The best part of this story is the complete immersion I felt from the beginning. An author to be watched moving forward for sure!

You know you're behind on your ARCs when you realize that one was published over a year ago and you still haven't read it. I feel like a dirtbag, doubly so because I ended up not liking the book.

I'll be honest, I didn't get very far before realizing that Fathomfolk was not the book for me (I made it to somewhere around the 20% mark). To put it plainly, I was bored. I have no issue with books that are heavy on the political machinations of the characters. Some of my favorite books have that focus. However, something still happens. There's a spark, a scene, a plot point that draws me in and keeps me coming back for those politics. But that didn't happen here. I can usually pinpoint a moment in books where they have me hooked, but it just wasn't happening with Fathomfolk, despite how much I wanted it to. Since I'm not in the habit of continuing books that aren't interesting me, I knew it was time to set the book down.

I think that there are a lot of things that could have worked for me, had it not been for the boredom. Unfortunately, none of those things captured my attention enough to convince me to keep reading. Fathomfolk isn't a bad book; it just wasn't the book for me.

I received an advanced copy of Fathomfolk from NetGalley and the publisher and am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was boring and hard to get into and just did it work for me, as much as the concept of Fathomfolk is so interesting. Maybe it’s a focus issue, but when I stopped trying to force myself to continue, I never tried to pick it back up again. Just wasn’t the right book for me after all:

I made it 36% before deciding to DNF, and it definitely wasn’t an easy choice. The worldbuilding is rich and thoughtfully crafted, and the way the characters are connected to each other throughout the story is really unique.I also felt that the setup for both the plot and the character development was strong and clearly had a lot of intention behind it.
But as much as I wanted to stay with it, the pacing ended up being the biggest hurdle for me. It moved slowly enough that I found myself losing interest, even though I could tell the story was building toward something meaningful. I think readers who enjoy layered, slower-paced fantasy will get a lot out of this one. For me it just didn’t quite hold my attention the way I hoped.

Lyrically prose, complex characters, extensive world building, and a plot that kept me invested. I am really eager to read book 2!

I didn’t enjoy the main character. The tone and personality are not unique to this story. I couldn’t get into it.

I had a lot of hopes for this book and even purchased a special edition of this novel. However, I gave up about half way through, The story was just not gripping me.

I DNF-ed this book after the first chapter. The writing style was not for me. I couldn't keep track of who was who in my head. I was confused as to who the PoV was thinking about or talking to. I did not feature the book on any of my social media because I don't think I engaged with the book enough to give it a fair review. I was also a bit of a NetGalley newbie, having requested several titles all at once and overwhelming myself, quite frankly.

I didn't want to give a star rating, but since the star rating on NetGalley is mandatory, I gave this 3 to reflect as neutral a stance as possible.

I love a twisted dragon tale and Fathomfolk is a fun spin.


Set with a sea dwelling people subjugated in a semi-submerged city where the humans are on the top and those from the sea are forced below, even though these sea people have amazing abilities and can transform into sea creatures including sea dragons.


Told from a variety of characters POVs the story moves pretty quickly, exploring the circumstances and prejudices that surround individuals at multiple levels of society, all with action and some intrigue. The characters are pretty well formed and the story is compelling, but this isn’t a fantastic book. It is a fun piece of fantasy writing. There is a little spice, but not much, which will disappoint some of the dragon fans for sure. If you enjoy outsider focused fantasies that lean into elements of mythology (for this book from East and South-East Asian cultures) you will enjoy the read. There is also a thread of fight the powers and the propaganda that feels very cathartic to read right now.


As a small child I dreamed of being a shapeshifter, so of course I loved that element of this book. Becoming a siren, dragon or kelpie… yes please.

I think I gave Fathomfolk 3.5 stars when I first rated it but it has been on my mind quite a bit since I finished it so I decided to round up rather than down. This is one of those books where reading other people's reviews really made me question my own opinion and whether you'll like it or not can depend a lot on how you treat your reading. Do you compare books a lot to real life and view them as statements about society (which is often done with SFF books) or do you just treat them as the made-up stories they are and not judge how they compare to real life? I can see both views for Fathomfolk specifically but even then struggle to agree with some of the harsher judgments I've seen.

On its own, I thought this book had some really cool world-building. I enjoyed how different animals and mythical beings were incorporated as characters and how their skills were used in every day life. The social hierarchies made for interesting politics and I liked having MCs that came from very different backgrounds, especially because they had very different opinions on how to handle social issues within their society. I thought the emotions of the characters were conveyed really well, especially the anger, fear, and panic in certain situations. The plot did feel like it could have been a bit stronger but overall it had a good flow.

