The Drowned Woods is a standalone fantasy and is also a companion novel to the author's previous book, The Bone Houses. While I have not read The Bone Houses, I thought The Drowned Woods was extremely good! And I'd definitely want to read the Bone Houses at some point as well- even if it bugs my type A personality that I technically read these books out of order, lol. 

Our main character, Mer, is a survivor. And a damn good one at that! Mer has one rule she has followed on the run: always know of two exits. She has known a life of cruelty and seeks to find a safe place to settle down. Her plight is one readers alike will be all too familiar with as it's the typical backstory of a number of YA fantasy heroines. HOWEVER! Mer has a never ending fighting spirit and despite the numerous tragedies done to her (and some caused by her), she remains one of the more hopeful and remorseful main characters I've ever read. She's also not afraid to make difficult decisions, a skill she was forced to learn and exemplify throughout the story. I really admired this character- this is a story that will stick with me for a while. The rest of the characters readers will meet in this story are a bag of tricks; an unlikely team they make, but we all know those make for the best kind of heists! 

My only complaint is that I wish the romance was more developed. It felt like it was coming out of nowhere even though I was actively watching out for moments between the love interests. In addition, the ending was *almost* perfect. I just wished that we knew what became of the Prince (seriously, fuck that guy!), I would've loved to see some sweet justice delivered to that asshat. Regardless, I thoroughly enjoyed this book! And if you can, splurge to get the Illumicrate version because it is stunning!