A letter to the luminous deep

“Reading your letter was an experience like no other. Have you ever considered, E., that someone ought to write a Fantasy about you?”

A letter to the luminous deep was a UFO (Unidentified Floating Object) to me, and I mean that in the best of ways. Everything in it surprised, unsettled, passionated me. If you asked me to put this story in a box, I’d have a lot of difficulties. You’ll find a fantasy underwater world full of bioluminescence, a lot of scholars, some romance, a mystery, etc… I wouldn’t say one part takes the lead on the other, making the story very balanced.
The whole book is constructed around correspondence. We follow several epistolary relationships, in –mostly– two points in time. Besides the letters exchanged, we can also read bits and pieces of journals, newspaper’s articles, books’ abstracts, etc. That’s for the form, and I truly enjoyed that.
The back and forth with time isn’t a problem at all, as we discover E. and Henery’s story (and the circumstances behind their mysterious disappearance) more or less at the same time as their siblings. The other letters and “documents” are a very clever way to make the story progress seamlessly. It was also a great opportunity for character building. The characters are very lovable (E. !!!), and express diversity (neurodivergence –even if no true label is put– and LGBT+ especially).
The form also allows the author to build the fantasy world with a lot of subtlety. I found the reading very immersive, and experienced a lot of synesthesia in the manner the places and actions were described.
I would say the first ⅔ are slow paced, which for me was very enjoyable as it’s how I like fantasy books. The last third, though, as the mystery begins to really unfold, is a torrent of information and quite a page turner. I was surprised by the “political” turn of events, about how the scholar system and the environmental problems (and so on) are handled here, and I can’t wait to learn more about this whole world in the second book. (I didn’t know this was a series until the end of the book, but the end remains a satisfying one in itself.)
Thank you NetGalley, Sylvie Cathrall and Orbit book for that wonderful ARC!

One of those books where the concept is so cool I'm genuinely sad that I ended up finding it a medium reading experience all in all. I wish I loved it I really do

First things first: I really enjoyed the setting and general worldbuilding. A world that (almost) only consists of ocean is simply SO cool and I loved the Deep House, literal goals. I loved all the sea creatures that were described and the way humans have organised themselves in this aquatic world. Sophy's experiences meant we got more of how the Scholars operate than if it had just been E. and she was a nice addition (as was her exploration of the Ridge and everything related to that). I'm really intrigued by the history of the world and am excited to discover more about the mysterious Dive.

The characters were also really fun! Building real-feeling characters exclusively through letters is a feat and yet I found myself incredibly attached to both sibling duos (also big shoutout to this book for revolving so much about siblings. It's a type of relationship I always love reading about and it was done very well here). I also thought E's struggles with her Brain (a capitalisation she uses and I find highly relatable honestly- sometimes your Brain is a Person and Against You) were depicted really well. It was nice to read a book about a character who struggles with mental health without it being the whole point while it was still important to her experiences.

The characters do bring me to my first point of critique: although they were distinct in personality, they all sounded the same on paper. Not only did this make it hard to distinguish between them, but they were also all incredibly verbose, to the point that I sometimes struggled to understand what they were actually saying (especially frustrating when it came to the description of the Structure. I would have had no clue what it looked like without the illustration). I also found the plot not super engaging- although the letters were fun to read it felt like I was reading a prologue to the actual adventure that started at the end of this book. I think it would have been much more exciting to just fall face first into whatever happens next and then get the letters for context throughout the book. With just the letters, I was a little bored at times.

I will probably read the next book in the series. I'm honestly very attached to these characters now and I want to know wtf is going on!! It just feels unnecessary to have had to read this one too.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

I am trying to read more books out of my normal range and was thinking this could be a good start. However, I unfortunately couldn’t finish it. I stopped at about 40% in as I just could not see myself finishing it, and just couldn’t force myself to do it. It holds a lot of potential for sure, many people will enjoy the epistolary aspect and mysterious aspect as well. However, even if I expected cozy read, it just didn’t do it for me unfortunately. I will still recommend it to my store as I know many people would definitely enjoy it, it just was not for me.

It is an epistolary novel full of beautiful writing and a unique underwater setting following 2 scholars, living in separate pressurized vessels under the sea, who fall in love while solving an underwater mystery through letters.

I liked the FMC, E; I felt the same kinship that I felt with Emily in Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries, they are both very clever, introverted, and quirky; however, that's where the similarities start and end with the two books.

