Thank you NetGalley and Little Brown Group for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at 40%🥲 I don't often come to reviews before finishing an arc but I had to see whether I was the problem or whether it was the book - while many have enjoyed this, it's just not worked out for me.

This is a painful DNF for me because this was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and I was so excited to receive the arc. Unfortunately I found myself incredibly frustrated with the pacing, the plot and the characters. There were elements of each that I loved (the world-building has such an interesting premise) but there wasn't enough for me to keep going. The pacing was very slow and the pov switches didn't work for me - pov switches can be wonderfully divisive in driving the plot but I was just left confused and found myself rereading things.

From the synopsis, the plot sounds phenomenal but at 40% not enough had happened to keep me engaged (and it got me thinking that everything else in the synopsis would be incredibly rushed??).

Again, I was interested by the premise of the main characters but there were too many of them and I wasn't inclined to particularly care for them.

Thank you again to NetGalley and Little Brown Group for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

"Fathomfolk" immediately had that "let's sink into this" feeling (the one where you let out several "oohs" of fascination and want to burrow into your chair). The setting was the first thing that grabbed me. It's richly imagined and portrayed very well. Next was the writing - it has a beautiful flow that I really appreciated. A couple of the characters brought out my mothering instinct - I wanted to prevent bad things happening to them (maybe they did, maybe they didn't - no spoilers!). Bring on book 2!

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

3 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book

Overall, I was underwhelmed by this book.

I found it messy to keep track of all the threads.

The three main voices all felt like they could use some more character building to me - it felt like each character only had one defining trait.

I couldn't tell if this was supposed to be adult or not as the writing and pacing at times felt more like young adult.

It also feels like it took a long time for me to get through the first half, but then it feels like the last 30 - 40 % went by so easy.

Some of the positive things I did like about the book:
The world building is very thorough and detailed
The descriptions of the food actually gave me food envy

I do plan on rereading this to see if that clears up any of the confusion I had in the first half. And I am intregued as to where this will go in the sequel.

"In that moment, Nami did not care if it was true. Did not care if she trusted him or not. He was a compass point in the storm. She kissed him. He tasted of salt and iron. She screwed her eyes shut and let herself drown."

I love that paragraph even though I don't ship the couple, it happens!!!

OK so, I had high hopes for this book and it did not meet them. I wouldn't say it's a bad book though, but I wish I liked the characters more. I really only liked Kai and that was marginal. Mira was okay, Nami only in certain scenes, that's about it. At least Mira and Kai were kinda cute together.

There's not a lot of romance by the way, barely any, so don't let that quote I pulled fool you. I don't mind that at all, so it's not a minus.

For the majority of Fathomfolk nothing really happens, which is my main gripe with it. It starts with a very slow pace, and only picks up in the second half.

It also feels very YA, which some readers might find annoying when they picked up an adult book.

For me, as a huge YA fan this isn't a problem (I'm always down for YA vibes in adult fantasy), but the characters acting like teenagers in an adult book is. If you told me the main cast was a bunch of 15 year olds I'd believe you.

On to more positive things, I loved the world building, that was the best part of the book for sure. You can tell the author wanted to make it really grand and she definitely succeed. I do wish we got a bit more descriptions about certain creatures however. Because I could imagine them, but as if through a fog.

The plot, once it finally got going, was interesting enough to get me to finish the book. And maybeeee interesting enough to get me to read the sequel? We'll see.

The writing is another thing I liked. Considering this is a debut, I don't have any complaints. I'm sure Eliza Chan will get even better with experience.

Finally, the ending which is a mixed bag for me. Most of the action happened then, we lost an important character (not telling you who), and it's a little confusing. So hopefully the next book will clear that up.

*Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*

I loved this book so much. The word building was very interesting and done good. A well written fantasy interlinking the human and fathomfolk. I love the multiple pov very much. It was a bit overwhelming at times but then I could relate to the characters more with the POVs. Hoping more good works from the author.
Thanks for the arc.

Unfortunately this one is a DNF for me. I was so interested in this world and this story but I found it so clunky and complicated to follow.
The world Eliza Chan has created is so unique and was the reason i was interested in this book, it did not disappoint in this aspect. The 2 stars is because I absolutely adored the setting of the drowned world and thought the author did a really good job of bringing the world to life. Unfortunately, i didn't care at all for the plot or the characters. I made it halfway through the book before giving up because I was not invested at all. There are multiple POVs which I usually love in fantasy but the jumping between the POVs often felt jarring and by the time I had become used to following one story we were jumping to another. I feel like a can't even give a good synopsis because I spent so much time confused by what was going on while also being bored because nothing was happening.
I would still recommend this book if you love stunning pan Asian inspired settings and urban fantasy with a lot of political commentary.
Ultimately I just didn't click with this book but I would be interested in reading more from Eliza Chan outside of the Drowned World series.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the eArc of this book.