Now to the more controversial side of things: I see this book compared to real world issues mainly because of its themes of immigration and police brutality. Those are definitely very big in the book and intricately woven with other themes such as climate change, drugs, environmental abuse, and race. The immigration aspect was one of the reasons I wanted to read the book because my own family has had two very different paths to citizenship due to our backgrounds so I was eager to see how this would be handled here. Reading about the experiences of the lower class in this book was rough and I personally thought it was very comparable to many stories I've heard in real life, from my family included. People like to pretend that we're past these kinds of things but sadly we are not and I think it's important to have them portrayed in the media. The polize force in this book is extremely corrupt so I personally disagree that this book is pro-cops just because one single character is trying her best to change the system from within. There are so many negative examples that I'm not really sure where that suggestion came from, to be honest. But I don't want to just post my reactions to other people's opinions because in the end, we are all entitled to have our own. So I personally would say that this book very strongly addresses many issues that we see in every day life, both within the US as well as outside. The author herself is not from the US, so I don't think it should be judged just based on that direct comparison but even so, there are many parallels that can be drawn there.

I've got the second book on my shelf already and am looking forward to reading it soon. I liked the transformation of the two of the MC's thought processes a lot and am eager to see how this duology will conclude. The stunning covers match the cool world that's been created and I hope to learn more about that as well.

For a debut this was so beautifully crafted and engaging! The characters felt so real and lived in and I enjoyed every second. Can't wait for the next book!!!

FATHOMFOLK is a gorgeous and intricate story about survival and surviving with what you have and have been given, of rising rebellions and revolutions and the communities it takes to fuel them.

So I just finished Fathomfolk by Eliza Chan, and I’m kind of torn about it. The book has some really cool things going for it, like the eerie atmosphere and the coastal setting. Mina, the main character, goes on this journey to uncover the truth about these mysterious creatures called the fathomfolk, and I loved the mix of folklore and supernatural elements. It’s definitely got that vibe of uncovering dark family secrets, which is always fun, and I was intrigued by the mysteries throughout the story. The world-building was solid, and the way the author wove in the mythology felt fresh, even though some of the tropes, like the reluctant heroine and the ancestral curse, were kind of familiar.

That being said, there were parts where I felt like the story was a bit slow, and I wasn’t always totally invested in Mina’s journey. It’s not a fast-paced read, so it can feel a little draggy at times. As for the spice, it’s not really spicy at all—maybe a 1 out of 5 on the spicy scale. There’s some tension and suspense, but nothing too steamy. Overall, I’d say it’s a solid 3-star read—it has potential, but there were a few things that didn’t fully click for me. Still, if you’re into dark fantasy and folklore, you might enjoy it!

Stars ⭐️ 3
Spice 🌶️ 1

I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

(3.5/5 stars)

Fathomfolk by Eliza Chan is a fantasy debut and the first book in the Drowned Worlds duology.

The semi-submerged city if Tiankawi is home to both humans and those known as fathomfolk--sirens, sea-witches, kelpies, and kappas. However, the humans tend to live in high rises and the fathomfolk live in the polluted waters below. After an anti-human extremist group starts a wave of violence at an annual boat race, the clampdown on fathomfolk rights begins.

This duology takes bits and pieces from various Asian mythologies, along with folklore from the British isles. I love reading speculative fiction that is based off of various mythology systems, and I especially love reading about folklore I am less familiar with.

There are three main POV characters that we follow throughout the book: Mira, a half-siren and newly promoted captain of the border guard; Nami, a pampered water dragon newly arrived to the city; and Cordelia, a sea-witch who's pulling the strings beneath and throughout the city. The publisher's blurb notes that this is a story of revolution, so please keep in mind there will be various amounts of violence throughout the book.

I didn't quite understand the whole political structure of the city or how it interacts with the politics of the fantasy world it's set in. That being said, I was mostly here for the vibes and to follow some characters as they make good and bad decisions. I definitely wanted to shake Nami several times because she's very stubborn and naive, but I'm glad that she is willing to learn from her mistakes and past prejudices.

The book could have probably had another editing pass, because it felt a little on the long side for me. I also wish we would have dug a bit deeper into our POV characters, because I never fully felt emotionally connected with them. Those seem to be common traits that I see in debut novels, though.

I hope there's more scenes with Eun, my favorite rumpled librarian, in the next book.

CW: violence, murder, racism, xenophobia

I truly wanted to love this book, I really did. Eventually I had to DNF it. Two stars for effort. There may have been too much world building? The story ended up feeling convoluted and falling flat. I didn’t find myself caring for any of the main character POV’s that we were following.

