DNF@20%
Unedited political mishmash of immature and kinda selfish POVs narrators, my head hurt trying to understand what was going on among all the plain dialogue.

This was a stunning, immersive fantasy, set in the semi-submerged city of Tiankawi, following Mira, a half-siren border guard captain, and Nami, a rebellious water dragon, exiled to the city. As tensions rise betwen humans and the fathomfolk - sirens, seawitches, kelpies and kappas - both women grapple with their roles in a society on the bring of revolution.
The world building is richly detailed, drawing from East Asian mythology and oceanic folklore, creating a vivid backdrop for the political intrigue and personal struggles. The characters are complex and compelling, each navigating their identities and allegiances in a divided world.

Fathomfolk by Eliza Chan is a strikingly original debut that blends mythology, politics, and cultural tension in a richly imagined, water-bound city-state. The concept of merfolk, sirens, and other sea beings living alongside humans is fresh and thought-provoking, offering a nuanced exploration of identity, marginalization, and resistance.

Chan’s worldbuilding is immersive, drawing on East and Southeast Asian folklore in a way that feels both respectful and inventive. The multi-POV structure adds depth to the narrative, though at times it can feel a bit scattered, and some transitions between characters are less fluid than others.

Despite occasional pacing lulls, the novel’s ambition and emotional resonance shine through. It’s a promising start to a series that fans of myth-based fantasy and socially conscious storytelling will find rewarding. Chan is definitely an author to watch.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I don't think I can put into words just how gorgeously built and unique the world in this book is, each description takes you further into this water-filled world and submerges you in all it's glory.

I found the changing of POV and the intricacies a bit hard to follow in the beginning, but by the end, I appreciated how intricate it was and the way that everything was so wonderfully woven together. I loved watching the growth of these complex characters as their paths crossed with each other.

The foundation of this book is racism. Yes it will make you uncomfortable but the pay off is priceless. The descriptions of racism are blatant, in your face and will make you want to look away but it was something I could relate to as it is part of my lived experience.

The heaviness and beauty of this book isn't something I think I can do justice, so you'll just have to discover it all for yourself!

A huge thanks to Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for giving me the chance to read Fathomfolk by Eliza Chan in exchange for my honest review. 
It was a beautiful book through and through. The scenery, the politics and the characters were all beautifully written and for all that to be Eliza Chan's debut I was stunned. 
The way she brought so many issues of our world -poverty, discrimination, isolation, manipulation of youth to beliefs and ideals that are detrimental to the world around them- captivated me from the get go. With characters flawed (like Nami) to perfect (KAI AND MIRA IM LOOKING AT YOU) and downright hateful (yes this is a slight for Cordelia *que side-eye*), Chan made herself one of my favourite debut authors. I rarely feel intensely about characters but Nami (with her youthful naivety) and Cordelia (with her seasoned cunning and subterfuges) really struck out to me. The true beauty of her writing though lies with the intricate inclusion of plenty of folklore and asian mythology references of water-typed "monsters" in a half submerged world, struggling alongside humanity to find their place in Tiankawi . I loved that more than anything ! I can't wait for book two of the Drowned world duology to be out ! 
This review will be cross-posted on my goodreads and on the blog I review books by May 26th (for links check out my bio).

This book surprised me positively. I didn't expect the complexity and how much it will impact me. This is not a fun fantasy with sea creatures and romance; I feel that is wasn't presented like that at all.

Firstly, I have seen a lot of criticism around the romance and I agree with some aspects, but I feel that it kind of represented real situations. We have a girl who is very naïve and wants to be "the hero" (help everyone and do this big actions that will impact everyone), but she doesn't fully understand the world around her and how the politics works. She falls in love, but I feel that she is just used from the 1st time they meet. I never read a single paragraph about this romance and thought that the guy actually fully loves her; he is just using her in any way possible. This is indeed frustrating and you want to get the girl and shake her to put some sense into her, but at the same time it makes sense with how she is. There are many people out there in similar circumstance and I think it is important to read about this type of relationships, discuss them and fully understand why they are toxic and how can you avoid something like this.

Secondly, I have seen criticism around the world building and the amount of sea creatures mentioned in the story and how confusing everything was. I, personally, found this again close to reality. All of these creatures are immigrants from different places around the world, so of course they are completely different (look different, have different powers, different cultures and so on). As an immigrant leaving in a country full of different groups of immigrants from everywhere around the globe, I genuinely felt seen and understood in this confusing combination of different people. Also, the discussions around immigration and how the fathomfolk were seen by humans is so dark, but also realistic and powerful. There are so many dark moments, so many heartbreaking scenes, so much injustice...

