Fathomfolk: The No. 1 Sunday Times Bestseller, epic fantasy set in an underwater world

Drowned World #1

by Eliza Chan

From one of fantasy’s most exciting new voices Eliza Chan comes a modern, myth-inflected story of revolution and magic set against the glittering, semi-submerged city of Tiankawi, perfect for fans of Jade City and The Bone Shard Daughter.

Welcome to Tiankawi – shining pearl of human civilization and a safe haven for those fleeing civil unrest. Or at least, that’s how it first appears.
 
But in the semi-flooded city, humans are, quite literally, on top: peering down from skyscrapers and aerial walkways on the fathomfolk — sirens, seawitches, kelpies and kappas—who live in the polluted waters below.
 
For half-siren Mira, promotion to captain of the border guard means an opportunity to reform. At last, she has the ear of the city council and a chance to lift the repressive laws that restrict fathomfolk at every turn. But if earning the trust and respect of her human colleagues wasn't hard enough, everything Mira has worked towards is put in jeopardy when a water dragon is exiled to the city.
 
New arrival Nami is an aristocratic water dragon with an opinion on everything. Frustrated by the lack of progress from Mira's softly-softly approach in gaining equality, Nami throws her lot in with an anti-human extremist group, leaving Mira to find the headstrong youth before she makes everything worse.
 
And pulling strings behind everything is Cordelia, a second-generation sea-witch determined to do what she must to survive and see her family flourish, even if it means climbing over the bodies of her competitors. Her political game-playing and underground connections could disrupt everything Nami and Mira are fighting for.
 
When the extremists sabotage the annual boat race, violence erupts, as does the clampdown on fathomfolk rights. Even Nami realises her new friends are not what they seem. Both she and Mira must decide if the cost of change is worth it, or if Tiankawi should be left to drown.

Genres: Fantasy, Mythology, Dragons, Fiction, Adult, Audiobook, High Fantasy

448 pages, Paperback

First published February 27, 2024

About the author

Eliza Chan is a Scottish-born fantasy author who writes about East Asian mythology, British folklore and reclaiming the dragon lady, but preferably all three at once. Her short fiction has been published in The Dark, Podcastle, Fantasy Magazine and The Best of British Fantasy.

Her debut novel FATHOMFOLK is inspired by mythology, folklore, East and South-East Asian cities and diaspora feels. It will be published by Orbit in Spring 2024 with the sequel to follow.

In her free time, Eliza can be found tabletop gaming, cosplaying, crafting and toddler wrangling. She lives in Manchester with her family and a sizeable collection of dragons, Totoros and (mostly toy) weapons.

Reviews

[Mai H. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I want to stop requesting Asian fantasies, because they keep disappointing me left and right. But I can't, because I must support all API authors. Therein lies my conundrum.

Two stars for effort, but I don't have a lot of nice things to say. Of the three POVs, I hated Mira's the least, because at least she was trying with her career. Cordelia is a snob. Nami is useless, stupid, and prejudiced.

While Zana wasn't bothered by the melding of East and Southeast Asian cultures, I was. It's the same problem I had with RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON. Focus on one mythology. I recognized Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese names before I stopped counting. While there is some overlap, especially if China ever ruled your country, we aren't all the same. That perpetuates the stereotype that we all look the same, which is dangerous.

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit

[Paige · Rating 2 out of 5]

Finished just in time! happy release day for the UK 🥳

★ 2.5 stars

The Plot

This is a political adult fantasy set in the semi-submerged city of Tiankaw. The story focuses on half-siren Mira, her partner Kai, who is a water dragon, his sister Nami, an aristocratic water dragon and Cordelia, a second-generation sea-witch. One of the main conflicts of the novel is that unrest between the human world and the Fathomfolk. The Fathomfolk are seeking a better life in the cities, however, political agendas controlling their freedoms.

Mira is a headstrong character and the first female captain of the border guard, appointed to assist in easing the tensions between the humans, Fathomfolk and extremists, as well as promoting reform. Nami is an unpredictable and naive character, who was exiled from the city, by her mother to an above-water city due to failing to obtain a dragon pearl. She impulsively joins a anti-human extremist group due to a lack of reform progress, escalating tensions and forcing Mira into action. Cordelia plays the roll of political chess and is a mastermind of pulling strings to ensure self preservation.

╰⪼ My Thoughts

This story is told in third person POV, with an alternating focus on different characters situated across the land and sea. I personally prefer first person perspective and found it difficult to connect to the characters with the story being told with an outside lens. The multiple perspectives were confusing at times as the focus shifted frequently (sometimes within a chapter) and made it difficult to discern which character and location the current setting related to.

I did enjoy how the book commented on social issues such as privilege, poverty, political exploitation and social hierarchy, in a fantasy setting. These external influences ultimately impacted upon some of the decisions made in this book (for better and for worse).

Mira's partner Kai, is ambassador to Tiankaw and I liked that she was conscious of standing on her own footing and not in his shadow when undertaking her role as captain. She received social scrutiny due to her status as a half-siren and whether she used her abilities improperly to gain advantage. She was my favourite character between herself, Nami and Cordelia as I just didn't care for the others at all.

The story has good bones and rich world building with interesting concepts, however, it felt like there was too much going on and the direction of the book felt lost at points. While the development of the world was strong, there was several mythical creatures introduced, however their abilities weren't covered with much detail (sirens, sea-witches, kelpies, kappas, mermaids, water dragons etc).

The pacing was slow at the beginning of the book which I generally expect for a new fantasy world, however, as things did pick up it felt rushed and not thought out. This is marketed as adult fantasy but it did read more YA for me and felt like it needed another round of edits. For my romance lovers, there is a sprinkle of romance but it's very minimal.

It's an incredible achievement to release a debut fantasy and I applaud the author on her originality and the stunning cover. Unfortunately this wasn't for me, but I can see others enjoying this more than me.

➸ Thank you Little, Brown Book Group UK (Orbit) and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this arc in exchange for an honest review.

The reviews are scaring me but the cover is so pretty, I have to give this a chance 🤞🏻

[Zana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Buddy read with Mai!

Big yikes.

This is such a poorly thought-out political novel.

The rhetoric concerning the ending feels dangerous and insensitive, which is why I can't bring myself to give this anything higher than 2 stars. Maybe it was unintentional on the part of the author, and maybe I'm reading into it too much, but it didn't sit right with me at all. I'll include it in a huge spoiler alert at the end of my review.

Hell, I might even come back a few months later to knock this down to 1 star. We'll see.

