Llloyd-Jones has such a way of explaining everything as part of the story rather than just telling it.

Mer as a main character was someone you could truly feel for and support in her journey. I loved the fact that she was a water-diviner which gave her something original as a main character. The author adds just the right amount of character banter and gravity. creating a motley crew of colourful and interesting characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this eARC in exchange for an honest review

I absolutely adored this book! It was original with a beautiful blend of myth and adventure. I felt that there was the perfect balance between character and plot development - and I just loved Mer and Fane. The grappling of both characters between who they were and who they wanted to be was fascinating.

A real pageturner that I devoured in a day !

The Drowned Woods started off so good: the writing, the world-building, even the magic: all was very promising .
As a whole it was a pleasant read and the first half was a 4.5-star at least!
Unexpectedly, I absolutely loved the dog in this book, he is so adorable but not too present or anything. It's funny how we suspect him of being a spy for the Otherfolk, like a running joke, or maybe not a joke...I thought it was fun.
As for the characters, there was nothing special about them. I liked Mer, I loved her father-daughter relationship with the spymaster but Fane was so bland, and underdeveloped. He was only characterized by two things: his childhood trauma and his magic. Ifanna had more edge in my opinion but again she wasn't developed enough, her motivations etc were limited to one thing...
I liked that the MC is bisexual and that it's not only mentioned but really included in Mer's background etc. The fact that it's never addressed as something to explain or label is even better, I like it better that way (like in six of Crows).
Now, the thing is it didn't truly engaged me the whole way through. I struggled a bit around the middle but couldn't be sure it was the book or maybe a slight reading slump after finishing a new favorite… Anyway, the magic isn't used that much and I wanted so much more...I also like when magic is also used to do basic stuff and not always to rid the world of an evil mastermind..
Now to my next point: where is the romance I'm asking you? The past FF romance has way more details than the present one, which honestly is nothing more than friendship to me (except they kiss at the end!). I like banter and flirting and glances...here nothing. For me there is no romance in the novel, ending the book by pairing two people together doesn't equal romance!
Finally, I'm not sure how I feel about the plot twist to be honest, but yes it did surprise me! The epilogue was nice, I can see it links the Drowned Woods to The Bone Houses but I'm not 100% certain who's who...
3.5

Of course, is this only my personal opinion of the book and just because I give this rating to the book doesn’t mean, that everyone will have that opinion. I got this ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My opinion is my own.

To be honest, I haven’t read a welsh mythology retelling since picking up this book, I think. I was excited to dive right in because it was a legend I haven’t heard of, and I am a sucker for mythology retellings!
This book did not disappoint! There is a good mix of a heist and fantasy. Our main female character is a bisexual water diviner in hiding, and in the progress of the story, she also meets a fae-cursed man with a corgi. Yes, you read that right. A corgi!
I found this book fast-paced and had no problems with the welsh mythology words. Also, I liked the characters and wouldn’t have minded a few extra pages at the end. Maybe I will pick up the other books by this author.

Conclusion
If you are looking for a nice heist fantasy standalone you should pick this up.

The Drowned Woods by Emily Lloyd-Jones is a heist story set in a fantasy world based on Welsh mythology. A former spy master tries to form a group to topple the regime of the evil prince (and as a side effect getting very rich) through an impossible quest no one managed to do before. But he has someone who can defy those odds: the last water diviner left: Mer, who has been personally victimized by the evil prince and has gone into hiding. Forced out of hiding, she agrees to this quest, and so do a few others. We mostly have three POVs, those of Mer, Fane who has made an unfortunate deal with the Otherfolk and has this cute corgi which is the best character to be honest. And Ifanna, princess of thieves, who shares a history with Mer. There is bisexual rep and Ifanna’s mothers are a queer couple.