The entire book is written in various forms of correspondence and is very formal, making the tone and voice of each character difficult to differentiate. The formal writing makes for a very long hard read and there is, in my opinion, a lot of fluff, and nothing exciting happens until the book is nearly over,

The world-building was very good and the descriptions made it very easy to imagine the underwater setting.
I wanted to love this book especially as it's so pretty and the premise very promising; however, I almost DNF'd at so many points in the book.

A Letter to the Luminous Deep is written in letters and set in a mystical underwater fantasy world. It tells the story of reclusive E and Henerey Clel who fall in love through their letters. When a seaquake destroys E.'s home, both E. and Henerey disappear. A year later, E's sister Sophy and Henerey's brother Vyerin try and solve the mystery behind their disappearance through their letters, sketches, journals, and field notes.
A slow burning but magical, fantasy read with the most stunning cover.

I found this book quite difficult to read. The format, an epistolary novel, was intriguing to me, but I unfortunately found that it had trouble making every character sound "distinct", and it was often difficult to discern which character was speaking.
The concept of this book, however, as someone who has been in a pen-pal or long distance relationship was really interesting to me, and I found that that was really nice.

I enjoyed watching the relationships develop, thought the worldbuilding was super interesting and was curious about a lot of things while I read this, but I simultaneously found the format and the prose to be not quite my thing.

I think this book is great if you love in depth explanations and worldbuilding in the form of letters, scholarly style of writing, and if you are interested in the format!

I was really intrigued by this premise, a story told through letters, scholars, underwater societies, and two lovers that go missing. However, the beginning felt slow, the mystery didn't feel urgent, and the characters that were supposedly trying to find them mainly spoke about their families and their lives under the sea for a lot of the book.
I though the writing was beautiful, I enjoyed hearing about the characters, but I would have liked more focus on the mystery aspect. A very unique way to tell a story, but ultimately, the story lacked a little something for me.

In a submarine world wrought with mysteries, two sets of correspondence draw the outlines of new friendships and potential love in the wake of grief.
I think the best adjective to define this book would be “charming”. It feels very quaint and old-fashioned in a good way, and highlights the best parts of its characters — their unshakable faith in the fact that there’s some good in this world, Mr Frodo. All of the characters (we follow four epistolary writers) are very endearing and kind-hearted.
I haven’t read lots of epistolary novels (mostly classics) but with a generous suspension of disbelief it worked really well. There were some parts that felt a bit repetitive, but it’s easy to blame them on the characters’ anxiety and desperate need to be understood. I did wish we as readers learnt more about the worlds, but it would make zero sense for characters to start explaining things they know to each other. The trick of having one character living in isolation enabled the author to get the necessary elements to the readers fluidly.
I loved the atmosphere of curiosity and research that pervaded the book. I think it’s the first “light academia” book I’ve read, but I have no doubt it belongs to that subgenre. I would have enjoyed a little darkness myself, to balance the pastels and fluffiness, but I understand it was not the place for it. Well, not all of it is cheerful since we know from the start that two of the correspondents are dead. But believe me when I say the author handles that fact with the utmost delicacy and though you might find your heart wringing at times, it really is a cute story.
Rep: MC with OCD and possibly demisexual, sapphic MC, bi MC, MC with social anxiety.
CW: underwater scenes, confinement, grief.

A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall, with it's oh so beautiful cover, is a charming, romantic and character driven story set in a scholarly underwater world.

I was initially a little daunted that it is an epistolary novel - told entirely in letters - but I needn't have worried, for the writing and well drawn characters soon draw you into the story until you are immersed in this well crafted tale.

The characters, with all their foibles, are charming and delightful and their letters are heartfelt and engaging. A discovery outside the window of her underwater home, the Deep House, prompts the anxious and reclusive E. to begin a correspondence with renowned scholar Henerey Clel. As their relationship grows they uncover a mystery from the unknown depths that could transform their world. But when they disappear in a seaquake it is left to E's sister Sophy and Henerey's brother Vyerin to attempt to solve the mystery of their disappearance using the letters, sketches and field notes they left behind. We get to peek at different facets of their characters in the letters they wrote to the different people in their lives in what is a formal and very academic society beneath the waves.

It reads rather like a classic novel and the slow burn and lovely blossoming relationship between the two socially awkward main characters is pieced together by their siblings who in turn forge their own wonderful friendship in the process. I was wholly absorbed in the tale and fully rooting for the endearing characters. Representation was excellent too.

