I loved this story, it was compelling, magical and completely un-put-downable. Like her previous novel, The Lie Tree, Hardinge has created a magical alternate world in which giant sea creatures, with evocative names like The glass Cardinal and The Hidden Lady are worshipped as gods by the islanders on which they prey. It’s a story about two street boys, their one-sided friendship and how the magic they encounter through the physical remnants of the ‘gods’ (known as as godware) changes their lives – one for the better and one for the worst through the choices they make. The story unfolds in a priestly Sanctuary where we learn about what really happened in the Cataclysm that wiped all the gods out; we visit the sea shore where we see the awful effects of “godware” (monster body parts) on the friends, we watch the events in the steampunk laboratory of Dr Vyne, and in the magical Undersea where you can breathe the water but also feel the fear that drains from the islanders that fed the old gods. Hardinge”s narrative is exciting, its language beautiful and poetic and I would highly recommend this.

I'm a huge fan of France Hardinge and rush to consume any new offering, so I jumped at the chance to get an advance copy of this title and Deeplight absolutely did not disappoint! Hardinge has crafted a fabulous fantasy world here of a universe once presided over (or perhaps plagued by?) large, very physical, very dangerous aquatic gods and captures the conflicting combinations of respectful awe, fear and fascination towards such beings in her characters. On top of this exploration of religious fervour we have the much more mortal, but no less intense emotional bond between our lead character Hark and his best, and worst, friend Jelt. As with all her novels, Hardinge doesn't shy away from difficult subjects and I found her portrayal of the two friends' toxic, co-dependent relationship incredibly affecting, with the supernatural elements of their story only enhancing the very real struggle of highs and lows, joy and despair, faced by those in the midst of a close friendship that has grown unhealthy.Then we have the running thread of stories and storytelling, which is one of my favourite themes in literature so I was delighted to see Hardinge tackling it. The novel explores the many ways stories can shape our perceptions, for both good and ill (sometimes at the same time). The stories of the gods bring hope to many people, but they also inspire dangerous ideologies and push people to do unsavoury, morally questionable things. Similarly, Hark tells stories throughout the novel that both help and harm ie. conning tourists out of money, easing the passing of an elderly priest or even convincing himself that there is nothing wrong with his increasingly dangerous friendship with Jelt. All great, thought-provoking stuff!There is also extensive action that takes place under the sea and Hardinge's descriptions of the majesty of the ocean and sealife is just magical. At times I felt a touch of awe myself.Overall then this was, as always, just a fantastic read from Frances Hardinge. One I stayed up late into the night to finish, leaving me red-eyed and sleepy the next day, but it was totally worth it.

Hark is a master wordsmith, spinner of tales and a storykeeper. A perfect description of Ms Hardinge herself. The intricate weaving of words, the fluency of the storyline and the well-developed characters all lead to another stunning book from this award-winning author. Each of her books is so unique and individual. It’s a must-read for teenage, young adults and old adults alike. This truly deserves all the awards I’m positive it’ll be nominated for. Fabulous.

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.

Frances Harding's writing continues in her unique literary, lyrical magical way as her other novel have. I couldn't help but read this until the very end in only a couple of sessions. Such talented writing. Many thanks to the publishers for sending me a copy of the book to review. Highly recommended.