Imogen is a Siren– believed by others to be monstrous and murderous creatures– but she lives in relative secrecy as a ward of King Nemea. When her secret is discovered, she convinces a visiting monarch to let her escape with him. But Imogen still is not safe…

It’s a start to a promising romantasy, especially one that has the female main character depicted as a monster rather than the male love interest (and as a Greek-style siren!), but this quickly fell flat. There’s very little world-building and Imogen is bizarrely uninterested in her origins or why the king wants her to give blood when the story begins. For example, Imogen tells us she is a ward of the king because of her family’s wealth which was keeping the kingdom afloat– but it’s just a throw-away line and nothing else is communicated about who told her this, who she thinks her family was, etc. She knows she’s a Siren, so this doesn’t make a lot of sense. But an awful lot of time is spent repeatedly mentioning how King Nemea is cruel enough to have her dress made uncomfortably tight. The rest of the plot and world-building is similarly thin.

Some readers will enjoy this a lot as a forced proximity story with mythological elements. I’ve had the fortune to encounter some really enjoyable romantasies lately that pair a romance with an intriguing plot, an unique take on familiar tropes, or interesting world building. Sadly, this didn’t offer any of those to me.

Such a surprising read, I zipped through this novel only wanting more by the end, in the best way! It was dark, magical, and so much yearning throughout; it checked all the boxes. I loved world-building and how the momentum never stopped. The stakes were high, and as a reader, I couldn’t put it down until the end.

Thank you to NetGalley, Orion, and Ms. Cassidy for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

On paper I should have loved this book. And I did LIKE it; I enjoyed it a lot, but it just didn’t… wow me. Like eating chocolate soft serve when what you REALLY wanted was Haagen Das. I felt slightly underwhelmed and it *could* be me and my sky-high expectations; it could be that I just finished a couple of rock-my-world books and everything else paled in comparison; who knows.

I will say in agreement with other reviewers, the first half was the strongest. I really felt Imogen’s desperation, her panic, her drive to survive. I loved the way the sirens were portrayed. I actually liked Theodore; I’m not sure why he was continuously portrayed as being a self-righteous prig when he was trying to be responsible, not start wars, and not act rashly or impulsively or wastefully (I.E.: trying to act the opposite of most romantasy MMCs, lol). The blood bond was cool and the magic system in general was interesting.

The second half, though, felt like a quest for something I wasn’t super clear on. How does the blood bond dissolution process work exactly? I’m still not sure. The plot in the second half felt simultaneously meandering and rushed. It didn’t impact my reading speed, and I did enjoy the book overall, I’m just not exactly clear on what happened.

I’ll probably read the followup just to make sense of the first one, LOL.
⭐⭐⭐

The world-building was a combination of politics, magic and dangerous creatures. I hope this develops more in the next book as the dynamics and motivations of the different characters and groups were murky for a long time. The very end seemed to finally put some pieces together.

The pace was solid. I quickly turned pages, intrigued by the reveals and eager for more.

Imogen and Theodore had an intensity that manifested in cutting banter and romantic heat, their conflict mainly between want and duty. Imogen was helpless for much of the story and her chaotic power had terrible consequences for her to grapple with. I hope to see her become stronger in book two. Agatha, a steadfast ally for Imogen, rounded out the tale.

I’m interested to see how this story continues.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown and Company for the ARC.

Loved the gothic atmosphere and that the mmc was a yearner. However the book overall didn't work for me. The romance itself felt rushed but more important to me was the lack of world building. I felt like I was plopped in the middle of a story where I *should* have known the background but I just had a lot of questions that were never really answered. I also was hoping for more siren lore. Overall, more plot/direction would have made this more successful

I loved reading this book so much-- it was the perfect summer read! I was hooked since page 1 and I am so eager to read what happens next in the next book(s). Nicely done!

Thank you net gallery for the advanced copy of this book. The story is a little dark and a little creepy towards the end. The main character is a siren who falls in love with a king, but the romance is ill fated from the start. The book ends on a cliffhanger, I would recommend the story to those who like gothic settings.

I LOVED this book! I have been looking for that perfectly romantic, mysterious, slightly dark fantasy romance for a while and this fit all of that. The world and story felt like a breath of fresh air with so many romantasy books following the same formulas. This book has a different kind of siren than you may be imagining - no little mermaid here. It is full of a woman finding her strength and becoming her own person outside of the control of her guardian. All mixed in with a romance full of tension and yearning. I can't wait for the next book because the ending??? I'm shook

In the Veins of the Drowning got me hooked from the first chapter till the end. I truly wished it was longer and I cannot wait for the next book to come. I couldnt stop reading and didnt and boy that last 20% gave me a whiplash, in a good way.