The book is slow burn in terms of plot as well as the relationships, as the world building and the mystery at its heart gradually unfolds and sets the scene for the next book in the series. I really enjoyed reading this novel despite not being wholly satisfied with the ending, but I will undoubtedly be picking up the next book and am intrigued as to where it's mysteries will lead.

4.5 stars - perfect for fans of gentle, cozy fantasy.

A Letter to the Luminous Deep publishes in the UK on 25th April. Many thanks to Netgalley and Orbit Books UK, part of the Little, Brown Book Group, for providing me with a copy of this book to review.

This book was supposed to be like “Emily Wilde under water”. Emily Wilde was an absolute highlight. I loved it. It was cozy, fantastical, exciting and romantic. Being compared to it is a big compliment in my opinion and will raise my expectations quite high. Aside from that, I’m always down for books with anything water world, doesn't matter if it's about pirates, mermaids, other sea creatures, or whatever. So this book was a must.
And let’s be honest – the cover is stunning. It definitely played a huge part in me wanting to read this. Look at it. I’m in love with it.

Unfortunately, this book became one of the biggest disappointments of this year so far (at least when I read it, we were only two months in, so it could’ve been worse, but still. Huge disappointment.) It was neither cozy, nor fantastical, exciting or romantic or anything that I enjoyed about Emily Wilde.
Disclaimer – this review might be slightly strong worded. Don’t take it personally. I’ve got nothing against the author. If you did enjoy this book and get insulted by people having different opinions from your own, you might want to skip this review.

First things first – the plot. When E witnesses two strange sea creatures she doesn’t recognise, she contacts her idol, Scholar Henery, and they strike up a conversation.
Later, her sister Sophy takes up correspondence with his brother Vyerin, exchanging their siblings’ old letters to reconstruct their story – as both of them have gone missing.

What I expected: E and Henery exchange letters, theorising and researching about the strange fish, while talking about gorgeous underwater worlds and their passion for marine life, while Sophy and Vyerin piece together the letters and slowly figure out what happened to them (and maybe go on some kind of rescue mission). I did not expect a full-on thriller or anything like that – if it’s supposed to be like Emily Wilde, it’s gotta be cozy fantasy.

What I got was nothing like that. It does start with E and Henery exchanging letters – but after the first letter, they barely mention the sea creatures. Or other topics concerning the ocean. They talk about their siblings and what those are doing. They talk about their families. Their lives. Their history. Don’t get me wrong – all of that could be interesting. But it really really wasn’t. I couldn’t have cared less.
The same for Sophy’s and V’s letters. You’d think they’d look for anything interesting or strange inside those letters. But no. They talk about how adorable their siblings are. And what they did during that time. And what they are doing now. And none. Of. That. Is. Interesting.
Honestly – for basically 80 % of this book, nothing happens at all.
There are also letters from other people, some articles and other sources, but I honestly didn’t see the need for including any of those.
And the last couple of chapters didn’t make any sense to me. They were very rushed and kind of seemed as if the author had realised that she still needed a plot. At this point, I wasn’t sure whether this was supposed to be sci-fi, post-apocalyptic or fantasy, and the ending didn’t exactly clear that up. Nothing fit together.

I don’t even know how the second book is supposed to play out. The ending does set up a second book, but if it’s gonna be written in the same style as the first one – oh dear. Either Sylvie Cathrall speeds up everything fast, or she’s going to need ten books until anything happens.

Now if the book was full of beautiful descriptions of underwater worlds, I might not have cared about the lack of a plot. But I barely have any idea what this world is supposed to look like. The world building was honestly bad. Very vague. As I said, I don’t even know what kind of genre this is supposed to be. And considering that the whole thing started with the witnessing of strange, never-seen-before-creatures, I would’ve expected to actually read more about those creatures and just the underwater-world in general. Look at the cover! Doesn’t it promise gorgeous reefs, colourful fishes, and hidden secrets? But no.

