The Deep Space Between

by Cassandra Stirling

How much of you is you, and how much of you is the voice in your head?A deep slash crossed out the total population of the “Welcome to Merricott” sign. Underneath it, a new number appeared in white, drips of paint streaking the sign like tears.Forty-two flames extinguished, her mother, father, uncle, and grandfather among them. Seraphina clenched her jaw, wiping away her tears.It was just a town.Her hands clenched into fists on her lap. She forced them to relax.It was just a town.Maybe if she repeated it enough, it’d be true. Seraphina Lastra Covington had never planned to set foot in the Magical Community of Merricott, New Hampshire again. When she reluctantly returns after a twelve-year absence, she finds that the town has the bustling square she once knew is quiet, and a Magic Wielding child has gone missing. It is not until she starts heeding advice from the voice inside of her head that she realizes everything in her childhood home is not as it seems.The Deep Space Between is a character-driven urban fantasy that explores friendship, grief, and identity while unearthing Merricott’s — and the Lastra family’s — deepest secrets.If you love Seanan McGuire, Shannon Mayer, Drew Hayes, and Katherine Kim, you'll love this book.

Genres: Urban Fantasy

303 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 23, 2021

Reviews

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and New Degree Press for this advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.


I did not know what to expect when I started this book. This debut novel by Cassandra Stirling was a great book. I've recently started reading magical realism and this was a great story. It was definitely set up to be the first of a series. The plotline concluded, but it was open ended and I really hope she releases more books. I will definitely read them. Stirling's world building was phenomenal. There was a lot to build, so it did get a bit confusing at times, but I was able to keep pace throughout.

In the Deep Space Between, our main character, Seraphina, returns to her home town and ends up helping solve a mystery. Yes, I feel as though I've read the same storyline several times, but she puts a unique spin on things with some of the creatures she's created. While this plotline has been overdone, and this book followed the cliche storylines, it was still a good book that I would recommend to anyone who likes fantasy and magical realism. It's also a book for all ages. Seraphina is easy to relate to, as she's sort of an outcast. Being the only human born to shape changers, she's treated differently and not allowed to know the secrets of the magical world, so she must discover them herself, with the help of what is essentially a magical parasitic god. It was a fun read

Overall, very well done. I would give it 3.75 stars.

[Beth ~Book Loving Is My Superpower~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book hit the spot! It piqued my interest and held my attention the whole way through and even now, almost 2 days after finishing the last page, I am still thinking about it. There were varying creatures inhabiting the town of Merricott. There was Magic and mystical cabals both forbidden to our MC Sarafina. There were familial secrets to be uncovered and a Who Dunnit to suss out that ended up being a little bit anticlimactic... but still fun. The pacing was ideal, it never felt too rushed or sluggish. The magic system was both unique and interesting (thank you Angwyndith). It felt at once wild and ancient as well as powerful and secretive. The characters were well fleshed out and I LOVED some of the secondary cast just as much, if not more than, I liked Sarafina. The (not so) quaint backdrop of Merricott was the ideal location for our resident outsider to try, and often fail, to navigate successfully through the murky waters of the mysterious goings on.

Overall:
The Deep Space Between was a fun way to pass the day. The best part, in my opinion, were the varying characters inhabiting this magical town. I also loved the dichotomy between Sarafina and her plus 1. Angwyndith was a unique entity and I loved seeing how the two dealt with their struggles to find common ground and make the best of a precarious situation. I would definitely read book #2 when it comes out. If you're looking for a fun Fantastical murder/chaos mystery read, you've found a good one here. The Deep Space Between was not earth shattering or mind altering but what it was was good, fun, Fantasy.

~ Enjoy

*** I was given a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ***

[Liam Quane · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Deep Space Between is a fantastical mystery. It is because of the latter part of that description that I will keep my review as vague as possible in order to not give away any spoilers or even hint at random clues to spoilers.

The story of The Deep Space Between surrounds a young woman named Seraphina, a human born to a family of magical shapeshifters. Seriphena returns home to her childhood town of Merricott. This enchanting novel moves at a thrilling pace with a wonderful cast of characters that help make the town feel as real as can be. There is an ever-present chill in the air in Merricott and this is one of the unique features of this story that stood out to me as something special. The tone the author employs balances on a perfect line between quaint and cold. one scene may start in the happiest of places and then descend into a tense and frightening ordeal which leaves the reader feeling a lingering sensation of being cast out from a real community.

The book also has an incredibly unique and intriguing magic system, at the center of which sits Angwyndith, a stuffy but respectable character who is a blast to follow throughout. The Deep Space Between is a powerful story of family, if anyone is looking for a novel that takes the YA fantasy genre out of school and into a wide open world then I highly recommend checking this book out as soon as you can. It was a joy to read and I look forward to the author’s future work.

[Bria · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This story focuses on Seraphina, a human born to a shapeshifter family. We follow her journey as she returns to her hometown, that's fill with different magical creatures. Upon her arrival, a child goes missing and she is determined to solve this mystery. Seraphina doesn’t do this alone, she gets help from a voice in her head called (Angwyndith, my favorite character).

This is a fast-paced urban fantasy that grabs your attention from the very start. You may find yourself relating to Seraphina and absolutely obsessed with Angwyndith commentary. I can’t wait to learn more about this world.
Fans of fantasy and rooting for the underdog may enjoy this book.

[Jen Welsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first foray into the fantasy genre, and I was most drawn to the characters! I loved the relationship between Seraphina and Angwyndith. I could relate to some of the things the protagonist was going through and definitely that feeling of an inner voice.

