Today Teresa recommends a novella by author Jennifer R. Donohue. We hope you check it out!
The Drowned Heir by Jennifer R.Donohue
"When her uncle dies at sea, a third child with no place in society undergoes a ceremony to house his spirit and take his role, diminishing the family’s loss. But her uncle’s spirit hasn’t settled the way it’s supposed to, and will not content itself with shore-bound business. Her uncle’s spirit insists, angrily, that it was not just a storm that killed him and wrecked his ship, not a rogue wave; it was an unthinkably large monster.
Then his lover comes knocking with news of an adult son who has set sail along the same shipping lane, and dead uncle and living niece must work together to save a son neither of them knew existed.The Blair Witch Project meets Midsommar in this brilliantly disturbing thriller from Camilla Sten, an electrifying new voice in suspense.
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Teresa's Review
I need to say this first thing: I am a third child who technically has no place in society and I cannot even imagine being forced to take on the spirit of any of my uncles. Yuck, and no thank you. Don’t get me wrong, my uncles are lovely guys. They got to live their lives, and I want my own. But, that is the done thing in this society of The Drowned Heir. They have built their culture on it, their magic system works around it. And the concept here is interesting and cool. And watching the two very separate beings become one is fascinating. And, this third child who was really once nothing and had no prospects is now one of the most respected members of the community. The world created for this novella is rich, and deep, and so much is accomplished in such a short amount of space. You can feel the creak of the boards beneath your feet, feel the crash of the ocean waves against the ship. And you can feel your own soul being torn between two different destinies. The rest you have to read for yourself. Novellas are compact in nature, and the more said, the worse.
I am not here to categorize anything for anyone, but for me, this was more Dark Fantasy than horror. Sure, here there be monsters, and being a young woman who has to live with her uncle in her head is a true horror, but I enjoyed the story more for the world building. I really liked the read. It was compelling and I wanted more, not because the story wasn’t satisfying, it absolutely is, I just wanted to stay in this world that Jennifer created just a wee bit longer.
And, P.S. I am not really a big fan of company, but I also kind of want to be one of the Aunties in this story- come drink a cuppa with me and let’s chat.
Thank you for joining us today! Please share your thoughts in the comments about The Drowned Heir and/or any recent reads you've been enjoying.
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Teresa is a contributing reviewer and runs our Shelf Edition feature each month. You can find Teresa on
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@teresa_ardrey, when she's not hiding in a corn maze.
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