September 25, 2023sarahylockwood

The Deep Space Between by Cassandra Stirling

SPFBO Status: Cut

Rate: 7/10

Medium: ebook

Overview (No Spoilers):

Seraphina had been through a terrible tragedy as a child that resulted in her being banished from her family and her home. Following the completion of her schooling, she returns home to find much has changed, with mysteries around every corner threatening the lives of so many she cares about. Arguably more concerning is the strange voice that has awakened in her own mind, be it friend or foe.

Initially, I felt like The Deep Space Between would follow a relatively predictable mold. That is until a new character both surprised me and captured my curiosity. While the conflict between the two main characters grew rather frustrating, I mostly enjoyed their bantering, intrigued by how this unique dynamic would end up resolving itself and what secrets would be revealed along the way.

Prejudice is a heavy theme throughout The Deep Space Between, though very little foundation and history is established to explain this bias.

While I was drawn in by the premise and characters in this novel, I found myself wishing for more details regarding both worldbuilding and depth. Past events from Seraphina’s youth are referenced many, many times but are only vaguely explained toward the end. Additionally, we barely enter the Magical Community of Merricott, except to experience extremely rude behavior at a coffee shop and in the streets. The only welcoming place is a cute bookstore run by an eccentric troll that I would have loved to learn more about. Really there were many side characters, from Peter the recluse to Demi the elf, or even Aunt Tristana that all showed flashes of depth that were never quite tapped into.

Overall, The Deep Space Between is a fascinating magical world based in present day that is rife with prejudice and old grudges for young Seraphina to navigate in order to uncover the mystery that threatens all.

Additional Insight and Questions (Spoilers Abound): 

  • Where was Seraphina’s sister this whole time and what would she think of all the revelations?
  • Will Ro and Seraphina be friends again? What will Ro think of her working for the SF?
  • Why was the magical community so against elves? Will Demi follow Seraphina?
  • Are there others like Angwyndith? How many lives has she had? What if she would have gotten Seraphina killed?
  • Why was Finn so kind to Seraphina?
  • What other magical communities exist and are they all so hostile to outsiders or those they look down upon?

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