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A Letter to the Luminous Deep
(2024)(The first book in the Sunken Archive series)
A novel by Sylvie Cathrall
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
Genre: Fantasy
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
Genre: Fantasy
Praise for this book
"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
"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
"A fascinating and charming story told in a uniquely elegant voice. A watery wonder of a novel! I loved it." - Louisa Morgan
"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
"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
"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
"A fascinating and charming story told in a uniquely elegant voice. A watery wonder of a novel! I loved it." - Louisa Morgan
"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
"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
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Used availability for Sylvie Cathrall's A Letter to the Luminous Deep