Thank you to Orbit for the pre publication copy of Fathomfolk by Eliza Chan!
The cover is beautiful and is what enticed me to read the blurb and the rest is history!
The book follows multiple points-of-view that could at times feel a little clunky in transition but overall this was something that I didn't mind. The main points of view were of Mira, Nami and Cordelia who all have different perspectives on city life in Tiankawi. The characters and their intertwining stories straddling all levels of society.
From confrontational incidents to shocking revelations, Chan has the ability to entertain all whilst tackling themes that are topical in real world - giving weight to the lives and struggles to the characters within.
On the whole Fathomfolk is a promising debut and I will be looking forward to Chan's other works.

Nami has a rebellious spirit, something that is difficult to control when you live in a dying underwater city. When her rebellion goes too far, her mother banishes her to live on land. In Tiankawi humans and fathomfolk live alongside one another, but their shared existence is anything but peaceful. Her brother is the fathomfolk ambassador there, but Kai’s politics don’t move quickly enough for Nami. Nor does she see the value in what his girlfriend, Mira, is achieving by trying to keep the peace and instigate equality in her border guard. Only the underground group, the Drawbacks, seem to understand Nami’s frustration. They sweep her away with strong words and promises, but their true plans remain murkier than the polluted waters around the island.

This is probably one of the best fantasy settings that I have read in a while. Humans and fathomfolk both seem to be teetering on the edge of collapse, yet keep their focus solely on fighting one another for dominance. The result of this is a turbulent society filled with secrets and dangers and duplicity. Racial struggles are a focal point of this society, with even subgroups within the main two races being granted vastly different statuses.

I like how Mira, half human and half siren, attempts to stand as a bridge between the two sides. Yet, despite her human half she is treated fully as one of the fathomfolk. The only thing that differentiates her from many of them is her love of the city as the only home she has ever known. Unfortunately many of the humans seem unable to see the benefit in this. As ambassador, Kai works as a similar bridge. Yet he is treated as a decorative figurehead by the humans and judged by his fellow fathomfolk for his status and integration into the human society. I think what they are missing on their team is a compassionate human and I hope that my guess is correct about who may fulfil this role in book two.

Another thing I hope for book two is some more character growth from Nami. I can see the potential that she has, but there always seems to be something holding her back from achieving it. She has mainly played the role of a naïve child in book one, but I can see how she might develop into a more responsible adult role in book two.

A half submerged city, sea creatures from all over the world, a sprinkle of asian folklore and three women, a half siren, a sea witch and a dragon experiencing life from their very different perspectives.
Mira feels mostly human, she has spent her own life trying to prove that integration is the way forward, that if you only try hard enough the system will work. Cordelia instead prefers to pull levers in the dark, she believes no one will ever truly accept her for what she is, above or below the water like. Nami is young, privileged and thinks that everything is pretty much black and white, not understanding that “things aren’t always so easy” - all of them will come out at the end of this first volume still true to themself but with new insights and learnings under their gills.
This book is very political, and I will not lie, I’ve been concerned more than once the narrative was trying to push into a too simplistic view on what are very important issues, but I am glad to report it didn’t. This book touches on racism, immigration, discrimination, pride, values, honor, love, family and most important ideals. Ideals are what moves every single character in this story - although none of them share the exact same, they slowly learn to appreciate and respect each other POV.
I am looking forward to the second volume (I have a lot of theories I can’t share so as not to spoil this book to anyone!), but I can give anyone not super familiar with asian folklore a suggestion before you go - do look up names and words as you go, most of them are not just made up names - there is a ton of wonderful asian folklore waiting for you if you’re willing to scratch the surface!

"Fathomfolk "is the first installment of "Drowned World," an adult fantasy series written by Eliza Chan and currently in progress.

