In the Veins of the Drowning: Characters, spice level & triggers

Written By Esta Pinto

Here’s what you need to know before picking up In the Veins of the Drowning by Kalie Cassidy. 

Just finished Kalie Cassidy’s gothic, gut-wrenching romantasy and are now lying face-down in your feelings, wondering what on earth just happened and when book two is coming? Same.

In this guide, I’m covering everything you want to know about In the Veins of the Drowning: synopsis, main characters and supporting character list, the Gods and Goddesses and their powers, spice levels, which chapters to earmark for those spicy chapters and trigger warnings.

We’ve got sirens with secrets, blood bonds, undead zombie sirens and enough twists and reveals to snap a mast in half. Let’s dive in (sorry, couldn’t help myself).

Please be sure to note that the ⚠️ FAQ section will contain spoilers⚠️ .

 

In the Veins of the Drowning synopsis.

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 hidden 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 both 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 the kingdom 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 own ancestral powers may not be enough to kill what hunts her—the only way to defeat a monster may be to become one herself.

Get In the Veins of the Drowning here.

 

In the Veins of the Drowning characters.

In the Veins of the Drowning is narrated from a first-person point of view through the eyes of Lady Imogen Nel. Our main male character is King Theodore Ariti.

Below is a quick introduction to our two leads, Immy and Theo, followed by a list of all the major, minor and mentioned characters we meet/hear about.

Main characters.

Lady Imogen Nel.

Imogen Nel is the ward of King Nemea, a man who, unfortunately, despises sirens. Which is a bit of a problem… since Imogen is one. Secretly. How awkward.

King Theodore Ariti of Varya.

Character art shared by author @kaliecassidybooks & artist @palinlineart, via Instagram.

King Theodore is described as too haughty, too good, too loved and too honorable by Imogen, based on what King Nemea has told her.

All characters.

Here’s a list of most of the characters in In the Veins of the Drowning including on-page characters, minor characters and the occasional off-page mentions.

  • Imogen Nel aka, “Immy”

  • King Theodore Ariti, aka, “Theo”

  • Agatha

  • King Nemea

  • Captain Evander Ianto

  • King Athan (mentioned)

  • Commander Lachlan Mela

  • Eusia

  • Rohana, the Mage Seer

  • Eftan

  • Antheia

  • Empress Nivala

  • Princess Halla

  • Hector

  • Antonia

  • Hermitess Vasili

  • The Queen of Della and Gos

  • King of Hera

The Great Gods and Goddesses of In the Veins of the Drowning.

Here’s a quick look at the gods and goddesses mentioned in In the Veins of the Drowning along with their divine affinities and powers.

God / Goddess Association / Ability / Affinity
Milton of Della Power over beasts.
Panos of Varya Power of life: Make plants flourish and mend/heal.
Diantan of Hera Power of craft: Machine what she sees in her mind’s eye.
Jesop of Gos Power of memory: Provides history, genealogy and folklore alongside his God’s divine near-immortal lifespan.
Ligea Power of wind and sea: Kill or start a tempest, fill nets with fish, aid ships in battles, lure the guilty to a brutal drowning end.

Review: In the Veins of the Drowning by Kalie Cassidy.

View my review and follow me on GoodReads here.

My rating: ★★★★★

  • Spice level: 🌶

  • 1.5/5, slow-burn, open-door spice, but not explicit

If you listen closely, you can hear the distant sound of Rachel Gillig cackling and whispering “told you so.”

If you’ve ever wanted your siren stories rewritten by someone with a soft spot for the “monsters,” you’ll adore this one. In the Veins of the Drowning is a gothic fairytale of siren lore, toxic family dynamics, salty secrets, angst and… zombie sirens? Plus yearning so agonising it’s almost psychological torture with a side of heart-eyes.

Look, I’m not saying it’s my favourite romantasy of the year, but I am saying it might just be a three-way tie between this, Terror at the Gates and Broken Souls & Bones. 2025 has been delivering.

