I really liked the first book and the epistolary format, but unfortunately, this follow-up fell flat for me. The epistolary format felt forced this time around since there was so much dialogue and the characters' situations had changed so drastically. This entry also felt much slower than the first. I do still enjoy these characters and am grateful for the opportunity to spend more time with them and see how these stories played out, and really appreciate the way Cathrall's magical world so effortlessly includes mental health and queer rep.

Thank you so much to Orbit and NetGalley for the early copy in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to Orbit and Netgalley for the opportunity to read A Letter from the Lonesome Shore as an eARC! I really enjoyed the first book in this installment and was excited to dive back into this world (no pun intended). I'm not sure if I just was not in the right head space for a slower paced, epistolary novel, but I unfortunately just did not enjoy this book as much as I did the first! Sylvie Cathrall is a wonderful writer and does a phenomenal job with cozy fantasy, and this book is no exception- I think I just needed to be more in the mood for this type of book to enjoy it properly.

A Letter from the Lonesome Shore is currently out in the world, and if underwater adventures and communication via letters happens to speak to you, I hope you pick this up and enjoy!

Just like the first book, the epistolary format is charming, and it is a great vehicle for using the different protagonists to slowly unravel the interconnected mysteries.

Cathrall's prose is lovely! The whimsical writing tempers the dark story into a light and uplifting romp. The duology contains great representation with a diversity of LGBTQIA characters and relationships as well as characters living with mental health issues.

Overall, this is a beautiful story using a unique combination of sci-fantasy, light academia, and gentle romance to create a lovely duology.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars and a warm place in my heart

I really really enjoyed this duology. I like the creativity of the narrative structure: different sets of correspondence, all with a story as to how they were acquired, peeling away the layers of a mystery. I’m not always an epistolary novel person, but I think this one is really well done.

the characters in this provide great representation, and all are expressed so well through the way they write. this book introduces a new character that I loved with an extremely amusing narrative voice in their recordings. the character relationships are also very loving and complex. I could have done with a little more interpersonal conflict to keep things interesting, but it was also pleasant to have a cast of mostly good, caring people.

the fantasy world and worldbuilding are good, in this book and the previous one. there is a lot of it, and the epistolary nature makes it a bit sink-or-swim, but I found it a very intriguing read, between the details of the world and the mysteries: historical and current.

I’m not sure everyone will enjoy this duology, because I did find it quite an effortful read. but for me, it was highly worth it!

Thank you net galley for the arc! What more could you want. From a book fully of magic and a journey of two people you find love. This was emotional, perfect and whimsically everything you need in a book. I love reading stories that how that love can be tender and hard. I will be recommending this to my friends and readers.

After absolutely falling for A Letter to the Luminous Deep, I couldn’t wait to return to this unique, epistolary world and follow E. and Henerey’s story—now finally together in person!

While the novel delivers on many of the things I loved in the first book, I have to admit this one didn’t quite capture me in the same way.

What I Loved

The Relationship: E. and Henerey are finally together—and it’s everything I hoped it would be. Their love is tender, respectful, and beautifully written. Watching them support each other through their anxiety and self-doubt was incredibly heartwarming.

The Setting: This world is lush, immersive, and strange in the best way. The scholarly society, the oceanic creatures, the obsession with knowledge—it all felt delightfully unique and vivid.

The Format: Once again, the fully epistolary storytelling is impressive and so fun! Sylvie Cathrall has such a gift for weaving plot, character, and world building through letters and footnotes as well.

Why it was a 3 star read for me:

Repetition: At times, it felt like the same thoughts and emotions were being repeated over and over. I get that the letters are meant to reflect deep emotional bonds, but the pacing dragged because of it.

The Reveal: The major plot twist near the end felt underwhelming. It was mostly told rather than shown, and wrapped up too quickly for how long the build-up had taken.

The Sunken Archive duelogy is a truly original piece of fantasy, unlike anything else I’ve read. If you enjoy immersive worlds, academic-style storytelling, and character-driven plots with queer romance, this series is worth exploring. While I personally connected more with the first book, I’m still glad I followed E. and Henerey to the end of their journey. And I’ll definitely be reading whatever Sylvie Cathrall writes next!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

The conclusion to the heartwarming cozy fantasy read about two people who send letters to each other as they study an underwater city, This was a very sweet cozy romance and I do think that Sylvie has such a way of writing. While this is a fun cozy romance, it is a bit of a harder read for me as I felt it was a bit slogged down. That doesn't take away from the fact that it is enjoyable but its just a bit of a longer read because it feels long. I can see other cozy romance readers really enjoying this and taking their time with it. I appreciate the mental health rep that Sylvie has in these characters and how the romance plays out between them. The ending feels a bit abrupt but overall it's a fun series that I will be recommending!

Release Date: May 6, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Orbit Books | Orbit for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this even more than the first book! Like I said in my review of the first book, I love the formatting of this series. Epistolary writing is one of my favorite types (Dracula fan). The prose is just gorgeous. I would read this author’s grocery lists.

