Title: A Study in Drowning

Author: Ava Reid

Publisher: HarperTeen 2023

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 378

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 52 Book Club - About finding identity; Library Love

Where I Got It: Library

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.

Make no mistake, this is a very slow-moving atmospheric gothic novel featuring characters that annoyed me at times. But the underlying mystery kept me moving through to the end. And I ultimately enjoyed this novel. Effy can be very obtuse and so very young at many points through this story. I realize that this is young adult and so I gave her a pass. I did want to see Effy grow and stand up to those around her. I wanted to see her take control of her life. Thankfully she does that, even though there are many obstacles in her way. I loved the setting and the underlying magic system that runs throughout the story. I could feel the damp and the cold while reading. Just how I like my atmospheric novels. My only real issue with this book was the romance with Preston. It felt a bit forced and very very immature. I would have liked to see those two create a great academic collaboration and friendship. But this is YA fantasy, we have to have romance involved somehow. Not my favorite part.

Next up on the TBR pile: