We Shall Sing a Song Into the Deep
- Downloads：6037
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-04-13 13:51:16
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Andrew Kelly Stewart
- ISBN：1250790875
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
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。
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。
Reviews
Anjie
，
This is a bare-bones apocalyptic thriller that is rich in atmosphere and detail。 Bonus-- an engaging lead character to root for over 160 pages。 I admire an author who can efficiently tell his tale and make a strong impression。 He makes you think about zealotry， science， loyalty， loss and the cost of war in a compact plot。 And just like that， you're on to the next book。 This is a bare-bones apocalyptic thriller that is rich in atmosphere and detail。 Bonus-- an engaging lead character to root for over 160 pages。 I admire an author who can efficiently tell his tale and make a strong impression。 He makes you think about zealotry， science， loyalty， loss and the cost of war in a compact plot。 And just like that， you're on to the next book。 。。。more
Fiona
，
！！！！ Read the whole thing in one sitting， completely engrossed。 In a sentence: doomsday monastic cult on a submarine bearing the very last nuclear missile in a world that has lived through WWIII and is in fact on its way to wrapping up WWIV。 I find Christianity spooky on a good day but this novella took the rituals/prayer to a fun new eschatological level。 Loved the detail that the initial nuclear war started with the submarine mutiny during the Cuban Missile Crisis since that what-if scenario h ！！！！ Read the whole thing in one sitting， completely engrossed。 In a sentence: doomsday monastic cult on a submarine bearing the very last nuclear missile in a world that has lived through WWIII and is in fact on its way to wrapping up WWIV。 I find Christianity spooky on a good day but this novella took the rituals/prayer to a fun new eschatological level。 Loved the detail that the initial nuclear war started with the submarine mutiny during the Cuban Missile Crisis since that what-if scenario has haunted me since I first learned about it。 。。。more
Thecritic
，
A great alternative history。 I loved the tone and the story。
Lexi Denee
，
**Thank you to NetGalley and Tordotcom for the eARC copy of this book in exchange for honest feedback！**At 160 pages this incredible story left me wanting more。 Just the synopsis alone fully grabbed my interest and I knew I needed to read this book。 What I DIDN'T know was the emotional rollercoaster I was in for。The main character， Remy， is aboard a retired nuclear submarine run by an order of monks who believe women shouldn't exist and all boys must be castrated to "reach salvation。" The ship i **Thank you to NetGalley and Tordotcom for the eARC copy of this book in exchange for honest feedback！**At 160 pages this incredible story left me wanting more。 Just the synopsis alone fully grabbed my interest and I knew I needed to read this book。 What I DIDN'T know was the emotional rollercoaster I was in for。The main character， Remy， is aboard a retired nuclear submarine run by an order of monks who believe women shouldn't exist and all boys must be castrated to "reach salvation。" The ship is carrying a nuclear missile that the order of monks will release at the time of the "second coming，" releasing all those worthy of salvation。The monks tell Remy and the other children that they "rescued" from above the water， that the world is poisoned， and only evil doers live above the water。 I found this story to be an incredible example of how extreme religious indoctrination can be in some cases， as the characters struggled with their own beliefs and desire for free will。I don't want to say much else and risk spoiling anything， but if you're thinking about it - you should absolutely read this book。 If you like post-apocalyptic themes， anything involving cults， or crying （a lot，） you should check this out。 。。。more
Katie
，
This novella had such potential， but sadly it didn't quite work for me。 I was initially drawn in my the premise — a doomsday cult hiding away on a submarine deep in the ocean — but I never felt fully immersed in the story or its characters。 In particular I had a hard time connecting with the narrator， who was felt pretty flat and predictable。 Still， I enjoyed the writing style of the story and am interested in reading more from the author！ Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing t This novella had such potential， but sadly it didn't quite work for me。 I was initially drawn in my the premise — a doomsday cult hiding away on a submarine deep in the ocean — but I never felt fully immersed in the story or its characters。 In particular I had a hard time connecting with the narrator， who was felt pretty flat and predictable。 Still， I enjoyed the writing style of the story and am interested in reading more from the author！ Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing the digital copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Laura
，
Very interesting novel， though I found the clipped language a little jarring， especially in audiobook form。
Greg Chatham
，
Stewart takes a well worn YA premise-- survivors of an apocalyptic event sequester themselves inside an isolated facility， their children are raised to believe the outside world is uninhabitable， all may not be what it seems-- but there's an important caveat。This time it's on a submarine。It's well-written if a bit rote。 Compared to the lived in depiction of life on the boat， certain aspects feel underdeveloped。 The villains are too single-minded。 The religion the crew develops over time doesn't Stewart takes a well worn YA premise-- survivors of an apocalyptic event sequester themselves inside an isolated facility， their children are raised to believe the outside world is uninhabitable， all may not be what it seems-- but there's an important caveat。This time it's on a submarine。It's well-written if a bit rote。 Compared to the lived in depiction of life on the boat， certain aspects feel underdeveloped。 The villains are too single-minded。 The religion the crew develops over time doesn't get weird enough。 （Dagon is mentioned at one point， then never again。） And the story feels incomplete without an extended epilogue。But that aside， it's that story you like， now slightly creepier and on a submarine！ 。。。more
Whimsy Dearest
，
