I am such a fan of this duology. The first book caught me so off guard with its unique way of telling the story through letters. And the second book did not disappoint. This bizarre world was built out more fully and getting to see Henerey and E’s story play out…. My little heart!!

I do recognize that these books will not be for everyone. Like I said it’s a very unique way of telling a story. And they are slower paced books, but if you can really get into them, I truly think it’s worth it.

Nice story with a strong sense of momentum and good vibes. the characters were fun and it was nice to see them getting used to being in person. 4 stars. tysm for the arc. (also, the book ends with a teaser for Greenteeth, loved that one, check it out).

A stunning end to this beautiful duology. The author somehow keeps the focus on all the relationships between the characters, while letting us feel the enormous scope of the world they are discovering. Truly a masterpiece of epistolary writing, as she brilliantly weaves together multiple narratives into a gripping yet great warming story of self discovery, self preservation and self sacrifice.

If you enjoyed the first book in this series, you'll enjoy this one. It's the same kind of epistolary/found footage format as the first one, which I found delightful. The romance between E and Henerey continues to be sweet, and I appreciate the asexual representation as well as the emphasis on family. We get more lore about how the world came to be which clears up a lot of the questions I had during the first book.

A Letter from the Lonesome Shore delivered everything I wanted after A Letter to the Luminous Deep and managed to surprise me! The second book in the series, it follows Sophy and Vyerin's quest to find their siblings, E. and Henery's experience in their new surroundings, and incorporates new character perspectives in a really delightful way. I enjoyed learning more about the story world and the ending was a poignant, powerful one that stuck with me days after I finished the book. I particularly appreciated getting to see E. and Henery's relationship evolve and watching them navigate their neurodivergences and accommodate each other as it did.

I knew as soon as I read the first book that Sylvie Cathrall would become one of my auto-read authors, and A Letter from the Lonesome Shore confirmed that. I cannot wait to see what Cathrall writes next!

Thank you, Orbit and NetGalley, for the eARC of one of my most highly anticipated releases of the year!!

I read the first book, A Letter to the Luminous Deep, right after it got published with my book club!! Much like book one, this book spoke to my soul. I am a marine biologist, so the whole world/setting and the special interests of our main characters align perfectly with what I like.

The story continues to epistolary style from the first book, and it’s so fun and fresh! The prose is absolutely beautiful. Reminiscent of the elegant and refined/high-brow prose of Edgar Allen Poe, but without feeling snobby, and without the prejudiced undertones. Exquisite is the best word I can think of to describe the nature of the prose.

We get to see a lot more of our original main cast of characters, and delve into some minor/new characters as well! They are all so well-thought-out, with all sorts of fun relationship dynamics that we get to explore even further! The character growth was also wonderful. I adore the way the romance is written - the longing and yearning, feeling like a Jane Austen novel!

Overall the atmosphere is romantic, mysterious, bright, and a bit cozy. An excellent sequel with an excellent ending!

A Letter from the Lonesome Shore is one of the most immersive, fantastical, and intriguing books I have ever read! I honestly do not know how to capture the plot of this sequel except to say that it is told entirely in letters and documents and details marine ecology, physics, archival practices, and wonderful love stories without being fluffy or saucy. It is tender, adventurous, humorous, heartwarming, and refreshing. So rarely do books talk about mental health in such a real and deep way. This is an incredibly important read for anyone who needs to step away from their Brain and figure themselves out. I loved this series so much!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for A Letter from the Lonesome Shore!

I was so happy to be back in this world! While I didn't love it as much as the last book, it was still good. I think there were just a lot more minor characters in this one that made it a bit confusing. The naming system for the scholars made it a little bit harder to differentiate characters as well. I was still a little confused on the world building and a lot of it was pretty vague. It did serve to make it more magical and mysterious. But, i would have liked just a little more specificity.

That said, this book does a lot right. It is very cozy and heartwarming. I still loved E and Henery, and it was really nice to see their relationship develop and bloom outside of the letters. There were several moments that had me cheering and kicking my feet. I did miss the letters a lit bit though, the pining was what made the first book. No spoilers, but knowing their past and being so invested in their letters, made the ending so heartbreaking.

Favorite line: "Here, I have ascended, becoming a giant of legend, and I fear to displace a single grain of sand lest it too contain a galaxy".

Overall, 4 Stars and I will highly recommend this series to everyone!

I was so excited for this sequel after loving loving loving the first one and I have to say that while this one wasn't as good as the first, I still very much did enjoy it.

Thankfully, this novel was kept in epistolary style, which really made the mystery here continue and kept those cozy vibes that I loved.

