So if you’ve seen me talking about books on any social media platform then you probably know that Sarah Glenn Marsh is one of my favourite authors and actually, just one of my favourite people in general. She is an amazing, super sweet person and the Reign of the Fallen duology is one of my favourite series EVER.
I knew her debut was Fear the Drowning Deep but I’m terrible and only recently got around to reading it. But with the companion novel Dread the Harvest Moon coming out I knew I had to read it because I so wanted to be part of this blog tour. And what better timing to talk about these historical fantasies set on the Isle of Man then Faedathon?
Fear the Drowning Deep featured many creatures from Manx folklore, creatures I hadn’t heard much about and I was so excited to learn about. With the new book going to follow the main character of the first book’s sister a few years later and more focused on the fae, I’m super excited for that too.
So let’s get into that folklore and hopefully then you’ll want to read this book as much as I do!
With the Isle of Man being, well, an island, these creatures are all sea monsters of sorts so they’re definitely beings I’d want to avoid but some may be a little more…tempting than others.
The first creature isn’t from the Isle of Man but is actually Scandinavian. They’re supposed to travel the waters so it wouldn’t be that strange to see them around the British isles but they’re not native to the islands. And this is the fossegrim. In the book it’s described as a ghostly man, almost attractive at a far, far distance who plays a fiddle on the water. Those it calls to are lured by the song and wound up drowning. Yeah, drowning is something that basically all these creatures cause but in a lot of ways this could compare to the mermaid, just a lot more human.
You then have sea serpents who are exactly what you’d expect. They live in the water, devouring what they can but those that feature in Fear the Drowning Deep also have an extra power. One I can’t reveal without giving spoilers. But these are deadly, terrifying creatures and their size really doesn’t help. When I say sea monsters, a serpent is something you’d expect to see but it doesn’t make them any less fascinating.
The final type of creature I’m going to talk about is one I’d never heard of before. But one that I want to find some use for now. The glashtyn. This creature usually takes the form of a horse similar to the kelpie. They can hunt on water and land and, you guessed it, like to drown women. One way they do this is by transforming into a handsome young man, usually with dark curly hair. Honestly, sounds just my type. Shame you’ll never catch me anywhere near the water. The interesting thing about the glashtyn as that though their legends hail from such a small island, no one can be certain what form it was originally claimed they take. Horses and human boys are common, but goblins pop up too. They could be anything and honestly? It just makes me want to look into them more.
As I said earlier, Dread the Harvest Moon is going to focus on the fae and I love reading about the fae. When it’s done right. And I totally trust Sarah to do a good job. I’ll share the plot for the new book below along with a giveaway and buy links. You don’t need to have read Fear the Drowning Deep to read Dread the Harvest Moon but I’d highly recommend you do. Just because you want double the awesome, right?
Oh, and I should add, Dread the Harvest Moon is queer too, so, y’know. Worth it.
BUY LINKS
PLOT
Three tasks. Two worlds. One deadly queen.
Always follow the rules.
That’s what seventeen-year-old barmaid Liss Corkill does. She’s never cursed or kissed a boy, and until two years ago, when a mythical serpent kidnapped her, she was never late to anything. She knows that if she were like her free-spirited older sister Bridey who sailed to America just before the Great War, her mother would be devastated. Liss is determined to be what everyone expects, even if that means giving up her dreams.
Unless the faeries make you break them.
When Liss accidentally interferes in a fairy queen’s quest for true love, she’s pulled into the vast and dangerous world of Un-Mann, a magical realm as old as the Isle of Man itself. As punishment for her mistake, Liss must complete three tasks for the queen by the night of the Great Harvest Moonlight, the fairies’ biggest yearly celebration.
Or you find something worth dying for.
Liss’s attempts to complete her tasks are met with constant misfortune, as if someone doesn’t want her to win. But she has powerful friends: the town witch, Morag, and her sister’s best friend, Cat, who she’s secretly falling for as they hunt sea monsters by night to protect their home. Sensing a need for inspiration as the final gruesome task draws near, the queen marks Liss’s little sister for death unless Liss succeeds.
Her sister. Her town. Her dreams. If she can’t own who she is and make some new rules, Liss will lose it all.
US GIVEAWAY
a Rafflecopter giveaway https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.jsWant to see more on this book? Check out the other tour posts:
October 5th The Clockwork Bibliophile
October 6th It Starts at Midnight
October 7th The Quirky Book Nerd
October 8th Ashleigh’s Bookshelf
October 9th Book Crushin’ & Booknerd Becky
October 12th Chasing FaerytalesOctober 13th Lace and Dagger Books
October 14th Flyleaf Chronicles
October 15th Sometimes Leelyn Reads
October 16th YA Book Central
Lace and Dagger Books 
This was such an informative post as these creatures are new to me. I haven’t read this author’s books before and it sounds like she definitely does her research and gives her readers excellent world building.
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These creatures were new to me too so I was excited to come across and research them.
Sarah is amazing and does give great world building. I highly recommend all her books.
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Such an interesting post, you did a great job with this. Thank you for being on the tour!
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Thanks for letting me be a part of it!
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