I absolutely loved the prologue, and was very intruiged in the beginning. However, after a while the pacing felt a bit off, the build up to the actual heist took way too long. And normally I wouldn’t mind if it meant more character development, but that wasn’t the case for me. Yes, there were some cool revelations and you get to know them a bit better – but only a bit, as they stayed one dimensional for me. And they could have been epic with those amazing back stories! The heist itself fell a bit flat for me, though the water horses are terrifying, it feels like it built up to something big but it didn’t deliver, it was too “easy”, even with the plot twist. The last part was a bit different from the original story, and for me it was really where the characters shone and showed how much they evolved during the book. The confrontation with the villain was underwhelming, but the rest of the last part I really liked and I loved the ending.

All in all, I liked the story, but for me it didn't really stand out. I wished there had been the decision to either flesh out the characters more or totally focus on the plot and action. There are some amazing aspects (again, the corgi), and I loved the character development, but I have to give this 3,5 stars. I think many people will absolutely love this book, I already know quite a few who I’m gonna recommend this one to. I know this sounds strange but I really think it has the vibes of The Aurora Cycle. To Best The Boys and Shatter the Sky feel a bit similar in my mind, too, though none of those has a heist.

I received a free e-arc from the publisher through Netgalley, but my opinions are my own.

Mererid is a water-diviner and as a child is forced into service by a power-hungry Prince, till the day she manages to escape. When the Prince's Spymaster comes to her with a proposition it offers her not only freedom but also revenge on the prince, Fane has a special combat gift from the Fae, but he tries never to use it because it only brings death. The Spymaster, the Water-Diviner and the Fighter join up with three others to undertake the impossible task of robbing the Prince's wellspring of magic.

'The Drowned Woods' is a fantasy heist story, with a great crew and an exciting quest, set in the same Wales-inspired world as 'The Bone Houses'. There are so few standalone fantasy books these days, so I really appreciated the closure of having a fully formed story in one book. Having said that, there is a nod to 'The Bone Houses' at the end of this story that I enjoyed as well. Another excellent story from Emily Lloyd-Jones - it was pure pleasure to read this captivating fantasy!

DNF at 35%.
The Drowned Woods started off with a very promising fairytale-like prologue but after reading the first 35% I’m mostly skimming the pages and I can see this is just not the book for me. I didn’t connect with any of the characters enough to care about what happens in the story. I can see this would be a 3* read for me as I’m definitely not disliking it – just not particularly invested.

The writing itself is fine, doesn’t particularly stand out but it’s efficient at conveying the atmosphere, some tension and exposition with flashbacks chapters interspersed throughout, however, the characters just feel very one dimensional and, frankly, despite possessing some cool powers – boring. I’m guessing because of the book’s short length the author didn’t have the page time to make the characters complex and intriguing. Besides, everything seemed to fall in place just way too easily (at least in the portion I’ve read) – maybe a case of wanting to get the exposition and set up out of the way as quickly as possibly so we could move on to the heist and political intrigue? Possible romance? Again, I’m not sure because I haven’t read far enough.

Despite the above, the book reads quite fast, so I think readers who are into heist stories, unlikely allies coming together to fight evil, magical settings with a fun twist on the animal companion and elements based magic (water, in this instance), might find this a fun story they can start and finish in one sitting.

While it contains some violence and implies heavy themes, I’d say this is a very easily digestible read for the YA audience.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with an e-ARC copy for review.

First, I want to say that despite giving it three stars, I still really enjoyed it. The average rating is because I felt it had so much potential to be more.

I liked the characters, and the setting. LOVED the magic system!

However this standalone felt like the conclusion of a trilogy. I liked every single character, but we come to them at the end of their story. I would have loved to read the story of these characters growing, because the author definitely has thought about their past and it shows.

Lastly, the epilogue... I would have loved a more open ended ending, as the actual ending we got was... I'll be honest, kinda anticlimactic.