All right, I'll start with the one thing I loved about this book: the rich worldbuilding. Tiankawi is a city that's partially built on the water and incorporates bits and pieces from Southeast Asian and East Asian cultures. It reminds me of Singapore (I partially grew up there) with its sights and smells. All sorts of cuisines from different cultures. (I wish there were more emphasis on food in this arc!)

I haven't been to either Hong Kong or Taipei, but Tiankawi seems to draw heavily from those cities too. Trams, cable cars, and tall buildings dot the skyline. Closer to the water, there's more of an influence from the waterfront area of historical Singapore, with shorter buildings and all types of wooden boats.

Anyway, that's the only part I loved about this arc. Ymmv, because Mai hated this. It reminded her of the worldbuilding in Raya and the Last Dragon. I didn't watch that, so I can't really comment on it.

Okay, so I thought the storyline(s) and characterizations were meh at best. The first 50% dragged so much, Mai and I couldn't stop complaining to each other.

As much as I want to say that it picked up after the midpoint, it really didn't. Storywise, it did. But pacing wise, it still dragged like a sack of potatoes.

The climax and ending were even worse, imo. It felt very YA Asian fantasy mixed with kids anime, I couldn't believe any of it was even happening. What the actual fuck?

This arc wanted so badly to be an adult fantasy, but at times, it read so juvenile. If it stuck to just one tone/voice, then it would be so much more consistent.

I was promised an adult fantasy, but received a YA fantasy instead. Which isn't a bad thing, if it was marketed correctly.

While the multiple POVs didn't really hinder the storytelling, I'm not actually sure if it helped to tell a well-rounded story. We get different views and understandings of Tiankawi history and politics through Mira, Nami, and Cordelia, which was great, but the characterizations were so inconsistent.

At the end of the day, there wasn't really anyone to root for. For a book about social disparity and economic inequality, this isn't a good sign.

Mai and I felt nothing whenever a jaw-dropping reveal about a major character occurred on page. We couldn't connect to either the characters or the storyline.

I won't lie, the entire time I had no idea what Cordelia's/Serena's actual purpose was other than to sow chaos between fathomfolk and humans. Is she supposed to represent self-hating BIPOC who can pass? Because that was how I felt reading her POV chapters.

At first, I really liked Mira because she tries to do the right thing and the mixed siren and human viewpoint was pretty interesting, but in the end, she turned out to be a wet blanket. Her life in the border guard, her upbringing, and her relationship to Kai, the minister of fathomfolk, provided a cool view into the Tiankawi commonor life, but all of that wasn't enough to keep my attention. It got old pretty quickly.

Nami's views on fathomfolk rights and her political extremism, mixed with her upbringing, seemed like a really weird attack on youth political viewpoints in general. It's like how young radicals are viewed as too naive to understand how society is structured and upheld, so therefore their far out ideas and actions don't have any merit.

At the end of the story, it felt like the lesson boiled down to political moderation is the best way forward. If you're someone who agrees with this, maybe you'll like this. It just seems too simplistic for my tastes. I highly doubt I'll pick up the sequel.

And honestly? I'm just glad the author recognizes that the "romantic" relationship between Nami and her love interest is, in fact, majorly icky and reeks of grooming (along with instances of gaslighting). A lot of reviewers have complained about this, and I was afraid that this romance might be a selling point.

Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for this arc.


****MAJOR SPOILER ALERT****


What in the absolute FUCK was that ending? EVERYONE now has gills? Is this some kind of "all lives matter" statement???

I was already having problems with the whole dragon pearl thing (reads like juvenile anime wannabe Pokemon or Ghibli), but this is such a dumb deus ex machina I can't even


****END MAJOR SPOILER ALERT****


-----------


Me on the outside: Yay, another buddy read with Mai!

Me on the inside: Oh god, here we go again... 🥴🥴🥴

[Sarah (berriesandbooks) *semi hiatus* · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh, this is not a good book. I should have DNFed.

The world needed to be edited down. The author threw every type of underwater mythological creature under the sea and called it a day. I wish she had chosen a few select creatures and fully fleshed them out.

We have three POVs, and all of them felt flat. There's always a risk if including several POVs; you have less time to flesh them out. None of the characters were developed beyond basic personality traits. Let me summarize our main cast: good, naive, and evil. I could not have cared less what happened to them.

The biggest crime this novel committed was that ending. It undid all the moral dilemmas and injustices the book was based on. I can't even begin to describe how disappointed I was at the ending. Why would an author introduce such hard discussions only to wipe away the chance for any true change to occur?

I won't be checking out the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

[Booksblabbering || Cait❣️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tiankawi is an affluent above water city where fathomfolk and humankind live side by side, supposedly representing affluence, unity, peace, and prosperity.
However, Tiankawi may be above the waves, but it's not the flawless paradise they pretend it is.

Mira (half-siren) was the first fathomfolk in the military and the first to reach captaincy.
Kai is the ambassador for fathomfolk trying to work towards a better future for his people.
Nami is Kai’s opinionated and stubborn younger sister who is exiled to the above-water city by their mother after a failed heist to steal a dragon pearl. She is determined for drastic change and falls in with an anti-human rebellious extremist group.
Cordelia is the ambitious, selfish wife of one of the most powerful councillors. However, she manipulates from behind the scenes, striking deals to better her position.

She wished she could take a blade and shave away the rot, but the deeper she dug, the more she realised the veins ran right through her. All she could do was acknowledge them. Try to change them.

This is magical and reminiscent of a fairytale. The Asian-infused descriptions of cafes and bars giving it a cozy atmosphere of familiarity, community, and roots whilst being shadowed by contempt, pride, and fear.
This book deals with xenophobic-adjacent issues and behaviours and looks at how a society can come together, or fall apart, when forced to integrate, work together, and confront long-held prejudices.

The romance felt quite juvenile and very insta-love like. In this vein, everything felt fairly predictable however I’m hoping a side character I really enjoyed in this book who randomly kept popping up will have a greater role in further books and add further queer representation to the main cast.

Whilst the plot felt quite predictable, the slant on the sea and fathomfolk and the visuals (vibes?) of the atmosphere kept this fresh.
Changing rating from high three stars to a rounded up 4!⭐

If you enjoyed this, I would recommend Daughter of the Drowned Empire, and The Girl who Fell beneath the Sea.

Thank you to Orbit for providing an arc in exchange for a review!

Bookstagram

[Sara Machado · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fathomfolk is a uniquely imagined fantasy novel, full of political intrigue and social commentary. The story happens in Tiankwani, a drowning city where humans and fanthomfolk live in a post-war environment. To aggravate the already existent tension between species, Humans have polluted the oceans (does this sound familiar? 🙄), forcing Fathomfolk to abandon their havens and move to the cities above, causing an increasing concerning refugee crisis, culminating in the tradicional problems of integration, discussions of culture and values, what to do with non productive refugees, and the ultimate bad decision - enclosures.