Firstly, there are so many of my favourite tropes in here, for example, forced proximity, forbidden love, one horse (the execution had me squealing), and a surprise trope twist reveal that was perfection. It’s like Cassidy wrote this book just for me and for you too, if you love those tropes.

But what really blew me away was how the author put her own unique spin on them.

Stylistically, it’s lush, haunting and atmospheric with some mild horror elements. If you’re someone who gets high on vibes, this will feed you. It’s easy to see why Rachel Gillig endorsed it, the moody aesthetic is reminiscent of One Dark Window, along with its allegories about who the real monster is, with mythological siren lore from Greek mythology/The Odyssey woven in, the kind with talons and feathers. There’s even a touch of Mr. Darcy in the characterisation, brooding and all.

Furthermore, if you squint (or maybe it’s just my perception), there’s a ghost of The Little Mermaid lurking beneath the surface. Not the Disney sparkle version, but the much stranger, darker Hans Christian Andersen one. Still, even with those glimmers, this book isn't trying to be anything else. It's 100% its own thing and Cassidy understood the assignment.

I won't be surprised if people go feral for Imogen & Theo. The pining is off the Richter scale, complete with awkward, flustered moments between them and I think those were my favourite scenes of all.

Additionally, spice levels are perfect--Not gratuitous but high reward.

I can’t believe this is a debut. If this is how she starts, I’m cancelling all my plans and binge-reading everything Kalie writes.

Thank you so much to NetGalley & Orion Publishing Group | Gollancz for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

 View my review and follow me on GoodReads here. I chat about books a lot.

 

ITVOTD FAQs.

SPOILER ALERT:

⚠️ Some answers may spoil the book if you haven’t read it already. Proceed with caution. ⚠️

Is In the Veins of the Drowning a series?

Yes, In the Veins of the Drowning is book one in The Siren Mage duology series, by author, Kalie Cassidy. Book Two looks is titled “In the Wake of the Ruined”, and will be published in 2026. Exact date to be confirmed.

What are the content and trigger warnings?

  • Violence

  • Blood

  • Sexual content

  • Death

  • Injury and injury details

  • Cursing

  • Body horror

  • Death of parent

  • War

  • Abuse

  • Coercion

  • Cult and fanaticism

  • Toxic family relationships and dynamics

  • Drowning

  • Suicide (off-page)

What are the tropes for In the Veins of the Drowning?

  • Slow burn romance ❤️‍🔥

  • Morally grey characters 🖤

  • Suppressed powers ✨

  • Marriage bond / marriage of convenience🩸

  • Forced proximity

  • Touch her & die 💀

  • Forbidden love

  • Reluctant allies to lovers

  • One horse

  • He falls first

What is the age rating for In the Veins of the Drowning?

In the Veins of the Drowning is classified as adult, so ages 18+, due to adult themes and sexual content. Please also see the trigger and content warnings listed above.

What is the In the Veins of the Drowning spice level?

Is In the Veins of the Drowning spicy? In the Veins of the Drowning does have lots of slow burn tension and yearning there is some light spice between the end, but it itsn’t explicitly detailed. 

Spice level: 🌶

1.5/5, mild spice, with a very slow build up of steamy romantic tension. The couple of spicy chapters are open door, but relatively mild.

What are the In the Veins of the Drowning spicy chapters?

Capsicums are mild but still delicious and chillies are hot. You get my drift? Here’s your In the Veins of the Drowning spicy chapters map and chilli rating.

  • Chapter 14: 🫑🫑(one horse)

  • Chapter 17: 🫑🫑🫑

  • Chapter 20: 🌶️

  • Chapter 23: 🌶️🌶️

  • Chapter 24: 🌶️

Is ITVOTD a love triangle?

No, In the Veins of the Drowning is not a love triangle. There’s only one clear love interest in the end and that’s really all you need to know.

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Esta Pinto
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