I don't even know where to start, Eliza Chan's Fathomfolk is a beautifully written and atmospheric dive into the world of selkies and the relationship between humans and the magical creatures that inhabit their shores. These characters are all interconnected, their lives and choices influencing each other and the fate of Tiankawi. They represent different facets of the struggle for equality and the challenges of navigating a world where power is unevenly distributed. Chan's prose is lyrical and evocative, painting a vivid picture of the coastal setting and the mystical allure of the ocean. While the narrative unfolds in a perfectly paced story, it allows for a deep exploration of themes like family, duty, and the pull between two worlds.

I really wanted to like this book, but could not find it in myself to finish it. The politics, the world-building, and premise were all captivating at first glance. On top of everything, Fathomfolk being an East-Asian inspired fantasy? I was instantly sold. Unfortunately, I don't think it was the story for me. I couldn't empathize with any of the characters and was left confused by the pacing and plot. I might give this book another try in a different season of life because there was no problem with the writing itself—I may have just not been the target audience.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read and review this book.

What I liked about the book:
- The Asian infused descriptions of cafes & the cozy atmosphere
- The descriptions, worldbuilding, and the places we went
- The writing style
- Talks about xenophobia, racism, & prejudices
- The atmosphere
- The characters overall

What I didn't like:
- the romance
- the romance felt too insta-lovey
- the story was pretty predictable
- the characters sometimes and some of their dialogue

I can't quite put my finger on why I didn't connect with this book as much as I would have liked. The world was an interesting one and obviously the story speaks to some very relevant real-world themes, but I think I was missing the heart of the story that would have really gripped me. This was an ambitious debut and I can see the author's inspiration from Fonda Lee's Jade City, but it didn't quite hit the same notes for me.

An enchanting “tail” about class and race with elements of 'Disney’s The Little Mermaid'

Best book I’ve read so far this year. I can’t wait for the next one. The plot is intriguing. The characters are amazing. I can't speak highly of it enough.

Perfect for fans of Chloe Gong and Elizabeth Lim.

I really wanted to enjoy this more than I did, it's just so pretty.. but I never really connected with the characters. They just felt like very basic caricatures of who they could have been if better fleshed out.
There was just too much happening that never really tied together well.

You’re very like,,,, thrown in the deep end when you start. The plot kicks off immediately, but it simultaneously felt a bit.. characterdumpy? There’s stuff going on and amidst all that, you get names and descriptions and you’re introduced to a character with flippers and a duck beak. It felt very chaotic, much like this review.

Anyways, so this book is about these fish people that originate from, shockingly, the sea, and these humans that originate and live on (you’ll never guess) the land. The humans are racist towards the fish people, oppressing them, occasionally murdering them, and being otherwise awful. They also call the fish people terrible, hurtful, derogatory slurs such as “fish fucker” or “salties,” which definitely isn’t funny and therefore hard to take seriously. This theme continues.

Despite the exploration of discrimination and dark themes, it’s very little mermaid-esque; whimsical, somewhat lighthearted (?), and worst of all, funny and ridiculous. I will repeat that a character (and a love interest, at that) had giant flipper feet and a duck bill (I don’t remember if they kiss, but theoretically, how the fuck do you kiss someone with a duck beak? would he have a corkscrew dick or a normal one because I assume he has human legs? also he gets down on all fours and shakes himself off like a dog at some point), and “fish fucker” is considered a slur. While that could be fun and interesting in a book, considering the topics it attempts to address, it didn’t seem to work in this one.

I think this should’ve been two separate books: one that leans into the hilarity and expands on this semi-underwater city with its mermaids and duck people; another with a more tone-appropriate world and vibe, addressing racism because I DO think the author did a good job.. considering this was about “fish fuckers,” anyway.

Personally, the contrast between duck beaks and discussions of racism regarding said duck beaks made me take this book a lot more lightly than I would have otherwise. Some very interesting topics were raised, but, again, the manner in which it was done was very fucking weird. As contradictory as this may sound, I think if I read this book more seriously, I would’ve gained a lot less from it.

In my notes, I have a few too many paragraphs going on about how the confusing political climate in this world could be taken as allegories for like.. so many things. I don’t know how I feel about it, but assuming positive intent, it’s not that bad? Assuming negative intent, it’s questionable at worst? I’d elaborate but I have put this review off for a literal year because I don’t quite know how to voice my feelings on this without both yapping for a good half hour and projecting a lot of real-world comparisons that may not at all be what the author intended. There you go, you’ve successfully sidestepped a long rant that has nothing to do with this book :) you’re welcome. Hopefully someone more articulate than I will do all that?

