Thank you NetGalley, White Tigress Press, and Ana Lal Din for the opportunity to review this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Before I review the book itself, it is important to note the many trigger warnings that this book has: rape, self-harm, torture, addiction, miscarriage, and physical abuse. While these topics do contribute to the depth of the story and compassion for the characters, they can certainly be problematic for unsuspecting readers.

As for the book itself, the prose is beautiful. As the title implies, you feel yourself being drawn into this dark, imaginative, Indo-Persian world following two characters Roma and Levi. Roma is a member of a lower caste who tries to sustain the balance between the gods and men. Levi (Leviathan) is the bastard son of an immortal tyrant and is considered casteless - the lowest of the low. We follow these two characters as their stories wind together in their attempt to move forward from their heartbreaking past and deal with what life currently has in store. Their story lines build and build and I enjoyed the way it all came together in the end.

This book gave me chills. The descriptions of past traumatic events were so visceral that I had to put the book down for a little as it affected me so. I think that this book is considered truly character driven and as such, the first few chapters were a little challenging for me to keep all of the information straight. I would have loved and benefitted from the author including some information about pre-Islamic mythology because I found myself looking up some of the information to find out more for myself or I felt I would not quite understand the story. It also made the world itself a little hard to understand and follow. I could totally see this being a book where this is a set up for a second book in a series that could be action-packed as well.

Overall, I recommend reading this book and am looking forward to what comes next from Ana Lal Din.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Descent of the Drowned was one of those books that I really wanted once I saw the cover. It was just beautiful and intrigued me so freaking much. Then I read the synopsis and I was basically sold. So when I got the beautiful eARC to read it, well - I freaked the freak out!

So, yeah, long story short - I was really excited to dive into it. Once I did though, meh, it was an okay book. I wouldn't necessarily say the entire book blew me away because it felt like for most of this book - nothing happened. Zero. Zilch. Yeah, we see Roma's eyes finally opening up to how horrible her life is and that she lives near or with a bunch of assholes.

In other words, she gets in trouble a lot. It just sucks that she does because she makes some really good points and everyone's like - stop spreading lies and start spreading your legs. Yeah, no thanks.

Back to Roma, now she was an interesting character that we didn't know much about. There was something dark about her and I just wanted to know more about that. Eventually we did get to see it and that's when the action really picked up. I mean, the entire book was just better in the last 25% of it.

Plus I kind of like her and Levi together as work partners. Not sure if there's going to be a romance between them or not but after that ending - I really want the next book. I need revenge and fire so freaking badly. Bring it on.

3.5/5

Reading this was truly a slow descent into an imaginative world unlike anything I've read in a very long time. The Descent of the Drowned is a captivating novel that follows the lives of Roma and Leviathan, two vastly different people, whose destinies intersect as they struggle to rebuild themselves and protect the people they love. As an ancient treasure is sought after, one that will have terrible ramifications should it be found, the two of them become more important than they realize as to whether or not it will be and the fate of humankind.

It is incredibly important to note that this book deals with some very triggering topics. I have listed them at the bottom of this review and I highly recommend checking them out before you consider reading. This is a book that grabs your attention, first with its lush descriptions, and then with its characters and their distinct emotional and physical journeys. There really is a lot of page time devoted to laying out the background for these characters, which payed off in the long run as they were the strongest aspect of this book. Character driven stories only really work if the characters can stand on their own, and that was definitely the case here. The story itself was so intricately layered, building up the plot development in the most subtle way, I almost missed it entirely. You could almost say it was too subtle. The last few chapters were where I drew breath, waiting to acknowledge everything that had happened from start to finish. As to the things that didn't work for me, this was primarily the pacing. It really dragged at times, especially during the beginning chunk of the book, or it was simply too fast. Trying to immerse myself with the story and understand the conflict occurring became even more difficult. Build up too, could have been less slow, and clearer upon reaching the end of the book. This clearly is a well thought out story, just not executed to that exact same degree. However, I can already tell that this is just the opening act in Roma and Leviathan's story. The potential build off from this is absolutely something I am looking forward to reading in the future.