Of course, the characters are mainly scholars, or at least very interested in the sciences, so you might not get any flowery descriptions.
Well, actually, all of them used extremely flowery language. Especially for scholars. It does get mentioned that Henery has an interesting style of writing his papers, but it simply didn’t fit. If he honestly writes his papers the same way as his letters, I really don’t understand how anyone takes him or his research seriously. He’s a scientist. He’s supposed to talk about science. Not about his emotions and dreams. And while he puts very flowery language in every single piece of writing, he still doesn’t manage to describe the setting! All of it seemed to exist simply for the purpose of making this book longer. The whole story could’ve easily been cut down by two thirds if the characters had decided to talk like human beings.
The way they spoke in their letters was simply extremely unnatural. No one talks like that. I would expect a certain number of scientific phrases, perhaps some eccentricities. But this was extreme. Both E and Henery wrote, as if they had never talked to another human being before. Every single one of their letters sounded like “Hello, fellow friend of water creatures. I have thoughts! I am smart and scholarly, look at me using smart and scholarly words while describing my thoughts! But oh, I’m also human, so here is something deeply personal about me. I apologize for oversharing, considering we've never met each other.”
Yes, it’s okay to have characters that are socially awkward, perhaps neurodivergent. But this was way over the top. It honestly read like robots trying to appear human. And they babbled so much. And then they apologised for babbling. And then they babbled some more. Also, for someone apparently so excited by this new scientific discovery, Henery changes the topic way too quickly. From the first letter on, it did not seem as if he was a scientist.

Are they at least interesting on their own? Not in the slightest. All the characters are exactly the same. They don’t seem to have any kind of personality at all. It went so far, that I honestly couldn’t keep them apart. The letters always said who was writing to whom, but once a letter went on for more than two pages, I honestly didn’t know anymore who was talking. Only when another character got mentioned, I managed to figure out what was going on. There were no differences in the tone or writing style at all.
This book is an epistolary novel. Of course there are certain difficulties with writing a book like this. But that is not an excuse. I’ve read multiple epistolary novels that were truly fantastic. If you encounter problems you cannot solve, either change the plot, or change the format. Not everyone can write a novel like this and that’s fine! But it would be better to write a good normal novel than a terrible novel that’s supposed to stand out by formatting. It’s gonna stand out in an entirely different way.
There was so much info dumping, which of course leads to me forgetting every single thing they said. Also – why do they explain the history of their world to each other? Apparently, everyone knows it, so why talk about it? Well, of course so that the stupid reader also knows it. But I hate things like that! Give me reality! I don’t randomly start spouting history facts when talking about my home or weird animals I saw. And there was way too much way too early.

The romance was weak and weird. Both Henery and E were very awkward, while being instantaneously infatuated with each other. There was no chemistry. They barely even seemed in love, it looked more like obsession to me. I didn’t get them at all.

Overall – the plot was boring. The world was barely described at all. The characters did not appear like human beings. The writing annoyed me very much.
Honestly, the best thing about this book was the cover.

Thank you, NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A very beautifully written book. While the writing style didn't quite hit the mark for me, I can see many other readers enjoying this.

I finished A Letter to the Luminous Deep yesterday, and find myself in two minds about it.
An impossible book to classify, it is part mystery, part love story, part fantasy, but reads like a memoir or a journal due to the epistolary format.

I loved the mystery - we've reached the end of the book and there are so many tantalising answers held just out of reach - what caused the 'dive'? What is the thing that the Antepelagic feared badly enough to plot escapes routes for future descendents? Are they the same thing? Where did Henerey and E go? Are they safe, trapped, exploring? There are so many questions on the tip of discovery that I am compelled to search out an immediate release date for book 2, in the hopes that my curiosity will be quenched in the not too distant future!

But that said, I didn't, overall, love the book. I felt like there were many unnecessary interludes (Were they? Will some of them become more relevant in book 2?) with interjections from other books.
I also felt like we were missing a touch of worldbuilding. While some parts need to remain a mystery, as the history and purpose of the 'structure' become apparent, there are several things not explained. Letters seem to arrive remarkably quickly, in only a few hours, yet we hear of them travelling by boat, and presumably holding multiple letters to several destinations/recipients rather like our own postal system. With the speed of delivery, automated post (which I assume to be something like email, being real-time) seems largely unnecessary. The civilisation seems small, being only the survivors of the 'dive', but I can't determine how small, nor how far geographical locations are. It seems tiny, despite being years after the 'dive'. I can overlook these things, as the mystery and romance elements were so strong.

