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  • A Study in Drowning

  • By: Ava Reid
  • Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
  • Length: 10 hrs and 31 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (76 ratings)

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A Study in Drowning

By: Ava Reid
Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
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Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE WOLF AND THE WOODSMAN AND JUNIPER AND THORN

If the monsters are real, so are the women who defeat them.

Effy has always believed in fairy tales. She's had no choice. Since childhood, she's been haunted by visions of the Fairy King. She's found solace only in the pages of Angharad - a beloved epic about a mortal girl who falls in love with the Fairy King, and then destroys him.

Effy's tattered copy is all that's keeping her afloat through her stifling first term her prestigious architecture college. So when the late author's family announces a contest to design his house, Effy fells certain this is her destiny.

But Hiraeth Manor is an impossible task: a musty, decrepit estate on the brink of crumbling into a hungry sea. And when Effy arrives, she finds she isn't the only one who's made a temporary home there. Preston Héloury, a stodgy young literature scholar, is studying Myrddin's papers and is determined to prove her favourite author is a fraud.

As the two rival students investigate the reclusive author's legacy, piecing together clues through his letters, books, and diaries, they discover that the house's foundation isn't the only thing that can't be trusted. There are dark forces, both mortal and magical, conspiring against them - and the truth may bring them both to ruin.

©2023 Ava Reid (P)2023 Penguin Audio
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What listeners say about A Study in Drowning

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  • Overall
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    5 out of 5 stars

Outstanding

Such a gripping story. Beautiful yet tragic. So very poetic. The narrator does an incredible job of telling the story too. I never want this story to end. Already ordered the other titles this author had written. I absolutely love this story. Highly recommended

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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super!

i loved the ending. i hoped for it. the voice actress was great! the suspence keept me longing for the reveal.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Atmospheric gothic mystery

Just loved this. The perfect rainy day read. VA was well chosen, the world of the story was interesting, the imagery was spot on and the characters well drawn. A mystery worth discovering

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

The vibe

The vibe of the story was enjoyable, I will definitely read more from this author

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

A bit predictable in places

- the performance was great! And I found the narrators voice really soothing it was also crystal clear which character was speaking at any given time
- the plot was not as good as expected based on the hype… I found it pretty predictable in places

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Good, not great

I expected more from this because of how everyone loves it, but it was pretty lacklustre, the story wasn’t bad but it did drag. I would consider reading it again but I’m in no rush

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Sucks you right in

I loved this book top to tail. It felt immersive. The story is lovely and pertinent. When it was over, it felt too fleeting.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Great story!

Loved it, very captivating and interesting story. I couldn’t turn it off once I started to listen to it

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Interesting re-imagining of a Welsh Myth

The story was engaging and original (a bit predictable in places though) - and as a Welsh person it makes me soo happy to see quality stories inspired by Welsh mythology. My main grievance was with the pronunciation of Welsh words and names. Overall the performance was great, the narrator really has a lovely voice and set a good pace, but as a Welsh speaker the terrible pronunciation really took me out of the story, and just generally annoyed me. Is it really so difficult to a) hire a Welsh speaker, or b) at least find a Welsh-speaking consultant to aid the narrator? This isn't the first audiobook with the same issues and it's a bit culturally insensitive, frankly. Also, Preston sometimes had a strong Scottish accent which randomly dissapears and reappears throughout the story - sometimes it wasn't clear which character was speaking because of the inconsistency.
Otherwise I felt like the ending was a bit drawn out, but overall I enjoyed the story. Pity about the pronunciation errors.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Atmospheric and haunting tale

Loved the feeling this book gave me I was nervous about the creepy house and the strange tales. The main character Effy was a bit annoying at first but she's meant to be, she's a product of her environment and once I began to understand her I began to like her.
This is one story I'm going to listen to more than once

Good narration.

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