'The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea' by Axie Oh is a beautifully written novels steeped in tradition and mythical tales. We first meet Mina as she prepares to sacrifice herself to the Sea God. For many years, her village and the surrounding communities have been terrorised by violent storms, the annual sacrifice of a young woman to the Sea God in an attempt to appease him. This year, her brother's betrothed has been selected and Mina throws herself into the sea instead, descending into the spirit realm. Once there, she finds the Sea God asleep and the order of gods looking after humanity distorted - she has a month to find a solution to the issue before she becomes a spirit permanently.

I enjoyed following Mina's journey through the spirit world as everything she previously believed about the Sea God is challenged. The narrative highlights the power of faith and the strong connections between families, regardless of whether they are still in the world of the living. Mina is supported in her quest by a number of interesting side characters, not all of them fully fleshed out but all bringing their own unique tale to the group. My favourite being, of course, Shin, his verbal sparring with Mina demonstrating her strength and determination to save the world.

Overall, this was an interesting novel and I think fantasy fans are going to enjoy Mina's story. 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the first 100 pages but then it went downhill. Overall this was very readable but nothing to write home about.

3.75/5 stars.

Axie Oh’s YA fantasy, The Girl who Fell Beneath the Sea follows Mina, who sacrifices herself to serve as the Sea God’s bride, in the hope that it will stop the deadly storms ravaging her hometown. It truly is a spellbinding exploration of love, humanity and Korean mythology, and I also can’t not mention how incredibly stunning the UK cover is. Additionally, as someone who was excited by the fact that this book had been compared to Spirited Away, I was not disappointed, since there was enough in common but also enough different to make for a really interesting read. I’ll be honest, it took me almost the first half of the book to get into it, but the characters, world and Axie Oh’s writing style all grew on me massively so I’m glad I stuck with it.

The novel features a great range of well developed and interesting characters, so many of whom I fell in love with (especially the side characters!), and lots of dynamics I was equally invested in. The romance was also really well written. I loved it, and in the final 20% I was on the edge of my seat about how Mina and Shin’s relationship would end. The world building was also really great and unique, and the book was largely fast paced and engaging. If it weren’t for the fact that initially, having been in a minor fantasy slump, I struggled to get into it, I would say that this is everything I could want from a YA fantasy read, and even then it comes very close.

*an eARC of this book was given to me by Netgalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review.*

Content warnings: death, violence and injury (not graphic), discussions of miscarriage and loss of a child, mentions of suicide and suicidal ideation.

"Don't chase fate, Mina. Let fate chase you."

A melange of Korean folk tales brought to life through a quasi-Shehrazad heroine.
Mina's world is ravaged by the Sea God's wrath. And to sedate the god's wrath for a time, the prettiest girl in her village is doomed to be thrown to the sea. One year, the choice falls on the beloved of Mina's brother. But when Mina takes the plunge in her stead, armed only with her great grandmother's dagger and her grandmother's repertoire of folk tales, she finds the world of gods and spirits as damaged as the world of humans.

Weary and confused, Mina re-examines her convictions and faith in the gods and herself. Everyone can possibly be a friend or a foe. But as MIna tries to use her time in the spirit world to save her own world and family , she learns that barely anything is what she believed it to be. All the while, many a tight spot was escaped by the telling of one of grandmother's stories.

The twists and turns of the story introduces us to a slew of interesting secondary characters. Themes of family, both born to and chosen, grief, loss and friendship are strongly introduced and pursued throughout the plot. The language is stunning and appropriate, something I was looking for after being ensnared by a few pretentious YA reads.

My only scruple would be that sometimes it dragged on for longer on minor subplots and then rushed through at others. And yes, there was one story too may, although the cultural ambience this book inspired was undeniable. I'll be on the lookout for more books by Axie Oh.

Many thanks Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book.

I was disappointed by this, sadly and was certain I'd like this one, and not just because of the stunning cover (look at how brilliant it is).

From the synopsis, I was expecting this to be like a whimsical fairytale, reminiscent of Howl's Moving Castle and Spirited Away, with brilliant descriptions of this spirit land, and a fun plot. I think my main problem with this book was how it was narrated. We were trapped in the first person of Mina's head when I wanted to see more of this world, which could have been better built if it had been narrated in third person. The writing, while not from the perspective I think would have worked better for the book, was brilliant. I do think that Axie Oh is a very talented writer.

I was going into this expecting it to be quite predictable, these sorts of stories always are. This book did not need to include a romance, especially since it wasn't that well established throughout the course of the novel.

So, yes, I was disappointed by this book, but I should have known better. My success rate with YA fantasy these days is rather low. However, one thing I will say, my opinion is in the minority. If this sounds like something you'd enjoy, you probably will!

An unbelievable sweet and beautiful tale inspired from Korean folklore and mythology.

