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The Sunken Archive #2
A Letter from the Lonesome Shore
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. . .
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. . .
400 pages, Paperback
First published May 6, 2025
120 people are currently reading
3247 people want to read
About the author
Sylvie Cathrall
4 books381 followersSylvie Cathrall writes stories of hope and healing with healthy doses of wonder and whimsy. She holds a graduate degree in odd Victorian art and has handled more than a few nineteenth-century letters (with great care). Sylvie married her former pen pal and lives in the mountains, where she dresses impractically and dreams of the sea.
You can find Sylvie on Instagram @sylviecathrall.
Author's portrait by Inês Dinis: @inestheunicorn.
You can find Sylvie on Instagram @sylviecathrall.
Author's portrait by Inês Dinis: @inestheunicorn.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 323 reviews
November 4, 2025
In a Nutshell: The second half of the sunken Archive Duology. The GR rating for this book is higher than the first one, but my experience was the opposite. Liked the underwater world. Didn’t like the plot, characters, and revelations. The epistolary content was the biggest disappointment. Not to be read as a standalone. Not at all like Emily Wilde, no matter what the blurb says.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview: (This section contains spoilers from the first book.)
Keeping the review vague to avoid further plot spoilers from either book.
Bookish Yays:
⛲ The prologue, which cleverly catches us up on the essentials of the first book. (Further proving the point that the entire first book could have been contained within a prologue.) A good way of refreshing the minds of those who might have started this sequel a long time after completing the first book.
⛲ The portrayal of anxiety and other mental health issues of two key characters – true to life.
⛲ The LGBTQ+ representation, as impressive as in the first book.
⛲ The cover – Even more stunning than the cover of the first book, which itself was gorgeous.
(Three of the above Yays were also Yays in my review for the first book. So it’s nice to see the consistency of delivering on strengths.)
Bookish Mixed Bags:
🌊 The relationships – E and Henerey, Sophy & Vyerin with their respective partners, and some more couples. The emotions are (cheesily) good, but they also feel repetitive as the content is almost exactly the same in tone as well as material as in the first book. An overload of déjà vu!
🌊 The characters: The original four are still good. We get to know Henerey and E better in this sequel. There are a couple of interesting new characters from the new society as well. The depiction of a certain legendary being, continuing from the first book, is mesmerising. However, most of the characters feel distanced because of the writing approach.
🌊 The world(s) in which the book is set – I can't reveal more but the setting is fascinating. I especially enjoyed reading how knowledge is viewed and used in this society. However, the descriptions are relatively minimal this time around. Though visualising the places isn’t tough, the atmospheric feel is missing.
Bookish Nays:
💧 The epistolary approach feels forced this time. Unlike the first book that had mostly personal letters, this one relies heavily on other epistolary content: unsent letters, journal entries, official reports (though these still include unofficial dialogues.) As such, it doesn’t feel the same in tone. The unsent letters annoyed me the most; such a convenient way of updating readers about the plot without even a delivered/discovered epistle!
💧 Pet peeve: I hate it when documents aren’t written in the format they claim to be. A diary entry should sound like a diary entry, an official record must sound formal. Most of the epistolary content in this book feels like a glorified novel, containing even back-and-forth conversations. It was tough to remember whose perspective I was reading because everything sounded mostly the same. (And hardly anything sounded like what it was supposed to be.)
💧 The terribly slow tempo, with a great deal of focus on needless things than on the actual plot. On that note…
💧 Where’s the plot? The first book had already established the background! Why do we get even more background in this book? Why does it take more than half the book to finally take the story ahead?
💧 The unexpected infodump somewhere around the 70% mark, offering even more background but to another prior event. Why wasn’t this inserted in bits and pieces in between the other letters so that we could have been saved that massive pile-up?
💧 The ending. Considering how a certain ‘P’ word was repeated so often in the second half, I anticipated feeling more apprehension and tension during the finale. But the main scene came and went without even a squeak of surprise. I can't believe that after reading almost 800 pages (which felt more like 1600 pages) across two books, I got this half-baked abrupt ending.
💧 Still waving my tiny flag of protest at all the weird names and titles.
All in all, this is a case of “Wow Concept, Average Execution.” It is also a case of “Fabulous Cover, Lacklustre Content.” It could have been an outstanding book for me with its novelty (Underwater + academia + fantasy!) but the epistolary approach, the tortuous journey, and the tedious pacing killed my enjoyment. The first book kept me invested at least in bits and pieces, but this sequel left me utterly bored.
The Goodreads rating, however, seems to indicate otherwise, and most readers have found this book better than the first one. So do take my thoughts with a pinch of salt and read other reviews to take a more informed call on this series.
On a side note, I don’t know why the blurb calls this “perfect for fans of Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries.” It is NOTHING like Emily Wilde! I’d rather read Emily Wilde again.
Recommended only to those who read and enjoyed the first book and seek some closure about what befell E and Henerey.
2 stars.
My thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK and Orbit for providing the DRC of “A Letter from the Lonesome Shore” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. Sorry this didn’t work out better.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || Threads || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview: (This section contains spoilers from the first book.)
The story continues from the end of Book One: A Letter to the Luminous Deep.
When E and Henerey land up in a strange new society obsessed with knowledge, they slowly accept the fact that they might not return home. They do not know that back home, their respective siblings Sophy and Vyerin have discovered what might have led to their disappearance and are trying to locate them. The question is not just whether the two groups of siblings will meet but also about an ancient threat that might destroy the world as they know it.
This book is also epistolary in approach, but with fewer letters and more official records and journal entries from various characters.
Keeping the review vague to avoid further plot spoilers from either book.
Bookish Yays:
⛲ The prologue, which cleverly catches us up on the essentials of the first book. (Further proving the point that the entire first book could have been contained within a prologue.) A good way of refreshing the minds of those who might have started this sequel a long time after completing the first book.
⛲ The portrayal of anxiety and other mental health issues of two key characters – true to life.
⛲ The LGBTQ+ representation, as impressive as in the first book.
⛲ The cover – Even more stunning than the cover of the first book, which itself was gorgeous.
(Three of the above Yays were also Yays in my review for the first book. So it’s nice to see the consistency of delivering on strengths.)
Bookish Mixed Bags:
🌊 The relationships – E and Henerey, Sophy & Vyerin with their respective partners, and some more couples. The emotions are (cheesily) good, but they also feel repetitive as the content is almost exactly the same in tone as well as material as in the first book. An overload of déjà vu!
🌊 The characters: The original four are still good. We get to know Henerey and E better in this sequel. There are a couple of interesting new characters from the new society as well. The depiction of a certain legendary being, continuing from the first book, is mesmerising. However, most of the characters feel distanced because of the writing approach.
🌊 The world(s) in which the book is set – I can't reveal more but the setting is fascinating. I especially enjoyed reading how knowledge is viewed and used in this society. However, the descriptions are relatively minimal this time around. Though visualising the places isn’t tough, the atmospheric feel is missing.
