Hidden off the coast of Washington, veiled in mist, there is an island that does not appear on any map. And on that island is Ellery West.
Ellery West has always been home for Faith. After an international move and a childhood spent adjusting to a new culture and a new language, the acclaimed school for magic feels like the only place she can be herself. That is, until Faith and another student walk into the forest, and only Faith walks out.
Marked with the red stripe across her uniform that designates all students deemed too dangerous to attend regular classes, Faith becomes a social pariah, an exile of Ellery West. But all she has to do is keep her head down for one more year to graduate, and she gets to keep her magic. Because when students fail out of Ellery West, they have their magic taken away. Forever. And Faith can’t let that happen.
Except terrifying things are still happening to students, and the dark magic that was unleashed in the forest still seems to be at work. To stop it, Faith and the other Red Stripes will have to work together, risking expulsion from the magical world altogether.
- Title: Lovely Dark and Deep
- Author: Elisa A. Bonnin
- Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
- Publication Date: March 25th, 2025
- Genre: Fantasy
- Source: Digital ARC via Netgalley/Publisher/Author in exchange for an honest review
- Targeted Age Range: YA
- Content Warnings: grief, trauma, fire, racism, colonialism, death, murder
- Rating: ★★★★.5
If you’ve been around the blog for a while then you’ll know that one of my favorite authors is Elisa A. Bonnin! Her debut novel Dauntless and her second novel Stolen City both came out in 2022 and I was so lucky to be part of the street team for both books, and I absolutely loved them (Dauntless review, Stolen City review). So, when the opportunity came for me to be part of the street team for her latest release Lovely Dark and Deep I jumped at the chance to do so.
This was such a beautiful story of self-discovery, healing and found family. I loved following Faith’s journey throughout the story; my heart really broke for her at the beginning of the book. Throughout Lovely Dark and Deep we hear about how isolated Faith felt for most of her life. First by her extended family in the Philippines, then the kids at her “mundane” school once they move to the states, and at Ellery West in the aftermath of what happened the year before in the forest with Sydney. So much of being a teenager is wanting to find a place to belong, and it can be so hard, especially when you’re a person of color and an immigrant. Understandably so, Faith had really guarded herself from everyone else and just retreated into herself and it was so wonderful to see her slowly start to trust the other members of the Red Stripes and to trust herself as the story goes on.
I think that this may be my favorite cast of characters that Bonnin has written so far. I LOVE the Red Stripes and felt such a connection to them from the very start. Honestly, I would protect them (especially Alex) with my life. I just adored them and the way that they welcomed Faith into the Red Stripes and always made sure to remind her and each other that they have one another’s backs. While there are discussions of romance and the discovery of sexuality, I do really love that the focus of this story is Faith’s journey (which does include the realization of her sexuality) and the secrets of Ellery West. There’s nothing wrong with romance, I love a good romance, but I think that platonic relationships are just as important and I liked that there was more of a focus on the platonic relationships over the romantic ones.
As always, Bonnin’s world building is fantastic. I loved the descriptions and explanations of the different magic classes — Naturalist, Artificer, and Luminaries — and how each person would have different abilities within their class. She posted a bunch of amazing info cards about the lore on her Instagram, which I highly recommend checking out. Reading them before reading the book was really cool as well since I felt like I was already immersed in the world because I understood the magic system — though I would’ve understood even without the lore cards because Bonnin’s writing is very detailed and specific. I love how alive the Ellery West campus felt; it made me feel like I was there and part of the school and environment.
If you’re looking for a great YA fantasy with dark academia, found family and great discussions of what it means to belong, then you must check out Lovely Dark and Deep!
Tour Schedule
March 13th – @onthe_book_case
March 13th – ChristinaCReads
March 14th – @justelliesbooks
March 14th – @withlovekaj
March 15th – teatimelit/@readbycait
March 16th – @reading._everyday
March 17th – @atemarcelareada__
March 18th – @guerrerawr
March 19th – @lazyfeline89
Links for Lovely Dark and Deep: Goodreads | TheStoryGraph | Bookshop
Elisa A. Bonnin was born and raised in the Philippines, after which she moved to the United States to study chemistry and later oceanography. After completing her doctorate, she moved to Germany, where she now works as a scientific writer. A lifelong learner, Elisa is always convinced that she should “maybe take a class in something” and as a result, has amassed an eclectic collection of hobbies. But writing will always be her true love. Publishing a book has been her dream since she was eight years old, and she is thrilled to finally be able to share her stories. She is the author of Dauntless, Stolen City, and Lovely Dark and Deep.
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