it felt very Arthurian and High Romance like that of Boccacio’s Decameron or Spenser’s The Faerie Queen. i loved this aspect, you could tell Reid enjoyed her research and making the story feel ancient and magical, but these themes had no real depth to them beyond creating a mystical dark atmosphere. With these themes in mind, were there any particular works of fiction that inspired you? Any further reading for our readers?

this book has taken me over a month to finish, which is incredibly rare for me. i found this to be an odd book to review and rate, because from the perspective of a literature graduate with special interest in the Gothic in all its forms, this was layered and enthralling, clearly a lot of effort has gone into crafting this story. the gothic aspect was phenomenal, truly. but from a reader’s perspective? someone who just wants to sit and enjoy a book? There is also plenty of the Gothic about your story, I particularly liked your take on the framed narrative through Angharad , Effy’s favourite book. With the numerous epitaphs, how much of that story did you also have written up? this is YA and as someone who has read many thrillers in her life, YA mysteries are predictable 9 times out of 10;

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Families can talk about consent in A Study in Drowning. Why is Effy both confused and horrified by the advances of Master Corbenic, her college advisor? How does what others in the college and in society think of women make it harder for her to realize his actions were wrong? What other characters in the story had similar experiences? It took me a little while to become immersed in this book, but once I did I fell in love with the characters and the gothic world. The writing is beautiful and very lyrical. The plot was interesting and engaging, although it was predicable. I loved the gothic and dark academic vibes, it's the perfect read for a rainy fall day. The world building was very interesting, but it was confusing to me at first. I enjoyed the incorporation of a fairy tale into the story. The author did an excellent job of discussing misogyny and showing that women are not treated fairly compared to men. This book's message of inequality is very important and relatable in the real world. I really enjoyed the ending, it resolved the story and made me proud. I appreciated how the author discussed anxiety, several people in my family have anxiety and the author showed it in a realistic way. The edges were curling in on themselves -either shyly or protectively, as if the parchment had a secret to hide."

A Study in Drowning is set in a world inspired by mid-century England and Wales, and Effy belongs to a class of women who would have been among the first non-aristocrats to be able to attend university. While she has the privilege of being upper class, as a woman she is still subjected to horrifically dehumanising institutional sexism. this was the downfall of this book. The romance didn’t gave what it was supposed to gave. Their rivalry banter was so bland or i’m just so stupid to understand it idk. But I didn’t feel the chemistry. Or the romance between them until i was like 84% into the book 🤡 i was very disappointed. You're not just one thing. Survival is something you do, not something you are. You're brave and brilliant. You're the most real, full person I've ever met." My next book is Lady Macbeth, an adult historical fantasy reimagining of Shakespeare’s play from Lady Macbeth’s perspective. We’re pitching it as Circe meets Wolf Hall. It’s out from Del Rey next summer, and I’m very excited to share more about it in the coming months!

I wanted to tell the story of a woman who is gaslit, abused, chafing beneath the confines of a patriarchal and ableist society, who is both vulnerable and brave, and who still manages to find her own voice. The estate of Llyr’s national author EMRYS MYRDDIN is soliciting designs for a manor home outside the late author’s hometown of Saltney, Bay of Nine Bells. This gripping, smart gothic fantasy explores the magic of mythology and story and makes readers think about the many facets of sexual harassment and assault and how deeply it affects the victims. This ambitious tale takes some getting into -- way too much needs explaining while Effy is at university -- but when she lands at the moldy manor there's no putting the book down. The setting is fantastically creepy and brings out all the worst of Effy's night terrors about the fairy king even during the day. Our main character, Effy, loves the book 'Angharad' more than anything, it connects with her on a level deeper than the male scholars could ever possibly understand. It's a story that sings to her truth, it provides her shelter and comfort from the storm of her reality, and it gives her courage to rewrite her own history. I think every book lover can relate to the feeling of having that one book that speaks to you, that one story that feels like it was written just for you (mine is He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker-Chan). effy is an extremely relatable character. she is struggling with her mental health, she is anxious and hides in her favorite stories to escape her trauma. her growth throughout the story is beautiful and showcases her journey of self-discovery and healing. preston was honestly just a precious little bean and the way he treated effy was so sweet.

i went into this book not knowing anything about it, and i think that's the way it's meant to be experienced. i really enjoyed gradually unraveling the story. Overall, this book is scary, ominous, intense, moving, bold, and one of the best reads I've had lately! The gothic atmosphere is easily the strongest element of the book. Hiraeth Manor is a fascinating setting and I was obsessed with the idea of a house that is, quite literally, falling into the sea. Otherwise, the romance is more substantial than the one in Juniper & Thorn, but another big problem for me is that Preston just seems so vague and lifeless - I never really felt a true sense of what made him distinct or complex or interesting as a character at all. He’s a cynic who loves talking about his academic theories and he is kind and respectful to Effy when literally every other man in the book is a lascivious slobbering monster. There is one scene where he tells Effy about his father’s death, and that’s pretty much the most significant spotlight moment that he gets throughout the book. I’ve gotten so much unexpected interest from readers that I did end up writing some of Angharad as bonus material for a special edition of ASID. So I hope people enjoy that!

Did we miss something on diversity?

The word “girlboss” has done irreparable damage in understanding the nuances of female characters & any female character that dares to show anger, isn’t some martyr, and wants revenge is being dismissed as a “girlboss” We’ve get all this, and it is great. However, what I feel this books accomplishes best, is describing and validating experiences of abuse (sexual and parental abuse) and panic, dealing with trauma, misogyny and sexism, and finding agency and a new sense of self. I actually didn’t have very much more of it written than what appears in A Study in Drowning . I tried not to be overly indulgent with my in-world lore, because I wasn’t sure how much patience people would have for reading academic discourse about books and authors that don’t exist. But writing the excerpts and epitaphs were some of my favorite parts of the book. I loved building a canon from scratch and imagining what sort of literary traditions this fictional world would have.