Author # Ana Lal Din has a new novel # The Descent of the Drowned. Besides being wonderful I can't wait for the next. Once you start reading you will have a hard time moving.
Description:
Roma is a scared slave of a goddess. Leviathan is the bastard son of an immortal tyrant. He has been raised in a military city. Both struggling to protect the people they love. Destinies interlock as they hunt for an ancient treasure....
Thank you for the advance copy,
#Netgalley, # Ana Lal Din, and #White Tigress Press

I don't know what I am reading at this point. I am finding this title hard to follow and the characters are not compelling. I wished this had been better. The description was so wildly creative.

The language and style of writing was very different and difficult for me to navigate and focus on the plot. As a result, I DNF’d this as 20% as I still didn’t comprehend the story being told. I think the writing was just too descriptive and the language too confusing.

World building was very cool although the magic system was a bit much to grasp. The setting and cultural elements were very unique, something I haven’t seen much in fantasy books. But I found the story a bit depressing and heavy. There seemed to be a constant acceptance of utterly terrible things happening around the characters and it got a bit too much for me personally. The second half of the book picked up and got more interesting, and the plot started to solidify a bit more. Not a curl up on a rainy day read, but something you have to be in a mood for as it dealt with human complexity, and morality. Overall, it was a good read but I don’t think I’d continue with this series, just a bit to heavy but that’s just my opinion!

I'm afraid this book didn't draw me in right at the beginning and I didn't finish it. It appeared to be well written and interesting idea, with involved world-building.

DNF'ed at 23%.
Unfortunately, despite the intriguing concept for this book and the excitement about it I'd seen from other reviewers, I just couldn't get on with the writing. That said, the concept had potential and I wouldn't hesitate to put people in the direction of other, more positive, reviews, but I did feel that the book just wasn't for me.

This is definitely one of the best debut novels that I've ever read. This was an absolutely exhilarating read that I could not put down, definitely an unexpected book that consumed me from beginning to end. The plot was intriguing, the characters were amazing, and their interactions were beautifully written. Can't wait to read more!

I tried a few times to read this, but I couldn’t get my head around the world and the magic system. It might just be a personal problem rather than an issue with the book, but I spent most of my time rereading what I had already read to try to make sense of who people were and what caste they were from. I just didn’t understand. Unfortunately this then took me out of the story because I felt like I couldn’t keep up.

The concept and story of this book were great, but I think because it's high fantasy, the writing was overly complex and at times confusing. It was also very violent and slow at times, specially the first half. Sometimes there were many subplots so it was difficult to see the biggest end but it slowly unwrapped.

It's intrinsic incorporation of refugees and immigrants was greatly done. The Indo-Persian and pre-Islamic Arab influence makes the world rich and interesting.

Levi and Roma were amazing characters!

The story was not executed as well as I would have liked in The Descent of the Drowned. There was a lot of information dumping in the beginning to service the plot later on and was honestly a trudge to get through. There were also a lot of secondary characters to keep track of and I considered not finishing the book but I persisted and I'm glad I did. Once the plot picks up, the book is hard to put down. It covers some very heavy topics, human trafficking and cruelty to name a couple. The world-building is surprisingly complex and unfortunately includes many unsavory aspects that I would like to think only happen in books but know is not the case.

Overall, for being a debut this was a very interesting read and Ana Lal Din has a lot of promise as an author.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc.

I loved the inspiration from Arabian mythology, but the world-building was a bit much for me. The story has a very dark atmosphere, which was enjoyable. The writing and characters were well done. However, the confusion took away from the plot for me. Still a very enjoyable read and there’s definitely room for growth and development.

Gorgeously written with rich worldbuilding inspired from underrepresented folklore, this book is so underhyped!

No my favorite book and could not pull me in. I forgot about it soon and never finished. Just not my cup of tea!

A highly imaginative and richly evocative fantasy steeped in Persian mythology, The Descent of the Drowned is a fast paced epic adventure that takes all the young adult tropes and tears them up with its twists and turns.