But, most importantly, we have four main characters, and letters/articles from at least four or five other smaller roles. And yet, I could rarely pick out a distinct voice. I needed to pay attention to the writer and recipient of each letter, and to the year, because the narrative voice was so similar in each that I didn't feel that there were distinct personalities at play. The things I know about these characters is because of the things they wrote, not the way in which they were written.
I am certain many people will love this book, and it is a truly stunning edition to add to the bookcase (the cover is most excellently done - beautiful but with hints of the collapse of Deep House). I, myself, will not be put off purchasing book 2 because the storyline was excellent and the mystery intriguing. I do feel that the execution was not my cup of tea, though, in this case.

I unfortunately had to dnf at 70ish% only because the epistolary form was not for me, and I really tried to get used to the form but it just didn’t click.

I did however loved everything else about the book: the worldbuilding was incredible and the writer’s prose only made it more beautiful. I was very moved by the fragility and brokenness of the characters and the love story was so touchîng. I really wish i were able to move past the form because the book had everything I love and I have no doubt it will find its readers because it completely deserves it.

Letters
⭐️⭐️⭐️
The book wasn’t for me. I didn’t vibe with it. I really wasn’t the target audience.
When I first saw the book I wanted to read it as it had been compared to Emily Wild series (although I wouldn’t compared them)

The writing was very poetic and flowery but with very little happening made it hard book focus and keep reading. Only the near ending kept me intrigued, it would have been better as a standalone rather than a series.

Thank you Orbit Books & Netgallery for the eARC

[ARC provided by NetGalley and Orbit. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review A Letter to the Luminous Deep.]

Rating: 4.5/5

What an unexpected gem of a read! Although it took me a moment to really get into this book, it wasn’t long before the epistolary narrative swept me away into a watery world of longing and mystery. It’s such a joy to fall in love with books that are so incredibly unique and yet still contain all the familiar tropes that I know and love. Set in an incredible oceanic setting, A Letter to the Luminous Deep is perfect if you’re trying to scratch that Emily Wilde itch, and its whimsical style along with some very charming characters will have you eagerly turning each page as you unravel this scholarly mystery.

This story follows Sophy (sister to E.), and Vyerin (brother to Henerey) as they try to uncover the truth behind their siblings’ disappearances. By revealing letters, sketches, journals, and field notes, they begin to piece together a timeline of events that is as shocking as it is intriguing, and that may change their world as they know it.

Admittedly, I was a little sceptical at the beginning of this book as I wasn’t sure how the emotions of each of these characters could be accurately conveyed – especially when there is a romance at the core of the story. Of course, I needn’t have worried, because this author expertly lays out one of the sweetest and most tender love stories that I’ve ever read. Sophy and Vyerin exchange letters that E. and Henerey had sent to each other before their disappearance, and the blossoming relationship between the pair is beautiful to watch unfold. From letters filled with longing to scribbled conversations on sheets of paper, I was always eager to get to their writing to see how their love was developing.

Another highlight of this story is the individual characters. Although they write in a similar style, their inner musings about the world around them is what truly sets them apart. I especially related to E. who struggled more than most with her own brain, and as someone who is prone to checking once, twice, three times and so on if something bad has happened or may be about to happen, I could empathise with this kind of thought process. The author does a great job of capturing what it’s like to live with conditions such as OCD as we often see E. battling with intrusive thoughts and compulsions, and I was rooting for her every time she stepped out of her comfort zone as I know all too well would have been incredibly difficult.

The setting is also mesmerising, and I was often caught in a daydream imagining the watery depths of the world shown to us in these letters. The charm of this world paired with the mystery of the plot was constantly keeping me on my toes and I felt like I was piecing together the truth much like Sophy and Vyerin as time went on.

I was saddened to reach the final page because I could have spent so much more time in this enchanting world searching for E. and Henerey. If you love academic mysteries that are heart-warmingly magical, this is a book you need to add to your list. I can’t wait to read the next instalment when it comes out!

I requested this book without knowing anything about it, which I think made it even more enjoyable. So I will try to tell you why I loved it while revealing as little as possible about the story.

It takes place in a different world, that is almost completely made out of oceans. We understand early on that Scholars are extremely important in this world, and most of the characters are either Scholars or Scholar's family members. It definitely makes A Letter to the Luminous Deep fit in the Academia genre, but I'm not sure if it's more light or dark academia.

The story is told in an unusual way, which I found it very enjoyable : it is told through the letters that the characters send each other, excerpts from their diaries, news articles, etc. These characters are exchanging letters because they are trying to solve a mystery, and I was so involved in the solving of the mystery as well. I wanted to know what had happened, how, why, everything !

