Actual rating 4.5/5 stars.

The kingdoms of Wales once had magic running through its roots but now Mer is the last living Water Diviner. Her abilities saw her torn from her home as a child and bound to serve the prince. She escaped once but her life since then has been one spent the run. She longs to rest and for peace. The only thing to bring her that is to return for one last mission. One only a Water Diviner could complete.

This contained magic, a heist, and a whole lotta heart. I really loved the early exploration of Mer's abilities and the slow introduction of other more ancient magics, that appeared over the course of the novel. It made for such an atmospheric and whimsical reading experience, with tension and twisted turns added from the mission undertaken.

The adventure Mer and the individuals she travels with sees them face off with fearsome foes and venture far underground and into mythical places. Everything was crafted with vivid clarity and either had me shocked and unsure of the outcome or in awe and wishing to linger longer in this ingeniously crafted spaces.

In all, this is a book I had a fun time reading. The prose was as lush as the setting and the characters felt real and beloved the instant they were introduced, which only made the many turns in this all the harder to bear. Emily Lloyd-Jones is definitely an author I will be reading from again!

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Emily Lloyd-Woods, and the publisher, Hodder & Stoughton, for this opportunity.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

Inspired by Welsh myths and in the same world as "The Bone Houses", this book was fantastical and enjoyable. If you enjoyed the author's earlier book you would also love this book!

I requested this book as an advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I am very pleased that I did. This was an excellent story and really hooked me in. The story revolves around Mer, a water diviner who, along with Fane, a ring fighter, and the spymaster who is the nearest equivalent to a father to Mer, set out on a quest - in order to prevent the unkind king from taking more lands. It's hard to say more without revealing spoilers. This is an excellent story for young adult lovers of fantasy stories

Mer is a water diviner, someone able to manipulate water through magic, a skill that puts her on the top of everyone's lists be it to hire her, or kill. After escaping from the Prince who bound her to his servitude, she has been living a life on the run, never staying in one place long, trying to keep her head down. But one night, her past comes back to haunt her. Renfrew, her old mentor and the man who took her from her family has found her, and he needs her help. He no longer serves the Prince, and he has a plan to take him down, but he needs Mer's skill to make it possible. Mer is reluctant at first, but she soon realises that a life on the run is no life at all, and if this plan works, she could finally set down roots somewhere safe. Alongside a body guard, a historian, a miner, a thief and one cute ass Corgi, Mer and Renfrew set off on a journey that could change their lives. As long as their willing to make sacrifices for it to happen.

I'd read a lot of hype for this one, and it's safe to say it hit the spot for me. Told from fluctuating POV's, The Drowned Woods tells the tale of a group of people who are just longing for something, a safe place, notoriety, freedom, revenge, and the lengths they will go to achieve it. Mer is the main character as well as our main POV. She's a girl who has never known safety, always having to hide who and what she was for fear of the Prince finding her. She longs for somewhere safe, somewhere she can lay down roots, call home, and while she is indeed a little broken inside, she's also incredibly witty, headstrong and not too shabby in a fight. The second 'main' POV is that of Fane, the 'muscle' they hire for a very specific part of the plan. Thanks to deal he made with the otherfolk, he is more dangerous than anyone can know, and that, alongside his tragic past ensure that he and Mer form an unlikely bond throughout the journey,

Renfrew and Irfanna are our other two characters who get POV's though there's are significantly smaller than Mer and Fane. Both have a backstory with Mer, one her tutor, the other an ex and both have their regrets when it comes to their treatment of Mer. I do wish we would have got a little more time with Irfanna, she was by far the wittiest and likeable of the lesser members of our crew & I would have liked to spend a little more time with her. But without a doubt, my favourite character was Trefor the Corgi who is just the bestest boy ever. Honestly, I thought that Lloyd-Jones could read my mind at one point, because every time our characters were in danger all that was going through my head was 'where's Trefor?', 'I hope Trefor's ok,' and she would pivot to him to put my mind at ease.

