A Letter to the Luminous Deep

by Sylvie Cathrall

Overview

An Amazon Best Book of April 2024 • An IndieNext Pick 

A charming fantasy set in an underwater world with magical academia and a heartwarming penpal romance, perfect for fans of Emily Wilde's Encylopaedia of Faeries and The House in the Cerulean Sea.

A beautiful discovery outside the window of her underwater home prompts the reclusive E. to begin a correspondence with renowned scholar Henerey Clel. The letters they share are filled with passion, at first for their mutual interests, and then, inevitably, for each other.

Together, they uncover a mystery from the unknown depths, destined to transform the underwater world they both equally fear and love. But by no mere coincidence, a seaquake destroys E.'s home, and she and Henerey vanish.

A year later, E.'s sister Sophy, and Henerey's brother Vyerin, are left to solve the mystery, piecing together the letters, sketches and field notes left behind—and learn what their siblings’ disappearance might mean for life as they know it.
 
Inspired, immersive, and full of heart, this charming epistolary tale is an adventure into the depths of a magical sea and the limits of the imagination from a marvelous debut voice.

Praise for A Letter to the Luminous Deep

“An underwater treasure-chest to be slowly unpacked, full of things I adore.” —Freya Marske, author of A Marvellous Light

“A shimmering, delicately crafted delight.” —H.G. Parry, author of The Magician's Daughter

“A fascinating and charming story told in a uniquely elegant voice.” —Louisa Morgan, author of A Secret History of Witches

“Both the setting and the story are exquisite.” —Megan Bannen, author of The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316565547
Publisher:	Orbit
Publication date:	04/23/2024
Series:	The Sunken Archive , #1
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	84,627
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Sylvie Cathrall writes stories of hope and healing with healthy doses of wonder and whimsy. She holds a graduate degree in odd Victorian art and has handled more than a few nineteenth-century letters (with great care). Sylvie married her former pen pal and lives in the mountains, where she dresses impractically and dreams of the sea.

Editorial Reviews

★ 02/19/2024

Cathrall spins a captivating tale of mystery and romance set in an enchanting underwater society in her wondrous debut. When shy amateur scholar E. Cidnosin makes a fascinating scientific discovery near her home beneath the sea, she reaches out to renowned aquatic-dwelling academic Henerey Clel, sparking a tender epistolary love story as the two work to unravel the secrets of the depths. But tragedy strikes when both E. and Henerey disappear after a devastating seaquake. A year later, their grieving siblings discover their letters and come together to solve the mystery of their disappearance. As they search for answers, they uncover secrets that could forever transform their world. The epistolary format creates a feeling of intimacy between the well-shaded characters and allows the central duo’s unlikely romance to unfurl with heartwarming tenderness. The conceit is well used and never feels overly clever or gets in the way of the luscious worldbuilding and slow-burning plot. This poetic and emotional tale announces the arrival of a skilled storyteller. Agent: Natasha Mihell, Rights Factory. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

"This book is not shaped like a book, and I mean that as a compliment. It is instead an underwater treasure-chest to be slowly unpacked, full of things I adore: nosy and loving families, epistolary romance, gorgeous worldbuilding, and anxious scholars doing their best to meet the world with kindness and curiosity. Take a deep breath and dive in."—Freya Marske, author of A Marvellous Light

"Cathrall's debut caught me up on a wave of whimsy and swept me away with its charm. A story to be cherished."—Lyra Selene, author of A Feather So Black

"A fascinating and charming story told in a uniquely elegant voice. A watery wonder of a novel! I loved it." —Louisa Morgan, author of A Secret History of Witches

"A Letter to the Luminous Deep is like nothing I've read before. The heartfelt intimacy of the epistolary narrative, juxtaposed with the magnificent oceanic world-building, results in a novel that is at once deeply human and mind-bogglingly imaginative. Both the setting and the story are exquisite, but it was the lovingly crafted voices of the characters that kept me hooked from beginning to end."—Megan Bannen, author of The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy

“A shimmering, delicately crafted delight of a book, steeped in love for the wonder of nature and the vagaries of archival research. Readers looking for heartwarming romance and scholarly mystery against the backdrop of a wildly imaginative world will be charmed.”—H.G. Parry, author of The Magician’s Daughter

"With its gorgeous underwater setting and whimsical academic sensibility, A Letter to the Luminous Deep is a strange, epistolary wonder." —Mary McMyne, author of The Book of Gothel

