Thank You Netgalley and Little Brown for the ARC! I’ve recently been let down by a lot of romantasy novels and this was a great way to get out of that rut. I definitely agree with the comparison to Rachel Gillig as there were moments within this novel that gave me the same feelings I had while reading The Shepard King Duology.

One of the things I enjoyed most was that Imogen was proactive and had a lot of agency in this book. It was very interesting and entertaining to see her come into her power and I am excited to see what happens in the rest of the story.

That being said, I did feel like some of it was a little rushed in places I would have liked to spend more time. I also want Agatha and Lachlan to be more dimensional. But all of this is because I enjoy the story and want to have as much of it as I can!

this book was phenomenal and enchanting. just like the main character’s abilities, the author lured me with her writing alone. I felt so drawn to these characters and their story, a perfect five star read for me that I will recommend as far as the depths of the ocean will take me.
the plot gripped me on the synopsis alone but the romance aspect in this won me over. of course I live for when the love interest is a broody KING of all people, but when you throw in a KING WHO GOES ON HIS KNEES for you— Imogen if you won’t keep him I will.
all the characters were so complex, it just helps validate how immersive the writing was from start to finish. you couldn’t help but feel for them as they all tried to grip a sense of belonging in a world that forces them to choose duty over wants.
i was completely hooked, and the ending only makes me wish i already had the second book of this duology in my hands so i could further explore the lore of it’s world.

Spoiler free review:
I didn’t like this book much. Gothic vibes along the line of One Dark Window, but it felt like the pacing was too fast, while dragging along at other points. The main character was childish to me. I understand she had lived a life full of hardship, but the choices she made were very selfish and I had a hard time sympathizing with her plight. It felt like they were instantly in love, and honesty just all felt like it was all a little too convenient. I also don’t like books about affairs much, which seemed to be a main point of this book unfortunately. There was so much potential with this book, it just seemed like it missed the mark in many aspects. I'm sure some people will enjoy this book, it just wasn't for me.

Thank you Netgalley and Little, Brown and company for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book was fine, but has the potential to be GREAT! I loved the world created, but just wanted more. The characters were interesting and I liked them, but I felt like they needed more depth to them. I am intrigued and look forward to reading the next book.

I just do not think this one was for me. I struggled to connect to the characters and felt like twists were there just to check boxes.

In the Veins of the Drowning is an exciting new Siren themed Romantasy that you will not want to miss! Imogen and Theodore are going to be your next favorite ship. Imogen is a Siren and ward to King Nemea who is a 26(!!) year old preparing for her marriage to the captain of the guard. Theodore is a young(27) king of the neighboring kingdom. Kalie Cassidy has crafted an exciting, adventurous tale that had me hooked from the very beginning. King Theo drops some absolute 'Anthony Bridgerton Love Declaration' BANGERS!

It was in the darkest, deepest pert of the sea that monsters were made.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown, and Company for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I think any author who finishes a book should be congratulated. And I also acknowledge that some books just won't hit for some people. This one was a miss for me. I struggled with caring about anyone in the book or anything. Hot characters just are not enough for me to struggle through a romantasy when there are such amazing ones out there! I am sure some people will love this, it just was not for me.

Got to read this early as a “ read now” option on Netgalley and I may have found a new author to follow. Spoiler free review: a fresh new take on Sirens ( at least new to me) and the start to what I believe may be a promising new series. This is written really well and the FMC and MMC are both like able and engaging characters with the FMC dealing with much darker emotions and powers than her counterpart. The book itself also has some darker moments and the trigger warnings our listed out at the beginning of the book. The ending leaves it open to what I hope will be a series or a duology because I definitely need to know what happens next.

I wasn't initially aware how much of a full-blown romantasy this was going to be, and I have to admit there was way more sex than I anticipated. This is not a slow burn, yearning sort of book, and the speed of the main relationship felt a little forced to me. Apart from that, I liked the setting and the writing quite a lot. I'd definitely give it to someone looking for a more sex-forward romantasy being thrilled.

In the Veins of the Drowning was an interesting, easy, and well-paced read. It was a captivating plot in a unique world of sirens and gods and fit perfectly in what seemed like a lush version of "Pirates of the Caribbean" kind of setting. The world the author creates was intriguing and had me wanting to know more about the history of the sirens and gods. The setting is definitely a highlight of the book and really draws you in with its lore. However, Imogen, the female protagonist, did feel underdeveloped and not as compelling as we would hope. Imogen seemed to be exploring a "darker" side of her towards the end, and maybe it will be explored further in book 2, but this does make her character feel incomplete and leaves book 1 lacking some emotional depth so it was difficult to relate to her. But by the end I did find the story fairly engaging and feel hopeful that the next book will flesh out more of Imogen's character.

3.5. Not sure what it was but it did kind of remind me of One Dark Window a bit. I think it’s the darkness or feeling like the atmosphere of the book could best be illustrated in shadows. The MMC is basically Anthony Bridgerton. The romance wasn’t tense enough for me even though it landed all the tropes. It’s probably in the writing. I had trouble tracking the magic. I also didn’t like that the mmc just dropped out. I’d have to see how the next book goes to really know how I feel about this one.