If you're a fan of folklore you need to check this book out. This was a whole part of Welsh lore that I knew nothing about, but after reading this book I went down a bit of a rabbit hole & found out that the setting of this story is where I used to spend a lot of my summer holidays as a kid which was pretty cool. She gives us a good insight into the otherfolk, thanks to Fane's background (although I could have read so much more of the lore around this.) But the main magic and lore she focused on was Mer's water divination. I couldn't get enough of the scenes where Mer used her power, Lloyd-Jones absolutely brings her magic to life, she shows the limits of her power, as well as it's strengths and the use of it in battle scenes was so expertly done.

One thing I loved in this story was the romance and I think it's because it was just so subtle. It wasn't thrown in your face like a lot of YA, not that I mind romance being thrown in my face, but I enjoyed that this was more two people coming to know and appreciate each other, it was shown in the quietness of their interactions. How Fane felt more at ease with Mer because she might be the one person who could beat his own magic, and how Mer appreciated that Fane never wanted her for her magic, never wanted to use her. It was beautiful, slow burn and just a really hopeful story and I adored every second of it. Plus wingman Trefor has my heart.

If you enjoy fast paced stories filled with lovable, and not so lovable characters, epic magic, fight scenes and plenty of folklore I can guarantee you will love this book. Lloyd-Jones has definitely ensured I will be checking out her backlog, and will be eager to get my hands on whatever she graces us with next.

So this book got me hooked quite early on, I started it on my lunch break and really didn't want to put it down!

We join Mer who has the power to control water, and she is on the run from the Prince who was trying to control her for her powers.

When someone from Mers past surfaces to draw her into a heist to give her enough money to truly escape, and also help her settle a past score, she can't resist. We then go through the motions of assembling a team for said heist, and I have such a soft spot for a gang of outcasts that come together for a purpose, especially something like a heist. Oh did I mention, one of the members of the team, one with a dark power and a past he doesnt much speak of, has a Corgi companion who can sense magic....

I loved the magic system here and would have loved to have seen more of it (different types of powers etc, they are referred to but not much seen) and I just loved the Welsh mythology inspired world this is set it.

I could have read so much more in this world and already have some of this authors other works in my shelves and now even more excited to read

The Drowned Woods by Emily Lloyd-Jones is a Welsh folklore inspired fantasy read that came in an Illumicrate box. It follows a young woman who is the last living water diviner, someone who can find and control water.

Our water diviner, Mer, is captured by the prince of her kingdom and bound into his service. Through him she has caused the death of many people, as he poisoned the water sources that she found under his orders. She escaped the prince and was living a life on the run until Mer's old handler found her, and suggested a way to bring down the prince and free the kingdom from his rule.

Firstly, Emily Lloyd-Jones is an American. I assume with her surname there is Welsh heritage there, but she is from Oregon, USA, and that does mean this is not an own voices story. Lloyd-Jones has written Welsh based/inspired stories before that Welsh readers haven't exactly... loved the representation inside. Given that this came in a British (clearly English) book box, I'm disappointed that Illumicrate once again chose an American author. But as I don't know enough about Wales I can't speak to whether this book badly represents the country or not. I recommend finding own voices reviewers to confirm that aspect.

Separate from the representation issues however, this is a fun, basic, little read. It's a sweet book, and quite a quick one to get through meaning that I'll recommend this YA fantasy to any teens who ask. I adore the little Corgi that features through the book, definitely the best character 😉 but a lot of the other characters fell flat, despite the attempts at development and at adding in depth. We do get LGBTQ+ representation in here, which is always great, but even then the relationships portrayed felt quite flat and one dimensional.

This book has one of the most "fairytale" endings I've read in a long while, especially as an adult. Not everything goes right, but the characters end mostly happy and with that uptick of "the world is getting better". This was marketed as "standard" YA but I definitely feel as though it leans towards younger YA instead. Nothing wrong with that at all (some of my favourites are in that bracket) but it did mean I went in with the wrong expectations.