These are very important themes, and although quite heavy, I appreciate seeing them reflected in fantasy. This is particular relevant when most releases in the genre feel very similar and unoriginal.

My complain with this book is that I feel it could have been better executed. The story is told in short chapters through different POVs, and although I believe this usually brings dynamism to the story, in Fathamfolk had the opposite effect, and made me feel disconnected from the characters, and ultimately, with their perspective.

Stronger and more developed characters could have made a huge difference. I also disliked the ending as it partially anules/ invalidates all important issues, dilemas and social commentary raised. I cannot believe this ending happened.

I would like to thank Little Brown Group, Orbit and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A full rant of a review will come soon because I do think this book is incredibly misunderstood! 🐚

(FINAL AND FULL REVIEW):

I honestly think this book is incredibly misunderstood. This is a story that comes from experiences within a diaspora community and how othering has come to define immigrants while also tackling the heavy topic of xenophobia. I’ve seen other reviews that will complain about the mixing and mashing of different mythologies within the book, but isn’t that what a the lumping of minority groups basically stands for for the majority? The lumping together of different ethnicities simply because of their geographic region? Just something that I think some people might have missed in their read-through, but again, this is their opinion and I’m not shaming them for it. But going into this expecting a fun and simple Asian mythology inspired water tale is doing the book an incredible disservice. 😔

The fathomfolk of this fantasy world are a mishmash of different water creatures from all over the world. From the kelpies and selkies of the British isles to the water dragons and kappas of Chinese and Japanese folklore. I thought it was really cool getting to see all these creatures together in a multicultural like manner as it helps set the tone for them all coming from the ocean/water. And even within the fathomfolk community lie prejudices that is prevalent in some real life minority groups. The othering of these water creatures as an “us vs. them” concept really set up the tension and premise of the novel as the POV characters attempt to navigate a world that is set up against them in the first place. 🌊

Mira is a half-siren and her story revolves around the prejudice that she faces as one of the fathomfolk but also as a human. I honestly related to her the most out of all the characters because I have faced some of her personal problems in my own life as an interracial adoptee, from the incredibly invasive and uncomfortable questions from strangers to that of people questioning your “proficiency” in your native language. While it was a bit too close for comfort, it really made me feel seen in a way that I actually wished this kind of book was around when I was a young teenager trying and failing to get my bearings as a Chinese adoptee in a white (and later on Hispanic) majority area. 🧜‍♀️

Nami was an interesting character for me. She is both a spoiled young woman from a privileged background, but is willing to learn from her prejudices and mistakes. She’s also rather easily manipulated as she gets roped into a scheme that turns out to be both nothing that she thought it was, and way in over her head. I can understand her stance on activism as I have friends who are very much in this mind (even though I tend to lean more towards Mira’s perspective). Her maturity in the book evolves over the course of the plot, though at times I do feel like she backtracked here and there which would sometimes be frustrating for character development. 🐉

The last two POVs of Cordelia and Serena were interesting. I won’t talk more about them in case of spoiling the plot for others, but they both will do anything to protect those that they love, even if it means doing despicable things in order to get their way. I am excited to see where Cordelia goes in the next book though! 🐙

The world building itself was great, it did feel at times a bit daunting. I do feel like there could have been a bit more info about the world here and there instead of bits and pieces as the story progressed, but in the end, I pictured something like a half submerged Hong Kong. 🌆

In general, I thought the story was done very well overall. As much as the characters were frustrating in their own way, it made them out to be more real people to me with their faults and morals. Again, I think people should be going into this book not expecting a mythology retelling like read, but instead a fantasy that is based on diaspora communities struggling to thrive in a system that wants nothing to do with them. Definitely worth a read for those who liked the racial tensions and prejudices that were present in the Daevabad Trilogy with kickass women who’ll stop at nothing for those they love and deem to be a worthy cause. 🪸

Big thank you goes out to Orbit Books and NetGalley for accepting my request to read in exchange for an honest review. And to the author, Eliza Chan, for writing an incredible book that tackles diaspora themes in a fantastical way that still feels relevant in today’s times. 💙

Publication date: February 27!

Overall 4.25/5 ⭐️

[Kahlia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, Fathomfolk is an amazing idea of a book, let down by the fact that it desperately needed another round of edits. I loved the concept of a sea-dwelling population that combines a whole range of different folklores and mythologies, from water dragons through to seducing sirens and twisty sea witches. There’s also some interesting parallels to modern politics in the plot line of the Fathomfolk seeking a better life in the cities, but being exploited for political gain.

However, this book just feels unpolished, for lack of a better description. Chapters end abruptly, the metaphors don’t always make perfect sense, and a number of major plot points are skipped through in mere sentences or introduced far too late to have the impact the author intended. This made it very hard to connect with the characters, and sometimes their motivations and actions seemed inconsistent. I found myself struggling to engage with the story at many points, and desperately wishing things were made just a little clearer.

[Zsu]

DNF this because I just ... didn't like it. I'm not going to give it a proper rating because I read the first few chapters and then skimmed for a while but the book just failed to draw me in.

Lots of reviews were saying how great the world building is, and I agree - even from the initial few pages it seemed very rich. But the actual world itself I wasn't a big fan of. It seemed like a semi-modern, semi-fantasy NYC. In one of my updates I compared it to a cross between Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken and I still stand by that. I also couldn't shake the impression that this book felt incredibly YA just because of how cartoon-ish/sitcom-like the whole story was.

Overall, if a book can't get me intrigued enough in the first couple chapters to continue reading, and the plot bores me then I usually stop reading. This one didn't feel worth carrying on with.

I received the ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

[juju (hiatus) ｡𖦹°‧ · Rating 2 out of 5]

dnf @23% i mean…id be lying if i said this was good

pre read:the number of dnf’s this book has 😭😭 i really hope i like this

[bolbo boggons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh boy, I was NOT prepared for Fathomfolk. I expected a relatively typical East Asian inspired fantasy with a fun ocean bent--what I got was the most harrowingly, skin-crawlingly accurate portrayal of the current tensions surrounding immigration, race, class and power and how all those intersect. As an Australian, this book hit especially hard; asylum seekers and in particular 'boat people' have been hot-button topics here in recent decades (just as much as in Eliza Chan's native UK). I felt she absolutely nailed so much of the trauma and horror around this very ugly part of the 'race relations cluster' that we don't see depicted quite as often in US books, just given the different ways immigration and racism tend to manifest in these different cultures.

