Deeplight by Frances Hardinge (Young Adult Fantasy Book Review)

I received a physical copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Deeplight
by Frances Hardinge
Published by Amulet Books
on April 14, 2020
(first published October 2019)
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Length: 432 pages
Ages: 14 - 18 years

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Literary Awards:
British Science Fiction Association Award Nominee for Best Artwork (2019)
Lodestar Award Nominee (2020)

Synopsis:
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 10-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 his friend when he's becoming a monster--and what is Hark willing to sacrifice to save him?

My Thoughts:

Hark and his best friend Jelt are fellow orphans that grew up in a busy island chain called Myriad, where the gods that once ruled the land have been destroyed and sunk into the sea. Both Hark and Jelt have survived any and every way they can, but when Jelt pulls Hark into a dangerous job that ends him landed in indentured servitude, he learns an important lesson about trusting others and friendships that go too far.

Deeplight is rich with detail and description and has great worldbuilding that includes a culture of ancient gods, magical artifacts, and the underwater scavengers that hunt for them. There's a lot of great character growth as well as a focus on friendship and toxic relationships.

I really got some Lies of Locke Lamora and Six of Crows vibes from this right off the bat. Hark and Jelt grew up learning to take care of themselves and how to easily earn extra coin in the meantime. When Hark is captured and sold off to the highest bidder, it is his ability to lie and draw the crowd in with a good story that saves his life and he ends up as a trusted indentured servant to someone who helps him learn new skills and hone his old ones.

This was enjoyable but it took me a couple of tries to really get into the story (although I will say that is mostly on me and my inability to concentrate on bigger books during the pandemic). There's a lot of extra side characters that I had a hard time keeping track of at first. I was mostly drawn in by the friendship that Hark was so eager to praise but quickly seemed like it toxic, if anything.
Once I got a hang of the setting and characters and read about the Hidden Lady, a god that dwells in the deep, I was hooked.

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