A pleasant pool of magic I would happily drown in

A Study in Drowning is a dark academia, atmospheric novel filled with elements of mystery, fantasy and romance. 

Aside from its promising premise, what I found to be most beautiful about this book, was the way it was written. Reading this was like slipping into a dream. Perfectly paired with characters that I was very promptly intrigued by and with every turn of the page, fell more in love with. 

Something about the ebb and flow of the setting, the magic, and the world created in the book felt ever-shifting in a manner that remained consistent. It was as if while my feet always stayed grounded, my head was in the skies. Without wasting any time, I'd like to say I loved it. 

With a similar feel to The Night Circus (Doubleday, 2011) by Erin Morgenstern, without the work of piecing together a puzzle, A Study In Drowning lets you wade through a world threatened by unearthly magic that seems to come from the kind of fairy tales we used to read at bedtime. The seamless flow of the story lets its reader be taken by the current through a journey of strength and resilience.

Set in the era of telephone booths on every corner, trams, trains, and men in suspenders, this world comes with its own set of challenges, making things for our protagonist, Effy, a little complicated.

Effy is an advocate of literature but a student of architecture. In a world where sexism is deep-rooted within academic institutions, Effy is forced to set aside her passion for literature on account of being a woman who is deemed unfit for the nuances of literature. But when the opportunity to redesign a house belonging to her favourite author arises, she is handed a lifeline to which she clings instantly. 

The compelling thing about Effy is that surprisingly enough, her biggest challenge isn't that she is a woman stuck smack dab in the middle of a war between the sexes, where women are blatantly deemed inferior and are constantly waging an invisible war to prove themselves to the world around them as well as themselves. Unbeknownst to those around her, Effy is facing yet another invisible battle, privy only to herself and the readers. Plagued by hallucinations of the Fairy King—a creature taken out of folklore, Effy is in a constant state of confusion trying to discern the difference between what is real and what is not. Through both the scenarios, Effy shows incredible strength.

What I loved most as a reader about her is that her strength was not displayed in the conventional ways that most fantasy books tend to use to depict a powerful woman. Many a time, a woman's strength is only represented by stereotypically masculine traits—she doesn't cry, has a six-pack and a sword strapped to her side, and she murders in cold blood.

And while that is strength in its own way, a powerful woman is so much more than that. A Study In Drowning does this just right. Effy is a powerful character with a so-called disadvantage of being a woman in a world run by men. But her strength is not depicted by emotional distance, physical strength, or recklessness. We see her tackle challenges that anyone would deem impossible, all while retaining some of her most defining traits. She is smart, emotionally intelligent and like any of us—she's afraid. The difference is that she dares to admit it and do what it takes anyway, which in my view is as courageous as one gets. 

To add to the obstacles Effy has to face, things become that much more fascinating when she runs into Preston—whose entire belief system is grounded greatly in truth. 

Effy first meets Preston when she arrives at the house she is meant to redesign where, little to her knowledge, Preston has arrived to uncover a literary mystery involving the author in question. In his search for truth and Effy's thirst for literature, the two agree to set aside their differences and work together to solve the mystery.

As the two fall deeper and deeper into the mess of lies and deceit, Preston continues to prove himself to be a reasonable man in a world filled with misogynists. Not afraid to fight for what he believes to be right and with an adorably naive inability to lie, this character has my heart. Seemingly tailored to be the opposite of everything Effy is, Ava Reid provides a balance I didn't know we needed. Like two pieces that fit together, one without the other would render this book incomplete.

All in all, the book was a splendid read; beautifully plotted, written, and packaged. For anyone looking for a dream-like world doused in mystery and a sprinkle of romance, this one's for you.

Syeda Erum Noor is devoted to learning about the craft of writing and is an avid reader who can talk endlessly about the magic of books. Talk to her about either at s.erumnoor@gmail.com.