Bookish Nays:
💧 The epistolary approach feels forced this time. Unlike the first book that had mostly personal letters, this one relies heavily on other epistolary content: unsent letters, journal entries, official reports (though these still include unofficial dialogues.) As such, it doesn’t feel the same in tone. The unsent letters annoyed me the most; such a convenient way of updating readers about the plot without even a delivered/discovered epistle!
💧 Pet peeve: I hate it when documents aren’t written in the format they claim to be. A diary entry should sound like a diary entry, an official record must sound formal. Most of the epistolary content in this book feels like a glorified novel, containing even back-and-forth conversations. It was tough to remember whose perspective I was reading because everything sounded mostly the same. (And hardly anything sounded like what it was supposed to be.)
💧 The terribly slow tempo, with a great deal of focus on needless things than on the actual plot. On that note…
💧 Where’s the plot? The first book had already established the background! Why do we get even more background in this book? Why does it take more than half the book to finally take the story ahead?
💧 The unexpected infodump somewhere around the 70% mark, offering even more background but to another prior event. Why wasn’t this inserted in bits and pieces in between the other letters so that we could have been saved that massive pile-up?
💧 The ending. Considering how a certain ‘P’ word was repeated so often in the second half, I anticipated feeling more apprehension and tension during the finale. But the main scene came and went without even a squeak of surprise. I can't believe that after reading almost 800 pages (which felt more like 1600 pages) across two books, I got this half-baked abrupt ending.
💧 Still waving my tiny flag of protest at all the weird names and titles.
All in all, this is a case of “Wow Concept, Average Execution.” It is also a case of “Fabulous Cover, Lacklustre Content.” It could have been an outstanding book for me with its novelty (Underwater + academia + fantasy!) but the epistolary approach, the tortuous journey, and the tedious pacing killed my enjoyment. The first book kept me invested at least in bits and pieces, but this sequel left me utterly bored.
The Goodreads rating, however, seems to indicate otherwise, and most readers have found this book better than the first one. So do take my thoughts with a pinch of salt and read other reviews to take a more informed call on this series.
On a side note, I don’t know why the blurb calls this “perfect for fans of Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries.” It is NOTHING like Emily Wilde! I’d rather read Emily Wilde again.
Recommended only to those who read and enjoyed the first book and seek some closure about what befell E and Henerey.
2 stars.
My thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK and Orbit for providing the DRC of “A Letter from the Lonesome Shore” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. Sorry this didn’t work out better.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || Threads || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
March 15, 2025
two people in love who profoundly believe they aren’t worthy of the other person while constantly exhibiting signs of “you remembered” “of course i did”
Read my full review
it’s awkward academics to lovers yall
thank you to orbit and netgalley for providing the advance copy to review.
Bookstagram | Blog
Read my full review
it’s awkward academics to lovers yall
thank you to orbit and netgalley for providing the advance copy to review.
Bookstagram | Blog
May 14, 2025
3 Stars
One Liner: Well… I wish I liked it better
Sophy and Vyerin, respective siblings of E. and Henerey, finally figured out what had happened. Now, they are on a mission to search and bring back their loved ones. They even discover the elusive Entries. However, before they can succeed, an ancient cosmic threat could destroy everything.
Will the siblings reunite, and can E. and Henerey have their HEA without any threats looming overhead?
This is an epistolary novel and comes in a series of letters, journal entries, notes, records, etc.
My Thoughts:
This is not a standalone. You have to read the previous book before you get to this. As much as I want to tell you that you should read them together, I won’t. The pacing is so slow that back-to-back such books could put you in a slump. Space books #1 and #2, with a couple of quick reads in between.
In a way, this book does feel easier to read. However, it is also a chore. There’s a bit of intrigue about what the danger is or what could have happened, but honestly, it takes too long to get to the point. This was okay in the previous book since it set the stage. Here, there isn’t enough plot for a 400-page book, and yet, it feels like I’ve read an 800-page tome. In short, it drones on and on.
The bits with E. and Henerey are still adorable and made the book more bearable. Scholar 30.ii is also cute in a bumbling way. They brought some much-needed lightness to the narrative.
Also, imagine a world where being on time for an appointment means they arrive four hours early! Sounds funny until they knock on your door at 4 AM because you planned to meet at 8 AM. Still, the scene made me laugh.
Since the whole thing is essentially notes, letters, and records, there’s a lot of stream-of-consciousness rambling, which goes overboard in many places. Just because something is fun to write doesn’t make it fun to read. Sorry, I say this as an author myself.
The mental health rep is wonderfully done. It shows the situations without making it preachy or OTT. There are other themes like the dark side of academia, fear of the unknown, restrictive perspectives, personal prejudices, influence, etc. None of them feel forced, so that’s a good thing.
I liked meeting the mysterious sea woman again. Wouldn’t have minded if she had more space.
The world-building is interesting. There are details, though not enough to explain everything. In a way, this is good. The book is a slog as it is. However, I could visualize the domes, the library, the underwater garden, the rooms, etc. No complaints here.
It takes way too long to get to the Antepelagic insights, the backstory, and stuff. The Predator doesn’t feel the least bit scary either. In a way, it’s good that he isn’t mentioned often.
The climax and ending are… lackluster… bland and underwhelming. Not that I expected anything big given the tone so far, but what we get is just too weak to make a proper impact. I can see why it ends with that entry. It’s a saving grace for those who enjoyed the book more for E. and Henerey.
To summarize, A Letter from the Lonesome Shore has a few nice things to offer, but doesn’t give the same experience as the previous book, despite offering a conclusion. I wish I enjoyed it better!
Thank you, NetGalley and Orbit Books, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
#NetGalley #ALetterFromTheLonesomeShore
One Liner: Well… I wish I liked it better
Sophy and Vyerin, respective siblings of E. and Henerey, finally figured out what had happened. Now, they are on a mission to search and bring back their loved ones. They even discover the elusive Entries. However, before they can succeed, an ancient cosmic threat could destroy everything.
Will the siblings reunite, and can E. and Henerey have their HEA without any threats looming overhead?
This is an epistolary novel and comes in a series of letters, journal entries, notes, records, etc.
My Thoughts:
This is not a standalone. You have to read the previous book before you get to this. As much as I want to tell you that you should read them together, I won’t. The pacing is so slow that back-to-back such books could put you in a slump. Space books #1 and #2, with a couple of quick reads in between.
In a way, this book does feel easier to read. However, it is also a chore. There’s a bit of intrigue about what the danger is or what could have happened, but honestly, it takes too long to get to the point. This was okay in the previous book since it set the stage. Here, there isn’t enough plot for a 400-page book, and yet, it feels like I’ve read an 800-page tome. In short, it drones on and on.
The bits with E. and Henerey are still adorable and made the book more bearable. Scholar 30.ii is also cute in a bumbling way. They brought some much-needed lightness to the narrative.
Also, imagine a world where being on time for an appointment means they arrive four hours early! Sounds funny until they knock on your door at 4 AM because you planned to meet at 8 AM. Still, the scene made me laugh.
