“Reid wields lyricism, dark academia, and fairy-core elements to eloquently imbue the narrative with originality and depth that ferries themes surrounding grief, gender, and the value of folklore.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Piling invention upon invention, Reid conjures a bleached-bone jewel box of a tale, full of strange treasures and captured bits of dangerous lore. A Study in Drowning is as merciless as a rising tide and as beguiling as a fairy’s bargain.” — Melissa Albert, New York Times bestselling author of The Hazel Wood
“Achingly atmospheric and beautifully sharp, A Study in Drowning will draw you in from the first page. A spell-binding mix of magic, myth, and mystery.” — Rory Power, New York Times bestselling author of Wilder Girls
“A dark and gripping feminist tale.” — Kirkus Reviews
"Lusciously evocative and dripping with verbal texture." — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“As always, Ava Reid's worlds feel lived-in and rich in history. This one is also full of myth and superstition, and heavy rains that fall upon crumbling old houses. A rewarding, romantic read, with much to chew on.” — Kendare Blake, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Three Dark Crowns
“Haunting and elegantly rendered, A Study in Drowning is a lyrical examination of stories told, cherished myths, and an unraveling of truths held dear. Darkly romantic and unsettlingly eerie, I will be thinking about this book for a long time to come.” — Erin A. Craig, New York Times bestselling author of House of Salt and Sorrows and Small Favors
“Drenched in atmosphere, and as wondrous and haunting as a dream half-remembered. A Study in Drowning is a love letter to stories—and to everyone silenced or forgotten in their retelling. Effy and Preston are spectacular leads, tenderly drawn and sure to win readers’ hearts as they’ve won mine.” — Allison Saft, New York Times bestselling author of A Far Wilder Magic
“This is one of those books that makes you remember why we read in the first place. A Study in Drowning takes dark academia to magical new heights. Reid is a singular, extraordinary talent.” — Sasha Peyton Smith, New York Times bestselling author of The Witch Hunt
“In A Study in Drowning, Reid questions the idea of stories, who writes them, and who they are for. Between heart-wrenching discoveries, lush worldbuilding, and prose as beautiful and cruel as the sea, she delivers an answer I won’t soon forget. I could read this book again and again - absolute perfection.” — Courtney Gould, author of The Dead and the Dark
“Lyrical, incisive, and tragically beautiful, this book will haunt your dreams. Reid delivers in every way—--from the atmospheric house by the sea to the achingly hopeful romance to the examination of power, gender, and control, A Study in Drowning ruins and rebuilds you.” — Vaishnavi Patel, New York Times bestselling author of Kaikeyi
“Both haunting and tender. Set amongst crumbling cliffsides and a raging sea, this atmospheric story will settle in your bones. Romantic, beautifully written, and powerful.” — Rachel Griffin, New York Times bestselling author of The Nature of Witches
“Lyrical, moving, and sensitive, A Study in Drowning is a magically romantic tale, filled with writing that will sweep you into a whimsical and gothic world. I’ll recommend this beautiful and thoughtful book over and over again.” — Isabel Ibañez, author of Together We Burn
“Incandescent, tender, and fierce. A Study in Drowning is a deftly woven mystery, brimming with lyrical writing and compelling characters who will steal your heart. This is a story that lingers, long after the last word.” — Rebecca Ross, bestselling author of Divine Rivals
"A Study in Drowning is everything: a dark fairytale, a tender romance, a haunting historical mystery, and a quietly furious tribute to the people whose stories have been stolen from them. I absolutely loved it.” — Alix E. Harrow, New York Times bestselling author of Once and Future Witches
2023-07-13
A young woman faces her past to discover the truth about one of her nation’s heroes.
When Effy Sayre, the only female architecture student at her university in Llyr, wins the competition to design Hiraeth Manor for the estate of the late Emrys Myrddin, national literary figure and her favorite author, it is the perfect opportunity to leave behind a recent trauma. She arrives to find the cliffside estate is literally crumbling into the ocean, and she quickly realizes things may not be as they seem. Preston, an arrogant literature student, is also working at the estate, gathering materials for the university’s archives and questioning everything Effy knows about Myrddin. When Preston offers to include her name on his thesis—which may allow her to pursue the dream of studying literature that was frustrated by the university’s refusal to admit women literature students—Effy agrees to help him. He’s on a quest for answers about the source of Myrddin’s most famous work, Angharad, a romance about a cruel Fairy King who marries a mortal woman. Meanwhile, Myrddin’s son has secrets of his own. Preston and Effy start to suspect that Myrddin’s fairy tales may hold more truth than they realize. The Welsh-inspired setting is impressively atmospheric, and while some of the mythology ends up feeling extraneous, the worldbuilding is immersive and thoughtfully addresses misogyny and its effects on how history is written. Main characters are cued white.
A dark and gripping feminist tale. (Fantasy. 14-18)
