Hmm. No exaggerations: trigger warning for everything. I had not imagined this novel to be as grimdark and depressing as it turned out to be, but here we are. And I do enjoy grimdark fiction so much! The bad thing? All examples of social injustice, abuse, and discrimination in this story are, as far as I can tell, directly taken out of real life. Not metaphorically, not even in a different historical context. So if my idea was to read this and distance myself from my own troubles and current events on the news, things definitely didn't go as planned.

If you like seeing characters struggle and can deal with extensive, interesting discussions of trauma, you will get into The Descent of the Drowned, no problem! POV #1, Roma, is a sacred sex worker and temple dancer with a great, passionately written character arc. Leviathan's POV #2 felt a little lukewarm to me, and despite his interesting childhood experiences with toxic masculinity (followed by his adaptation to societal standards and expectations in order to survive as a youth), I couldn't ultimately take him seriously for various reasons.

There are a few linguistic hiccups in my eARC that I'm sure will be resolved after a second edit, although some word choices did feel odd (for example, could it be on purpose that the author avoids the word "body" in Roma's POV at all costs and substitutes it with "shell" throughout the book? is that a thing people say? does it have a meaning in the context of the plot?). In the end, though, it wasn't just the angst or the war-criminal teenager POV or the constant threats of sexual assault in the other POV that kept me from fully enjoying this story, but the vagueness of the setting.

This fantasy is (quote) "set in a colonised Indo-Persian world and inspired by Pre-Islamic Arabian mythology", which is honestly the most exciting pitch I've heard in a while, but I kept wondering where precisely and especially when precisely it is meant to be placed in time. There are cigarettes, there are guns - there are also unmistakingly white people described as being dressed in traditional South Asian clothes, and I just have many questions about that. Of course, a fantasy setting isn't usually meant to be a direct adaptation of world history, but I felt utterly disoriented when it came to the political and cultural environment in this novel. Who colonized whom? And when? And how? I have no idea, but maybe that is my fault.

This is - and it's important for me to stress this - an own-voices book, and I trust the author to depict elements of their own culture in it more than I trust myself to recognize and understand cultural details I am not familiar with. I am, however, looking forward to the second installment after that ending left me quite stunned! Where is this story going? No clue, and how long has it been since the last time I said that.

This is written quite beautifully, and I felt myself drawn in immediately upon starting the book. The world-building felt rich and the stakes felt very high. However, I had to put this one down >because< the stakes felt so high, and the trauma of the characters was so intensely felt. It did start to act on my own anxieties and felt a little overwhelming for me, so I'm putting this one down and giving it three stars - I think it'll work wonderfully for other people, but it's just too intense for me.

Disappointment. Could the book BE any more obvious? "Jahangir bin Aurangzeb" REALLY? Nirbaya???? It is SO SO obvious. SLOW. Info-dumpy. Where's the action, man? No, action is not necessary but at least the info-dump could have been interesting.

4.5 stars — This was an absolutely exhilarating read that I could not put down, definitely an unexpected book that consumed me from beginning to end. The Descent of the Drowned is a tough read to stomach for sure, the author includes trigger warnings before the start of story. Saying one of the 2 mains, Roma goes through a lot is an understatement, her character is a product of the system of child prostitution and slavery being brainwashed that it is their divine duty since birth, yet Roma is the only one out of all her sisters in the system that doubts and she is just so profoundly fierce unnerving but my heart breaks once the reader learns more of her trauma and her mental headspace. On top of the topics I just mentioned this book also includes torture, multiple accounts of rape, violent assault, mutilation, emotional abuse and manipulation and more. The world building was enthralling along with the complex social hierarchy and magic systems along how mythology was intertwined with it all. The pre-Islamic Arabian mythology was so intriguing with how Lal din wrote it into villagers daily lives and majority depending on it. Also the dual perspectives, wow there is nothing more satisfying to me than dual povs that are done so well especially with letting us into the deeper minds and thoughts of both mains. Levi, the male main, both him and Roma being counterparts yet both so morally grey, in conflict with themselves, and suffering through traumas similar in nature with how it led to the person they have become and deeply burying their overwhelming amount of pain and emotions they don't want to process. I just love them both so much. Levi being a complex character who feels too much, love and pain and more, with his childhood of love and kind hearted soul yet forced to endure military training and become a ruthless unfeeling soldier on the surface level. Both characters' inner monologues were captivating and hard hitting in feeling every single emotion and vulnerability that runs through them. A lot of the revelations were surprising yet unsurprising to me as I expected this with looking forward to how it's going to be explored in the next book. Gah I just find myself so easily emotionally attached to morally gray characters who have so much more to unpack within themselves. After that ending, I'm highly anticipated and 2022 cannot come sooner!