At the beginning of this book we primarily follow Henerey and E. I liked this better than us following them through their siblings in the first book. The OCD rep through E’s character is so good I’ll never recover. It’s hands down the best I’ve ever seen in a fantasy book.

The Thirtieth Second Scholar reminds of me Piranesi, which I think is why I liked their character so much.

Overall, the book was excellent. Absolutely so sophomore slump to be seen! I would recommend this duology to anyone!

Plot: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
Prose: ★★★★★ (5/5)
Pacing: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
Characters: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
World: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
—————————
Final Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.2/5)

Adorable
I don't know what else to call this story
I loved it - Can't wait for more <3

4 stars

This was just as whimsical, emotional, and healing as the firs book. Our characters are separated by *time-space-dimensions* and are working to reunite with their families.

The main thing that I love about this series is the mental illness/health rep. Both E and Henerey have illnesses, and in this book, you see them finally together in a foreig world helping each other cope. I especially loved this line:

"I am not suggesting that one man, remarkable as he may be, can magically cure my ills. But I am more than my condition, and the knowledge that Henerey was with me through the night gave strength and support to all parts of my being."


Because ini feel like the world and lots of books, MC #1 meets MC #2 and is all of the sudden “healed” of their mental illness. So this was so much more realistic that E acknowledges that he is helping her (and vice versa) but that she is not magically cured.

I enjoyed that writing format the integration of new characters as the world grew. I love thw growth of E's character that with the help of Henerey she is becoming more comfortable with who she is.

Thank you to Orbit Books and the author for this eARC!

Happy belated pub day to the second part of this charmingly peculiar little duology!

The Sunken Archive belongs to the same family of fantasy-academia as A Natural History of Dragons and Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries, and I do think that anyone who loved those books will love this duology. But in a truer sense, these books are almost impossible to comp. There’s just nothing quite like them, and that really tickled my brain. Sylvie Cathrall took on an enormous challenge in attempting to convey such unique, intricate worldbuilding entirely through the epistolary format; it requires a lot of patience and a lot of assembling puzzle pieces yourself, which seems to be polarizing with some readers, but personally I was obsessed with figuring out this funny little world she’s created.

What really makes these books special to me, though, is how genuinely warm and gentle and compassionate they are at heart. “Cozy” fantasy is such an odd, broad umbrella—a lot of readers might say low stakes are integral to calling something cozy, and the stakes in A Letter to the Lonesome Shore are literally cosmic and apocalyptic. And yet the book’s preoccupation with love in all its forms shines through as its ethical and narrative center: it’s about family, about sisterhood specifically, about friendship and romantic love and the many shades of love between the two. (In particular, I loved that book two canonizes multiple characters’ asexuality.)

And the romance… the romance. It’s just so sweet, so tender, so lovely. I actually teared up a little at some points. I love E. and Henerey and I love their love for each other.

My only critique is I’m not sure how I feel about the actual plot resolution. I want to like it. It makes narrative sense. To a certain extent, there’s something that feels almost folkloric about it. I think my problem with that is that the rest of the books don’t feel folkloric at all, so it’s kind of out of place; these are whimsical books, yes, but relatively grounded by their academic and scientific tone. And so the grand plot elements that come into play in the end feel a bit too… silly? I won’t go so far as to say I dislike the ending, but this book definitely challenged my immersion and suspension of disbelief at certain points.

That aside, though, I honestly just adore these books. They’re curious and intelligent and compassionate, creative and unique and magical. They’re the perfect blend of character-driven fantasy and wonderful worldbuilding. They are also the only books I have ever read that reminded me of Atlantis, which was my FAVORITE Disney movie as a kid.

Highly recommended and I will probably be revisiting this world through a re-read someday 🌊🐠

Keeping to the epistolary theme of the first novel, Lonesome Shore finally connects timelines of a sort. The novel is whimsical and hauntingly strange with not only its more Victorian writing style but with its picture of the two vastly different societies. To be fair, I did find it quite strange, and it got a little weird for me. The erudite nature of the novel clashes with the theme of the danger of knowledge. It was worth the read, but I don't think it is something I will read again.

This is a wonderful conclusion to such a unique and beautiful duology. The writing style and format of the books being written entirely through letters is entirely different from anything I've read before, and I definitely enjoyed it.

The characters are quirky and absolutely hilarious - I laughed out loud several times reading this book. There is also great representation of diverse groups with lgbtq+ characters and characters that live with mental health issues, such as OCD and anxiety.

I don't think this book is going to thrill everyone because it doesn't fit the standard fantasy or fantasy romance mold, but I certainly loved it! If you are looking for a whimsical, odd, lovely story, this might be a good pick for you!

Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley for providing me with a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for my review.