The story follows Imogen, a Siren princess who was kept in a fort by a king who raised her and was forced to marry the King's captain. She meets Theodore, a righteous king from another kingdom, on her engagement party. Due to some extenuating circumstance, she ended up asking Theo for help to leave and in some way, forced a blood bond with him. What ensues is an adventure and chaos as they trek back to Theo's kingdom and get this bond severed. On the way, Imogen gets to know more about her lineage and who she is, where she came from. She learned about Sirens and their lore. Her and Theo started to also get closer and in love. I like that the book was action driven and yes, it did feel like we were dropped in the middle of the worldbuilding but honestly, it didnt take me long to catch up on the story and start to develop theories as I read through. I feel like as a reader, we were fed with enough information to keep us going but also had questions to anticipate the next book. I love the side characters, even the villains, and their complexities and roles in the story. I love the inclusions of gods and monsters and how their magic/powers made sense.

I truly enjoyed this book and cannot recommend it enough. It had me looking forward to the next chapter and on the edge of my seat. Such an amazing read for someone like me who loves fantasy romance books!

Thank you Little Brown Co for the advance reader copy in exchange my honest thoughts!

4 ⭐️
2 🌶️
Tropes: Forced Proximity, blood bonds, one horse, forbidden love, slow burn, yearning
eARC

Firstly, a big thank you to NetGalley, Kalie Cassidy, and Little Brown for allowing me a chance to read this eARC. Normally, I am actually not a fan of any kind of fantasy that has to do with the sea, so the fact that I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next book in the series says a lot. This is a romantic, magic, and suspenseful story about Gods, sirens, royalty, and love. Definitely recommend if any of those appeal to you, as a reader.

“I was the woman. I was the water. I was the monster.”

***Going to talk about the plot - SPOILERS BELOW - Do not read below this line unless prepared.***

This story follows the daughter of a Goddess of the sea (Ligea) and a cruel king (Nemea) and her name is Imogen. She is raised by her cruel father, but doesn’t know he is her dad until much later. He is well known for hating and killing Sirens, which is exactly what Imogen is. He wants to marry her off to one of his captains and has been sacrificing Imogen’s blood to his saint (Eusia; Ligea’s sister) for blessings since she was a little girl. The captain finds out what Imogen is before they marry and… it doesn’t end well.

In order to flee her father’s home and the continued torture, she blood bonds herself to the king of another land, Theodore. Theo is also the descendant of Gods, but his power comes from the land and healing. He agrees to blood bond with her under the condition that they break the bond when they get to safety because… he is already engaged to another (Halla).

In the process of arriving to Theo’s kingdom, Imogen realizes her blood has been sacrificed to Eusia and connected them in a blood bond. Eusia is staying alive off of Imogen’s sacrifice and by eating Sirens (uncool).

As Imogen seeks to break the bonds she has created and find Eusia to put an end to the bloodshed, she falls in love with King Theo and discovers more about her background. In the end, she has to choose between Theo and her destiny because a Mage Seer predicted that she would bring about ruin and she wants to spare her royal love from that fate.

The book ends on a note of her being able to find Eusia but needing to bring a sacrifice with her… so who is she hoping to go find? Theo’s betrothed who also happens to be the daughter of an empress that has also been worshiping Eusia.

Really excited to see where book 2 takes us. This is a very fun story and the main couple has a palpable relationship.

The way this book immediately captivated me from the moment I read the introductory poem cannot be understated. The gothic atmosphere was such a vibe, and I loved how refreshing I found this Romantasy story. I need more books about sirens. This one had so many wonderful moments of siren folklore and mythology references, and I loved how beautifully they were woven into so many components of the story.

The romance between Theo and Imogen was complex in the best ways possible. Both of them are deeply caring individuals who want to do what’s best for their people but are thrown into a situation (forced proximity trope, anyone? 😉) that makes them question their duty and responsibility in the name of love. There was so much angst and yearning in this book, and their dedication to one another was everything.

I’m still not over the ending. I’m not kidding when I say it sent me spiraling into a reading slump.

Thank you to Little, Brown and Company and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 Stars

The yearning, the pining, the tension! Oh my! In the Veins of Drowning has the perfect mix of mystery and danger that will keep you turning the pages long after the the sun has gone down. The cherry on top, there is a man who is so obsessed with duty who can't help but fall for the woman who will be the downfall of everything. I cannot WAIT to get my hands on book two!

Thank you, NetGalley and to the publisher, for an ARC of In the Veins of Drowning!

This dark fantasy with an alluring mystical aesthetic brings the lore and mystery surrounding the mythical creatures of sirens with their haunting songs and otherworldly magic to a new romantic and deeply emotional level.

In a faraway kingdom, where sirens are cautionary tales and dangerous perils await them, Imogen must hide her true nature from everyone surrounding her or be lured by her call to the sea. When a mysterious king emerges from a land beyond, and the stakes reach new uncontrollable heights, her secret becomes harder to hide and she must rely on this stranger for an unexpected alliance.

