A Letter from the Lonesome Shore

Cathrall sends out her epistolary Sunken Archive duology on a bittersweet note (after A Letter to the Luminous Deep). Sophy Cidnorghe and Vyerin Clel, initially bound by the shared grief of losing their respective younger siblings, now embark on a daring journey following mystical clues that suggest their siblings may still be alive. Their search leads them to the Entries, mysterious portals to otherworldly realms, where answers lie—but so does peril. Meanwhile, Sophy’s sister, E., and Vyerin’s brother, Henerey, are indeed alive but stranded in an enigmatic underwater city. They’re welcomed by a society of eccentric scholars who are bound by a near-religious reverence for knowledge. These scholars claim that the visitors’ home world is teetering on the brink of destruction and staunchly refuse to let them leave. As Sophy and Vyerin draw closer to a reunion with their loved ones, E. and Henerey find solace in one another’s company. Meanwhile, the cosmic threat the scholars warn of looms. 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. (May)