I was first drawn to this book because of the blurb , and the bit from Rachel Gillig. Then I saw Gillig’s blurb on the cover, and I was sold. I’m happy to say, it lived up to my hopes.

In the Veins of Drowning kept my attention from the very beginning. I was drawn to Imogen, and I rooted for Theo from his first mention on the page. I loved the world Cassidy created, the darkness and suspense, the magic that wove around the Sirens and the Gods.

I’m dying for the next book. I want to know how Imogen is going to overcome what is coming her way, and I want to see her and Theo together again.

Fantastic story, definitely on track to be a favorite for the year!

This is going to be such a hit! A gorgeous lush, gothic tale about a siren, the king that finds himself besotted with her, and her journey to uncovering her past and forging her own future. The pacing was fantastic and the settings were gorgeous—the imagery of the sea, the barren mountain kingdom, and Theo’s mediterraneanesque kingdom full of vines and gardens were all so vivid and beautiful. I found myself sucked right into Immy and Theo’s love story and the push-pull between them. I loved the unique take on sirens and all the spooky details and their magic. The brooding king reminded me of Theo James and i dont know if it was intentional but it was absolutely a great choice haha. Will be picking up the sequel as soon as I am possibly able to get my hands on it!

Thank you to the publisher, Netgalley, and Kalie Cassidy for the ARC!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kalie Cassidy for an ARC of In The Veins of the Drowning. This is officially out on July 15, 2025, so my review is based on NOT the final version!

We started so well! Imogen Nel, our FMC, has her life turned upside down as she is discovered to be a Siren by her betrothed and the captain of the guard only days (maybe hours?) before her wedding. In a kingdom such as Seraf, which hunts and kills Sirens, this isn’t ideal. When things get worse and she accidentally kills her fiancée, Imogen realizes she has to flee, and she enlists the help of King Theodore who is visiting for her nuptials (and with whom she immediately establishes a flirty and flinty partnership of sorts).

I really enjoyed watching Imogen’s world as she knew it unravel. The Siren-specific body horror and brutality I especially ate up. Truthfully, I wanted more of that. I enjoyed the will they, won’t they of Imogen’s relationship with Theo as well. He was an interesting character in his battle for restraint and to follow his duty. The way Imogen and Theo were paralleled by Agatha and Lachlan was a nice touch as well!

I think my frustration with the third act predominantly came down to 1) world building and 2) the author giving up the plot “cards” sooner than I think was necessary in the story. Because I was so drawn in by the siren aspect, I would have loved to know more about that element of the world building, but it quickly fell to the wayside for these Mage Seers and gods (OK, I know Liegia was a Siren, but still). The Mage Seer aspect felt a little all over the place.

For the second point, I do find that I’m drawn to mystery in fantasy, so I was frustrated when so many big lore questions were answered in quick succession in the last section. I think, too, the confrontation with King Nemea didn’t have nearly the punch I wanted it to. He was used as a plot-information device more than anything, and I didn’t feel the emotional conflict enough between him and Imogen.

Nevertheless, this is a really solid first read from Kalie Cassidy and I WILL be reading the follow up book. My hope is that we will lean even more into the darkness of the Siren premise and that we’ll see an interesting relationship development between Imogen and Halla.

When I say I want fun fantasy romance, I mean this book. Love interest goes from stern-faced and withholding to endearingly pathetic by the end? Check. FMC becoming increasingly monstrous? Check. A ton of pining and yearning and angst? Check.

I loved this siren tale, and I will be eagerly awaiting Cassidy’s follow up!

Our story begins on the remote Isle of Seraf, within the stone walls of King Nemea’s fortress. There lives Imogen—his ward, hidden from the world and promised to a man she does not love. But Imogen carries a perilous secret: she is a siren.

While slipping away from the stifling spectacle of her engagement celebration, Imogen encounters a charming stranger named Theodore. Their brief exchange is cut short when she returns to the festivities—only to discover that he is none other than the King of Varya.

When her betrothed learns the truth about what she is, the siren within awakens—and he does not survive the night. Scared and alone, Imogen seeks refuge in Varya. Theodore offers her sanctuary, but at a price: she must swear loyalty to him and partake in a bonding ritual to protect them both.

What Imogen doesn’t realize is that in Varya, such a bond is recognized as a marriage.

Now bound to a foreign king by more than just vows, Imogen must flee the wrath of her homeland, conceal their union, and confront the dark god Eusia, to whom her soul is still tethered. Together, she and Theodore must navigate the perilous path ahead, where love, loyalty, and survival hang in the balance.

This book was an absolute delight from start to finish. It hooked me right away and kept me turning pages late into the night. I’ve never read a story with a siren as the main character, and I was pleasantly surprised by how fresh and compelling it felt. With a perfect blend of action, romance, and rich folklore, it’s a standout in the romantasy genre.

My only complaint? Now I have to wait for the next installment.

A must-read for fans of forced proximity and magical romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown & Company for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Sexy, powerful siren + magical bond + politics + yearning royal?? I cannot wait for the sequel!! The cover art captures the seductive darkness of the book well.

