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sandy_dream's review
dark
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Violence and Body horror
Minor: Murder
literarystrawberry's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
"In the end, we are what we do and what we allow to be done."
Sea monster gods, stories and lies, sign language, friends who aren't who they used to be but you can't stop caring about them and trying to help them even as they hurt you... Absolutely phenomenal.
(No major plot spoilers, just some thoughts on the dynamic between Hark and Jelt) --
Just going by the description I thought going in that it was going to start off with Jelt being a really good friend, maybe a /little/ rough around the edges but still ultimately ride-or-die, and then the heart would change him. So it took me by surprise to realize that actually, completely on his own, Jelt is already selfish and manipulative and cruel, and the heart only makes him worse. At first I thought it would have been more compelling to have it the first way, where you have the tragedy of an outside force twisting this person you care about and it's like "No, the real him is still in there, somewhere, I know it!", but honestly I think it's actually both more realistic and more heartbreaking the way Hardinge did it. Hark still cared so much about Jelt because of the background they shared and the memories of when he /was/ a good friend, but their friendship hadn't been healthy for a long time-- let's be honest here, Jelt was straight-up abusive-- and that was because of the choices Jelt made. And there's something so, so heartbreaking about looking at someone you used to care about, someone you /do/ still care about, and realizing that they are choosing to hurt you, even if their own self-delusion keeps them from ever taking responsibility.
Sea monster gods, stories and lies, sign language, friends who aren't who they used to be but you can't stop caring about them and trying to help them even as they hurt you... Absolutely phenomenal.
(No major plot spoilers, just some thoughts on the dynamic between Hark and Jelt) --
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse
paige_bunnie's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This is in the wrong age category. It is an incredibly dark book, with murder, slaves, monsters and a main character who is blamed for everything despite how he is a child. It should not be in the teens section and would have worked better for an older audience. Had I expected these darker topics I think I would have enjoyed it more. I did enjoy the writing style and will read more from this author now that I know what kind of topics will be touched upon. I did enjoy the deaf representation and how it fit in with the story. I wish there was more focus on the twisted relationship between jelt and hark - if your going dark go all the way.
Content Warnings
Minor: Murder, Physical abuse, and Emotional abuse
mdwsn27's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Xenophobia, Murder, Physical abuse, and Emotional abuse
mar_gier's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I liked this book, but it was... weird. Like, really weird. A good-weird, but also a weird-weird. Like, Unraveller this book should really be considered a horror book as well as a fantasy book. (Also this book should definitely be classified in the dark fantasy subgenre of fantasy.) Deeplight was honestly even more dark and unsettling to read than Unraveller.
But yeah, I don't know, I guess it's cuz I found creepy Lovecraftian sea monster-gods and evil magical purple-black not-actually-seawater more disturbing than a dark fantasy about a dark magic forest with a mind of its own. I guess the latter just felt less unnatural to me for whatever reason. (Plus, the deep ocean is super freaky.)
Even though I did enjoy it, it also kind of disturbed me the same way that Subnautica does, so I couldn't quite give it four stars. But if you like Frances Hardinge's other books, and weird, unsettling fantasy is your thing, you'll probably like this book.
But yeah, I don't know, I guess it's cuz I found creepy Lovecraftian sea monster-gods and evil magical purple-black not-actually-seawater more disturbing than a dark fantasy about a dark magic forest with a mind of its own. I guess the latter just felt less unnatural to me for whatever reason. (Plus, the deep ocean is super freaky.)
Even though I did enjoy it, it also kind of disturbed me the same way that Subnautica does, so I couldn't quite give it four stars. But if you like Frances Hardinge's other books, and weird, unsettling fantasy is your thing, you'll probably like this book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Body horror, Death, Gaslighting, and Emotional abuse
julianship's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
3.5 stars. I really wanted to like this book more than I did, unfortunately. It took a tremendously long time to get going– there's so much setup, and while the last third of the book is fantastic, the beginning really drags. The premise and worldbuilding are exactly up my alley– I love a book that grapples with the material traces of the past, in this case, deeply dangerous artifacts of dead gods. But the book simultaneously took a very long time to tell me interesting and fairly fundamental details about basic worldbuilding while getting off to a slow start (usually it's one or the other!)