I wasn’t overly fond of these characters. They’re annoying at worst, which is no crime, but at best they’re just really bland and I could not name more than a single personality trait for each of them (aside from being annoying, of course.) Because this was written in third person, we didn’t get much of their thought processes or internal conflicts, and it felt like we were being held at arm’s length.

There’s no real romance in this whatsoever, so don’t go in expecting romantasy. Nami does have somewhat of a situationship going on, but I really hesitate to call it romantic, and not just because he’s a manipulative, toxic, lying bitch that can shove his shitty friendgroup up his ass. I liked the way he was written, actually; you’re not supposed to like him, and he’s a great example of an abusive partner.

The adult characters had long-term established relationships, and I really enjoyed that, because of how uncommon it is for fantasy mcs. Unfortunately, we learn next to nothing about the characters and their dynamics, except that both relationships seem very unhealthy. (Kai, blink twice if you need help. wait, can dragons blink? aren’t they reptiles? if you can’t, do the Taylor Swift hand signal thing)

I know this is marketed as adult, but it’s not. At all. It reads strictly YA in every way, except they swear very minimally (and weirdly) and there’s one single closed door sex scene (but they call it “taking a lover” 💀)

The world is, as I said, quite watery, and then a big semi-submerged (?) city island that I picture to be somewhat mountainlike, but manmade. What else is there? I can’t tell you. Are there other human cities? Is the entire world just water? How big, exactly, is this place? What is the history of the two peoples? Have fishfolk always been oppressed? How did they end up on land? How did the city structure come about? The actual worldbuilding is explained so badly; all the descriptions we get are purely aesthetic. This would probably be better as a movie.. and about that, it kind of IS a movie.

I cannot stress how Little Mermaid this is. There’s some other stuff plopped in, but other than that, I could write a very long list of all the similarities (which I won’t, because spoilers.) The plot is.. essentially nonexistent. Nami is halfheartedly trying to get her friends out of jail, but other than that, they’re just existing. The blurb doesn’t happen until about the 60% mark, and to top it all off, I utterly DESPISE the ending.

All that being said, despite my criticisms I don’t think it’s a terrible book? Like, it’s not irredeemable and there’s nothing THAT bad about it? It just didn’t do anything or provoke a single emotion in me (aside from (meta) annoyance and rage). I hope the next one is better.. for other peoples’ sake, because I probably won’t read it. The only good thing I can say about the ending is that it felt final enough to be a standalone.

I will also add that the audiobook narrator and cover artist both did SO well. I’m mad I didn’t like it because of how fucking pretty it is. Also, you read this entire review !!1!!1!!!!!!1! or you skimmed it, I don’t care !!!!!!!!!! Congrats, I’m so proud of you. It’s long enough that you should be able to add it as a short story on goodreads.

tldr: yes, it made me think about some stuff that I’m glad it made me think about, but I think it would’ve hit harder if it wasn’t about a guy with a duck beak and flippers struggling to feed his family. Then again, maybe that’s intentional, because in laughing about his plight I am in some way looking down at him too. (and my sarcasm right there is kind of mean too. welp. maybe I’m just a bitch)

(thank you Netgalley for the arc! I am assuming the “Net” is for internet and not fishnet because otherwise that would imply you support racist fish murder. but also, thinking about it, it could be fishnets the clothing article and not the fish murder kind, and if that’s what you meant then I support your ambitions towards being a sexy goth website with fishnets (the clothing article))

⭐️: 2
DNF. I tried to get into it, but it didn’t hold my interest Maybe I’ll give it another chance at a later time.

I had to DNF *Fathomfolk* by Eliza Chan, and honestly, I was pretty disappointed. The premise intrigued me—a dark, oceanic fantasy world with strange creatures and eerie tension—but it never quite lived up to my expectations. The pacing was slow, and I found it hard to connect with the characters. I wanted to be swept away by the world-building, but instead, it felt like I was constantly waiting for something to happen. The writing itself was atmospheric, but the plot just didn’t grab me. I also struggled with the lack of clear direction in the story, which left me feeling confused rather than intrigued. While I can see some people loving the quiet, brooding nature of the book, it just didn’t work for me. I eventually had to put it down because I wasn’t invested enough to keep going.