BUT, I do see there are more books in the same universe, so I'm going to read those, and maybe when I re-read this, I'll have a different rating 😁

Absolutely breath-taking, LGBTQ+ representation with a stellar storyline. Completely loved it, thank you for such a wonderful novel

"Water did not care for rank nor wealth. It would sweep in, drown all. Unless someone stood in its path."

i was so very excited to have received an arc for the drowned woods! the cover is absolutely stunning, the premise was intriguing and i was captivated as soon as i dived in to the story! i loved the prologue and worldbuilding from the start, and i really adored emily's prose—her writing is beautiful and it was the first time in a long time that i've read a book and wanted to screenshot so many sections of writing because they were done so eloquently. i even teared up a bit towards the end, which hasn't happened in a hot minute!!

honestly, i may have had more appreciation for some parts of the book if i was more tuned into welsh mythology but i still found myself able to follow along and enjoy it all the same. a lot of reviews have mentioned messiness and not enjoying the multiple povs; but i personally love multiple pov stories and found myself rooting for all the characters in their own ways! i was a little disappointed in the heist aspect of the story because when it really boils down to it, that event is more or less just a propeller for a bigger truth and isn't really a heist at all??? there's just a couple plot points here and there that i think definitely could've benefited from a deeper exploration.

with mer, i appreciated the casual bisexuality and it was nice to see that she got her happy ending moment, although the ending was a little abrupt in its shift—but the last chapter acting as the epilogue helps settle those extra details! it would be great to see the world expanded with a sequel but i think the ending has been made purposefully in a way to dispel any further hint at more books—but spin-offs of other characters lifes post the ending could definitely be something i'd love to come back to! ((also a lot of people seemed confused at the corgi in a fantasy world setting but i kinda lived for trefor not gonna lie))

all in all, i would recommend that you grab a copy of this book once it's out on shelves!!

thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc!

A fantasical heist story based on welsh mythology.
Mer a water diviner who is hiding from the king, after he wants to use her power for his own gain. But only she is the only one who can put an end to his ruthless reign by using treasures that he had hidden within a magical well.
If you enjoy six of crows then you will enjoy this story.
Thank you to netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton publishers for providing this Arc for review.
All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5⭐️

I loved this! It was like LOTR x ATLA x SoC all meshed into one. It was a little slow in the beginning but still drew me in and the plot had enough twists to keep me thinking and surprised.

I liked the vibes in the book and felt it was well-written, I feel like I’d enjoy an adult version of this with maybe a little more grit and darkness, but it was still good as it was. It had a bit of a fairytale vibe or like an old legend, which I think is what the book was going for – so it definitely succeeded there!

I thought the rep in this book was good too, I love when there are bi MCs and it’s just not a big deal, it’s simply there. Also the little corgi was so cute and mischievous.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this and thought it was a great read.

(Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an eARC in exchange for an honest review)

One of my favourite parts of this book was the Welsh mythology. It was super interesting to read about, magical and enchanting. This book is filled with myths, legends as well as mythological creatures and places (including Welsh Atlantis!).

I really liked the main character Mer and her powers (she is essentially a superpower water bender). She was smart and resourceful, fierce but also kind. She had some great dialogue and I loved the interactions she had with all the other characters. There was a great mixture of characters with different skills and personalities that created a fun group dynamic.

And I have to talk about the corgi!!!! He was one of the best parts of this book and was so adorable just following everyone around (not to mention he's also a spy). The plot was great and even though it is a little slow in the middle, the ending more than makes up for it. There's tension and mystery but also humour and even a cute slow-burn romance which I loved.

This was a great standalone and perfect for anyone wanting to read something featuring a heist, Welsh mythology, magic and the cutest corgi!

★★★★★ 4.5/5

As the last living water diviner who was once owned and controlled by the prince, eighteen year old Mer is no stranger to conflict and being on the run. Still dealing with the knowledge that the prince poisoned the wells she found, killing entire villages, Mer would do anything to exact her revenge on him.

When Renfrew, Mer’s old mentor and the prince’s spymaster offers her a chance to do just that, Mer is more than ready to join him. What she isn’t expecting is the rest of the people who form their crew, including an adorable corgi, and the lady of thieves herself.

