Wow. The Bone Houses was my top read in 2021 and when The Drowned Woods was put up for request on NetGalley, I immediately requested.

This books was fantastic. I loved everything about it. Mer may possibly be my favorite main character this year.

I loved the mythology. I don’t know much (any) about Welsh myths, but I appreciate that this doesn’t shy away from its dark themes.

At the end of Part 2, I felt Fane and Mer’s romance was a little out of place as there hadn’t been much between them before. By the end, though I’m still not sure their romance couldn’t have been more fleshed out, I loved the way their story ended. I love the epilogue and how it ties them to The Bone Houses. Perhaps once I reread, I’ll see their story more and see how their feelings developed.

I don’t know what’s next from Emily, but I do know that she’s got me in a chokehold and I will buy anything she writes.

Although this one took me a while to get into, I ended up really liking it! The writing style totally fit the vibes of the book, it was the perfect enchanting read. Plus, it had Trefor, the cutest little animal companion!! I do wish his role had been explored a bit more, but that's a minor complaint. The magic system was amazing, it was the highlight of the book for me. The way it all played out was so fun, and I'm definitely looking forward to rereading this one in the future.

Thanks to TBR Beyond Tours for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

This book had a strong start and I was so excited to read it. But, that excitement faded the further I read. The characters were bland, and this felt like a mash up of several different ya fantasy reads. My favorite character in the book was the corgi "spy" and that felt unique but that was it. I really wanted to love this book but it ended up just being meh.

Oh how I love a good heist- especially when we must assemble a team of criminal masterminds and thieves and although the Drowned Woods has that vibe, it is also such a magical and unique story.
We have our main character- Mer who is a water diviner and is able to manipulate water as well as find water sources. Her power is so cool and her story arc is even cooler. She was taken as a child by the Prince’s spymaster Renfrew and forced work for the malicious Prince and his evil agenda.
After escaping the prince and being found by Renfrew again, Renfrew offers Mer the chance of a lifetime- join him and his plans to steal a magical treasure that could overthrow the prince or be forced back in the prince’s hands.
Together, Renfrew and Mer plus a ragtag group of misfits (a fae-cursed and deadly boy, the lady of thieves, a lordling’s cousin who cannot leave behind a stack of books, and a mysterious mercenary plus the cutest corgi sidekick!) get together to bring down the prince. But the journey is nearly impossible and they must all rely on Mer to get them there safely.

Ahhhh this was so good!! I think the magical elements and folklore interwoven in this story was my favorite part. it reads so much like a dark fairytale- which I am a sucker for.
I also really enjoyed how every character had their own sets of struggles and secrets yet their stories connected so beautifully. I especially loved a certain two and their blooming feelings for each other. Overall, this was a beautiful and magical story that will hook you from the prologue to the epilogue.

THE DROWNED WOODS was an atmospheric and all around fun new fantasy from Emily Lloyd-Jones. First off, I loved Trefor, the corgi, the most out of anything out of this book. He was so precious and perfect, and as far as I am concerned, the MVP of the entire novel. I also loved the influences of Welsh folklore all throughout the book. It gave the world a very atmospheric feel to it which drew me in so quickly. I really enjoyed this quest gone wrong kind of story and the emotional arcs that the characters end up going through. There is a twist about 2/3 of the way in that changes everything and really gets the blood pumping. The story is like a wave, building and building until it crashes to shore, making the pacing perfect in my opinion. Elemental magic, morally grey thieves, and otherfolk all come together to form a delightful narrative about betrayal and redemption that is just as beautiful as Lloyd-Jones's prose. You can't help but be invested in Mer's, Fane's and Ifanna's story and all the entangled relationships herein. It's kind of a love triangle but not really. We have a quest, a heist, and found family dynamics here in a fantasy that will just transport you to another world, which is a magic all on its own.

This magical adventure had a fun cast of characters, humor, strong friendships, and diverse representation - all qualities I love! The intriguing plot - a unique blend of heist and magic - was carried out beautifully, with great worldbuilding and a fun dash of Welsh terms which were interesting to learn the definition of. I also adored the fact that it wasn't romance heavy, and the subtle twists added the right amount of depth. AND THERE IS A MAGICAL CORGI!!
Just read The Drowned Woods, ok?

I just had quite a laugh at myself when I opened up my Kindle to see what I highlighted while reading The Drowned Woods. Ya girl really went and highlighted over forty times throughout the story (and let’s be real, half of these highlights were about the corgi).

After reading The Bone Houses, I knew I wanted to pick up absolutely anything Emily Lloyd-Jones wrote. I love the atmospheric writing, the little bit of spookiness, the cozy vibes, and the way the characters just feel so real. That last bit was certainly the case in The Drowned Woods. I felt so connected to this cast of characters that if you’d tapped me while reading, I would’ve been convinced it was Fane or Mer at my shoulder.

