Scan barcode
A review by bybookandbone
Deeplight by Frances Hardinge
adventurous
dark
hopeful
fast-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
5.0
After dnf'ing the audiobook about a year ago, I finally got a physical copy to try. I just didn't gel with the narrator, he sounded nothing like the characters 'should have' in my head.
I was a bit worried that this would put a damper on my read but needn't have worried. Deeplight is a triumph in storytelling.
I was not so much drawn in, as dragged in by the Undersea. The world is fascinating and the characters sympathetic, as well as 3-dimensional. The gods were fascinating and terrible. Just loved the island setting, I'm a sucker for all things marine.
I absolutely loved the sea-kissed and that the author never felt the need to 'cure' them, which you often see when a character is disabled in some way. Selphin's relationship with her mother, while imperfect, felt real. Jelt was frustrating in the beginning but becomes a villain you can understand. Letting go of him and their abusive friendship was Hark's main character growth. Their life broke Jelt in a way it never broke Hark .
The one criticism I have for the book is that the characters did not feel like young teens. They should have been aged up imo. It's a small thing because it doesn't come up often but it matters.
I was a bit worried that this would put a damper on my read but needn't have worried. Deeplight is a triumph in storytelling.
I was not so much drawn in, as dragged in by the Undersea. The world is fascinating and the characters sympathetic, as well as 3-dimensional. The gods were fascinating and terrible. Just loved the island setting, I'm a sucker for all things marine.
I absolutely loved the sea-kissed and that the author never felt the need to 'cure' them, which you often see when a character is disabled in some way. Selphin's relationship with her mother, while imperfect, felt real. Jelt was frustrating in the beginning but
The one criticism I have for the book is that the characters did not feel like young teens. They should have been aged up imo. It's a small thing because it doesn't come up often but it matters.