Across the board, Eliza Chan handled her thematic material so perfectly, and so brutally. The allegory she chose was very elegant, and allowed her to illustrate many of her points particularly deftly, in a way which I suspect drives home the message to white readers in a way that might not land as powerfully if using more typical fantasy analogues for real-world race. I also really loved the complexity and nuance Eliza Chan afforded all her characters and factions: everyone had their own priorities and agendas in a way that rang very true to life, everything was illustrated in varying shades of grey, and if there was one message that rang clear as a bell, it's that there are no easy answers to racism and intolerance.

I've seen a lot of reviewers criticising the character of Nami, but I felt her arc was maybe the most powerful, and the one that drove home many of the thematic content the strongest. She's so believably flawed, so believably *young*, and through her Eliza Chan showed just how it is that well-meaning but headstrong and naive young people can be so easily manipulated and radicalised. I found her character arc so heartbreaking but so REAL--and all the more painful for that--because paths like hers are precisely the ones that in the real world lead to teenagers ending up in suicide attacks and on terrorism watch lists.

The other two POV characters were brilliant, too; I particularly enjoyed how Eliza Chan used three very different fathomfolk all with different backgrounds and perspectives (a special shoutout to Cordelia, my devious sea-witch queen) to examine her themes from all sides, as well as to illustrate just how much *minority groups are not monoliths* and there are just as many tensions and layers of prejudice and intolerance within as without. The web of relationships was fascinating and well-crafted, and oh my god, the number of gut punches Eliza Chan delivered. She wasn't afraid to use her characters in brutal ways to drive her thematic material home, and I am incredibly here for it.

Of course, it almost goes without saying that the worldbuilding was rich and textured, but I'm going to say it anyway because it really was so unique and so sparkling. I loved it. My one quibble with the book (for which I probably should lower my rating, but can't bring myself to) is that a lot of it felt underedited, on a line level. The first 20% was very polished, but through much of the rest of the book there was a distracting over-reliance on sentence fragments and some poor epithet use that dulled the sparkle on the otherwise technically very competent writing.

Overall, this is a brilliant debut from an obviously incredibly intelligent and insightful author whose career I'm super excited to follow. I eagerly anticipate the sequel, and in the meantime will be recommending Fathomfolk far and wide.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown UK for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.0 Stars
I tend to love non Western inspired fantasy, so this was easily one of my most anticipated releases for 2024. I appreciated the themes explored in this novel, which focused predominantly on class.

However, in terms of the execution, this one did not work well for me. The magical creatures and the general tone of the story created a feeling of whimsy that felt counterproductive to the messaging in this book. I wanted a story with more weight and emotional depth.

In the end, perhaps this book is simply not for me. I would better recommend it to loves who prefer cuter fantasy stories with heavy romantic subplots.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

[Siavahda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fathomfolk has a lot of promise, but I think it could have been much, much better than it ended up being. The prose is simplistic and the phrasing is often a little awkward, particularly when it comes to dialogue, and I’m far from the first early reader to point out that most of the characters are extremely one-dimensional. I had a lot of sympathy for Mira, the half-siren recently promoted to captain of the border guard, but I also found her lack of political skills frustrating; surely she had to know that if she wanted to change things, she was going to have to play ball with the city’s elite? And it’s one thing to be no good at politicking; it’s another to be unable to control your temper and be polite when you’re dealing with people much more powerful than you. I liked her as a person, but as a character, not so much.

The others aren’t better. Nami, the water dragon, is incredibly immature – how old is she supposed to be? Because she reads as 15 or 16, all hormones and acting on impulse and never thinking things through, to the point of stupidity. Cordelia, our sea witch, was almost interesting, but I disliked how we were told her goals and motives as she manipulated people, rather than getting to watch her play puppet-master and gradually see her plans come to fruition.

At first glance, I thought the worldbuilding was wonderful, but the more we saw of it, the less sense it made to me, and I think the way Chan went about giving us the information was clumsily done. My biggest issue is, why does underwater life mimic land life so much? The Folk use their magic, called waterweaving, to protect their food in little air-pockets so it’s not ruined by the water; they use it to hold things to counters so they don’t float away; they use it to allow themselves to walk along the sea-floor. But…why would underwater life look like that? Shouldn’t it be completely different to how humans live on land? It feels incredibly lazy, like the author went looking for a way to justify/allow her underwater people to live like humans, rather than sitting down and actually thinking about how non-humans who’ve never seen dry land would live. Seriously: why are they walking on the ground? They can all swim!

Other worldbuilding questions: why are the city guard called the kumiho? Kumiho are like kitsune – fox spirits – but from Korea; do they exist in Chan’s world, or are they just stories? Why does a city that reviles the Folk have a place named Glashtyn Square (glashtyn being a kind of horse water-beastie from Manx folklore)? If dragon pearls are functionally dragon eggs, why on earth would the dragons allow humans to keep a stolen one and turn it into a symbol of land and water people getting along?! That’s a baby! How is that not obscene? But Nami’s whole storyline kicks off when she tries to steal it back and gets in an enormous amount of trouble for it – not in trouble with the humans, but the Folk, including her mother, whose pearl/egg/child it is! Wtf?

Also, I get that ‘drawback’ is a term related to tsunamis…but if you call your extremist group the Drawbacks, I promise you, that’s not what most readers are going to hear. It only makes your rebels sound like complete and utter idiots.

I loved how many different water beings from different mythologies I saw – mostly Asian, but not all – but I have no idea how to picture any of them in Chan’s world; they’re not described visually, and there’s no explanation of what a selkie, kappa, or kelpie is. If you don’t know, Chan’s not going to tell you; and even if you know the mythology – which in most cases I did – there’s no guarantee that what I’m picturing is what Chan wants me to picture. That was baffling and annoying in equal measure.

There’s a fair amount of telling-not-showing – which was so disappointing with such a gorgeous and diverse setting, where I wanted to see everything! – but the dealbreaker for me was how often important moments kept happening off-page, for us to be told about them later. For example, early in the book, Mira has a pretty major fight with her boyfriend – but we have no idea until she recaps it for us in her thoughts in a later chapter. That was a scene that should have been on the page, and I have no idea why it wasn’t.

To me, Fathomfolk feels unfinished, an early draft with the potential to be something incredible, but that just isn’t there yet. The characters need more fleshing out; the underwater worldbuilding needs to be completely rethought from the seafloor up; and the prose needs at least one more round of polishing to make it flow – pun fully intended – better. As it is, I had no interest in finishing it, and I doubt I’ll be coming back for another try later.

