5/5 Stars | My New Favorite Duology

Thank you to Orbit and Netgalley for the advance copy of this HIGHLY AWAITED conclusion to the Sunken Archive Duology.

What I liked: Idk Sylvie Cathrall at all, but she's an auto-buy author for me now. This book is set in an ethereal world brimming with atmosphere and enchantment, its unique magic system seamlessly woven into the narrative. The epistolary writing style was incredibly well executed. The heart of the overall duology lies in the relationship between the two main characters. Their dynamic is equal parts adorable and authentic (actually giggling and kicking my feet tbh), building slowly yet meaningfully throughout the two books. The tender moments they share, combined with their unspoken understanding, made their connection deeply satisfying. I also appreciated how thoroughly familial relationships were integrated into the story. The complexities of love, loyalty, and obligation added depth to the plot. The secondary characters were equally compelling, with their mysterious ties and hidden motives adding intrigue that kept me eagerly turning the pages. I couldn't have asked for a more satisfying conclusion to this unforgettable duology.

What I didn't like: As some others have stated the pacing was a little choppy, but I could not care less. I would also say I chose to pick this up on one of my harded brain weeks of the year at work, so it's entirely possible the problem was all user error. Hence the 5 stars. (Also, potential spoiler of what DIDN'T happen, I hate that I never got to know what happened to their dad, and that gives me the sads. I kept hoping he was going to pop up in there as the first first scholar or something. Alas.)

thank you netgalley and the publisher for access to the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a bittersweet moment to be finished one of the most unique and beautiful stories i've perhaps ever read. A Letter to the Luminous Deep and A Letter to the Lonesome Shore is a breathtaking and stunning exploration of what it means to be human and how important it is to have a hand to hold when venturing into waters far and unknown.

I loved the conclusion to this duology! The characters were as amazing as in the first book, and I adore an epistolary novel so much. The world-building was so good, and I devoured every new detail we got about this world. The Deep was so intriguing, and the romance was sweet and well earned.

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read the eARC!

A Letter from the Lonesome Shore returns readers to the elusive deep after the revelation that scholars E. and Henerey did not perish in the destruction of the Deep House. Told entirely through letters, this epistolary novel concludes the Sunken Archive duology and unravels the mystery of the gateways and the archaic scholars. Long thought dead, these scholars have remained within an underwater city awaiting those fleeing the mysterious threat that brought them to its sunken waters. Knowledge has a cost in A Letter from the Lonesome Shore, and Sylvie Cathrall tests the bonds of our undaunted scholars, E. and Henerey, while a larger threat closes in on their underwater world. A Letter from the Lonesome shore is flitting in its shades of enchanting light academia and winsome romance. Sylvie Cathrall pushes her frontier, integrating new perspectives and roundabout ways to ensure character points of view remain at the forefront of this novel. These narrative subtleties lend themselves to the greater conversation of academic pursuit and the human connection at the center of academic inquiry. A Letter to the Lonesome Shore is an endlessly fascinating series conclusion and all I want is to continue to chart the immeasurable depths of this novel.

My full review is up on my blog!

A bittersweet conclusion to a wonderful duology! A Letter to the Luminous Deep was such a captivating read and its sequel is just as enthralling. The pacing of this book is much the same as the previous. It’s slow paced and doesn’t really pick up till around the 40 percent mark. This was no issue for me as it allowed me to sink back into the whimsical underwater world that the author created. The sequel definitely leans more into the sci-fi genre to me, but in such a subtle and interesting way! I so loved being with E and Hennery again. The two of them are most precious. The perfect example of what it’s like to find your person. At times I was confused in the story. Trying to wrap my head around the “plot twist” was as difficult for me as it was for the characters. I enjoy the scientific academic writing style that the story takes on. While I enjoyed the way this book was written, I preferred the first book a little more. The unraveling of E & Hennery’s story was clearer. I think that the added characters in the sequel made it difficult for me to keep up at times. Nevertheless, it all made sense in the end. I’m so glad to have read this series and am definitely interested in what is next for the author.

I loved this unique duology so much!

It has such a cool world and I could not predict a single thing about this plot.

