I'd like to thank the publisher and netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had high hopes for this and wasn't disappointed. Great world building, great characters and story line. Highly recommend and encourage all to read this.

A Letter to the Luminous Deep follows written correspondence sent between Sophy and Vyerin who are working together to uncover what happened to their siblings after they disappeared mysteriously. Through their research, they find letters written between their siblings, academic articles, and various other documents that slowly piece together the timeline leading up to this event.

A Letter to the Luminous Deep is the first novel written in the Victorian Epistolary style that I have read, and unfortunately I don't think it is for me. The pace of this book was extremely slow and I did not find myself interested in the story until the last 20% of the book. If it wasn't an ARC, I would have DNFed. It felt as if a lot of the beginning of the book was filler, though I know it helps build the relationships between characters. That's why I struggle to rate/review a book of this nature.

What I appreciated about this book was the friendship that we see bloom through the letters exchanged between Sophy and Vyerin. I could genuinely feel their connection grow as the story went on. It was also very easy to connect to E and Henerey. I could relate to the anxiety of being around strangers, the excitement and giddiness of falling in love, and the apprehension of the unknown. Cathrall does a spectacular job of forming these relationships, even through the more formal writing.

I do believe a lot of people will enjoy the cozy and mysterious way this story is told and I thank Cathrall for introducing me to this style of story telling.

Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for providing me with the eArc in exchange for an honest review!

“A Letter to the Luminous Deep” takes place when two scholars ( E and Henerey) bond over solving a great mystery in the deep sea! They correspond with endearing letters between each other in the year 1002, becoming pen and potential lovers. They team up on this sea quest and mysteriously disappear without a trace! One year later, their siblings try to the pieces together the evidence of their disappearance using their corresponding letters- hoping for clarity!

This book was such a STRUGGLE to read for me! While I liked the endearment the characters had for each other through their letters, the chapters were long and had way too much filler! The plot wasn’t really addressed until almost the end of book.. I respect and admire the author’s intellectual writing style but it just wasn’t for me. It is a very slow book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for sending me the ARC for an honest review!

This book was so beautifully written. I loved the writing style, it was so eloquent and flowery. The book is written in letters which was really different and unique for me and I really liked that aspect. I was surprised at how well the author could world build through just letters, very well done.

I also really loved the characters in this book. They are very well written and I ached for Sophy’s and Vyerin’s loss

I can’t wait for the sequel

Truly a magical read that had me completely hooked. The characters were amazing, the story had me hooked from page one. Absolutely a book that everyone must read.

This book is magnificent! It’s whimsical, romantic, enchanting, and one of the most unique books I’ve read. It’ll stay with me for a long time and I can’t recommend it enough!

Utterly unlike anything I’ve ever encountered, this fantasy unfolds through the correspondence and beautiful written ephemera of the main characters. It’s like the author said, “here, this is what it’s like to be an archivist, let’s put together a story from what history leaves behind.” And then you embark on an all out mysterious adventure into the depths of the ocean where the landscape is treacherous and the creatures are unimaginable. All the while, you’re guided by these kind, wholesome, charming characters who are falling in love and discovering their own strengths.

The story takes place after the fall of civilization into the oceans. We don’t know what caused this descent but humans now live in boats and barges and submarines and anchorages, studying the ocean all around them and developing new technology in a world governed by water.

There are four main characters: E. and Henerey, who are vanished from the beginning of the story. Sophie and Vyerin, their respective siblings, who have their own adult lives and families, are piecing together the correspondence between E. and Henerey to find some closure from their disappearance.

The writing style is elaborate and beautiful, making you feel like you’re reading letters from the 19th century, a bit of Edwardian decorum.

I was so impressed by the amount of world building and information that the author managed to include in the letters. The characters already know the world but slowly give so many details. Instead of feeling tedious, the world building is offered bit by bit until I felt like I had always known how their world works, which always kept my interest. This is truly a unique and even experimental fantasy novel and I’m so glad it exists.

On top of all of these wonderful aspects, there is excellent mental health representation here that I thought was really relatable. Plus super heart-warming LGBTQIA+ relationships. I literally loved every bit of this book!

I would love to see more sketches in the next book - I loved that aspect in this one! The sequel is now my most anticipated book - Sylvie Cathrall opened some seriously exciting doors and I cannot wait to see what will happen!

Solid 5 stars!

Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. This was a beautifully written book, set in a world within and directly on top of the ocean (think houseboats, but large scale). The story unfolds through letters between several different characters, and surrounds a mysterious structure the characters find and explore, and then also a mysterious disappearance of some characters. The characters are academic-minded, witty, quirky, and a bit neurotic. There is some romance in the story, but it is certainly not the main theme. I will admit that it took me until almost halfway through this book to become invested in the story, which is why I took off a star in my review. I have not read many books in this style before, so I think that and the elevated tone of writing in the book caused me to not connect with the story in the beginning. After I hit the halfway mark though, I was absolutely invested and so enjoyed the banter between the characters. I would imagine that if you enjoy fantasy stories and reading books written in an epistolary style, you will love this book.

4.75 I found A Letter to the Luminous Deep to be quite charming. It was whimsical and mysterious and tragic and captivating, and I highly anticipate the sequel.

Some of the exuberance of the early letters took a little getting used to (so many parentheticals and exclamations!) and I did feel a bit of a lull in the third quarter, but my overwhelming reaction was delight.

Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy to review!

First I wanna say thank you for approving me for this ARC on NetGalley 🫶

So I must have missed the part of the description where it said this was an epistolary novel— that being said OH MAN did I LOVE it!! I haven’t read an epistolary in quite some time so it took me a chapter or two to get used to it and it was SO worth it!

The writing style is incredibly unique. It takes some adjusting time but the more I read the more I grew comfortable and anticipated the tone in which each character was writing.

Love. Mystery. Loss. Friendship. Underwater society, I mean what more could you ask for?!

I ached for Sophy and Vyerin’s loss and the connection and friendship they formed in trying to figure out what happened to their siblings. The writing easily lets you put yourself in their shoes- anxiously awaiting the next letter and the next, to find out what happened.

E and Henery. Need I say more? I truly enjoyed watching their growth through their correspondence as the book progressed. Their understanding for each other, the way they encouraged and trusted each other was perfection.

And of course, Arvist comes in at the last minute suggesting what everyone has already been doing.

Would you believe I’ve had this book on my list of Books To Look Out For since February of 2023?? Very much worth the wait!

I will 1000% be telling all my friends about this book and will be buying a physical copy when it comes out. Excitedly waiting the next book!

I can’t wait for the world to read this masterpiece!

**Review also shared on Goodreads

A charming, cozy read written entirely in an epistolary fashion, featuring an oceanworld society led by high educators known as Scholars. Romance blossoms between one of these Scholars and a young woman who lives in the first-ever constructed underwater house -- fondly referred to as the Deep House. When the two fo them go missing/are presumed dead, their siblings sort through their grief and confusion towards the incident by striking up a friendship through correspondence.

I really loved E. and Henerey's relationship, the slow development that introverts and homebodies require to truly grow. Everything about them was truly adorable. And that doesn't include Sophy and Vyerin and their quick, friendly bond -- encouraging readers everywhere to fund themselves a pen pal ASAP.

The formatting was interesting, I worried it would eventually annoy me, but it didn't. That, and the mystery of E. and Henerey's deaths/disappearances captivated me enough that I couldn't put the story away or even think about it bothering me. Slowly peeling back the truth layer by layer (or letter by letter), unweaving the truth if the events along with the four characters was brilliant. The level of worldbuilding and character in these letters is astonishing.

The ending is certainly set up for a sequel.

𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 4/23/2024
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Fantasy

𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬: E. Cidnosin is a young woman who lives alone in the house her mother built. Underwater. One day she spots a beautiful and large sea creature she has never seen before. This discovery prompts her to write to Scholar Henerey Clel. What start as scholarly correspondences soon lead to something more.

E and Henerey begin to unravel a mystery that eventually leads to their disappearances. Henerey's brother and E's sister begin correspondences and eventually begin to see the same mystery unfold.

𝐌𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞: The prose is beautiful, albeit tough to follow. The entire book is told through correspondences; letters and electronic mail, between the main characters. The language and the skips back and forth in time took some getting use to. I liked all of the characters (with the exception of the brother, Arvist). The world is fantastical, and even the abyss scenes felt "bright" to me somehow.

I felt as though I was watching two Victorian era people fall in love through their carefully worded letters. That was sweet. It's a curious book that I still don't really know what to think. I have ideas, but the cliffhanger of an ending really threw me for a loop. My note from my read is "WTF!? IT JUST ENDS!?" So, be warned.

I do not think it is for everyone because of the prose and the fact that it is quite a slow paced book, and I cannot really liken it to another book that I have read.