I know that 'The Descent of the Drowned' was technically officially released only yesterday, but I'm already in dire need of the sequel and cannot wait to get my hands on it.

In my mind, this book is easily categorized as one of the best debuts – one of the best novels in general – that I have ever read. With an Indo-Persian setting and filled with very solid worldbuilding to augment that fact, the book is one I genuinely could not put down until I was done, one which had me reading into the late hours of the night. Every word I recognized as similar to ones I knew in Urdu and Arabic delighted me; every story that the author's characters told, every turn of phrase that reminded me of the pre- and post-Islamic anecdotes I've been told, made sure I was enraptured. Which brings me to the characters themselves: Roma and Levi especially, but their friends and foes as well, were in-depth and well-developed personalities that stood out and drove their stories forward with their own decisions.

The writing was impressive, poetic without coming near the realm of purple prose. There were a few sentences scattered in between that would jar me out of my immersion while reading – sentences which were cut short, seeming out of place within the rest of the writing – but for the most part, I was well pleased. I've read reviews which talk about the slow pacing for a good half of the novel, and I will be perfectly truthful when I say I did not really notice it. On looking back, sure, I can see that the pace and action truly picked up only during the latter half of the book, when things actually started happening in a rush one after the other. However, while reading I was perhaps not aware of it because the world needed time to be built for the reader to understand, and that is exactly what was being done.

Before anyone decides to pick up this book, I would recommend that the trigger and content warnings be taken into consideration. The author provided a very helpful list, which includes but is not limited to rape, violence, emotional abuse and human trafficking. In all honesty, I'm not quite sure why this book has been marketed as a young adult fantasy considering the heavy topics it deals with: I'd understand if the two main characters were teenagers, but Levi, at least, is in his twenties, although I can't speak for Roma's age. Adult fantasy or even new adult would have suited this book better.

If you've gone through all that: please, please read this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and White Tiger Press for the arc.

I unfortunately did not enjoy this story as much. I was disconnected to the characters and the plot and found it hard to follow. I know I might be the minority here, but I want to be totally transparent. I found the world building good and the characters interesting, but sometimes the writing became denser than it needed to be. I know that this is marketed towards "new adults" but I have read Adult Fantasy that was easier to read than this.

Overall, this was not my favorite.

I personally couldn't finish this book because the writing style wasn't for me. I didn't connect to the characters at all and while the premise was interesting, the writing style felt very passive in a more "tell don't show" kind of way which really wasn't working for me. I think the world building was really interesting and the idea was enough to make me continue reading after the first few chapters, but I didn't feel enough after a while and sadly this wasn't for me. I think the topics discussed were dark but important and I do think with the right audience this book would be great but this was not for me at this point.

Maybe I'll go back and enjoy it, but for now I'm putting it away and hoping this finds the readers that will enjoy the world building and darker tones!

THE DESCENT OF THE DROWNED terrified me in ways that i can't quite explain. Ana Lal Din has created a world of magic, fear, and hope that i find has rooted deep within me to the point where i cannot have this be the end for roma or levi because i simply would not be able to bear it. the writing, the imagery, and the dialogue within this book are all masterful and expertly wielded. the stakes are higher than i had ever expected and the realism of the tragedy and pain that we see roma and the fellow women in her life go through is striking, visceral, honest. i expected to be triggered by a lot of the topics presented in this book, but i felt somehow protected by roma and emboldened by her strength to continue on. i have no regrets - i am wonderfully happy to have had the chance to read this book, and grateful as well.

Ana Lal Din does an amazing job describing the context of The Descent of the Drowned. Imaginative imagery is easily obtainable with such a great writer but the pace of the book can be daunting. I am not familiar with Pre-Islamic Arabian mythology and the Author does give us glossary terms to understand the culture but it is difficult to juggle all the terms. I do hope the second book focuses more on the characters themselves than the worldbuilding.

This book does contain triggers (Sexual assault, self-harm, suicide, human trafficking). It can be hard to read due to the suffering of the characters but it is a strong plot and I congratulate Ana Lal Din for covering such topics on her first publishing novel.

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

The Descent of the Drowned is an awkwardly paced epic fantasy by newcomer Ana Lal Din.

Taking its themes from pre-Islamic Arabian mythology, The Descent of the Drowned plays with a rich tapestry that Ana Lal Din does an excellent job painting. Imaginative imagery is used early on to set up the context in which our characters live. Roma, a young woman, bound to slavery, and Leviathan, the bastard son of an immortal, have equally luminous backgrounds.