I also loved how they talked about many other things in their letter. They told each other about their daily life, their family, their academic research. We also see some of them fall in love, it is so sweet ! It gave me the impression of being a Scholar of history myself, studying a far away civilisation through letters found by archeologists.

Unfortunately this was my first ever DNF at about 60%

I tried really, really hard to finish it since I abhor not finishing anything I’ve started. I had been excited to read it since I first received the ARC but I couldn’t get into it and simply was not enjoying reading at all.

Truthfully, I don’t think this style of book is for me. I don’t mind some letters in books, in fact often I enjoy them., yet it would appear that I find a true episotolary format frustrating. I just couldn’t find it in myself to care about these characters. Often, I found it confusing as to who was replying to what , who was writing when etc.

It’s a shame, it is well written. And I have no doubt a great many people will enjoy this. The Cover is stunning aswell.

Sadly, just not for me.

I do not post reviews on my platforms on books I don’t enjoy that I give below 3 stars and I feel it wouldn’t be fair since I didn’t finish the book. Therefore here on NetGalley is the only place I shall be reviewing.

Many thanks to little brown book uk and NetGalley for the Arc.

DNF @39%.
It pains me to say that this was a DNF. I tried, I really tried to care enough about these characters and the action to continue reading it. But I don't find myself reaching towards this book anymore. I don't like the writing, I can't remember the previous character when I start the new chapter. I really wanted to love it, but unfortunately, I do not. I love the cover and the premise, but it bore me.

Every so often you come across a book which stays with you long after you finish it. ‘A Letter to the Luminous Deep’ is one of these.
Set in a world made up of campuses and scholars, where nearly all land is manmade and history tell of their ancestors falling from cities in the sky, it tells the story of ‘E’ Cidnosin, a reclusive and anxious woman who lives in ‘The Deep House’ under the sea, and Henerey Clel, a renowned marine scholar. The story is set a year after the two have mysteriously vanished and their respective siblings are piecing together what happened to the pair. Told entirely through correspondence, this poetic, imaginative and rule breaking novel is beautifully written and heart-warming with a touch of mystery thrown in. Think Jules Verne meets Victorian pen pal romance.
It took me a little while to get used to the format of the book. Sophy and Vyerin (the missing pair’s siblings) send letters to each other and enclose correspondence sent by their missing siblings, so they can piece together their last days. It is a bit confusing to begin with and the language is very descriptive but pay attention to the titles and dates at the top of letters and it becomes such a joy to read! The act of writing a letter to someone is so personal that we get to know the characters private thoughts, fears, desires and experiences (if they care to share them) and learn more by what they don’t include! All the characters, and especially ‘E’ with her anxiety, become so real that they just leap off the page. The use of letters gives the story a sense of immediacy- we feel like we’re experiencing things as they do, and it makes it all the more real.
I absolutely loved the way we see the relationship develop between ‘E’ and Henerey, with its slowly unfurling romance and beautiful descriptive language! It harkens back to a time when romance was done properly.
If you like lots of fast action scenes, then this isn’t the book for you. But if you like slow burning and unfurling storylines, deep sea exploration and mysteries, blossoming romance and a touch of fantasy then read on. I was so happy to find it is the first of a new series. It is my favourite read of the year so far and I really look forward to the next one in 2025!

A Letter to the Luminous Deep was such a delight to read. It's a book written in a compilation of letters, journal entries and "e-mails" about the mystery of E. and Henerey's disappearance, in which a year later E's sister Sophy and Henerey's brother Vyerin decides to correspond and sends each other letters from their respective siblings to each other to discover what exactly happened to them - right from the beginning of their siblings' own correspondence.

I truly loved reading this book. It's cozy and "quiet", and everytime I pick this book up I feel like I'm reading from an old friend because of the formatting. If you're a fan of fast-paced fantasy then you'll probably be bored of this one but I love the slow moving of the plot and just being there to understand the characters. I loved reading E. and Henerey's romantic development through their letters because the love they have and the genuineness of their feelings really seeped into the pages that they wrote. I also loved E's character so much and the way this book handled topics of mental illness in a fantasy setting quite well. Another thing I love was that despite this book being about them both, I also really enjoyed reading the correspondence of Sophy and Vyerin.

Actual rating: 4.5