Series: The Sunken Archive #2 (Duology; not a standalone)
Publication Date: 06th May 2025
Genre: Fantasy
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.
Thank you, NetGalley and Orbit Books, for the eARC.
#NetGalley #ALetterFromTheLonesomeShore
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