Together, they must destroy the magical well that protects the prince’s lands, and what seems so straightforward at first, soon becomes a dangerous and life-threatening endeavour. Mer wants the freedom she was promised when she undertook the job, but she’s not the only one with an agenda, and people she thought she could trust are never who they really claim to be.

This was my first Emily Lloyd-Jones book, and after seeing the rave reviews for The Bone Houses, and with the Welsh mythology that The Drowned Woods is loosely based upon, I knew I just had to read this. As a fan of Welsh mythology, I had briefly heard of Cantre’r Gwaelod (basically the Welsh Atlantis), and whilst this place is a focus in the novel, you don’t need to have any prior knowledge of the mythology, or even of Wales. The world building does more than enough to give you a sense of place, explaining where necessary everything you need to know.

As for the characters, I loved them all, and I especially loved the dynamics between Mer and Renfrew, as well as the past between Mer and Ifanna. I also enjoyed how instead of having reveals of character’s backstory through conversations with main character, Mer, the book was made up of alternating between three character’s points of view. I found this was such an effective way to develop the characters, offering a deeper insight into them. Most of all, though, Trefor the corgi stole my heart, and minor spoiler alert – he doesn’t die. The dog is fine, which I will admit was a worry whilst reading.

The plot does begin to lull just slightly in parts, but then it picks right back up, and before you know it you’ve finished the book. As a standalone novel it’s an easy read for those looking to read a single novel instead of the beginning of a series, and then having to endure the wait for a sequel. And as a standalone, everything is neatly wrapped up by the end. I do wish there was a little bit more to it in terms of length, as some small parts seemed rushed, but this doesn’t stop it from being a new favourite for me, and I can’t wait until it’s out so I can recommend it to everyone.



Did I like the book? Yes

Did I love it? Yes! There was so much to love, from the characters to the magic, and the world it’s set in.

Would I recommend it? Without a doubt. I will be adding this to my favourites list. It’s perfect as a standalone, and for anyone who wants a heist novel with deceptive characters, magic and an adorable dog, this is for you.

A kind thank you to the publisher for the e-ARC.

I quite enjoyed The Drowned Woods. I haven't read any Welsh-inspired books, so the worldbuilding felt very exciting.

Mer is a water diviner, and I have to say I'm a sucker for characters who control water, in all forms. I liked her character. She was true to herself. She was smart and resourceful. She was fierce and ruthless when she needed to be, but her kindness was still there. My favorite scene was when she asked Fane why he's comfortable with her. I really FELT her in that scene. The pain, the acceptance, everything about her made sense in that scene. She captured me then, and I gladly followed her from that point on.

Fane was nice and witty when we needed him to be. And I do understand his magic dilemma. But I also thought that his dilemma and his role in the crew were at odds, and I've felt very conflicted until I read the last 20%. I'll just say that everything makes sense at the end.

I loved the corgi. His presence brightened the atmosphere. And why shouldn't we have dogs in fantasy books?! We have horses and birds, why not dogs, too? 👀

Contrary to others' experiences when reading this book, I felt like the book got better as it went on. For me, it was the beginning (first 30% ish) that was rushed. Characters bonded too fast. Secrets were shared too fast. It felt like the plot pushed Mer and Fane on a path, and they had to walk down that path. In the vein of that, one part of the ending was also rushed, and that's the prince. He was a horrible prince and a horrible person, and we didn't see a resolution there. However, apart from that scene, the ending was pretty spectacular and Mer had a great character development! This is a standalone, and I think that's why we rushed to get our ducks in a row, so to speak. In my opinion, it'd be better as a duology or with as a longer book.

I loved that it was a queernorm world. Mer has liked both men and women, and there's also a female/female relationship. More and more books with a queernorm world keep getting published, and I'm both grateful and happy for it.

Overall, I enjoyed the book a lot! I practically read it in two/three sittings, and that hasn't happened in a while. It was very engaging with an interesting main character and a cute corgi.

