Thank you Netgalley for a chance to read this eArc in exchange for an honest review!

This was not for me. I was incredibly excited based on the blurbs, especially with the comparisons to Emily Wilde (I adore those books). Unfortunately, I was not able to finish this story.

My main issue is that through all the letters, all characters have the same “voice”. I had to constantly recheck who was talking because they didn’t have unique ways of writing or anything that made them separate or individualized.

Due to my inability to push through at this time, I’ve given 3 stars. If I complete it, I will update everything accordingly.

Arc Review:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall

A Letter to the Luminous Deep is a unique story that follows two grieving siblings who dive deeper into the lives of the brother and sister they lost. It’s told through past and present correspondence between the lost Henry and E, and their surviving siblings Vyerin and Sophy. The setting is a somewhat post apocalyptic world mostly populated with water. While this book wasn’t a quick read for me, it was highly enjoyable. The love interests were sweet and I found their social floundering and nerdy personas endearing. The writing was beautiful and very descriptive, but whew it could be quite long winded at times. I found myself taking frequent breaks as the writing would at times be too wordy and take me out of the story. As someone with anxiety, I also connected with the wordy tangents and side tracks that were to help the reader to better understand the thought processes of the characters. While the book was slow to get to the final plot, I was hooked on the new discovery and mystery at the end. I’ll definitely be picking up book 2 in the series.

Make sure to pick this one up on April 23rd, 2024

Thank you Netgalley and Orbit for the opportunity to read this arc.
#netgalley

Neutral 3 stars for not finishing
——————

This was unfortunately an early DNF for me.

I was immediately interested by the synopsis of this book, but I found the synopsis to be the most interesting part. The writing was hard to enjoy and the use of exclamation points was excessive. The story was slow to get going and none of the many introduced characters had a unique voice to distinguish them. The story throws you into this unique world with no world building. This book could have much better as a mix of dialogue and action along with the letters, though I know the letters were the intention. I just wasn’t pulled in to want to continue the story to see where it was going.

I won’t be reviewing elsewhere.

This book may not be everyones cup of tea. It is told through letters between characters as they talk about science and the mystery of what caused the death of two of their sibilings. I enjoyed the way it was told because it was something different than I had ever read before. It is part romance part science.

I enjoyed the world, where it seems something has caused the oceans to rise and there is only one spot of land that remains, everyone lives either under the ocean or near docks. Through the letters we see more and more about the characters and the struggles they face. One of the characters seems to struggle with anxiety and OCD, which is why she will never leave her home, but desires to learn more so she reaches out to a scholar via a letter and starts a unique relationship.

Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for the ARC!

I've never read a book that's a collection of letters before, but I found it delightful! It was a really nice, calming read, and a super unique way of telling a story. Once I get the characters straight in my head, I settled in and enjoyed the ride.

The letter format isn't for everyone, but you do get used to it so it's worth the try!

A Letter of the Luminous Deep is a wonderfully written book. Throughout the novel readers follow two different time points. The first being E and Henerey as they begin to correspond via letters. The second timeline follows E's sister Sophy and Henerey's brother Vyerin. E and Henerey fell for each other through their letters, and then disappeared and are suspected dead when a seaquake destroy's E's house. Sophy and Vyerin start communicating with each other in attempt to discover what happened to their siblings and in general find some peace with everything that happened.

A Letter to the Luminous Deep is not a quick read. In full transparency, I could only read a chapter or two at a time. It is written entirely through letters, missives, articles, etc. I loved the way Carthrall chose to tell this story, and the fact that it is told in a more untraditional format as it makes the story even more enthralling. You got to find out alongside Vyerin and Sophy what happened to their siblings, and let me tell you, it was not what I was expecting. This book required a lot of setup to get to the big plot twist that allows for the next book, which made it difficult to get through at times. I could not read a lot in one sitting because at times it did not feel like a lot was happening. However, I am a very character development driven reader, and having a strongly plot based book makes this a difficult story for me to dive into and truly enjoy the way many others have. I will say that I did enjoy it enough that I am excited for book two and do want to read it and know what happens next. That to me is the sign of a great author, when they can take a novel that is not necessarily someone's preferred reading style/format, and do it in a way where they still want to keep reading and know what happens in the subsequent books.

