A Study in Drowning

by Ava Reid · 2023

In "A Study in Drowning," Effy Sayre clings to a tattered copy of the legendary epic Angharad, the only thing that steadies her through a stifling first term at a prestigious architecture college. Haunted by visions of the Fairy King, she sees a chance for destiny when the late author Emrys Myrddin’s family announces a contest to redesign his crumbling estate, Hiraeth Manor. The manor’s decaying walls hide secrets, and Effy soon discovers she isn’t alone—Preston Héloury, a meticulous literature scholar, is determined to expose Myrddin as a fraud. As rival students piece together clues from letters, diaries, and forgotten lore, dark forces—both mortal and magical—conspire against them, forcing a fraught partnership that teeters between rivalry and romance. Blending historical fantasy, Gothic mystery, and a haunting, dream‑like atmosphere, this debut draws readers who love the intrigue of "The Atlas Six," the melancholy of "House of Salt and Sorrows," and the fierce heart of a love‑letter to forgotten stories.