The plot: Imogen is a powerful siren caged in a hostile kingdom by a ruthless man and his army of hunters. She must remain away from the sea to quell her cravings for blood and to prevent her black wings from revealing her nature. When a rival king visits, her control snaps. Imogen must forge a blood bond with this strange royal and abscond in the night for a chance to survive. Can she and the king defeat the enemies that seek to destroy them?

My opinion: I loved this! I was shocked to learn that this was Cassidy’s debut given the strength of the book. She managed to interweave cool magic (sirens, prophecies, bonds) with political intrigue and romance seamlessly. The darkness and violence are seductive and enchanting, taking readers under a spell. I enjoyed the characters and relationships, especially the yearning king and the devoted best friend, plus the unwilling alliances along the way. I am so excited to read the sequel - the end left me wanting more!

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for this ARC!

UGH THIS BOOK 😍😍 Enchanting. The yearning. The swooning. The fact we now have to wait for book 2 will destroy me.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc, I will be purchasing a physical copy when it is released in July.

In The Veins Of The Drowning by Kalie Cassidy is going to be everyone’s favorite romantasy this summer. It features magic, sirens, broody kings and the perfect amount of world building.


if you love fantasy and romance, then this is a must read book for you!!

I am interested enough to read the second book, whenever that comes out, but... I don't know. There's something about the MMC that didn't work for me. I enjoyed the book, liked their relationship ups and downs at face value, but something underneath it all didn't click for me?

And I like the MMC overall! But for someone who had such a strong sense of duty and honor, the fact that he was refusing to listen to his closest friends' advice was really weird. Maybe it leaned insta love and that's what didn't work for me? He worshipped her, and maybe I wanted her to work for earning that a bit more.

The ending didn't land for me. There were elements about it that I liked, but I would have been content for it to have ended a little bit before it's actual ending. Or maybe I'm just in denial and I didn't *want* the ending to go that way. I liked the reveals, those were well done. The closing image made me want to throw my phone. Take from that what you will.

I felt the FMC *was* chaos. Which... I guess tracks. Maybe she will settle more in the next book. But overall, I struggled to connect with several of her choices and actions. I also didn't understand how she could have been kept so far from the sea and then she takes a ship *on* the sea and is hardly affected? That didn't compute for me.

That was a lot of negative. But I really enjoyed the world building, the antagonists, the supporting characters, the plot movement and pacing overall. I really loved the siren lore and how their religions and deities got into it all. The familial relationships explored were dynamic and complicated. I was quickly hooked and invested into the storyline.

Content: medical descriptions, de*th, violence, explicit s*x, sacrificial rituals, bl*od bonds and sacrifices, m*rder, complicated relationships (forced engagement, marriage treaties, etc)

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book. This review is voluntarily written and the thoughts and opinions contained in this review are my own.

This was a really interesting take on monsters. To fight them, you need to be one, and Imogen is the perfect creature to save a visiting kings people...according to him.

In the Veins of the Drowning is the debut romantasy novel we are all looking for!!
An epic tale, a swoon worthy romance, and well developed characters shine in this story of mistaken identities and misleading stories. Our author, Kalie, writes an atmospheric, un-put-down-able novel that rivals the way you feel when you read authors like Rachel Gillig, Ava Reid, and Kristin Cicarelli.
If I needed to make one suggestion, it would be to develop more of the background with the gods and kingdoms to know how their lives were intertwined.
Even so, I was engrossed in the siren song of this story from the beginning and will definitely need to read its sequel.

I loved this book from the start. Imogen is hiding from a cruel king and his kingdom that hunt and kills Sirens. She's just trying to survive her world and make a happy life for herself. But her secret is revealed and she has to leave immediately. She's timid and scared and completely unfamiliar with her own powers after tamping everything down since her childhood. She feels like everyone is disgusted by her.

She runs to the aide of another king, Theodore. He despises the kingdom she's from for what they do and he is duty-bound to protect his own kingdom. He knows what Imogen is and agrees to help her escape. He's really good at keeping up his walls and not letting his true thoughts and feelings show.

This book is fast paced with never a dull moment. There are blood bonds, forced proximity, one horse and one bed scenes and it was definitely slow burn. I feel like there is miscommunication but not in an annoying way. Their banter had me giggling and kicking my feet. When he finally lets loose, the things Theo says could melt any woman's heart. He's down bad for her but rarely lets it show.

I don't think I've ever read a book about Sirens and God's powers like this and it was such a unique twist on fantasy for me. Their is a cliffhanger ending but I'm not even mad about it. The only thing I'm mad about is that I have to wait for book 2 because this isn't even published yet.

I gave In the Veins of the Drowning four ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thank you Little, Brown and Company, Kalie Cassidy and Net Galley for the ARC. These are my honest opinions.

I loved this book. I enjoyed the characters and they were well developed. Although, I did get a little tired of the FMC because she has guilt trips through the entire book. I am not crazy about an FMC who thinks she has so much control to be that wallowed in guilt. She does redeem herself though.