I adored this book because it really was just another oil fantasy to add into the lineup. The cover is what struck me the most about this one, and I even ended up actually really getting into the story. I agree with some of the reviews about it feeling perhaps a little young at times, but this didn't bother me that much. I think as long as you enjoy really cool folklore and faerie stories, this is one for you!

Fathomfolk was such an interesting fantasy read. It wasn’t what I was expecting, but I still enjoyed it all the same. This book has multiple pov and a great cast of characters. As opposed to how many fantasy books are, this seemed more like a soap opera, and I don’t mean that in a bad way. The way the shifting povs worked definitely left you wanting more at the end of each section.

Even though this is set in a fantasy world, the real world problems that the characters face are easily identifiable and really helps to ground this book in reality. The character development was done very well, as was the world building. I was able to relate to the almost all of the characters in some way and that’s what helped draw me in to the story.

Overall I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who loves their fantasy reads where the characters face real world problems. I’m looking forward to the next book.

This book is a captivating and immersive read that hooks you from the first page. The writing is beautifully crafted, with vivid descriptions and strong character development that makes the story come alive. The plot is well-paced, balancing moments of tension with quieter, reflective scenes that allow the characters to grow. The themes explored are deep and thought-provoking, resonating long after the final page. Whether it's the emotional depth, the twists and turns of the plot, or the unforgettable characters, this book is a must-read for anyone who enjoys rich, engaging stories. Highly recommended.

This was a really great take on underwater fae! I loved the real world parallels of power and equity amongst cultural identities. Excited for the sequel!

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for both allowing me to pick up the eARC and for sending me a physical ARC of this release 🙏

I really enjoyed this read!

It took a minute for the plot to really hook me in but after it did I was fully immersed. I really liked our cast of characters and how much variety we got between them.

Nami was naive and could be annoying at times but in a way that felt pretty realistic to who she is and how sheltered she was. Mira was level-headed but willing to risk so much for those she loved. Cordelia was also such a interesting character where she wanted a better life for herself and children while sacrificing her own people to achieve it.

This book also did break my heart and I don't know how I'll recover 🥲

I will definitely be picking up the sequel because I'm so intrigued on how this will continue.

3.5 Rounded up. I really loved the worldbuilding the most in this but I did find the multi-pov with no signifier confusing as I listed. I usually love Emily Woo Zeller as a narrator but the tone of the characters didn't change between voices so it made it confusing to remember who I was reading at any given time. I had a lot of issues though with Nami's story in particular and how much manipulation the girl goes through and then it's fine because he really does love her?? No. Just no. Then the ending took away a character I finally realized wasn't going to have a true nature reveal and actually was a good guy and then just the undoing of all the social differences by that conclusion kind of really undid everything the characters were working for.

That sounds like I should give it a much lower rating but I did really enjoy this overall. I liked that we had a villain POV and that it was overall fairly convoluted and rich in its lore. I'll be interested to see how the dynamics play out in the sequel.

I loved the idea of an underwater world and a myriad of creatures from mixed cultures and myths. Unfortunately, after the vibrancy of the worldbuilding, the book fell flat for me. The pacing was so slow and dragged for me, and I quickly got annoyed by some characters such as Nami. This story just wasn't for me and I dnf'd at 50%.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the descriptions of all the different types of Fathomfolk and am dying to learn more about them and their abilities and magic. The world in this book was definitely dark and depressing at times, but it added a lot to the motivations of each character and why they took the actions they did. I am interested to see where this story goes in the next book and if things ever change for these oppressed Fathomfolk. I enjoyed how the three viewpoints intersected and how the story developed between the three.

i am so very sorry, but this is a dnf for me, sadly. i really loved the setting, but it just wasnt a story for me. thank you so very much though.

This was definitely an interesting read, but I struggled with many aspects in this book. Firstly, it felt a lot more geared for a YA audience. While I understand this is a debut, this still felt very rough around the edges. There are a lot of reviewers who are weighing in on the use of different Asian mythologies and cultural representation in this book-- so I will not touch on that. But I do feel as though there were points in the book where plots lost their momentum, or major events happened off-page.. which made them seem like an afterthought.

I enjoyed this read! Fathomfolk is based off South Asian mythology and this book made me want to read more books with this type of lore. The world building in the beginning was pretty intense, but overall, I thought the plot worked really well and I thought the later half of the book really picked up!

I’ll definitely be continuing the series and can’t wait for the next book in the Drowned Empire series!