Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.
4 stars book from me. Loved the plot and the storytelling in Daughter of the Drowned Empire and relatable, likable characters,. Loved every single second reading it.

I had high hopes for the book as I had been recommending it by friends. The book however was a disappointment. I’m not sure if it was because it was an arc copy but the writing was bad, with things being repeated over and over again just in the same page…did you know Lyriana is Heir to Arkasva, but f you didn’t I don’t know how you missed it as it was mentioned on every page.

My biggest gripe with the book was that it you’d finally got to grips with the way the world worked and the animals and weapons and then suddenly something new would be thrown in and you were expected to know exactly what it was (I know there was a glossary at the back but I shouldn’t have to stop reading and go search through the glossary to find things out ).

Overall a carbon copy of Fourth Wing but with even more confusing elements thrown in.

Whew, was this story addictive or what? I was completely captivated by Lyr’s world, its dangers, and her own plight. Obviously, her boyfriend is a fool but that’s easy to overlook when there’s the tempting, dark, brooding Lord Hart in the picture. It’s impossible not to feel for Lyr, who’s thrown into a terrible situation which lands her in a whole heap of life and death situations but she’s resilient and determined, so watching her character develop and strive to succeed is compelling. However, it’s also super stressful because her peers are absolute beasts and Lyr is the underdog. She has to be strong, and ruthless to win and with everyone against her, things won’t be smooth sailing. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can’t wait to see what happens next!

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

3.75 stars rounded up to 4

Daughter of the Drowned Empire fell onto my radar entirely by chance. I found myself very interested by the premise and I knew I had to request it when I saw it up on NetGalley. For the most part, I found this to be a really fun read. Jam packed full of action and intriguing court politics, I was very much into the story from the get go. I found the magic system to also be very interesting, at least from the information that was given at the start.

However, I do have to say, I personally found the pacing a little bit too slow for me. The writing style was pretty great, but the world building, especially as you progressed into the story got a little confusing. There were so many side characters and names of things being introduced that I completely lost track of some of them and that kind of took away some of my enjoyment of the book.

Although, I will say; I quite liked the slow burn romance we get in this book. There’s so much tension there and the ‘forbidden love’ trope just adds that extra oomph.

All in all, I did enjoy Daughter of the Drowned Empire . The plot and the story line and the way things ended was quite intriguing so I will be reading the rest of the series.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC.

Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me. I was really excited about it as the premise of it sounded so interesting, but the execution left me hanging.
I think the plot itself was good, but it wasn't enough to hold my attention.
The writing was a bit clunky and I didn't enjoy the way the dialogue was written. The FMC felt very not like other girls and like the kind of YA main character that I just don't enjoy, even as an avid YA reader. I also wasn't a fan of the romance and the love triangle, the constellation was quite awkward and I didn't really care for either love interest.
The worldbuilding is really cool and I did enjoy that a lot, and as I said, I think the plot is good too. I will not be continuing the series as everything else wasn't for me.

This was a fast paced story that I read all at once. The magic system and the societal implications were interesting and created plenty of conflict - right from the first chapter the stakes were set incredibly high.

The complex political schemes were brilliant to read but some of the plot twists felt a little easy to spot - one in particular I think I called about a third of the way in and it’s not revealed until right at the end. The ending also felt a little abrupt to me, I felt like there might be more of a resolution but it sort of cut off to set up for the next book in quite a sudden way.

I would like to thank Hodderscape and Netgalley UK for the for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really, really enjoyed Daughter of the Drowned Empire. The magic system is so incredibly unique, there's a slowburn, forbidden romance and the world-building is complex in the best way. You are thrown into the deep end with a plethora of unknown terminology when you first start but as you read on, you start to understand the world and its lore a bit more. There's also a huge guide at end of the book which pretty much explains much everything and everyone although it's hard to reference when you're reading via an e-reader like I did.

I suppose one negative is that not much happened in terms of plot and action but I'm assuming that's because book one is setting us up for the rest of the series, which I'm excited to read!

Hidden power/ forbidden powers
He helps her when she has panic attacks
Forbidden love
Mentor & bodyguard trope
Who did this to you
Slow burn
Love triangle + FMC is in a relationship

Daughter of the Drowned Empire is the first book in a 7-book series (+ books 1-3 were written in the MMC’s POV, so 10 books total).