This new high-stakes, page-turning romantasy had me hooked from start to finish! A siren in hiding must join forces with an enemy king to confront a rising darkness while navigating undead-infested waters, a dangerous blood bond, and a forbidden slow-burn romance. In the Veins of the Drowning is an addictive romantasy debut brimming with tension, magic, and self-discovery! 🌊🗡️

✨ WHAT I LOVED:

👉 A captivating world where sirens rule the sea 🌊

👉 A slow-burn romance filled with longing & tension 💕

👉 The internal battle between duty and desire ⚔️

👉 Captivating writing that effortlessly immersed me into the story world ✍️

👉 Themes of belonging & identity that add depth and relatability 🏠

👉 Sirens portrayed as an outcasted, misunderstood group—a timely allegory for real-world marginalization 🌍

✨ WHAT LEFT ME WANTING MORE:

👉 The side characters are so well-crafted—I look forward to knowing more about them as the series unfolds! 👀

👉 The unique siren lore & magic system had me so intrigued— it’s slowly revealed one layer at a time. I can’t wait for more depth in the next book!

✨ READ THIS IF YOU LOVE:

👉 Romantasy with forbidden romance & mythological creatures 🧜‍♀️

👉 Immersive world-building that sweeps you away 🏰

👉 Slow-burn romance with tension, depth, and just the right amount of spice 🌶️

📅 Releases July 15, 2025! 

📖 Huge thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the eARC—this review reflects my honest thoughts!

This book has a really promising story line full of twists and turns. I was intrigued by the world and definitely wanted to know more about the mythology and setting of the world itself; and I feel like the book starts to deliver that with the promise of more to come (since it is a series). That said, I found the characters really hard to care about. They were all over the place in terms of their decision-making, and I felt like their decisions were less rooted in their personalities and more rooted in "this will make the plot do what the author wants". They also didn't have much going on in the way of character arcs, yes, the two main characters have a budding romance, but there was no personal growth or much reflection going on. Ultimately, it was this lack of character development that makes me ambivalent about returning to read the sequel; there's just not enough to motivate me to return to the series.

This was a really fun fantasy romance themed book. There is a cliffhanger and already plans for book 2. There are sirens as you probably haven't read them before, political intrigue, and a bit of smut.
This was a really quick read for me as the story flowed well and was interesting from start to finish.

I was so excited to see a romantasy about sirens and In the Veins of Drowning did not disappoint! The writing is beautiful and I really came to love Imogen. Such a great story!

This was actually really good. Like if I was a BookToker I would make a video about it that would go viral and be the next ACOTAR or something. That good. I’ll admit my bar was really low because I got a free ARC of this from NetGalley. For a book I got by accident that I’ve never heard of, it kinda ate. I picked it up because (1) romantasy obviously and (2) I have been told I am pretty enough to be a siren so I figured I should learn more about my sistren.

The story centers around Imogen. If you’re into any fantasy, the baddies are always named Imogen. So you already know she’s a survivor and we love her. Then you have Theo. Kalie Cassidy must have attended the Tahereh Mafi school of pining and yearning because the way that Theo was down horrendous? Absolutely delicious and reminiscent of Cyrus (This Woven Kingdom).

The set up was classic romantasy- mysterious sexy stranger who is definitely a prince or something, an evil king, an arranged marriage, a fostered lost princess, all of the things. Frankly everything that occurred was a bit predictable but the writing was good so she gets a pass. I will warn you though, it was a bit graphic. Hopefully the rest of the series gets a little more creative.

3.25/5 ✰ i liked the concept of the book a lot; i was kinda confused here and there & the world building & pacing was a bit off at times but i liked theo & imogen's dynamic!

thank you to netgalley for the arc copy in exchange for an honest review <3

Thank you Kalie for giving me the opportunity to read an early copy of your book!

This was such an engaging story, I was immersed into this world from the start. The pacing is perfect, it’s fast and keeps your attention from the moment you start Imogen’s story. An undercover siren, hiding in a kingdom that hunts her kind, while a king from a neighboring kingdom is the one who knows her true identity, he agrees to a blood bond and steals her away.
LOVED the writing style, it was utterly beautiful, it flows effortlessly making the experience even better! And when I tell you this is going to be your summer romantasy obsession.. I TELL YOU

For fans of Rachel Gillig’s One Dark Window and Raven Kennedy’s Gild

This is the romantasy we needed with Sirens! Absolutely obsessed.
I loved everything about this book from the darker vibes with Sirens and witches.

The romance is perfection!
It has the perfect amount of yearning and tension.

I cannot wait to see where this story goes. 🫶🫶

3/3.5 ⭐️

this was mixed for me! on one hand, this was a very unique premise in this day and age of fantasy but the writing kept leaving something to be desired. i struggled to feel connected with the characters and their intentions, but the plot was veryyy fast paced! from the get-go, we were thrust into this world of sirens and i appreciated that! i’m intrigued enough to read the sequel and i’m sure the writing will only improve 💫