[Haydee Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

great read, amazing world!

Great read, amazing characters. Great story, seeing magic from a new perspective and looking at the morality of using magic… fascinating

[moira · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 out of 5 stars

The Deep Space Between is a story full of mystery, magic and ancient beings.

The book follows Seraphina, a human born into a shapeshifting family, who after twelve years returns to her magical hometown. While a voice inside Seraphina's head is getting louder, unable to be silent any longer, Seraphina has to go back to the roots of her tragic past to unravel the mystery of town members disappearing.

The novel had a good pace and kept me interested while reading. The worldbuilding and magic system was original and there were a lot of unique characters. The author did a great job especially with Seraphina's character in my opinion. I enjoyed reading about her journey of identity and dealing with the feelings of being an outsider. In the spotlight is the question of how much of our thoughts and passions are our own and how many are influenced by the people and world around us.

I can't wait to read the second book of the series and find out more about Seraphina's journey as there is for sure a lot more to uncover! :)

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Alexa Gutsche · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading the blurb, I found myself intrigued. I am not one to read urban fantasy and I can’t say that I have read many of them but this book made me wonder why I don’t read more of them.

In ‘The Deep Space Between’, we follow Seraphina Lastra Covington back to her home town of Merricott. With the discovery of family secrets and a mystery to be uncovered, it was hard not to enjoy this book.

It had a steady pace, keeping me inquisitive all the way through. The characters were all unique and interesting, and I loved how the magical system and world building was new, fantastical and quite easy to understand. Seraphina may have been a sort of outcast in her family and town because she was different but that’s what made her journey throughout the book exciting to read.

Overall, I fun and fantastical read. My rating for this book is a 3.5/4 star read!

Thank you to NetGalley, Cassandra Stirling and New Degree Press for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Jessica DeLand · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the writing in this book. The author has a natural way of storytelling that is very appealing and draws you in. There were also only a few typos and other mistakes I noticed too, which lent it a professional feel and quality.

That said, I personally found this book to be really slow. The plot doesn't really start moving until about halfway through, and I found all the deep space between lore overly complicated, confusing, and largely unnecessary. I also wasn't a fan of Angwyndith at all. She came across as too overpowered, I found her personality manipulative and off-putting, and having her a part of the story created a disappointing deus ex machina ending that basically nullified everything Seraphina had done throughout the book. Which is a real shame because I quite liked Seraphina's character overall, though her personality got increasingly inconsistent as the story progressed. I also enjoyed the part of the plot that centered around her sleuthing and restoring books, particularly the parts with Finn who I would have enjoyed seeing more involved in the story.

I gave this story 4 stars primarily because the quality of the writing is top notch and it's mostly clean aside from some occasional language, but I'm not entirely sure I'll read more in this series since this book came across as basically a prolonged prologue to the real story that I'm guessing starts in book 2.

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2/5 ⭐️

I wanted to love this book so much, but sadly, I did not. I had to DNF it about mid-way. I was drawn in by the synopsis and the cover, but was not drawn in or intrigued really until about 20% in. I love a fantasy book that draws me in from the start but this one was very introductory in the beginning.

This a high fantasy with tons, and I mean tons, of mythical creatures and an original take on creatures, worlds, etc. There is a huge glossary and taxonomy. Don't get me wrong - I love fantasy, I love all the mythical creatures, but all together in one book is a little much and it was hard to separate who was who. I kept having to flip back to the glossary to figure out what was going on, and that interrupted the flow of reading which kept it from being as enjoyable.

I will say that the plot of this book is well thought out and had the potential to be so good, but I think it was bogged down by too many complications with the creatures and the world-building aspect. It has an aspect of mystery that is intriguing, and might be enough for some readers to continue reading even with all of the confusing terms, but for me, it was too much.

The writing was very descriptive and there was beautiful imagery. I think this author has so much potential! I believe the fantasy aspect was a little overdone for me, personally.

[Amena · Rating 5 out of 5]

The premise of this book, the existence of two souls in one body and the duty of judgment, is fascinating, and the beginning hooked me in immediately. The family drama, the slow, background world-building, the references to literature and cosmic law, the dual perspectives between Seraphina and Angwyndith and the way the latter's voice and consciousness manifested -- this story is unique, original, and a work of art. The only reason, though, that I give 4.5 stars (rounded to 5 online) is that the middle of the story, with its exploration of multiple internal and external threads, lost my attention for a while. Even so, I enjoyed all the details and the background tension and ominousness, and the ending was another immediate hook -- and, also, so very satisfying. I am excited to read the next book (which is coming out soon!). I know this is the author's debut novel, but all of her experience in literature and editing shows.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up, free book for review from Netgalley. Whoops, I didn’t realize I was so late reading this book! I was thinking the publishing date was in September…. 🤫 Anyway I read this now and it was quite a bit of fun, although I felt like the main character acted fairly young. I wish things between Host and Child had been resolved faster, but maybe I’ve read too much Penric and Des. (Lois McMaster Bujold)

Overall this was a fun quick read but I’m not itching for the next in the series as of now. The MC was weirdly mousey and boldly brash at the same time. I felt Ro didn’t have enough book space to warrant including her, either; maybe she’ll be more important later on. More could also be explained about the magical world here in general, because I’m a bit confused about the world building. The Town is meant to be small and insulated but clearly there’s enough of a magical community to warrant having their own police force and plenty of people publishing magical books. . .