A Letter to the Luminous Deep
Sylvie Cathrall
TLDR: Anxiety and OCD and connections with those who understand you 5/5.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
This was a book I read slowly, at first, savoring every letter, every description. Then, at about the 60% point, I finished it in one sitting. At it’s heart, it’s a book about connections - sibling relationships, friendships and romantic relationships. It’s one where had it been wrapped up in one book, I would have been satisfied, but the intriguing plot would definitely make me come back for more.
Things I liked:
- An OCD and highly anxious character dealing with that in a very realistic and not "look at how quirky I am" way. (Two of them!)
- A romance you can literally watch bloom.
- A steampunk-esque alternate world which exists on ships and man made islands and underwater.
- A mystery that you can start piecing together with the characters.
- LGBT+ relationships.
Things I didn't like:
- I enjoyed the slow start, though at times it was almost too slow.
- It might have been the e-arc I read, but I desperately wanted more of the drawings. Several were mentioned, but ultimately only about three actually appeared.
- And of course we ended with a cliffhanger for book 2!
5/5 for a wondrous story, and I cannot wait for the sequel.