‘Deeplight’ is set in a world of gods. A familiar theme, except for one marked difference: all the gods are dead. However, if you are brave enough to risk the dangerous deep and salvage their remains, dead gods can be just as useful as live ones. Possibly more so. Hark is not typically one of the brave ones, but he is unerringly loyal. It is this loyalty that leads to his possession the most powerful and dangerous relic that has ever been salvaged from the deep: the heart of a god. The question of what to do with such a relic is a wild rollercoaster on which Hark is first dragged along for the ride, before he finally makes his own decision and jumps into the driver’s seat.
One of the best aspects of this novel is the diverse cast of characters; each has their deep emotional backstories and distinct personalities and goals. The fact that no character is perfect, each of them have their own flaws, make them into highly believable and relatable characters that you can’t help but follow with keen interest. For example, Hark’s flaw, almost his fatal flaw, is his unquestioning loyalty and his recurring willingness to believe himself the underdog with no choice in his own actions. His character development moves at a slow, jolty, incline which creates a balanced tug of war between optimism and frustration as the reader impatiently waits expectantly for him to finally do the right thing.
The biggest draw of ‘Deeplight’ is Hardinge’s use of intricate detail, which make the world and characters within the novel seem so real. For example the ‘sea-kissed’ (hearing impaired) characters, who communicate with realistic sign-language and lip reading, provide a constant reminder of the real dangers that are abundant in a community of deep sea divers. The structure of the society, too, adds a realistic depth to the narrative; from the close-knit community of the ‘sea-kissed’, the complicated structure of the underworld gangs and the treatment of orphans, to the far-off idea of the ruling class, the power struggle between different factions of academia, and the peaceful retreat where the defunct and dying priests are cared for and spied upon.
All of these details weave together to create a fully believable world of marvels and a cast of relatable and intriguing characters that the reader cannot help but follow with an eager eye.
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