Aboard a submarine called the Leviathan lives a doomsday brotherhood who believe it is their sacred duty to bring about the Final Judgment and the End of Days。 Among them is a chorister named Remy who is prized for his lovely singing voice。 However， Remy has a secret。He is actually a she， and she must disguise the fact that she is a girl， and on top of that， the dying captain gives her the key to the Leviathan’s final launch missile。Now she must grapple with her faith as she tries to figure out Aboard a submarine called the Leviathan lives a doomsday brotherhood who believe it is their sacred duty to bring about the Final Judgment and the End of Days。 Among them is a chorister named Remy who is prized for his lovely singing voice。 However， Remy has a secret。He is actually a she， and she must disguise the fact that she is a girl， and on top of that， the dying captain gives her the key to the Leviathan’s final launch missile。Now she must grapple with her faith as she tries to figure out what is right and what is wrong。 We Shall Sing a Song into the Deep by Andrew Kelly Stewart presents a richly imaginative alternative history to the Cold War， and honestly， I can say I haven’t been this engrossed in a story for a long time。 It’s a nail-biting page-tuner that kept me up late at night to finish it， and even after I finished the final pages， the story still lingers with me。 Lyrical and haunting， the story borders almost into cosmic horror and magical realism territory， leaving readers to question what IS the truth alongside Remy。 Overall， it's a stellar， well-thought-out novella， and I can’t recommend it enough。Thank you， NetGalley and Tor， for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Gillian Daniels
，
A grim thriller and a moving study in searching for hope in the dark claustrophobia of hopelessness。
Miriam
，
Another novella that should have been a novel。We Shall Sing a Song Into the Deep has a fascinating premise （death cult on the last surviving nuclear submarine） and great characters and ideas。 It works pretty well as a novella， too。 But this is a story just begging for expansion。 There's so much more to explore， both in terms of plot and character。 I'd love to see more of Remy's relationship with the Caplain and with Lazlo， as both these relationships are really key to Remy's character and are un Another novella that should have been a novel。We Shall Sing a Song Into the Deep has a fascinating premise （death cult on the last surviving nuclear submarine） and great characters and ideas。 It works pretty well as a novella， too。 But this is a story just begging for expansion。 There's so much more to explore， both in terms of plot and character。 I'd love to see more of Remy's relationship with the Caplain and with Lazlo， as both these relationships are really key to Remy's character and are underdeveloped due to the short page count。 I"d love to see the plot drawn out longer so that certain character and plot arcs happen more naturally。 Stewart has created a really cool world， and I wish she'd let us spend more time in it。 。。。more
Simon
，
We Shall Sing a Song into the Deep by Andrew Kelly Steward is a short science fiction and post apocalyptic novel。 With the entire story taking place within a submarine， it evokes a claustrophobic setting that is sure to please many looking for something dreary and dystopian like。 I’ve read this novel being similar and compared to A Canticle for Leibowitz along with The Hunt for Red October but in my opinion it more resembles the Silo series by Huge Howey。 Either way， this was a great read and I We Shall Sing a Song into the Deep by Andrew Kelly Steward is a short science fiction and post apocalyptic novel。 With the entire story taking place within a submarine， it evokes a claustrophobic setting that is sure to please many looking for something dreary and dystopian like。 I’ve read this novel being similar and compared to A Canticle for Leibowitz along with The Hunt for Red October but in my opinion it more resembles the Silo series by Huge Howey。 Either way， this was a great read and I believe a first for me from this author。“If I am to die， I will go to God the way I was put into the world。” – RemyI thought it was pretty unique how the author decided to bring religious singing into the forefront of this dystopian setting and mind you， all within a submarine。 Remy， our main character and lead singer in the group， has a hidden secret that all the other brothers of this strange world is unaware of。 Betraying this secret would undoubtedly result in harsh punishment and even death。 When she is all of a sudden entrusted with keeping yet another secret from the dying captain of the sub， her life is in even more danger。 Why was she rescued and kept alive in this submarine to live with all the other boys？ What is really happening in the world above and why exactly are they bidding their time to unleash a cruise missile upon the world in an event they term The Last Judgement？ Why is all of their fate tied to this event？“For one to sing as you do， they must first know how to listen。” – Caplain AmitaAnyone looking to take on a short read on one of those stories involving characters being led astray and brainwashed should look into this。 The main idea isn’t all that new but the author does do enough to give it a fresh take。 Besides， I don’t know about others but I still get goosebumps whenever the reveal is made in these types of stories。 It’s like we expect it to happen yet we still get hyped with anticipation when that moment actually arrives。 This ultimately leads to me breezing through this short novel within a day。 Bravo to this the author。 It will be interesting to see if he will continue with this series。 Maybe one day he can write another short novel taking place in the same world and timeline but starring the “other side” instead？ 。。。more
Marlene
，
Originally published at Reading RealityBased on some of the blurb descriptions – which call this a combination of the SF classic A Canticle for Leibowitz and the military suspense classic The Hunt for Red October， I went into this book with certain expectations – in spite of never having read Canticle。（A Canticle for Leibowitz is so foundational to SF that even if you haven’t read it， you’ve heard of it and have at least a vague idea of what it’s above。 And there are plenty of summaries availabl Originally published at Reading RealityBased on some of the blurb descriptions – which call this a combination of the SF classic A Canticle for Leibowitz and the military suspense classic The Hunt for Red October， I went into this book with certain expectations – in spite of never having read Canticle。（A Canticle for Leibowitz is so foundational to SF that even if you haven’t read it， you’ve heard of it and have at least a vague idea of what it’s above。 And there are plenty of summaries available to fill in any gaps。）So， expectations。 Expectations that weren’t exactly met。 Which doesn’t mean that they weren’t exceeded – because they were。 