Blurb from NetGalley

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 judgment 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 colonized 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.

My Review

The book's beginning was great, it made me curious. With Roma perched on a banyan tree watching a cremation and Levi grieving the loss of his mother and angry at his father, I sensed an emotional pull. I loved the story for its quick pace and action-packed scenes.

The tale was definitely dark, brutal, and cruel at times, no doubt, but that was why it was so enchanting I thought. The abnormal circumstances and lives the characters live will fascinate you as well as repel you. The author used some local words amidst the story like Samajle, Ho, Ja. I thought they just fit in perfectly and made the dialogue very real and literal. The world-building was very expansive and quite detailed.

But I was hoping for more answers by the end of the book, which did not come. The Firawn was in search of something that Roma had; what was it? What was the Firawn’s destiny? Did Leviathan manage to survive and fulfill his ultimate destiny? Why were the Ghaib mentioned without any confrontation with any of the characters? What did happen to Levi’s mother? Obviously, readers must expect a series here.

I would have also loved to see a more defining love trope between the central characters. More importantly, a fictitious map detailing Lamiapur, The Palace, The Secret Forest, The Shikara village, etc. would have made the story so much more enticing.

Final Verdict

I applaud the author for her brilliant efforts on her debut novel. But due to the already-mentioned reasons, I think the novel fell short of being a great read. I also would like to commend the artist who created the stunning cover. If not for the book's cover, I don't think I would have really picked this book just reading the blurb.

I rate it 4 out of 5 stars and warn readers of themes of rape, abuse, slavery, torture, suicide, and violence.

Who Should Read This

I recommend it to readers of Fantasy who’d enjoy an Indo-Persian backdrop for a change. I thank NetGalley and the author for a copy of this book.