Hello Readers,
Some books pull you straight into their world, while others
leave you questioning what's real long after you've flipped the final page. Ava
Reid's A Study in Drowning manages to do both, blending dark academia, gothic
mystery, Welsh-inspired folklore, and a slow-burn romance into a genuinely
haunting story.
We follow Effy Sayre, an architecture student who has always
felt safer in books than in the real world. Haunted by childhood visions of the
Fairy King, she finds her ultimate comfort in Angharad, a beloved fairy tale by
the late author Emrys Myrddin. When she wins a contest to help redesign his
family estate, Hiraeth Manor, she thinks fate has finally thrown her a bone.
But the crumbling estate holds far more secrets than she bargained for and her
encounter with Preston Héloury, a literature scholar dead-set on exposing her
favourite author as a fraud, instantly turns her dream into a nightmare.
The atmosphere is hands down what makes this book special.
Hiraeth Manor feels like a living, breathing character with its decaying rooms,
weird inhabitants, and the constant threat of the sea swallowing it whole. Ava
creates an eerie, claustrophobic setting that had me second-guessing reality.
The mystery keeps you guessing, and the folklore seamlessly blurs the line
between fantasy and the mundane.
Beneath the gothic dressing, A Study in Drowning has a lot
more to say. It tackles sexism in academia, the silencing of women, trauma, and
the sheer power of storytelling. Effy is a fantastic protagonist precisely
because she isn't a fearless badass; she's anxious, vulnerable, and deeply
imperfect, but she keeps pushing forward anyway. Sometimes, simply surviving is
its own kind of bravery.
And then there's Preston and Effy. Their academic rivalry
melts into a wonderfully tender, slow-burn romance that injects some
much needed warmth into an otherwise dark, chilling story. Watching them
gradually lower their guards around each other was an absolute highlight.
Overall, A Study in Drowning is a captivating gothic fantasy
for anyone who loves dark academia, haunted houses, unsettling mysteries, and
slow-burn romances. It’s atmospheric, thought-provoking, and beautifully
written. If you're into eerie folklore and powerful themes about finding your
own voice, definitely toss this one onto your spooky season TBR.
Trigger Warnings: sexual harassment, sexism, trauma,
bullying, mental health, violence, and drowning.
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