Fathomfolk by Eliza Chan is a richly imagined fantasy novel blending mythology, political intrigue, and themes of identity and rebellion. Set in a world where magical sea creatures, known as fathomfolk, live under the rule of humans in the city of Tiankawi, the story follows multiple perspectives—including a siren resistance fighter and a half-fathomfolk bureaucrat—who navigate tensions between oppressed merfolk and their human rulers.

Chan’s worldbuilding is immersive, drawing from East Asian folklore to create a unique setting filled with conflict and complex characters. The novel tackles themes of colonialism, discrimination, and revolution, making it a compelling read for fans of fantasy with strong social commentary, like The City We Became or The Deep.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

In the spirit of honesty, I struggled with locking in to this book. I got about 25% through before I realized that it may not be the right time for me to read it. I felt the pace of the first quarter was slow and failed to hook my interest. I'm rather disappointed because I was eager to read Fathomfolk as I had heard a lot of good things from early readers but maybe the stars just aren't aligning for me on this one. I do hope that in the future if I come back to it, I'll be able to finish as I want to uplift and support authors of color as much as I can.

DNF at 26%
This wasn’t for me. Really good descriptive language, but lots of heavy world building. I kinda got the conflict with how much I read but I couldn’t get hooked. Different chapters are from different POV’s. It was hard to keep straight.

Specia thanks to Netgalley and Orbit books for this digital ARC.

Fathomfolk was one of those 2024 releases that I had been excited about before release and then proceeded to entirely forget about when it actually came out (even though I had an Illumicrate edition too!) Something about 2024 made me just, marinate these new releases on my shelves for a few months before finally diving into them, so I’m hoping to continue catching up on them all in 2025!

I ended up seeing a few reviews of Fathomfolk before I was able to get to it, though most of them were kind of middle-of-the-road reviews, where this book was neither good nor bad and just didn’t quite live up to the expectations that the synopsis brought. I think this tempering of my expectations before finally getting to it did help because I went in with almost a blank slate in terms of how good or bad I thought it might be. It did end up also being a mid book for me too, but mid in a way that’s difficult for me to fully explain. Many times a book will just be solidly mediocre on all levels, but Fathomfolk had components that were 4-5 stars for me, and other parts that were 2 stars. It’s made for an interesting reflection for me, so hopefully I can capture all these thoughts fully here in my review.

The main stand-out pieces of this book for me were the world-building and some of the characters (namely Mira). Tiankawi felt rich and developed in a way that not all fantasies can manage, and Chan managed to do this without overloading the readers with world-building at any point. We always knew what we needed to understand where we were in the story, and what we did know often felt carefully planned and thought out. I also enjoyed the diversity of beings that inhabited the city, and I felt like this added a lot to the atmosphere of the book. We of course had classic sea myths like sirens and sea witches, but there were also plenty of others that drew from a wide range of mythologies and made for an interesting landscape for the story to take place in. I especially enjoyed how this was further developed within Mira herself and how her view of this part of herself (being half-siren) was made a key part of the story and her own character arc. It made her much more interesting as a narrator and introduced this nuanced view of society and the issues it faced.

Unfortunately, I can’t give the same praise to the other narrator, Nami. I found her extremely frustrating, but not in a way that ended up being endearing. I do know that part of her character was to be confident and arrogant, but I also found her extremely naive. While this can often lead to an interesting story, especially as we see that character’s arc over time, I didn’t feel like she’d grown enough by the end of the story. It felt like she kept having these eye-opening moments or reveals that seemed to impact her and how she viewed the world and people around her, only for her to seemingly revert a few scenes later and go back to how she was. This happened again at the end after I’d thought she’d finally grown up a bit and was starting to hope she could become a more interesting character for me.

My opinion on the plot itself is also a bit mixed, mainly because I did really enjoy the ending and where it brought the story, but didn’t always enjoy the journey in getting there. Often a really solid ending will do wonders to hide the imperfections of most of the book, so it's hard for me to judge how much I thought the plot was actually good compared to just how much I enjoyed the actual ending. It has left me intrigued to see where the series ends up going next, though I’m not sure how soon I’ll get to it!

A breath of fresh air in a genre that has been feeling repetitive.

I truly enjoyed entering the world Chan created. It is unique, with enough familiar elements that anyone can enjoy it. It is not the strongest book I've read, however, I believe that as the series goes on, it will get better. I look forward to reading other works by Eliza Chan.

3.5 rounded up