I enjoyed the story line as well and thought that it progressed nicely and had a good arc. It’s been a while since I read a siren/mage book, so it was a nice change of pace. I also loved how well the title fit the book.

Warning: this is book one of a series, so be prepared for….well, you know what to be prepared for.

Read this one!

Romantasy is not my typical genre, but I liked the sound of this and thought I would try outside of my normal reading boxes. I really liked the introduction, generally enjoyed the main character and was engaged into the mystery of her circumstances. I enjoyed the banter between her and the Love Interest, and found the action reasonably engaging.

Overall I think Romantasy is still not going to be my genre of choice, but I found it compelling enough that I will likely seek out the second book when it comes out. I'm intrigued with the mystery elements, and while I feel like I'm not really one for a compelled bond type of storyline, I enjoyed the two MCs well enough in spite of that.

Overall fast moving and entertaining and I would read more.

Although this book is typical of the romantasy genre, the details and presented history are unique enough to be an interesting read. Devoted romantasy fans will appreciate the world-building and suspense tied to the main characters' spicy connection.

Beautiful, luscious prose! I loved the worldbuilding around the sirens and their magic. While I personally wish Imogen had been a bit more proactive sooner, I do recognize that her level of agency was a big part of her arc, and because of that, the ending was thrilling. I love how she began to own her power in the way that she did, despite the price that was required of her to do so, and I really hope to see her lean more into that in book 2!

The one problem with receiving an ARC from NetGalley is when you finish such a wonderful, captivating book and you NEED the next book asap and the one you just finished reading hasn’t been published yet so you still have to wait forever. I loved this book so much. I was so happy when they finally realized they care for each other BUT the ending tried to take me out of this world.

In the Veins of Drowning had me hooked before I even cracked open the first page—I just knew it was going to be my kind of read, and it totally delivered. Think: siren x king, slow burn, forbidden romance, dark magic, and so much delicious tension.

Imogen and Theodore? Obsessed. Their chemistry is electric in that yearning, angsty, can’t-look-away kind of way. They clash, they burn, they ache for each other, and it’s all just so compulsively readable. I flew through the pages like my life depended on it.

The world-building is lush and immersive, with that perfect touch of darkness that keeps you on edge. You’ve got sirens hunted by the very people Imogen is hiding among, a blood bond that changes everything, and Theo—our morally conflicted king who’s equal parts fierce protector and secret softie. His push-pull between duty and desire? Whew. It’s good.

Kalie Cassidy’s writing just pulls you right in—there’s magic (literal and emotional), banter, twists, and a beautifully layered slow burn that pays off big time. Imogen reminded me a little of Auren from the Plated Prisoner series—tired of being owned, ready to take back her power—and Theo is the kind of MMC who makes that journey feel earned.

The pacing stays strong through most of the book, though I’ll admit the last chunk got a little chaotic with everything going on. But honestly? I didn’t mind. It just made me more desperate for book two.

If you’re into sirens, blood bonds, forbidden love, and a slow-burn that simmers with tension—go ahead and add this to your TBR. You won’t regret it.

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: In the Veins of the Drowning by Kalie Cassidy
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: NA Dark Romantasy
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: July 15, 2025

"𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴, 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘱 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘭. 𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘵, 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭."

🩸 Bound by Blood
❤️‍🔥 Only One Bedroll
🌊 Forced Proximity
✨️ Unique Magic System
🔥 Slow Burn
🛡 Found Family

Have I found my newest obsession? ABSOLUTELY! Are you looking for a gothic romantasy with lots of tension? Sirens and hunters?

The tension was delicious! I adored the dynamic between Imogen and Theodore. The end of their first horse ride? *SWOON* 😮‍💨

"I cannot even see her for the way you
encompass me... You fill my every sense. You stalk my waking mind. You make up the entirety of my dreams."

*SCREAMING*

The spice isn't too much, it's perfect and worth the wait! This book was incredible. I literally devoured it and my only regret is that I have to wait to see where Imogen's story goes!

If you loved the Folk of the Air series and the Shepherd King duology, you won't want to miss In the Veins of the Drowning!

Thank you so much, Little, Brown and Company, Hachette Book Group, and NetGalley for the digital review copy!🫶

PG-16: ⚠️ some sexual content (not explicit, but open door), a little language, gore elements

Cassidy's crafted an enchanting romantasy debut, and I mean that in the strictest siren-related sense. it's enthralling, luring you in with evocative prose, captivating with adventure and romance--and suddenly, you come to the end, and wonder where your whole day went and how can you get your hands on the next book! I especially love seeing the depiction of a winged siren (vs. mermaid), in all her ferocity.

I've followed Cassidy's writing journey for a while, so I ran to NetGalley to request an ARC as soon as they were available. I mean, I *sprinted*, and I'm glad I did.

Very excited for Imogen to be out in the world this summer!

Overall, I enjoyed this book, however, I didn't care for how the spice was written, I needed more info and background on the lore. Some books get info dumpy, this book needed more info. I did like the MMC a lot, and I thought the FMC was okay...but she could have been better? I don't know. I will say I did enjoy the plot and will probably read the next one.