A huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Orbit Books for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A beautifully crafted debut that incorporates real-world issues into a fantasy setting, and allows the reader to really dive into all the issues present in this novel.

The worldbuilding in this novel is intense, and while it took me a little effort to fully understand how everything worked, I really enjoyed the setting once I could easily picture it. The description of the city and the combination of where/how the humans live vs the folk I found really fascinating - especially with the opened up worldbuilding of the ability of the folk to live underwater. I think possibly a softer introduction to this world for the reader would have been nice, but overall it captivated me enough that I wanted to learn more.

This story is told through the multiple POVs of the main characters - Nami, Mira, Cordelia, and Serena. Since this is an advanced digital review copy, I have no idea if this will be the case in the finished novel, but I think a chapter title of the character’s names would make reading this easier. Nami and Mira have very similar character voices, and there were a few times I wasn’t sure which one was speaking until I saw their name written. I don’t think it’s that much of an issue that their voices are similar, as they have very similar motivations and beliefs - they just have their own way of reaching them. Cordelia and Serena have a very distinct narrative voice, so for their chapters I immediately knew which character was speaking.

There isn’t a great deal of romance in this novel, and the little that is I thought was mildly lacking. .Mira and Kai are already romantically linked by the time the novel starts, so while they have a fairly healthy relationship I found some difficulty connecting to them as a couple. I think it would have been nice to see their relationship develop, which could have provided a nice parallel to the relationship that Nami has later in this book. Since Mira and Nami are very much two sides of the same coin as characters, I think I would have preferred a more explicit parallel for the relationships they form in this novel.

I also had difficulty connecting with Nami and Firth’s relationship, as it was very close to insta-love and I had questioned why she was so taken so quickly. There were a few times Nami began to question Firth’s intentions, but once she saw him she decided to be with him anyway. I think it might have worked better if he was a folk who is known for using their allure, or something to force attraction, to make this work better. However, while we can sense some issues hiding under the water with their relationship, it never fully was too unbelievable that Nami was just simply attracted to him - it just happens that that’s not my preferred relationship dynamic.

Since this is an early digital review copy, I have no idea if this will be in the final draft. However, I want to suggest a glossary of terms in this novel to help the reader more easily learn what certain words or creatures mean, to more easily read through this novel.

All-in-all this was a solid debut with a strong voice and unique worldbuilding, and I highly suggest everyone to check this out. There are a few plot twists that I didn't see coming, some hints at a deeper world to be explored in the next novel, as well as some heartbreak that I will be devastated if it’s not resolved. This novel left me wanting more, and I am very excited to see where the author continues the story.