Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of A Song Below Water in exchange for an honest review!

WOW.

Let that be said. I admit that it took me about 20 pages to be sucked into the story, but man, when I was there? I was there .

This is a story about misogynoir fused with fantasy/supernatural elements. What emerges is a story that is fast paced, intense and incredibly powerful.

Both main characters, Tavia and Effie have very distinct voices and offer not only more insight into their respective characters but are also used perfectly to achieve a more rounded characterisation of the other. While often frustrating, every single character in this book is thought through and properly fleshed out and it was a both a joy and a curse to live in this world a little while. The latter, because the injustice of the world is so real that it automatically makes you furious and angry at the real world we live in, where the hashtag Blacklivesmatter has to exist because it's not a given. It makes a white reader such as me even more aware of white privilege and the absolute injustice of the fact that it exists.

We need more books like this.

We need books like this until hashtags like these don't have to exist anymore because it doesn't matter who you are, who you love, what you look like or what you believe in.

That being said, I absolutely adored the mythical elements in this story and Effie's way of escapeism through being a mermaid at a Ren fair. As someone who loves going to comic cons and dressing up as my favourite characters sometimes (not that I do it well lol), I absolutely loved reading about her story line with Elric.

I also loved the mythical forms people took, such as there being a gargoyle and Tavia being a siren. I will absolutely not write more on this subject because I would absolutely spoil it for everyone who hasn't read this book yet. The world building, while a little confusing at the beginning, was fantastic and while I don't know anything about Portland at all except for that it is in the US, it was very easy to follow and to imagine.

I recommend this to... absolutely everyone because of the themes and topics. Especially those who love some good fantasy and supernatural elements in their stories. I absolutely can't wait to read what Bethany C. Morrow does next!

edit: also, can we talk about how breathtakingly beautiful that cover is?? I simply can't get over it!