I will say that this does require you to have some understanding of Persian mythology to keep up with the massive amount of information and descriptions the reader is given during the first half of the book. Every inch of this story is dripping in world building, culture and lore. Everything builds on the knowledge the reader gains as the plot progresses, adding in conversations about societal injustice and caste systems, to end on an almighty exciting ending.

Very well written, rich world building and wonderful characters. It's a jewel in a sea of standard ya fantasy.

Wow!!! I did not expect this to be so good!!! It's got Daevabad series vibes but it's even darker and full of culture. I was able to understand the language and some customs. I found the story incredibly powerful, and sometimes very hard to read because it was so harsh.

Gasped a few times, especially the last few chapters!!!

Immersive. Unjust. Fascinating. Set in an oppressive society established on a caste system that widens a divide that further brings suffering, this romantic tale connects two people whose compatibility is questioned by a world that has categorised them as conflicting, regarded them as an unattainable match. Through a beautiful writing that gracefully corroborates a longing for freedom, a need to rebel, a yearning for love, and a stunning world with all its flaws, the narration conveys the pain of a colonised Indo-Persian world and the intrigue of a magic system despite a plot that only unravels with more fascination in the later half.

there are some books where, no matter how much you want to love it, you just cant 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 do find fascinating, but the world-building in this is very confusing and assumes the reader is already familiar with Indo-Persian culture and folklore (which I am definitely not). It got to the point where I just gave up on trying to understand the world-building and tried to focus on the plot. There is so much potential for the characters and many opportunities for their development, but they all fell flat for me. I could tell they have 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. I most likely won't be picking up the next book in the series. but I do hope ALD develops her style a little more with progression of the story.

first of all gorgeous cover wow. okay book, interesting story but the pacing was off for me. thank you for the advanced copy of this book

3.5/5 ⭐️

ARC provided by the publisher White Tiger Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

‘The worst kind of monsters are those who pretend they’re human.’


A solid first book to a promising series that is rich in culture with compelling themes and dripping with potential.

The Descent of the Drowned is the first book to the same titled series and debut work by Ana Lal Din. This book first caught my eye back in 2020 when the ARC was circulating around Book Twitter. At that time I was new to NetGalley being a newb back then I jumped the chance to review this book and with the passing of time I forgot about it, until now. This is the third book I picked up for #NetGalleyNovember, I went in completely blind without any prior knowledge besides the names of the two main characters. This book is still highly underrated having less than 1k reviews so I wanted to give it a fair and honest chance as it is quite promising looking at my friends' ratings. Before I dive into my review I would like to gush about the cover done by Marcela Bolívar. The snake with the gold flaking off it's body and the heart dripping blood while sprouting a tree on top really got me excited to read this book. The level of detail that went into this cover is stunning!

Fate was an excuse. It was a manacle that enchained one to passivity. It had a grip on one’s mind and spirit, convincing one to remain shackled out of fear.


The story of The Descent of the Drowned is set in a colonised Indo-Persian world taking place in a society where your zaat (caste) determines your social-economical standing and background. In this story we follow two main characters, Roma, a sub zaat orphaned girl and dēvadasi of the goddess Lamia (a Lamiadasi); and Leviathan, the Firawn's weapon and son born from the womb of a casteless woman. Their fates intertwine as they fight for survival in a world cruelty and ruthlessness choked by the steel grip of a tyrant. Both, Roma and Levi, are damaged souls battling their inner demons to grasp the humanity that is left within them after the endless beatings from the world. Being a Lamiadasi—Roma grew up and lived in Lamiapur all her life with her mother figure that raised Roma and her sisters. Roma lived a happy life until the day she was auctioned off to potential patrons to serve them until she is released from the patronage. Patrons are viewed as vessels of Lord Biran and Roma a vessel of Mother Lamia, one of Lord Biran's many Goddess-Wives. That night Roma spent with her first patron destroyed something in Roma leaving her traumatized and scarred for life. This trauma shook Roma's faith as a lamiadasi and has her questioning the belief that she once devoted herself to.
After years of training at the Guild and serving under the orders of the Firawn, Leviathan comes back darker, out of touch, and slowly losing his humanity. The death of his mother threw him off balance as Levi blames himself for failing to protect the only person he loves. Now his mother's body is burnt to ashes but Levi believes her death was a scheme plotted by the Firawn's first wife. He is determined, fueled by grief and anguish, to find evidence of his mother's alleged 'murder'. But it all took a turn when Leviathan involves himself with the casteless clans because of moral obligation and his blood relation to them.