The first half of the book is a struggle. Categorized as an info-dump, the story is plodding to the point that had me skimming pages to get to any penultimate event. That comes at around 60%, and therein does the pace of the book change. Ana Lal Din finally gets to the meat of the story, and while her writing is good, it's not transportive. Far too much time is spent describing clothing instead of enlightening the reader on the magic system (which remains muddled to the end of the book).

It does appear there are to be more in this series, and one can only hope the second book will have better pacing since The Descent of the Drowned feels more like a setup.

I should mention that this book contains a fair amount of triggers; rape, self-harm, suicide, transphobia, and trafficking of humans, to name a few. However, the author was explicit in her intention of drawing attention to these atrocities that still plague our world, so they do not make appearances without reason.

Overall, this is a hefty, somber YA book. Ana Lal Din has thorough knowledge of the world and the lore of which she writes. Unfortunately, The Descent of the Drowned gets weighted down by plotting and pace.

The plot of this book was super interesting, and the characters were all well developed with their own unique flaws and struggle that readers were able to explore throughout the book. There were moments where the writing was a little hard to follow, and the lack of a glossary for the terms made understanding the world and culture this book is set in a bit difficult. I do not know much about the mythology and culture this book is based on, and I think a glossary would have really helped with the info dump in the first hundred so pages. Overall, I really did enjoy the world-building in this book. It was super unique and interesting, and I think it is much easier to follow and enjoy once you make it through the world-building.

Suffering so intense that you shatter. Despair so heavy you can barely move. Betrayal so bitter that all trust is shattered. Injustice so unjustifiable that you have to rise.

The Descent of the Drowned has all of this and more. Based in the mythology of pre-Islamic Arabia, this story challenges and disturbs, seemingly pushing its boundaries so far that they will break, then pushing them further and further. This should have and deserves every single content warning on the list, but if you are willing to take the leap, it is a fascinating look at how people respond to persecution, both overt and when it comes wrapped in shiny bows.

Roma is dedicated to Lamia, a goddess, and striving to escape her fate as a prostitute auctioned to the highest bidder. Leviathan is the son of an immortal ruler who conquers and murders without thinking twice. Both try to push the boundaries beyond what society will accept, and both eventually pay the price, making choices and taking actions that they both live to regret.

Even beyond the obvious challenges around content (suicide, rape, physical abuse, death of parent, the list goes on and on), this book is not for the faint of heart. The caste system is integral to the story and violently enforced, with all of the racism and classism inherent to the structure. The questioning of religion and how its constructs are used against people, particularly women, are particularly valuable. This book will make you think, and you will not be able to speed through it. It is about so, so much more than the adventures of Roma and Levi. Plan accordingly.

**My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.**

Truly exceeded my expectations. It was hard to read in a lot places, but a well done story with interesting and layered characters, and an unpredictable ending.

This story was incredibly dark and intense, and at several moments very grim as well. I would highly recommend checking trigger warnings for this one, and definitely do not advise anyone to go into it with the mindset that it's just typical of a young adult fantasy story. There are many very serious subjects and heavy themes throughout; please be prepared.

That being said, Ana Lal Din does not just add things in for shock value, everything serves a purpose and ties in the larger messages as well as the individual characters' arcs.

The story takes quite a while to get started; I personally was not entirely invested until about fifty percent through. While this doesn't matter too much to me (I like a slow build) this can definitely be kind of a turn off for many readers. Also worth mentioning, the writing style was very simple. Not that it took away from the story in any way, but I do typically prefer a richer prose.

The world-building was interesting and had a lot of depth. I appreciate the author's research and time which was obviously spent in creating a detailed picture of the harsh world of this story. However, I felt that sometimes the world-building overpowered the storyline and the characters themselves, which was something I wasn't personally a fan of.

This is definitely a story with a weaker plot. Plot-focused readers will notice the way that the storyline tends to drift and go off in different directions, and it can even be hard to follow in some places. But in my opinion, the characters are compelling enough to drive the story on their own.

These characters are definitely morally grey, in a way that I don't think I've ever really seen done before. A lot of characters in fantasy are described as morally grey without actually delivering; you are still able to guess what decisions they will make in the end. That is not the case here. At all.

To conclude, this was a great debut novel. I'm very impressed with the world-building, complex characters, and that ending!! I can't wait to see what happens in book 2!

[3.75 stars]

DotD trigger warnings: Sexual assault, drug abuse, self-harm, suicide, human trafficking.

