A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid was a highly anticipated September 2023 release and it does not disappoint! Lose yourself in this dark academia tale set in a creepy house on a high cliff overlooking the stormy sea. Will you heed the warnings found in the tales of the Fair Folk or will you shrug it off and take your chances because you're smart and well-educated? Set in a world not so different from mid-century Wales, this fantasy highlights some all-too-real issues in this perfectly moody tome.
“What is a mermaid but a woman half-drowned, What a selkie but an unwilling wife, What a tale but a sea-net, snatching up both From the gentle tumult of dark waves?”
So what's A Study In Drowning about?
Effy Sayre is trying to figure out how to get what she wants from this life despite the roadblocks in her way. Barred from chasing her dreams as a literature student because of her gender, Effy signs up for architecture, which is still part of the university and at least shares the same library.
When given a chance to redesign her favorite author's estate she jumps at the opportunity and gets WAY more than she signed up for. She travels to the remote location of Hireath Manor, home of the late Emrys Myrddin. There she meets Preston Héloury, but he's at Hiraeth Manor for different reasons. There's suspicion that Myrddin, famous spinner of fairy tales, could be a fraud. While Effy practically worships Myrddin, Preston's dedicated to uncovering the truth, whatever that may be.
In addition to prickly literature students, this creepy seaside manor is hiding some ghosts. Effy must figure out if they're real or not, what they want, what she wants, and what exactly she is willing to do about it all.
This is the book for you, especially if you like:
Magic that might be real but might just be in your head
Fairy tales that become your entire persona
Research projects that take over your life
Dark academia with a righteous twist
Outsiders who feel like they don't fit anywhere
Creepy old houses on the verge of collapse
Powerful seas that should be feared and respected
Ghosts that may or may not be friendly
Girls who challenge the system at their own game
Books so close to your heart that reading it is like coming home
“I think magic is just the truth that people believe.”
Want to know more?
When a Study in Drowning starts we learn that Effy wasn't allowed to be a literature student simply because of her gender. Despite having high enough marks, as a woman she is deemed unworthy of taking a place at the prestigious literature college. This wonderfully crafted narrative highlights some of the sexism and misogyny which is unfortunately still commonplace in academia today.
In the opening pages we see the male students show blatant disrespect for the only female student in the architecture college. There's also mention of an incident with a professor which we will be clarified later. This story is dark academia at its best, a perfectly moody atmospheric tale paired with mysteries and secrets all the while addressing questions of scholarship and agency.
While not a historical fiction, this fantasy has a rich history set in an alternate world inspired by mid-century England and Wales. Neighboring countries Llyr and Argant are once again at war which feeds a general feeling of mistrust and prejudice between the countries. You don't know if it's Southern folktales or actual fact but some people, like Effy, believe in spirits and the Fair Folk. Others, namely Argantians, are above such provincial superstitions. No matter who is right, the Sleeper Museum remains a major tourist attraction. It's even said to be the seat of Llyrian magic and home to seven Storytellers, including Emyrs Myrddin, asleep in their glass coffins. If the legends are to be believed, they will rise up and protect the land in a time of great need.
Effy has spent the majority of her life reading and rereading her favorite novel, Angharad, written by non-other than Lyrian’s national author, Emrys Myrddin. This captivating fairy tale follows the story of a mortal girl who falls in love with none other than the Fairy King and then destroys him. Effy has lived and breathed this story so much she doesn't quite know where her reality ends and the book begins. Is the Fairy King haunting her for real or is it all in her head? Either way, Angharad has been with her through thick and thin and instilled her passion for literature.
Visiting Hireath Manor is a dream for Effy which slowly becomes something else, something even more than she could have ever imagined.
“The Fairy King had many forms.”
Already read A Study in Drowning?
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Be sure to catch up on Ava Reid's other titles, The Wolf and the Woodsman (2021), Juniper & Thorn (2022), and Lady Macbeth (2024).
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