Book Name: A Letter to the Luminous Deep
Author: Sylvie Cathrall

ARC
Thank you to Orbit Books, Orbit, and NetGalley for an ARC of A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall

Stars: 1

New Series
Slow Paced
Cozy Fantasy

- Letter Style (Only Letters)
- Cozy
- Archival Story
- Sweet Romance
- Academic

Overall the letters/archival …only format from multiple POVs was kind of confusing. I couldn't relax into the story.(which is my primary motivation for reading) I was constantly confused as to who was speaking and trying to keep that along with the story straight… I kept thinking that the letters would be more cohesive in their storytelling. Overall this was not a win for me due to the WAY the story was told, not the story itself which seemed intriguing and the underwater world was mesmerizing. Overall this was 2/5 for … format….

Due to the Negative Nature of this review, I will not be posting it to Goodreads or retail sites with respect to the publisher and author.

A big thank you to @netgalley and @orbitbooks for allowing me to read this eARC. The opinions presented in this review are my own.

⭐ 2 / 5

I struggled to connect with this one. I tried. I really did. I had been so intrigued by the premise. A fantasy epistolary cozy mystery set in a whimsical underwater world? Yes, please! The idea of “uncovering” and reading a pile of old letters made my heart scream “Treaaaaaysure!” 💎👑

A Letter to the Luminous Deep is written as a series of letters focused on E. Cidnosin and Henerey Clel. E. initiates an exchange of letters with Henerey, a scholar she admires, regarding an unidentified fish she observes through the porthole of her underwater home, the Deep House. The two develop a romance through their correspondence. When a tragedy befalls Deep House and both E. and Henerey disappear - presumed dead - their respective siblings, Sophy and Vyerin are left mourning. The two cope with their mutual losses by sharing their siblings’ letters. Through the series of exchanges, Sophy and Vyerin not only find comfort in the love that had developed between E. and Henerey but they are left to solve the mystery of their disappearance as well.

I want to make sure to highlight the things I felt were done extremely well. The craftsmanship Sylvie Cathrall exhibits in the Victorian writing style makes for an impressive debut. The consistency and attention to detail testify to her background in Victorian art. I also love how the author herself married her pen pal 💖 #ILoveLove. The representations for mental health and LGBTQ+ were also notably excellent.

For me, A Letter to the Luminous Deep did not hold the intrigue the synopsis elicited. I found it to be an absolute trudge, which was disappointing. The pace was near glacial. While the lengthy exposition fits with the scholarly cast of characters, I found my attention wandering frequently.

I admittedly have issues leaving things incomplete so I rarely DNF, but with this, I came close many times. I was persuaded to finish after reading reviews, which said it would get more exciting in the last quarter, which it does…somewhat. I also confess it’s my fault I did not realize this was the first in a series. Under the impression this was a standalone, I was hoping the end would wrap everything into a neat bow and I could move on. Instead, the story is left on a mild cliffhanger. Sadly, despite my issues with incompleteness, I don’t think I will be picking up Book 2.

Though not for me, I can see how some may enjoy A Letter to the Luminous Deep. The many 4- and 5-star reviews are a testament to an appeal I just didn't share. Those who are fans of Victorian writing style and who love a cozy mystery with a slow slow burn may find this to be exactly what they are hoping for.

#ALettertotheLuminousDeep #NetGalley #Orbitbooks #bookstagram

E. Cidnosin is a bit of an anomaly in an already strange world, where the land itself seems to be endangered. Living alone in her family’s underwater home, fondly called the Deep House, she spends her days observing the sea life outside her porthole windows. When she spies something truly out of the ordinary, it pushes her to contact renowned scholar Henerey Clel, and the two begin a relationship that’s depth rivals the oceans themselves.

When tragedy strikes, both E. and Henerey’s siblings are left devastated over their sudden disappearance. With no other course of action Henerey’s brother Vyrin, and E.’s sister Sophy, begin to go through their letters and field notes in an attempt to understand what transpired before they vanished. However, their letters uncover more questions than answers, and the two stumble upon a mystery that may change everything they think they know about their world.

I’ll be honest, when I first realized this book was told completely through letters and journals, I was nervous. I haven’t had luck with those formats in the past, preferring dialogue and action when I’m reading. However, each character’s unique personality really shone in their writing and I got pulled into their individual narratives. Because these were mostly letters, there were times where I had to go back and reference something, but for the most part it flowed very easily. Once I got used to it, I began to really enjoy this way of storytelling.

Although I did miss the action that you get from conventional stories, there is an element of suspense as the mysteries begin to pile up, leaving you wondering how it all comes together. I honestly started to feel as if I was a part of the investigation towards the end. As seems to be the trend, this first book of the series hints at a vast history, and does some worldbuilding, but never fully satisfies your curiosity. I can only hope that my questions will be answered in the next book, and look forward to reading it.