First, big congrats to Ana Lal Din for publishing her first novel. 🎉

This book left me feeling like I’d peered into the darkest depths of two scarred souls. The depiction of trauma and survival is not for the faint of heart. That depth is not easily captured.

In the sequel, I’d like to learn more about more characters, beyond the trauma. I’d like to see adjustments to the pace of the plot.

The book's beginning was great, it made me curious. I loved the story for its quick pace and action-packed scenes.The tale was definitely dark, brutal, and cruel at times, no doubt, but that was why it was so enchanting I thought. The abnormal circumstances and lives the characters live will fascinate you as well as repel you. The author used some local words amidst the story like Samajle, Ho, Ja. I thought they just fit in perfectly and made the dialogue very real and literal. The world-building was very expansive and quite detailed.

But I was hoping for more answers by the end of the book, which did not come. I applaud the author for her brilliant efforts on her debut novel.I also would like to commend the artist who created the stunning cover. If not for the book's cover, I don't think I would have really picked this book just reading the blurb.

This is a rough story, hard to rate. It's slow moving, taking it's time to really introduce a world and 2 very different people in this world. There is a lot around both gods and goddesses and about prostitution and what woman is worth.

And there is a whole lot of suffering. Because the story is a lot about survival - and what it takes to do it. For some, it's to fight back and for others, it's to endure. It's ugly, this suffering and being brought down again and again. It's hard to read and can make chapters feels like a lot more pages than they are. It's hard to read your character's suffering.

but it did end well and left me wondering - I think I might want to read more if the next one is less back story and build up and more action and character progress.

<i>An e-ARC was provided to me by the author and publishing via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.</i>

You know what? This book left me half dead, I'm ready for the sequel to finish me off.

The blurb does an excellent job of describing the plot so I won't be doing that. I'll just jump straight into it.

WHAT A BOOK! I AM IN AWE.

I was not expecting this to be so good? I was hoping it would be, but wow. It has everything. From a strong plot, to fabulous world building, realistic characters and beautiful writing.

I wouldn't say it's "gripping" from the first page, more like interesting. And then we get to the gripping part and that's how I ended up reading this late into the night.

This was a heavy read. Heavy, but the writing carried it nicely so there was a lightness to the heaviness. Does that make sense? I hope so.

The primary themes are disturbing and I applaud the author for the awareness she's bringing to them. This couldn't have been easy to write.

It took me a minute to adjust to thinking of Roma as a female name, around 10% in I did. Roma is a rarity. Not just with what she endured compared to a typical YA heroine, but she's never annoying. She's natural. I love her. And her big secret? I'M ALL FOR IT.

Leviathan on the other hand...yeah I'm not fond of him. He's fairly typical as far as possible love interests go. He does have his moments, but do you know who's even better?

I can't believe I haven't seen him mentioned yet (although I haven't read all the reviews so there's a chance someone has), when his amber eyes were announced I knew I was dooming myself to suffer. And I still said "yes, this is the man I want to stan and ship Roma with".

ASHAR!!! I know we've seen him in five scenes max, I KNOW, OKAY. But the sway he has...I think he's what Roma needs. He's not as broken as Leviathan and he'd be better for her healing. Will that happen though? A girl can only hope.

The rest of the characters ranged from intriguing to I-wish-them-a-slow-painful-death. I really want to know what'll happen to them after that ending...

I couldn't breathe while reading the last part, so much was happening and then suddenly it was the end. THAT'S NOT FAIR! More content please. Pretty please.

I can tell this book is going to be reread over and over again.

I do have one complaint, however. There's this character we never meet with a Serbian name. And he's a human trafficker...can Slavic characters not be evil for once? Coincidentally it's also my dad's name. That's why it bugged me even more. Regardless, I'm choosing to believe that there was no ill intent behind it and that his name was chosen because it sounds cool.

Okay, I have to include a small bonus so I don't end it on a mean note. Ashar related, of course. The words he says to her...I'm ruined forever.

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

The cover, the title, the synopsis, the idea, the prologue, and the setting - all of it is Fabulous! But there are just some books that no matter how much you expect or want to like, they never work out. And this is what happened.
I am just gonna tell you why I dnf-ed it and if this is something that bothers you then maybe this book is not for you. So, the biggest reason is that this was very slow. I have read slow-paced books before but usually, they pick up after a few chapters or so and I would have stuck around if the story didn't feel like a lot of info dump. I get what the author was doing - she was building it up, she was setting up the world and the environment for the story but it felt like a history lesson. I just couldn't carry on.
I have read other reviews, however, where the readers claim that after around sixty percent of the book, stuff happens but I just stopped caring after the forty percent mark. I mean you got to give me something to hold on to right? For the first part it's mostly like a history lesson - no action, no drama, and did I say no action?! I am sorry, this was disappointing for me.
I wish I could say that this book is totally worth the wait, but I didn't wait. lol. BUT other people have, and I urge you to not decide only by reading my review and check out some Goodreads stuff, and see if this is your cup of tea!