We Shall Sing a Song Into the Deep takes elements from those books cited， a post-nuclear-apocalyptic world and a story that is steeped in nuclear brinkmanship and set in the claustrophobic confines of a submarine， turns those expectations upside down and sends them on a deep dive into times and places that the reader – or at least this reader – was not expecting。Because in spite of that tantalizing combination of antecedents from the blurb， this story isn’t really all that similar to either of the other books。But the crew of that submarine， the former U。S。S。 Leviathan， thinks that it is。 They believe that they world has ended in a nuclear holocaust， that civilization has fallen and that the survivors outside of their ship are diseased and savage and mutated。 And out to get them。And they’re almost right。 Also， totally， completely， utterly and absolutely wrong。Escape Rating A-: Like A Canticle for Leibowitz， this is a story that combines the worship and rituals of a Catholic monastery with a post-apocalyptic world。 Then it turns the rest of the classic story upside down。Not that the apocalypse doesn’t happen in both stories， but that’s where the similarity ends。 Canticle is about the preservation of knowledge， where Song is actually about its destruction。 The mission in Canticle is the result of the destruction， where the mission in Song is about the cause。 It also feels like Canticle is honest about its faith where Song is about the corruption of it。Also， a bit of Lord of the Flies wouldn’t be out of line in the description of what went into the mix for this book。 Because in the tiny world of the Leviathan there’s definitely more than a hint of power corrupting into repression and violence， bullies rising to the top through the success of their bullying， and thought police – to mix in yet another classic metaphor – suppressing everything that runs counter to approved thought and belief。And there’s more than a touch of alternate history mixed in， but I’ll leave for you to discover。While the story has a bit of a slow start – because conditions aboard the Leviathan are grim and gruesome and dark and dank。 And the main character seems to be scared， defenseless and alone and it looks like things are only going to get worse but not necessarily more exciting。 At least at first。 （But then it’s a very short book so the slow start doesn’t take all that long to get beyond。）And the reader does go into the story with all those assumptions。 But as we follow Chorister Remy around on this ship that is so obviously on its last metaphorical and mechanical legs， the assumptions start peeling back like a rotting skin， only to reveal that the rot goes all the way through to the bone。But those bones conceal a whole lot of truths。 And once Remy starts to see those， it’s a race to see whether anything， or anyone， can be saved。 Or should be。 。。。more
Bonnie McDaniel
，
This novella is a post-apocalyptic alternate history that the blurbs compare to A Canticle for Leibowitz and The Hunt for Red October。 I haven't read either， although that description sounds more like something made for Hollywood。 I daresay this would make a good movie， but it would definitely need a discerning， nuanced script。 This story deals with faith and religion， from the viewpoint of a young person raised in an apocalyptic death cult， the vaguely Catholic， monkish Brotherhood， waiting to This novella is a post-apocalyptic alternate history that the blurbs compare to A Canticle for Leibowitz and The Hunt for Red October。 I haven't read either， although that description sounds more like something made for Hollywood。 I daresay this would make a good movie， but it would definitely need a discerning， nuanced script。 This story deals with faith and religion， from the viewpoint of a young person raised in an apocalyptic death cult， the vaguely Catholic， monkish Brotherhood， waiting to carry out the Last Judgment。 Our protagonist， Remy， is a woman--young girl， rather; she's about thirteen or fourteen--aboard one of the last surviving nuclear submarines， the Leviathan。The Leviathan patrols the oceans twenty-three years after World War III， waiting to launch its one remaining nuclear missile。 An act that the cult members are told will send them to heaven and make the sea give up the dead bodies of their comrades。 （And， unfortunately， there are a lot of bodies for the sea to give up， as for the past twenty years the Leviathan has been kidnapping young boys to prop up the cult and feed into the rear section of the boat， where the nuclear reactor that powers the ship soon irradiates them。）The most notable thing about this book is its atmosphere: it's dripping with claustrophobia and paranoia。 The author has nailed the feelings and sensations of being trapped in a submarine， with the bulkheads pressing close on every side， and never seeing the sun or sky。 Remy has even more to hide aboard this boat full of secrets--because no one knows she is female， with the exception of the "caplain" （the cult's term， a blending of captain and chaplain） who rescued her from the Topside， the poisoned surface world， years before。 She was saved because of her beautiful singing voice， which lands her a spot with the Choristers， the young boys who sing the hymns that keep the Brotherhood on the straight and narrow。 But Remy's faith has begun to crack。 Her best friend， Lazlo， was drafted for a Topsider raid， and in the process watched his fellow Brothers slaughter nearly everyone aboard the ship they boarded。 He heard these people begging for their lives， saying the war was over and the surface wasn't all poisoned， and those aboard the Leviathan don't have to live the way they are living。 For his doubts he is sent to the rear of the submarine， consigned to the reactor room as one of the Forgotten。 Remy is deeply shaken by this， so much so she sneaks away to talk to the prisoner the caplain has brought on board ship， the woman he hopes to force to fix his last missile's broken targeting system。 This is the story of Remy's taking charge of her life and breaking the terrible shackles of the cult of the Brotherhood， and eventually leading her friends in a rebellion to escape from the submarine as it prepares to carry out the Last Judgment。 I do wish the worldbuilding was fleshed out a bit more--this is a novella， of course， so we don't have room for a lot of backstory。 There is a bit of necessary infodumping in the middle of the story， as the Topside prisoner explains the state of the world to Remy as best she can。 （Short version: this is an alternate 1986 where the Cuban Missile Crisis led to World War III， and Australia is now the world's superpower， or what remains of the world。） The ending is also ambiguous: after Remy and six others escape from the submarine as it goes down， they are afloat on a life raft， waiting for rescue。 The implication is that they will be rescued， but we just don't know。 Nevertheless， this is a well-paced story， an exploration of faith （and even at the end， Remy still seems to have faith， even though she's now free of the cult）。 I hope there is a sequel。 Exploring what happens to these characters in the new world they have been abruptly thrust into would be fascinating。 。。。more