I didn’t expect to find the love triangle trope in this book, so I was a bit reluctant to read it.
Lyr, our FMC, is already in an established relationship from the beginning. They have been together for a few years and plan to get married.
Lyr has forbidden magic and must hide it at all costs. This is complicated as her boyfriend is part of the mages fighting against forbidden magic wielders.
The MMC, Rhyan, is her mentor, and they are linked by a sacred bond that forbids any relationship between the two of them.
I don’t like love triangles, and even though we can easily guess who she will end up with (we even have two portraits at the beginning of the book of the 2 MCs, so we know even before starting), it didn’t sit well with me that she was in a long-term relationship and that she loves him but at the same time was getting very close with Rhyan.

The bullying seemed a bit uncalled-for to me. Some characters have a real «reason» in their own narrative for bullying her, but others do not. I don’t really get why the whole school hated her that much; it doesn’t really make sense to me.

The book can be a bit overwhelming at times. It is a simple story, and the world-building should be easy to follow. Somehow, it got complicated, throwing terms that don't bring anything except getting you confused.

I wasn’t invested in the story; nothing really stood out to me. There wasn’t enough depth to the characters, except for the FMC. Even Rhyan didn’t stand out to me; it seemed like he wasn’t the MMC.

I give it the benefit of the doubt, as it is book 1. I’ve read a few first books in series that were disappointing. I will probably have to read book 2 to see if I want to continue, as it’s going to be a long series.

I received an ARC copy in return of an honest review. Thank you, Frankie Diane Mallis and NetGalley, for this ARC of Daughter of the Drowned Empire.

I have to admit it was hard getting into this book, especially with all the titles and the background of what is what and who exactly is who here, but once I got into the swing of things, this book gripped me.
Sometimes, there was an issue of info dumping, especially regarding some of the lore, but other times it did feel like the story was being told to me.
Our main character, Lyr was written very well, and I loved her character arc, but if I have to hear her say one more time that she is a high lady and should be treated as such after her decision I'm going to pop a vessel. At some points, I didn't feel sorry for her for what she was going through because girl, you reap what you sow.
I also love the mystery encased around this whole story! It is very well-paced and keeps me on the edge of my seat. I would have to get my hands on the next instalment quite soon.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC for my honest review.

DNF at 29%

I really didn't get on with this book from the very beginning, and I think it's best to leave it here.

I'm finding the world building and all the characters confusing and overwhelming, the plot doesn't seem to match the blurb very well, and I don't like the sexual undertones that feel inappropriate in some way - I'm just getting really bad vibes from this book, and I don't like being uncomfortable when reading.

The writing so far is average at best, not too bad but nothing impressive to me.

Who knows, I may come back to this in the future, but it's not worth spending time on right now.

Loved reading this book. Next upcoming fantasy. Similar to Throne of glass and the way the storyline goes just makes me want to keep reading all the way through.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC

This is the first installment in a new romantasy series and I'm looking forward to rest of the series! I found the world-building a bit hard to get into, but then when I got into the rythm it flowed easy. I liked our fmc and how she grew stronger and stronger throughout the novel. A great character development. I also liked her relationship and the forbidden love. Her training and the mix of mythology made me never lose interest in the action nor the slower parts either

Great story and great characters. Lots of world-building lore to take in and perhaps this could be easier but overall very enjoyable.

Would recommend

I'm learning and growing a lot lately. Sometimes learning and growing hurts. Sometimes it brings me a lot of good too. One of the things I'm learning is that life is too short to finish books I'm not reading with joy. I know, sometimes books hide the clue of the story in the last couple of chapters. Sometimes you will only understand and get a book when you reach the end. However, there are too many books to read everything I want to read. Sometimes I have to make choices.

I therefore chose not to finish this story. The beginning of the book is rough. There's a lot of mythology, politics, history and other information. It's impossible to understand exactly what's going on and what's happening. It's even more impossible to remember all the information we're given. I had hoped that at some point in the story the amount of information would lessen and I'd start feeling more comfortable in the world. However, I'm at 45% of the book and I'm still struggling.

I like politics. I like magic. I like stories about complicated characters in a complicated world. But, I've almost reached the halfway point and I'm still forcing myself to keep on reading. I don't feel a connection with any of the characters. I can't care about Lyr, I can't care about her two love interests, I can't care about what happens. The book failed in making me invested in her fate and her romances. The book also failed to have me invested in the plot.

I think we've gotten quite a few hints that something wonderful waits for us at some point. I'm pretty sure there will be some reveals and everything that has happened will make sense. But, I have over five hundred other books I really want to read. It feels like I'm wasting my time on a book that's clearly not a right fit for me. I wanna feel something while reading and this book doesn't make me feel anything apart from dread when I realize I'm not even at the half-way point yet.