While I was aware that the two books took place in the same world, I wasn’t expecting to see so many familiar terms and elements and it was such a great surprise as I read. The ending of this one was the absolute best part for me, leaving me actually gasping with excitement about the way things connected. The epilogue was also written in the same format as The Bone Houses, which was just so much fun. It was a nice little gift to the “dedicated” reader and it tied the two together so beautifully.

Some may make the case that the protagonist of this book is Mer. However, I’d make the case that there is no true “main character.” It follows a group of characters that almost all hold equal importance to the story. There are a few “honorable mentions” of sorts, and Trefor (the corgi who, in my opinion, was the best character in the book), but for the most part, each person contributes the same amount to the plot.

The plot – oh, the plot. If you’re of the frame of mind that thinks “if you’ve read one heist book, you’ve read them all,” you are wrong. This heist book is unlike any other. It takes you for a wild ride. It makes you think you know what’s coming and then surprises the heck out of you. It makes you love morally gray characters. It will have you sneezing like Trefor at all of the magic. It’s incredible.

This book is such a quick and easy read, but it won’t quickly or easily leave your mind. I read it in just over a day and enjoyed every second of it. I honestly didn’t want it to end. Let it be known that Emily’s books are the epitome of comfort-reads! I could pick them up again and again and find something new every time.

[CW: (major) Torture, Death, and Murder, (moderate) Vomit and Violence, (minor) Suicidal thoughts]

“Water did not care for rank nor wealth. It would sweep in, drown all. Unless someone stood in its path.”

I’ve really enjoyed retellings and reimaginings of folk tales from around the world, and this was the first book based on Welsh folklore that I’ve come across! The story checked a lot of boxes for me, including rich and vibrant settings, morally gray characters, a heist that includes magic, lovable animal friends, and opportunities for second chances.


For a story largely focused on revenge, I was surprised by the recurring themes of sacrifice and balance. The characters are layered, and I loved getting to know their motives and backstories as I dove into this ethereal world. There is action, humor, adventure, betrayal, and sacrifice. Also present are hints of romance, but they don’t overpower the plot, which was a huge bonus in my opinion. Lately, I feel that this type of fantasy is rife with jealousy and love triangles and characters changing in implausible ways to make way for a romantic plot line, so it was refreshing that the romance really took a back seat to everything else in this novel.

There were a few spots where the pacing seemed a bit inconsistent, but otherwise I really enjoyed this book and plan to read other stories that the author has written!

A disillusioned water diviner teams up with a spymaster for the heist of a lifetime. This book features a twist on the classic heist novel and memorable characters who'll grow deep roots into your heart.

Mer's the last water diviner and on the run from the prince who used her power to create unspeakable horrors. But when the prince's former spymaster Renfrew finds her, he offers her a chance to get revenge. Together, they'll steal the treasures in a magical well at the heart of the prince's kingdom and weaken his power.

They assemble a ragtag crew: a scholar who's the premier expert on magical traps, a man with otherworldly fighting ability, a soldier of unknown origin and Mer's addition: the heir of the thief's guild, Ifanna, who once betrayed Mer but now holds the key to success.

Mer finds herself drawn to Fane, a man who traded seven years of his life for seven human lives in a bargain with the otherfolk, even as she suspects he's not telling her everything. My absolute favorite character was Trefor, Fane's companion, the happy Corgi who everyone suspected of being a spy for the otherfolk (fairies). This story draws delightfully on magic and myth, weaving a world where Fane and Mer may have more power than even they suspect. Their feelings for each other may change the course of history.

There are plots within plots in this novel that pits its characters against mythical creatures and curses. All is not what it seems, and villains and heroes shift as the story unfolds. A riveting read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd Jones is one of my favorite YA fantasy novels, so naturally I had high expectations going into a companion novel set in the same world. Lucky for me, The Drowned Woods met all of them. This fun fantasy heist twists and turns from the heart of the city all the way to distant magical wilds. Reading it felt like running to keep up in the most exhilarating way possible. I absolutely adore the world of these books and would read a thousand more of its stories. Plus there's a corgi which is worth at least a whole star on it's own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very fun adventure/fantasy story that I really enjoyed reading. You don't have to have read The Bone Houses, the author's other book set in this universe, to enjoy it, but it did help enhance my enjoyment that I did. This one is set before The Bone Houses and the epilogue at the end ties them together.

Some of the characters fell more flat than others, but Mer and Fane were excellent, and, hands down, the best character was Trefor. The author continues adding excellent animal companions that steal the show.

