Description

The Last of Us meets The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes in this standalone dystopian romance about survival, sacrifice, and love that risks everything. 

By encouraging massive accumulations of debt from its underclass, a single corporation, Caerus, controls all aspects of society. 

Inesa lives with her brother in a half-sunken town where they scrape by running a taxidermy shop. Unbeknownst to Inesa, their cruel and indolent mother has accrued an enormous debt—enough to qualify one of her children for Caerus’s livestreamed assassination spectacle: the Lamb’s Gauntlet.

Melinoë is a Caerus assassin, trained to track and kill the sacrificial Lambs. The product of neural reconditioning and physiological alteration, she is a living weapon, known for her cold brutality and deadly beauty. She has never failed to assassinate one of her marks. 

When Inesa learns that her mother has offered her as a sacrifice, at first she despairs—the Gauntlet is always a bloodbath for the impoverished debtors. But she’s had years of practice surviving in the apocalyptic wastes, and with the help of her hunter brother, she might stand a chance of staying alive.

For Melinoë, this is a game she can’t afford to lose. Despite her reputation for mercilessness, she is haunted by painful flashbacks. After her last Gauntlet, where she broke down on livestream, she desperately needs redemption.

As Mel pursues Inesa across the wasteland, both girls begin to question everything: Inesa wonders if there’s more to life than survival, while Mel wonders if she’s capable of more than killing. 

And both wonder if, against all odds, they might be falling in love.

About the Author

Ava Reid was born in Manhattan and raised right across the Hudson River in Hoboken but currently lives in Palo Alto. She has a degree in political science from Barnard College, focusing on religion and ethnonationalism. 

Praise For…

“Reid wields lyricism, dark academia, and fairy-core elements to eloquently imbue the narrative with originality and depth that ferries themes surrounding grief, gender, and the value of folklore.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“A dark and gripping feminist tale.” — Kirkus Reviews

"Lusciously evocative and dripping with verbal texture." — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

"A Study in Drowning is everything: a dark fairytale, a tender romance, a haunting historical mystery, and a quietly furious tribute to the people whose stories have been stolen from them. I absolutely loved it.”  — Alix E. Harrow, New York Times bestselling author of Once and Future Witches

“Achingly atmospheric and beautifully sharp, A Study in Drowning will draw you in from the first page. A spell-binding mix of magic, myth, and mystery.” — Rory Power, New York Times bestselling author of Wilder Girls 

“Haunting and elegantly rendered, A Study in Drowning is a lyrical examination of stories told, cherished myths, and an unraveling of truths held dear. Darkly romantic and unsettlingly eerie, I will be thinking about this book for a long time to come.”  — Erin A. Craig, New York Times bestselling author of House of Salt and Sorrows and Small Favors

“As always, Ava Reid's worlds feel lived-in and rich in history. This one is also full of myth and superstition, and heavy rains that fall upon crumbling old houses. A rewarding, romantic read, with much to chew on.” — Kendare Blake, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Three Dark Crowns

“Lyrical, moving, and sensitive, A Study in Drowning is a magically romantic tale, filled with writing that will sweep you into a whimsical and gothic world. I’ll recommend this beautiful and thoughtful book over and over again.” — Isabel Ibañez, author of Together We Burn

“Incandescent, tender, and fierce. A Study in Drowning is a deftly woven mystery, brimming with lyrical writing and compelling characters who will steal your heart. This is a story that lingers, long after the last word.”  — Rebecca Ross, bestselling author of Divine Rivals