<i>Thank you Little Brown and Netgalley for providing me an eARC of this book in return for an honest review.</i>

There are so many things that drew me to this book. First of all, the cover is GORGEOUS. I can't wait to have it on my bookshelf. Secondly, the blurb instantly drew me in. I truly believe that this book can be the biggest winner of 2022. I don't say that lightly.

A heist? Elemental magic? An animal companion?

I got sucked into the world so quickly and fell in love. It reads like a thrilling fairytale with high stakes and I can't wait to turn to the next page. The story has Welsh folklore and mythology woven into it and it makes it so intriguing.

The main character is a young woman on the run from her past. A water diviner that used to work in service of the prince. Used and tricked to participate in wars against her will. Her old mentor and father figure, the prince's ex-spymaster offers her a job that would allow Mer her one dream. Enough coin to get far from the prince's clutches.

Joining their little band of outcasts is Fane, an ironfetch connected to the otherfolk and haunted by death. And his corgi, who might very well be the star of the book, just for his overall cuteness and the fact that he may or may not be a spy?

The dynamics and relationships of the characters are amazing and at moments utterly surprising. Every character has its own complexity and I got attached to every single one.
The worldbuilding and history are top notch and wanted more in a good way. The magic system made me enthralled with the descriptions of how it differed for every magical capable being.

Overall I really loved this book, staying up until 2 am to finish it was no hard choice. It was a great, fresh YA Fantasy standalone that didn't have a boring moment from the prologue to the ending. Also, that epilogue? It left me a sobbing mess.

I'll definitely pick up Emily Lloyd-Jones' other books.

Really enjoyed this retelling of the fragmentary tales of 'Welsh Atlantis'. (Celtic mythology is rife with sunken lands btw - there's one off the coast of Ireland, Lyoness off the coast of Cornwall and various other mysterious lost lands in both Arthurian and Celtic myth.) The main thrust of this story is about acceptance and belonging - both finding a place where you fit in and learning not to run away from everything for fear of losing it. The main character, Mhair is a water diviner with power over water. Diviners are sought after and owned by the corrupt king, and just to muddy the waters further (haha) the king's spy master is a thoroughly morally grey father figure to Mhair, who is somewhat lost in her own life and never stays in one place for long. Added to the crew is Thane, a man with a fair folk gift on him. Anyone who knows anything about the Tyllwyth Teg will know how that's going for him. This is a quit fantasy story in many ways but I appreciated its examination of friendship and personal responsibility, and I loved the setting and the Welsh mythology.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this novel from the first page. The set up of the story had me hooked and I was excited to find out how the heist would go.

There were lots of twist and turns and I loved that the plot kept me guessing throughout the book.

While I found all of the characters to be likeable, and enjoyed the snippets of memories which showed more about each of their backgrounds, I did feel that I wasn’t as invested in the characters as I would have liked. I felt like there wasn’t much build up to the romance, and would have enjoyed it if the author had spent more time describing the characters and allowing the reader to get to know them better.

That being said, I did really enjoy the book and thought that the storyline and pacing were excellent.

I’m gutted but I’m just not sold on this. Everything was okay. The characters were alright, the plot was good, the names of things threw my head for a loop at times I won’t lie 😅 but it just didn’t wow me like I’d hoped it would.

I enjoyed the story and the basis in Welsh folklore. The magic system was really intriguing and felt fresh. While I enjoyed the concept of the characters, I didn't feel like they were fully developing; the story could have done more showing than telling, especially in terms of character development and motivation. I wished the romance had been a bit more progressive through the book; it felt like it was really rushed at the end, and I didn't have a chance to see the relationship between Mer and Fane develop. Then the next thing I knew - the ending (I won't spoil it) happened and I was a bit surprised. A lot of the dialogue felt wooden to me, but that was probably because of some phrases ("my dear") that were likely meant to assist character development but just felt repetitive and forced, or words that felt out of place and pulled me out of the story ("mayhap"). Overall, though, this was a fun fantasy adventure with a unique magic system based in interesting, mystical folklore.