Deeplight by Frances Hardinge

 Deeplight by Frances Hardinge

I recently read Deeplight by Frances Hardinge. The book begins several decades after the deaths of the gods – gargantuan creatures from the region beneath the sea (called, fittingly, the Undersea). Now, people dive into the ocean looking for the remains of these Undersea creatures. Called godware, bits and pieces of the vengeful beings are incredibly valuable for their magical properties. The story follows Hark, a 12-year-old orphan living on one of the islands previously terrorized by the gods. He and his best friend Jelt survive via con artistry, thievery, and similar shenanigans. When Hark is caught aiding in one of these shenanigans, he is arrested, indentured, and sold to a researcher with questionable mental stability. Of course, Jelt shows up on the island Hark is moved to. He comes up with the genius idea of diving for godware, and ropes Hark into his plot. The two find a mysterious pulsing sphere and, with remarkably (though perhaps understandably, given the dire circumstances their terrible idea has brought upon them) little hesitation, haul it back to the surface with them. From there, they start a business of sorts harnessing the power of the relic. However, Hark begins to rethink his choices as he notices strange changes in Jelt, himself, and the people around their camp.

Simply put, I really enjoyed reading this book. The author did a great job dropping little pieces of information about the gods throughout the book. I found the evolution of the reader’s image of the gods to be quite captivating. As Hark learns about the gods and their true nature, so does the reader. I felt like I was having a similar experience as Hark as I absorbed this information and processed it.

As much as I enjoyed most of the story, its pace, and the various revelations folded in, I did not like the end of the book. I mean, the ending itself was fine, but the execution and the pacing was really odd. The whole book sort of built up to a main conflict, I guess, but then that conflict just happened too quickly, and all of the obstacles the characters faced were overcome too easily, and it just didn’t feel natural. It felt like the author was just tired of writing, and everything that happened was much too convenient. 

Further, the epilogue seemed disconnected from the rest of the story. The characters have just nearly died in a very surreal setting, and yet they just get up and go about their business as famous heroes. It’s too tidy. Everyone gets pretty much everything they want, and it doesn’t sit right with the reader.

All in all, I'd give this book 4/5 stars. I really enjoyed the flow of the story until the jolting ending. I still think it’s worth reading, and most of the story is well-crafted. But, again, the end was too tidy and abrupt and just felt disconnected. 

-Fallon