3 Stars

Synopsis: Tiankawi is a safe haven for the Fathomfolk, somewhere they can live among humans. Or so it seems. The Fathomfolk are oppressed, forced to live in polluted waters, and are looked down upon by humanity. Mira and Nami fight for equality, though their methods could not be different, and both are struggling to gain the equality needed.

CW/TW: Racism/Segregation/Oppression/Violence/Imprisonment/Exploitation/Extremism/Death/Murder/Kidnapping/ Others may be present.

Rep: Queernormative / PoC Characters

Fathomfolk by Eliza Chan had a lot of potential with its mix of mythology, fantasy and politics. But, ultimately, it fell short of expectations.

The concept and plot of Fathomfolk had a lot of potential. I loved the idea of different fathomfolk making up the water population, from sirens and seawitches to kappas and sea dragons – it felt like a wonderful mix of mythology and fantasy. Similarly, the plot had a lot of potential. The idea of Tiankawi being a safe haven from civil unrest but ultimately being a centre of oppression and racism, combined with Mira’s desire to fight for equality within the system, while Nami fought outside it with an anti-human group, had the possibility of being a complex, and sensitive plot. While, the themes of oppression and racism are ones that are all too real and relevant to the world, within the story it didn’t feel as well thought out and executed as it could have been.

The fight scenes and action at the end of the book were some of the better and more engaging elements, but I struggled slightly getting there. The characters had a lot of promise but ultimately felt flat and some of the relationships felt rushed. This made it difficult to engage with the characters in depth.

Overall, Fathomfolk by Eliza Chan had a lot of promise and dealt with some hard-hitting themes, however, ultimately it fell flat for me.

*Thank you to Orbitbooks for the Netgalley eARC in exchange for an honest review*

This was one of my most anticipated 2024 releases. I was so excited for the SEA diaspora, with magical sea creatures.
Unfortunately I had to put this book down. Honestly the beginning was too confusing for me with the different POVs and sooo many creatures from mixed cultures that made me completely lose the story.
While I might not have read enough of the book to get to the world building and political landscape, all I got so far is humans are bad, they pollute the water and everyone in the sea is from all the different asian cultures. I did not like the blend it was even more confusing. Are the korean, Japanese, chinese and south-east asian beings and cultures supposed to blend like this? I am not sure how I feel about that aside from confusing the world even more.
I am so sad this didnt work for me as I really was rooting for this debut author. Maybe I will pick up their next works!

Fathomfolk is a beautiful story about a gruesome supremacist society.
This book goes heavy on the commentary of racial divide, supremacist structures, activism, terrorism and many more interconnected themes.

The author really manages to rip your heart out by contrasting the beautiful descriptions of this world and the magical races living in it with act of violance and racism. This contrast was really hard to read about especially if you think about how these things are happening in our real world everywhere.

The story is rich and complex but because of the heavy subject matter and can be hard at times to really enjoy yourself while reading this book which in my opinion is a good thing but beware.

What I really liked is that we get to experience this world from different perspectives which all ultimately show us how this society hurts everyone but affects them in very different ways. Some of these perspectives have been more developed than others so some characters felt a tiny bit flat to me but they served their purpose in this story.

My biggest critique has to be the choreography in a few scenes. At times it was hard to follow what was going on and characters seemed to jump around a bit but for the most part it was fine.

Personally not a huge fan of the ending and beware this book has a setup for a second book in the epilogue and isn't a standalone like I thought but there isn't a huge cliff hanger.

I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading more from this author! 4,5 Stars

Eliza Chan's "Fathomfolk" is a dazzling debut that plunges readers into the semi-submerged city of Tiankawi, a realm where humanity's glittering towers cast shadows on the fathomfolk dwelling in the waters below. In this richly imagined fantasy, Chan seamlessly weaves East Asian mythology and ocean folk tales into a tapestry of magic, rebellion, and change. Mira, a half-siren captain of the border guard, navigates a world of oppression and political intrigue, caught between the unrest of two colliding cultures. The narrative's fast-paced action and profound social depth create an unforgettable experience, mirroring the ebb and flow of the tide. Chan's storytelling prowess is evident in the intricate relationships, original world-building, and timeless questions that make "Fathomfolk" a triumphant tale of diaspora survival. A must-read for lovers of Southeast Asian-influenced fantasy.

