Into the Sunken City: Chapters 18–24

by Dinesh Thiru
In a future world, most cities are now deep underwater and inhabitants like Jin, her sister Thara, and their companions live sparingly by diving for treasure in these sunken cities. A ragtag team is assembled to find a massive stash of gold in the ruins of Vegas-Drowned, but many obstacles — corsairs, sea beasts, fear of diving — threaten their very lives.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1–3, Chapters 4–7, Chapters 8–11, Chapters 12–17, Chapters 18–24
15 words 7 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. lilting
    characterized by a buoyant rhythm
    I lower myself back to the road, trying to think through my options, when a blur of white light skids to a stop in front of me, and a lilting voice carries through my comm.
    “You all right, Jinny?” Silva says.
  2. transient
    lasting a very short time
    Flashbangs are single-use transient blasts of projected light.
  3. assess
    estimate the nature, quality, ability or significance of
    Dad and I occasionally acquired them so we could assess a big mansion for point of entry.
  4. bravado
    a swaggering show of courage
    I can see their faces at close range, but even when I can’t, their voices are clear enough: Silva’s lilt, Hitesh’s stiffness, Cao’s concern, Khaddhi’s bravado.
  5. cephalopod
    a marine animal with a head and tentacles
    “My guess—it was some kind of cephalopod.”
  6. painstakingly
    in a very careful manner
    Silva’s mouthing something to me, and I see him swishing his hands up and down across his suit, removing jellies by the dozens, and then slowly, painstakingly, crushing them with his hands.
  7. vacuous
    devoid of matter
    I’m not coming back from this.
    I guess I always knew that. I knew it deep in my bones, where the fear lives, where the hope dies. This is where Dad departed. This is where I’ll go. This dark and vacuous place where people once played out their entire lives.
  8. conniving
    good at tricking people to get something
    Silva had a spare battery in the tool bag. It feels like a swamping miracle. I would kiss him were he not a murderous, conniving liar still holding my sister hostage.
  9. prehensile
    adapted for grasping especially by wrapping around an object
    I look down and a colossal prehensile tentacle is wrapped around Silva’s suit leg, now pulsing a deep indigo, hues shifting by the second.
  10. sidle
    move unobtrusively or furtively
    I sidle up to Silva underwater, clipping my duffels to the buoy alongside his.
  11. prostrate
    stretched out and lying at full length along the ground
    Taim’s in the cabin. I’m on the aft deck with Bhili, and Silva and the Dongos are prostrate beside us.
  12. contort
    twist and press out of shape
    “And where’s the rest of our people?” Izzy says. “Mayra, Cao, Khaddhi, and Hitesh.”
    “Claimed. By the deep,” I say.
    “That right...” Izzy’s silver rings lift, contorting her face into a rictus.
  13. rictus
    a gaping grimace
    “And where’s the rest of our people?” Izzy says. “Mayra, Cao, Khaddhi, and Hitesh.”
    “Claimed. By the deep,” I say.
    “That right...” Izzy’s silver rings lift, contorting her face into a rictus.
  14. apoplectic
    marked by extreme anger
    I move to untie Silva’s gag, but Bhili signals me off. “João’s gone a bit...what’s that word—apoplectic.”
  15. sojourn
    spend a certain length of time; reside temporarily
    “Do you remember the prayer Dad used to say when you tended your garden?” I ask.
    Thara has the most peaceful smile as she says the words. “That spirit, that went far away, to the waters and the plants, We cause to come again, that it may live and sojourn here.”
Created on Mon Aug 17 20:47:57 EDT 2026 (updated Tue Sep 08 11:39:35 EDT 2026)

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