I didn't dislike Hark, our POV character, but I found his relationships with other characters frustratingly one-note, in particular the emotionally (and eventually physically) abusive friendship he has with Jelt. I get that this is YA, and we're not always going to get profound explorations of the psychology of a dangerous relationship. But I still wish that we'd seen a side of Jelt that hadn't just been him belittling Hark; the book told me that existed, but because I never saw it on page, it was harder to empathize with Hark's loyalty and inability to leave him behind. Hark cares deeply about Jelt while feeling trapped by him. This is part of the psychology of abuse– it's never just bad parts, or it wouldn't be so hard to leave. The book clearly wants me to feel that tug towards Jelt even while finding him monstrous, but I just can't find it in me– he's never anything but an asshole on page, and not even in a fun way.
That aside, there are some really delightful moments in the book– for my qualms with the pacing, Hardinge's prose is excellent, particularly in action scenes and body horror moments, and the climax is truly gripping. Selphin, who's a Deaf side character we get to see more of in the second half of the book, is a delight, and I could honestly read a whole book about her instead. Overall, I really liked the handling of Deafness/Deaf culture in a world where people who go down into the depths often come up with hearing loss, making it a badge of honor. Initially, I thought, oh, this is a fun worldbuilding detail, but Hardinge doesn't fall into the trap of forgetting about a character's disability or magicking it away when it becomes inconvenient for plot reasons. As Selphin becomes more integral to the story, her Deafness ends up shifting the course of the plot in interesting ways.
Overall, there are great moments in this one, but it took long enough to get going that I had a hard time appreciating them. In part, maybe this is because I did it as an audiobook with a narrator I didn't love. Joshua Akehurst does an acceptable job, but his delivery feels a little flat, even at a higher speed (which is my usual fix for an unengaging narrator.)
I didn't dislike Hark, our POV character, but I found his relationships with other characters frustratingly one-note, in particular the emotionally (and eventually physically) abusive friendship he has with Jelt. I get that this is YA, and we're not always going to get profound explorations of the psychology of a dangerous relationship. But I still wish that we'd seen a side of Jelt that hadn't just been him belittling Hark; the book told me that existed, but because I never saw it on page, it was harder to empathize with Hark's loyalty and inability to leave him behind. Hark cares deeply about Jelt while feeling trapped by him. This is part of the psychology of abuse– it's never just bad parts, or it wouldn't be so hard to leave. The book clearly wants me to feel that tug towards Jelt even while finding him monstrous, but I just can't find it in me– he's never anything but an asshole on page, and not even in a fun way.
That aside, there are some really delightful moments in the book– for my qualms with the pacing, Hardinge's prose is excellent, particularly in action scenes and body horror moments, and the climax is truly gripping. Selphin, who's a Deaf side character we get to see more of in the second half of the book, is a delight, and I could honestly read a whole book about her instead. Overall, I really liked the handling of Deafness/Deaf culture in a world where people who go down into the depths often come up with hearing loss, making it a badge of honor. Initially, I thought, oh, this is a fun worldbuilding detail, but Hardinge doesn't fall into the trap of forgetting about a character's disability or magicking it away when it becomes inconvenient for plot reasons. As Selphin becomes more integral to the story, her Deafness ends up shifting the course of the plot in interesting ways.
Overall, there are great moments in this one, but it took long enough to get going that I had a hard time appreciating them. In part, maybe this is because I did it as an audiobook with a narrator I didn't love. Joshua Akehurst does an acceptable job, but his delivery feels a little flat, even at a higher speed (which is my usual fix for an unengaging narrator.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Body horror, and Bullying
antimony's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
read 4 || jan. 2024 even though it took me literally 2 weeks to read this (i was so excited to bring deeplight to ireland and reread it here and i started it on the plane and then just. didn't read at all) i still loved it of course. i think this time around i was left with a new love for dr vyne she's simply so real. she finds out the leaguers are making a god and she's like oh of COURSE i'd love to help and she never even considers they'd want to bring it to life bc it's all about the fascinating science to her.
read 3 || dec. 2022 my favorite book ever is there anything more to say !!! i adore the world i adore the writing i adore the characters i adore the weird creepy frecht of the gods
read 2 || feb. 2022 i love this book quite a bit & i already have another review (on a different edition) detailing how it basically is everything i could want in a book so i will not repeat all that. i adore the world and i love the characters. i also didn't mention this in my last review but i really love the concept of frecht, like something to describe the eldritch beauty of a creature that is much too strange and unknowable to truly be seen as beautiful but undeniably is so anyway. i like that a lot. not sure if i have any more coherent thoughts but maybe read 3 will do that?