The plot is the most interesting thing about this book, and it did show a lot of promise. But? The twist at the end was just... so unrealistic for how she had portrayed the characters so far? There wasn't enough character depth to justify the choices that they made, and not enough weight given.

On CAWPILE I rated this: Characters: 6, Atmosphere: 7, Writing: 6, Plot: 7, Intrigue: 7, Logic: 6, Enjoyment: 7, giving an average of 6.57 and a 3.5* rating.

Trigger warnings: character death (on-page), child/spouse death, suicide, drowning, slavery, torture/branding, severe injury, violence, poison, guilt, self-loathing.

This is definitely a fun read, I wouldn't want to put anyone off reading it. Just be aware what you're going into. A fun, basic fantasy read that won't stick in the mind but will be a bit of fun whilst you read it.

Have you read The Drowned Woods or anything else by Emily Lloyd-Jones? I'd love to hear what you think of her writing!

I loved every minute of this book. It's fantastic! It's beautifully written and, for better or worse, I loved the characters - Trefor being a particular favorite. It's a great standalone novel, telling a complete story which keeps you on your toes throughout. I really enjoyed the style of writing, balancing the magical adventure with both humor and heartache. I'll be adding more books from Emily Lloyd Jones to my tbr.

More stories should include cheeky boot stealing dogs!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

An enchanting tale filled with magical welsh folklore, I couldn't put it down! The beginning was a little slow, but after Mer reunited with Renfrew and they were joined by Fane and Trefor, everything began to pick up and I was easily engaged the whole way through. Mer's character ARC was beautifully done and I thought the ending was perfect!

I loved this book so much!
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“People wanted her dead. And in her contrary heart, that made her want to live”
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The plot is full of a twists and turns and betrayal. It was done so well while there were moments I saw coming they had and extra twist that just threw me for a loop!
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I adore the main characters they are all so well fleshed out and I grew so attached to Fane. Mer is such a strong yet morally gray character who I couldn’t help but love more and more as I kept reading
The only thing that annoyed me where side characters being there solely as cannon fodder for deaths that I think were supposed to upset us and bring the stakes up, but because I didn’t know much about them really I didn’t care that they died. I won’t mention who obvs but it’s the only thing that irked me.
Also if you’re a fan of animal/non-human companions this one has a corgi! Cutest companion ever award to this lil guy!
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The magic is very interesting, it’s elemental and built into the world which I feel works perfectly here. As always I love to see a well developed magic system with rules and consequences and limitations!
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There was also some really interesting use of welsh mythology. I’ve never seen that in a book and I was so surprised when I started looking stuff up.
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The ending really warmed my heart and I think this is a perfect feel good fantasy stand alone that I will be recommending to everyone for a long time!
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As always thank you to the publisher and netgalley for providing me with an E-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Drowned Woods is set in the Kingdoms of Wales, and our main character Mererid (‘Mer’) is the last living water diviner, able to manipulate water. She’s on the run from the Prince after previously being “his” water diviner, but one day her former father figure approaches her with an offer that would help her get revenge on the Prince.

We’re slowly fed information throughout the story about why Mer hates the Prince so much, and that really helps with getting to know and love Mer. She starts off as a fairly standoffish character (though is always kind to animals, a trait I find is pretty synonymous with being a good person) and throughout it we see the events that have led to that and really, all of the bad that has happened to her is due to her trying to do better. Even though she was raised as a weapon, she’s still kind hearted.

Quickly we meet Fane, and we get another POV from him as well! I loved his character. Much like Mer, he’s become a weapon. Though for him it’s happened because he asked for it (something he realised quickly that he regretted). Their bond is so sweet and watching as they get closer is a genuine treat. Accompanying Fane is Trefor, and I’m fairly certain that this little corgi will steal everyone’s hearts! Seeing how much Fane cares for him, and Mer quickly cares for him too, really helps to establish their characters whilst I’ll always love a story with an animal companion too.

There is also a female introduced who had a past history with Mer, and I couldn’t help but love her as well. The more the story developed, the more endearing she became. But I won’t say too much on her, you’ll have to read it for yourself to discover!