All the main characters are just the cutest but Heneray and E just have my heart🥰

Sylvie Cathrall’s A Letter from the Lonesome Shore is a captivating conclusion to The Sunken Archive duology. With its enchanting underwater setting, heartfelt romance, and strong themes of found family, it weaves a magical and emotional tale. The intertwining stories of E. and Henerey’s tender bond and Sophy and Vyerin’s quest add depth and stakes, making this a satisfying and imaginative read. Perfect for fantasy lovers seeking something both whimsical and profound.

First of all, more duologies. Let’s make that happen.

I thought A Letter from the Lonesome Shore was a satisfactory conclusion to The Sunken Archive. It wasn’t as all consuming for me as the first book, but I thought Cathrall kept all her threads together and answered most of the questions raised. I found it a little slow in parts, and once we got to the point of resolving everything that was going on, I had to reread it a couple times to follow the plot. But I am content with where all our characters landed. This is a stupid little nit, but I found the affectation of the phrase boxed games really jarring every single time it came up. I’ll be buying a copy of this to go with A Letter to the Luminous Deep on my forever shelf!

Many, many thanks to Orbit and NetGalley for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I liked this follow up to LETTERS FROM THE LUMINOUS DEEP, though I did wish that the pacing was a bit faster--there was a bit more time than I would have wanted before I got answers.

Thank you to Netgalley, Orbit Books, and Sylvie Cathrall for the opportunity to read the ARC of A Letter from the Lonesome Shore.
I really loved Cathrall's first book of this duology: Letters to the Luminous Deep. Cathrall has written a very unique and whimsical story. I almost wish this duology had been a trilogy. I wanted to love A letter from the Lonesome Shore, but I found the pacing slow and there was not as much mystery as found in the first book. There was a lot of information given and questions answered so it was quite a bit of ground or in this case ocean to cover in one book. Overall, I found this book to be an enjoyable read.
The letter correspondance was a neat way to showcase multiple perspectives of the many endearing characters featured in the story. I was happy that the main characters became a family through their shared experiences in their quest to find E and Henerey. I thought E and Henerey's relationship was very sweet. It was nice to read about couple who loved each other in their own quiet way. E and Henerey complimented and balanced each other in all of the small ways that mattered the most.
Cathrall is exceptional at world building. Personally, I think it would have been intriguing to have been shown more of what life was like when people had lived in the skies as we had seen the life people lived on the ground and below in the ocean. We were given a glimpse of the life lived in the skies. The ocean is vast and covers most of our planet. There are not many fantasy stories written about the ocean that does not involve mermaids, but Cathrall managed to combine science fiction and fantasy in one book with her own fantastical creatures like the Illogical ones. Cathrall certainly has interesting ideas and it was nice to read something so different. I am looking forward to reading more from her in the future.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

What a delightful and tender duology! I'm so, so sad that it's over because I've truly loved the world, the characters, the relationships, and the explorations of mental health and disability, grief, and forming connections. This was almost, ALMOST a 5 star, but I'll get into that a little later.

This book contains a very helpful and thorough recap before the main bulk of the book takes place. While I wouldn't have minded re-reading the first before starting this one, I know that's not an option for everyone, so I definitely appreciate that it's here. Definitely encourage more books to provide recaps!

The world and plot in this book expands so much more and provides a lot of answers that the first book left us with. I think while certain reveals might not be for everyone, I actually quite liked it. I think it added a pretty creative element in a story already full of them.

I think, though, that the biggest hurdle I had was the pacing was a bit of an issue for me. I almost wish (not entirely selfishly) that this book was a trilogy instead. Because, like a few other duologies, this book has the unfortunate side effect of sort of cramming in plot wrap-ups and character moments all the last minute, leading to a pacing that feels a little too bloated for the page count. I don't think this book was quite as egregious as some others I could name and could probably have been mitigated somewhat by bumping the page count up just a smidge.

That being said, I still adore this duology with all my heart. The author does an absolutely wonderful job building characters and exploring their thoughts and feelings with tenderness. I'm so eager to see what else she has up her sleeve because I'll read anything she writes now!

Very unique! I love how queer this is and how the format of letters turn every character into an unreliable narrator--very fascinating.

This is a really hard review to write because I absolutely loved the first book. It was absolutely a five star read and I was so excited for the second book in this duology.

