A cute and entertaining fantasy story inspired by East Asian mythology. I loved it, had fun, and appreciated the creatures and the light tone.
Well plotted, good world building. Can't wait to read the next story.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I was really excited for this book, the whole world it was set it and the premise was so intriguing. But unfortunately I found myself really struggling to get through it. The world building that I did read was so beautiful and magical and I can see that so much thought and effort has gone into it. But the multiple POVs was something I struggled to engage with as I didn’t really feel we got enough of any character to truly connect to them. I can see them becoming really interesting characters, the set up is there and I’m devastated that it was unable to finish it. I do not DNF books lightly but that said, this is just my opinion at this moment in time and I really hope that it does change and that I can give this book another try in a few years.

Beautiful Prose, beautiful characters! Fathomfolk is a masterpiece, real issues of racism are transported into it's fantasy world and critic the readers point of view, while showing how easy riots and unrest develop. Overall a unique reading experience!

I enjoyed this read and am looking forward to book two.

This is set in a world where people from under the sea have had to move into above water civilization as humans have poisoned their natural environments with too much farming, mining etc extracting all they can from the worlds natural resources and not caring who it's harming... Sound familiar?

We have multiple point of view characters and the world building is clever. There were times I would have liked more information on the above/below water situation we found ourselves in and I found some of the elements hard to make sense of.

But then, there is a studio Ghibli vibe to this and so once I let myself go with the whimsical world building it worked for me.

A sassy sea witch, a rebellious teen introduced to a world she doesn't really understand and a half siren who has risen through the ranks of a police type system and wants to effect change from within are characters we follow and allow us to see the world from multiple sides.

There are lots of parallels to our real life situation in terms of refugees and outsiders and how they're treated.

I have seen some people upset at what happens at the end of the book but I didn't see this the way they did. It will certainly make for an interesting book two anyway.

My thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this book! The three protagonists are incredibly nuanced and I found myself constantly switching between the one I related with most. An incredible debut and I can't wait to read the second book in this duology. Highly recommend it not just for fans of fantasy but for anyone angry and frustrated with power structures in the world.

I have been waiting for this book for a few years now, since before the publication date announcement. The concept and inspirations sounded original and exciting, and in many ways that came through in the reading when I finally got my hands on it. However, overall Fathomfolk did leave me feeling a bit disappointed, and I will do my best to articulate why…

Fathomfolk follows three characters from very different backgrounds. Mira is a half-siren, the daughter of an immigrant yet fully at home in the half-sunken city of Tiankawi. She may be seen by all humans as Folk, but she is dedicated to all citizens of her city and has clawed her way up to captain of the border guard. She does things by the rules, and believes that changes comes through leading by example. Nami is the complete opposite; she is a water dragon, and is the younger sister of Mira’s partner Kai, who is an important ambassador in the city. When she gets exiled to Tiankawi for political extremism back home, she very quickly falls in with the Drawbacks, an extremist group of Folk determined to bring change through any means. And lastly, there is the mysterious seawitch Cordelia, who has great ambitions and is pulling at the strings of all sides, both human and Folk, to try and get what she wants.

On paper, the plot of Fathomfolk is intense, full of politics and intrigue, and a gateway to some fascinating worldbuilding. In reality, however, things moved very slowly and each development of character and plot was delivered in a very heavy-handed manner, with too much information for obvious things and not enough for others. I was fascinated, for example, by a world in which humanity seems to have reached our own level of progress and development, and that their meddling with technology caused the oceans to rise and become polluted to the point that the creatures of the sea can no longer live in it. I wanted to know more of the history of this world, and of all the different Fathomfolk havens outside of Tiankawi. We barely spend any time on this, and the reveal of how the human city still has power to function was slow and drawn out.

The characters were also hard to follow. Mira felt quite two-dimensional, and no matter what happened to her throughout the book she kept trying the same method of solving things, despite them not working in the past. I wanted to like her, but ended up becoming bored during her chapters. Nami, on the other hand, was far too immature a character to enjoy reading. And yes, that was necessary for the story, but because I didn’t enjoy the rest of the cast it made it harder to be stuck in her perspective when she is clearly being manipulated and making poor decisions. I actually quite liked reading Cordelia’s chapters, but she is not a good person in the slightest, and so there was little gratification there, and by the end her narrative strength had fizzled out.

