Fathomfolk

Where do I start with Fathomfolk? Overall, it was a decent read. There were some interesting elements of the plot line - I particularly enjoyed the bits with Cordelia/Serena, however the lack of connection between some of the character relationships and the ending let the book down.

Now the world building, that was impressive. Expanding upon the idea of the lands being drowned and taken over by the waters, Tiankawi is a solidly written half-sunken city. It was easy to submerge yourself into what was being introduced to you, in particular the difference in districts and the few moments we see where the community within get together.

However, the main characters felt a bit lacklustre. There was an idea of something that was building up for each individual, but I suppose there is only so much you can do when you begin to take a more political route in the story. The romance was quite difficult to read sometimes, even knowing that Nami and Firth were portraying a naive child with a manipulative Folk, but it was a bit uncomfortable. Also, Kai deserved better.

The ending was...anticlimactic. It was the sort of ending a child would provide to a mash-up improv in a playschool setting. To say that it was a disappointment would be putting it kindly. Hopefully there is some way to salvage this, seeing as this was an ARC.