Not gonna lie the first 10 chapters or so of this book were a bit touch and go, as the world and characters were being set up and the band was getting together. But after they introduce The Thief it picks up the pace.

The last water diviner is hiding from the prince that basically kidnapped her as a child and put her under his employ. She was trained to be a spy by the Kingdom's spymaster, her pseudo father, and so she uses her skills to escape/hide. Quite successfully, until her pseudo father is done with the princes' <s>shit</s> antics and decides to bite back by stealing the prince's treasures and destabilizing the kingdom. To do this he will need his water diviner... and a group of experts.

<img src="https://media2.giphy.com/media/JT6iUqxUXcydInhe82/giphy.gif?cid=790b7611331efdbbd1302fb228c6bd16366be4b1fa235ef6&rid=giphy.gif&ct=g" width="400" height="281" alt="description"/>

If you have read Bone Houses, and liked it, then you'll like this one as well! Emily Lloyd-Jones is the queen of writing cottage core stories. I love how her stories feature different folklore tales, and she breathes life into them. One of my favorite parts of the entire book is the setting, and what I call the boss fights. The characters have to face some pretty fantastical beasts in order to succeed in their heist, and it made me kind of sad because facing these ageless beasts, and defeating them, takes them out of the world, like I understand they need to go because at the end of the day it is kill or be killed, but I can appreciate the melancholy of ridding the world of something so majestic and lethal.

There are also twists and turns in the story which sparked my interest from a 6 to a 10--cannot-stop-reading-need-to-finish-it-tonight-even-though-my-eyes-are-so-red-and-I-need-sleep. We deal with a lot of trauma, Mer being kidnapped as a child and branded, then betrayed by a loved one, plus the rest of the characters have their own traumas. The fighter, who has the gift/curse of killing seven people, no matter the skill, in exchange for giving the otherfolk seven years of service. I loved the intricacies of that character and how mature he is. The thief is a fun addition to the group; she added a lot of emotional ties that really got me invested in the characters relationships. I felt like two in the group were not used to their full potential until way later and we don't create such a tight bond with them, which kind of sucked because they felt expendable.

There is also a little bit of romance, though I found it to be not very good in its build up. I was getting more best friends (like Steve and Robin from Stranger Things) than actual love (when they finally kissed I felt more awkward than anything). I bought more into Mer's feelings for her ex, though can appreciate what the writer tired to do by not going down the second chance route.

Overall, the book was delightful even though it had some pacing issues and the bond between characters could have been stronger (between all of them, not just a couple). The bad guy was also quite one dimensional, I didn't feel like he was a threat even though the whole point of the heist was to take him down a peg. He just felt very far away and besides the point as his transgressions happen before the book started. I will definitely pick up the next Emily Lloyd-Jones read!! Love her writing style overall and her books just hit the right Folklore craving.

The Drowned Woods is a retelling of the Welsh myth of Cantref Gwaelod, which I had never heard before. It’s hailed as the Welsh Atlantis, which I can see: Cantref Gwaelod is a kingdom lost to the sea. In the old tale, Mererid is a maiden who neglects a well that then floods the land; in The Drowned Woods, Mererid is a frigging hero!

So what do a water diviner, a fighter who doesn’t want to hurt people, the heiress to the thieves guild, a man of mysterious origin, a scholar with debts, and an ex-spymaster have in common? A heist, of course! This ragtag team bands together to find the magic well in order to steal the treasure found in its depths. But obviously things are complicated and plans go awry, otherwise this would have been a very short story.

This book is a fast, easy read full of action. As somebody who maybe empathizes too strongly with fictional characters at times, I found myself genuinely shocked at some of the outcomes. I also full on sobbed towards the end, so maybe have a few Kleenex within reach. Overall, The Drowned Woods was really fun and full of Welsh mythology that was brand new to me. I enjoyed it a lot!

"Things are only immortal until you kill them."

i didn't know that this book was connected to the bone houses, i have the bone houses and i actually got the special edition of this book as well from my book subscription box. this YA fantasy book had a lot of elements such as folk/welsh mythology/fairy tale, magic, heist, water elemental magic, fae cursed prince, adventure, betrayal and more. i like the morally grey characters, the magic system that is used in this book was interesting. Mer is a water diviner and when the village people found out what she could go, her parents sold her off to a spymaster of the prince to be used as a weapon of war. Mer is able to escape but later she comes across her old handler/friend and decides she wants to take down the prince that took advantage of her. this book was easy to read, like going on a fun fantasy magical adventure. 4.5 YA fantasy mythology, rounded up to 5 stars.

"Water did not care for rank nor wealth. It would sweep in, drown all. Unless someone stood in its path."

i received this arc from NG and this is my voluntary review.