This fantasy book is inspired by East Asian mythology and ocean folk tales, which is heavily focused on rebellion, opression, racism, magic and change. The first half of this book, I will be honest, I did not really like. I LOVE the premise of this novel, I love asian myth and lore, and sea creatures. But, it was so confusing. There were way to many different characters, it took me quite literally 200 pages to figure out and remember who everyone is, and I was still a bit confused going forward on some of the characters. We have three main characters, and they each have a LOT of side characters connected to them. Of course all of these are also connected in some way to each other, and that’s when I started to get slightly less confused, but yeah. Another thing that I didn’t particularly love with this story was how heavily it focused on the opression of the fathomfolk. Pretty much every single scene was some new horrible stuff being done to push the folk down and the humans being absolute racists. I do wish we could have gotten more of the beautiful magic and some more lighthearted storylines. But yeah, I do understand that this was the way the author wanted this story to take and it wasn’t truly my cup of tea, but I’m sure a lot of people will love this! I will say that the ending of this book saved the story for me, it made up for some of it’s negatives and did make me want to read the second book just to see what happens. So all in all, this book wasn’t really for me, but I do appreciate the writing, and gorgeous worldbuilding.

Fathomfolk was one of my most anticipated releases of the year and I'm so sad it didn't work out.

The world created by Eliza Chan is interesting and imaginative, filled with mythical water creatures from Asian mythology. I appreciated the central place the author gave to the themes of class and racial inequalities and the struggles of diapora communities.

Unfortunately the characters and their storylines didn't hold my attention and lacked distinct voices and heart in my opinion. As for Nami, our young wanabee revolutionary, I understand that she was written this way for a purpose but it didn't make swimming through her chapters less painful.

If the writing flew smoothly, the pacing was too slow for my liking - especially in the first 40% - and by the time it got better, it was too late for my interest to wake.

DNF 50%.

Fathomfolk by Eliza Chan came up on my radar after seeing several of my favourite authors in the description. This was a unique World centred around the city of Tiankawi, an above water city, where both Fathomfolk and humans live alongside each other, with little harmony.

I loved the idea of this world and some of the world building was really interesting. I was confused by the under water world and why it was basically the same as on land. I think this could have been much more exciting. I would have loved more descriptions of the water dragons, sea witches, kelpies etc which made this World enchanting.

There are lots of different type of water creatures but it focuses on Mira, a half-siren who is the first of the Fathomfolk to be given a worthy job and she hopes to bring change. There are a few love interests, one was a little fast to come together and it wasn’t as believable as I would have liked.

The ending was enough to leave me intrigued for the next book.

Thank you to netgallley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this in advance in exchange for an honest review.

There’s lots to love about Fathomfolk, a rich world steeped in Asian lore, its ecological and social messages. Mira, Nami, and Cordelia are rich characters with twisting and intertwining stories that interlink to forge the fate of the city.

There’s magic! And yet… idk, I’m grieving and not in my most objective state right now but this felt like a chore. I couldn’t fully lose myself in the world and more than anything I wanted to, maybe there was a spark that wasn’t there or maybe it’s me, but there was so much effort required to get myself to the point where it was easy to read and yet I still really want to know what the end game of certain characters is.

DNF
Unfortunately this book just wasn't for me, I found the writing to be a little juvenile, I didn't click with the rather 2D characters and the pace was too slow. So sadly I couldn't finish reading the book.

Eliza Chan has created a fresh, complex new fantasy world in 'Fathomfolk', sure to be first in a series. It's set in an alternate earth where humans share the planet with an assortment of magical water-based creatures from a variety of different mythologies - mermaids, kelpies, kappa, sirens etc. Human pollution and sea-level rise are pushing them and the 'folk' closer together, such as in the overcrowded city of Tiankawi. Poverty and inequality are rife, but desperate refugees fleeing even worse places continue to arrive.

The novel has three main view point characters. Mira is a half-siren police officer, the first non-human to rise to the rank of captain. Together with her idealistic water-dragon boyfriend Kai, she believes she can change attitudes and remove prejudice through persuasion and peaceful means. Nami is Kai's younger sister, a teenage firebrand who thinks rebellion and action are the only solution to the injustices of society. Serena is the antagonist, an ambitious and ruthless woman manipulating her politician husband to greater heights. It's clear from the start that the city is on the verge of riot and revolution, and all three characters get caught up in it when it comes.