Axie Oh has a beautiful, vibrant and lyrical approach to writing and this was clearly visible in all aspects of the book. I was engaged and committed to the story from page one, it had an even pace and gave of an exciting energy which keeps you turning the pages.

Rating: 4.5 stars. ⭐️

I was enraptured by The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea's dazzling cover, and was extremely heartened to find out that the story was just as beautiful.

"Don't chase fate, Mina. Let fate chase you."

This retelling of The Tale of Shim Ch’ŏng was nothing short of incredible, the world building was immersive and the spirit realm just ethereal, and every single character being integral in complimenting our main character. I loved also the theme of family and fate woven into this Young Adult fantasy. Truly enjoyed Oh's fantasy debut, will be looking forward to more!

Where do I start with this book?

Ok I know, I LOVED THIS BOOK. Honestly there was something so beautiful about this book that made my heart full to the brim with emotions. So bravo to Axie Oh for giving me all the feels, this does not happen often but when it does I am all in.

The book following main female character Mina. She sacrifices herself to the Sea God so that her brother can be happy with the one he loves. But less back it up a bit. Sacrifice? Sea God? I know sounds brutal yet amazing at the same time. So lets give you a brief outline of the storyline.

"Deadly storms have ravaged Mina’s homeland for generations. Floods sweep away entire villages, while bloody wars are waged over the few remaining resources. Her people believe the Sea God, once their protector, now curses them with death and despair. In an attempt to appease him, each year a beautiful maiden is thrown into the sea to serve as the Sea God’s bride, in the hopes that one day the “true bride” will be chosen and end the suffering."

As you can see from part of the blurb, Mina lives in just one village where it has been cursed by the Sea God. Every year the most beautiful young girl is to be sacrificed to the Sea God, to serve as his bride and the villages live in hope that the curse will be gone. This is a retelling of a classic Korean legend called ‘The Tale of Shim Cheong’ with the focus being on Mina being the hero of the story.

Already you know Mina is important in this story. Not liking the fact that a young female is sacrificed every year and still the curse not lifted, Mina takes things into her own hands on the year that young Shim Cheong is to be sacrificed. Shim Cheong is the beloved of Mina's older brother Joon. Mina follow both on the boat on the day that Shim Cheong is to be sacrificed and when she hesitates Mina sacrifices herself and jumps into the sea to take her place and become the Sea God's Bride.

Mina is swept away to the Spirit Realm where she will meet her "Betrothed" the Sea God and finally set her people free. The problem is when she gets there it is not what she is expecting and things don't go as she has planned. With the help of Shin - a surly young man of the Sea God's realm as well as spirits, demons and gods Mina is not only on a journey to wake the Sea God but a journey of growth in her own right.

OK enough about what happens lets talk Characters..

I loved them, simple as. Mina was strong, courageous and knew what she wanted to do. She wanted to help her family as well as the other villagers. Some might see her as selfish but I found her strong and someone that I would love to meet in real life. I liked how her character developed and she was the main character, the book was focused on her and her sacrifice her journey of self discovery.

The motley crew of demons and spirits. Oh my heart honestly I won't say much as it will spoil it but I loved them - I loved that they helped Mina and I did shed a tear when things were uncovered. Some will see it early on the twist with these characters and I admit I did but I still cried.

Shin - oh Shin. Some might not like him as a character but again I found him relevant to the story. We didn't get a full character growth from him but again THE MAIN FOCUS WAS MINA and HER JOURNEY. He was there when he needed to be and we got answers as well when they were needed. Overall the characters were exactly what they needed to be for this book.

The writing I found easy to read, I was swept away by the story and before I knew it I was finished. It was an emotional ride and as I may or may not have mentioned previously it was a firm favourite of mine and gave it all the stars. Axie Oh to me brought the story to life and I was able to imagine what was happening. Definitely will be reading more from this author.

Please be warned there are some trigger warnings for some readers. There is mention of death, loss of a child, grief, sacrifice, war, death of a parent.

Many, many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a ride. I lapped this up in 2 sittings. It would've been 1 if I didn't have to work in between - damn having commitments outside of my tbr!

What I loved:
- Complex characters and relationships - I loved Mina, our MC, but who did I absolutely adore? Our sidekicks, Mask and Dai who Mina encounters during her adventure.
- It's well known that I love mythological retellings and this is no exception - Oh paints a beautiful picture with her prose. You don't need to have any knowledge of Korean mythology prior to reading as this makes for a marvellous introduction.
- The world building; I really enjoyed that Mina's story wasn't the only one - there are multiple threads at play here and I was really interested in the story of Shiki, the Death God - Oh, if you're reading this, please tell me we might get this retelling too!!
- The tugs on my heart strings; certain reveals had me sobbing.

What I wasn't so keen on:
- Nothing. I loved this so much!

