Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea meets Frankenstein in Frances Hardinge's latest fantasy adventure. The gods are dead. Decades ago, they turned on one another and tore each other apart. Nobody knows why. But are they really gone forever? When fifteen-year-old Hark finds the still-beating heart of a terrifying deity, he risks everything to keep it out of the hands of smugglers, military scientists, and a secret fanatical cult so that he can use it to save the life of his best friend, Jelt. But with the heart, Jelt ...
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Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea meets Frankenstein in Frances Hardinge's latest fantasy adventure. The gods are dead. Decades ago, they turned on one another and tore each other apart. Nobody knows why. But are they really gone forever? When fifteen-year-old Hark finds the still-beating heart of a terrifying deity, he risks everything to keep it out of the hands of smugglers, military scientists, and a secret fanatical cult so that he can use it to save the life of his best friend, Jelt. But with the heart, Jelt gradually and eerily transforms. How long should Hark stay loyal to a friend who's becoming a monster--and what is Hark willing to sacrifice to save him?
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Add this copy of Deeplight to cart. $55.37, new condition, Sold by Revaluation Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Exeter, DEVON, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2020 by Blackstone Pub.
Hark lives in civilisation who used to worship creatures of the sea, each with their own stories and folklore. However now the Gods are no longer feared and worshipped but hunted and when he comes across an usual piece of Godware it changes his life - but will it be for the better?
Deeplight is a fantasy book unlike any other I've read. It's a very unique premise and it does a really good job of drawing you into the world without giving away too much at once. Sometimes with fantasy stories you can feel like you are just given an information dump instead of a proper backstory but Deeplight slowly draws you in before revealing more of its secrets until you are hooked.
I enjoyed the main character of Hark who is a troubled boy on the wrong side of the law but has a heart of gold and a love of a good story (I can certainly relate there!). I also really liked his troubled friendship with Jelt and thought the book really showcased the abusive relationship between them really realistically. I also enjoyed the fact there is no love interest in the story - Selphin could have easily become a typical female fantasy character with no personality only there to give motivation to Hark, but instead we got to learn all about her as a well defined and spiky character. I also enjoyed the fact that this is a standalone fantasy book with a self-contained plot which is refreshingly rare for the fantasy genre. I have seen the book is labelled 'Young Adult' which is a little confusing - I would say it doesn't feel focussed on young adults in particular - it's just a good fantasy story that anyone can enjoy.
The story itself is a little slow to start but soon the pace really ramps up and I found myself flying through the pages. The story itself is really interesting and the imagery created of the claustrophobic and murky Undersea where the large sea monsters breathe fear to survive was truly haunting. I liked the fact the deaf community is celebrated with one of the main characters communicating in sign language throughout which made for a really inclusive read.
Overall Deeplight is a really refreshing take on the fantasy genre and one that I recommend to all readers - young and old and is one of my Kindig Picks for 2019! Thank you to NetGalley & Pan Macmillan for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
