A review by rumplled
A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall

lighthearted mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Thank you Netgalley and Orbit for an ARC of this book!

The concept of this book—unraveling a mysterious disappearance and a scientific discovery through letters (both past and present) in a dystopian alternative world—is amazing! 
 
I loved that the world and universe are left vague because characters would have no reason to explain that to each other. So, the reader is trying to piece together what the society/world is like, which makes the last chapter and ending so disappointing.

Having Sophy see/experience and explicitly explain the Envoy was really lame. It would have been better if they had gone back to the Door, and the tunnel had already been destroyed, so they would have had to rely on Tevn's questionable information. It would have kept with the tone and style of the rest of the book.

 
 
While drawn in by the mystery, I was pleasantly surprised by the relationship between E. and Henerey. I did not expect to find them so sweet.