Because it’s a slow burn, and I’m not sure the format will be for everyone, I personally give it 3.5 overall. Since I can’t in this formal, I’ll round to 4.

thank you to netgalley and publisher for access to the eARC

I absolutely adored this!

Underwater mysteries that need solving and the four people trying to find out what happened, told entirely through letters and correspondence over the course of a year.

This had been on my radar since Freya Marske (a favorite author of mine) shared her love for it, and I was so excited once I was approved for the ARC, and even more excited when it lived up to every expectation. The writing was genuine and beautiful, the author might as well have offered me a guided tour of the seascape themselves. I loved the entire concept of the world as we know it completely drowned, with only a few floating islands surviving for us to inhabit.

I also loved the mysteries hiding behind the story. The mystery of what the ocean holds, why humans are forced onto these small cloister islands, and what exactly happened to E and Henerey one year ago.

Overall, i loved this, and i cannot wait until the sequel!

This entire novel is told through letter exchanges. It started off very promising. I got excited when the second letter makes it obvious there was a mystery!
Sophy & Vyerin decide to investigate further into the incident that brought them both tragedies. They find old letters between their siblings and we get to see their friendship blossom.
It's supposed to be a bit romantic but honestly....it never got quite there. E was reclusive and only saw Henerey a handful of times. They were both shy with their feelings and actions so while it's obvious they liked each other, it didn't get quite feel romantic.
While I loved the letters format, it did feel like something was missing.
The world building was great and I was curious about this almost dystopian world of sea dwellers and academics. Some of the more academic talk and explanations did get a bit dull but at the same time it's what brought the world to life. In a world full of people into studies, it just kind of makes sense.
But as the story went on, I found myself loosing interest. I wanted to get to the mystery and felt it dragged on without giving much answers 😅
Then we find out about some secret organization and their beliefs and it just throws something else into the mix right at the end there which was a start to an explanation but....was more questions than answers.
It was good but dragged on a bit and I wasn't quite satisfied with the ending. Very promising though and again great world building and characters. I hope book two brings more to light to E & Henerey's situation.

Thank you Netgalley for a free arc in exchange for an honest review. DNF after the first two chapters. I didn’t realize this was told all in letters which probably means I didn’t exercise reading comprehension 😂 This type of story just isn’t for me because I feel super disconnected from the story. I am confused by who is who and clearly this has isn’t for me 😂

I personally found this book to be very charming! I picked this up after such a terrible read so I was desperate for something like this book. This book is on the slower paced side so if you do not like slow burns then maybe not pick it up. It is also written in the form of letters; it was a first for me and at first, I did not like it. I quickly got over that once the world started to build. The story was very slow (I know I keep repeating myself but I want you all to know it’s not very action packed until like half way in) but it allowed for this underwater, spooky, mysterious, world to be built beautifully. I also want to mention that the romance is kind of insinuated; the author expects their reader to read between the lines for a lot of it. Overall, I was very charmed with the world, the mystery, and the characters. I was also happy to be reading something other than fae, vampires, or witch fantasy.

4⭐️

If you like:
🌊 Underwater settings
✉️ Penpals to lovers
🕵🏼 Cozy mysteries with eerie undertones and light fantasy/sci-fi elements
❤️‍🩹 Mental health reps
🐢 Slow-paced reads

Then this is the book for you!

I went into this book completely blind, but fell in love with how unique the world building/story felt! It gave me cozy mystery vibes but with eerie undertones and a sprinkle of light fantasy/sci-fi elements.

This is written all in the form of letters/documents - which may not be for everyone. Because of this writing style, the pacing was a bit slow but I thought it also amped up the mystery factor. 

There were also a few sketches included too - which I LOVED - but I really wanted more!

I wish I got more time with the “main characters”, but I also understand why that wasn’t totally possible haha so I’m hoping for more in the next book - please! - along with more insight to some of the minor characters!

All in all, this was a captivating dual-level mystery debut with some really cute and witty moments! I will definitely be picking up book 2 😊

And thank NetGalley & Orbit for the arc!

This is such a cute story! I absolutely adore epistolary novels, so I might be biased, but I think this has a great foundation for just that alone. The main downside for me is that I don't feel I have a good grasp of this fantasy world. It's not easy to understand what exactly is going on. Additionally, despite the level of intimacy normally implied with stories in epistolary format, I felt a bit distanced from these characters. However, the premise is just so cool that I think it's worth readers trying out!