Trigger warnings: rape, miscarriage, blood, violence, murder, suicide, death of a loved one, sexual harassment, slavery, physical abuse, self-harm (mentioned), grief, addiction, drug abuse

Beautiful. This book was captivating and stunning the entire way through. I had to check several times to make sure I read the genre correctly though. I am a bit shocked that this book is Young Adult. The themes in it are so dark and strong and descriptive. There is a ton of rape and abuse which are not things you typically find in young adult books.

From the start, I was very curious if there was going to be actual Magic involved with Roma. The cobra was happy to see her and seemed to understand her. I loved the imagery and the intertwining of cultural lore and mythology that was present throughout the entire book. I am greatly hoping that number two comes out sometime soon so that I can devour it as well! I love the characters and learning about they discontent with the way things are and how they go about trying to fix it.

I would recommend this book to older young adults and to adults. Once again, the story was amazing and I loved every bit of it, but it is dark and filled with violence and rape.

When this book is released, I will write a more detailed review of the actual story but I do not want to give away too many spoilers before its out.

There are some books where, no matter how much you want to love it, you just can't click with a story. Such is the case with this one. And I think it stems from the fact that this story very much feels like a debut novel, with so much room for growth and development.

The inspiration of Arabian mythology is something I find fascinating, but the world-building in this is soooo confusing and assumes the reader is already familiar with Indo-Persian culture and folklore (which I am not). It got to the point where I completely gave up on trying to understand the world-building and just focused on the plot. There is also so much potential for the characters and many opportunities for their development, but they all fell flat for me. Like, I could tell they had depth to them, but there is too much focus on their trauma itself, rather than how the traumas affect them. And the stagnated writing style takes some getting used it, too.

So while there is so much great representation and inherent positives about this story, I'm not quite sure it plays to all its strengths. Although I probably won't be picking up the next book in the series, I hope the author develops her style a little more with progression of the story.

Really enjoyed this book and am excited to see what else Ana Lal Din has planned for this series. The description of Roma’s pain and experiences are hard to wrap your head around and flatten her character in the first part of the book but if you can get past that, by the end of the story so much is revealed that you’re left wishing the next book was already published.

I unfortunately couldn’t get into this book. I was intrigued by the mythology and did enjoy the world-building. However, I couldn’t really get into the story, and I felt like I was more or less thrown into the world with very little knowledge of what it was.

Promising and intriguing

Honestly, this is a great book, very promising for the sequels. I want to take a second to applaud that beautiful cover. The beginning was slow, I'm not going to lie, I had trouble getting into it. But once the action is set... Amazing! The characters are very well built and fascinating, with interesting and realistic personnalities. The world building is good, original and captivating. Beautiful writing style. The story in itself is very intriguing and the ending leaves us asking for more.

All in all, a very good beginning for a promising fantasy series!

"The worst kind of monsters are those who pretend they're humans."

Book review
Where do I begin? First I want to thank Netgalley for allowing me the pleasure to read this book for free, in return for my honest review.
With out trying to spoil the story for anyone, I did like reading it. The beginning was a little confusing but toward the end I started to figure out the characters, the story line, and the point of views. I love how strong the main characters are in the story, especially the strength that Roma had. The story is quite dark compared to what I normally read, but it was interesting. There was so much visual description within it that it was easy to picture the world the book was trying to capture.
Now the story line, I started to like it best towards the end. The two main characters felt so alone in the world. They were forced to accept their fate and the lies they were taught all their life’s. A huge part of them always seems to fight what the world wanted them to become, which I admired. They were both in paths that they hated, and had few people that cared for them. The few people that kept them human. As much as they fought to protect those they care, they pushed them away to protect themselves from heart break. But in Roma’s case, through grief she finds a hidden truth she never knew lingered within herself. In Leviathan case things start to change when he learns of his heritage from a unlikely alliance. Both their lives start to intertwine more towards the end and keeps you wanting to know more. Will they finally learn to trust others and each other? What more will be revealed of their heritage? Can they both learn to fight together to make a change in the world they live in? I guess we will have to wait and see!