Meredith
，
There are not enough stars for this book！ It's a compelling story of people finding hope against terrible odds。 The world-building and character development are amazing。 I literally could not put it down， and the complex narrative and themes sat with me for days。 I cannot recommend this book highly enough for anyone who is even remotely interested in sci-fi， adventure， or dystopian literature。 And I can't wait to see what Andrew Kelly Stewart writes next！ There are not enough stars for this book！ It's a compelling story of people finding hope against terrible odds。 The world-building and character development are amazing。 I literally could not put it down， and the complex narrative and themes sat with me for days。 I cannot recommend this book highly enough for anyone who is even remotely interested in sci-fi， adventure， or dystopian literature。 And I can't wait to see what Andrew Kelly Stewart writes next！ 。。。more
Brandee
，
Check out this review and more on The Quill to Live！If there is something we always wish there was more of， it is the role of religion within science fiction stories。 Neither of us is at all religious， but religion is nigh inescapable within the human experience。 For it to just disappear， or not have a meaningful place within a world that is far beyond our own feels off sometimes。 So how can we pass up a story that melds a nuclear apocalypse with religion？ Due to a logistical error and someone （ Check out this review and more on The Quill to Live！If there is something we always wish there was more of， it is the role of religion within science fiction stories。 Neither of us is at all religious， but religion is nigh inescapable within the human experience。 For it to just disappear， or not have a meaningful place within a world that is far beyond our own feels off sometimes。 So how can we pass up a story that melds a nuclear apocalypse with religion？ Due to a logistical error and someone （*cough* Brandee） misreading our calendar， Alex and Brandee teamed up to review the powerful forces at play in Andrew Kelly Stewart’s debut novella， We Shall Sing a Song Into The Deep。A lone submarine called The Leviathan traverses the ocean with an all-male crew after a nuclear fallout has ravaged the land。 The inhabitants–members of a religious order– pass the time in prayer while desperately trying to keep the deteriorating sub afloat。 The world is slowly fading away， at least that is what the protagonist is made to believe。 A young girl hiding among the crew， Remy knows little about life outside The Leviathan。 However， secrets begin to unravel as her captain falls ill and entrusts Remy with the launch key to the world’s last nuclear missile。 A new leader takes the helm and begins preparations for the Second Coming， with plans to launch the missile and deliver God’s Last Judgement。 The crew’s days are numbered， and a hostage taken from the surface opens Remy’s eyes to the truth – it seems her Brothers have been keeping secrets of their own。 Holding the world’s future in her hands， Remy must combat her beliefs and determine her true purpose。We Shall Sing has a lyrical beginning that pulls you deep underneath the waves。 It’s downright enchanting…at first。 About halfway through the story， there is a defining shift in Stewart’s writing。 The second half of the book loses its hushed， reverent approach and turns its turbines into overdrive to propel the now predictable plot forward。 In terms of worldbuilding， we know little about the “Topside” world that exists on the surface。 However， Stewart does a splendid job bringing you into Remy’s world on The Leviathan。 The daily grind of the religious order is captured alongside mechanical details about the submarine， effortlessly easing you into their small， severe world。 However， as the second half becomes more of a thriller， the descriptions and atmosphere take a backseat as exposition takes the forefront。The characters follow a similar path to the atmosphere。 Remy herself is easy to follow， as she seems wary even after several years amongst the crew。 But she’s also instilled with purpose， much like the rest， but is questioning in the way a child insulated from the world would be when given an undue amount of responsibility。 She is a delight in the first half but seems to very quickly acclimatize to the new situation halfway through， and it’s a little jarring。 The side characters are recognizable archetypes but Stewart adds intimate details that really flesh them out， even if they don’t have much to do。 They make the submarine feel like an enclosed ecosystem that has learned to make do with whatever resources it has。Alex This is a tough one for me because I was particularly excited to read this novella。 Its premise was so unique within post-apocalyptic fiction。 Stewart hooked me deep， luring me with his siren song as he sang about life on the ship。 It felt enclosed， filled with purpose， and sailing slowly to its horrid task。 Where the book fell apart for me was the halfway point， as the prose switches to a more standard action-oriented and dialogue-heavy affair。 It’s abrupt and really pulled me out of the story。 My least favorite thing about post-apocalypse stories is when it comes time to talk about the actual apocalypse， I just lose interest。 The disaster never feels as interesting as the flow of life after the end。 Stewart， for his part， imagines an interesting one， but it’s delivered in such a matter-of-fact manner， it’s impossible to question it from a reader’s viewpoint。 I felt it should feel like the story Remy has been told all her life， but instead it just immediately reeks of fact， and Remy adapts to it incredibly quickly。 It changes the rest of the book so that the two halves feel very different from each other。 It should have felt like a revelation and instead， it just was。 Stewart was able to make it feel tense towards the conclusion with a couple twists and turns here and there， but I wasn’t as engrossed。Brandee The element that drew me in like the tide was Stewart’s integration of religion into the story。 I was fascinated by the belief system the Brothers established and how it attached itself to the sub’s radioactive power。 Religion created interesting dynamics， and I enjoyed seeing how the crew’s beliefs played out。 The creative doctrine and cult-like ongoings are definitely the novella’s shining stars。 The story itself is well-rounded overall， but it clearly reads like two separate pieces。 The beginning was hypnotizing， but the shift quickly snaps you out of the story – eventually dampening the rest of the tale for me。 I was ultimately satisfied after reading， yet wished that holy energy had permeated the story until the end。We both agree that Stewart excelled in capturing an often ignored human experience in the aftermath of nuclear fallout。 We Shall Sing A Song Into The Deep was a presentable， and often engaging， story despite its balancing act。 If you can marry the story’s poetic beginning with its determined end， the novella accomplishes much。Rating: We Shall Sing A Song Into The Deep – 7。0/10 。。。more