Characters have to deal with questions on what’s right and wrong and how to cope with knowing that you did something you regret throughout, but our main characters consistently choose to try and do what’s right for the majority rather than the few. It makes for a lot of tension and overall you really just won’t want to put this book down until everything is resolved.

All I’ll say about the ending is that it is tied up very nicely in a heartbreaking and heartwarming way and having seen people reference that the story has tie-ins to The Bone Houses, Emily’s first book, I definitely plan on picking that up soon!

I loved this retelling of the Lost Lands and how the Welsh Atlantis came to be drowned by a tsunami. Magic and history combine in this mythological story of the last water diviner Mererid, the Well of Magic and the prince of Cantr'er Gwaelod. It was gripping from start to end and I couldn't put it down. An enchanting and spellbinding story that makes you want more!

The Drowned Woods is magical fantasy stand-alone.

I really loved how it draws on Welsh mythology, it could have leaned more into some elements but the inclusion of Welsh names and words was a lovely touch. It certainly prompted me to research Welsh lore in more depth.

The main character, Mer, is strong and likeable. She’s the last water diviner and I really enjoyed how well thought out her abilities are. The magic system and world building are big strengths of this book and I think this may in part be because it’s set in a world established in the authors other book, I haven’t read The Bone Houses but I definitely want to now.

There are a number of supporting characters, they all had intriguing backgrounds and motivations but I felt some of them could have been developed further over the course of the book. The romance is light but has enough depth that I was rooting for the couple. Hands down the best character in the book is Trefor, an adorable corgi who steals every scene he’s in!

The plot doesn’t feature a full on heist, it was more of a magical quest with some good twists thrown in along the way.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher Hodder & Stoughton and to NetGalley for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

"The Drowned Woods" is a beautiful, fast paced Welsh inspired fantasy that focuses around Mer, the last living water diviner, as she continues to run from the prince who once imprisoned her. In the past she was used as a weapon against her people. When she's offered a chance to take the prince down for good, with the help of her former fellow spymaster, a thief, a fae cursed man and a corgi called Trefor, Mer jumps to make amends for what she's done.

Emily Lloyd Jones has a gorgeous writing style which pulls you so quickly into the story and doesn't let go until you're done. I loved all the characters, especially Fane (the fae cursed man) and Mer, but I wish we'd got to spend more time with the side characters and learned more about their motivations. I adored the mixture of heist with Welsh mythology, especially towards the end of the book and I massively enjoyed going on this journey for forgiveness with Mer.

3.5 stars

While this is not a sequel to The Bone Houses, I would recommend reading that first before picking this up. This book includes a few references/Easter eggs that will make more of an impact if you're already familiar with the world these books are set in, and with the story of The Bone Houses.

Emily Lloyd-Jones's writing always works for me, and this was no exception, but I think I was less charmed in general by the characters and the story. I never felt very attached to any of them or invested in their relationships, and I think that's because they felt like typical characters in a YA fantasy novel, and nothing really set them apart for me. I had a good time with them, I enjoyed the story overall, but I don't think it's one that will stick with me for very long.

The one shining exception was Trefor, the shoe-gnawing, possibly fae spy, protective, adorable corgi. He stole every scene he was in, and I would read an entire book about his adventures as he roams the world, stealing one shoe at a time.

I had some mixed feelings about the ending, and the choice the author made when it came to Mer. On the other hand, the very end of the story, and the implications if you've read The Bone Houses, was my favourite part of the book; I definitely flailed a little.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this. I loved the writing style. It's fast-paced and easy to get sucked into.

I love fae stories. They didn't play a huge part in this, but they were still there.

I enjoyed the characters. Mer and Fane are my faves (and the fae or not fae Corgi of course). I really hope there will be more with theses characters.
I haven't read the Bone Houses by this author yet, but apparently I need to. I didn't realize until after I read this that they are set in the same world and somehow connected.