With all of those in mind, I didn't think this book perfect. There were some aspects about the plot that felt a little just to convenient. The politics of this huge city needed a little bit more polishing or maybe more explaining, more structure. And the ending felt a little forced in a way. But all in all, this is a great book! I will definitely read the second volume and I hope we will get more of the things I loved.

This was a DNF for me. I just couldn't get through it. The info dumb at the start really slowed me down. I like learning about things bit by bit, so it feels a little more natural. It's a good concept though. Just wasn't my cup of tea.

2.25/5 stars! Based on the cover and this being an Asian author, I was stoked to read this book. Sadly, it was filled with unlikable characters. There was strong messaging about social justice and safety, but it was overshadowed by how much I didn't care about the characters. Sigh.

Despite a little floundering at the start, I was really drawn into this story and swept away by the mythologies and traditions. You can’t help but build strong connections to Chan’s characters, and share in their frustrations and anger, their complex relationships. It reminded me a great deal of Andrea Stewart’s The Bone Shard Daughter trilogy, so if you loved that, definitely pick this one up!
(Full review on The Fantasy Hive)

I was left feeling a little disappointed and let down by this book as I had such high hopes. The author however did tackle and write about difficult issues such as social injustice and xenophobia and environmental pollution extremely well and they did a great job putting this message out in a way that doesn’t come across immature and is easy to read and learn from if that makes sense!

Really engaging read. I was drawn in by the vibrant imagery and imaginative setting and then subsequently intrigued by the politics and the depth of the story. I have bought the sequel too so it was definitely a good read. Chan does a magnificent job at crafting a colourful and vibrant world that leaps right off the page.

Couldn't finish it because the characters name were too similar and I wasn't really sure what was going on after the 20% mark.

I didn't finish it, I stayed at 43%. The world seemed super interesting, but I felt it was all over the place. It felt very much like an attempt to copy the concept of Crecedent City, where many creatures live in the same city. I couldn't get into the writing, I felt like I was reading a lot but nothing was happening. The characters were completely forgettable.

Thanks to the publisher for giving me access. Unfortunately I wanted to like this a lot more than I did, despite the excellent cover and pitch. I felt character development was lacking, and the ending didn't ring true to me.

I sort of struggled to get into this book, which i'm sad about as it was so beautiful written with great attention to detail with the folklore and world building. The key themes surrounding racism, identity and class are so important and well delivered within this story, and the politics were so important and needed to be included, however I think this may have been what made it harder for me to get into. I enjoyed that there was such a large cast, however again, this made it a little difficult for me to member who everyone was, but I loved how they were so fleshed out and flawed in their own ways.

I think this would for sure be a five star read for the right person, unfortunately I'm not sure I was the best audience or in the right place to do this book the justice it deserves.

I enjoyed Fathomfolk, I thought the way the class and nationality divide was done so so well. I do worry when I enter a new fantasy world and it includes political themes within, but I was incredibly impressed with how Eliza Chan handled it. I also absolutely adored the variety of characters who were all so clearly flawed and yet still interesting to read about!
I'm intrigued to see where this series goes...

DNF

Unfortunately, it was just way too political for my taste. I don't mind a bit of politics, a bit of court intruige or what not but there was just too much of it. There are also just so many characters...

Fathomfolk really wasn't what I was expecting throughout - in such a good way! I thought it would be sort of formulaic, but absolutely not - this left me guessing and gasping throughout!

Thematically this story is so incredibly important with concepts of racism and the other throughout. I could actually see elements of this story happening in real life (obviously so sad).

I loved the twists and turns that kept me questioning the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed Fathomfolk. I loved the way the story was told.
The themes through out the book is don't be quick to judge.
The story kept me gripped and I couldn't put it down.
The twists throughout this novel made me want to find out what was going to happen.
The cover is stunning
I also listened to the audiobook the narrator is absolutely fantastic. Brought it to life and a very enjoyable read/listen.
Little mermaid with dragons,sirens and other creatures.
I do recommend!

I truly loved this book and its themes on living with immigration and.m the impact of multicultural cities. The prejudices that arise and how in reality you can't just assume things about a people. Bringing in important and key themes on prejudice as well as the impact we have on our planet through social pollution. But her it literally is making people sick with gill rot, I love the blend of romance, political intrigue and a unique magic system. Thank you so much.