Study in Drowning - BookWyrm.de

10h 31m

Veröffentlicht von Harper Audio.

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 …

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 listeners who loved The Atlas Six, House of Salt and Sorrows, or Girl, Serpent, Thorn.

7 Auflagen

QuinoaQueen hat A Study in Drowning von Ava Reid besprochen

My Heart. My Soul. :(

3 Sterne

TW: Mentions SA

This is the first book by Ava Reid that I've actually enjoyed. While some of what I didn't like from her other works (cough The Wolf and the Woodsman cough) were still present (mainly repetitive prose and weird similes, though after the 60% mark it mostly went away) I ended up really liking the final messaging of the book.

There are consistent metaphors focusing on water, most of which I found incredibly relatable when they referenced Effy's assault. (When they didn't, it felt annoying) Effy's rage paired with how she feels like she's 'drowning' during those periods, feeling like she'll see her assaulter just around the next corner, wow. Though the prose stayed simple for the most part, with patterns to the text in the beginning that were a little bit annoying, I still think the message of female empowerment and overcoming odds …

TW: Mentions SA

This is the first book by Ava Reid that I've actually enjoyed. While some of what I didn't like from her other works (cough The Wolf and the Woodsman cough) were still present (mainly repetitive prose and weird similes, though after the 60% mark it mostly went away) I ended up really liking the final messaging of the book.

There are consistent metaphors focusing on water, most of which I found incredibly relatable when they referenced Effy's assault. (When they didn't, it felt annoying) Effy's rage paired with how she feels like she's 'drowning' during those periods, feeling like she'll see her assaulter just around the next corner, wow. Though the prose stayed simple for the most part, with patterns to the text in the beginning that were a little bit annoying, I still think the message of female empowerment and overcoming odds that feel suffocating came through beautifully.

There are sections of the book in which Effy is openly bigoted towards her love interest, and that bigotry is never fully resolved. The war with Argant felt more like a thrown-in conflict between Effy and Preston to keep her from getting with him too early on, which is not a good reason to have a main character be bigoted. It felt very odd to me. The war isn't elaborated on much either, it feels more like an aspect of world building. I don't think Effy should have been left with her bigotry unaddressed either way.

2.5/5 stars from me. Would be 4 if not for the odd bigotry plot point. This book is nowhere near perfect, but I personally think it successfully conveys what it was aimed to. Recommended to readers who don't mind flowery script here and there, enjoy seeing protagonists actually grow throughout their story, and like a dash of magic in all the right places.