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

adventurous funny informative lighthearted mysterious reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Review: A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall 

Quotes: "I must confess that tragedy has equipped me with a new propensity for selfishness."

"..She is graceful where I am brusque, optimistic where I am cynical, and wears such diaphanous and pastel-hued finery that I feel like a barnacle in the company of a pearl."

"I cannot stop thinking about our time together. As someone who has spent much of his social life getting acquainted with books and specimens, I am often flummoxed by the notion of speaking to a stranger."

Review: An epistolary story, one that is told through letters. I thought I would've enjoyed this one more. It's not bad by any means. I liked the writing about the aquatic life and their personal experiences and the bit of seeming romance in the story. The different time periods and povs made things feel a little confusing at times for me. 
The letters were from different characters, I felt their voices started blending with each other as I read on. It was hard to differentiate for me. And that might just be me. 

I will say the prose and writing were excellent and felt like I was reading a classic novel. The words were verbose and delightful to read. I didn't quite feel invested in the story, unfortunately. 
I may try this another time, and this is the first in a series. 
Overall, I would give this 3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was given an arc for my unbiased review, and I thank Netgalley, Orbit, and the author for the opportunity.