We are what they make us until we break them and make ourselves. We can choose not to give another the power to make us feel less than we are.


Ana Lal Din crafted a story that is vibrant with culture and sings words of many languages. Ana's in depth knowledge of history and rich inspiration from pre-Islamic Arabian mythology is engrained deeply into the world as evident in the intricately detailed and vivid world building. Combined with Ana's grim dark undertones and beautiful prose the story hums a magnetic appeal to me. The world beats its own rhythm and flow that is immersive and pulsing with life. The exploration of the setting is one of the aspects that gripped my attention. Ana's atmospheric writing and tantalizing sensory descriptions made the story more whole and real as though readers are experiencing everything first hand. The themes that are weaved into the society is brutal and grim. The depiction of misogyny and mistreatment of clanless/lower zaat by all layers of society or people with power in general is executed well. Ana did not hold back in showing the harsh and harrowing acts that are down right despicable which can be found in the history of the communities that are affected. Based on Ana Lal Din's interview with Talk of Tales, she goes in depth about the research done for the story's sociocultural and political issues that is a central part of the plot. Ana takes inspiration from different cultures from South Asian countries, Afghanistan, the Middle East, and many more. If you want to know in depth do check out the interview! Fair warning Spoiler Alert! Proceed with caution!

“Wallahi,” he whispered. “Ainaky todamerani rajolan.”

‘Your eyes could ruin a man,’


The main characters of The Descent of the Drowned, Roma and Levi, are of different caste and on different positions of power. Being a woman in a society that views them as less as men, Roma goes through a lot of horrible experiences. The experience she goes through is especially worse because Roma is an orphaned lamiadasi of the lower zaat. Her life revolves around being a lamiadasi in lamiapur so Roma is confined to a fate of servitude and obedience. But this didn't stop her from fighting and didn't bend her bravery as she finds strength within herself to survive. Roma's characterization is truly monumental and compelling. Roma is one of the strongest female protagonist I've read in young adult fantasy. To avoid spoilers I'll just say that her overall development and character arc is scream worthy.

You are a queen in disguise who wears her scars like a crown.


The way Ana writes Roma's constant struggle with her fate and many traumatic experiences is meticulously done with a slow ascent to the eventual climax that answered her growing doubts for humanity and finally taking charge of her once decided fate. I'm looking forward to what will happen in the sequel because the flaming epilogue is the peak of Roma's arc that has been built up through out this first book. I don't want to say anything that will hint at it so I'll stop here before I spoil anything.

“You are a weapon. You’re the son of the Firawn. Raised as a remorseless soldier, but with the blood of a merciful Khan in your veins. You’re light and dark, a question and an answer.”


Levi on the other hand, for me, wasn't that noteworthy and his character arc felt scattered. The lore behind Levi's character is written with more tell than show. Being a child of a clanless mother and the Firawn, Levi went through a rough childhood of being pressured to do things that are the opposite of his compassionate nature. The delivery of Levi's hard childhood weren't done effectively in his POV as it disrupted the pacing and flow the story. Levi has flashback after flashback that sometimes didn't make sense with current predicament he's in. There is potential in his characterization to pull me in and invest in him, but comparing Levi with Roma, Levi's fell flat and forced with the constant flashback for me.
From my perspective I thought Levi and Roma are parallels that are fated together in some way, but they only interacted a few times and are mostly separated. Honestly, I wouldn't think there is romance between the two if it wasn't mentioned at all because the moments were too short. I understand that this is the first book so the story is more focused on establishing a foundation for both characters and the world. I hope to see more interaction and relationship growth between the two.