I have had my sights set on this book since its announcement, fascinated by the stunning cover and the fantastic premise. A semi-flooded city inhabited by humans and fathomfolk (the people of the abyss, consisting of mermaids, kelpies, sea witches, and much more)? A land marked by strong contrasts, tensions, injustices and disparities? A world building inspired by East Asian mythology and ocean folklore? Basically the perfect recipe for raising my expectations through the roof! I embarked on this read with great enthusiasm, convinced that I would be captivated, but alas, that did not happen. "Fathomfolk" in fact turned out to be a good novel, but nothing more. I was fascinated by the articulate and evocative world building, the mythology and folklore present, and the intriguing and intricate story. However, the book failed to involve me emotionally, leaving me completely indifferent to the events narrated. The reason? The characters superficial, poorly analyzed and inexpressive. I was unable to bond with any of them and this, consequently, prevented me from getting fully involved in the story. In the end, therefore, "Fathomfolk" is a book that disappointed my expectations, leaving me rather lukewarm.

The story takes place in a world shaken by violent floods, in which only a few semi-flooded cities and a few artificial islands survive above the water level. A world in which the depths are dominated by the fathomfolk (mermaids, kelpies, sea witches, kappas, and many others), who are divided into underwater havens, whose numbers are dwindling due to heavy water pollution that corrodes and destroys everything. Humans and fathomfolk have been at war for years for reasons such as power, territory, and supremacy, until they come to peace and a kind of cooperation. More specifically, the events take place in Tiankawi, one of the last and largest semi-flooded cities, shining pearl of human civilization and a refuge for fathomfolk fleeing their disaster territories. A labyrinth of shining towers, aerial walkways, polluted waterways and crammed, crumbling slums, where prejudice, racism and discrimination reign supreme. In fact, humans believe themselves to be superior to the fathomfolk and strong in their technology, their riches, live in the most wealthy areas away from the water, occupy the most prestigious and powerful positions, and rage against the folk. There is a strong division between humans and folk, with the former disliking the latter, which results in constant tensions and riots, making Tiankawi a powder keg on the verge of erupting at any moment. It is an expansive, articulate and complex world building, very descriptive and with a strong impact on the narration, which I personally loved. A system that is based on themes such as coexistence between different cultures, racism, prejudice, the gap between rich and poor, immigration, and a strong ecology component, with the whole issue related to environmental pollution, particularly marine pollution. A highly evocative and well-managed setting, on which I can give nothing but kudos.

"Fathomfolk "is a book full of politics, intrigues, deceptions, subterfuges, deals, betrayals and power plays. It is a slow novel that takes its time, with few moments of action scattered throughout the narration and concentrated mainly in the second half. I admit that I spotted the various plot twists in advance, but this did not disturb me. What did bother me, however, are the constant time jumps, at even significant moments, that cut off chunks of the story. Seriously, there are chapters that end at seemingly crucial points, only to pick up days or weeks later, taking for granted what happened in between. Also, the transitions between scenes often felt too abrupt, too sudden, as if pieces were missing. The ending then seemed rushed to me, compared with the overall pace of the story. In the end, the story kept me glued to the pages, but I found it a bit chaotic in some parts.

The characters, unfortunately, are what I enjoyed least. Mira, Nami, and Cordelia are the three protagonists, all with their respective third person povs. Mira is a half-siren, born and raised in Tiankawi, who has just been promoted to captain of the chinthe, the border guards. A promotion that represents an opportunity to help the fathomfolk, but also puts her in the crosshairs of disgruntled humans and folk eager to rebel. Nami is a rare water dragon, a rebel fathomfolk princess exiled and sent to the city, under Mira's supervision. And then there is Cordelia, the sea witch, who weaves deals and power plays with all the factions in the field, only for her own personal gain. Three protagonists, none of whom conveyed anything to me. Seriously, as mentioned above, I found them superficial, poorly portrayed, anonymous and empty. In my opinion, they are expressionless characters, devoid of passion, with inconsistent reactions to what happens around them or to themselves. And I'm really sorry because they have the potential to be really interesting! I was unable to bond with them and this, as a consequence, prevented me from feeling interest in them. A fate followed as well by the secondary characters, who are even more flat and nebulous than the main characters.

All in all, "Fathomfolk "is an adult fantasy novel with an excellent premise, characterized by fascinating worldbuilding and an intriguing story, which unfortunately left me lukewarm because of the poorly developed characters.

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The political commentary of Babel meets the urban drama of Jade City, in a vivid new underwater adult fantasy.

Chan’s debut is an elegant, subtle story of politics and racial tension in a city slowly being brought to the boil. Intrigued? Add in that the setting is no ordinary urban fantasy but a city half-submerged where land and water meet, thronged by humanity but also the Fathomfolk: sirens, sea witches, kelpies, dragons and more… and where pollution and corruption run rife.

