A Letter to the Luminous Deep, Sylvie Cathrall
A Letter to the Luminous Deep, Sylvie Cathrall
List: $31.99 | Sale: $22.40
Club: $15.99

A Letter to the Luminous Deep

Author: Sylvie Cathrall

Narrator: Claire Morgan, Kit Griffiths, Justin Avoth, Joshua Riley

Unabridged: 12 hr 31 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Orbit

Published: 04/23/2024


Synopsis

A charming fantasy set in an underwater world with magical academia and a heartwarming penpal romance, perfect for fans of A Marvellous Light, Emily Wilde's Encylopaedia of Faeries and The House in the Cerulean Sea.
 
“An underwater treasure-chest to be slowly unpacked, full of things I adore: nosy and loving families, epistolary romance, gorgeous worldbuilding, and anxious scholars doing their best to meet the world with kindness and curiosity.” —Freya Marske, author of A Marvellous Light

A beautiful discovery outside the window of her underwater home prompts the reclusive E. to begin a correspondence with renowned scholar Henerey Clel. The letters they share are filled with passion, at first for their mutual interests, and then, inevitably, for each other.

Together, they uncover a mystery from the unknown depths, destined to transform the underwater world they both equally fear and love. But by no mere coincidence, a seaquake destroys E.'s home, and she and Henerey vanish.

A year later, E.'s sister Sophy, and Henerey's brother Vyerin, are left to solve the mystery, piecing together the letters, sketches and field notes left behind—and learn what their siblings’ disappearance might mean for life as they know it.
 
Inspired, immersive, and full of heart, this charming epistolary tale is an adventure into the depths of a magical sea and the limits of the imagination from a marvelous debut voice.

Praise for A Letter to the Luminous Deep

“A shimmering, delicately crafted delight.” —H.G. Parry, author of The Magician's Daughter

“A fascinating and charming story told in a uniquely elegant voice.” —Louisa Morgan, author of A Secret History of Witches

“Both the setting and the story are exquisite.” —Megan Bannen, author of The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy

Reviews

Goodreads review by Robin on May 26, 2024

Okay I’m officially hooked on this light academic romance told entirely in letters between two scholars as they uncover a strange mystery in the deep!! A Letter to the Luminous Deep blends mystery and a light academic romance between two scholars as their correspondence uncovers a secret long buried......more

Goodreads review by Paige (semi-hiatus) on May 02, 2024

A solid debut fantasy and what looks to be an ongoing series with potential. This is an epistolary fantasy set in an underwater world 🧜🏼‍♀️🪸 "A beautiful discovery outside the window of her underwater home prompts the reclusive E. to begin a correspondence with renowned scholar Henerey Clel. The let......more

Goodreads review by nikki ༗ on April 08, 2024

My dear E., I have thought of nothing else but you and your letter over the past day or so, and I do not intend to start thinking of anything else anytime soon. rating: 4.25 this was a beautifully written story about discovery, family, and the unknown. agoraphobic and brilliantly curious "e." has sudden......more

Goodreads review by Sarah on April 14, 2024

Dear Author, This could have been a prologue. Sincerely, A disappointed reader P.S. Letting your audience know whether a book will be a standalone or part of a series can affect the reader's enjoyment! I was raised on a steady diet of Cheerios and The Little Mermaid. I adore any underwater fantasy I can......more

Wow, I f*cking loved this book and cannot believe it's a debut! If you're a fan of Becky Chambers and you like epistolary novels (told entirely in the form of letters and documents) then you will eat this book up. A Letter to the Luminous Deep is a beautifully written, character-driven piece of scie......more


Quotes

"This book is not shaped like a book, and I mean that as a compliment. It is instead an underwater treasure-chest to be slowly unpacked, full of things I adore: nosy and loving families, epistolary romance, gorgeous worldbuilding, and anxious scholars doing their best to meet the world with kindness and curiosity. Take a deep breath and dive in."—Freya Marske, author of A Marvellous Light

"Cathrall's debut caught me up on a wave of whimsy and swept me away with its charm. A story to be cherished."—Lyra Selene, author of A Feather So Black

"A fascinating and charming story told in a uniquely elegant voice. A watery wonder of a novel! I loved it." —Louisa Morgan, author of A Secret History of Witches

"A Letter to the Luminous Deep is like nothing I've read before. The heartfelt intimacy of the epistolary narrative, juxtaposed with the magnificent oceanic world-building, results in a novel that is at once deeply human and mind-bogglingly imaginative. Both the setting and the story are exquisite, but it was the lovingly crafted voices of the characters that kept me hooked from beginning to end."—Megan Bannen, author of The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy

“A shimmering, delicately crafted delight of a book, steeped in love for the wonder of nature and the vagaries of archival research. Readers looking for heartwarming romance and scholarly mystery against the backdrop of a wildly imaginative world will be charmed.”—H.G. Parry, author of The Magician’s Daughter

"With its gorgeous underwater setting and whimsical academic sensibility, A Letter to the Luminous Deep is a strange, epistolary wonder." —Mary McMyne, author of The Book of Gothel

"Twists and turns, flashbacks, and surprising revelations are handled deftly by the four excellent narrators of this epistolary novel, Cathrall's debut."—Audiofile Earphone Award Winner