Book Review: Drowned Country

Emily Tesh

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

published: 18th August 2020
spoilers? no

Goodreads

Drowned Country is the the stunning sequel to Silver in the Wood, Emily Tesh’s lush, folkloric debut. This second volume of the Greenhollow duology once again invites readers to lose themselves in the story of Henry and Tobias, and the magic of a myth they’ve always known.

Even the Wild Man of Greenhollow can’t ignore a summons from his mother, when that mother is the indomitable Adela Silver, practical folklorist. Henry Silver does not relish what he’ll find in the grimy seaside town of Rothport, where once the ancient wood extended before it was drowned beneath the sea―a missing girl, a monster on the loose, or, worst of all, Tobias Finch, who loves him.

“You wore my coat,” Tobias said, as if it were terribly important. “You’re still wearing my coat.”

Galley provided by publisher

I’ll be honest: I wasn’t initially of the opinion that Silver in the Wood necessitated a sequel. Sure, I wasn’t complaining, but it also felt a good standalone in itself. I have since changed my mind completely and now I’m 100% sure that this world and characters need an entire 10-book series.

Drowned Country picks off a couple of years after Silver in the Wood. Silver is now the Wood’s guardian, while Tobias is helping Silver’s mother investigating supernatural sightings and events around the country. For reasons to be later explained, Silver and Tobias have had a falling out, but even Silver cannot avoid the summons of his mother to investigate a vampire in Rothport.

Firstly, I think it safe to say this book is even better than the first one. The first sort of read more like a fantasy novella with a romance within it. The second reads like a romance with a fantasy sideplot. And I loved that. Especially since Silver is such a fun character to read from the POV of. He is the very definition of a gay disaster.

Since the book feels more like a romance novella, obviously it is Tobias and Silver’s relationship that drives it all. And it’s written so well. The pining in this book is almost tangible it’s that good.

Which is also why it leaves you wanting so much more of the characters and the world. Like, it’s one of those books where you just want to carry on living in it a while longer, following the characters on their adventures (I mean, what I wouldn’t give to see Tobias and Silver investigating the supernatural together…). You don’t want to put it down while reading it but you also want to savour it because you don’t want to get to the point where you have nothing more of it to read.

Basically it’s an excellent book.

So, if you haven’t read book 1 yet, now’s your time. Because you’re not going to want to miss out on this.