The start is a bit slow, although Chan's writing style is consistently good and readable. I happily forgive that though as inevitable for the amount of 'world-building' that needs to happen at the start of an undertaking like this. Once you have learned the rules of the world and settled into it, it's very difficult to put down again as the plot becomes supercharged and stays that way until the end. Because you do need to concentrate that bit more to absorb all the new information, it's a good idea to choose a time you can read in bigger chunks and relatively uninterrupted.

I liked - or at least found interesting - all of the characters, and the plot was strong and full of action and surprises. The setting felt original and different, with its water-based emphasis. Unlike a lot of epic fantasies, there is no 'indisputably evil' villain (Sauron/Voldemort style). Instead there are a mass of conflicting opinions and needs just as you'd find in the real world, with no easy answers or quick fixes. I like that as it makes the story much less predictable and much more believable. It is very easy to see parallels with our own world.

The ending is practically begging for a sequel so I hope the publishers will commission one. I'd recommend this book to fans of fantasy as I think it has great promise to turn into a great series - and even if it doesn't, it's a good standalone story too with all the energy and escapism you'd hope for in a fantasy adventure.

I adored this book! The world building & city of Tiankawi brought this book alive, every part of the city & it's people were fascinating. The urban fantasy setting within a partially submerged city alongside all these aquatic mythical creatures was just so unique and riveting! Having the pov characters take us to different parts of the city and show us it's people really helped paint a vivid and detailed picture of life in Tiankawi.

The characters have such range in their personalities, it really helped build my attachment to them & even the minor side characters stood apart. I hope we see more of Nami & Eun in the future (and less of a certain kelpie 😤). I look forward to seeing Mira's next steps and more growth from Nami after the ending of this story.

The ending is great and sets up the rest of the series perfectly, I can't wait to learn more about the world, gods and what happens next to the city, let alone all the characters and the folk who live in it.

Thanks to Netgalley & Little Brown Book Group for the arc, I'll be posting my review on Goodreads, Storygraph & Waterstones on the 16th Feb (Amazon on release).

Thank you for the opportunity to read the e-arc.
Unfortunately it was not enjoyable for me… struggeling the whole way through untill the end.

I got lost and confused with all the names, the descriptions it distracted me a lot. Often had to re read parts because it just slipped and I didn’t understand or remember.

I really wanted to finish the book but because i didnt really got in the story at all it was hard to connect….

Ofcourse I was hoping for more, but maybe next time.

2.5 Not a bad book but I had to force myself to finish it.
The world building is great and probably the thing most people will enjoy. I also liked the characters even though Namis naivety annoyed me a lot. Serena gave me evil rich mom from a kdrama vibes at the beginning which I loved but swiftly changed when we found out how she actually is.
My main problem is the slow pace. I spend almost 50% of the book waiting for something to happen. The boat race day was a great part of the story and a good catalyst for the rest but I don’t understand why we had to wait so long for anything to happen. It really took half the book to move past the plot that is described in the blurb.
Time skips and POV changes also made it difficult to build interest because the moment something intense happened we moved past it almost immediately.
Eliza Chan is a talented writer but this book could’ve used another round of editing.

Review will be posted on Goodreads on February 15th.

I really enjoyed this book! The story was beautifully written, Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

4.25⭐️
This book was so much more than I anticipated and was far from just another fantasy book. This was a really powerful urban fantasy with a rich, expertly crafted world and an equally powerful subtext. This book reminded me of speculative books like The Power, Vox and The Change that are female centric, make comments on real issues such as discrimination because of race and class, that mean something and pose a world not so different from our own.

I loved the three female characters and their intertwining stories at the centre of this book. They were real, with real problems and real conflicts, straddling multiple spheres of society. They weren’t without fault, some more so than others, but I still felt compelled to root for them in the face of everything.

The mythology inspired elements of this were beautiful I’m curious to see what happens next and can’t wait for book 2 in the Drowned Worlds series. If you like your fantasy books modern and meaningful but still magical then this is the book for you!

Fathomfolk was an exciting new read, that was fabulously written and felt like I was diving into a new fairytale.

I loved the setting of a water city where both the fathomfolk and humans live together, it definitely was a driving force in the book.

I also admired the developed characters and how wonderfully different they were to each other, they each had individuality when sometimes the lines can become a bit blurred.

I loved the politics that came into play during this book and it really helps drive the plot forward and make it exciting alongside the atmosphere that was created.