Thank you to Sylvie Cathrall, Orbit, and NetGalley for giving me an eARC of A Letter to the Luminous Deep in exchange for my honest review.

I’d give this 6⭐️ if I could.

A Letter to the Luminous Deep is a fantastical story in which two strangers encounter each other when they both lose a sibling under mysterious circumstances.

Together they work to compile an archive of the correspondence between their missing siblings during the last year of their lives, and find that things aren’t all as they seem.

I found the format of this book to be a bit disagreeable in the beginning, as we hopped from one new perspective to another. Having finished the book, I can say that this is the best way of telling this story! The wondrous and adorable letters between E. and Henerey as they discover a life changing sunken secret together gripped me and didn’t let me go until the very end.

This is the type of story that had me laughing and kicking my feet at the cute interactions between E. and Henerey, but it also caused me to feel suspense and excitement as Sophy charted the deepest parts of the sea.

I adored the whole cast, all of whom were expertly written within the confines of primarily letter and automated -post format. You never spend real time with our characters, you only piece together the story along with Sophy and Vy as they send eachother the surviving documents left behind by their siblings. I find it so impressive how much depth was afforded to the character development despite this restriction.

Before my thoughts become as long as one of E.’s letters to Henerey, I will leave it at that. I adored this book. It was so unique and wholesome. I will certainly be buying this upon release, and thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this eARC to review!

This was one of the most unique books that I’ve read in quite a while, the entire thing made up of letters between our cast of main characters! We join Sophy and Vyerin as they read through the letters of their siblings, E. and Henerey, creating an archive dedicated to their siblings who vanished in a sea quake. They uncover the love their siblings shared but also a mystery that may be the key to their disappearance and could change life as they know it. I absolutely adore books set in/on the ocean, and this setting was a fantasy world where most of the land is covered with water, and humans had to adapt accordingly with underwater houses and floating universities. I also really loved all the characters and the diversity, especially E. and her anxiety and agoraphobia and Henerey who is the sweetest cinnamon roll ever! The story does move quite slowly and that’s probably my biggest complaint but the letters and character relationships are charming enough that I pushed through! Book 1 ends on a cliffhanger with a huge mystery and I really need the second book now!!
Tropes:
🪸 Epistolary Cosy Fantasy
🪸 Underwater World
🪸 Scholar Romance
🪸 Light Academia
🪸 Magical Mystery
🪸 Mental Health Rep
🪸 🏳️‍🌈 Rep (FF and MM)

There is definitely a particular audience for this type of book, and unfortunately it wasn't me.

I found it boring and slow and was surprised by it all being written in a formal writing style.
I didn't realize the entire book would be just letters, telegrams, and memorandums with very little actual plot progression or excitement.

Sadly, not recommending to others unless I know they enjoy this style.

Thank you, Netgalley for the ARC!

A Letter to the Luminous Deep is an underwater epistolary mystery, told through the letters of two pairs of penpals (with a few guest appearances). E. and Henerey first connected over the strange migration of an eel, and over time their letters become much, much more - but now they've disappeared, and their siblings Sophy and Vyerin begin to exchange their own letters as they read those from their siblings and try to piece it all together.

I love a book that breaks our expectations of what a book should be, and by sticking so closely to the epistolary format, this book does that. All of our world-building, all of our character building, all of our plot, is through letters and other ephemera. I worried in the first 20% that I wouldn't be able to differentiate everyone's voices this way, but after that slow beginning, each voice becomes its own. (If you're struggling, push to the 30% mark - by then, I think you'll be in for the long haul.)

