We Shall Sing a Song Into the Deep - Book Review

 

We Shall Sing a Song Into the Deep

by Andrew Kelly Stewart

What is it about:

Remy is a Chorister, one of the chosen few rescued from the surface world and raised to sing the Hours in a choir of young boys. Remy lives with a devoted order of monks who control the Leviathan, an aging nuclear submarine that survives in the ocean’s depths. Their secret mission: to trigger the Second Coming when the time is right, ready to unleash its final, terrible weapon.

But Remy has a secret too— she’s the only girl onboard. It is because of this secret that the sub’s dying caplain gifts her with the missile’s launch key, saying that it is her duty to keep it safe. Safety, however, is not the sub’s priority, especially when the new caplain has his own ideas about the Leviathan’s mission. Remy’s own perspective is about to shift drastically when a surface-dweller is captured during a raid, and she learns the truth about the world.

At once lyrical and page-turning, We Shall Sing a Song Into the Deep is a captivating debut from newcomer author Andrew Kelly Stewart.

What did I think of it:

This is a really beautiful post-apocalyptic story.

Remy is rescued from a dying world to sing in a choir in a nuclear submarine. Their mission: to wait for the day when it's time to release the last judgement and then sink into the deep.

I read this novella in one sitting! I was too eager to find out what happened to bring the world to this state, what will happen to those on board the submarine, and especially if Remy and her best friend would get some kind of happy ending.

The mood of this story was claustrophobic and tense. Not everyone seemed to have the same ideas about the mission of the Leviathan, and there's jealousy, strife, and more between the crew on board. When Remy learns there's more to the stories she's been told, she has to decided who to believe and what she should do. This story is a much about growing up and finding your own way in life as it is an dark and atmospheric post-apocalyptic tale. 

All in all this is a hauntingly beautiful novella that left me wanting more. You bet I'll keep an eye on more by Andrew Kelly Stewart.

Why should you read it:

It's a beautifully dark and atmospheric read