In the Veins of the Drowning

The Siren Mage, Book 1

De: Kalie Cassidy

Narrado por: Ell Potter

An "atmospheric and evocative" (Rachel Gillig) romantasy about a threatened Siren who forges a bond with a brooding, self-righteous king in order to flee the king who raised her. Perfect for fans of One Dark Window and For the Wolf.

The monster is always slain…

Imogen Nel is in hiding. Hiding from a cruel kingdom that believes Sirens are monstrous, blood-hungry creatures. Hiding from a king and his captain who viciously hunt her kind. Hiding from her own alluring abilities. By keeping herself from the sea, Imogen’s bloodlust is dulled, and her black wings remain concealed beneath her skin.

When a neighboring king comes to visit, Imogen can no longer hide. He knows precisely what she is, and he believes she can save their kingdoms from an even greater monster. But Imogen’s power threatens to violently reveal itself, and the two form a blood bond that protects them both. They flee together, traversing waters teeming with the undead. As the lines between duty to their people and desire for each other begin to blur, Imogen worries her ancestral powers may not be enough to kill what hunts her—the only way to defeat a monster may be to become one herself.

©2025 Kalie Cassidy (P)2025 Little, Brown & Company

Reseñas de la Crítica

"An absolute riptide of a book. It draws you in, pulls you under. Atmospheric and evocative, Cassidy’s writing sews adventure, romance, and political intrigue together while maintaining its ominous tenor. Monsters lurk, and danger knows your name. I was completely swept away."—Rachel Gillig, New York Times bestselling author of One Dark Window

“A provocative dark fantasy with all the alluring qualities of siren’s song. Sensuous and lushly romantic, In the Veins of the Drowning ensorcelled me from the very first page.”—Ava Reid, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Study in Drowning

"Cassidy has written your new favorite romantasy couple: a king tormented by his honor and a siren grappling with her monstrosity, each of them walking the knife's edge of duty and desire. Sensual, gripping, and resonant as siren song, In the Veins of the Drowning will sink its lure into you and leave you breathless."—Allison Saft, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of A Dark and Drowning Tide

Jaw Dropping Listen- Fabulous

Such a deeply rich adventure- full of intrigue , fascinating characters and so good you can’t stop or put it down.

The next big book to blow up because, WOW. An incredible romantasy.

First off, fantastic narration! It made it even more immersive and fun. This story was delicious! Rich in mythology woven into a dark atmospheric world of sirens and old gods. My day was spent devouring this and left wanting MORE on its conclusion. I am impatient for the second installment, but will think about this book and our dear Imogene and Theo until then! Bravo to Kalie on this written masterpiece.

You'll looks forward to the next book!

You’ll definitely be looking forward to the next book—guaranteed. The FMC is left to unravel the secrets behind her father’s past with her mother and to understand the divine power that was gifted to her by the gods. Raised to be small, quiet, and unseen, she often comes across as timid, which can be frustrating at times. You just want her to step into her strength and become the powerful force she’s clearly meant to be.

That said, I can see her character slowly heading in that direction, and I’ll be continuing the series with the hope that she fully embraces her potential in the next book. There are still many secrets she hasn’t uncovered yet, and the mystery continues to unfold.

Now, the MMC—he’s a standout. The description truly didn’t do him justice. He’s caring, emotionally available, and quick to express his love, treating the FMC with the gentleness and support she’s been missing. Yet, when dealing with others, he puts on the strong and commanding face of a king. He’s easily one of the highlights of the story.

The narration was fantastic from start to finish. The female narrator truly brought the main character to life with emotion and depth, while the male narrator was equally enjoyable—his voice perfectly suited the role and was easy to listen to.

Overall, I highly recommend this series for both the story and the performance. And don’t forget to check out the sneak peek at the end—it’ll leave you even more excited for what’s next!

I need book 2 immediately.

The narrator was amazing and the story was so good. The tensiooonnnnn. I hope we get a happy ending.

Amazing

This book was on my reading list for the summer. Definitely worth the wait. Its beautiful.

Fantastic

I was crying so hard last night listening to this. I simply can’t wait for the next book!

Could not stop listening

I’m going to be in anxious anticipation waiting for the sequel! It’s almost cruel to release a book this captivating and make the audience wait so long for the next one.

Some things could be better

I love the slow burn and all the yearning in this book, but the love doesn't seem to go beyond the FMC's beauty--like, I kept wondering, "Aside from her being beautiful, what is his attraction towards her?" As for the spice scenes, I would've preferred more detail ("craving" and "desire") or simply just closed-door. I was getting mad at the MMC for moving too quickly.

Refreshing

Let me start with this book was a soild 4 stars, but I gave an extra half start because it was an authors debut book. So 4.5 star.
The beginning of the book was quite captivating, especially the dance scene (swoon). While I found myself wanting more in terms of background, siren history, and world-building, as well as a longer overall length, it felt somewhat incomplete, perhaps like a segment of a first book. The momentum seemed to wane after the initial ten chapters. Although I didn't particularly connect with the female protagonist or most of the characters, the male lead had his swoony moments, and there's potential for development. The romance is unique, deviating from the typical romantasy formula, which is a welcome change. I am inclined to give the second book a try.

Oh! THIS is what perfection sounds like.

My goodness. This is it guys!! This is the “stop everything you’re doing and pick this book up right this very second.” I cannot find the words to adequately describe my deep love for the journey I just went on! The story is lush, the writing is so beautiful, the romance is beyond… I want to only read this book over and over forever. I am obsessed. I am changed.

He’d seen the dark thing within me and it changed him.

POV - single
World - Rich. Dark. Deeply magical.
Magic - descendants from the various gods of this world have their magic but certain type can also be learned
Brain Power - perfect?
💧Emotional Damage - deep but not soul crushing
Romance and Swoon - literally top tier scream kick feet laugh text your bestie right away
🔥🔥🔥🔥- torture divine I’ll never recover
Audio - unreal so good couldn’t have been better
Kindle Unlimited - no
Special Editions - please? Who’s making this for me?? Someone make me a beautiful version of this book.

Over all ⭐️ Rating - infinity stars ⭐️♾️ This is my book. One million glittery stars for the most swoon worthy dark magical book that defines romance and swoon and lush writing. No notes.