Since the whole thing is essentially notes, letters, and records, there’s a lot of stream-of-consciousness rambling, which goes overboard in many places. Just because something is fun to write doesn’t make it fun to read. Sorry, I say this as an author myself.
The mental health rep is wonderfully done. It shows the situations without making it preachy or OTT. There are other themes like the dark side of academia, fear of the unknown, restrictive perspectives, personal prejudices, influence, etc. None of them feel forced, so that’s a good thing.
I liked meeting the mysterious sea woman again. Wouldn’t have minded if she had more space.
The world-building is interesting. There are details, though not enough to explain everything. In a way, this is good. The book is a slog as it is. However, I could visualize the domes, the library, the underwater garden, the rooms, etc. No complaints here.
It takes way too long to get to the Antepelagic insights, the backstory, and stuff. The Predator doesn’t feel the least bit scary either. In a way, it’s good that he isn’t mentioned often.
The climax and ending are… lackluster… bland and underwhelming. Not that I expected anything big given the tone so far, but what we get is just too weak to make a proper impact. I can see why it ends with that entry. It’s a saving grace for those who enjoyed the book more for E. and Henerey.
To summarize, A Letter from the Lonesome Shore has a few nice things to offer, but doesn’t give the same experience as the previous book, despite offering a conclusion. I wish I enjoyed it better!
Thank you, NetGalley and Orbit Books, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
#NetGalley #ALetterFromTheLonesomeShore
July 12, 2025
You are my saviour now. Perhaps that is how we will navigate this perplexing world – by saving each other in alternating sequence. – E.
rating: 4.5⭐️
what a delightful conclusion to an enchanting duology.
after learning much about e. and henerey, we finally get to meet them and witness their love blossom. i was kicking my feet and giggling so much at how shy they both were with each other, and the way they supported each other through their struggles was so endearing.
I am not suggesting that one man, remarkable as he may be, can magically cure my ills. But I am more than my condition, and the knowledge that Henerey was with me through the night gave strength and support to all parts of my being.
the pace moved well for me bc while i was delighted by the young lovers, i found the mystery w the scholars and what really happened w the Dive (and Predator) intriguing and foreboding! i was very eager to solve the mystery and i enjoyed the twists and revelations in the latter third.
“My condition has many contradictions, and I am trying my best, Henerey, to ensure that it does not keep me from what I want.”
all the characters are so endearing and there’s an abundance of queernormativity as well as disability rep (i would even say specifically ace rep is included as well). The Lady was a really fun addition to the cast, i would love to see more of her!
the world was so imaginative and ambitious, with this new deep sea academic civilization and the eventual expanse on The Predator and The Island.
the ending was bittersweet for me, although an overall happy ending.
this duology will have a soft spot in my heart as a marine life lover and i look forward to more books by sylvie cathrall!
rating: 4.5⭐️
what a delightful conclusion to an enchanting duology.
after learning much about e. and henerey, we finally get to meet them and witness their love blossom. i was kicking my feet and giggling so much at how shy they both were with each other, and the way they supported each other through their struggles was so endearing.
I am not suggesting that one man, remarkable as he may be, can magically cure my ills. But I am more than my condition, and the knowledge that Henerey was with me through the night gave strength and support to all parts of my being.
the pace moved well for me bc while i was delighted by the young lovers, i found the mystery w the scholars and what really happened w the Dive (and Predator) intriguing and foreboding! i was very eager to solve the mystery and i enjoyed the twists and revelations in the latter third.
“My condition has many contradictions, and I am trying my best, Henerey, to ensure that it does not keep me from what I want.”
all the characters are so endearing and there’s an abundance of queernormativity as well as disability rep (i would even say specifically ace rep is included as well). The Lady was a really fun addition to the cast, i would love to see more of her!
the world was so imaginative and ambitious, with this new deep sea academic civilization and the eventual expanse on The Predator and The Island.
the ending was bittersweet for me, although an overall happy ending.
this duology will have a soft spot in my heart as a marine life lover and i look forward to more books by sylvie cathrall!
March 24, 2025
Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for the ARC.
Reading this book felt like a chore. Goodreads says this book is 384 pages long; it EASILY felt like twice that. The first one had a distinct charm to it building up to a "what happened to Henery and E.?" along with "What is happening Sophy's expedition?" This had none of that sense of building. Instead, it had a "Ooooh there is a big bad out there but I'm not gonna tell you about it!!!!" No new information is revealed until 60-70% through the book and they literally don't start dealing with said Big Bad until 85% through the book, and then said dealing takes--I kid you not--one chapter. In the meantime, the characters are doing...mostly nothing. There is a bit of cuteness early on with E. and Henerey exploring their in-person relationship but that is not strong enough to buoy the entire story. If you're not going to have a strong plot, you need to have strong character development, and that is lacking here. The characters are still their interesting selves from the first book, but are not further developing in any way, so there's not a lot keep any sense of momentum going..
There was a portion of the book that was made up of documents from before the Dive. The story could have been helped A LOT if more of this had been scattered throughout the book, rather than just a handful in one chunk around the 70%-ish mark. It would have contributed to the sense of momentum that was lacking in the "modern" timeline of the book, because we would know these documents were leading up to the Dive, just as we knew the documents in the first book were leading up to the destruction of the Deep House and E. and Henerey's disappearance.
The ending of the book works, but because there was no sense of momentum, I also felt no sense of building dread (this is a book that DEFINITELY should have had a sense of building dread) and so there was no relief at things working out as they did and no real sense of satisfaction about it. It was more just "Yup, we're done now." Which, given what a slog this was, was I guess a relief in and of itself.
Two stars of E. and Henerey cuteness, the bit of Antepelagic insight we got (I cannot emphasize enough how much the book needed more of this), and the bits of weird worldbuilding that Cathrall still worked in throughout, and the letters between the Thirthieth Second Scholar and Lady Coralean...again, would have liked more of this rather than the characters just rehashing how much they love and miss each other for almost 400 pages. We established that in the first book, and it was time to do something MORE.
Reading this book felt like a chore. Goodreads says this book is 384 pages long; it EASILY felt like twice that. The first one had a distinct charm to it building up to a "what happened to Henery and E.?" along with "What is happening Sophy's expedition?" This had none of that sense of building. Instead, it had a "Ooooh there is a big bad out there but I'm not gonna tell you about it!!!!" No new information is revealed until 60-70% through the book and they literally don't start dealing with said Big Bad until 85% through the book, and then said dealing takes--I kid you not--one chapter. In the meantime, the characters are doing...mostly nothing. There is a bit of cuteness early on with E. and Henerey exploring their in-person relationship but that is not strong enough to buoy the entire story. If you're not going to have a strong plot, you need to have strong character development, and that is lacking here. The characters are still their interesting selves from the first book, but are not further developing in any way, so there's not a lot keep any sense of momentum going..