My biggest complaint here is going to be the pacing. This was very slow, and a majority of the book and plot was very meandering. But, I think that is a large aspect of cozy books, which I would call this. But, when we finally uncovered the mystery and found the big bad, those scenes were only in one chapter really and then it was over. There was also some questions left unanswered, and two peoples endings were still a little up in arms. which I wasn't obsessed with.

The quirkiness of all of the characters was still there. As well as the sweet love between friends, and partners with all the characters. I also did love seeing some growth here as well, it was definitely rewarding.

Overall, I did really love this and this duology is so wonderful and mystical and whimsical that I really do reccomend it to all that enjoy that type of book.

A wonderful conclusion to an amazing duology! E. and Henerey hold a special place in my heart and it was so nice to see them together for real. I appreciated getting more glimpses into E.’s struggles with her Brain as well as Henerey’s anxiety and seeing how they managed it together. The romance remains very sweet and innocent but I loved how things progressed.

The new world and its inhabitants were really interesting and I was eager to find out what secrets they were hiding. I grew to love the other characters even more in this one as well (especially Vyerin!) and it was so satisfying to see their stories merge again at last. This duology is definitely a fave and I will read anything Sylvie writes in the future.

Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you so much to NetGalley & Orbit Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. I was so thrilled to be able to consume the sequel prior to its release!!

A Letter from the Lonesome Shore by Sylvie Cathrall concludes our favorite extraordinarily epic epistolary adventure.

This book is even more exciting than the last book & I was so thrilled to be rejoined not only by Vyernin & Sophy, but to find out what really happened with our sweethearts E & Henerey along with this fascinating aquatic world that has been discovered. We have some new characters into the mix and of course the mystery of it all kept me on my toes even though this is a slow paced COZY scholarly written story filled with lots of intricate details that you must pay attention to.

I love the progression of the relationship with E & Henerey - they are absolutely perfect for each other. I'm sad that we are done with them, because I still have so much I want to learn!

If you want a charming & whimsical epistolary adventure with an innocent romance - look no further! The Sunken Archive is perfect for folks who enjoyed Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future & I'll cross my fingers for a spin-off series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the advanced copy of this book!

This was a beautiful conclusion to the Sunken Archives duology! I really loved being back in the cozy, whimsical world of E and Henerey, and seeing them thrive together in a new environment. They are just such a sweet match, and I loved getting to see the way Henerey is so kind and support of E’s mental health struggles.

We are given some additional perspectives in this book, and while I did find the constantly changing POV to be a bit overwhelming and confusing at times, I did appreciate the unique viewpoints and the context gained depending on the narrator. I wish there was clearer tonal shifts between different characters’ letters, but I still enjoyed the reading experience overall!

Highly recommend this duology if you enjoy the Emily Wilde series and cozy, whimsical fantasy worlds!

3.5 / 5 ⭐️
Take this as a review of the duology as a whole since I neglected to review the first book. I think I was frustrated with the slow pacing and the fanatical turn of events at the end of the book.

Told in a series of letters, journal entries, and official statements, this story is unlike anything I have ever read.

There were times that the story dragged on. I became just as frustrated as the main characters about the lack of information and the furthering of the plot.

The language used is quite different than what I am used to from modern fantasy. At the risk of sounding uneducated, I learned several new words while reading this, such as epistemology and coruscating. The writing style is certainly unique.

Overall, I am happy to have read this duology and very thankful to NetGalley and Orbit for the opportunity to read and review this eARC.

"Dive into the charming conclusion to the Sunken Archive duology, a heart-warming magical academia fantasy filled with underwater cities, romance of manners and found family, perfect for fans of Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries.

Former correspondents E. and Henerey, accustomed to loving each other from afar, did not anticipate continuing their courtship in an enigmatic underwater city. When their journey through the Structure in E.'s garden strands them in a peculiar society preoccupied with the pleasures and perils of knowledge, E. and Henerey come to accept - and, more surprisingly still, embrace - the fact that they may never return home.

A year and a half later, Sophy and Vyerin finally discover one of the elusive Entries that will help them seek their siblings. As the group's efforts bring them closer to E. and Henerey, an ancient, cosmic threat also draws near..."

Underwater, cosmic threat!?! Has Cthulhu shown up?

This book was everything I wanted it to be. Coziness dialed up to 11, a very interesting underwater world with mysteries to discover and a socially awkward couple that warms your heart.

Book 1 had taken me by surprise back then, as I had not expected to love it as much as I did. It gave me serious Emily Wilde vibes, but ... well... underwater.

There is a academia and correspondence. I love it when I, the reader, am addressed. Or better said a fictional version of me.