Alexander Tas
，
Read this review and other Science Fiction/Fantasy book reviews at The Quill to LiveIf there is something we always wish there was more of， it is the role of religion within science fiction stories。 Neither of us is at all religious， but religion is nigh inescapable within the human experience。 For it to just disappear， or not have a meaningful place within a world that is far beyond our own feels off sometimes。 So how can we pass up a story that melds a nuclear apocalypse with religion？ Due to Read this review and other Science Fiction/Fantasy book reviews at The Quill to LiveIf there is something we always wish there was more of， it is the role of religion within science fiction stories。 Neither of us is at all religious， but religion is nigh inescapable within the human experience。 For it to just disappear， or not have a meaningful place within a world that is far beyond our own feels off sometimes。 So how can we pass up a story that melds a nuclear apocalypse with religion？ Due to a logistical error and someone （*cough* Brandee） misreading our calendar， Alex and Brandee teamed up to review the powerful forces at play in Andrew Kelly Stewart’s debut novella， We Shall Sing a Song Into The Deep。A lone submarine called The Leviathan traverses the ocean with an all-male crew after a nuclear fallout has ravaged the land。 The inhabitants–members of a religious order– pass the time in prayer while desperately trying to keep the deteriorating sub afloat。 The world is slowly fading away， at least that is what the protagonist is made to believe。 A young girl hiding among the crew， Remy knows little about life outside The Leviathan。 However， secrets begin to unravel as her captain falls ill and entrusts Remy with the launch key to the world’s last nuclear missile。 A new leader takes the helm and begins preparations for the Second Coming， with plans to launch the missile and deliver God’s Last Judgement。 The crew’s days are numbered， and a hostage taken from the surface opens Remy’s eyes to the truth – it seems her Brothers have been keeping secrets of their own。 Holding the world’s future in her hands， Remy must combat her beliefs and determine her true purpose。We Shall Sing has a lyrical beginning that pulls you deep underneath the waves。 It’s downright enchanting…at first。 About halfway through the story， there is a defining shift in Stewart’s writing。 The second half of the book loses its hushed， reverent approach and turns its turbines into overdrive to propel the now predictable plot forward。 In terms of worldbuilding， we know little about the “Topside” world that exists on the surface。 However， Stewart does a splendid job bringing you into Remy’s world on The Leviathan。 The daily grind of the religious order is captured alongside mechanical details about the submarine， effortlessly easing you into their small， severe world。 However， as the second half becomes more of a thriller， the descriptions and atmosphere take a backseat as exposition takes the forefront。The characters follow a similar path to the atmosphere。 Remy herself is easy to follow， as she seems wary even after several years amongst the crew。 But she’s also instilled with purpose， much like the rest， but is questioning in the way a child insulated from the world would be when given an undue amount of responsibility。 She is a delight in the first half but seems to very quickly acclimatize to the new situation halfway through， and it’s a little jarring。 The side characters are recognizable archetypes but Stewart adds intimate details that really flesh them out， even if they don’t have much to do。 They make the submarine feel like an enclosed ecosystem that has learned to make do with whatever resources it has。Alex This is a tough one for me because I was particularly excited to read this novella。 Its premise was so unique within post-apocalyptic fiction。 Stewart hooked me deep， luring me with his siren song as he sang about life on the ship。 It felt enclosed， filled with purpose， and sailing slowly to its horrid task。 Where the book fell apart for me was the halfway point， as the prose switches to a more standard action-oriented and dialogue-heavy affair。 It’s abrupt and really pulled me out of the story。 My least favorite thing about post-apocalypse stories is when it comes time to talk about the actual apocalypse， I just lose interest。 The disaster never feels as interesting as the flow of life after the end。 Stewart， for his part， imagines an interesting one， but it’s delivered in such a matter-of-fact manner， it’s impossible to question it from a reader’s viewpoint。 I felt it should feel like the story Remy has been told all her life， but instead it just immediately reeks of fact， and Remy adapts to it incredibly quickly。 It changes the rest of the book so that the two halves feel very different from each other。 It should have felt like a revelation and instead， it just was。 Stewart was able to make it feel tense towards the conclusion with a couple twists and turns here and there， but I wasn’t as engrossed。Brandee The element that drew me in like the tide was Stewart’s integration of religion into the story。 I was fascinated by the belief system the Brothers established and how it attached itself to the sub’s radioactive power。 Religion created interesting dynamics， and I enjoyed seeing how the crew’s beliefs played out。 The creative doctrine and cult-like ongoings are definitely the novella’s shining stars。 The story itself is well-rounded overall， but it clearly reads like two separate pieces。 The beginning was hypnotizing， but the shift quickly snaps you out of the story – eventually dampening the rest of the tale for me。 I was ultimately satisfied after reading， yet wished that holy energy had permeated the story until the end。We both agree that Stewart excelled in capturing an often ignored human experience in the aftermath of nuclear fallout。 We Shall Sing A Song Into The Deep was a presentable， and often engaging， story despite its balancing act。 If you can marry the story’s poetic beginning with its determined end， the novella accomplishes much。Rating: We Shall Sing A Song Into The Deep – 7。0/10-Alex and Brandee 。。。more
Tammy
，