"Cathrall spins a captivating tale of mystery and romance set in an enchanting underwater society in her wondrous debut...This poetic and emotional tale announces the arrival of a skilled storyteller."—Publishers Weekly


“A poignant epistolary adventure set in an underwater landscape filled with academics, explorers, and artists.”—BookPage

"Cathrall debuts with a wonderfully charming epistolary novel...Readers will want to savor the delightful letters that make up this cozy fantasy set in academia and an underwater world."—Library Journal

"Through these letters, a tale of love, friendship, and secrets unfolds, captivating readers with its whimsical charm and intriguing plot twists. In her debut, Cathrall skillfully addresses themes of mental health and anxiety, adding depth and authenticity to the characters' experiences. With its cozy-fantasy atmosphere and rich character development, A Letter to The Luminous Deep will appeal to fans of epistolary novels and readers who enjoy stories with elements of romance, mystery, and fantasy."—Booklist

"Whimsical and heartfelt, with a radar trained on delight."—Kirkus

From the Publisher

★ 03/01/2024

DEBUT Cathrall debuts with a wonderfully charming epistolary novel, the first of a series, set just over a thousand years after an event known as "the Dive," which plunged humanity's sky dwellers into the depths of the ocean. The ancestors of those who survived now live in the ocean and on the one small remaining land mass. The introverted and anxious E. Cidnosin lives underwater inside the "Deep House," a marvel of architecture that her mother designed. Spying a mysterious sea creature outside her window spurs her to begin a correspondence with scholar Henerey Clel to help her identify it, beginning an extensive exchange of letters that leads to them falling in love. Then E. and Henerey disappear after an explosion at Deep House. A waterproof box of E.'s papers survives, though, and as her scholar sister Sophy and Henerey's brother Vyerin piece together their letters and journals, an even larger mystery is revealed. VERDICT Readers will want to savor the delightful letters that make up this cozy fantasy set in academia and an underwater world. Recommend to fans of Malka Older's "Mossa and Pleiti" series.—Melissa DeWild

Library Journal

Twists and turns, flashbacks, and surprising revelations are handled deftly by the four excellent narrators of this epistolary novel, Cathrall's debut. While it's a work of speculative fiction, there is also mystery, light romance, fascinating underwater world-building, and a magical academia. The four narrators bring the letters to life in the voices of their 15 writers. Kit Griffiths provides excellent vocal interpretations that highlight E (the protagonist's) sheltered upbringing. Claire Morgan's deeper pitches match Sophy's more adventurous personality well, and Joshua Riley brings the charming Henerey and other characters to life with a variety of skilled voices. Of particular note is Justin Avoth, whose regal tones and posh accents help delineate the characters he voices, especially Chancellor Rawsel. C.F. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine

MAY 2024 - AudioFile

2024-03-23
This story of pen pals turned lovers unfolds in a series of letters and “Automated Post missives” as the two learn more about their underwater world.

Struck by curiosity, E. Cidnosin writes a letter to Scholar Henerey Clel hoping he’ll help her identify an “Elongated Fish.” Through their ongoing correspondence—as well as later letters between members of their families—we learn more about E. and Henerey and the world around them. For instance, one of Henerey’s scholarly publications says this: “Ever since the tragedy of the Dive ushered in our new Society, people who seek to understand the creatures with whom we share this world have published great Treatises to prove themselves as worthy Scholars.” In this new society triggered by the mysterious event called “the Dive,” people live primarily underwater in places like Boundless Campus and Intertidal Campus, as well as on the Atoll, which is the “only known landmass in the world.” E. lives “a few hundred fathoms off-coast” of Boundless Campus in a family home called “Deep House.” She suffers from “a Malady of the Mind that made certain things—like leaving the house, interacting with strangers, or not obsessing over the fragility of her own mortality—very difficult.” Even so, as her correspondence with Henerey grows, so does her fondness for him. The diction and syntax of the letters revel in a bygone era’s romance and quick wit, showcasing the art of letter writing. The long-distance friends eventually meet at a gala hosted by E.’s brother, Arvist, at Deep House, where their conversation ingeniously continues on the back of the event’s “programme.” The scholarly search for knowledge to better understand this underwater world propels the plot into the unknown, where many curiosities are yet to be uncovered. Additionally, the letters between E.’s sister, Sophy Cidnorghe, and Henerey’s brother, Vyerin Clel, allude to something that has happened to the couple, and Arvist makes a last-minute confession that sets further mysteries in place to be unraveled in the next book in this series.

Whimsical and heartfelt, with a radar trained on delight.

Kirkus Reviews