An unfortunate case of all style and no substance. This novella tried to do too much in so few pages and ended up doing nothing at all. The concepts, especially the eldritch horror elements, were very cool but not fleshed out. It wasted time with multiple POVs and relationship drama. If the novella had just stuck to one angle, it could have been good, but it completely lacked a through line.

This was a really interesting novella conceptually, but I wanted more from the mystery element of the plot. I thought the religious aspects of the world were fascinating and would have enjoyed these being fleshed out a bit more. The sibling relationship between Quin and Lena was really well drawn and I thought Angel and Starling were intriguing. Overall, this was a good read but I think I would have preferred a full length novel.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Wow space sure is polytheistic!

What a darkly fun novella! Wise accomplishes a lot of really stellar writing in a small amount of pages- no small feat.

The strength of it is in the multiple perspectives the narrative is told through and the varying relationships towards religion and divinity. I think the exploration of divinity and belief was really productive. The connecting mystery between all these elements felt lacking though due to the amount of character work put into the text.

I will critique the world in that despite the premise is *all religion is real* it is biased towards the inclusion of Christian symbols. Although it makes sense given that Religion's dominance over culture IRL, I found that slightly disappointing but it didn't stop

Those with religious trauma are likely to most understand this book and especially the character Quin.

I would also kill AND die for Scribe IV.

A dark and gritty Sci-Fi Fantasy novella with engaging, flowy prose, loveable characters, and an overarching storyline that asks us, what does it truly mean to be human?
The cast in this story really intrigued me; a genderqueer biblical angel, an obsolete but endearing automaton, and a traumatised private investigator battling his own demons (or angels, I guess?)
This book is described as a murder mystery, but it is fact so much more than that, (though I do wish we had more murder mystery vibe overall and more time spent with the investigation). This novella is an exploration into the human condition, and the gap between the worldly mundane and the terrible, eldritch divine.
The character development is astounding for being such a short book and I think it is the main element that makes this shine overall. The worldbuilding is rich and complex, and the story is incredibly moving. My only complaint is that I wish it were longer.
Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for this eARC.

This is crammed with intricate, detailed and intriguing world building, which I absolutely loved. It is set in a universe where gods are revealed, angels are manifest, and prayers are a genuine and means of communication and compulsion. Meanwhile, Scribe IV, an ancient steam-punk automaton, has developed a depth of feeling and emotion beyond his original design intent. He is custodian of the Bastion, a once important but now crumbling relic, where there has now been a murder. Scribe IV calls for the help of Quin, an investigator who has troubles of his own, and a chequered and traumatic past with gods and angels.

The murder mystery is the thread that binds the plot together and gives it momentum, but isn’t really the core of the story (if you’re looking for a meaty murder mystery in a sci-fi setting, then this isn’t that book). Rather, the murder itself is just a vehicle to tell a much wider, much more interesting story. And there is so much more story to tell: Quin and his sister Lena have a dark memory from their childhood; the fearsome and powerful Sisters of the Drowning Deep have their own agenda relating to the Bastion and their sleeping god; Quin has a troubled and dysfunctional relationship with an angel, and is struggling with addiction; Scribe IV is struggling with identity and regret; and Angel is grappling with duty, honour and friendship.

The depth and complexity of the universe that the author has created is astonishing, and incredibly satisfying. My main complaint is that I wish it had been a full novel. There is so much crammed into this novella that there are too many things that I would loved to have seen given a more detailed treatment. But “I wish there was more of this!” is more of a frustration than a criticism.

Thank you #NetGalley and Titan Books for the free review copy of #OutoftheDrowningDeep in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I am beginning to think I might be rather picky with Sci-fi, so perhaps take my opinion with a grain of salt…

This sounded absolutely weird and crazy and that was exactly what I wanted at the time. unfortunately I couldn’t get into this the way I hoped I would. There was a LOT going on for a novella. Multiple POVs, side plots, and a ton of trauma to unpack - plus a murder mystery. I found this hard to get into because it was doing so much at once.

The prose was good, the pacing was fine (if a bit scattered) and it was less than 200 pages, so if you’re really into sci-fi and you find the religious situation appealing you may like this one. It just wasn’t my favorite.

