Little Brown and Company
In the Veins of the Drowning
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An "atmospheric and evocative" (Rachel Gillig) romantasy about a threatened Siren who forges a bond with a brooding, self-righteous king in order to flee the king who raised her. Perfect for fans of One Dark Window and For the Wolf.
The monster is always slain...
Imogen Nel is in hiding. Hiding from a cruel kingdom that believes Sirens are monstrous, blood-hungry creatures. Hiding from a king and his captain who viciously hunt her kind. Hiding from her own alluring abilities. By keeping herself from the sea, Imogen's bloodlust is dulled, and her black wings remain concealed beneath her skin.
When a neighboring king comes to visit, Imogen can no longer hide. He knows precisely what she is, and he believes she can save their kingdoms from an even greater monster. But Imogen's power threatens to violently reveal itself, and the two form a blood bond that protects them both. They flee together, traversing waters teeming with the undead. As the lines between duty to their people and desire for each other begin to blur, Imogen worries her ancestral powers may not be enough to kill what hunts her--the only way to defeat a monster may be to become one herself.
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Book Details
ISBN:
9780316587600
EAN:
9780316587600
Binding:
Paperback
Pages:
384
Authors:
Kalie Cassidy
Publisher:
Little Brown and Company
Published Date: 2025-15-07
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Surprisingly good, I did not expect to be sucked in. Worth the time, worth the lack of sleep. Read it.
5⭐️I don’t think I’ve devoured a book as quickly as I did this one.I was a bit hesitant to start this, especially with how much everyone has been talking about this book lately, but god I’m kicking myself for not starting it sooner.I am such a sucker for a slow burn, tension filled romance and this gave me all of that and more. Plus, add in the fact there’s sirens and magical powers. Sold. Immediately sold.Imogen is easily one my favorite FMCs I’ve read about. My heart absolutely broke for her with how much she just wanted love and to be wanted. Especially with how much everyone around her has been using her her entire life.Then there’s Theo. Oooh man Theo is easily top 10 MMCs for me. The tension, banter and just overall chemistry between him and Imogen is sooo good. I was eating it all up and loving every second of it.This was *chefs kiss*. I need book 2 immediately.
It's a 4.5 Star for me! I really loved the story and found the miscommunication/misunderstandings between the FMC and MMC to be more amusing than annoying - usually I can't stand them. The world building, the lore, the magic -- I loved all of it and cannot wait for book 2!
This book has been all over Bookstagram, so I went in with high expectations. And while it was good, it definitely wasn’t great. In my opinion it’s definitely overhyped.The story follows a threatened siren who forms a bond with a self-righteous king in order to escape the king who raised her. Cool premise. But the execution left me wanting.The worldbuilding was confusing at times. I couldn’t keep the gods straight—who was alive, who was mortal, who was relevant? There was no glossary or creature index, and worst of all… no map. I will say it forever: fantasy books need maps.It started strong, with a fast-paced opening that pulled me in. But around the halfway mark, the energy fizzled. It dragged until the last 60 pages or so, when things finally picked up again. Maybe it was just me, but I found myself checking out and had to force myself to push through.Now let’s talk about the FMC. She was giving major “pick me” energy, and it grated on me. Every time the MMC complimented her, she’d respond with “shut up”—and not in a flirty way. It felt like constant fishing for reassurance and compliments, and it got old fast. There was also some miscommunication drama that felt forced, but I guess that’s a romantasy staple at this point.Also the whole siren element felt underdeveloped. I wanted more lore, more culture, more something. Maybe it’ll come in book two, but I’m not sure I’ll stick around to find out.Overall: Not a bad read, but not enough to hook me. 3 stars, and I might pass on book two unless I hear it seriously levels up.
I was LURED from the very beginning of this book (iykyk 👀). I'm a sucker for gothic, dark, atmospheric books similar to Rachel Gillig's, and this book fit that vibe perfectly.Did Kalie Cassidy put crack in here? Because I devoured this book and absolutely could not put it down. It drops us right into the action and weaves a beautiful story full of heartbreak, self-discovery, and hope. I went through so many emotions while reading and found myself hoping for the characters to just kiss and for everything to be okay 😂I absolutely adored the MMC in this story. He's torn by his duty to his people and his absolute ravenous NEED for the FMC. 🥵 If you like a book with tension and yearning, this is the one for you.
