A Letter from the Lonesome Shore

By: Sylvie Cathrall

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

Dive into the charming conclusion to the Sunken Archive duology, a heart-warming magical academia fantasy filled with underwater cities, romance of manners and found family, perfect for fans of Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries.

Former correspondents E. and Henerey, accustomed to loving each other from afar, did not anticipate continuing their courtship in an enigmatic underwater city. When their journey through the Structure in E.'s garden strands them in a peculiar society preoccupied with the pleasures and perils of knowledge, E. and Henerey come to accept—and, more surprisingly still, embrace—the fact that they may never return home.

A year and a half later, Sophy and Vyerin finally discover one of the elusive Entries that will help them seek their siblings. As the group's efforts bring them closer to E. and Henerey, an ancient, cosmic threat also draws near...

“An underwater treasure-chest to be slowly unpacked, full of things I adore.” —Freya Marske

“A shimmering, delicately crafted delight.” —H.G. Parry

“A fascinating and charming story told in a uniquely elegant voice.” —Louisa Morgan

“Both the setting and the story are exquisite.” —Megan Bannen

Critic reviews

"Cathrall’s lush prose and nimble character work breathe life into this vividly imagined underwater world while probing the fragility of human connection amid cosmic uncertainty. Fans of light academia and emotionally resonant fantasy will find this an enchanting escape."—Publishers Weekly

Praise for A Letter to the Luminous Deep:

"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

"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

"Like nothing I've read before. The heartfelt intimacy of the epistolary narrative, juxtaposed with the magnificent oceanic world-building, results in a novel that is at once deeply human and mind-bogglingly imaginative. The lovingly crafted voices of the characters kept me hooked from beginning to end." —Megan Bannen

“A shimmering, delicately crafted delight of a book, steeped in love for the wonder of nature and the vagaries of archival research.” —H. G. Parry

Fantastic follow up

The cast did a phenomenal job with the second part to this incredible series. I adore each character and love how fleshed out and real each person is. They have such strong relationships and opinions and I love seeing how they each react to the life changing events of the story. The representation is incredible, and I see several parts of myself represented in many different characters throughout the story. Truly a book worth reading. Cozy fantasy at its best.

The definition of an Adventure book

I cannot express how much I enjoyed this book. I cried at the end just because I know I will never be able to read it for the first time ever again. It was just so well written and wonderful expressive. I also very much enjoyed this audiobook it was exceptionally done. Please read this story if you would like to explore an underwater universe full of discoveries.

Gloriously deep world in the aftermath of the Deep House

The second book of a new world is so often lacking further discovery. This dribbles it out like a long 12 course meal. The addition of a new pair of correspondents and reveals developments of society in response to extravagant change ... and continues to develop the various characters with their internal challenges as they make rather bold & courageous decisions. The heroism is beatific & bittersweet & ends ... Well. You'll have to read for yourself.

Lovely, incandescent 💗💗💗

A nice follow up with characters I care about, gentle scholarly people with huge hearts and sharp minds. Fell in love with each again. Just lovely!

Slow and confusing

I had a lot of trouble keeping track of which character was writing to which character. Very little plot at all. Ultimately I couldn’t wait for it to be over.