There was a portion of the book that was made up of documents from before the Dive. The story could have been helped A LOT if more of this had been scattered throughout the book, rather than just a handful in one chunk around the 70%-ish mark. It would have contributed to the sense of momentum that was lacking in the "modern" timeline of the book, because we would know these documents were leading up to the Dive, just as we knew the documents in the first book were leading up to the destruction of the Deep House and E. and Henerey's disappearance.
The ending of the book works, but because there was no sense of momentum, I also felt no sense of building dread (this is a book that DEFINITELY should have had a sense of building dread) and so there was no relief at things working out as they did and no real sense of satisfaction about it. It was more just "Yup, we're done now." Which, given what a slog this was, was I guess a relief in and of itself.
Two stars of E. and Henerey cuteness, the bit of Antepelagic insight we got (I cannot emphasize enough how much the book needed more of this), and the bits of weird worldbuilding that Cathrall still worked in throughout, and the letters between the Thirthieth Second Scholar and Lady Coralean...again, would have liked more of this rather than the characters just rehashing how much they love and miss each other for almost 400 pages. We established that in the first book, and it was time to do something MORE.
June 29, 2025
Happy belated pub day to the second part of this charmingly peculiar little duology!
The Sunken Archive belongs to the same family of fantasy-academia as A Natural History of Dragons and Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries, and I do think that anyone who loved those books will love this duology. But in a truer sense, these books are almost impossible to comp. There’s just nothing quite like them, and that really tickled my brain. Sylvie Cathrall took on an enormous challenge in attempting to convey such unique, intricate worldbuilding entirely through the epistolary format; it requires a lot of patience and a lot of assembling puzzle pieces yourself, which seems to be polarizing with some readers, but personally I was obsessed with figuring out this funny little world she’s created.
What really makes these books special to me, though, is how genuinely warm and gentle and compassionate they are at heart. “Cozy” fantasy is such an odd, broad umbrella—a lot of readers might say low stakes are integral to calling something cozy, and the stakes in A Letter to the Lonesome Shore are literally cosmic and apocalyptic. And yet the book’s preoccupation with love in all its forms shines through as its ethical and narrative center: it’s about family, about sisterhood specifically, about friendship and romantic love and the many shades of love between the two. (In particular, I loved that book two canonizes multiple characters’ asexuality.)
And the romance… the romance. It’s just so sweet, so tender, so lovely. I actually teared up a little at some points. I love E. and Henerey and I love their love for each other.
My only critique is I’m not sure how I feel about the actual plot resolution. I want to like it. It makes narrative sense. To a certain extent, there’s something that feels almost folkloric about it. I think my problem with that is that the rest of the books don’t feel folkloric at all, so it’s kind of out of place; these are whimsical books, yes, but relatively grounded by their academic and scientific tone. And so the grand plot elements that come into play in the end feel a bit too… silly? I won’t go so far as to say I dislike the ending, but this book definitely challenged my immersion and suspension of disbelief at certain points.
That aside, though, I honestly just adore these books. They’re curious and intelligent and compassionate, creative and unique and magical. They’re the perfect blend of character-driven fantasy and wonderful worldbuilding. They are also the only books I have ever read that reminded me of Atlantis, which was my FAVORITE Disney movie as a kid.
Highly recommended and I will probably be revisiting this world through a re-read someday 🌊🐠
Thanks to Orbit and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Sunken Archive belongs to the same family of fantasy-academia as A Natural History of Dragons and Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries, and I do think that anyone who loved those books will love this duology. But in a truer sense, these books are almost impossible to comp. There’s just nothing quite like them, and that really tickled my brain. Sylvie Cathrall took on an enormous challenge in attempting to convey such unique, intricate worldbuilding entirely through the epistolary format; it requires a lot of patience and a lot of assembling puzzle pieces yourself, which seems to be polarizing with some readers, but personally I was obsessed with figuring out this funny little world she’s created.
What really makes these books special to me, though, is how genuinely warm and gentle and compassionate they are at heart. “Cozy” fantasy is such an odd, broad umbrella—a lot of readers might say low stakes are integral to calling something cozy, and the stakes in A Letter to the Lonesome Shore are literally cosmic and apocalyptic. And yet the book’s preoccupation with love in all its forms shines through as its ethical and narrative center: it’s about family, about sisterhood specifically, about friendship and romantic love and the many shades of love between the two. (In particular, I loved that book two canonizes multiple characters’ asexuality.)
And the romance… the romance. It’s just so sweet, so tender, so lovely. I actually teared up a little at some points. I love E. and Henerey and I love their love for each other.
My only critique is I’m not sure how I feel about the actual plot resolution. I want to like it. It makes narrative sense. To a certain extent, there’s something that feels almost folkloric about it. I think my problem with that is that the rest of the books don’t feel folkloric at all, so it’s kind of out of place; these are whimsical books, yes, but relatively grounded by their academic and scientific tone. And so the grand plot elements that come into play in the end feel a bit too… silly? I won’t go so far as to say I dislike the ending, but this book definitely challenged my immersion and suspension of disbelief at certain points.
That aside, though, I honestly just adore these books. They’re curious and intelligent and compassionate, creative and unique and magical. They’re the perfect blend of character-driven fantasy and wonderful worldbuilding. They are also the only books I have ever read that reminded me of Atlantis, which was my FAVORITE Disney movie as a kid.
Highly recommended and I will probably be revisiting this world through a re-read someday 🌊🐠
Thanks to Orbit and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 9, 2025
3.5 stars (rounded up)
Well, I'll have to admit that A Letter From the Lonesome Shore wasn't exactly the sequel that I was expecting, and it might not have totally recaptured the magic of book 1 for me, but ultimately I can't deny that it is a whimsically wonderful conclusion to one of the most uniquely refreshing duologies I have ever read!
Once again, the entire story unfolds through letters, journals and other scholarly texts, and Cathrall just absolutely nails that epistolary format. I really appreciated how the first chapter served as a clever little recap of book 1 to start this sequel off, which instantly helped me to be reimmersed in the story and this world.
All my precious babes from book 1 really got their time to shine (especially E. and Henerey!), and I loved the continued satisfying development of all the tender and heartfelt relationships that lie at the core of this narrative, be they platonic, familial or romantic. It took me a bit longer to warm up to some of the newly introduced characters that we meet as we get to explore new parts of this unique underwater world (or should I say worlds?), but I absolutely ate up all the anthropological aspects of this story and I ended up really liking how everyone's storylines wove together.
Now, all that said, I can't sit here and pretend that it was all smooth sailing. The pacing felt very wobbly to me, the introduction of the apocalyptic level threat felt very unexpected and never actually felt all that threatening to me, and I wasn't the biggest fan how some of the ground-breaking world building revelations came at us like a tsunami instead of being trickled throughout the narrative to build up and maintain tension in a consistently satisfying way.
However, I have always been here more for the characters rather than the plot, and I was just happily plodding along with them throughout their wild adventures. Also, I can't say enough good things about the wonderful representation in these books, both the various types of queer rep and the authentic OCD and neurodivergent rep. These tender, awkward souls made me feel really seen, and I loved seeing them learning to live, love and thrive with and in spite of their personal struggles.
