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A Letter to the Luminous Deep

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What to expect

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

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

“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

Critics Review

"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
"Twists and turns, flashbacks, and surprising revelations are handled deftly by the four excellent narrators of this epistolary novel, Cathrall's debut."—Audiofile Earphone Award Winner
Author Sylvie Cathrall
Narrator Claire Morgan, Kit Griffiths, Justin Avoth, Joshua Riley
Duration 12 hours and 31 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9781668638064
Format Audiobook
Publisher Hachette Audio
Genre Epistolary fiction, Fantasy, Historical fantasy
Availability US

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