Age Group: Young Adult
Format: Fiction
Genres and Categories: Action, Adventure, Epic Fantasy, Animal Companion Characters, Magic Users, Outlaw Characters, Royalty Characters, Fae/Fey, Heist, Various Magic, Water Magic, Welsh
My Rating:
Published on: 20th February 2024
Pages: 368
Buy this Book! Amazon UK / Amazon US / Barnes & Noble / Blackwells / Bookshop.org US / Bookshop.org UK / Waterstones
Add to Goodreads
In this magical, ethereal fantasy novel from the bestselling author of The Bone Houses a crew led by a magic welding woman fight to take down the overpowered prince that used and abused them.
Once upon a time, the kingdoms of Wales were rife with magic and conflict, and eighteen-year-old Mererid "Mer" is well-acquainted with both. She is the last living water diviner and has spent years running from the prince who bound her into his service. Under the prince's orders, she located the wells of his enemies, and he poisoned them without her knowledge, causing hundreds of deaths. After discovering what he had done, Mer went to great lengths to disappear from his reach. Then Mer's old handler returns with a proposition: use her powers to bring down the very prince that abused them both.
The best way to do that is to destroy the magical well that keeps the prince's lands safe. With a motley crew of allies, including a fae-cursed young man, the lady of thieves, and a corgi that may or may not be a spy, Mer may finally be able to steal precious freedom and peace for herself. After all, a person with a knife is one thing...but a person with a cause can topple kingdoms.
The Drowned Woods--set in the same world as The Bone Houses but with a whole new, unforgettable cast of characters--is part heist novel, part dark fairy tale.
This book was provided for free by NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book!
Content Warnings:
Please note
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programmes I earn a small commission from items purchased using links featured in this post at no extra cost to you. Click here to learn more.
Every purchase you make through Just Geeking By helps keep this blog running.
The Drowned Wood Review
The Drowned Woods is set in the same world as Emily Lloyd-Jones’ previous novel, The Bone Houses, and from what I’ve seen briefly from reviews, how this novel ends does tie in with something in that novel. That is as far as the links and similarities go, and The Drowned Woods storyline and characters are completely different, so if you’ve not read The Bone Houses (like me), you’re not going to be missing anything. I like the idea that you can read either first, and no matter which one you read first, you’ll still get that “oh!” moment when both stories connect.
I fell completely in love with Lloyd-Jones’ storytelling and her characters immediately. There is so much depth to her characters, and this isn’t just another heist book; it’s as much about the people as it is their plot. Each one had a unique backstory which tied into the wonderful world-building that Lloyd-Jones has created using Welsh mythology. Throw in an adorable corgi who may or may not be a spy for the fae, and everything about The Drowned Woods was a huge win for me. This is definitely one to check out, and I hope that Lloyd-Jones continues to write more in this universe as it’s got a lot of potential!
About Emily Lloyd-Jones
Emily Lloyd-Jones grew up on a vineyard in rural Oregon, where she played in evergreen forests and learned to fear sheep. After graduating from Western Oregon University with an English degree, she enrolled in the publishing program at Rosemont College just outside of Philadelphia. She currently resides in Northern California.
Over to you
Thanks for reading my review for The Drowned Woods by Emily Lloyd-Jones!
Don’t forget to check out the rest of my reviews if you’re looking for some more book recommendations 🙂 You can also now sign up for my newsletter to get an email each month with a list of my new reviews!
Support Just Geeking By
I hope you enjoyed this post! If you did please consider sharing it on social media using the nifty buttons at the end of this post <3
If you enjoyed this content please consider helping to support my blog. You can do this in multiple ways (click here to find out how!) or by donating via Ko-Fi to help me reach my current goal.
Discover more from Just Geeking By
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.