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stardustrain's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
ashction's review against another edition
5.0
WOW. This book was amazing! I feel like this is exactly the kind of fantasy that's on brand for me. Deeplight contains ancient sea gods that double as monsters, mythology, adventures, storytelling, zealots and religious fantatics, and a deep, dark conspiracy that's rife with complicated politics. Hark, our protagonist, was incredibly compelling, and I found myself drawn in by his voice almost immediately. On top of that, Hardinge writes an eerie, mystical seafaring adventure that I couldn't look away from! I honestly am at a loss for words to describe how fully I loved this one - everything worked for me, from world building to characterization to pacing. Totally, totally recommend!
line's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
abbie_cu's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mothiver's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Ohhhhhhhhh it’s so good. It’s SO good. Read this, you won’t regret it - go in as blind as you can, too, don’t even read past the first paragraph of the blurb if you haven’t already.
The worldbuilding is genuinely incredible, everything just hangs together so well - one of those worlds that just feels so… thought-through? Everything links together like a puzzle, and the web of causality is complex but clear. The choice to set the story years AFTER The Big Event is very interesting. It’s pretty LOTR-eque in its approach there.
Also, I loved the characters dearly, and even the ones who were shitty people I felt a lot of empathy for - that line about how the downside of being good at working out how people tick is that, once you do, you feel bad for them and don’t want them to die? That’s the experience of reading this thing.
The worldbuilding is genuinely incredible, everything just hangs together so well - one of those worlds that just feels so… thought-through? Everything links together like a puzzle, and the web of causality is complex but clear. The choice to set the story years AFTER The Big Event is very interesting. It’s pretty LOTR-eque in its approach there.
Also, I loved the characters dearly, and even the ones who were shitty people I felt a lot of empathy for - that line about how the downside of being good at working out how people tick is that, once you do, you feel bad for them and don’t want them to die? That’s the experience of reading this thing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Emotional abuse, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Xenophobia, Slavery, Stalking, and Violence
Minor: Murder, Terminal illness, and Ableism
trenchcoat_moss's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
sarahp85's review against another edition
4.0
the second Hardinge book I've read and once again it did not disappoint!
I loved A Skin Full Of Shadows more but this was just as beautifully written.
Luckily for me I have more of Hardinges books on my TBR shelf so I can continue to dive into the beautiful worlds she builts
I loved A Skin Full Of Shadows more but this was just as beautifully written.
Luckily for me I have more of Hardinges books on my TBR shelf so I can continue to dive into the beautiful worlds she builts
lottie1803's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0