I love fantasy romance books and this title has intrigued me ever since I first spotted it! I started it with great enthusiasm and I'm so glad I wasn't disappointed at all! I was captivated by the bewitching and evocative writing, the intricate and intriguing story, the complex and well drawn protagonist, the amazing secondary characters, and the highly sizzling romance! I can't wait to continue the series!

It's hard to start a book off abruptly straight into a big scene without it feeling too much and losing the attention of the reader, but this author dies it beautifully. Unfortunately for me I could not find the connection and found too many contradictions in characters personalities etc. Great idea but found the execution not for me sadly.

Daughter of the Drowned Empire is a new adult high fantasy/romantasy by Frankie Diane Mallis; it is book one in the Drowned Empire series. It follows Lady Lyriana, who is third in line to the Seat of Power in Bamaria, but her position is not one of safety. Her cousin is gone, her sisters need protection, and now so does she. With her plans shaken and on the threat of having to leave her home, she has to take the only option available to her: training to be a Soturion warrior in only seven months. But she’s not alone; Lord Rhyan, an outsider in Bamaria, has to prove himself by helping Lyr get through training. However, this isn’t their only trial because Bamaria is under threat, so are Lyr and her family, and Lyr needs to be strong enough to fight for not just herself and her family but for her country—she cannot fail.

The first few pages had me thinking this was going to be another teen romance, but it quickly took a turn, and my mouth was hanging open as my heart rose to my throat. It was a good lead into getting to know the feeling of the world completely tilting on its axis for Lyr. With every chapter, she becomes stronger, but she is running on fumes and completely ragged, and then she has to put on her clothes, don a smile, and pretend everything is fine. She has no time to breathe because she has so much responsibility and is full of so many real fears. My heart was aching for every interaction she had with Tristan but I got why she was doing it, and that added to my pain for her, and that pain never stopped coming. I was so deeply connected to this character at points; she made me smile, and in these moments I felt like I could breathe, so it wasn’t so intense the whole way through the book, but there were plenty of points and twists that I didn’t predict at all. I have a few theories and predictions for the series as a whole, some of which I believe will come to fruition, but I’m looking forward to seeing the progression of it. We didn’t get much of her sisters in this book, but at the points at which we did, I was stuck on my feelings for them. At first, I felt they weren’t taking into account everything Lyr was doing, but later on, I loved them for giving her the truth she needed to hear – even if she wouldn’t take it. I enjoyed the training aspect of this. I don’t often read books with it, and I always enjoy it, but this is gruelling; you feel her struggle, but the support she’s getting from Rhyan makes it easier even if she doesn’t fully realise he is helping her, keeping her strong in a place that would do anything to see her falter. She is such a strong character; she has had to be; she’s had no choice in it, but she is also a fighter in spirit; she has something to prove to those around her and herself. She’s a protector, a fighter, a warrior, and by the end of the book, I think she’s finally realising she can be. This whole book is a growing period for Lyr with so many ups and downs. It was a thorough journey, and I can’t wait to see how much she grows in book two.

I loved Rhyan’s entry to this book; his first line is something that made me smile so much, and at points he became this anchor for Lyr, and she needed that, but I also think he needed that connection because he’s isolated and just as lonely as she is. We don’t get a lot of Rhyan as this book is from Lyr’s POV, so we find out these small pieces of his history as she does, and my heart aches for him. He is a protector also; you can see him battle between wanting to keep her strong and get her through training but also wanting to care for her and protect her from everyone, even the things she can’t tell him about, and there are so many things she can’t confess. Their partnership hints at a bump due to a revelation, and I felt the pain on both sides of this, but even with this, there is a draw between them, and with their oath, it makes what they have all the much harder—hello, forbidden romance. I enjoyed the small amount of flirtatious banter between them, Rhyan’s confession, and also how soft and understanding he could be with Lyr. He was her support system, and at points, he demanded her focus on him in a way that I knew she needed; she needed to know someone was with her, but he also needed her to know in a way that he was struggling not to step in and help her, battling his control and in a way just like her controlling what ‘they’ see. They both have this strong desire to save people, and I think this comes from no one saving them.