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

My thoughts on this book are interesting. On one hand, I loved it and loved the writing style. I thought this book was well-written and the pacing was great. I enjoyed learning about the new world and seeing how E. and Henerey interacted in this world. I also like how the letter and document based format allowed for readers to experience what was happening in the moment, and readers were able to learn new information alongside the characters, rather than learning about something well ahead of time. I cannot put my finger on why exactly this was not a favorite of mine, or why it was not a 5-star read. I enjoyed reading it, I thought the plot was well-paced out, and the character development for all the characters not just the main characters was outstanding. In all honesty, I think it is more because this was a slow-paced book, and for whatever reason I do not think I am in the mood for a slow-paced book currently. I think that those who liked or even loved the first book will be even happier with this book. The ending was outstanding leaving room for interpretation and satisfaction at the same time. I don't have anything bad to say about this book and honestly the psychologist in me loved it a lot and thought the mental health representation was outstanding. The way mental health was portrayed felt real and there was a relatable quality to what the characters were struggling with in many different aspects. I would highly recommend this series, especially for those who like a slow-paced book.

4.5 ⭐️

This was once such a nice conclusion to an absolutely adorable story 🥹

Ughhhh seeing E & H falling in love IN PERSON was the sweetest fucking thing imaginable, they are so pure I love it so much!! Watching all the other relationships unfold felt really special as well 🥰

I wish the problem/predator scenario was a little more sinister? Or shocking? Like bigger in some way, it felt a bit anticlimactic - but would it really retain that cozy feel if it was?? Probably not - so I really can’t complain too much haha

I also wish the ~stranded~ situation had more of a concrete solution by the end, but if the characters are happy then I guess I’m happy 🙃

The world building, while sometimes minimal, felt really unique too. I wasn’t sure how the author would expand on what she’d already established, but I thought it was handled really well!

A Letter from the Lonesome Shore is a wistful, beautifully written conclusion to the Sunken Archive duology, brimming with magical academia, quiet romance, and the soft ache of time, distance, and devotion. The underwater city is exquisitely imagined, full of strange customs and forgotten knowledge, providing the perfect backdrop for the slow-burning emotional reconnection between E. and Henerey. Their bond, shaped by longing and intellect, is tender and mature, offering a romance of manners that feels rare and refreshing. While the pacing drifts at times, the found family dynamic and delicate prose more than compensate. With Sophy and Vyerin’s determined search adding a second layer of heart, this final installment is an ode to connection in all its forms, an enchanting, thoughtful close to a truly unique duology.

A Letter from the Lonesome Shore was a wonderful sequel to A Letter from the Luminous Deep. The follow up was dreamy and beautiful just like the first in the series. At times the world building did slow down the pace but it did all feel necessary to grasp the entire storyline. Each character was richly developed and continued to grow from the first novel. E. and Henery's love story was so beautiful and delicately told. The ending was full of hope and a little bit of heartbreak but I could not see it ending on a better note. I loved this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit Books for an advanced copy provided for an honest review.

This is the second book in The Sunken Archives Duology. I would recommend that you read A Letter to the Luminous Deep before reading. I was pleased with the beginning of the second novel as it had a few helpful reminders in the first few letters reminding me of the characters and events of the first novel. This story picks up with E and Henerey’s adventures beyond their foray into the Entry and what they found on the other side. As with the first book, the story is told through letters between friends, lovers and colleagues detailing the world, characters and exploits of the characters.

The setting is vividly described by the enthusiastic characters who are all full of curiosity about their surroundings. A few new characters are introduced into this tale and while it took me a while to adjust to their nomenclature for each other in the new setting, I quickly took to the new scholars although they were a bit secretive and adept at hiding things than I may have liked. There were more answers than new questions in this installment. Like the first novel, it’s a slow burn full of interesting relationships, scholarly exploits and found family.

I was delighted to revisit this imaginative world and its vivid characters. I took my time with the novel, reading it a chapter at a time until I could no longer put it down without finding out how it would end. I feel like I appreciate the epistolary format more in small doses.

Recommended to readers who enjoy epistolary format, somewhat fanciful magical worlds, and characters full of manners and wonder at the world around them.

This second part of The Sunken Archive duology was just as delightful as the first. Written in epistolary style, I really enjoy how Cathrall, yet again, trusts the reader to figure out the mystery. While sometimes it may feel like nothing is happening, as a reader you are getting the information along with the protagonists and getting to be one of the scholars solving this mystery.

The world building is divine and the atmosphere of the whole book is so well written. I want to live in this undersea/deep space world and just study stuff all day. The characters are well developed and the love story sub-plot is the sweetest you could dream up. The only ding I would offer is that the ending feels a little rushed. About 70% through a whole bunch of exposition races us to the finale. Given that I could happily ready this cozy sci-fi/fantasy story forever, this pacing what a little disappointing.

The characters in this book were written with so much depth. I did not care for the pace in either of the books (they both felt extremely slow paced), but the characters themselves really made it up for me. The characters were all extremely diverse and their relationships were all so touching. There were points in the book where I was not enjoying the plot, but the connection and love that Henerey and E. have for each other really made up for the plot (to me). They constantly were warming my heart and this book would’ve easily been a 5 star read for me if the pace of the first 60% of the book was much faster. Because of the excruciatingly slow pace I do feel as if this was a 3.5 for me