Best friends Hark and Jelt live on a series of islands known as Myriad. They are scavengers, hustlers, two people trying to survive and get by the best they can using their wits. Then one night, one of their plans goes awry and Hark is arrested. Sold in the island's auction, he is given a three year term serving the mysterious and eccentric Dr. Vyne, a scientist who works on a spit of land called where The Sanctuary resides. The Sanctuary is a place where retired priests go to live their lasts days. It's here that Hark hears of stories of the underwater gods, the terror that they wrought upon the land and the mysteries surrounding them. When Jelt returns out of the blue, he pressures Hark to get involved in a scheme to lay their hands on some priceless material, godware, the stuff left over from the gods' reign around the islands. Hark refuses at first, but Jelt has a way with words, and he is soon plunged into a nightmare adventure that will test his physical and mental strength like never before. Nobody really creates worlds as beautifully as Frances Hardinge, Deeplight is steeped in an edgy, dark world that borders close to horror (has anyone seen the film Annihilation?) but stays true to its core in my opinion, a story about friendship, loyalty and even toxic relationships. Harks devotion to not only Jelt (and what Jelt will become) but also the priests like Quest and even Dr. Vyne to a certain degree tells me that deep down it's a tale about wanting to find something to belong to. Deeplight is a story that covers a lot, but it does not feel cumbersome at all, it's full of undersea adventure, mystery, horror and suspense. It's a really ambitious novel that is beautiful in its scope, recommended for ages 13+.
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