Absolutely beautiful YA fantasy/heist book that was totally unexpected. I usually love a good heist, and this one didn’t disappoint. Lots of twists and turns along the way. I loved the magic, the characters and their secrets, and the unique plot. I don’t know much about Welsh history or folklore, but this book made me want to check it out! I also love any book with a cute furry sidekick, and I just about died every time Trefor was mentioned. Great epilogue as well, everything tied up cleanly.

I enjoyed Emily Lloyd-Jones's 'The Bone Houses' and was excited for the chance to read and review an early copy of her latest book 'The Drowned Woods' - and I was not disappointed at all. Full of Welsh folklore (something I am unfamiliar with and need to read more immediately!) and fantastic characters, I found myself eager to continue reading, to find out what happens next, telling myself "just one more chapter" again and again. I highly recommend readers pick up this book because I think they will devour it. Plus... it has a corgi in it! Come on, what's not to love about that?!

“She could have brought kingdoms to their knees. Maybe she would yet.”

Thank you to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Netgalley, and Emily Lloyd-Jones for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review
I give this book 3.5 stars which I will explain below.

Mer is the last water diviner, people blessed with the magic to sense and manipulate water. When she is discovered as a child the King of Gwaelod takes her to use her for the kingdom. She is trained by the Spymaster, who becomes a father figure to her as she grows up in the Castell. When Mer escapes the king and the spymaster shows up, offering the chance to stop running and live in safety, she joins up with him to steal a magical faerie treasure.

I was drawn to this book because I love a good heist novel and I had heard about the bi-representation that was included. The book started so impressively and I really enjoyed the twists and turns in the story in the last 15-20% of the book.

I really struggled with the characters and the romance in this book. The characters felt a bit flat, I think we got their motivations, but there wasn't really much more to them than that. Especially Ifanna and Fane, despite having both of their POVs throughout the book I never felt very connected to their characters.

The romance just wasn't there for me and definitely felt like there was not enough building to justify the ending. (view spoiler)

Overall I give this a strong 3.5 stars as I did like the beginning and the end, but the middle drag, the lack of foundation for characters, and the out of left field romance brough down my rating.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
This is a welsh mythology retelling, which was a new experience for me that I quite enjoyed! It’s a combination of a heist story, an exploration of fae magic, a warning about political corruption, and a dark fairytale. I found myself wishing the story was a bit longer, if only because I would have loved to stay in that world and finished the book too quickly. I’ll just have to read more from this author.
Also, 10/10 use of a corgi as a side character.

Thank you Little, Brown Books for Young Readers Publishing for sending me an eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an early and honest review!

"There were very few things Mer trusted in the world. Among them were her instincts, the strength of the water running beneath the ground, the capacity for human cruelty - and that a person could be judged by how they treated the powerless. She'd seen seemingly kind men kick at beggars and seemingly unkind ones stop to offer a coin and a gentle word. After all, masks are only useful when it matters who was watching. And the powerless did not merit the facade."

*3.5 stars, rounded up*

This book surprised me! I thought this read would be like Tricia Levenseller's - okay story but it made me happy. not only did it make me happy, but it was actually a quality story. And to be perfectly honest, I had no idea that this was a retelling of the Welsh legend of Cantre’r Gwaelod, an ancient sunken city governed by Prince Garanhir, but then again, I'm not well-versed in such stories (though I would like to be).

I LOVED the writing style. The story flowed like water, and I really enjoyed it! The plot was good (just wish the book would've been longer so the author had time to add extra suspense and conflicts to the story), and the characters were my favorite color - morally gray! 😍 And then there was the perfectly-placed comic relief from Trefor, the adorable corgi. This was definitely a ragtag group of thieves. I was surprised one major time because the twist was an insane betrayal (but I won't say who, of course. You'll have to read the book for yourself to find out).

I think the biggest issues with this book were the ending and overall underdevelopedness. The whole magic system was barely mentioned. If I'm not mistaken, I believe the only two types of diviners mentioned were water (like Mer) and stone. Though I did like that there were consequences for using magic and the greed of kings for diviners (made the story believable). The world wasn't REALLY developed either. At least, I personally didn't feel immersed. Although I haven't read it yet, I did like the tie-in to The Bone Houses.

However, the ending was pretty convenient - I mean, a resurrection cauldron? Seriously? And while it wrapped the story up nicely and gave the HEA I wanted for the characters, the overall feel of the story said it should've ended in a different way.

Overall, a good story, but lacking in execution (there was so much more that the author could have done with this idea). This book is for fans of Master of One.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was pure magic and I loved every second of it. The magic of the story was incredible and the characters were great. I was pulled in by the story and the way character flashbacks were integrated into the the current plot to help build an understanding of the characters was great! I want to learn more and more about this world and the magic system in this world.