The characters are incredibly relatable - despite the fantastical setting. Chan draws out the undercurrent of emotions to flavour the story richly but subtly and I found myself highlighting elements that hit particularly hard. Racial tensions and prejudice - not just from without the community but within. The stark effects of political rhetoric on people’s lives. The struggle to be taken seriously in your career with the taunt of tokenism. The weight of relationships, familial, friendship and romantic, their expectations and their joys. Being caught between two worlds.

Chan weaves together mythology and urban fantasy to create a story that will stay with me for a long time: character-driven, with a fascinating setting and a strong emotional heart.

This book has such a cool and unique concept, and I think it's strongest aspect is the society itself and the different POVs that really give you a full picture of every echelon of the society. The characters are generally likable and very morally grey, everyone has flaws and strengths and you can understand their perspective.
There's a lot of action packed into this, that can feel a little overwhelming at times. Some of the action scenes were kind of muddy for me and I wasn't always able to picture who was where or doing what.
I was really enjoying this, up until about 60% of the way through when it seemed to start relying on clichés to drive the plot forward and I found the rest and the ending ultimately left me cold.
I had high hopes for this but I don't think I would read the further books in the series, although as it's the author's debut novel I am interested to see how their writing develops.
On the whole, fantastic world building and compelling characters but the plot was overcomplicated.

Thank you Orbit, Little, Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for the arc of Fathomfolk by Eliza Chan in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Fathomfolk is a fantasy that draws you into a world declining from pollution and damage, filled with political, emotional and physical conflict between human and sea folk. Amidst the semi-flooded city of Tiankawi, populated by a two layered civil structure, that put fathom folk such as mermaids, sirens, and kelpies at the bottom, the story is told from three perspectives.

Mira, a half-siren, born and bred in Tiankawi, who despite social tiering has become captain of the border guard and works tirelessly to improve the lives of FathomFolk, despite the negativity and disparity of society that hurts them so.

Nami provides the second perspective, a water dragon princess who has been exiled to is Tiankawi by her mother, and us now under the supervision of her older brother and Mira. And finally the third view comes from a sea-witch named Cordelia, appears to be a demure human named Serena, married to a minor diplomat, but in reality is the head of a gangster-like empire dealing in drugs.


FathomFolk is more than just a fantasy story, it’s an exploration complex themes such as identity, power, and equality. Chan’s world building brings to life a society in the brink, multiple peoples, the devastating impacts of social injustice, extremism and a fight for equality.


Having said all of this, I really wanted to love this book but, unfortunately it wasn’t for me. There’s a lot to like about this book but, I found it to be a book of two distinct halves that didn’t quite work for me. The first being slow and arduous, albeit an introduction to a beautifully crafted world, and the second half picking the pace up and whirling towards its conclusion.

I enjoyed this book so much. I loved the different types of Fathomfolk and the idea of a half sunken city. Everything added up to create a really interesting society that I was really excited to explore. I was especially interested in the sea witches, because there was so much to explore with their deals and ink.

The themes of immigration and prejudice as well as the dangers of radicalisation that made up the book, were really well done. My heart ached for Nami as she was being manipulated by the Driftbacks. I wondered while reading if maybe we should have seen how much she was being manipulated so early on, but it did mean I was alert to all the signs and could really see how it was happening.

The ending was really intriguing. I’m really looking forward to see where Tiankawi will go from here and what’s in store next for the characters.

Unfortunately, just like so many others, this didn't work for me. Too much going on, too many back stories, and ultimately just boring.
Huge potential, and I'd love to see what else the author will do.
Five stars for the cover. Wow

This was an incredibly ambitious debut novel. As an underwater fantasy book, you might assume this would be light and frothy, with mermaids and happy dolphins. However, this was a really complex, richly woven story involving multiple elements of culture, folklore, and politics. On the whole, I think this is a solid debut. My only complaint is that the switching POVs did make me feel like it slowed down the story. Referring to this as a blend of "Jade City meets the Little Mermaid," is a really accurate description. I loved Jade City, but it took a while for me to find my rhythm in the story and I felt the same way about Fathomfolk. In the end, however, I really wanted to see where the author was taking us.

Thank You to NetGalley, Eliza Chan and the Little, Brown Book Group UK for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a book of two halves, the first slow, boring, difficult to get into, a complicated plot and too many characters to get your head round. The second half, the plot quickens, there's a little more action and some of the characters become a little more endearing (Mira and Kai mostly - and Trish as a secondary character). The last 30% of the book (reading on kindle) definitely improved and made me want to get to the end to see what happened. I definitely liked the little twist at the end. The bargain with Cordelia was also a great part in the book!