[sof (reading slump)]

dnf at 61%

i really tried to enjoy this, but i just couldn’t get myself to fully immerse in the book and the characters. i think the plot and ideas were really interesting, and i can see others enjoying this, but it just wasn’t a good fit for me.

[Theta Chun · Rating 2 out of 5]

TLDR; Despite genuinely some of the best pan-Asian worldbuilding I’ve ever seen, the politics of this book, and it’s stance on revolution is a boba liberals philosophy of liberation. A weak, inherently flawed, and ahistorical POV which fails to understand that being slowly and systemically killed by an oppressive force is violent. Also why is the main character fantasy ICE?

Oh boy… where to start? So Fathomfolk is a novel I almost loved, and I’m remarkably sad I didn’t. My family are all obsessively in love with the ocean (ie they sail and they try to make me learn to sail) and Asian, so Fathomfolk felt like it was going to be a fantastic novel to see the lesser talked about parts of Asian culture. And while it was, it also had deep and abiding messaging that I honestly felt so over as soon as I realised it was happening. Just ask my friends, they’ve had to hear about it all day.

So, what was good about Fathomfolk? For one, the cultural mishmashing. So often when books say they’re going to mix n’ match Asian cultures what they mean is that they’re mixing China, Japan, and Korea in what’s often more offensive than not (warning for the wise, us Koreans hate being mistaken for Japanese). Fathomfolk had the wise audacity however to not do that, but instead stare the reader directly in the eye and drag Southeast Asians, South Asians, and even some West Asians into this conversation. It’s a blessing to read about a character Mikayil in the Sampangan district discussing the Onseon with Kai‘a ahma over a plate of paratha. I refuse all other Asian cultural fusions unless we’re making this all, or almost all, of Asia’s problem. We’re either here together or not at all, cowards.

That being said, the politics of this book, and it’s understanding on revolution is ass. This book falls into a false dichotomy of ‘the pacifist oppressor vs the violent extremist rebels’ choosing to paint the “good guys” as those who work in the system. All the while those who work in the system are cops, oh I’m sorry, captain of the border guard, and royals, which is to say, the most privileged of the oppressed. Heck! In the case of the border that’s just enforcing systemic oppression by refusing entrance to refugees! (That’s not even a joke, the fathomfolk in this book are often called refugees). Furthermore, Fathomfolk volleys back and forth between actual meaningful critique of oppressive systems and states and going ‘oh no, but violence is bad! Owo.’ All the while the oppressive state in question, Tiankawi, is actively murdering people. Which is, you know, violent. But instead this book acts as if those slow murders aren’t themselves violent, and that punching a cop whose accusing you of terrorism because you saved people from drowning is wrong. All that to say, the politics of this book are ass. It’s understanding of violence and stakes and the horrors of this world are ass. And frankly the comparison to books like Jade City and Bone Shard Daughter — books that understand that when discussing liberation punching a cop isn’t really that violent — is a poor one at best, and a deeply offensive one to the books in question at worst.

[Zoë!]

I’ll always be a pretty cover victim

[♥Milica♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

"In that moment, Nami did not care if it was true. Did not care if she trusted him or not. He was a compass point in the storm. She kissed him. He tasted of salt and iron. She screwed her eyes shut and let herself drown."

I love that paragraph even though I don't ship the couple, it happens!!!

OK so, I had high hopes for this book and it did not meet them. I wouldn't say it's a bad book though, but I wish I liked the characters more. I really only liked Kai and that was marginal. Mira was okay, Nami only in certain scenes, that's about it. At least Mira and Kai were kinda cute together.

There's not a lot of romance by the way, barely any, so don't let that quote I pulled fool you. I don't mind that at all, so it's not a minus.

For the majority of Fathomfolk nothing really happens, which is my main gripe with it. It starts with a very slow pace, and only picks up in the second half.

It also feels very YA, which some readers might find annoying when they picked up an adult book.

For me, as a huge YA fan this isn't a problem (I'm always down for YA vibes in adult fantasy), but the characters acting like teenagers in an adult book is. If you told me the main cast was a bunch of 15 year olds I'd believe you.

On to more positive things, I loved the world building, that was the best part of the book for sure. You can tell the author wanted to make it really grand and she definitely succeed. I do wish we got a bit more descriptions about certain creatures however. Because I could imagine them, but as if through a fog.

The plot, once it finally got going, was interesting enough to get me to finish the book. And maybeeee interesting enough to get me to read the sequel? We'll see.

The writing is another thing I liked. Considering this is a debut, I don't have any complaints. I'm sure Eliza Chan will get even better with experience.

Finally, the ending which is a mixed bag for me. Most of the action happened then, we lost an important character (not telling you who), and it's a little confusing. So hopefully the next book will clear that up.

*Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*

[Lau · Rating 2 out of 5]

First book of 2024! Unfortunately not a great start.

Fathomfolk has such a promising premise. I find the idea of its world, the semi-submerged city of Tiankawi, enthralling. Imagining a world where humans and fathomfolk creatures coexist in one place got me all excited. Sad to admit that it didn't live up to my expectation.

I find the storytelling quite boring. It took me forever to get the first half of the book done and practically dragged myself towards the rest of it. I'm really saddened by the fact I did not end up loving this. No characters make me root for them. I just wish for one thing: both sides could live in peace. No wars and blood shall be shed. Other than that, I didn't really care what happened with our narrators. Perhaps, the one who I resonate with the most is Nami (except when she is with Firth, I can scarcely tolerate her).

With that being said, I don't think the book is thoroughly bad. Just a matter of preference is all. If you wish to read East Asian mythology that feels magical, I would say go for it. Don't let this discourage you.

My sincerest gratitude goes to NetGalley for providing me with ARC in exchange of honest review.

