Drowned Country

by Emily Tesh

paperback, 160 pages

English language

Published Aug. 18, 2020 by Tor.com.

ISBN:: 978-1-250-75660-2

This second volume of the Greenhollow duology once again invites readers to lose themselves in the story of Henry and Tobias, and the magic of a myth they’ve always known.

Even the Wild Man of Greenhollow can’t ignore a summons from his mother, when that mother is the indomitable Adela Silver, practical folklorist. Henry Silver does not relish what he’ll find in the grimy seaside town of Rothport, where once the ancient wood extended before it was drowned beneath the sea—a missing girl, a monster on the loose, or, worst of all, Tobias Finch, who loves him.

2 editions

Otts reviewed Drowned Country by Emily Tesh (The Greenhollow Duology, #2)

Robbed of romance

3 stars

I enjoyed Book 1 of this duology more. The gay relationship isn’t where we left it, and the typical chopping up of a linear recounting of how it got there was jarring. I just wanted to enjoy them being together. The world continues to be interesting though, and the characters are still likable.

mikerickson reviewed Drowned Country by Emily Tesh (The Greenhollow Duology, #2)

Review of 'Drowned Country' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

I pride myself on writing long, detailed reviews for everything I read, but sometimes there's just not much to say.

It was fine. Wish the stakes were a little higher and that the new character that was introduced in the middle of this one was given more time to shine. I wouldn't say the ending felt unearned, but it wrapped everything up a little too nicely for my tastes.

Or maybe I'm just a grumpy old bastard who doesn't like happy endings anymore.

loppear reviewed Drowned Country by Emily Tesh

delightful

4 stars

darkly childish in folklorish eternity, entangled and distrusted, with sharp narrative turns precisely placed.

Books That Burn reviewed Drowned Country by Emily Tesh

Review of 'Drowned Country' on 'Storygraph'

4 stars

DROWNED COUNTRY picks up two years after SILVER IN THE WOOD to show how Silver and Tobias are adjusting to their new lives, what begins as a hunt for a vampire twists into something stranger as the girl they were sent to rescue is no damsel in distress.

SILVER IN THE WOOD didn't really feel like it left anything hanging for DROWNED COUNTRY to pick up, so while this does bring more of a resolution than the first book did, I don't really thing it wrapped up anything left loose, per se. The main storyline begins here and was not present in the first book, and contains several major things which are both introduced and resolved here. It is the last book in the duology and while SILVER IN THE WOOD had a satisfying ending, DROWNED COUNTRY brings a more emotionally complete ending which I like much better as a stopping point for observing this story. The point-of-view character changed from the first book, rather than following Tobias we're getting Silver's perspective. The third-person parts of the narration feel very similar across both books, but the two men have very different manners of speech and thought and the text conveys that well. This wouldn't make much sense if you skipped SILVER IN THE WOOD to read this. They're both novellas and DROWNED COUNTRY simply doesn't have room to retread the ground that SILVER IN THE WOOD already covered. There's enough context to be an adequate reminder for anyone who waited between reading the two books, but it's referential instead of explanatory, and I think someone who tried to start at here would feel like many things are missing.

At first I was a bit confused by the way the book starts out with Silver and Tobias somewhat estranged, given how the previous book left things, but it does circle back to show what happened before. I like this as a follow-up, it gives a much more satisfying ending as a duology than what SILVER IN THE WOOD had on its own.

Owen Blacker reviewed Drowned Country by Emily Tesh (The Greenhollow Duology, #2)

Review of 'Drowned Country' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

A delightful close to the Greenhollow Duology

The new Greene Man is sulking when his mother turns up, asking for his help. She and his predecessor — and former lover — need to save a young woman from a vampire. But there's more to things than there seems. And why are things so frosty with the now-mortal Tobias?

Both parts of this duology are gorgeous views on some mythological settings, with a heartwarming m/m couple at their heart. I'm only sad that we won't see more of Tobias and Henry, who made my queer heart sing.

WardenRed reviewed Drowned Country by Emily Tesh

None

4 stars

“A few years ago,” Silver said, “I found something magical. Something extraordinary, in fact. And I simply knew that I had to understand everything about it, that I had to embrace it and call it my own. Someone much older and wiser than I was warned me to be careful.”
“Were you?”
“No,” Silver said.

I suppose it could have been a good idea for me to at least skim the first book before I delved into the sequel. Unfortunately, I didn't—I thought my memory was going to serve me well enough, but apparently it had enough gaps in it to keep me wondering if I was supposed to barely recognize the characters on occasion because of the time skip and the new situation, or not. Because of that, I suspect I didn't get immersed well enough, and that's absolutely not the book's fault, but it did impact my perception of it somewhat.

Overall, in spite of my memory troubles, I enjoyed it. I did feel kind of let down that what felt like a HEA in book one proved to be a HFN at best, but the flashbacks in this book explained the situation well enough. Emily Tesh's writing is as lush and poetic here as it was in Silver in the Wood. The descriptions of every little corner of the setting are amazing, and they really pulled me in. Despite Silver's shortcomings, I couldn't help but feel for him. The central plot was quite interesting, from the vampire hunt to the fairy storyline. There were nice moments of dry humor throughout.

I did feel, though, that the reconciliation/second chance romance in here was kind of… a little too subtle. Some parts of this plotline felt almost abrupt because it felt like the development between some of the major beats happened largely behind the scenes. And I do want to believe Silver and Tobias are going to get it right the second time around, but I'm not entirely convinced. Whether it's my own current state of mind and my possibly misremembering parts of the first book, I can't tell. I'll err on the side of believing in the author and give the book a 4. Huge parts of it were immensely enjoyable, after all. And the prose. Did I mention the prose? It alone deserves all the stars.