3.5/5 stars rounded up

Note: this book is heavier than the usual ya fantasy and I would recommend reading only if you’re comfortable with the subject matter

content warnings: self harm(off page, referenced frequently), death, parent death, rape and sexual assault(major theme), addiction, drug abuse, suicide(of side character, on page), castration of a child, transphobia, human trafficking of child, discussion of grooming, CSA(mention), sex slavery, forced prostitution, physical and emotional abuse

The descent of the drowned is a powerful, slow-paced young adult fantasy set in a Indo-Persian world with thoughtful commentary on the caste, misogyny, the dēvadasi system and an in depth exploration of morality, forgiveness and the effects of trauma and abuse. This book read very much like an adult fantasy to me because of the writing style, the intricacy of the world building and the lack of teens.

The best part about the book is how it doesn’t center a western perspective, there is effort required to read and engage with the content, and it’s so worth it. I also like the unusual pacing I would’ve hated with another book, the first 40% is slow but it allowed me to really connect with the characters which made them so real at the end when the action comes and the guns are out.

The characters are so well developed and grief and trauma is handled so well, I was in awe. Roma and Leviathan are fleshed out and have complex arcs. Also I love how unabashedly feminist and anti-colonial this book is, how it doesn’t fall prey to the supreme right of the monarchy trope, how it allows all of its characters to make mistakes, how brilliantly written it is.

As for complains, I had some issues with the tackling of transmisia; while I’m so glad Descent acknowledges trans people (hijras), being trans is equated to pain and suffering which has unfortunate implications in the real world. I really appreciate what the author was trying to do but it falls flat because these harmful ideas are never completely challenged and dismantled.

All in all this book is wonderful and I’m glad I read it!

Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion in any way.

When I requested this book on Net Galley, I was first drawn to the cover then the blurb. I really thought this would be a simple fantasy book. Oh, how wrong was I to think that. I seriously didn’t expect how it turned out to be. I should get on with the review. So here goes.

Roma is a Lamiadasi. She lives in a world where women are nothing but slaves. But in every world, there are two sides, a good side and a bad side. Roma was unfortunate enough to be born in the bad side. She lived in the temple of Goddess Lamia with her other sisters or Lamiadasis. Lamiadasis were slaves to the goddess Lamia, only women could be her slaves. They are supposed to be sacred. They were known as vessels of the Goddess herself. The only task they had was to please their patrons and birth children. All of them lived behind veil hiding the actual truth about them. About what they were, about what they did in the name of their gods. However, Roma saw through it, not at first of course. Like everyone she was raised to believe that what she was meant to do was a great deed, that she was sacred. She hated every part of it and tried to fight it with all her might.

Leviathan is the illegitimate son of the firawn, the tyrant ruler. He is considered casteless because he was birthed a woman of lower caste. But still he was the firawn’s only son and heir. He was a soft sensitive child turned into a killing machine by the military encampment he was sent to live in. No matter how tough and emotionless he became he still wanted to be good. Tormented by his past actions, he strives to do right thing. At first all he wanted was to find the person who was responsible for his mother’s death.

This story is not a love story. This book is about survival, about protecting the ones you love, wanting something better, a better life. This book is about wanting to do the right thing, to make a change, to go against the evil and take it out. This book is about two character telling their own story.

The plot of the book is quite slow. The pace actually picks up after the 70% mark. However, it is worth the wait. The book is so rich and dense. The mix of cultures used to make the world is what makes this book so much more interesting. The author has done an amazing job writing it. I can’t believe that this is her debut novel, it is so well described. Roma and leviathan’s story is really powerful.

This was really something different. The book is very dark and heavy. It mentions a lot of difficult and triggering topics like prostitution, rape, honour rape, sex trade, castration and much more. The way she has described these topics through Roma’s experience as a lamiadasi was so vivid, I could feel her anguish, her pain as well as her determination to defy the ways and survive. This isn’t a quick read, its not like you can just sit down and finish it in one go. I had to take breaks in between because it got too much sometimes, like there was a huge weight on my shoulders throughout the book. Due to this reason, it took me double the time to read this book.

Overall, it is a great read, it ends in a cliffhanger that had me shouting why?! Why did it have to end this way? I need answers. I cant wait for the next book.