The resolution was admittedly also a bit rushed and way more bittersweet than I was anticipating considering the delightfully cozy and charming vibe of this duology, but then it also kinda fits with the folkloric vibe of the story. In a way, The Sunken Archive feels like a mix-up of A Natural History of Dragons, Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries, and The Ninth Rain, but as if it was written by Jane Austen; it should not work, and yet it totally does. I had an absolute blast with this duology, and I would highly recommend diving in if it piques your interest!
Well, I'll have to admit that A Letter From the Lonesome Shore wasn't exactly the sequel that I was expecting, and it might not have totally recaptured the magic of book 1 for me, but ultimately I can't deny that it is a whimsically wonderful conclusion to one of the most uniquely refreshing duologies I have ever read!
Once again, the entire story unfolds through letters, journals and other scholarly texts, and Cathrall just absolutely nails that epistolary format. I really appreciated how the first chapter served as a clever little recap of book 1 to start this sequel off, which instantly helped me to be reimmersed in the story and this world.
All my precious babes from book 1 really got their time to shine (especially E. and Henerey!), and I loved the continued satisfying development of all the tender and heartfelt relationships that lie at the core of this narrative, be they platonic, familial or romantic. It took me a bit longer to warm up to some of the newly introduced characters that we meet as we get to explore new parts of this unique underwater world (or should I say worlds?), but I absolutely ate up all the anthropological aspects of this story and I ended up really liking how everyone's storylines wove together.
Now, all that said, I can't sit here and pretend that it was all smooth sailing. The pacing felt very wobbly to me, the introduction of the apocalyptic level threat felt very unexpected and never actually felt all that threatening to me, and I wasn't the biggest fan how some of the ground-breaking world building revelations came at us like a tsunami instead of being trickled throughout the narrative to build up and maintain tension in a consistently satisfying way.
However, I have always been here more for the characters rather than the plot, and I was just happily plodding along with them throughout their wild adventures. Also, I can't say enough good things about the wonderful representation in these books, both the various types of queer rep and the authentic OCD and neurodivergent rep. These tender, awkward souls made me feel really seen, and I loved seeing them learning to live, love and thrive with and in spite of their personal struggles.
The resolution was admittedly also a bit rushed and way more bittersweet than I was anticipating considering the delightfully cozy and charming vibe of this duology, but then it also kinda fits with the folkloric vibe of the story. In a way, The Sunken Archive feels like a mix-up of A Natural History of Dragons, Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries, and The Ninth Rain, but as if it was written by Jane Austen; it should not work, and yet it totally does. I had an absolute blast with this duology, and I would highly recommend diving in if it piques your interest!
April 13, 2025
Everything unsettles me.
4.25 stars
Because I am, I’m sorry to say, a bit of a mess– an emotional shipwreck– a weak-limbed limpet!
This was just as whimsical, emotional, and healing as book 1. Our characters are separated by *time-space-dimensions* and are working to reunite with their families.
My Brain troubles me once again. I feel very tired, and I keep forgetting what I have and haven’t done. I went to check the door again, despite having already done so several times, and I remain unconvinced that I am safe. How am I to feel safe anywhere that is not the Deep House?
The main thing that I love about these books, and that was apparent in my review of book 1, is the mental illness/health rep. Both E and Henerey have illnesses, and in this one, you see them finally (!!) together and how they are coping and helping each other. That was really great for me. I also especially loved this line:
Because in lots of books, MC #1 meets MC #2 and is all of the sudden “healed” of their mental illness. Come onnn. So this was so much more realistic that E acknowledges that he is helping her (and vice versa) but that she is not magically cured.
There is no magical, cure-all dick in this. Thank you kindly.
Imagine, if you will, an endless ocean topped by an equally endless sky. It seems impossible, of course. Everything must have its end eventually, mustn’t it?
I will say, not a huge fan of the reveal, the reason for the portals and the fall from the sky. I knew this was otherworldly, obvious, but this is, um, a little much for me lmao
It is not staying here that terrifies me the most – it is the thought that E. might soon see how the correspondent who seemed charming on paper is just an anxious, sad fellow who forgot even to bid her good night.
Overall, I need the next book because once again this one ends on a slight cliffhanger and I am dying.
Thank you to Orbit Books and the author for this eARC!
4.25 stars
Because I am, I’m sorry to say, a bit of a mess– an emotional shipwreck– a weak-limbed limpet!
This was just as whimsical, emotional, and healing as book 1. Our characters are separated by *time-space-dimensions* and are working to reunite with their families.
My Brain troubles me once again. I feel very tired, and I keep forgetting what I have and haven’t done. I went to check the door again, despite having already done so several times, and I remain unconvinced that I am safe. How am I to feel safe anywhere that is not the Deep House?
The main thing that I love about these books, and that was apparent in my review of book 1, is the mental illness/health rep. Both E and Henerey have illnesses, and in this one, you see them finally (!!) together and how they are coping and helping each other. That was really great for me. I also especially loved this line:
I am not suggesting that one man, remarkable as he may be, can magically cure my ills. But I am more than my condition, and the knowledge that Henerey was with me through the night gave strength and support to all parts of my being.
Because in lots of books, MC #1 meets MC #2 and is all of the sudden “healed” of their mental illness. Come onnn. So this was so much more realistic that E acknowledges that he is helping her (and vice versa) but that she is not magically cured.
There is no magical, cure-all dick in this. Thank you kindly.
Imagine, if you will, an endless ocean topped by an equally endless sky. It seems impossible, of course. Everything must have its end eventually, mustn’t it?
I will say, not a huge fan of the reveal, the reason for the portals and the fall from the sky. I knew this was otherworldly, obvious, but this is, um, a little much for me lmao
It is not staying here that terrifies me the most – it is the thought that E. might soon see how the correspondent who seemed charming on paper is just an anxious, sad fellow who forgot even to bid her good night.
Overall, I need the next book because once again this one ends on a slight cliffhanger and I am dying.
Thank you to Orbit Books and the author for this eARC!
May 24, 2025
3.5 stars
A Letter to the Lonesome Shore by Sylvie Cathrall concludes The Sunken Archive duology in a deeply romantic and magical way.
In the aftermath of E and Henerey disappearing through the strange and mysterious structure which they both discovered outside of Deep House, the pair now find themselves in an unfamiliar world. Here they meet a society of scholars with closely guarded secrets but if E and Henerey have any hope of returning to their siblings then they must uncover the truth. Meanwhile Sophy and Vyerin desperate to find E and Henerey go in search of another Entry point in the hopes they will too be transported to this other world.
“You are my saviour now. Perhaps that is how we will navigate this perplexing world - by saving each other in alternating sequence.”