I also recommend reading the latter half or so in one sitting if that's at all possible or appealing to you - I found the mystery and the underwater setting all the more enthralling when I could really sink into it. (Ocean jokes!)

I really enjoyed the opportunity to submerge myself in this world of academia, exploration, slowly unfolding mystery, and romance. Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for the advanced copy! "A Letter to the Luminous Deep" hits shelves on April 23, 2024.

I was immediately intrigued by the synopsis of A Letter to the Luminous Deep - an underwater world where we learn about discoveries and disappearances told via letters, sketches and field notes. I have never read a full epistolary novel but I loved that way of storytelling. And the cover is absolutely stunning!

That being said, I found myself a bit confused trying to visualize the world and the scientific/academia aspect. I suspect it may be easier to follow and visualize in audio format.

I am glad I did not DNF the book (as I was tempted a few times) because I did love to see the different characters develop with themselves and in their relationships.

I still recommend trying the book if a story of underwater academia with a sprinkle of romance sounds up your alley, but unfortunately it just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit books for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I absolutely adored this book! The writing is fantastic and I loved the world that Cathrall created. I also really appreciated how the author included, and handled, mental health representation in the story. This added nuance gave the characters depth and really helped me connect with them. I can't wait for more of this series!

A Letter to the Luminous Deep is a thought provoking tale of intrigue, family, and emotions. The plot follows the developing relationship between E and Henerey, as they build a friendship and something more through letters. After their mysterious disappearance, their respective siblings work together to uncover something so much larger than you would ever believe!

Overall, I really liked this book. I loved the marine biology and natural science that was worked in throughout; being just different enough to give it a fantastical feel to it. The characters were all very well developed and distinguished, which can be difficult to do well in a plot told through time jumping correspondence.

At times I found the language a bit too fanciful, and struggled to read it, not because it was difficult but because it was wordy. However. I a, highly anticipating the audiobook release, and I think this will be WONDERFUL in that form.

Thank you to NetGalley where I received an e-ARC. This review is my own.

Letters, magical academia, mystery, and romance! If you're a fan of TJ Klune or Remarkably Bright Creatures, this one is for you.

An epistolary romance set in an underwater world with magical academia? I was so ready to dive right into this. However, this light academia romance isn't quite for me, but I am giving extra stars for the cover alone. I really wanted to like this book but I could not get into this style of writing. I found myself quite bored and thought the pace was really slow.

"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 suddenly vanished along w her penpal, scholar henerey clel. their siblings begin corresponding first in condolence and mourning, then in earnest exploration as they start to uncover the mysterious disappearance (and what may have preluded it...).

"To think that a person’s entire life could be summed up in the jumbled, incomplete assortment of ephemera they leave behind."

personally, while it took a moment for me to adjust to the epistolary style that is first primarily following siblings sophy and vyerin, the more i got to know e and henery the more i became invested - especially as the mystery of the "luminous circumference" developed. sylvia cathrall has created a fantastical world where many of the inhabitants live under or on water. there is lots of creatively playful reimagining of marine life that is reminiscent of the life aquatic with steve zissou.

mental health was a strong theme, with e being agoraphobic and having anxiety & (i think from author's note?) ocd. various characters including henery and his brother vyerin both discuss depression as well as other characters. almost all of the characters are also queer, with much bi/pan representation. science, academia, and exploration are a central theme as well (chancellor rawsel, it's on sight).

if you have thalassophobia or fear of the deep ocean, this might make you feel claustrophobic haha. i think some things to be aware of is that this is only the first book in a series (so sorry, a bit of a cliffhanger!) and the slower-paced writing & challenge for the reader to slowly "uncover" and piece together info along w our new penpals may put some off, but if you have the patience for it you'll be rewarded with many heartfelt moments, charming humor, fun uncoverings, and even romance.

i'm very excited for this to release and even more excited for its follow-up!

"If we happen to make a slight detour into that luminescent world – well, then, I will consider myself lucky to do so in your company."

