REVIEW: The Descent of the Drowned left me in awe

This is a book that caught my attention as soon as I read the synopsis. I was enthralled by this new world set in a different culture so much more different than mine. I can now say that I was not ready for what the book did to me; only that I am so infinitely grateful that I picked it up. A tale that demands to be read, believe me. It is an experience, and a reminder. To this day I still hold a bit of a knot in my throat, and I'm just—counting the days until the sequel comes out. Until then, I'll relish on what this book left in my soul. I hope this review motivates you to go read it, to be transported into this universe.

The story follows Roma, a sacred slave of the goddess Lamia, desperately wishing for her freedom, knowing that deserters don't get mercy; and Leviathan, the bastard son of the Firawn. Their paths soon interlock, each with their own interests, as the Firawn hungers for a magical artifact that, should he gets his hands on it, could become the downfall of humanity.

Book: The Descent of the Drowned by Ana Lal Din

Release Date: March 15th, 2021

Representation: WOC author, Indo-Persian fantasy, transgender rep* (check trigger warnings)

"A striking and effectively written fantasy that will force readers to explore serious issues. Lal Din crafts a lavishly detailed tale, rich in pre-Islamic Arabian mythology and culture." ―Kirkus

She is bound to serve. He is meant to kill. Survival is their prison. Choice is their weapon.

As the sacred slave of a goddess, Roma is of a lower caste that serves patrons to sustain the balance between gods and men. What she wants is her freedom, but deserters are hunted and hanged, and Roma only knows how to survive in her village where women are vessels without a voice. When her younger brother is condemned to the same wretched fate as hers, Roma must choose between silence and rebellion.

Leviathan is the bastard son of an immortal tyrant. Raised in a military city where everyone knows of his blood relation to the persecuted clans, Leviathan is considered casteless. Lowest of the low. Graduating as one of the deadliest soldiers, he executes in his father’s name, displaying his worth. When he faces judgement from his mother’s people—the clans—Leviathan must confront his demons and forge his own path, if he ever hopes to reclaim his soul.

But in the struggle to protect the people they love and rebuild their identities, Roma’s and Leviathan’s destinies interlock as the tyrant hunts an ancient treasure that will doom humankind should it come into his possession—a living treasure to which Roma and Leviathan are the ultimate key.

Set in a colonised Indo-Persian world and inspired by pre-Islamic Arabian mythology, The Descent of the Drowned is a tale about power, identity, and redemption, and what it takes to hold on to one’s humanity in the face of devastation.

Goodreads.

This book shattered me into a thousand pieces—but in the best possible way.

I started this book knowing the story would be gritty, dark, hopeless. I knew I would be met with a reality many are hellbent on ignoring. And yet, I was not prepared for the way the universe was so beautifully woven, words flowing like a cascade of heartbreak waiting to happen, the taste of wine sitting in my mouth, and it captured me from the very first sentence, so I kept reading and hoping. Everything about this book was so beautiful, even when I knew, that, well—I was setting myself up to be broken. And you know what? I enjoyed every second of it.

I will say, though, that this book might not be for everyone. It is indeed very dark, sparks of hope sparsely thrown here and there. It is a descent for a reason, but I'm 100% sure that my little broken heart will be repaired with the sequel.

The culture was so rich! I readily immersed myself in this new world, looked up everything I didn't know, and practically devoured this book, start to finish. Not only is it an important tale about colonialism, slavery, and the perils of religious devotion—it also reminds us that as readers we MUST go and read beyond the usual tales inspired in the European and western culture. This book gave me the opportunity to dive deeper into a different culture that I'm now sure to keep researching. It reminded me that WE owe it to the authors to research, dive deep, read. Foreign concepts are a single google search away. We must be better; and we can. The clothing, jewelry, deities, food; everything was gorgeous!

The pace was a little slow at first, which my ADHD can sometimes find irksome, but in this case? As we were introduced into this universe of sacred slaves, castes, and simmering hope, I found that I was loving it just fine, slow pace or not. The action does take a while to pick up—I believe this book is setting up for what's to come in the sequel—but when it all goes down and everything falls in place, I was already hooked and ready to keep reading (and suffering). Do not let the pace drive you away; instead, relish in everything that the first half gives you in terms of worldbuilding. You're going to need the energy for the second half, once we start to understand more about who Roma is, and what the Firawn wants from her. As we realize there is more to what we see, and that the perilous journey ahead is a promise of darkness. The incorporation of the magic system was pretty cool, but I do wish it was explained a little bit more. However, I do see how keeping that bit in the shadows works for the story, and for wherever it'll go next.

The characters! Gods, I could spend hours just talking about them. They were so painfully and beautifully human in a society that didn't consider them as such. Roma and Leviathan come from vastly different backgrounds (as we are painfully reminded throughout the book—the women that belong to the men, the caste system, the reality of survival), but there's something that links both their journeys: identity. Roma seeks to find her place beyond what shackles her to a lifetime of servitude, discovering ugly truths along the way that completely shatter her world. Leviathan, on the other hand, tries to find a still beating heart (and soul), clashing with the monster he was raised to be. Their dynamic is... not particularly amicable, given the circumstances of everything that happens between them, but it certainly is interesting, and I'm dying to see how it develops in the next book.

I especially connected with Leviathan; his pain sang to me, and his struggles with vulnerability made me root for him even more. The complexity of his character was amazing: a boy that's more than just a killing machine, more than the monster his father—the Firawn—created. His conflicting emotions and the desire to be able to craft an identity of his own beyond what's expected of him is... simply fantastic. Truly a tridimensional character; deeply flawed. He makes mistakes in this book; lots of them. But slowly, he seems to find the will and the desire to be better. I really want to see how his character develops in the sequel.

As for Roma, our main character, the rebirth of her resilience is something that I was thrilled to read, as heartbreaking as it was. Her path to slowly uncovering the truth behind the lie she's lived her whole life is one I really connected to, as someone who walks a path of spirituality. I don't want to spoil anything—but the character arc coming for her is going to be everything I've ever wanted in a female protagonist. She experiences loss after loss, pain, and suffering. Yet, she chooses to act and dear lord it was simply: wow. Roma goes through a lot in this book. I just want them both to be happy.

I think the book has quite a good mix of being plot and character driven, but this one definitely focuses more on the characters and the circumstances that shape them,

And that final twist? I think I knew, somewhere deep in my heart, that such thing was going to happen, and yet I was not prepared to see it unfold. I had to put down the book and stare ad my wall, mouth in a firm "O", because I just couldn't. Then I read the last couple of pages and if that had been soul-crushing, what happened next was simply—oof.

Ultimately, this is a story about redemption, empowerment and rebellion. The writing is simply exquisite. As soulful and heart-wrenching as it is, it was an immediate five star for me. I sat in front of my computer trying to come up with words to express how much I loved this book, and spent a whole hour being unable to write anything, and now we're here. This is the kind of book that leaves a mark, that makes you want to fight and be better, both as a reader and as a person.

Remember to read the trigger warnings before diving into this book. Should you choose to do so, I promise the experience will be 100% worth it. I can't wait for the sequel to come out!

Physical and emotional abuse, mention of rape and sodomisation, sexual assault, suicide, bigotry, drug abuse, and human trafficking, prostitution, transphobia, self-harm (off-screen), death, castration (mentioned).

Ana Lal Din is a Danish-Pakistani author currently based in England. When she doesn't have her nose in a book or her fingers on a keyboard, you might find her in the nearest Caffè Nero with a Caramel Latte.

You can find her in her webpage, and twitter.