Something I love about both books in this series is Cathrall’s completely gorgeous prose and the beautifully crafted epistolary form. I had wondered how we would hear E and Henerey’s account of what had happened to them and so the way Cathrall includes their personal notes, often unsent ones, alongside their journal records was just a fantastic way to get a full rounded picture. Now I have to mention that this did in turn slow down the plot, quite considerably, because E and Henerey spend a fair amount of these letters relating their true feelings and anxieties for each other, and this often became a bit too repetitive. However, it was sweet to see E and Henerey both finally spending an extended time in each other’s company and all the insecurities and shyness but also comforting companionship that came with that. From falling in love through letters to falling for each other in person, honestly that on the whole is beautifully done.
Although E is thrown into a foreign place far from the safety of her home in Deep House, she copes surprisingly well. Perhaps in part to Henerey’s support and understanding of her anxieties and perhaps in part because she was housed in a rather isolated area away from the curious scholars of this new world. Her intrusive thoughts keep overwhelming her but she seems to be able to dampen them quite effectively and prove her Brain wrong, which showed further depth to her character. The E we encounter in this book is someone who shows immense courage and strength by taking a more active role. In contrast Henerey displays more emotional upheaval being placed in an alien environment and though he braves much for E’s sake he does also show a vulnerable side which we hadn’t seen in depth before.
As well as introducing us to a new world we also are introduced to a few new characters, Thirtieth Second Scholar, Fifteenth First Scholar and L. These were quite interesting characters because they represented how civilisation worked differently from E and Henerey’s world. Most notably these characters were frowned upon for showing any emotion, their names had been reduced to numbers giving them a lack of identity and they knew so much more than they were willing to reveal as they followed rules so closely. Believe me this was a frustrating aspect for me because we were teased of a Predator and I very much needed to know what that was. Yet once it was revealed I did immensely enjoy that part even though I was left with more questions.
"I was born in a burst of song to an empty sea. For ages upon ages I trailed the waves, seeking others like myself. I saw nothing, but I heard everything. The richest sounds imaginable, flowing from speakers and singers I could not trace. The mystery drove me to despair. Why did it seem as though life was all around me, when I floated alone in the ocean?”
ARC provided by Nazia at Orbit Book—thank you for the copy.
A Letter to the Lonesome Shore by Sylvie Cathrall concludes The Sunken Archive duology in a deeply romantic and magical way.
In the aftermath of E and Henerey disappearing through the strange and mysterious structure which they both discovered outside of Deep House, the pair now find themselves in an unfamiliar world. Here they meet a society of scholars with closely guarded secrets but if E and Henerey have any hope of returning to their siblings then they must uncover the truth. Meanwhile Sophy and Vyerin desperate to find E and Henerey go in search of another Entry point in the hopes they will too be transported to this other world.
“You are my saviour now. Perhaps that is how we will navigate this perplexing world - by saving each other in alternating sequence.”
Something I love about both books in this series is Cathrall’s completely gorgeous prose and the beautifully crafted epistolary form. I had wondered how we would hear E and Henerey’s account of what had happened to them and so the way Cathrall includes their personal notes, often unsent ones, alongside their journal records was just a fantastic way to get a full rounded picture. Now I have to mention that this did in turn slow down the plot, quite considerably, because E and Henerey spend a fair amount of these letters relating their true feelings and anxieties for each other, and this often became a bit too repetitive. However, it was sweet to see E and Henerey both finally spending an extended time in each other’s company and all the insecurities and shyness but also comforting companionship that came with that. From falling in love through letters to falling for each other in person, honestly that on the whole is beautifully done.
Although E is thrown into a foreign place far from the safety of her home in Deep House, she copes surprisingly well. Perhaps in part to Henerey’s support and understanding of her anxieties and perhaps in part because she was housed in a rather isolated area away from the curious scholars of this new world. Her intrusive thoughts keep overwhelming her but she seems to be able to dampen them quite effectively and prove her Brain wrong, which showed further depth to her character. The E we encounter in this book is someone who shows immense courage and strength by taking a more active role. In contrast Henerey displays more emotional upheaval being placed in an alien environment and though he braves much for E’s sake he does also show a vulnerable side which we hadn’t seen in depth before.
As well as introducing us to a new world we also are introduced to a few new characters, Thirtieth Second Scholar, Fifteenth First Scholar and L. These were quite interesting characters because they represented how civilisation worked differently from E and Henerey’s world. Most notably these characters were frowned upon for showing any emotion, their names had been reduced to numbers giving them a lack of identity and they knew so much more than they were willing to reveal as they followed rules so closely. Believe me this was a frustrating aspect for me because we were teased of a Predator and I very much needed to know what that was. Yet once it was revealed I did immensely enjoy that part even though I was left with more questions.
"I was born in a burst of song to an empty sea. For ages upon ages I trailed the waves, seeking others like myself. I saw nothing, but I heard everything. The richest sounds imaginable, flowing from speakers and singers I could not trace. The mystery drove me to despair. Why did it seem as though life was all around me, when I floated alone in the ocean?”
ARC provided by Nazia at Orbit Book—thank you for the copy.
July 31, 2025
I really love the characters and the setting of this book, I think the imagery is absolutely beautiful and unique but the pacing is very slow. It felt like a lot of build up with not much pay off as far as the plot is concerned. I still enjoyed it but as someone who’s already a very slow reader it was a tad difficult to get through.
April 28, 2025
A wonderful conclusion to a beautifully crafted, character-driven narrative told through correspondences and journals. I absolutely loved A Letter to the Luminous Deep, and this was the perfect follow-up. It expanded the world, developed the main characters, and I felt deeply immersed in reading the letters and uncovering the secrets as they were revealed. The ocean fantasy world and the scholarly approach made for a whimsical time, and I loved every minute of the world and characters. A huge thank you to Orbit for the eARC and my friend Colleen for the buddy read!
December 10, 2025
3.5 stars rounded down because the tweeness of it all gave me psychic damage. still love E and Henery though.
May 26, 2025
I finished this book SO FAST compared to the first one. It took me a while to get into book 1 but I was immediately sucked back into the Sunken Archive world in this one.
First off, can we take a moment to appreciate authors that add a little recap into the story at the beginning? Thank you Sylvie! As someone who tends to forget a lot, the little summary at the start was extremely helpful! It really made re-entering this world so much easier.
Now, for the actual review of this book. Oh how I loved seeing the dynamics between E. and Henery again. And Sophy and Vyerin. And Niea! I forgot how much I loved these charachters. Besides this bunch (and some others), we also got a few new charachters, of which the Thirtieth Second Scholar (I know, weird name but all will become clear when you read the book!) was definitely my favourite.
I remain a huge fan of the way this story is told, which is (just as in book 1) through letters, automated post missives, notes and records.
I do feel like a lot more happened in this second book, and nothing really made sense. But in a good way! I love Sylvie´s imagination and the way she crafted a complex story that keeps you guessing.
First off, can we take a moment to appreciate authors that add a little recap into the story at the beginning? Thank you Sylvie! As someone who tends to forget a lot, the little summary at the start was extremely helpful! It really made re-entering this world so much easier.
