A Study in Drowning (An instant Indie and #1 New York Times bestseller) by Ava Reid (Best of Booktok)(Hardcover)

Bestselling author Ava Reid makes her YA debut in this dark academic fantasy perfect for fans of Melissa Albert and Elana K. Arnold.

Effy Sayre has always believed in fairy tales. Haunted by visions of the Fairy King since childhood, she’s had no choice. Her tattered copy of Angharad—Emrys Myrddin’s epic about a mortal girl who falls in love with the Fairy King, then destroys him—is the only thing keeping her afloat. So when Myrddin’s family announces a contest to redesign the late author’s estate, Effy feels certain it’s her destiny.

But musty, decrepit Hiraeth Manor is an impossible task, and its residents are far from welcoming. Including Preston Héloury, a stodgy young literature scholar determined to expose Myrddin as a fraud. As the two rivals piece together clues about Myrddin’s legacy, dark forces, both mortal and magical, conspire against them—and the truth may bring them both to ruin.

Part historical fantasy, part rivals-to-lovers romance, part Gothic mystery, and all haunting, dreamlike atmosphere, Ava Reid's powerful YA debut will lure in readers who loved The Atlas Six, House of Salt and Sorrows, or Girl, Serpent, Thorn.

Review

“Reid wields lyricism, dark academia, and fairy-core elements to eloquently imbue the narrative with originality and depth that ferries themes surrounding grief, gender, and the value of folklore.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Piling invention upon invention, Reid conjures a bleached-bone jewel box of a tale, full of strange treasures and captured bits of dangerous lore. A Study in Drowning is as merciless as a rising tide and as beguiling as a fairy’s bargain.” — Melissa Albert, New York Times bestselling author of The Hazel Wood

“Achingly atmospheric and beautifully sharp, A Study in Drowning will draw you in from the first page. A spell-binding mix of magic, myth, and mystery.” — Rory Power, New York Times bestselling author of Wilder Girls 

“A dark and gripping feminist tale.” — Kirkus Reviews

Product details

US Hardcover Product Details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperCollins

Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 19, 2023

Language ‏ : ‎ English

Print length ‏ : ‎ 384 pages

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0063211506

Reading age ‏ : ‎ 17+ years, from customers

Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1.21 x 8.25 inches

US Paperback Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperCollins

Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 3, 2025

Language ‏ : ‎ English

Print length ‏ : ‎ 384 pages

ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0063211513

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0063211513