The themes tackled throughout of racism, immigration policies, societal injustice, and generational trauma are definitely interesting and worth including. The setting was perfect to discuss them, but it almost feels as if the plot was tacked on after these concepts were put together, to facilitate the themes. I do know that Fathomfolk is a debut novel, and I am sure Chan’s atmospheric writing and worldbuilding will only improve, but many of the issues with this feel like they could have been tackled in the editing process, and so it feels a bit disappointing that more wasn’t done. By the end I found myself skimming pages to get to the action, and by the time I got to it I didn’t really care enough about it… I do still recommend people pick this up and form their own opinion, and the mythology and setting really are beautifully crafted. I’ll be keeping an eye out for any future books by the author.

I was so excited to read this and the cover is so beautiful but the story just didn’t work for me. It was so slow and I got bore. Trying to get through the chapters was so hard and i felt like nothing was happening for so long. I feel really disappointed because the world was really interesting and I think the story has some interesting points that are discussed. I think others may enjoy the story though.

I was initially drawn into this book as the concept really interested me. Whilst the story did remain interesting throughout, it didn't grab me and take hold in the way I had hoped and it did take me a while to get through as I wasn't eager to jump back in.

They say don’t judge a book by its cover and the cover for Fathomfolk by Eliza Chan is a beautiful piece of art and the book inside is a strong debut which leaves me wanting to explore the world further.
Welcome to Tiankawi - shining pearl of human civilization and a safe haven for those fleeing civil unrest. Or at least, that's how it first appears. But in the semi-flooded city, humans are, quite literally, on top: peering down from shining towers and aerial walkways on the fathomfolk - sirens, seawitches, kelpies and kappas - who live in the polluted waters below.

One of the things I enjoyed about Fathomfolk was the feeling we were reading the myths and legends of a place that never was and I liked that vibe, the world building is great and it feels realized and believable, though it took me a bit to get my head round how the world works. There is a beautiful visual tone to the book and whilst reading it got me imagining how it could look on screen and whilst I’m sure it would look great , for now I like the fact it’s how I want it to look in my head.
Great fantasy works best by taking issues that are contemporary and wrapping them in the setting to showcase how universal many issues are and this does that well, in the same way I’ve felt Juno Dawson’s books have. Cultural identity runs through the book and helps define the characters and having those familiar arguments and thoughts on the page help to realise the fantasy world with one we can recognise.
As always I won’t give too much away but the characterisation is also good and it creates a good window into the world. The plot moves along and has its share of twists and turns that help you to understand the characters, and they grow as the plot does.
I would certainly recommend this if you enjoy modern folk tales and fantasy books, it took me a little while to, pardon the pun, become submerged in the world but when I did I didn’t come up for air until it was finished – recommended and looking forward to more set in this world!

A good debut book!

I really liked Kai and thought him and Mira were really sweet. The other characters seemed harder to connect with, although I did find Nami quite interesting too!

For the majority of Fathomfolk it’s a very slow pace, it took me a while to get into the story and the world we were transported to. Although it did pick up in the second half, where I think I enjoyed it the most.

I really loved the world building, it was my favourite part of the book for definite! I felt like the author succeeded in making it feel really impressive. Some more detailed descriptions of the creatures would have been amazing though, I could imagine them easily, but as if without my glasses on.

I really enjoyed Chan’s writing style, the plot was interesting and I will be reading the sequel. I hope that book two will be even better!

I enjoyed the concept for this novel, and its expansive worldbuilding, but it felt just slightly off the mark. Chapters were short and felt quick to get though, but due to that I couldn't latch onto the story. The changes of perspectives between characters is an interesting concept, but it just came across as confusing.

Unfortunately I didn't like this one and couldn't get into it at all. The characters felt one dimensional and a little flimsy and the plot didn't work for me at all. The concept was very cool but the book as a whole wasn't for me.