Now, for the actual review of this book. Oh how I loved seeing the dynamics between E. and Henery again. And Sophy and Vyerin. And Niea! I forgot how much I loved these charachters. Besides this bunch (and some others), we also got a few new charachters, of which the Thirtieth Second Scholar (I know, weird name but all will become clear when you read the book!) was definitely my favourite.
I remain a huge fan of the way this story is told, which is (just as in book 1) through letters, automated post missives, notes and records.
I do feel like a lot more happened in this second book, and nothing really made sense. But in a good way! I love Sylvie´s imagination and the way she crafted a complex story that keeps you guessing.
April 27, 2025
I really enjoyed this book, the format through letter really works for me because it feels more personal. I love the core cast of characters and I’m really happy with how the story developed for all of them. I wasn’t really sure in the structure since I’d have liked to have both timelines in the first half, but it did make sense in the end. I’m not really sure I loved the ending, which is why this is not a five star for me, however I’m really happy with how this story went. E. and Clel have my heart though, all their moments together were super cute and I felt seen just like in book one with their way and difficulty in expressing themselves.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 2, 2025
5✨️
literally this entire series is an all time fav and i am in need of twenty more books in this world please and thank you
now actual review; still amazing, but the first one is still my overall fav. some parts of this were a bit more loose and lots of strings needing to be tied together that maybe could have been done better. as a friend of mine said in their own review, it feels too fantasy almost for books that are usually more logical and low fantasy to suddenly go into the cosmic scale and create an entire universe of lore and magic. while not bad, it just didnt fit as well
literally this entire series is an all time fav and i am in need of twenty more books in this world please and thank you
now actual review; still amazing, but the first one is still my overall fav. some parts of this were a bit more loose and lots of strings needing to be tied together that maybe could have been done better. as a friend of mine said in their own review, it feels too fantasy almost for books that are usually more logical and low fantasy to suddenly go into the cosmic scale and create an entire universe of lore and magic. while not bad, it just didnt fit as well
dnf-0star
April 18, 2025Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the early review copy of this book. These opinions are my own.
The Important Highlights
DNF (first book, this was an automatic DNF). Note: I had requested the ARC because I assumed I would enjoy both books, which I wanted to read back to back. I didn't end up enjoying the first book, which meant that there was no point in reading the second.
This is book two in a duology that is set in a queernormative, underwater world, with mental illness rep. It is written in epistolary format, which means it is completely written in letters and missives. It is very academic and written in a scholarly tone (big words and long sentences). This book tackles grief and loss. The following information is from my review of book one:
What I Liked
If you are looking for "scrolling Facebook posts and reading every single comment because I need to know what's going on" vibes, this is for you. I loved the format of this story. I was intrigued by the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the main characters and how the book is a collection of letters that are meant to formulate a timeline. The diversity in this book is fantastic with mental illness and LGBTQIA+ rep in a way that felt realistic.
What I Didn’t Like
The scholarly writing, while completing my finals week of the semester, made this very difficult for me to get into. I am intelligent but the writing hurt my brain LOL. The letters, although interesting, feel like they are all written by the same person. Other than a heading that states who the letter is going to and who it's from, there is no indication within the body of the letter that it's a different character than the previous one. There aren't many individual quirks or mannerisms.
In Conclusion
I believe it has been mentioned, but if you are a fan of Emily Wilde, then this book will absolutely be for you (I haven't read it yet, and I am now concerned about attempting it).
The Important Highlights
DNF (first book, this was an automatic DNF). Note: I had requested the ARC because I assumed I would enjoy both books, which I wanted to read back to back. I didn't end up enjoying the first book, which meant that there was no point in reading the second.
This is book two in a duology that is set in a queernormative, underwater world, with mental illness rep. It is written in epistolary format, which means it is completely written in letters and missives. It is very academic and written in a scholarly tone (big words and long sentences). This book tackles grief and loss. The following information is from my review of book one:
What I Liked
If you are looking for "scrolling Facebook posts and reading every single comment because I need to know what's going on" vibes, this is for you. I loved the format of this story. I was intrigued by the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the main characters and how the book is a collection of letters that are meant to formulate a timeline. The diversity in this book is fantastic with mental illness and LGBTQIA+ rep in a way that felt realistic.
What I Didn’t Like
The scholarly writing, while completing my finals week of the semester, made this very difficult for me to get into. I am intelligent but the writing hurt my brain LOL. The letters, although interesting, feel like they are all written by the same person. Other than a heading that states who the letter is going to and who it's from, there is no indication within the body of the letter that it's a different character than the previous one. There aren't many individual quirks or mannerisms.
In Conclusion
I believe it has been mentioned, but if you are a fan of Emily Wilde, then this book will absolutely be for you (I haven't read it yet, and I am now concerned about attempting it).
November 2, 2025
Characters were great, really fleshed out. It was easy to like them and hope they would survive through all that happened in the book.
I enjoyed the atmosphere, it was pretty mysterious. This was mostly quite a slow book, but suddenly started to feel rushed. I think the pacing was a bit off.
The last part of the book was a bit much and at the same time "the big revelation" was pretty lame. I have to say I expected so much more after all those pages.
I think this was plotwise better than the prequel and it was easier to enjoy the atmosphere.
I enjoyed the atmosphere, it was pretty mysterious. This was mostly quite a slow book, but suddenly started to feel rushed. I think the pacing was a bit off.
The last part of the book was a bit much and at the same time "the big revelation" was pretty lame. I have to say I expected so much more after all those pages.
I think this was plotwise better than the prequel and it was easier to enjoy the atmosphere.
Want to read
February 23, 2025Excited to jump back into this oddly Austenian world of charming and quirky oceanographers 🙂
April 3, 2025
Thank you to netgalley, orbit books, and the author for an ARC copy of this book.
I absolutely love Cathrall’s writing style. Her writing is beautiful, and I absolutely love the idea of an epistolary novel. I loved the first book in this duology, watching Henry & E.’s love story unfold and the mystery of their present situation come to light. I was so so excited for this book.
Unfortunately, overall this book turned into a bit of a struggle for me. I felt like a lot of nothing happened in this story, there was no true mystery to solve, like in the first book, nor was there a blossoming romance to hold my interest and make me squeal, making my will to pick this up and read it borderline nonexistent.
I do give the third star due to the fact that the few times we did see Henery & E.’s letters/their accounts of events, I did smile because they are so cute and deserve the world.
I have thoughts about the ending, which I won’t put here. But it felt a little abrupt. I would have liked an epilogue.
I absolutely love Cathrall’s writing style. Her writing is beautiful, and I absolutely love the idea of an epistolary novel. I loved the first book in this duology, watching Henry & E.’s love story unfold and the mystery of their present situation come to light. I was so so excited for this book.
Unfortunately, overall this book turned into a bit of a struggle for me. I felt like a lot of nothing happened in this story, there was no true mystery to solve, like in the first book, nor was there a blossoming romance to hold my interest and make me squeal, making my will to pick this up and read it borderline nonexistent.
I do give the third star due to the fact that the few times we did see Henery & E.’s letters/their accounts of events, I did smile because they are so cute and deserve the world.