The nitty-gritty: A strange， sad， claustrophobic tale， with unexpected moments of beauty and hope。I can honestly say I’ve never read anything quite like We Shall Sing a Song Into the Deep。 This is a dark， atmospheric tale—verging on oppressive—that weaves together several unusual elements: a submarine called the Leviathan commanded by a religious zealot who has stolen young boys from above and forced them to join his doomsday cult; an apocalyptic future （or perhaps an alternate history， I’m not The nitty-gritty: A strange， sad， claustrophobic tale， with unexpected moments of beauty and hope。I can honestly say I’ve never read anything quite like We Shall Sing a Song Into the Deep。 This is a dark， atmospheric tale—verging on oppressive—that weaves together several unusual elements: a submarine called the Leviathan commanded by a religious zealot who has stolen young boys from above and forced them to join his doomsday cult; an apocalyptic future （or perhaps an alternate history， I’m not sure） where the world has been nearly destroyed by nuclear war and is populated by “Topsiders” who are a threat to the men and boys on board the submarine; a group of young castrated boys called Choristers who are literally forced to sing for their supper; and a young girl named Remy who is pretending to be a boy but is in fact the only female on board。 In its deepest chambers， the Leviathan carries the last nuclear missile on Earth， which will be released as soon as God gives the word， sending all those on board to their Last Judgement。 But when a prisoner from the surface is brought below， Remy’s worldview shifts。 Has everything she’s been told about the world above been a lie？This short novella is simply dripping with atmosphere， and in my opinion it’s the strongest thing about the story。 Stewart’s prose brings the dark， dank bowels of the Leviathan to life， and I can assure you after reading this story， I never want to find myself inside a submarine ever！ I could hear every ping and clank， every rush of steam through the pipes， even the drone of the sub’s motors。 The crew are almost starving to death and survive on the scant fish they bring in from the ocean， as well as mushrooms harvested from the steamy lower tunnels （ewww）。 The reactor is bleeding poison into the air and slowing killing everyone。 In the lowest reaches of the Leviathan， those boys who have committed one sin or another become the Forgotten and are banished to perform the most dangerous maintenance jobs next to the sub’s nuclear reactors。 Add to this the fear of the ancient submarine breaking down and the threat of the Topsiders and the broken world above， and you can see how the characters are in a constant state of unease。There is an air of sadness to the story that rarely lets up。 Something terrible has happened to the world above， and the crew of the Leviathan believe they are only safe underwater， despite the hardships they go through。 I felt awful for poor Remy and the other Choristers， who have been brainwashed to believe that the world above is evil and the only way out is through death。 It’s that typical cult scenario that I’ve read many times before， but it never fails to break my heart。And yet， there are some oddly beautiful moments。 Remy’s friendships with the other Choristers are so sweet。 As weird as it was， I also loved the idea of a choir of young boys singing Compline and Vespers every day， their lives ruled by the Hours。 Remy was chosen for her beautiful singing voice， and singing not only comforts her， but she's proud of what she does。 We also find out that two whales often follow the sub， singing back and forth together， and I loved how this parallels the Chorister's singing on the Leviathan。 Remy is always listening for them， as if they’re a sign that things are still OK。 Remy herself is surprisingly upbeat considering that she was kidnapped from above when she was only five years old and doesn’t remember anything about her previous life。 Once Remy meets the prisoner， a Topsider named Adolphine， the story takes on a certain urgency， as Adolphine convinces Remy to try to escape。 I have to admit I found it very hard to give this novella a rating， but I finally settled on four stars simply because I think it has many special and unique qualities。 However the overall feel of the story is very depressing and weird， so this isn’t going to be for everyone。 I’m intrigued by Andrew Kelly Stewart， though， and very curious to see what he writes next。Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy。 。。。more
Alexandra
，
"We Shall Sing a Song Into the Deep" is a lovely， lyrical novella about music， faith， and nuclear apocalypse。 Remy is a member of a religious order which travels the world's oceans on a submarine equipped with the last nuclear missile in existence， the leader of the order's chorus of castrati， and - though this is a secret to almost everyone else on the ship - the only girl on board。 After another woman is taken on board， a prisoner from Topside， Remy begins to question her world， her beliefs， a "We Shall Sing a Song Into the Deep" is a lovely， lyrical novella about music， faith， and nuclear apocalypse。 Remy is a member of a religious order which travels the world's oceans on a submarine equipped with the last nuclear missile in existence， the leader of the order's chorus of castrati， and - though this is a secret to almost everyone else on the ship - the only girl on board。 After another woman is taken on board， a prisoner from Topside， Remy begins to question her world， her beliefs， and what she's been told all her life。 The worldbuilding in this was exquisite; I often find that spec fic novellas which rely on a lot of worldbuilding can be tricky to pull off， but the author has done so admirably here。 Information is given to both the characters and the readers very naturally， and is generally not difficult or overwhelming to follow， and the little details （like teeth as a form of currency on the submarine！） made the setting feel very fleshed out and alive。 The characters， too， are well-developed， and I found Remy's character arc compelling and believable。 The writing style is lovely， easy and enjoyable to read。 My one major critique is that， in my opinion， the major 'plot twist' was fairly easy to predict， which I felt detracted a bit from the tension of the last third or so of the book。 I'd love to see this expanded on in further books， especially if it's a continuation of Remy's story。 I will certainly be following this author's future works， and I'd recommend this wholeheartedly to anyone who enjoys this genre。 Thanks to Netgalley and Tor Publishing for an e-ARC of this book， in exchange for my honest review！ 。。。more
Adeann
，
