Scorpion Deep

thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review. "scorpion deep" is an atmospheric, haunting story following jonathan covey's spiral downwards as his life collapses in a rotted heap. stuck between being trapped on the desolate isle of kelcarrow and the crushing weight of being left behind, jonathan wakes something from the deep in a desperate plea to find his way out. but rituals are shrouded in mystery and wishes granted by eldritch sea gods have a nasty way of not being what you meant. the following carnage forces jonathan to make a choice of what he really wants and to figure out how much he's willing to pay for it. i cannot begin to explain how emotionally wrung out and exhausted this book made me... and i wouldn't change a thing. a thrilling read from start to finish, "scorpion deep" knocks the air out of your lungs and makes drowning look appealing. this book was absolutely haunting and if it's any indication of what c.g. drews has to offer, they've just become a must-read author for me. i hadn't expected it to prey so heavily on one of my greatest insecurities—it seemed so backseat to the narrative at a glance. but there it was plain as day, and it gnawed away at me every single page. rarely does a book leave me feeling so hollowed out while i enjoyed the story in it.