This was alright. I wasn’t a fan of the writing, but the characters and plot were OK. Would probably not buy or read again.

Thanks to the author, White Tigress Press and Netgalley for the digital ARC of this book!

Life is simple for Roma, she is meant to dance and serve as a slave for the goddess, and take patrons to ensure balance is maintained in the world. But is it really the goddess she serves? Roma wishes for freedom from both the gods and the men that rule her life, and wants to protect her younger brother from the same fate she had. Leviathan is a vengeful man, determined to find out what happened to his mother, even when it means defying his father, the all-powerful Firawn. He wants to protect the people of the clans, his blood, who are ruthlessly mistreated by the Wardens and the members of the higher zaat. Roma and Leviathan’s lives collide as they both fight to do what’s best for the people they care about.

The Descent of the Drowned was my first read of 2021, and it’s going to be a tough act to follow. Wow did I ever love this book! The writing is superb, Ana Lal Din has a poetic way of describing things that really paints a picture in your mind. The plot is very intriguing, and I enjoyed the way it developed and became more complex as the story went on. The world is rich and full of intricate details that really pull you into the story. Roma and Leviathan are very different characters, but the way their stories slowly become more entwined holds the readers attention and leaves you wanting more.

“It was easier to rule a people once you put the fear of gods in, once you convinced them poverty was a divine punishment, not the consequence of men’s greed.”

There are a lot of strong themes in The Descent of the Drowned, and the plot tackles some pretty heavy content. Ana Lal Din manages to strike a perfect balance, exploring these themes in depth and shedding light on some unsavoury topics without losing focus or overpowering the plot. There is a lot of mention of the caste system throughout the story, which I thought was excellently depicted. The topics of prostitution as tied to religious worship, and the mistreatment of the Hijra (transgender or third-gender) community are mentioned as well. I have not read a fiction novel that previously addressed either of these topics, and the way Ana Lal Din brought them into the story was well executed. Darker themes of ethnic cleansing and human trafficking are also broached, and I thought they were handled very well. This is definitely a book that will stay with you after you are finished reading it.

I would not call this a happy story. It is dark, and powerful, and hauntingly poetic. You will feel several different emotions as you read it, but I think the strongest emotion will be the desire for a sequel as quickly as possible. I highly recommend this debut novel for any and all fantasy lovers, it is a must read book that will be available March 15th, 2021.

Spoiler Free review

“What did they do?” she asked. “They made the stars weep.”
“Is it what scared you?” He shook his head.
“Then what?” “We were all burning,
“We were all burning—except you.”

The thing that caught my eye in descent of the drowned was definitely the short description of it. C’mon it sounded awesome, cutting down to the chase- I didn’t love it as much as I thought I would. Ok on to positives. The concept of the plot was one to be admired and I did. The book talks some moments that may be triggering to some people so trigger warning. The characters were well-developed and likeable. The books pace was slow but not boring slow. The aesthetic of the book was dark yet good. The writing in our story was quite decent and made the book told well. Overall I think it was good, not horrible, not perfect (for me at least— opinion wise), but good. I definitely know some people who would probably enjoy this more than I did so go ahead and read this book if you like the genre fantasy

‘We must all pay for our sins.’ He’d be paying for a long time then.

e-book given via netgalley.
“Quotes” from book

Reviewed: 1/4/2020

Amazing! Ana Lal Din's debut is very ambitious, very promising and it delivers!
First, I can promise you that this book will definitely immerse you in a deeply South Asian inspired world that is so very dark and so very luring. The worldbuilding in this book is top notch!
Second, the characters are super complex and they are in a super complex world, thus they do terrible things but you still want them to be better (sometimes you want them to do terrible things)
And third, this book is original. It is such a new take on magic, on life and on truths told as stories in general, that as a South Asian person it warms my heart!
Fourth, the book deals with several difficult themes adeptly. Rape, prostitution, castism, slavery, and wars. Ana Lal Din doesn't sugarcoat things but she delivers her message clearly.
Fans of Sabaa Tahir's relentless pace and compelling, morally grey characters, Brandon Sanderson"s worldbuilding and G.R.R Martin's plottting will devour this book!
I believe Ana Lal Din is just setting the stage for the next book, but what a magnificent stage it is with cobras, magic, plots and a dark, dark world!