This new bewitching romantasy lures readers in with a dark and eerie yet alluring atmosphere with a complex mystery, high stakes, a strong cast of characters, and a simmering hate-to-love romance that will have you flipping pages, anxiously awaiting what’s next.

I LOVED the incredible yearning and tension, and the way the two main characters found themselves in each other. And I can’t wait to see what’s ahead in the sequel.

4.25/5

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

Everything about the marketing of this book drew me in. I had high hopes, but unfortunately, it was just a miss for me.

I can’t even put my finger on what this book was missing, but I’m having a hard time even remembering what happened in it. And I just read it. After reading others’ reviews, I do think it could be a lack of depth overall: with the characters, the world building, the overall atmosphere. I just wanted more. Maybe it was a case of wanting the author to show more rather than tell.

For most of the book, Imogen is saying over and over how she’s attracted to Theo but it just the blood bond. We later find out that the blood bond only serves for protection, but I guess I would have liked this to be a bigger moment? A bigger realization? Because so much time was spent denying the building relationship, and not in a way that felt effective. I was always waiting for something to happen, and the moment would pass. What moments we do get with them are good, but nothing that left me really swooning or fanning myself.

I got confused at several world building moments, and I just had a hard time getting through this one. 😕

YO idk what was in this but I want MORE of it

Sirens (with wings!!) being HUNTED, forced proximity, blood bonds, gods and goddesses, dueling kingdoms, secrets!!! twists!!! betrayals!!!

I had an amazing time with this one. It was so easy to read, I couldn’t stop thinking about it and the cliffhanger at the end has me out of my MIND.

4.5 stars—taking off a little bit because it was juuuust a little bit more insta lovey than I wanted it to be (im such a slow burn bitch that it takes a lot for me- bring me YEARNING) but truly the fantasy of this story is SO GOOD that I was willing to play along with the romance if it felt too fast for me 😅

Out next week!!! Thank you for endlessly to the publisher for the advanced copy!

Eerie, romantic, high-stakes fantasy, what's not to love? Being Rachel Gillig-approved I had high expectations and this did not disappoint. My only complaint is I need more! I loved the different lore throughout the book and learning exactly who/what Imogen was. I adored watching a bond-of-convience become something more. I definitely will be picking up book 2! Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the opportunity to Arc read this!

In the Veins of the Drowning hooked me with its eerie, atmospheric vibes and slow-burning tension. Kalie Cassidy weaves a haunting story full of secrets, grief, and magical currents that run deeper than they first seem.
The characters are complex, and the writing has this poetic quality that pulls you into the mystery. It’s not fast-paced, but if you enjoy moody, immersive fantasy with emotional depth, this one’s a great pick.

This is a dark fantasy rooted in Siren mythology, and it immediately pulled me in. Imogen is a strong yet conflicted woman. She is both embracing and resisting the pull of her Siren nature. Sirens are considered monstrous creatures and hunted relentlessly. Imogen has been hiding who she truly is and as long as she stays away from the ocean, she is able to control her powers and keep her wings hidden from sight. But everything changes when she meets a king visiting from another kingdom and forms a blood bond with him.

The world feels fresh and unique, and certainly kept me turning the pages. This is a wonderful start to what I think is going to be an amazing series and I can't wait to see where the story goes next!

Thank you to Little Brown and Company and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In the Veins of the Drowning by Kalie Cassidy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the opportunity to read and review this book.

🧜🏼‍♀️Siren-lore
⚔️Touch her/him and die
🪢Magical bonds
🖤He falls first
✨Yearning

“But if you are to devastate me, then let it be completely. Lay waste to me and everything that’s mine.”

If you are looking for your next fast-paced romantasy book to obsess over this is it!
I am OBSESSED! This book has it all, from feminine rage to fiery want, from monstrous girls to dutiful kings.

Ultimately it is a story about a woman who wants. Wants desperately to find home, safety and who she is. Imogen is such a easy character to relate to if you find yourself feeling alone and on the outlines of life. If you are anything like me you will find solace in her clawed attempts to grab at security and warmth and grow more fond of her as the pages progress. She is flawed, angry, lonely and entirely wonderful.

If you enjoy the second season of Brigderton, but want it to be a bit grittier and feature sirens then look no further. The seaside gothic vibes of this book are wonderfully immersive and the longing between Theodore and Imogen is just so swoon worthy. I cannot wait for the next book to see where Imogen’s knew found knowledge and growing power take her.

Read in one sitting on a long haul flight, and despite huge lack of sleep, didn’t want to put it down. For a romantasy this was unique in a couple of different ways. Never seen this take on sirens before. Despite having a couple of different locations, the world felt incredibly insular and almost small? One of my favorite points was tension between the MC’s over decisions the FMC made in the interest of surviving her situation rather than fighting oppression. For a couple of different reasons, it gave off ancient Greece vibes to me, but I couldn’t actually say what type of time period it was set in. Well written and an interesting premise, and I’ll be curious to see how it continues to unfold.