Deeplight

Gr 7-10–Hark and Jelt are best friends with no one but each other to lean on. They live on the edge of society, scouting for godware in the shallows of the ocean to sell for money. When Hark gets caught trying to help smugglers, he is sent to auction where he is bought by the mysterious Dr. Vyne. Hark starts his new life at the Sanctuary, waiting on the old priests who once served the gods—before the gods died, tearing one another apart in a terrible war. Hark discovers, though, that not all gods are dead, and that great power rests in a hidden piece of godware Dr. Vyne is using for purposes Hark doesn’t understand. But when Jelt gets too close to the godware, he begins an awful transformation that can only be fixed if Hark can get his hands on the heart of the Hidden Lady. This messy blend of fantasy and science fiction explores themes of sacrifice in the name of friendship, and the friction between science and religion. Across the book, character development is weak, and the story is clumsy and confusing.