It took me a moment to adjust to a completely new world because I hadn’t read a high fantasy book in a while; thankfully, the world-building wasn’t overly complex, but I wished I had read the appendix first because I felt a bit thrown into the deep end. Nevertheless, I was finally hooked about halfway through the first chapter. I was absorbed into the trials Lyr is suffering through, the strength of someone who seems to be a second from falling apart, fully aware of and yet hasn’t got the chance to. When Rhyan entered, I felt like I could breathe; he sometimes became an anchor for her, but I was still totally lost in Lyr. My heart was in my throat many times. I was waiting to see what else would happen to her and wishing nothing more would. I feel so connected to Lyr’s story and the part Rhyan is playing in it. I have so many theories for what will happen in the Drowned Empire series, and I can’t wait to dive back in; therefore, my rating for Daughter of the Drowned Empire is Five out of Five stars.

If you are a fantasy reader and love it when a character has the weight of the world on her shoulders but needs to keep appearances, gruelling training sessions, invading political affairs, a book that is full of tension and has you constantly guessing and thinking of many theories as to what little things mean, then pick this book up. I was impressed with how gripped I was reading this book, as I don’t often venture into the genre. Daughter of the Drowned Empire tackles a lot of topics such as panic attacks, grief, depression, and, at some points, torture, and if you hate vomiting, you might want to skip some paragraphs. I felt for how Lyr was feeling in this book. I had felt some of the emotions and the pressure, so I think it was an easy marriage for me, but it’s not just Lyr that I loved. Rhyan made me grin every time he called her partner, but he showed so much strength in this book as well. They are both such strong protectors, so I look forward to seeing more of him and their interactions and watching their partnership grow throughout the series, and hopefully, my theory for them comes true. Daughter of the Drowned Empire is such a strong debut for Frankie Diane Mallis!

I want to thank Hodder & Stoughton for allowing me the opportunity to ARC via Netgalley. Daughter of the Drowned Empire releases on 1st August 2024. The quotes I have used may not be in the final released copy of this book.

Lady Lyriana Batavia, the third in line to rule, has found herself in a complicated situation. First, her cousin was executed due to the possession of a forbidden magic, then her two sisters were revealed to own similar of the kind, leaving her alone to save them all. Unfortunately, on her ceremony day, she discovers the truth about herself that, almost, results in her banishment from the Empire, the place she has loved all her life.

The only thing that could force her stay is becoming a soturion. She takes on a most likely impossible task, training with Lord Rhyan Hart (her crush since forever), for she can't be separated from her sisters lest anyone shall discover their secret.

Listen, I don't think I fully comprehend the magic system in this book yet I enjoy it all the same. However, I find Lyr's character to be.... suffocating to put it nicely. I get it that she has a role to play, marriage of convenience seems the best thing to aim for considering the fact that (she feels) she is the one who is meant to be her sisters' savior, but her unending desire for Rhyan just rubs me in the wrong way. And her whining, God, I need the book to be over so bad.

I don't hate the book in general, but I don't love it either. I'm contemplating to pick up the continuation of the series, I genuinely hope she will undergo a major character development in the second book.

This book was a slow introduction to the series. Lots of very unique and intricate world building that took me a minute to get my head around and took several glossary flips and re-read sentences. But god once I did get my head around this world I was IN LOVE. This book had so many different layers to it and built on lots of gripping themes. There was forbidden romance, suspense, political intrigue & unrest, illegal and forbidden magic and a focus on complex forms of abuse. I feel like these characters make such an impact and embed themself in you from book one. They’re multifaceted and complex and there is so much patience and thought that has gone into the character development and exploring the past trauma and motives in this book. Without this there is no way the following books could have been as good as they were as this book really does help you completely immerse yourself in this world and these characters. Book one and I already knew Ryan Hart was going to be a new god tier book boyfriend and I will willingly give him my heart and let him keep it forever. I think there’s so much more to him than you see in this book which just makes you utterly ravenous to read on and explore his character more. The subtle acts of love you see him demonstrate from the get go are just unmatched to anything I’ve read before, they are so delicately scattered throughout the book and made my head feel so warm and fuzzy inside.

The first chapters of the book were captivating and got you into the story quite quickly.

Lyr is such an amazing main character. Her personality is everything- kind, considerate, dedicated and more. She was the one that first got me into the story. I always wanted to keep reading to know what would happen to her.

Her relationship with Rhyan was everything. I loved their banter and care for each other.

The world and the magic system was rather easy to understand especially as it’s not explained only once at the beginning.

I will definitely be reading book 2, as I have LOVED this one. I feel like a lot happened in this one but even more will happen in the next book(s).