This gave me serious gilded wolves and six of crow vibes with the heist aspect. I love the magic that's been woven into this book, it's subtle but there. The main character Mer, is a giften water diviner which allows her control of liquids, she goes on a mission with an old tutor to bring down the king and along the way makes friends with unlikely company.
It's an easy paced read and I very much enjoyed it.

The drowned woods set in a world inspired from welsh mythology and was a fun read, perfect for a standalone.

Our kingdom is this book is protected by a magical wellspring where our cast of character attempt a heist to exact revenge from the prince of this land… yet things don’t always go as intended and old conflict between characters are not forgiven.

We follow our main character mer who is a water Diviner who I really enjoyed reading about, I love the idea about water magic so that was really engaging.
Our other characters are a diverse cast of personalities and all brought their own purpose to the “heist” involved, however I felt that a couple of the characters did not have enough of a personality or character set up to truly care about their part of the story and my interest was only on Mer, Fane, Renfrew and Ifanna.

Part of the book is branded as being a heist which is not something I’m interest in reading about however the heist in this book was really just an adventure to traverse towards the magical wellspring and on their way trying to make their way through various obstacles, did not feel much like a typical or full blown heist.

The Welsh mythology I felt was not deeply implemented other than a few welsh names and water creatures that are influenced from mythology.

The writing was really enjoyable and simple to consume, I was really engrossed from the start finding out what our character Mer went through and how relationships were formed but mid way the book lost a interest to me however when it gripped me again about half way I thoroughly enjoyed the story.

I’d recommended this book to anyone who is remotely interested in unique and fun magic, a kingdom in peril and a group of characters banding together for a purpose. Overall I’d say it’s not a phenomenal book but it’s a fun, engaging and fast read that we can all enjoy.

4/5 star rating

I loved this so much, the writing is so beautiful, almost lyrical and the world building is top class. I adored Mer, she was so sassy and fun, I loved the relationships she had with ifanna and fane, although Trefor stole my heart ! If you love fantasy heists, unique magic systems, mythology and wonderful writing, this book is definitely one you’ll want to read, need to read. Brilliant

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Mer is the last living water diviner, living in secret until her old tutor finds her and offers her a proposition: use her powers to bring down the prince who once abused them both. With a motley crew she journeys out to do just that - and maybe finally achieve the freedom she's always wanted.

Whilst I did enjoy The Drowned Woods, I didn't love it as much as I thought it would and it ended up being a bit disappointing in places.

Most of that was down to expectations. The story begins in a very fairytale-like manner, in fact the prologue and epilogue were my favourite parts in the novel. When chapter one started I was a bit jarred by the sudden change in writing and I never really got that fairytale feeling back until the very end. The heist part as well...there's definitely a heist but it doesn't take up a large part of the story.

I did like all the characters but I again I didn't /love/ any of them. The one I liked best was most definitely the corgi - how could you not like a corgi character?! I did enjoy reading how they all meshed together and I did get emotional in the sad parts.

My favourite aspect of this one was hands down the setting. The Welsh influences was done so well and the descriptions were wonderful, definitely a highlight of The Drowned Woods.

For me this book had an amazing start, a bit of a disappointing middle, before picking up again in the end. I would still recommend this to anyone who likes interesting, different characters and superb atmospheric writing, and I will definitely be picking up whatever Emily Lloyd-Jones writes next.

Ok, hear me out. This book has Six of Crow vibes - heists, found-family ish trope and a whole massive plot. BUT, and yes, I’m going to say this, it is just so much better than SoC. I loved SoC but The Drowned Woods just topped it in my opinion.

I loved the MC, Mer, with her water magic and witty lines; Fane with his curse; and let’s not forget Trefvor - the corgi.

The plot is just amazing and I literally gasped (I know!) at points. Genuinely didn’t see things happening, although I did appreciate it things were not going to to for smoothly. Do they ever?

I don’t know much, if anything, about Welsh mythology but I absolutely loved this story. If only I could pronounce half the words 🥴

Definitely pick this up!