship between author and reader; about horror fairy tales, about ancient myths and traditions but also about how often our voice is taken away from us and what it takes to get it back to make us understood and believed again!
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The main characters, Effy and Preston, are two rivals forced to work together to bring secrets and lost stories back to life and to let the world know the truth about a famous writer praised by all.
I loved the Romance! The two have a very strong chemistry and both have a strong personal and couple growth over the course of the book.
Effy is a girl who is becoming an adult who has lost her voice and with a difficult past, but she is also a strong and fearless girl.
Preston is a cinnamon roll.
He's a determined guy and eager to find out the truth, he's caring, sweet and I'm sure you'll all love him!!
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Highly recommended if you've loved books like Divine Rivals, The Last Tale of the Flower Bride and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue!

With such an enticing premise, I was eager to dive into a book that was dubbed as a "lover letter to stories". A blend of gothic, fairy tales and mystery, blurring the lines between fiction and reality. However, what I encountered was a disappointing and confusing reading experience that left me feeling unsatisfied. DNF.

One of the major letdowns of this book was its lack of clarity in world-building. I entered it expecting a realist setting, therefore found the world-building absolutely baffling and frustrating. Perhaps this omission was purposefully done by the marketing, but it was certainly not the kind of book I had in mind when selecting it. While the writing itself was undeniably captivating and lyrical, I struggled to piece together the layout of the world the story takes place in, whose history is so crucial to the unfolding events. As a result, I felt constantly disconnected from the story itself. The author's prose was beautifully crafted, and at times, it held the potential to keep me engaged, but the fragmented elements of the world left me cold.

In short, the promising premise raised my expectations, only to dash them against the rocks of confusion and disappointment. This has left me with a bitter taste and a feeling of regret for investing my time and energy in a work that fell so far short of what it promised.

A Study In Drowning is an amazing story that blurs the line between "fact" and fiction. The writing was beautiful and I loved the dark magical elements that unravels as the story progresses. I also absolutely adored Effy and Preston I feel like I need another book of just them. My only downside is I finished reading this too quick because I couldn't put it down but if you love fantasy books I highly recommend this.

I tried so hard to love this book, the writing itself is so lyrical and enchanting, but unfortunately I just found the story lacking so much. I really struggled to get through this one, I feel like a good 70% was just boring and nothing really happens. I enjoyed the character building and the relationship between Preston and Effy but that dragged on far longer than it needed to.

Thank you so much to the author and to NetGalley for the ARC.