I really enjoyed this. I found the start to be a little bit slow but it really picked up a few chapters in. I loved reading about all the different characters and how their lives were in a world where fathomfolk and humans lived together. Mira began as my favourite character but I also really liked Nami by the end, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the different types of fathomfolk and their abilities. I loved this book and can’t wait for more by this author, especially if it’s part of this universe!

Unfortunately, I gave up reading this book and I regret it. I didn't find the characters deep enough and I wasn't carried away by th plot.
Sadly it's a DNF :(
Too YA for me

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

As a reader, I was initially drawn to the enchanting premise of "Fathomfolk" and the promise of a richly imagined underwater world. Chan's prose is evocative, painting a vivid picture of life beneath the sea. However, I found myself struggling to connect with the characters on a deeper level, as their motivations and personalities felt somewhat underdeveloped.

One of the novel's strengths lies in its imaginative world-building, with Chan crafting a detailed and immersive underwater realm. The inclusion of various mythical creatures adds depth to the setting, creating a sense of wonder and enchantment. Additionally, the novel's exploration of themes such as cultural identity and political commentary offers thought-provoking moments.

However, the execution of the book fell short of its premise and the promise the world-building showed. I normally like stories told from the perspectives of different characters, such as in Leigh Bardugo’s “Six of Crows”, because it adds a sense of dynamism and lets you see the same world from different, normally interesting perspectives, but this didn’t seem to happen in “Fathomfolk”. I didn’t connect with the characters, which left me feeling disengaged from the story overall and uninvested in the outcome. I was also a little frustrated by the lack of development of some of the characters.

In comparison to other fantasy novels with similar themes, such as “Song of Silver, Flame Like Night” or Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse novels, "Fathomfolk" may not reach the same level of depth and complexity. While it offers glimpses of a fascinating underwater world, the novel struggles to fully capitalise on its potential, leaving readers wanting more. I struggled to finish this novel, and though I persevered, I didn't feel that the ending provided any sort of reward for continuing with the novel.

"Fathomfolk" may appeal to readers who are drawn to lush, imaginative settings and enjoy stories featuring mythical creatures. Eliza Chan's "Fathomfolk" immerses readers in a visually stunning underwater world filled with mythical creatures and intrigue. While the novel boasts an enchanting premise and lush descriptions, its shortcomings in terms of pacing and character development result in a 3-star rating. It offers moments of wonder and imagination but falls short of fully realising its potential as a captivating fantasy tale.

I've been attempting to read this one for about two months, so I will finally call it quits and DNF. It feels unfair to rate it poorly given I didn't finish, but not finishing it a rating in itself. A cool concept, but just didn't work for me on many levels.

I loved the concept of this book, but found it a little difficult to relate to the characters. I felt the book dived straight into the middle of a scene without any background or world-building, and found it a roller coaster trying to keep up with names, characters and relationships.

Sadly this book was not for me and I DNF around the 44% mark.

I think the premises of the book and what the author is trying to achieve is interesting and different but maybe just not the best executed. There was a bit too much going on and information dropped and I found it quite a slog to get up to the point that I did. I appreciate that I received an ARC so the final version maybe more edited and easily digestible, as the version I read pacing and prose were all just a little off.

I definitely think regardless, this will certainly appeal to many! It just missed the mark a little for me personally.

Thanks as always for the ARC and opportunity to read ahead of publication.

*DNF - Chapter 14 - 24%*

This book seemed to have the potential for great worldbuilding. But in my opinion, I just didn't feel that it was brought to life that well.

The story follows multiple characters, which would sometimes change mid-chapter. I found myself struggling to connect with characters or differentiate who was who. Which was a shame because the Synopsis and cover really intrigued me.

I found the storytelling to be quite jumbled, which made me lose interest. So I am DNF'ing for now, unfortunately.

A really interesting concept with fun, likeable characters. Unfortunately there often felt like there was just too much happening and it was difficult to entirely keep up with everything.
The world building was interesting and vibrant which I enjoyed.
Overall, the story had really great bones but felt a little like the author was overreaching. Will definitely look forward to more from this author.