If you haven't started the Sunken Archive duology yet, but love cozy fantasy, then what are you waiting for?

4,5/5 stars

Thank you @netgalley and @orbitbooks_us for the eARC!

#ALetterFromTheLonesomeShore #Netgalley #Bookstagram

This cozy, whimsical conclusion to The Sunken Archive duology was full of the small, quiet moments that make up many beautiful relationships.

Overall this is quite an enjoyable read, although I was not quite as captivated as I was by the first installment. I truly think that this is due to reading this one physically. The epistolary nature and slow pacing are brought to life with a full cast narration, although I recommend a tandem read since there are a few illustrations throughout this book. My other issue with this book was that the pacing was quite slow during the first ~60% of the book, and then all the secrets of the cosmos are revealed and resolved rather quickly at the end, and I felt that there wasn't quite enough story left to tell in this book. This book also strays into more metaphysical sci-fi than cozy fantasy, which I found a bit confusing at times.

Despite not enjoying this one as much as the first, I do recommend this duology if you enjoy slower paced very whimsical fantasy/sci fi. I loved the queer representation, especially the exploration of different kinds of love and relationships. I also continued to appreciate the portrayal of mental illness and how differently it can manifests itself. I am definitely interested in picking up whatever Sylvie Cathrall writes next!

Reading this book felt like a chore. Goodreads says this book is 384 pages long; it EASILY felt like twice that. The first one had a distinct charm to it building up to a "what happened to Henery and E.?" along with "What is happening Sophy's expedition?" This had none of that sense of building. Instead, it had a "Ooooh there is a big bad out there but I'm not gonna tell you about it!!!!" No new information is revealed until 60-70% through the book and they literally don't start dealing with said Big Bad until 85% through the book, and then said dealing takes--I kid you not--one chapter. In the meantime, the characters are doing...mostly nothing. There is a bit of cuteness early on with E. and Henerey exploring their in-person relationship but that is not strong enough to buoy the entire story. If you're not going to have a strong plot, you need to have strong character development, and that is lacking here. The characters are still their interesting selves from the first book, but are not further developing in any way, so there's not a lot keep any sense of momentum going..

There was a portion of the book that was made up of documents from before the Dive. The story could have been helped A LOT if more of this had been scattered throughout the book, rather than just a handful in one chunk around the 70%-ish mark. It would have contributed to the sense of momentum that was lacking in the "modern" timeline of the book, because we would know these documents were leading up to the Dive, just as we knew the documents in the first book were leading up to the destruction of the Deep House and E. and Henerey's disappearance.

The ending of the book works, but because there was no sense of momentum, I also felt no sense of building dread (this is a book that DEFINITELY should have had a sense of building dread) and so there was no relief at things working out as they did and no real sense of satisfaction about it. It was more just "Yup, we're done now." Which, given what a slog this was, was I guess a relief in and of itself.

Two stars of E. and Henerey cuteness, the bit of Antepelagic insight we got (I cannot emphasize enough how much the book needed more of this), and the bits of weird worldbuilding that Cathrall still worked in throughout, and the letters between the Thirthieth Second Scholar and Lady Coralean...again, would have liked more of this rather than the characters just rehashing how much they love and miss each other for almost 400 pages. We established that in the first book, and it was time to do something MORE.

A Letter from the Lonesome Shore was the perfect conclusion to the Sunken Archive duology. A Letter From the Luminous Deep took me a bit to settle into due to its unique combination of a fantastical underwater world, an almost Austen-esque language style, and the epistolary writing. I knew what to expect for this charming conclusion, so I dove right in (ha) and enjoyed the heartwarming coziness of this delightful tale. I enjoyed the well executed epistolary style of the writing and it made the story come together in a wholly unique way. The characters are memorable, surprisingly funny, and authentic, despite the fantastical world in which they live. The magic structure was enchanting and easy to understand. Overall, a wonderful conclusion to a very charming duology!

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for the opportunity to enjoy this tender tale prior to its publication in exchange for this honest review.

This had just as much charm and whimsy as A Letter to the Luminous Deep. I loved all the background and lore we got in this one, and of course, seeing our two awkward scholars fall in love melted my heart. The conclusion was beautiful and perfect for this story.

A wonderful conclusion to this duology LOVED IT!

The author did a wonderful job expanding this world and plot as well as character arcs. A lot of questions from book one are answered.
And I particularly appreciated that there is a recap incase you need a refresher on book one. More books should include this. I truly loved this world and am sad that it is over but that's the great thing about books you can escape to these worlds and characters whenever you want! Highly recommend!