I was provided an ARC via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This follows Imogen, a siren in hiding. She is the ward of a strange and abusive king who is making a show of her upcoming marriage to the captain of his guard. When the handsome king from a neighboring country recognizes her though they have never met, things begin to unravel for Imogen. She decides she must escape her prison of a home and the friendly king Theo may be her only hope of protection. Imogen and Theo form a blood bond and embark on a journey to not only save her from her keeper but to save Theo's kingdom.

I seem to be in the minority, but I thought this was just OK. The concept was really interesting, but as a fantasy lover, so many things were left unexplained. For example, why do the sirens have wings instead of tails? That is clearly a deliberate choice the author made to deviate from other siren/mermaid tales we've seen in the past, but we never get an explanation why or what they are for. Also Imogen doesn't spend much time in the water so we never get to see her use her wings and she doesn't fly. Maybe that will be made clear in the future. As a romance reader I didn't feel the tension and chemistry between the two main characters, so I wasn't drawn into the romance aspect of the story. I wanted more development of their relationship and character development overall.

I would have liked more development and information on the myths and lore of the world. It was only in the last few chapters that we get a bit of backstory on the goddess Ligea and the deity Eusia. We don't get much information on the other gods and goddesses of the world. We also don't get alot of development of the magic system. Imogen knows she is a siren, but she can't control her power at the beginning of the book. She has one lesson with Theo then she seemingly is all powerful and can control her powers with no problem. The concept of the Mage Seer was interesting but it left me confused and I felt like I missed something despite reading those parts over a few times. I'm hoping we get more in the next book as Imogen's journey continues.

Overall this is a good start to the series, and I'm interested to see where it goes.

I attempted several times I just could not get drawn into this one. It might be just where I’m at in my reading era at the moment so I don’t want things to negatively impact the author just not for me right now. Amazing concept though!

✋ Emojis to describe this book: 🧜‍♀️🤴⚓️🩸🪄

Quick Intro: An atmospheric romantasy about a Siren who has never been in the sea who forges a blood bond with a self righteous king to flee her captivity.

Quick Thoughts:

I stayed up till 1:30 am to finish this book and honestly did not want to put it down. Perfect for fans of One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig or Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry.

Imogen is the ward of a tyrant King and on the cusp of her wedding to the commander of his guard things rapidly fall apart.

Kalie Cassidy wrote a compelling and new to me take on a siren and her powers. I enjoyed her approach to world building and the magic system she created. The gods of her world were just as interesting as the characters.

I think the plot and romance are well balanced with strong character development. I loved to see how Imogen embraced her power and took back control.

Honestly need book two as soon as I can get my hands on it.

Content Warnings: explicit content, violence, emotional and physical abuse.

Quite possibly one of my favorite romantasy reads of the year.

Engaging and romantic, I was pulled in from the very first page. If it weren't for work and other time commitments, I have little doubt I would have finished this book in a day.

Imogen is a compelling and relatable narrator. Her strength lies in her resilience and unwavering desire to survive. She and Theo initially butt heads over how she has chosen to live her life, but they both eventually come to better understand each other and their circumstances.

The pacing of the book is even and mostly to the point. The world-building is adequate and none too overwhelming, which I appreciate because I'm not one for information dumps or overly detailed world-building.

I'll admit I did not see a lot of the reveals coming. Yet once they were revealed, everything made so much sense. The ending isn't necessarily edge-of-your-seat or dangling-on-a-cliff urgent, but it's definitely enough to entice me to read the next book to find out what is next for Imogen.

It better be happiness with Theo =P

So I really loved this book right down to the last chapter. This one leaves you on a cliff and I need the next book right now. Imogen is a Siren, daughter of a goddess, hidden, her powers stunted until she breaks free. She escapes with the help of an enemy king. And what a king, remember the name Theo, with shades of Anthony Bridgerton he falls hard. If you are looking for yearning this is the book. I did not want this to end and I worry for the conclusion.I’m all over the place with this review but this book was a banger. Thank you Netgalley and Little,Brown and Company.

A MASTERPIECE!
What a gorgeously written goth Romantasy, you will be hooked by page one!

In the veins of the drowning , is a dark story filled with siren lore, notes of resilience and a blooming romance.

One of my favorite reads of the year!

This book! I was immediately enthralled and didn’t want to stop reading. The characters are compelling, the storyline interesting, and the world was lush and atmospheric. Clearly I loved the writing, and I’ll be picking up anything else Kalie writes.
I haven’t read a lot of books with sirens, but now I’m going to need more. The main character Imogen was a fascinating and Theodore wasn’t so bad either. I loved the romance, and found the fantasy story just as captivating. Even the side characters were so well written and I would eat up a prequel novella about some of them. Once I started this book I did not want to put it down. It also reminded me of the downside of arc reading— this book isn’t even out yet and I *need* the sequel. I could wax on about the story, but I’m just going to tell you to pick this one up tomorrow when it comes out.