This was an interesting， if short read。 The characters drew me in quickly。。。I liked that all were very dedicated to the end purpose， albeit different reasons。 Yes， I would have liked a "little" more substance to them， but maybe that's for a different story？ The setting was obviously claustrophobic （and well done）。Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review。 This was an interesting， if short read。 The characters drew me in quickly。。。I liked that all were very dedicated to the end purpose， albeit different reasons。 Yes， I would have liked a "little" more substance to them， but maybe that's for a different story？ The setting was obviously claustrophobic （and well done）。Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Clare
，
Poetic， mesmerizing， exciting， and other-worldly， this novel makes you feel the close and oily air of its setting， the submarine Leviathan。 The characters and thus the reader can only get glimpses of the world above the water， and it's a fascinating and beautiful and scary perspective。 I don't read a lot of speculative fiction and I tend to space out when there is lots of world building， but this book didn't do that。 I was engaged throughout this book and resonated with me--so in short it would Poetic， mesmerizing， exciting， and other-worldly， this novel makes you feel the close and oily air of its setting， the submarine Leviathan。 The characters and thus the reader can only get glimpses of the world above the water， and it's a fascinating and beautiful and scary perspective。 I don't read a lot of speculative fiction and I tend to space out when there is lots of world building， but this book didn't do that。 I was engaged throughout this book and resonated with me--so in short it would appeal to readers who aren't well versed in sci fi or alternate histories and the like。 His description of tasting a lime makes me feel like it's the first time I have ever tasted a lime！ 。。。more
Jae
，
This was a masterpiece in the making。 A beautifully written dystopian， nautical， and nuclear armageddon tale， following Remy in learning truths hidden by religious brainwashing。I’ll start with the style。 I don’t usually like purple prose or writing that is too lyrical， and while this book seemed that way especially in the beginning， i absolutely loved the writing style in this book。 I got absorbed into the story and the author weaved the tale， wrote the book， in a way that captures my attention This was a masterpiece in the making。 A beautifully written dystopian， nautical， and nuclear armageddon tale， following Remy in learning truths hidden by religious brainwashing。I’ll start with the style。 I don’t usually like purple prose or writing that is too lyrical， and while this book seemed that way especially in the beginning， i absolutely loved the writing style in this book。 I got absorbed into the story and the author weaved the tale， wrote the book， in a way that captures my attention solely to character and the plot。 I only had a vague reminder of the writing style being that lyrical as i read through simply because i was too focussed on the character。 Remy， oh remy。 I have no words to describe how much her story impacted me。 It was the perfect mix of character depth， backstory and development that continued to move the story forward。 The plot I believe was one of the most unique plots ive ever read！！ The beginning and ending breaks my heart， and the middle kept me at the edge of my seat。 The sombre undertone and the atmospheric way it was written just makes the plot so much more worthwhile。 There was a clear and distinct voice leading a carefully laid out plot that had build up， tension and pay off。 The themes it explored were handled so well。 Religious trauma and cult， the way it was executed felt like the necessary research was done！ And an amazing story all round。I can think of few things that could’ve been done better。 Maybe this is just my preference but i’d have loved to know more about the world building。 Im left with WANTING SO MUCH MORE FROM THIS WORLD！！！！ and i wish id gotten it especially considering the way it ended。 On top of this side characters could’ve been developed more！All in all this was a great read， and a short one too！ So definitely give it a try！！ Thank you to Macmillan-Tor/ Forge for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley。Trigger warnings: castration， blood， religious cults 。。。more
Lauren
，
Thanks for Netgalley， the publisher and the author for the advanced reading ebook in exchange for an honest review。 This novella blew me away。 It's set entirely on a submarine peopled with men who have survived the end of the world and formed a heavily Catholic-influenced religion to keep themselves together。 Our protagonist is a castrati who provides a window into this harsh world。The imagine of sublime， pure music rising through the decaying， creaking decks of the weathered submarine is so bea Thanks for Netgalley， the publisher and the author for the advanced reading ebook in exchange for an honest review。 This novella blew me away。 It's set entirely on a submarine peopled with men who have survived the end of the world and formed a heavily Catholic-influenced religion to keep themselves together。 Our protagonist is a castrati who provides a window into this harsh world。The imagine of sublime， pure music rising through the decaying， creaking decks of the weathered submarine is so beautiful to me。 This contrast runs through the book。 I slowed down reading this towards the end because I simply did not want it to end。 My favourite novella of 2021 so far， easily。 。。。more
Elisa
，
A short novella with more action than many books twice its size。 The characters are all vividly portrayed， even the ones in the background。 I’m glad that I didn’t know anything about the plot so that all the twists were unexpected， even from the start。 There are so many things I loved about this read。 A Gothic atmosphere inside a submarine is genius， as is setting a monastery under the sea。 There are many suspenseful moments told in beautiful prose。 It is apocalyptic science fiction， speculative A short novella with more action than many books twice its size。 The characters are all vividly portrayed， even the ones in the background。 I’m glad that I didn’t know anything about the plot so that all the twists were unexpected， even from the start。 There are so many things I loved about this read。 A Gothic atmosphere inside a submarine is genius， as is setting a monastery under the sea。 There are many suspenseful moments told in beautiful prose。 It is apocalyptic science fiction， speculative fiction， a spy thriller and a truly original story。 Remy， the main character is compelling， resourceful and damaged - trying to do the right thing when it’s hard to know what that is。 And the ending is so poignant and emotional。 There aren’t enough words in the dictionary to describe how good this novella is so I’ll give 5 enthusiastic stars。 I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased。 Thank you， NetGalley/Macmillan-Tor/Forge！ 。。。more