[Johanna ♡]

It's simple: I see a pretty cover, I add it to my tbr 😉

[Llona ❤️ "Così tanti libri, così poco tempo." · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ringrazio Ne/oN Libri e NetGalley per avermi fornito l'ARC

la quarta stella per la coraggiosa (agghiacciante) scelta delle tematiche essendo questo un fantasy politico che parla (con eleganza) di razzismo, classismo, disuguaglianza, sfruttamento ed ecologia ( Frank Herbert dopo 59 anni sentiamo ancora l'eco del tuo Dune )
La quinta solo per alzare l'asticella, ingiustamente bassa

TRAMA:
in un mondo devastato da guerre, innalzamento delle acque e inquinamento, le citta sottomarine del popolo degli abissi stanno morendo.
La popolazione marina è costretta ad intraprendere viaggi della speranza su navi che spesso non sono altro che bare galleggianti verso la semi sommersa città di Tiankawi.
Qui vivranno ai margini, legalmente privati dei loro poteri naturali, sfruttati e annichiliti da leggi repressive che porteranno alla scontata insorgenza di Brigate Estremiste con la loro spietata lotta armata.
Fino all'inevitabile rivoluzione... o all'accettazione dell'uguaglianza

ALCUNE CONSIDERAZIONI:
è stata una lettura sorprendente per questo ho letto varie opinioni prima di scrivere la mia.
Anche le recensioni sono state sorprendenti con una sequenza infinita di DNF e un conteggio bassissimo di stelline.
Sono 3 i presunti difetti che si ripetono maggiormente:

_1: già dall'inizio del libro si viene investisti da una quantità di nomi di milizie, cariche cittadine e di varie creature marine senza l'aiuto di descrizioni o glossari.
è poco piacevole ma è qualcosa che farà sorridere chiunque sia sopravvissuto alla Trilogia dello Sprawl di William Gibson e vi si può ovviare cercando su Google o avendo fiducia che l'autrice chiarirà in seguito...
o semplicemente guardando la copertina! (dove le più importanti creature son ben rappresentate) wtf 😁

_2: la caratterizzazione poco approfondita.
Personalmente ho letto questo romanzo ponendo il focus sulla città (come si è costretti a fare leggendo Perdido Street Station (New Crobuzon 1) il disgustoso capolavoro di China Miéville ) e scegliendone la società come protagonista.
(Cosa piuttosto facile con un worldbuilding del genere, limitato ma sfaccettato)
Con questa chiave di lettura i contorni sfumati delle voci narranti rientrano perfettamente nel contesto: al di là del singolo individuo ogni fazione ha la sua complessità.
(E in nessun momento ho trovato sovrapponibili né somiglianti una giovane e ingenua idealista e una militare in carriera frustrata ma ancora appassionata)
Nella sinossi ho usato la parola "Brigate", l'ho fatto con cognizione, perchè ho conosciuto quello che negli anni 70 era un giovane provinciale appena arrivato in una metropoli italiana che si è ritrovato invischiato e radicalizzato dalle Brigate Rosse senza nemmeno capirlo fino a conseguenze tragiche.
Non ho apprezzato il fastidioso personaggio di Nami ma l'ho cmq trovato il più credibile

_3: il finale.
Vero punto dolente perchè non condivido, anzi, proprio non capisco come il finale possa inficiare l'intero romanzo!
Abbiamo davvero letto la stessa opera?
Dopo 450 pagine di denuncia sociale può esserci un solo finale: quello che ci dimostra, letteralmente , che ogni essere ha gli stessi diritti e la stessa intoccabile dignità perchè l'uguaglianza è universale

Lo consiglio, si, magari ad un pubblico adulto (nonostante i personaggi poco maturi) e magari non come lettura estiva da ombrellone

PS: Per non farsi mancare niente (e per chi è scontento delle caratterizzazioni) ci sono anche due ottime rappresentazioni di Manipolatori (da manuale) che mi faranno rabbrividire ancora per diverso tempo

[Ioanna Papadopoulou · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"Fathomfolk" by Eliza Chan is an aquatic fantasy set in the semi submerged city of Tiankawi, where Fathomfolk (water humanoid creatures) and humans coexist. There are three POVs, each of them wishing to change the city in different ways.

This is one of the most imaginative books I have read this year! The vast insertion of mythology in this vividly described world was a pure joy. I loved how it drew all these stories and creatures from all over the world and made them cohabit with each other (as well as humans). This mixture didn't also take away from the book's East and South East Asian identity. Rather, the Asian culture was palpable inside each character's ethos instead of the book's wider aesthetic.

Like its diverse mythological influence, the three main characters reflect the multifaceted idea of change. Mira, a half-human-half-siren, wants to play by the system's rules to prove that she is equally capable as the humans who rule Tiankawi. Nami, a young dragon who just arrived in the city and thinks only open defiance can force the city to change. Finally,  Cordelia, a second-generation sea witch who has lost all hope for equality in the city (if she ever had any hope for it is unclear) and manipulates her connections to ensure her family's survival and power.

I really admired how these three characters weren't simply three ways of expressing different desires but also an examination of change based on one's societal power. The interlock of class and change was, for me, one of the most poignant elements of this book. What each character considers a necessary sacrifice is based on how much they have already lost.

Nami, whose experience of loss and prejudice is minimal,  urges for the most visible resistance, yearns for the change to be immediate and abrupt. I couldn't help but feel that a level of her desire for change was partly to better reflect and show the hierarchies of the underwater society she came from and, as a Dragon, she stood at the top. That she ought to stand at the top by human standards as well. This might be unfair to a young girl, and I am partly feeling guilt for being so harsh on Nami because immaturity is clearly a personal obstacle she needs to overcome but, it irks me that despite all that happens to her, she fights against maturity. It's a slow and painful road for her and others to achieve it.

In contrast, Mira knows all too well what she can lose. She is, more than any of the other characters appearing in this book, trapped in the in-between space of humans and fathomfolk. The prejudice that controls the city has led her to lose her father, a human who abandoned her and her mother. And, at the same time, she is the most palatable of the fathomfolk because she is a bit human too. What a lonely place to be! But, her story is also one of nurture over nature. Even though she feels a connection to the human side of her genes, her upbringing has been that of a fathomfolk, and her links with that culture are the ones that pull her the tightest. Mira is terrified of what the future would hold for her and all she loves if the delicate balance that keeps Tiankawi afloat.

Finally, Cordelia, my favourite POV! She carries in her story the intergenerational trauma of the city. She has all the false promises etched onto her soul, and her fear of the future is pushing to villainous behaviour. Does that excuse her? Of course not. But it does make her compelling. Cordelia knows that those like Mira who play by the system will have the rug pulled under their feet because the game is rigged against Fathomfolk. Her grandmother's story has taught her that. She also knows that the harsh violence of the revolution will lead to poverty and hardship for most of the population. She is the wisest character, who understands better than any other, how unfair life is. As a sea witch, she gets the worst of both worlds. Both humans and fathomfolk distrust her because she is a shape-shifter. She opts to fight for a personal change in her circumstances. To exploit the system because she is convinced that is the only way to better her societal position and life expectations for her family.

This touch of hierarchical perceptions was one of my favourite sub elements of the book. It is so clever that Chan places Nami's aristocracy against the POVs of a siren and a sea-witch to illuminate that prejudice exists within the fathomfolk world too. I really hope the mirroring of prejudice between the human world, fathomfolk society, and the comparison of those two worlds is explored more in the next book!