Thank you to Little Brown for the arc and Hachette Audio for the alc. All opinions are my own.

I truly can't remember the last time I was this obsessed with a book. All the stars! This was STUNNING.

It's lush and dark and atmospheric and I was hooked from the very beginning. I adored the siren lore and the world that Kalie created; the overall vibe was just so enchanting and addictive.

And I absolutely loved the forbidden romance between Imogen and Theo. It was slow burn, angsty, yearning perfection. Throw in some excellent use of tropes that don't feel tropey and my favorite kind of forced proximity and I was such a goner. I know I said it already but the yearning!! So so good.

Go in as blind as you can — this is especially excellent when you have no idea what's coming. Don't even read the full synopsis! Book two cannot come soon enough.

This is easily my favorite book of the year, GO READ IT.

In the Veins of the Drowning is a very different take on sirens than anything I've read before, and I really liked it!! The story is also a lot darker, but also I think a lot more of what I would expect from people who feel threatened by powerful women. I think a lot of parallels can be made regarding suppressing women in positions of power in our human history (unfortunately)!

I loved the world that Cassidy built; I was confused in the beginning about the magic and the world, but I think that's by design. Our FMC is confused and overwhelmed at the beginning of her story, so we learn as she does. By the end of the novel I think we've gotten a good understanding of the magic system and lore, and I can tell we'll get even more in book 2!!!

My poor, poor damaged Imogen! I loved her, and if you like flawed FMC's you will too! She's been manipulated so much in her life, and it impacts so many of her decisions and her understanding of the world. I enjoyed the MMC as well, ESPECIALLY towards the end of the book; I wish we had a bonus chapter from his POV!

I'm excited to see more of Imogen's journey in Book 2! Thanks so much for my copy to review <3

This book was the perfect siren fantasy read! It gave conflict, romance, soft spice, and an amazingly dark magic system! This book had me on the edge of my seat. I ate it up in 24 hours, and I am gutted that I have to wait for the second installment.

Imogen started as a timid little thing, taken advantage of with no voice of her own, unsure of herself. As the story progressed, so did her sense of self. I enjoyed the dance between Imogen and Theo, the emotion they had for each other, even though they both tried their best to deny it. Their love was messy, thick, and complicated, and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

THE ENDING HAD ME WITH MY JAW SLACKENED!! BECAUSE WHAT!?!

Kalie did a great job with the character and world-building, her first time out of the gate. There is so much I wish to say, but I am afraid that I will begin spoiling the book.

This is an outstanding debut novel, and I look forward to continuing the series!

GO GET THE BOOK!!

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Little, Brown and Company, and Kalie Cassidy for the advance readers copy of this ripping novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. I’ve only read a few books about sirens, but I think this one was really unique and had really well developed world building.

I loved both Imogen and Theo. I thought they complemented each other so well and their struggles broke my heart.

I’m very excited for the next book in this series and I really hope that Imogen comes into her power and takes what she deserves!

If you like fantasy romance then this is definitely a book you’re going to want to check out!

3.5 🌟 rounded up

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the digital ARC of In the Veins of the Drowning by Kalie Cassidy in exchange for my honest review.

Imogen Nel is the ward of the cruel king who viciously hunts sirens and paints them as monsters. On the evening before her wedding to the captain of the guard, Imogen accidentally reveals that she is a siren, which leads to her need to escape and save herself. She gets saved by the neighboring king through a blood bond, but is this a bond being used just for duty or is there more to it? Can Imogen discover herself without becoming a monster?

This was an imaginative, different romantasy. I loved the atmosphere being darker and it made the stakes feel higher. I loved Theo and many of the side characters. I also found the magic, world building, and creatures interesting.

My biggest qualm with this book is the will she/won’t she from Imogen. There is just a lot of parts from her that felt very repetitive until about the last 30% of the book then those pieces fall away and I found her more compelling.

The ending was such a cliffhanger and I feel like things have been set up well for the next book! I am looking forward to it!

I’ve been calling this the “murder mermaid” book. As in “go away, family, I’m reading the murder mermaid book!” I was so confused by the premise of this book in the first 20% or so but, just like a Siren lure, it still hooked me and I couldn’t put it down.

My confusion at the start was explained later on, as Imogen, the FMC, learned her heritage. I loved this way of world building because it was a pace that didn’t overwhelm me with details. And it makes Imogen so relatable because I learned along with her.

If you’re looking for a feminine rage book, this is a perfect candidate! If you like mermaids, Sirens, mythology, but you want something lighter than epic fantasy, check this out!

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for an eARC of this book! This is my honest review.

I absolutely cannot wait until the 2nd book comes out!!

Thank you Little Brown and Company for the copy of this book!
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Read if you like: Sirens, dark fantasy
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Imogen is forced to bond herself to King Theodore in order to save herself from King Nimea and this sets off a series of events that puts Sirens and King Theo's Kingdom at risk.
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Overall, the concept of this book was interesting and I wanted to love this but I just wasn't engaged in the story and I felt like I got bored easily. I wanted more out of Imogen and Theo's relationship development. I do think some people will really enjoy this book though!