I have thoughts about the ending, which I won’t put here. But it felt a little abrupt. I would have liked an epilogue.
May 5, 2025
I ended up not finishing A Letter from the Lonesome Shore at 38% of the story. At this point, I feel like I've read enough. The first book A Letter to the Luminous Deep really struck my fancy and I enjoyed the mystery that the siblings of E. and Henerey attempt to unravel through their letters and automatic posts. Vyerin and Sophie had such a great connection and I genuinely enjoyed that story. A Letter From the Lonesome Shore picks up what happened to E. and Henerey from their POV through their letters back home as well as the introductions of other POV characters. And I was bored out of my mind. Cathrall really delved into the cozy and there were multiple chapters of just the day to day existence of E. and Henerey. There was a mystery hinted at and there are some stakes, but they just felt buried under endless fluff. At this time, I'm just not interested in actually seeing that mystery solved because I just don't care about these characters anymore. The magic of what happened to them is gone.
Thank you to Orbit and Netgalley for the arc for review purposes.
Thank you to Orbit and Netgalley for the arc for review purposes.
May 8, 2025
thanks to Orbit Books for the e-ARC.
4.5 stars and a warm place in my heart
I really really enjoyed this duology. I like the creativity of the narrative structure: different sets of correspondence, all with a story as to how they were acquired, peeling away the layers of a mystery. I’m not always an epistolary novel person, but I think this one is really well done.
the characters in this provide great representation, and all are expressed so well through the way they write. this book introduces a new character that I loved with an extremely amusing narrative voice in their recordings. the character relationships are also very loving and complex. I could have done with a little more interpersonal conflict to keep things interesting, but it was also pleasant to have a cast of mostly good, caring people.
the fantasy world and worldbuilding are good, in this book and the previous one. there is a lot of it, and the epistolary nature makes it a bit sink-or-swim, but I found it a very intriguing read, between the details of the world and the mysteries: historical and current.
I’m not sure everyone will enjoy this duology, because I did find it quite an effortful read. but for me, it was highly worth it!
4.5 stars and a warm place in my heart
I really really enjoyed this duology. I like the creativity of the narrative structure: different sets of correspondence, all with a story as to how they were acquired, peeling away the layers of a mystery. I’m not always an epistolary novel person, but I think this one is really well done.
the characters in this provide great representation, and all are expressed so well through the way they write. this book introduces a new character that I loved with an extremely amusing narrative voice in their recordings. the character relationships are also very loving and complex. I could have done with a little more interpersonal conflict to keep things interesting, but it was also pleasant to have a cast of mostly good, caring people.
the fantasy world and worldbuilding are good, in this book and the previous one. there is a lot of it, and the epistolary nature makes it a bit sink-or-swim, but I found it a very intriguing read, between the details of the world and the mysteries: historical and current.
I’m not sure everyone will enjoy this duology, because I did find it quite an effortful read. but for me, it was highly worth it!
April 16, 2025
I will say, reading this book compared to book one, I found it easier to read the story in its epistolary style. I didn't find myself struggling with going between characters but where I did find myself struggling was about how halfway through the book suddenly we get letters based on past events that could've benefited better being scattered throughout the story vs all at once. Although the story wasn't overall bad, the pacing was off which definitely took away the enjoyment.
Other then that, I did find myself enjoying how the characters have developed compared to the first book.
Thanks to Netgalley and Orbit Books for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Other then that, I did find myself enjoying how the characters have developed compared to the first book.
Thanks to Netgalley and Orbit Books for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
May 1, 2025
This was such a whimsical and magical read that was so beautiful and fun to get right into! I loved the mental health rep in this book and the characters were really written in a way that made them relatable to the reader.
The story and the plot were so well fleshed out, I fell in love with Sylvie's style of writing instantly!
Thank you NetGalley for an eARC!
The story and the plot were so well fleshed out, I fell in love with Sylvie's style of writing instantly!
Thank you NetGalley for an eARC!
May 14, 2025
Unsure if I am the problem but the only part I cared about was Henerey being pathetically in love with E.
July 21, 2025
A little disappointed.
That's how I ended this book feeling.
A little confused.
and sad.
I ❤️ the first book in the duology so much & I eagerly began this book thinking it'd be a perfect match.
Instead, it felt like a jumble of ideas and unnecessary characters and a wholly unsatisfying end.
That's how I ended this book feeling.
A little confused.
and sad.
I ❤️ the first book in the duology so much & I eagerly began this book thinking it'd be a perfect match.
Instead, it felt like a jumble of ideas and unnecessary characters and a wholly unsatisfying end.
March 29, 2025
A wonderful conclusion to an amazing duology! E. and Henerey hold a special place in my heart and it was so nice to see them together for real. I appreciated getting more glimpses into E.’s struggles with her Brain as well as Henerey’s anxiety and seeing how they managed it together. The romance remains very sweet and innocent but I loved how things progressed.
The new world and its inhabitants were really interesting and I was eager to find out what secrets they were hiding. I grew to love the other characters even more in this one as well (especially Vyerin!) and it was so satisfying to see their stories merge again at last. This duology is definitely a fave and I will read anything Sylvie writes in the future.
Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
The new world and its inhabitants were really interesting and I was eager to find out what secrets they were hiding. I grew to love the other characters even more in this one as well (especially Vyerin!) and it was so satisfying to see their stories merge again at last. This duology is definitely a fave and I will read anything Sylvie writes in the future.
Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
December 27, 2025
I had to grab this soon after the first book since it had kind of ended on a cliffhanger. This was an enjoyable ending to the duology. I truly grew fond of the main characters who treated each other with such kindness without being saccharine (at least to me). I look forward to what the author writes next!
February 19, 2025
I truly enjoyed this atmospheric conclusion the Sylvia Cathrall Luminous Duology. A letter from the Lonesome Shore is a treasure chest of water imagery, pining, two awkward and loving souls who stumble into a mysterious and unexpected world.
I truly recommend this duology to everyone who loves a cozy sea vibe.
I truly recommend this duology to everyone who loves a cozy sea vibe.
May 26, 2025
3.5, What happened??
I’m genuinely asking because I didn’t follow most of the ending. Or middle. I love the first one so much but this sequel is confusing, too big and not very entertaining. I loved the first one because it felt personable and had a good sized cast whereas this one teaches you about an entire world that’s not fun to learn about. I felt like I was listening to a nonfiction book half the time.
I’m genuinely asking because I didn’t follow most of the ending. Or middle. I love the first one so much but this sequel is confusing, too big and not very entertaining. I loved the first one because it felt personable and had a good sized cast whereas this one teaches you about an entire world that’s not fun to learn about. I felt like I was listening to a nonfiction book half the time.
dnf
June 28, 2025DNF at 50%. I gave the first book in this duology 5 starts and was so excited for this one to come out. NOTHING has happened in the first 50%. The characters are now insufferable. And I just simply do not care how it’s going to end…because realistically I’ve probably already predicted it. Major bummer after how much I enjoyed the first…and because these covers are so gorgeous.
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