They were both survivors. They never quit. No matter how badly they were beaten, or how much they bled.


The main gripe I have with the story is the pacing as I've mentioned in Levi's characterization. While reading the story the pacing had a few set backs that distracted me from fully investing in it. The strange thing is that the story is slow paced but also fast in execution. If I step back and summarize the events that transpired, I've read 60-70% of the book but the story only covered a handful of plot points. It is as though I'm running a marathon for hours but only covered a quarter of the distance. To simplify, in my opinion, there isn't balance in the worldbuilding, characterization, and plot of the story which resulted in the pacing to stumble and fall behind. I'm more sad that the story didn't fully resonate with me because of this.

“By the gods, I’ll destroy everything.”


Final thoughts, The Descent of the Drowned is a dark fantasy with immersive world building, wonderful characterization, and a story that is dripping with potential. A story that tackles themes of colonialization, oppression, misogyny, and many more that is raw in it's depiction and heart wrenching in it's execution. I am looking forward to the sequel, The Blood on the Blade, of this trilogy and looking forward to see more Roma and Levi. This book is probably the darkest young adult book I've read that actually delivered in it's harrowing darkness more than any other book I've read so far. I highly recommend for readers to pick up this book as it is rich in history and culture stemming from many roots that will surely stand out amongst the rest.

The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

Review Descent of the Drowned is by far one of the best books I’ve read all year!
Descent of the Drowned is definitely character-oriented but that is something I prefer in a novel and when the characters are so complex and three-dimensional, it really added depth to the book. It follows the perspectives of Roma and Leviathan. Roma is a lamiadasis one of the slaves of Mother Lamia. She doesn’t believe in the stories and the lore of the temple and her role as a devadasi. Leviathan, or Levi, is the son of the firawn, who longed to find his way back to a more innocent version of himself before he had been sent to the war camps and molded into a soldier and a killer. He believed in justice but has a twisted moral compass.
This book is all about survival and the scars it leaves, both those that are visible and those that mar the soul. Both Roma and Leviathan have suffered and both bear scars from their experiences. Roma, as a lamiadasis, is supposed to perform a holy ritual of being a conduit of Mother Lamia while one of the men of the higher zaat (caste) acts as a conduit of Lord Biran. It was said that the ritual was to gain the favor of the gods, however, she learns that the stories she has been told are “a gilded cage” (184), which gloss over the ugly truth of what it means to be born or sold in Roma’s and so many other girls’ cases, in a lower zaat. Leviathan was torn from his mother as a child and thrown into the brutality of the war camps and forced into a war he wanted no part of. He became known as the Blade, the Firawn’s number one butcher, and a murderer of his mother’s people. He felt what was done to him, and what he did to others, keenly, drowning in his regret and his desire to make amends. Roma and Levi cross paths while they are both in dark places, and both see a reflection of their struggles in the other. Descent of the Drowned also depicts the harsh reality of living under a caste, or zaat, system and the lies those in power tell and those people are willing to believe.
Anal Lal Din’s writing is one of my favorite things in this book. The prose is almost lyrical and draws the reader into the world and paints a detailed and vivid image in their heads. The world-building is amazing and intricate. There is a magic system in the book, however, it is not a significant part of the book as it is mostly a setup for later novels, though there are paranormal aspects sprinkled into the book. A lot of the world-building is explained at the beginning of the book, and because the world is so expansive, it did feel like an info dump at first, but it was worth it, as it gives the reader a clear understanding of what is happening throughout the novel.
Overall, this was a fantastic book, and I highly recommend it for those who enjoy beautiful prose, morally grey, complex characters, amazing world-building, and heavy but important topics. For fans of The Poppy War, City of Brass, and The Gilded Wolves, this book is for you!