Serena’s Review: “A Letter from the Lonesome Shore”

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Book: “A Letter from the Lonesome Shore” by Sylvie Cathrall

Publishing Info: Orbit, May 2025

Where Did I Get this Book: Netgalley!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: 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. . .

Previously Reviewed: “A Letter to the Luminous Deep”

Review: While I didn’t end up enjoying this one quite as much as the first, I’ll say at the start that, all things considered, this is a wildly creative and beautiful duology! It’s especially successful in its depictions of anxiety and mental health, as well as its use of “historical” or “academic” language.

This book picks up pretty much right where the previous one left off. But unlike the first one, which slowly built to its action, this one came in hot right from the start! Immediately, we begin uncovering so many new layers of history and magic that make up this world. Like E. and Henerey, the reader is left trying to piece together what exactly is going on, always just on the cusp of understanding, without being able to put the entire puzzle together until the end of the book. I had a few theories here and there, but not only was I wildly off base most of the time, but I never even got close to guessing how things would finally wrap up!

I also continued to greatly enjoy all four of the main characters. As I referenced above, this book stands out for its incredible representation of mental health and struggles with anxiety. E.’s journey is one of self-discovery, self-acceptance, and coming into her own, compete with her unique strengths! Her struggles were never hand-waved away, but they also didn’t define her. And E. herself had much to say when others began seeing her only through this lens. It was honestly refreshing. I feel like I’ve read a number of books that have attempted to tackle mental health, chronic pain, or similar struggles. But too often authors seem to create characters whose only personality or sense of self is completely wrapped up in this one aspect of themselves. E. acknowledges and explains her own limitations, but we also see her continue to push her own boundaries, always trying to find new ways to follow her passions and dreams.

I also really enjoyed the continued romance between E. and Henerey. This is the kind of cozy fantasy that I enjoy. It’s soft, quiet, and respectful. But it also wasn’t dull, without exhaustive details about mundane everyday events. Theirs is an untraditional love story, but it was all the more beautiful for it!

I also continued to love the writing style of this book! As a lover of historical fiction, I’m always drawn to this sort of verbose style, full of long, complicated sentences and large vocabularies. I also think the use of the epistolary style works really well. The action is definitely on the slow side, but by telling the story in this format, the author was able to set out little clues that the reader would have to then wait to put together as more information was slowly doled out via various other letters or journal entries.

I will say, however, that this book didn’t quite reach the highs of the first book. I enjoyed all the reveals about the greater reality of these characters’ world and histories, but because this information didn’t come until the very end, the reader has to live with a lot of questions for the majority of the story. The pacing was also a bit too slow towards the middle of the book. I was invested enough in the characters and the writing itself to be carried through this lull fairly easily, but it was a notable difference between this one and the first, which was so tightly paced.

Overall, this was a fantastic sequel! So many mysteries were explored and revealed, and the duology concluded in a way that I truly could never have predicted. If you enjoyed the first book, definitely give this one a go! And if you’re a fan of cozy fantasy and enjoy a historical-feeling writing style, this is definitely the duology for you!

Rating 8: Pure whimsy and lyricism, with a lovely understated love story at its heart!

Reader’s Advisory:

“A Letter from a Lonesome Shore” can be found on these Goodreads lists: 2025 Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction and Regency Fantasy.