Like other books this year that really seeded in my mind, "Fathomfolk" took longer to read. Not because I was not enjoying it but because it required a lot of me mentally. And for that, I know this book will stay with me. I will reflect on all the ideas it presented because it is a really beautiful blend of fantasy, mythology, and a psychological analysis of a versatile city.

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Initially I was drawn to the cover of this book which is just gorgeous, then the blurb had me even more intrigued.

This is my first book by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I haven't read many stories with sea/water creature and found the setting - semi-drowned world, with underwater and aerial dwellings and creatures of all shapes and sizes, really fresh and exciting.
We get water shifters of sorts (they do retain some of their feature in their human form), we get humans, we get sirens and witches and mythical titans.
It's a complex world, exploring current social issues in a fantasy setting. We get the fathomfolk who are the underdogs, fleeing their dying settlements and trying to find their place in the human world. The world of humans exploits the folk, but also fears their supernatural powers. There story gives us a poignant look on migration and class struggles, all this at the background of climate catastrophe. It's not all dark and depressing though. There is room for joy, for celebration, for love, but most of all for hope for something better for everyone.
I find it hard to formulate precisely what this story is about. It's about acceptance, giving everyone a fair chance, the freedom to be who you are. It is also very much a story finding a way to change the system through revolution as the Drawbacks want, or it seems so on the surface or changing it from within, which is Mira and Kai approach.
The story started somewhat slow for me, too many descriptions, one too many characters and places introduced right from the start, not enough action. Once I got settled into the world though, I began to enjoy it a lot. The action picked up considerably in the second half and didn't let go till the end.
There is a strong romantic element, actually two romance plots, but it's not a fantasy romance. We get a relationship-in-trouble romantic trope with Kai and Mira struggling to keep their relationship under the immense pressure from outside they face (their careers, their different social standing). We also get a slow-burn romance between Nami and Firth which is not at all what it seems to be (there is a secret there that was not revealed here and I have some suspicions and I can't wait for the next book to see if I am right).
There is a whole set of friends and families and villains that bring so much life to the story.
It's a rich, imaginative, gripping story and I highly recommend it.

CW: violence, serious injuries, death, drug use, violent protests, sabotage

[Bailey Chadwick]

DNF at 150 pages

[Genoveva Dimova · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a fan of Eliza Chan's short stories for a long time, so I was very excited to get the chance to read an ARC of her debut novel - and despite my sky-high expectations, Fathomfolk didn't disappoint. It's a smart and confident debut, with a complex narrative expertly woven together, and characters who feel like real people, relatable and frustrating in equal measure.

One of the best qualities of speculative literature is its ability to turn a distorted mirror to the real world and explore real-world problems through a fantastical lens: Fathomfolk does this brilliantly, by creating a clever allegory for issues like immigration and race relations, setting it all against the backdrop of a vividly built aquatic world. The worldbuilding was so original: the novel is set in a semi-submerged city populated not only by humans but by sea creatures like sirens, kappas, and water dragons, which was a fascinating setting for a novel, and one I haven't seen very often.

The narrative weaves together the viewpoints of three complex women: Mira, a half-siren attempting to change the system from within by rising in military rank; Nami, a water dragon from a rich family entangling herself with anti-human extremists; and Cordelia, a sea witch married to an important politician using the tensions between humans and fathomfolk for her own selfish ends. I found all three of them equally compelling - I occasionally found myself looking forward to one or another characters' chapters the most, but that character often changed, which I believe is the sign of a multi-POV story done right.

While, as mentioned, the story explores some heavy themes, like racism and xenophobia, class struggles, and the climate crisis, the atmosphere is anything but oppressive. On the contrary, there is plenty of joy and love in the narrative, and the world is so much fun to explore, with its strong East and South-East Asian influences and its sprawling city setting. I'm very much looking forward to the next book in the Drowned World series.

[Rodger’s Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ rounded up.

First of all I will say the setting of this book was pretty much written for me. Ever since childhood I have just been obsessed with underwater worlds and creatures so having this urban city bursting with south East Asian culture that was tackling the political and social difficulties of undersea creatures and humans mixing was so much fun. If you like political dramas but want something not about an evil empire, here you go. And the reveal at the end have me so excited for the next book I need it stat and book 1 hasn’t even officially released yet so boo for that.

If you are someone who tends to roll their eyes at a naive character making blunders as they try to do what’s right, this one may drive you nuts so just be warned but you should really do yourself a favor and check this one out.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

**Thank you, Netgalley UK, for approving my request in exchange for a honest opinion.**

I found myself having to read it unwillingly because I received an eARC copy to review. I am very sorry about this because i had a very high motivation to read it. There is a severe shortage of modern novels with mythological sea creatures and above all there is a shortage of good, solid non-romance novels! When I read the back cover, I had already imagined that it would be the best book with sea creatures, given the multitude of mythological creatures and troublesome current issues such as pollution and discrimination.

The world is indeed rich, well-researched and well-thought, but what annoyed me the whole time is that names of spirits and creatures are thrown into the book without explanation (and at least in the arc copy without a glossary). In order to understand what the author was talking about or how that newly introduced character looked like, I had to constantly google them. A few examples are: kappa, saltlick, Fumiho, chang-bi, chinthe. What I would have liked to see is fewer sea creatures (characters), but fully fleshed out ones.

The characters felt very flat to me. I could never tell Nami from Mira, who was the half-mermaid and who was the water dragon because they had the same voices. The same goes for Kai who was supposed to be the finacée of one two, but it didn't make any difference. I thought it was an initial difficulty due to the fact that I had to orient myself in the new world and adapt to the new characters, but unfortunately this difficulty remained even at the 60% reached. Furthermore, all three of these characters seemed very immature to me and I didn't get attached to them.
the only voice distinct from the others was Cordelia the sea witch who plots and manipulates characters to her personal advantage from behind the scenes. hard to get attached to her, though :D

Unfortunately, the story didn't grab me either. i got the impression that nothing happened in the first half of the book and events start to happen towards the second half. unfortunately, by that point i had already lost interest in the whole thing.
What I did appreciate, however, was the premise of dealing with difficult issues such as social injustice, xenophobia and environmental pollution, and I think the author has done a great job with this, dealing with it in a mature way.

In conclusion, this was a book I had high hopes for, as I love sea creatures and found them very suitable for difficult issues, but it left me disappointed.


Recensione in italiano

Ringrazio Netgalley e Neon Libri, per aver approvato la mia richiesta di questa copia ARC in cambio di un'opinione onesta.

