OUT OF THE DROWNING DEEP by A.C. Wise – Review

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Out of the Drowning Deep by A.C. Wise
Published by Titan Books on September 3 2024
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Science fiction
Pages: 176
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
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The nitty-gritty: A.C. Wise successfully combines several genres in this weird, terrifying and emotionally satisfying tale.

“An angel could be a terrible thing, but so could a human, sometimes without even trying.”

This is my first time reading A.C. Wise, and after loving Out of the Drowning Deep, I’m a fan of hers for life. This is a strange mix of science fiction, fantasy, murder mystery and Lovecraftian horror, all rolled into a novella-sized story with deeply developed characters and lots of emotion. I’m trying to think of something else to compare it to, but I’m at a loss, it’s so different! I read it rather slowly so I could savor the author’s beautiful prose, and I loved that it has so many layers.

We first meet Scribe IV, an automaton who acts as guardian at a remote outpost called Bastion. Bastion is a waystation for traveling pilgrims and is famous because it’s the location that the gods first appeared, many years ago. Now, though, it’s mostly forgotten by the outside world, with only a handful of caretakers to keep it running. Scribe IV’s main duties are to copy sacred texts and record prayers and manage those under him: Johanna the Chatelaine, Anna-Maria, the Head Chambermaid, and Marius the Head Butler. Also residing at Bastion is the Pope, who everyone else serves. But the Pope wants to abolish all religions, which will leave those at Bastion without jobs or purpose.

Before Scribe IV can worry too much about the Pope’s plans, something shocking happens. The Pope is found murdered, and Scribe IV knows that a death of this magnitude on Bastion will evoke the appearance of the Sisters of the Drowned Deep, the horrible monsters who control the waystation. With the Sisters imminent arrival from below, Scribe IV sends out a quick request for help, hoping to get a response and solve the murder himself before the Sisters can interfere. Because once the Sisters take charge, someone is going to be Drowned.

For me, it was the characters that made Out of the Drowning Deep so good. When Scribe IV sends a prayer for help, two people hear it and respond. First, Aquinas “Quin” St. John is eager to take his mind off his personal problems, and he jumps at the chance to help solve a murder. An angel called Angel (yes really) also hears the prayer and has no choice but to answer it. Quin and Angel arrive at Bastion together and join Scribe IV in looking for clues. Angel is such a great character and chooses to look and dress like Prince and adds some unexpected humor to the story. Angel and Scribe IV develop an unusual but emotional friendship that I loved.

Quin was a fascinating character. He’s a drug addict, enabled by a different angel who goes by several names, but we know him as Murmuration. Quin and his sister Rena had a terribly sad childhood (which I don’t want to spoil here), and it was one of the most heart wrenching stories in the book. Quin is unable to resist the allure of Murmuration, who is not good or kind, and this experience, along with his childhood trauma, has made Quin vulnerable in many ways. Helping Scribe IV gives him something positive to focus on.

I also loved Scribe IV, who acts as the glue of the story. He was created to work at the Bastion, so the thought of not being able to do that anymore sends him into a tailspin, wondering about his purpose in life—even though he’s an automaton, he felt completely human to me.

Then of course, we have the Drowned Sisters, who are Eldritch nightmares come to life. Their punishment is Drowning, and although I’m not sure exactly how it works, Drowning doesn’t kill you, but it does change you in terrible ways, and by the end of the story one of the characters will go through this process.

Wise’s world is strange but compelling. Bastion is an outpost in space, so you have a futuristic setting. The angels add a touch of fantasy to the story, and the Sisters make this a horror story as well. I’m not sure I’ve ever read anything combining these three genres together, and I’m not sure there are a lot of authors who could pull it off, but A.C. Wise does it brilliantly.

Eventually the murder is solved, and Wise ends her story on a sweet, hopeful note, despite the grim events that happen. I really loved this story, and I can’t wait to read Wise’s next book.

Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.