Thank you NetGalley and Titan Books for sending this book (eARC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Biblcial-style eldritch horror angels but Also They Fuck is enough to sign me on immediately, bonus points for terrifying fish nun hybrids that rise out of the sea to pass judgment on criminals. As evidenced, Wise showcases a wealth of creative genius previously unseen in her previous novels, packing a hefty dose of work-buidling into a comparatively slim novella. She's done a good job with character accounting for available page space, but trying to follow multiple POVs in a story this short inevitably leads to a headache. Resultantly, several of the story threads are left unfulfilled, with big ideas and looming threats fading out of focus with a whisper rather than a bang. I try to avoid this feedback as I feel like its a complaint slapped across many novella's unnecessarily, but this is the rare case where I genuinely think this book could have benefited from from the breathing room afforded a full length novel. I also wasn't the biggest fan of Wise's prose style, but that is more of personal take than a specific issue - it leans into the "squishy" sci-fi and millennial humor that will appeal more to fans of Becky Chambers than Martha Wells if that makes any sense to fellow overly niche genre readers.

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC for early review.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.

I think my favourite thing about robots is just how human they always end up being. Usually filled with more morality and humanity than any of the human cast. Think about IG-11, R2D2, and K2-SO from Star Wars, or Robot from Invincible, or Zane from Ninjago, and how they are vastly human characters, even though one of them only talks through beeps that are definitely cuss words.

Scribe IV easily cemented himself as another robot on my long list of "wow I love these metal dudes so much." It's truly incredible how much love, affection, compassion, and tenderness this automaton showed during this very short novel, and I loved every minute of it. And I loved the ending very much, the ability for Scribe to stay and watch and observe Angel without being overtaken by the human fear, but being filled with the human love.

Quin is, thankfully, not the typical character type I've come to call "Space Asshole," notably filled with types like Kirk, Solo, and Quill. He's remarkably damaged, notably gay, and desperately loves his sister and his friends. Even the angel who fed on him like a buffet is close to his heart--- so close that the Legion of Murmuration has to wipe memories of himself from Quin's head to let him begin to heal after everything that has happened.

And Angel--- wow, what a darling. I love xem so much. The innocence, the unending optimism, the humanity, and the power that are all wrapped up in xyr expansive yet small body is awesome. I love xyr fashion choices especially. And xyr relationship with Scribe IV had me cooing like a goddamn pigeon.

These three characters are all wrapped up in a murder mystery that is shockingly small scale for being, y'know, the death of the pope, who still holds quite a range of power in this time period and universe. This felt genuinely almost cozy, I wasn't prepared for that. In a world where your prayers and belief are what create gods (a concept I LOVED in the Supernatural, used through a creature called a Tulpa), belief in love and friendship triumphs over everything else. A small but vast story that makes you feel warm and cozy, in spite of the Eldritch horror and dread served on the side.

My thanks to NetGalley and Titan Books for a free eARC of "Out of the Drowning Deep" by A. C. Wise.
A blend of SF Horror with a Murder Mystery ellement.
What started as an intreaguing Murder Mystery in a unique SF- Fantasy world turned into much more.
I think this story tried to do to much in such a short span of time.
I felt like we got side traked from the murder investigation into a story of trauma and addiction for one of the investigators.
The fact that the resolution ti the crime was less then mediocre would have not bottered me as much if we got to explore this world in more depth.
I think thus sould have been two distinct novellas, set in the same world. One more polished Murder Mystery and the other the exploration of Quin's past trauma and his battle with adiction.
But everything crammed together was just frustrating.

Thank you to Net Galley and Titan Books for the ARC. Sci fi plus murder mystery is one of my favorite combos, but unfortunately, this one was boring. The concept and the world were really cool, but the actual investigation itself was boring.

This interesting blend of sci-fi and mystery is a cool read, following an outdated automaton, Scribe IV, a troubled investigator, Quin, and an angel named, Angel, as they team up to solve the Pope’s murder in a secluded galactic monastery. The narrative is skillful and weaves together deep character struggles and a suspenseful plot, and the design of the angel being a biblical angel is really fun. However, the use of xe/xyr pronouns for Angel seemed a bit pointless and didn't really add to the story for me while the world had me a bit lost in terms of religion and ruling.

I first picked this up expecting mermaids or sirens but the tale is actually set in deep space. When a Pope is murdered just before a controversial announcement, a old robot ask for help in a prayer, which is answered by an angel named Angel, and a private eye named Quinn. Quinn is addicted to another Angel, and keeps asking to loose his memories, but those memories might just hold the key to the murder. Wonderfully weird.