This book was honestly so good.
The worldbuilding was absolutely amazing - I loved the incorporation of languages, the way the world was built, how we saw different people living different lives. The author managed to showcase a lot of very important modern issues within her world and her writing, which I found really interesting to read about. Due to the complex worldbuilding, the book was sometimes a little slow and also confusing, but I didn't mind that a lot.
I really liked the characters. Roma was an amazing protagonist, and it was so easy to emphasize with her struggles and to understand her actions. I also loved the interactions between the characters.
The writing style was so beautiful, and one of the main reasons I enjoyed this book as much as I did. I feel like the plot was also pretty solid, but the pacing was a little off and the ending felt rushed in certain aspects. I would have liked some more explanations during the last chapters and some added details.
However, this was still a great read, and I would definitely recommend this book. It touches on some very important issues which I haven't seen discussed in fiction a lot.

The only way to describe this book would be *exquisite*. The writing style is gorgeous, the characters are so fleshed out and unique, and their pain and emotions are so clearly visible through the pages. The character’s perspectives on certain decisions in terrible circumstances are understandable and the world-building weaved with fantasy elements and a cultural background is perfect. Ana Lal Din masterfully uses the context of historical Arabian must hooky to create a multi-layered world, with clear distinctions between the elites and lower classes, as well as the destruction and power imbalances that come with greed and desire for wealth. Certain moments in this book are so beautifully described, showing snippets of happiness and an escape from reality even in this dark, treacherous environment.

This book works with so many themes and topics, knitting them into the environment of this time. These themes make up the identities of the different characters. These topics are difficult and horrid with the circumstances presenting in the world-building, but there are developed perfectly, adding depth and opportunists for victims to express their discontentment. These ideas are weaved into the world-building, working to show flaws in the world and the clear imbalances between different powers.

This story involves two perspectives, adding great depth to the plot and flow. Roma, even as a girl dealing with terrible pain from her past, continues to remain strong and fight for good and justice. She is wonderfully developed throughout this story, and we can clearly see her need to retain strength and a will to go forward to protect those she loves. Levi, on the other side of the power balance, has a clear background and motive to fix the unjust actions of his people. Due to the actions of his father, this is made difficult, causing him to struggle with morals and understand what is right and wrong. He, along with all the other characters, is so flawlessly developed, and even with the violent things he has done, he appeals to the reader through his intentions and respect.

I was initially a bit confused with the start as we were introduced to the world and the characters, and the first half felt a bit slow. As the perspectives are not labeled in every chapter, I did find myself needing to reread a paragraph or two to understand who is narrating. Even in this case, the perspectives are easy to understand as there is some context at the beginning of each chapter, and the story picks up and flows perfectly throughout the rest of the book.

The sceneries, the clothing, the gore are all so beautifully described, though retaining a dark taint due to the harsh circumstances of society. I honestly found it very interesting to be able to understand the snippets of the world’s language (Urdu/Hindi) used to add great authenticity to the world-building as well as greater distinctions between different classes due to the use of honorifics.

Overall, this book was absolutely amazing! The characters are developed beautifully, the world-building is *exquisite*, and the themes and topics add so much depth to the plot. The ending completely surprised me, and although I feel the need for more books after this (I have to know what happens next!), this could be read as a standalone.

I loved every moment of this, and will definitely be reading any and all books from this author!

This book blew me away.
Everyone add this to their tbr’s right now!

I want to first start out by saying that this book deals with extremely heavy topics. The author includes trigger warnings at the beginning. Please do your research and please read with caution.