I have been really enjoying asian mythical stories and whilst this hasn't quite hit the spot - it was still ok and I ended up liking this book a lot more by the end than at the beginning.

3 Stars!

At its simplest, Fathomfolk is a fantasy tale of underwater folk. More than that, though, Fathomfolk is a story about differences – differences between land and sea, differences in lifestyles, differences in society – and how land-based humans live alongside human-like sea creatures.

Combining elements of East Asian folk-stories and mythology with an otherworldly fantasy setting, Fathomfolk is a story that focuses around three main characters. Kai is a political chess piece, a member of the Fathomfolk aristocracy, a water dragon (able to change his shape between dragon and human) and also the Ambassador for the Fathomfolk in the city of Tiankawi, the political liaison between humans and the water creatures. He is kind, generous and hardworking, trying to change the social system from within. Integration is not easy, nor entirely successful. Not only does he have political opponents who do not wish to see him be successful, but the merging of the two groups has created an underclass that Kai is determined to remove, but not always without considerable sacrifice on his part.

His lover Mira is a relative newcomer to Tiankawi, a half-siren,and is the first non-human to be recently promoted to the rank of captain in the chinthe, the city guard. Her relationship with Kai and with humans is often regarded with suspicion and jealousy, but as a result, despite experiencing bigotry regularly, Mira is determined to show her enemies through her actions that fathomfolk deserve to be part of the city as much as humans.

The third member of our main group is Kai’s sister Nami, banished to Tiankawi by their royal mother as a result of minor misdemeanours. Young, spirited and easily impressed, her arrival in Tiankawi without an entourage quickly leads to her seeing the shanty areas of the city dominated by refugee fathomfolk, and notice the inequality and injustice at first hand. She finds herself attracted to Firth, the leader of a terrorist group known as the Drawbacks – something that will have consequences in the novel.

Nami also becomes entangled with the villain of the piece, a sea-witch named Cordelia. Like others such as Kai, Cordelia can change shape and often uses this to her own advantage. Cordelia’s presence on land is as a demure human named Serena, married to a minor diplomat, but in the sea is the head of a gangster-like empire dealing in drugs.

As we discover the characteristics, means, and motives of these characters we also find out about the city of Tiankawi. The cityscape itself is also impressive, ranging from high-tech multistorey environments with cable cars, heating and lighting generated by the Onseon Engine to the run-down squalor of the fathomfolk shacks. There’s a lot of worldbuilding here, which slows the pace a little, but also manages to create a pleasingly detailed vision of a vast metropolis.

Socially, such an impressive city is riven with discord. Political scheming between the different classes is paramount here. There are issues with refugees, migration and social inequality, with the sea people having to live with the consequences of human water pollution. The fathomfolk are also often feared by humans, so have to wear a bracelet that limits their actions with humans, being unable to hurt them, even in self-defence. Really, it is a story that manages to cover many real-world ills, that of ‘outsiders’, refugees, migrants, bigotry, class war and inequality, all of which lead to changes in the novel. The action sequences, when they happen later in the novel are also well done.

Such a complex setting means that Fathomfolk is a slow build of a novel, which means that it may seem a little slow at first – knowing your differences between humans, water dragons, sirens, kappas, kelpies, and sea-witches takes a bit of getting used to. There were times particularly near the beginning when the novel felt rather like a darker, adult version of The Little Mermaid movie!

However, once the main characters are established and their motivations are made known, Fathomfolk becomes an engaging world with social and environmental issues that will resonate with a contemporary reader although thinking through some of the practical elements around the main plot may raise more questions than answers.

As a debut novel Fathomfolk is impressive and undoubtedly ambitious in its aims, even when parts of the story didn’t entirely work for me. Nevertheless, Fathomfolk is entertaining, pleasantly different and with relevant social and environmental messages that don’t overpower the plot.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this story and the world that Eliza has created. It was heart-wrenching and heart-warming at the same time. There was so much depth and strength to each character, you could understand them and their motivations, even Cordelia. I was reading her POV chaper with some kind of sick fascination. The world building was so rich and beautiful, I felt like I was there. I loved Mira (and Kai) and the end of this book had me in bits!

I really enjoyed this and there are so many messages that are relevant for life today that can be learnt from Tiankawi, I implore everyone to read this!

This was a DNF for me. Not because it was bad as such, but because it was really difficult to get into the pov characters’ lives and I struggled to care for them. It’s nice for the characters to have rich background stories and happy lives, but getting in the middle of them is difficult for a reader, and I couldn’t continue until things changed for them. I’m giving it three stars though, as there was nothing technically wrong with it, and other readers might enjoy it.