Drowned Country (The Greenhollow Duology, 2)

Series Info/Source: This is the second book in the Greenhollow Duology. I bought a copy of this book for my Kindle.

Story (5/5): I loved this story. It is just so magical and does an amazing job of blending what feels like traditional quiet woods magic with the more modern day paranormal aspect of monsters and strange creatures. This story follows Henry most of the book but also focuses on a young woman that Henry, his mother, and Tobias are tasked with finding. There are a lot of fae elements this time around, along with vampires, and tree magic. I absolutely loved how Henry’s tree magic spans ancient forests that have been and could be.

Characters (5/5): There are not a ton of characters in this book but the ones that are here are amazing and really help make the story. While Tobias was a solid and calming presence in the last book, this book focuses on Henry. Henry is much more conflicted and selfish and does a lot of growing throughout this book. We also spend a lot more time with Henry’s mother, who is having to accept the limitation of her age and the fact that she is starting to need more help during her monster hunting missions. A new addition to the story, the girl our monster hunters are tasked with saving, was just as amazing.

Setting (5/5): I loved so many aspects of the setting here. The quiet, yet wild, woods are beautiful and absolutely come alive for the reader. Then we journey to a quant seaside town that is just as amazing. From there we venture into fairyland and a sad landscape of desolation. All the while the woods underlay these lands because in the beginning they were much bigger than they are now. It was magical and enchanting and absolutely engrossing.

Writing Style (5/5): Tesh is an amazing writer and I absolutely love her writing style. It is lyrical and engaging and pulls me completely into another world. So many story elements are blended together in such a seamless way. This is a story that is hard to put down and engaging, but also leaves you feeling strangely peaceful and happy at the conclusion. This is pretty much the art of excellent storytelling at its best.

My Summary (5/5): Overall I loved this book and this duology as a whole. I cannot wait to see what Tesh writes next. I am so excited to have found these books and this author. Tesh does fantasy in a way that seamlessly blends old and new story tropes and does it in a beautiful and engaging way. Every aspect of this story is perfect and I can’t wait to read more!

Tobias is a wonderful character and is now mortal, Silver is less than mortal. The female character of Maud is a great addition as Maud unlike in many fantasy.novels is not.a drop dead beauty, but is rather a plain, but intelligent young woman in search of her. "Freedom" at a time when.women were expected to.be wives, mothers or spinster school teachers. Mrs Silver is a tough.but very much a kind person in search of the creatures of folklore. Hope there will be.another in the series. Warning, there is zero.graphic sex, but both Silver and Tobias are.gay, and love each other. The references to sex is not.graphic, but it is there. If you find this offensive, then.do not read these books.

I spent months haunted by the first of this series and now I'm enchanted by the conclusion. The duology is charming and evocative of both fairy tales and 19th century adventures, with stellar characters beautifully drawn. While I was not surprised by the excellence the way I was with the first book (I think it's a novella), the deftness is still striking here.

In this duology, Emily Tesh weaves a surreal tale of the wild woodlands, enchanting and soft and stunningly serene.

With dreamy prose and magical lore, reading these books is like taking a walk through the quiet forest—and finding space and solitude to just breathe and dream in the sun. Sit for a moment with Henry and Tobias as they spin stories of the butterflies, ancient monsters, and the magic of the woods.

These books tell a story of love, a story of roots, a story of change. I read each in one sitting, and it was as if time stood still—they were both quick reads that were so easy to get lost in. These novellas are perfect for lovers of fae fantasy and folklore! Highly recommend!

I am disappointed. A lot of authors make the huge mistake to believe that stories must be concluded, and try to create the sequence in another book. Some of then has planned the story to be continued. The first book, Silver in the wood has a beautiful story. Life continues, places and person will be exposed to new situations. Silver in the wood, shows one moment in life and that was enough to me.