The Captain
，
Ahoy there me mateys！ I received this sci-fi novella eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 So here be me honest musings 。 。 。A story about a cult in a dystopian future that takes place in a submarine？ Aye！ This debut fit me mood perfectly and I loved it。 Though don't read the blurb if ye don't want spoilers galore。The highlight of this book for me was the setting and atmosphere。 A doomsday cult hides out in a submarine waiting for the day to release the last nuke on board。 Ahoy there me mateys！ I received this sci-fi novella eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 So here be me honest musings 。 。 。A story about a cult in a dystopian future that takes place in a submarine？ Aye！ This debut fit me mood perfectly and I loved it。 Though don't read the blurb if ye don't want spoilers galore。The highlight of this book for me was the setting and atmosphere。 A doomsday cult hides out in a submarine waiting for the day to release the last nuke on board。 The main character， Remy， holds a special position on the sub but even that doesn't have a ton of perks。 Seriously life onboard is harsh。 I felt that this book captured life on an ancient， failing machine quite well。Remy was a fun character to follow， if a bit naïve。 I did enjoy the world-building of a religious order on a sub。 It was fun to see the elements of Catholic monastery life mixed in with ship life。 The plot was a little bit unrealistic in terms of probability at times and needs some suspension of disbelief。 But I didn't ultimately care because I enjoyed it so。 Plus it is a super quick read as well。This novella reminded me a bit of sisters of the vast black and I enjoyed comparing the two takes on religious fervor of the future。 I highly recommend both novellas and I will be checking out more of the author's work in the future。 Arrr！So lastly 。 。 。Thank you Tor。com！ 。。。more
Allison （SPELLBOUND READER）
，
Happy Publication Day！。⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We Shall Sing A Song Into The Deep by Andrew Kelly Stewart， was an eerie read that captured my attention from the start。 Hook， line and sinker！。This is a short story with less than 200 pages， perfect for a quick read or readathons！ It was so original - I wish I had more of the story， and more time with these characters。。。 but I enjoyed the book regardless。 。Thank you Tor Publishing and NetGally for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review。
Liz （Quirky Cat）
，
I received a copy of We Shall Sing a Song Into the Deep in exchange for a fair and honest review。 tAndrew Kelly Stewart's debut novella， We Shall Sing a Song Into the Deep has got to be one of the most unique reads I've ever had the luxury of experiencing， and I would like to think that this is saying something。tRemy is a Chorister， and while they remember a life before that， they don't remember much。 Now it is their job to sing the Hours and keep the mission going。 To keep souls and beings soot I received a copy of We Shall Sing a Song Into the Deep in exchange for a fair and honest review。 tAndrew Kelly Stewart's debut novella， We Shall Sing a Song Into the Deep has got to be one of the most unique reads I've ever had the luxury of experiencing， and I would like to think that this is saying something。tRemy is a Chorister， and while they remember a life before that， they don't remember much。 Now it is their job to sing the Hours and keep the mission going。 To keep souls and beings soothed。 It's a sacred job， or so Remy has been told。tRemy and their cohorts all live onboard the Leviathin， one of the last nuclear subs – with a deadly mission。 However， Remy has a secret of their， or rather， her own。 She's a girl hidden in a group of boys， a secret which belies her sweet singing voice。 And it's that difference that results in her getting tasked with an all-new mission。t“Our collective hum joins the unending chorus of loud pinging， knocking， clanging。”tI can tell you with complete and total honesty that I have never read a novella quite like We Shall Sing a Song Into the Deep。 It was richly detailed， wonderfully written， and oh so compelling。 It also did an excellent job of getting that brain of mine working， coming up with theories and much more。tIt took me a little bit of time to get into Remy's story， but once I did， boy was I invested in what was happening！ It was fascinating， trying to figure out how the world got to this point， what was actually happening， and who was trying to get what done。tThe best part？ Or perhaps the worst， depending on how you want to look at it。 There's this lingering sense of paranoia and claustrophobia。 It gets worse with time， as it feels like the submarine which has been Remy's home begins to close in on her。 It's terrifying。 And brilliant。 tThis is one of those novellas that makes me excited to see what else an author will create in time。 I can't wait to see what Andrew Kelly Stewart writes next， and I know I'll be reading it， whatever it is。Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks 。。。more
Rachael
，
Sort of A Canticle for Liebowitz meets Snowpiercer。
Dan
，
My thanks to NetGalley And Tor publishing for an advanced copy of this novel。In We Shall Sing a Song Into the Deep by Andrew Kelly Stewart， a young Chorister with secrets by the name of Remy lives on a decaying submarine somewhere in the Pacific。 Crewed by monks， some from the original crew of the Leviathan as they call the submarine， and some taken from raids on the surface world， where Remy is from。 Upon the death of their Chaptain（sp） their new leader decides the time of Judgement is upon the My thanks to NetGalley And Tor publishing for an advanced copy of this novel。In We Shall Sing a Song Into the Deep by Andrew Kelly Stewart， a young Chorister with secrets by the name of Remy lives on a decaying submarine somewhere in the Pacific。 Crewed by monks， some from the original crew of the Leviathan as they call the submarine， and some taken from raids on the surface world， where Remy is from。 Upon the death of their Chaptain（sp） their new leader decides the time of Judgement is upon them and their final nuclear v middle should be launched to cleanse the Earth of wickedness and evil。 The world depicted in the book though claustrophobic is well thought out and fascinating to watch unfold， with characters that are interesting and you can't help but root for。 The book is novella length， hopefully van intro to this brave new world， as I would love to know more about it。 Once the story unfolds it seems amazing that something like this never happened。 And looking at the world today hope it never will。 A very interesting well thought out novel， one of my favorites I feel for the year。 。。。more
Mogsy （MMOGC）
，