First the stuff I liked. I'm a huge fan of the writing style. It's so whimsical. You absolutely need to go into the story willing to meet the writing style on it's own terms, I can see why other people might not be a fan, but I love it. It feels almost regency era, sort of flowery, and there are some wonderful descriptions. I was also so happy to see the characters again. E and Henerey are so sweet. I just want every good thing for them ever. I also love Sophy and Vyerin and their love for their siblings. Pretty much every character that is from the first book is still charming. I also liked some of the new characters.

Unfortunately, I also had some major problems. While I was super excited to see E and Henerey, the first almost half the book is taken up with them in a new space, where they are trying to research how to get home and the Scholars that are with them are just giving them dead end after dead end. In the first book, there was a major mystery of what caused the collapse of the Deep House and in turn, what happened with E and Henerey. This book doesn't have that tighter mystery. While I loved seeing E and Henerey grow closer, it was super frustrating watching them get nowhere and there not being anything to break that up. In the first book, it bounced back and forth between E and Henerey's timeline and Sophy and Vyerin's timeline and that worked much better, in my opinion. Once the story catches back with with them, the book does take off more, but then I was missing E and Henerey.

The ultimate mystery of the book is kind of vague. I wish NetGalley had a spoiler feature, because I really think the implications of the final major plot point (the thing they are afraid of and why the thing does what it does) are rough. It was incredibly frustrating and annoying and it really took a lot of my enjoyment out of the story.

While this book ultimately disappointed me, I will say I definitely want to check out what Sylvie Cathrall ends up doing next.

Just like it's predecessor, this epistolary novel is filled with such heart! If you loved the first one this will keep you just as happy :)

This mesmerizing sequel expands on the first book’s charm, weaving romance, mystery, and cosmic intrigue into an unforgettable tale. E. and Henerey’s journey through an enigmatic underwater city is both haunting and beautiful, and their evolving relationship is a joy to follow. The format—letters and fragmented narratives—adds depth and intimacy, making the story feel deeply personal. Meanwhile, Sophy and Vyerin’s search adds tension and urgency, building toward a stunning climax. A beautifully written, atmospheric continuation that left me eager for more!

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for the arc. People said this was anticlimactic…and they were right, unfortunately. It was also a bit more dense than the first installment I found. I stopped reading at about 30% before skimming… and I’m glad I stopped. The first installment was so lovely, which makes me upset that the conclusion didn’t live up to it.

I thought this evocative conclusion to the Sylvia Cathrall Luminous Duology was great. A treasure trove of water imagery, longing, and two awkward yet affectionate souls who stumble into an unexpected and mysterious world can be found in a letter from the Lonesome Shore.

As with the first book, I deeply loved the creativity and intricate work of the letter-style format for telling this story. It adds a lot of charm and makes this series stand out from others in the genre. I do still feel that the formatting kept me at a distance from the characters and I had a hard time connecting with them.

I often found myself frustrated while reading because I wanted to be RIGHT there with the characters, seeing what they were seeing and feeling right along with them. Because of that narrative distance and the slow pacing of the plot, I have an overarching feeling of "not enough" that I can't quite shake.

I want to loooove this duology, the writing is beautiful and the world is unique, but I just can't get close enough to really appreciate what the author has crafted. It just might not be for me, but I think everyone should give this series a shot and see if it works for them.

This book is just as delightful and whimsical as the first. It continues to tell the story in epistolary fashion, weaving a narrative between people in two worlds trying to connect with each other. We also jump a bit between timelines, but I had no problems following along thanks to the year stamps at the start of each chapter.

The romance between Henerey and E. is just as slow and sweet as before, and in this new world E. finds herself blossoming and thriving. If they never make it back home, will that end up being so bad?

The romance and the letters aren’t the only part of the story though, and there’s a whole new world and society and rules. Also, that whole cosmic horror coming to eat both worlds and everyone in it. And they somehow have to figure out what that’s about, how to stop it, or at least get everyone to believe it. No pressure!

This is an incredibly cozy and unique read and I definitely recommend it. I think you’ll like it if you like cozy, whimsical stories, slow burn and sweet closed door romance, lush prose and eccentric characters. It’s not as much for readers that prefer hard science, more concise prose, fast action and purely logical characters.

With that in mind, I thought this was an absolute gem of a duology and I’ll keep an eye out for this author in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit books for opportunity to read the digital ARC; all opinions are my own!