A Study in Drowning
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4.1 • 66 Ratings
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
An instant Indie and #1 New York Times bestseller!
“Achingly atmospheric and beautifully sharp, A Study in Drowning will draw you in from the first page.” —Rory Power, New York Times bestselling author of Wilder Girls
Bestselling author Ava Reid makes her YA debut in this dark academic fantasy perfect for fans of Melissa Albert and Elana K. Arnold.
Effy Sayre has always believed in fairy tales. Haunted by visions of the Fairy King since childhood, she’s had no choice. Her tattered copy of Angharad—Emrys Myrddin’s epic about a mortal girl who falls in love with the Fairy King, then destroys him—is the only thing keeping her afloat. So when Myrddin’s family announces a contest to redesign the late author’s estate, Effy feels certain it’s her destiny.
But musty, decrepit Hiraeth Manor is an impossible task, and its residents are far from welcoming. Including Preston Héloury, a stodgy young literature scholar determined to expose Myrddin as a fraud. As the two rivals piece together clues about Myrddin’s legacy, dark forces, both mortal and magical, conspire against them—and the truth may bring them both to ruin.
Part historical fantasy, part rivals-to-lovers romance, part Gothic mystery, and all haunting, dreamlike atmosphere, Ava Reid's powerful YA debut will lure in readers who loved The Atlas Six, House of Salt and Sorrows, or Girl, Serpent, Thorn.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Reid (The Wolf and the Woodsman) blurs the lines between reality and fantasy in this stunning tale. Effy Sayre, the only female architecture student at the country of Llyr's most prestigious college, is an avid fan of late author Emrys Myrddin. She especially loves Angharad, Myrddin's epic about a cruel fairy king and the mortal woman that broke his heart. When Effy is selected to design a house in Myrddin's honor, she travels to his estate, Hiraeth Manor, in the seaside town of Saltney. Once there, she discovers that her academic rival, pedantic and handsome Preston, has arrived to prove that Angharad was not authored by Myrddin. Preston enlists Effy to help him; she agrees, believing it to be her chance to gain entry into the male-only literature program. But as the two delve deeper into Myrddin's history, strange happenings begin to occur around Hiraeth Manor. Reid wields lyricism, dark academia, and fairy-core elements to eloquently imbue the narrative with originality and depth. The rivals-to-lovers romance is swoonworthy, and the seaside crags and fetid gothic mansion render a deeply evocative setting that ferries themes surrounding grief, gender, and the value of folklore. Major characters cue as white. Ages 14–up.
Customer Reviews
Captivating & Empowering
In the beginning chapters, like the first 2-3, I didn’t know if this would be the book for me. I pressed on and dove head first into such an amazing read. The traumatic issues that Effy suffers daily, with people around her constantly tearing her down. Also with the way she has to navigate with all this and design a house for her favorite author that has passed. Her love of literature is so compelling the way she can quote his works so effortlessly, especially against her other half Preston, who is there for his literature thesis about the same author. Also the inclusion of the folklore with the Fairy King and the way of another drowning that may come to pass again. You never know if she is in reality, or if she is going crazy. It leaves just enough for the reader to even question themselves. Ianto was another character that had me interested from the moment of seeing him. Though when Effy and Preston set out to discover the secrets of their favorite author and learn more than anyone could have guessed. The compelling story of how Effy first encountered the Fairy King and it mimicked the book she loved so much, what she saw as her armor. The fact that he took her ring finger so no other man could. Really this book was captivating and empowering when Effy learned to find her voice and her courage to stand up to the men and take her life back.
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Definitely a recommended read, was short enough but had such a compelling story.
Young Adult™️ adult
A fascinating read. Felt less like young adult and more like young actual adult like in your 20s. Interesting take on sexism, perception, magic, and masculinity. As someone who occasionally struggles with their perception of reality this was a really fantastic read that validates the experience of woman and those who can’t trust their minds, in addition to talking about sexual assault. Preston is a very healing character that i’m sure many people will be grateful for to read about.
Well written
This was a good story with an interesting plot but what really stuck out to me was the writing. Easy to read but not juvenile either. Loved it!