A Letter to the Luminous Deep

By: Sylvie Cathrall

Narrated by: Claire Morgan, Joshua Riley, Justin Avoth, Kit Griffiths

A charming fantasy set in an underwater world with magical academia and a heartwarming penpal romance, perfect for fans of A Marvellous Light, Emily Wilde's Encylopaedia of Faeries and The House in the Cerulean Sea.

“An underwater treasure-chest to be slowly unpacked, full of things I adore: nosy and loving families, epistolary romance, gorgeous worldbuilding, and anxious scholars doing their best to meet the world with kindness and curiosity.”—Freya Marske, author of A Marvellous Light

A beautiful discovery outside the window of her underwater home prompts the reclusive E. to begin a correspondence with renowned scholar Henerey Clel. The letters they share are filled with passion, at first for their mutual interests, and then, inevitably, for each other.

Together, they uncover a mystery from the unknown depths, destined to transform the underwater world they both equally fear and love. But by no mere coincidence, a seaquake destroys E.'s home, and she and Henerey vanish.

A year later, E.'s sister Sophy, and Henerey's brother Vyerin, are left to solve the mystery, piecing together the letters, sketches and field notes left behind—and learn what their siblings’ disappearance might mean for life as they know it.

Inspired, immersive, and full of heart, this charming epistolary tale is an adventure into the depths of a magical sea and the limits of the imagination from a marvelous debut voice.

Praise for A Letter to the Luminous Deep

“A shimmering, delicately crafted delight.”—H.G. Parry, author of The Magician's Daughter

“A fascinating and charming story told in a uniquely elegant voice.”—Louisa Morgan, author of A Secret History of Witches

“Both the setting and the story are exquisite.”—Megan Bannen, author of The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy

©2024 Sylvie Cathrall (P)2024 Orbit

Critic reviews

"This book is not shaped like a book, and I mean that as a compliment. It is instead an underwater treasure-chest to be slowly unpacked, full of things I adore: nosy and loving families, epistolary romance, gorgeous worldbuilding, and anxious scholars doing their best to meet the world with kindness and curiosity. Take a deep breath and dive in."—Freya Marske, author of A Marvellous Light

"Cathrall's debut caught me up on a wave of whimsy and swept me away with its charm. A story to be cherished."—Lyra Selene, author of A Feather So Black

"A fascinating and charming story told in a uniquely elegant voice. A watery wonder of a novel! I loved it."—Louisa Morgan, author of A Secret History of Witches

Not the best, not the worst.

Cathrall definitely creates a vivid seascape world that is very different from most fantasies I've read. I enjoyed the historical rhetoric, I often wish we still communicated so eloquently. I can understand how some readers did not like the way this particular story was written since everything is learned through character correspondences. This fact did make it a bit slower to read and sometimes harder to grasp things, but ultimately, I found that I enjoyed how uniquely it was written. I am looking forward to the second book so that I can find out what happens in this duology. I wouldn't say that we were left with a cliffhanger at the end. Rather, I would say that this book was a primer for what is to come.

Odd and almost compelling

Pure fantasy but it sounds like Elizabethan English. The tone doesn’t quite fit the story. So so much filler to get just a bit of meat.

Absolutely AMAZING!

Do not hesitate! If you love fantasy, you'll love this story. Excellent narration as well!

I hate to give up on a book

After listening for over 2 hours I still had no idea what the point of this book could possibly be.

Mind Blowing

Whoa. I can't even believe what I just listened to. It's amazing and I'm already excited for a book 2. Everyone who loves fantasy should listen to this book.

Deep Dive Fantasy Adventure

I loved this story and all the narrators did a fantastic job. With new worlds it can sometimes be difficult to wrap your head around what’s going on. For me, this is particularly true in audio format. However, if you push through it will be absolutely rewarding and a lot of fun. I cannot wait for book 2!

I LOVE THIS BOOK

I absolutely adored this book. I knew from page 17 that this book would hold a very close and comfortable place by my heart. I can’t recommend this book enough!!

Formal yet whimsical

This was such a fantastic breath of fresh air. I was a tiny bit skeptical of the “correspondence“ style but fell into it very quickly. The under water world is so intriguing and I spent some time contemplating this world and its intricacies. A lovely world to dwell on.

Creative storytelling/world

Loved the unique perspective of the story. Really feels like you are unraveling something! The world is also mysterious and special.

beautiful

the characters and story were lovely and likable. Voice acting on point. Just a lot of care and love throughout the whole thing, with a bit of mystery to boot.