I was extremely excited to be approved for this ARC!! As soon as I saw the cover, I was into it. My first impression was that I might find it confusing. It is not the first epistolary novel I have read but it starts as one of the stranger ones. The author plunges us into the middle of a mystery with no context at all and it is interesting, for sure. I have seen many reviewers DNF this book so I was a little wary, but as of 25% in, I found it adorable and intriguing. Multiple reviewers claimed that the author did not give the letters individual voices but I disagree. It may take time but I feel they did have their own voices and it could just be a book that you need to stick with. Around 40% there was a moment I found a little hard to believe, the very long set of notes, back and forth, supposedly written on the back of a program. Though I understand the need for this to continue with the format of the book and to keep us involved. In hindsight, this was not enough to take me out of the story. Upon finishing, I will say this book is paced slower than most popular fantasy novels. It is worth sticking it out though. It is definitely cozy and I would say it has a similar feeling to Emily Wilde so that comparison I've seen is fair. The story really picked up and took off and I found the ending abrupt. Not in an altogether bad way, I just expected more because I forgot there were previews of other books in the end of my ARC. I would urge readers who did not finish to pick this back up. I now regret not picking up the Fairyloot version of this, but I will probably buy a copy and definitely read the next in the series. I'm interested to see how the story unfolds and in which format. I actually have a fear of especially deep waters, so this was an intense read. But a good one for sure. 😊 Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit for the ARC!!!

One of the best books I have read so far in 2024... Definite 5 out of 5 for me (maybe a tenth of a point off for the ending).

I'm not usually one for an epistolary style book, but something about how this was written kept my interest. You are basically following two different timelines, with the "present" timeline looking back onto the "past" one to try and unravel the mysterious "death" of two of the main characters. The pace is slow at times, and it honestly isn't until the second half of the book that I was finally able to start connecting the dots, but compared to a lot of other high-stakes fantasy novels, this was a breath of fresh air. The small moments where the characters interject random stories or anecdotes into their letters really reminds me of how humans actually communicate, and it helped develop the characters.

Both E and Henery are really interesting representations of neurodiverse characters, and their joy in finding someone they can connect with would make me smile throughout the novel. They are both just anxious scholars who want to learn and find happiness in the simple joys of nature.

My one main complaint is the ending... I went into this thinking it was a standalone novel (and in a lot of ways I think it could've STAYED that way and I would've been very happy with it). However as I got towards the end of the novel, I realized this was not the case, and in my opinion the ending felt quite sudden and sharp.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit books for the arc copy in exchange for an honest review.*

DNF.

I was really excited for this one, the premise sounded good and the cover was beautiful, but the writing style was not for me. This book is primarily written in letters and transcripts and it just made the story feel dull. There was really nothing to pull me in and I couldn't connect to the story or the characters.

I think this book had the potential to be so good if the author had gone with a different writing style.

I definitely think that if you're interested by the premise, you should still give it a chance. Just because I couldn't connect with the writing style does not mean that it will be the same for everyone.

This gorgeous novel is comprised entirely of letter sent between only a few characters. Its slow pace and frequent tangents away from the plot will certainly alienate some readers, but I am not one of them. Sophy’s sister E and Vyerin’s brother Henerey have gone missing, and Sophy and Vyerin begin a correspondence, working together to try and find their missing siblings. The two begin as strangers and become first a team and then friends - all while shipping (that’s a pun) the budding romance between E and Henerey as told through their letters to each other.
The setting is on an almost entirely ocean-covered planet. Rival academic institutions float across the seas in which all of our main characters are scholars or sailors. This book does indeed have something for everyone: seafaring, dark academia, mystery, romance, friendship. There are also truly heartfelt depictions of mental illness, particularly E’s OCD and Henerey’s social anxiety, as well as some very complex sibling dynamics. Emily Wilde meets Jules Verne in this deep-sea slow-burn adventure, and I just loved it.