foiblesandfiction's reviews
462 reviews

Thank you to the publisher for a review copy!

This book came to me at a time when I really needed it - something that is both cozy and grief-filled. A novel of manners and whimsy. I have a weakness for such duality, and I really enjoyed it in this book.

A Letter To The Luminous Deep follows the emotional journey of two characters who are corresponding with each other through letters in an attempt to explore their grief from the mysterious and sudden loss of their siblings. We, the readers, are voyeuristically reading their letters and following their developing friendship as well as reading their siblings’ letters and journal entries and following their developing romance.  Its an epistolary journey with dual timelines, light academia, and a touch of mysterious magic.

Some of my favorite parts of this book were the queer-normative society as well as the representation of OCD and mental health. Both were consistently present in the story and contributed to the progression of the plot.

But beware! This is just the first book in a series and it does end with some major loose threads. The ending left me with my mouth open in shock that there wasn't more resolution to the story.

Recommended for those who appreciate 18th century grammar (random noun capitalization for everyone!), the most loveable characters, and an unsolved mystery.

another literary female academic whom i love. i live through their confidence in their own minds and opinions. and their journeys of self-discovery when they feel unsure about the complexities of social interactions. and their journeys and quests in which their logical minds help them to be the hero of their own story. 

so needless to say i went into reading this book predisposed to enjoy it to some degree, which i did. it was a solid sequel to the first in the series and i am really looking forward to the next book. 

however, i do have one criticism (she types knowing that it will probably turn into multiple): this story felt less intentional than i was expecting after the precedence set by the first book. Encyclopaedia of Faeries read as a hero's journey; the quest and Emily's journey to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds were not just a story but also an exploration of her character. unfortunately Map Of The Otherlands felt a lot like a story that just happened to have Emily in it. it was fun, it was an adventure, there was romantic relational development. but where did it leave her as a character? idk, in a romantic relationship? that's just not enough for me, unfortunately. 

and i think i say all that as less a criticism and more of a disappointment. i love Emily a lot, if you didn't already notice 😆 

the lack of world building has become too annoying, and i'm close enough to a reading slump without trying to push through.

tbh my thoughts are unsure. the art, the story is lovely. but it was much more emotional and sad then i was expecting and character development seemed to happen so incredibly fast. the latter may have caught me off guard because i am new to graphic novels, though. overall, i did enjoy it and it broke my heart the whole way through.

i'm disappointed. there's a lot that doesn't make sense to me, mostly with the characters' behaviors and motivations. and even, tbh, with the writing itself. and it's not in a cool, mysterious way but in a maybe this needed another draft way.

the story could probably redeem itself with time but i'd rather move on to something that's more enjoyable for me.

i love them. i love kingfisher's writing. this was everything good and i would like to immerse myself up to my nose and be carried in the story like Toadling and the Eldest.

lots of horror elements i love - isolation, viruses, etc. unfortunately the characters and plot fell short for me.