Mi sono trovata a doverlo leggere controvoglia perché ho ricevuto una copia ARC da recensire. Mi dispiace molto per questo, perché avevo una motivazione molto alta per leggerlo. C'è una grave carenza di romanzi moderni con creature marine mitologiche e soprattutto c'è una carenza di romanzi validi e concreti!
Quando ho letto la quarta di copertina, avevo già immaginato che sarebbe stato il miglior libro con creature marine, data la moltitudine di creature mitologiche e le problematiche attuali come l'inquinamento e la discriminazione.

Il mondo è effettivamente ricco, ben studiato e ben pensato, ma ciò che mi ha infastidito per tutto il tempo è che i nomi degli spiriti e delle creature sono buttati nel libro senza spiegazioni (e almeno nella copia arc senza glossario). Per capire di cosa stesse parlando l'autore o come fosse quel personaggio appena introdotto, dovevo continuamente cercare su Google. Alcuni esempi sono: kappa, saltlick, Fumiho, chang-bi, chinthe.

Ho avuto problemi anche con i personaggi. Non sono mai riuscita a distinguere Nami da Mira, chi era la mezza sirena e chi il drago d'acqua, perché avevano le stesse voci. Lo stesso vale per Kai che doveva essere il fidanzata di una delle due, ma non faceva alcuna differenza. Ho pensato che fosse una difficoltà iniziale dovuta al fatto che dovevo orientarmi nel nuovo mondo e adattarmi ai nuovi personaggi, ma purtroppo questa difficoltà è rimasta anche al 60% raggiunto. Inoltre, tutti e tre questi personaggi mi sono sembrati molto immaturi e non mi sono affezionato a loro.
L'unica voce che si distingueva dagli altri era Cordelia, la strega del mare che trama e manipola i personaggi a suo vantaggio personale da dietro le quinte. difficile affezionarsi a lei, però :D

Purtroppo, anche la storia non mi ha preso. ho avuto l'impressione che non sia successo nulla nella prima metà del libro e che gli eventi inizino ad accadere verso la seconda metà. purtroppo, a quel punto avevo già perso interesse per l'intera vicenda.

Non è un esordio che mi sento di consigliare, a meno che non siate preparati a ciò che vi aspetta.

[Dario Pacheco · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m one of those readers that basis their reading choices on the cover of the book a solid 75% of the time.
The cover of this book is absolutely captivating and colorful. It radiates a a gripping mythology that this story is promising to tell. Revolution and social injustice takes center stage in a world where humans and aquatic mythological creatures clash in the semi submerged city of Tiankawi.
During my reading:
- [ ] This book for sure throws a lot of information and world building at you a breakneck pace with mixed results in my opinion. It’s really hard to keep a lot of the information straight. I found myself confused and at times speeding through spots where I just wanted to get further in the storyline.
- [ ] The cast of characters were all one noted in my opinion and without the author telling me who was talking I would have a tough time telling who was who. I didn’t find myself really taking a liking to any of them to be honest and that for me is a major buzz kill.
- [ ] And after a lot of thinking I’m deciding not to finish this book. I hate having to force myself to continue/finish a book and this book for sure made me feel that way.
Thanks to the folks at NetGalley for a ARC of this book. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to try this book.

[James Tullos · Rating 2 out of 5]

This has Lightlark Syndrome. By which I mean everything sounds cool on paper but it's just boring and nonsensical.

[mads · Rating 2 out of 5]

Intention: modern, mythical Atlantis meets Chicago? (The city, not the musical.)
Execution: Shark Tale but with less depth.

I get what this book wanted to be. There were moments when I felt like I could see the structure of what it could have been. But, unfortunately, none of those intentions ever felt realized for me.

Part of the issue may have been because the author simply wanted to do too many things. There were too many characters and creatures, the world-building needed to be scaled back a bit so that the reader could find their footing in the story. And instead, it just felt like a constant stream of random information that was expected to make you emotional.

On top of that, as the first line of this review indicates, the vibes were just not there for me. This is going to be super niche and an example of my Christian homeschooled upbringing, but if you've ever seen the Christian show Kingdom Under the Sea from 2003 - that's the energy I was getting. If that show had a baby with Shark Tale and Barbie in A Mermaid Tale, while somehow being incredibly boring and empty.

Overall, this wasn't a terrible book. I see the good in it. I just... think it could have been so much better.

[briar ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ · Rating 1 out of 5]

the amount of racial pickmeism and antirevolution sentiment packed into this book is truly insane. "all violent resistance is evil and bad because what about the innocent white people that will die :(((" give it to god. we get enough of this rhetoric from white people, so i truly do not get why you're contributing to it as an asian.

— worldbuilding : ⋆⋆⋆

i always love asian inspired fantasy worlds, and this was so gorgeous. the magic system, the different species, how this military/government function should have had more elaboration (isn't a kumiho a nine tailed fox?). there were also different mythologies mashed together, which i don't know how to feel about. and the whole thing with the dragon pearl is so friendship is magic core i can't believe it's in an adult fantasy.

— plot : ⋆⋆

there's a lot of plot, so at least it wasn't boring? less confusing than the worldbuilding, but i cared about it much less, so. i was genuinely only reading for the setting after halfway through. have nothing else to say because i despise the resistance storyline, as mentioned above.

— writing, pacing, structuring : ⋆⋆

way too much information crammed in, yet nothing of substance is ever said. apparently this book takes place through several months, which makes sense with how much happens and how the characters' relationships progress but with the way it's written, you would think everything happened in two weeks. it's very jarring.

i like multipov books fine, and three povs is hardly too many, but they are barely distinguished from each other in their thoughts or dialogue.

— characters : ⋆

the excellent thing about this book is that it made me like wren from girls of paper and fire. 14 year old me hated her for being a serial mass murdering revolutionary, but you know what? she had spine. better her than any loser in this book. cordelia, at least, has the self-awareness to be an antagonist. you're supposed to dislike her and her race traitor behavior. mira on the other hand... only so much of her i can take. half the book is just "woe be me. i am too white for asia and too asian for the white people :( so i will completely erase any asianness i have in me for the whites who will never like me regardless." and when she finally stops with the biracial tears act, she still manages to be anti resistance, so she never does anything for me at all. nami, the only character of any merit, gets cold feet at any action and is portrayed as a deranged radical, and her redemption is her betraying the resistance. exactly what rhetoric is this book promoting??

— romance : ⋆

not important to the book or to me, but i just really hated kaimira 🤍.

— personal enjoyment : ⋆

well.

— overall rating: 10/30 • 1.66/5

advance copy received from netgalley in exchange for a review.