read 3 || dec. 2022 my favorite book ever is there anything more to say !!! i adore the world i adore the writing i adore the characters i adore the weird creepy frecht of the gods
read 2 || feb. 2022 i love this book quite a bit & i already have another review (on a different edition) detailing how it basically is everything i could want in a book so i will not repeat all that. i adore the world and i love the characters. i also didn't mention this in my last review but i really love the concept of frecht, like something to describe the eldritch beauty of a creature that is much too strange and unknowable to truly be seen as beautiful but undeniably is so anyway. i like that a lot. not sure if i have any more coherent thoughts but maybe read 3 will do that?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Emotional abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Slavery
madarauchiha's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
❤️ 🧡 💛 💚 💙 💜 my about / byf / CW info carrd: uchiha-madara 💜 💙 💚 💛 🧡 ❤️
I really loved this book. Have you ever wanted a story about eldritch religious horrors and deep sea terror, but without the racist, hideous h p lovecraft garbage? This is it. Granted it is very much for younger readers, I'd say 13-20 yo? This isn't aimed towards adults specifically, but I wouldn't say adults can't read it. Just understand that the reading level is going to be a little juvenile if you have outgrown it. That the main character is 15 doesn't help this, but it's not a detriment to the story. It does make sense in that he's very young and will make stupid decisions as a 15 yo orphan child with no parental guidance.
I loved the world set up in this as well. They 'elder gods' aka known deities in are not blatant rip offs on lovecraft lore. They are fleshed out enough that they're unique and incredibly creepy.
The characters are fantastic and have clearly defined voices and povs. I love that there's an actually disabled deaf character who is portrayed realistically. I saw in the author's acknowledgements that they hired sensitivity readers and engaged with actual Deaf organizations, which I appreciate. That is what I require from authors when they are writing about things they haven't experience and require conscious effort and purpose in showing.
The plot was surprisingly interesting. I wasn't expecting much when I discovered that the MC was 15 yo. I had braced myself for a very boring, by the numbers YA plot. That wasn't the case. The writing was sensible and florid enough when it needed to be. I would enjoy seeing more from this author and this series.
Content warnings:
minor religious bigotry [fictional], animal death, ableist c slur, emetophobia, body horror,
medium suicide, drowning,
major deep water scenarios, thalassophobia, mass death, ableism, child abuse, ableism, gore, body horror, manipulation, slavery, oceans, open water, abuse, murder, gore, body horror, kidnapping, child abuse, toxic relationships,
I really loved this book. Have you ever wanted a story about eldritch religious horrors and deep sea terror, but without the racist, hideous h p lovecraft garbage? This is it. Granted it is very much for younger readers, I'd say 13-20 yo? This isn't aimed towards adults specifically, but I wouldn't say adults can't read it. Just understand that the reading level is going to be a little juvenile if you have outgrown it. That the main character is 15 doesn't help this, but it's not a detriment to the story. It does make sense in that he's very young and will make stupid decisions as a 15 yo orphan child with no parental guidance.
I loved the world set up in this as well. They 'elder gods' aka known deities in are not blatant rip offs on lovecraft lore. They are fleshed out enough that they're unique and incredibly creepy.
The characters are fantastic and have clearly defined voices and povs. I love that there's an actually disabled deaf character who is portrayed realistically. I saw in the author's acknowledgements that they hired sensitivity readers and engaged with actual Deaf organizations, which I appreciate. That is what I require from authors when they are writing about things they haven't experience and require conscious effort and purpose in showing.
The plot was surprisingly interesting. I wasn't expecting much when I discovered that the MC was 15 yo. I had braced myself for a very boring, by the numbers YA plot. That wasn't the case. The writing was sensible and florid enough when it needed to be. I would enjoy seeing more from this author and this series.
Content warnings:
minor religious bigotry [fictional], animal death, ableist c slur, emetophobia, body horror,
medium suicide, drowning,
major deep water scenarios, thalassophobia, mass death, ableism, child abuse, ableism, gore, body horror, manipulation, slavery, oceans, open water, abuse, murder, gore, body horror, kidnapping, child abuse, toxic relationships,
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Murder, Slavery, and Violence
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Animal death, Ableism, and Religious bigotry
perditorian's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Body horror
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