The Drowned Woods is a heist twist in a Welsh legend about a girl who plunges a well into the deep.

The worldbuilding MADE this book. I adored the island setting, the sea caves, and Lloyd-Jones’ vivid, lyrical writing. Ifanna and Fane were the best—their characters ins talk contrast to one another, with excellent arcs. And the other folk! I loved how they were a fringe part of the story—there in the background, but not central. Also, there were a couple of twists that literally sucked the air out of my lungs. WHEW.

My main quibble is the heist part. Everything pointed to this book being a SoC-style heist, with breaking into places and sneaking past guards and coming up with clever ways to make off with the treasure. But we got none of that. It was a quest, not a heist. So that was a bit disappointing!

That said, as a quest story, it entirely delivered. The Drowned Woods is a must-read for lovers of Welsh folklore and quest/avengers assemble stories.

Eternal gratitude for Netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

-A

4.5 stars

I got an advanced copy to review through Netgalley -- thank you!

This is my first Emily Lloyd-Jones book, and what a solid start! I wasn't sure what to expect, since I was mainly entranced by the cover at first (what can I say, I'm weak for great cover design!), but I was immediately grabbed by the clean, evocative writing style. Lloyd-Jones doesn't waste time on too much exposition, but demonstrates who the POV characters are through action and dialogue.

I love a good heist story -- who doesn't? -- and while some of the motley crew gathered to do the heist-y things are somewhat vaguely drawn, the POV characters (Mer, Fane, and Ifanna) are vibrant enough to make up for it.

As I said, the writing is clear and clean, and very immersive. "Efficient" is the word I would use -- the book hums along at a good clip, but the pacing makes sure we're given time to breathe between plot-intensifying moments. I think a little more breathing room, to sit with the characters (especially Mer!), would have been nice, but it's a quibble and nothing more.

I'm also weak for books with well-done animal characters, and with Welsh mythology, and The Drowned Woods definitely delivers!

Overall, this is a solid, fun read with GREAT momentum and a fantastic final act. It plays with the heist story in an unexpected way, but through and through, it's wonderfully satisfying.

*Spoiler free*

Along with creepy forests, creepy water is something that instantly pulls me to a book. Plus, I have had so many friends tell me how good The Bones Houses is, along with this one, so I was very to eager to see what I thought of it myself.

This book has this ache the runs all the way through it, one that seems to seep through it and trickles into everything that it is. It's about a girl who is carrying the actions of her past, a girl who is angry and guilty and afraid. I fell in love with Mer. She has not had an easy path, but there is this strength, this stubbornness to her, this piece of her that is fully a teenager who has been deeply hurt and is trying to grapple with that. She's this fierce girl, but at her heart she's human, and she's hurting. It made me love her all the more.

Really, all the characters that have POVs are hurting, but they're hurting in different ways. Fane is sweet, yet reserved, and he has his own secrets to keep. Ifanna puts on the air of swagger, of confidence, yet there are things bubbling under the surface. Everybody in this book has their own demons to face. And yet, there's still a plot to pull off.

And that plot is centered on something that feels so small, yet is only a piece of an entire of kingdom with a magical land that lays beyond that. It doesn't try to encompass the entire world, it focuses on the group of characters, and what they are trying to accomplish. And this enclosed, yet vast, setting is what made me love this book so much.

The pain running through this book, this yearning for a different life, for a connection. There is also a CORGI, who is a MAJOR PART OF THE BOOK (the dog lives!!!). I fell in love Mer, with Fane, with the Tired Dad and Moody Teenager dynamic, and the entire book. It's incredible.

While I don't want to say that the pitch of this story is wrong -- part heist novel, part dark fairytale, delightful Welsh world -- I do want to stress the importance of the words "part". Because the heist part.. well, it's there but might not be the kind of heist you're used to. And the same with the dark fairytale; in fact that might be the least present, I think. But they are all definitely players in this story. Just.. bit players. Mostly the whole story is just tiny pieces of things, really. They don't feel disjointed by any means but we never get full solid bites of anything.

Overall this didn't move me or enthral me the same way as The Bone Houses. I did like some of the characters -- notably the corgi -- but never felt the love for any. And I only got the slightest of tickle at the back of my throat near the emotional bit. But the writing was so good and I do love the Welsh setting.

I'll admit I did spend most of the book trying to figure out how this connected to the aforementioned other novel and I thought it was just my memory failing me (I read too many books to remember lots of details.. it's my curse) but then the penny finally dropped. And it was very well done.

I would definitely not want to deter you from picking this up, particularly if you're a fan of the other book this connects to, but for me this had a strong start and a good ending. But the middle is where I got a bit lost and the characters couldn't quite keep me in it. Having said that, I'll absolutely continue to read this author.

Also, shoutout to that cover. Stunning!

The Drowned Woods was amazing! I love Emily Lloyd-Jones' writing, and I love the characters she creates. Mer is now one of my favorite heroines of all time, and I really liked all of the side characters, too. Trefor, of course, is the best part of the book.
The Drowned Woods is inspired by Welsh mythology, something I wish was more prevalent in fantasy, and it's set in the same world as The Bone Houses.