My one concern is the romantic relationship as it felt very rushed and not realistic, however with everything else being so thrilling it was a minor problem as a whole.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an e-arc of this book

I enjoyed reading Fathomfolk. The world building is very rich, imaginative and well crafted. I was immersed into this underwater/partially submerged world, where humans coexist with fathomfolk in a city where technology blends with mythical beings and magic. The imagery is exceptional - I found the writing refreshing, fluid and captivating. Great debut novel - it could’ve done with a bit more editing and perhaps more focus on specific chapters that seem a bit ‘unrealistic’ (even for a fantasy novel 🙂) - for instance Tiankawi is described at first from Nami’s pov and we get to find out how enormous the city is - a metropolis half submerged, half erected on really tall buildings, where humans get to enjoy the perks of high-end technology in a decaying world and at the expense of the Fathomfolk, second class citizens, allowed their place in the city just so they can fuel the ever consuming machine that the city was. Towards the end of the book, in the cable car chapters, I had the feeling that the entire metropolis was reduced to a little coastal town where a few cable cars could save everyone from drowning, in the aftermath of the earthquake. What seemed enormous (to a very naive girl who doesn’t really grow out of her naivety - no substantial character development for Nami unfortunately) suddenly appeared unrealistically small. It was likely intentional - and probably meant to symbolise the limitations of the main characters and how powerless they were in those circumstances. The scenes and chapters at the start of the book - about the mayhem, disorder and panic following the terrorist attacks at the boats and preceding the curfew were some of the best - I felt very claustrophobic and uncomfortable reading that part - I felt as if I was in the middle of the crowd, crushed and surrounded by panic. I also would have preferred completely new and imaginary beings, but I understand the author’s preference for mythical, albeit it does feel a bit romanticised.
The novel feels very topical - it beautifully and painfully tackles actual and very real topics: prejudice, oppression, racism, immigration, slavery and trafficking, class-differences, politics, conflicting situations and very imperfect characters, well, apart from Kai :). Mira ties the 3 stories together, but the events unfold mainly through Nami’s pov - since she sets in motion most of the events, through a set of very poor decisions. Her naivety is explicable - and the Drawbacks appeal is understandable. Cordelia was my favourite character. I really enjoyed reading the book and will definitely read the sequel. Very good debut from a very promising author. Thanks to NetGallery for the ARC!

Fathomfolk by @elizachanwrites was absolutely brilliant! I loved the worldbuilding and how unique it was; and the multiple povs to show how people with different backgrounds experience a city was so intriguing to me.
We follow three of the fathomfolk as they navigate through the city: Mira the half siren head of the chinthe or city guard, Nami the waterdragon as she settles into a new life in an unfamiliar city and Cordelia, a seawitch with fingers (or tentacles) in many pies across the city 👀. We see as all these lives are inextricably linked, and how the actions of one person can affect the lives and livelihoods of hundreds.

I really really enjoyed this book, it was so enjoyable to read, and the multiple points of view really helped to emphasise how the class disparity within the book affected the characters and subsequently their decisions. I particularly enjoyed Namis pov, as it showed (at least to me) how easily a young person's views can be manipulated by those they surround themselves with; and spoke to how easily someone can be radicalised without even realising. Miras pov was lovely to read as well, the visual difference between where she grew up and where she lives now; and how this affected her career and relationships! Cordelias pov really showed how far she was affected by the discrimination against Fathomfolk, and how far she was willing to go to protect her children from that.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it!! Though the end did make me cry like a lot but it was a fitting end for the book - the epilogue did leave me thinking there may be a sequel 👀👀 so I'd adore to be considered for an arc for that should it be coming!

Fathomfolk is multi-faceted. I immediately fell in love with the world. How above the water the society is convinced they need to perpetuate this illusion that everything is great. And it might be, but only for the humans not for the Fathomfolk. This is a book devoted to exploring sacrifice, class, and oppression. With multi-tiered politics, diplomacy, and deals, Fathomfolk is complex. We see the ways in which Cordelia, Mira, and Nami are all balancing their family, their city, their ideas of home with what options are open to them.

I adored this book! I feel as though there is a distinct lack of fantasy books that incorporate sea creatures and underwater realms and this most definitely filled those gaps! Mira was a wonderfully strong but flawed protagonist and I really enjoyed watching the narrative play out and the relationship develop with her sister in law. This is great for fans of Powerless.