In the Veins of the Drowning by Kalie Cassidy

Thank You NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
This novel is Kalie Cassidy’s debut novel and it SO did not disappoint! Imogen Nel was raised as an orphan by King Nemea, where his kingdom hunts Sirens because they believe Sirens are monsters. What Imogen doesn’t know, but inadvertently discovers, is that she herself is a Siren! Now she must flee King Nemea’s kingdom...but how?
Enter King Theodore from a nearby kingdom who just so happens to be visiting and residing in King Nemea’s castle as a guest! Theo seems smitten by Imogen and lucky for her, Theo’s kingdom tries to protect and save the Sirens. So, they form a blood bond, and they are bound to each other. So much so that even being in different rooms apart from each other causes them physical pain. With this bond, both have become stronger. From here on out, the story gets better and better! And there are so many secrets that Imogen is yet to discover about King Nemea and her past! This is a Romantasy novel with a little bit of spice, but I LOVED the plot! You’ll come across mage seers performing dark magic and other fantastical elements! This novel ends in a cliffhanger, so Book 2 can’t come soon enough! An awesome debut novel from Kalie Cassidy, AVAILABLE July 15, 2025!

I loved Kalie Cassidy's choice to write a book about sirens instead of mermaids. The focus on a much maligned creature of mythology was a great choice and opportunity for a lot of interesting world-building. I would love more world building but what is written is well-done.

The love story was intense and broody, perfect for an atmospheric sea read. I think this book will be a great vacation read for fans of romantasy and retellings of mythological stories.

Imogen is about to be married to the commander of King Nemea's army, as she is the King's Ward, and he has been controlling her since she was orphaned. She runs out of her pre-wedding party to get air, and ends up having a snarky exchange with a handsome man. When she returns to the party, she learns that he is King Theodore. Imogen, actually likes her fiancé, but when things get to far, her secret is exposed to her fiancé in her bedroom: she is a siren. When he decides to take this to his advantage and force a bond on her, Imogen panics and tries to think of anything she can do to escape this chained future. She runs to King Theodore for help, and decisions are made that will lead them down a path of possible destruction.

Wow. This book was fascinating. I was hooked as soon as those wings sprouted from her back. I really appreciate that this wasn't insta-love - even with the bond that was placed, both Imogen and Theo weren't immediately together - it allowed for some development of feelings towards each other. A lot of angst and yearning which I really appreciate in a romantasy. While I enjoyed the romance and the adventure, I think my favorite part of this book is about how the story focuses on a woman's survival, her escape from a tyrannical king, and the ability to heal herself and learn to become who she was meant to be. Now there were some questionable decisions made in the book, but eh we are all human and make mistakes , so I get your choices Imogen and I can't help I'm a romantic lol

Now the worst part of this book is that it ends on a cliffhanger and I don't have the second book as the first one just comes out today!!!! Kalie I'm going to need you to get to writing me all these books pronto because I need to know what happens next!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks Netgalley and Little Brown Books for the e-arc and physical copy in exchange for an honest review.

A thrilling and passionate story of a young woman who happens to be a powerful Siren. This tale hooked me from the start and never let up. Vivid storytelling and surprising twists along with two protagonists who are irresistibly drawn to one another make this a compulsive read. Can’t wait to find out what happens in the next book. It’s really, really good. 4.5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. It's mermaids/sirens but wayyyyyy darker. The twists got me good. I also think I may have found new tropes I like through this book: blood bonds/pacts, especially if they mean different things in different places. Also, YES TO A NEIGHBORING KING WHO KNEELS! So good... so, so good.I do wish it was longer. I know there's a second book coming, but I do feel like In the Veins of the Drowning could have been slightly longer and it would have hooked me more. I mean, I'm already ready to jump at book two, but I wanted more out this book.

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Fantasy, Romantasy, Gothic Fantasy, Dark Fantasy
Influences: Mythology, Greek sirens

IN THE VEINS OF THE DROWNING felt very YA to me instead of adult. Here's why: the set-up of the FMC is dramatic and it's all about this blood bond and escaping one man to marry and being bound to another instead. I guess I'm saying it was the overblown dramatics and her attitude of desperation. The MMC seems like a decent sort.

Having her as a siren and a monster is an intriguing start—sirens having wings kind of threw me off what I was expecting with water creatures, but that was okay. It's another blood magic book too. I was not clear on the dissolution of the bonding. Because of the cliff-hanger ending, I'm going to guess that more will come out in book two to answer questions. I prefer a bit more resolution in book 1.

The best:
- Atmospheric
- Engaging read / fast paced
- I'm always up for a siren

I would have liked more with the siren background and why the king was keeping Imogen. I had questions! The cliff-hanger ending drops my overall rating a star.

If you like atmospheric and fast books, this one is for you.