The Descent of the Drowned takes place in a very corrupt world. As children, Roma and Leviathan were both thrown into jobs that they wanted no part in. Because of what he did in his past, Leviathan is known as the Blade. Because of their past traumas, Roma and Levi spend everyday trying to escape their pasts.

The culture and world described in this is absolutely captivating. The author is so descriptive with the world’s traditions and clothing and even languages. There is a focus on world building and character development in this book, but I think that focus was intended. There is a good plot, but I do think the most important part is the character development for Roma and Levi.
The beginning of this book is rather confusing, mainly because of all the new names and words thrown around. The author includes a wonderful glossary in the back of the book but it’s hard to flip back and forth to it in the ePub arc version, which is one of the many reasons i wish I had a physical copy while reading.

I found myself relating a lot to both our main characters. There’s an encompassing darkness within both Roma and Levi. The world has been horrible to both of them, and their own personal demons are always lurking in the shadows. Watching them cope and learn to move forward no matter how hard it might’ve been was one of my favourite aspects of this novel.
I hope that in the second installment of this series, Roma and Leviathan can grow together and learn to trust each other. I can already tell that this is going to be an incredible slow burn romance and has potential to be on of my favourite romances ever. Roma and Leviathan are two incredible people.

I didn’t want this book to end. As I turned the last page, all I wanted was more story, more info on our protagonists, more anything from this world. And don’t even get my started on the cliffhanger ending...
I think that is the true test if I loved a book or not. Although I don’t think this book was perfect, I was more than fully invested in our protagonists. It was heart wrenching and beautiful and enthralling. This book tapped at the darkest parts of me, it reached its fist our and grabbed my heart wholly.

Just as a reminder, this book deals with extremely heavy topics. It is not for the lighthearted however it is an incredible story and deserves to be read by anyone and everyone who don’t mind reading about such dark topics.

*thank you so much to NetGalley and the Books Forward and the Ana Lal Din for the advanced readers copy!

DNF at 10%
This book looks like a powerful and important story set in a colonized Indo-Persian world with rich mythology, but unfortunately this one wasn't for me. The world-building looks intriguing, but I didn't click with the writing style at all. It felt choppy and I had trouble concentrating on the book because of it, so sadly I did not finish it.

*Thank you to Ana Lal Din, NetGalley, and White Tigress Press for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

Trigger and content warnings: mentions of rape, suicide, addiction, human trafficking, emotional and physical abuse.

"The gods were always angry. That was why people lived in constant fear of them. It was as if one couldn't worship them out of love or want. Anger, punishment, and revenge were the traits by which they were defined."

I got to start by saying how much I loved this book! From the first few pages, I was completely hooked; the story, the setting, the culture, and the entire world-building drew me in and I couldn't put down the book. The story follows 2 main protagonists–Roma and Leviathan. They come from very different backgrounds yet are similar in many ways. Both struggle to forget the demons from their past and deal with the ones that are plaguing them at present. Few chapters in I was fully invested in both of their storylines and the way it all came together, in the end, blew me away! Seriously, the twists and turns were so well thought out and satisfying *cough* Roma's last chapter *cough* IT JUST GAVE ME CHILLS 🐍🐍🐍 I cannot wait to see what's next for both of these characters–together and separately. I hope the next book will be a bit gentler for both of them and they can heal and develop some kind of friendship and later on maybe even something more. I feel like this couple has the potential to be epic just from the few interactions they had in this book. They will be the slowest slow burn and I am here for it!

In conclusion, I'm absolutely OBSESSED with The Descent of the Drowned. It has intrigue, ancient magic, budding romance, COBRAS, secret plots, amazing fighting sequences, and cool supporting characters. I'd recommend this book for fans of Hafsah Faizal's We Hunt the Flame series.

This was an excellent book! With a riveting plot, and detailed - and realistic - character development, you will definitely enjoy reading this title!

The Descent of the Drowned is a dark, lush, and immersive read! I thought it dragged a little bit too much, hence the three stars.