Today, while I was ignoring a text from my ex-girlfriend I read The Drowned Country by Emily Tesh, which is a sequel to Silver in the Wood. This was an exciting sequel to a book I loved, although I don’t know if it really needed a sequel.

The novel picks up two years after the first one ended, and Tobias and Henry’s relationship is on the rocks. Henry is bound to the Wood after inheriting it’s power and Tobias is traveling with Henry’s mother. The book begins at their reunion, which is somewhat cool compared to the sweetness of their relationship before.

I think my initial critique of the book stands. I think it needs to be longer or written more in the Olde English style to give it an ethereal quality. As it is, I think the biggest miss for me is that through flashbacks we see why Henry and Tobias fell out and that is because Henry lied to Tobias to keep him in Greenhollow, which is essentially what the villain of the last book did. I think that’s crossing a line of consent that needs a huuuuge justification and we just don’t get it.

But we get a new character, Maud, who at first Henry and Tobias come to rescue but she doesn’t need rescuing: she’s an adventurer in her own right. Henry sort of adopts her as his sister and their nerdy little asides are so cute.

All in all I enjoyed this duology, even if I wanted more from it.

3.5/5 drowned kingdom stars