Read if you like:
- Reading: Daughter of The Moon Goddess, Six Crimson Cranes, The Song of Achilles
- Watching: The Little Mermaid, Spirited Away
- Enemies to lovers
- Forced proximity
- Fated romance

I read this book two weeks ago, I loved it, but I didn't know what to say about it. But it's time.
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is inspired by a korean legend and is set in a world where a girl is sacrificed every year to pacify the Sea God and stop the horrible storms. This year, the Sea God bride will be Shim Cheong. Mina, the protagonist, knows her brother loves Shim Cheong and to save his life, decides to sacrifice herself in her place. Mina arrives in the world of spirits where she discovers that the Sea God is in fact under a curse and she has only a month to save him and her people before she really dies. During her quest, she will meet various spirits and other creatures who will help her...or not.

I really liked Mask and her friend (I forgot his name, sorryyyy) but I wasn't really convinced by the male characters. They were fine but well, just that. I still liked how they interact with Mina. And Mina is a great character. She's very loyal to her people and isn't afraid to speak up even when the situation is scary.

The worldbuilding was amazing. I don't know what part of it was from the legend or the author's imagination, but I really liked it because it was ver immersive.

In short, a really good read !

TW : death

This book is truly magical! I was so excited when I was approved for this book because my favourite film is Spirited Away so if it was anything like it promised, then I was guaranteed to love it. It really doesn't disappoint!

It has a bit of everything; magic, love, family, friendship. I wasn't prepared for how much it would make me care for the characters, so much so that I was crying on multiple occasions. Mina is a great main character, she is strong willed but not without her flaws. The supporting characters were just as great (I especially loved Namgi and Miki).

This was my first book by Axie Oh and I don't think it will be my last! It was just so beautifully written and so engaging that I wish there was more so hopefully I can find the same magic in their other works.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is a beautiful, fable-like novel that draws from Korean mythology. It really hones in on the importance of story and storytelling, on family ties and on making your own fate when you don’t agree with the one set out for you.

I adored being in the Spirit Realm and meeting all of the gods, goddesses and mythical beasts. It gave me Spirited Away vibes!! Everything was just mesmerising. Definitely recommend this to anyone who loves myth, magic and whimsy.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Buzzwords: Korean mythology, Ghibli vibes, Spirit Realm, Fate, Familial bonds

TW for blood, death (including a stillborn child, not on page), grief, injury, war

"It is true that a wish is a piece of your soul. Because a true wish is something that if it never came true, it might break your heart."

Mina’s homeland, where storms destroy villagers every year, a bride is chosen and given to the Sea God. Or sacrificed, depending on the measure of your faith. Every year the storms begin, and every year a young beautiful girl is brought to the sea. They believe the Sea God has been cursed long years before and till he finds his true bride, villagers should throw a maiden in the sea to calm his rage.

Mina’s brother, Joon fell in love with Shim Cheong four summers ago, the most beautiful girl in the village, "the elders say Shim Cheong was fashioned by the Goddess of Creation to be the Sea God’s final bride", but Joon follow her to the sea, so do Mina!

"Why would the Sea God take me instead of Shim Cheong? I haven’t her beauty or her elegance. I just have my own stubborn will, the one my grandmother always said would be the curse of me."

The Sea God toke Mina to Spirit Realm instead, a place between heaven and earth filled with all kinds of wondrous beings, gods and spirits, and mythical creatures.

"Last I remember, I was falling through the sea. Yet I’m no longer underwater. It’s as if I’ve woken inside the belly of a cloud. A white fog covers the world, making it difficult to see past my knees."

Mina’s story begins when she finds the Sea God sleep and Shin toke her soul tied to her voice. At the end of the month, in the Spirit Realm, she will become a spirit then will take back her soul.

Lord Shin of Lotus House with his two always companions Namgi and Kirin thought Mina is like the other brides, BUT SHE IS NOT.

Humans are vulnerable in a world of dragons, of gods with unfathomable powers, of assassins who move unseen through the shadows, where Mask, Dai and Miki come to help Mina and I love them!

"My grandmother often said that the most dangerous of gods are the ones who are forgotten."

Mina search for her caged soul encounters with angry gods and beasts to protect her family, her people! But the Spirit Realm is not so harsh, she finds her heart, her ancestors, and new kind friends.

"The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is about a lot of things, but to me, it’s first and foremost about family."
As I can't agree more with the author of this amazing book, I only like to add kind heart, friendship, and faith to family.
This was an impressive and shaking story, I enjoyed it so much. I loved every character and never forget this city! Just be patient, give the story some time to reveal itself.

In the Sea God’s city, there are eight great houses:
Lotus House protects the interests of the gods,
Spirit House protect the interests of spirits,
Star House where the death god resides,
Sun House is to men and the emperor,
Fox House and the head of it is a demon,
Tiger House of soldiers,
Crane House is home to scholars.
Moon House for the Goddess of moon and memory.

Imugi and Dragon:
Imugi are creatures of salt and fire, a dragon is a being of wind and water. While an Imugi’s magic burns bright and fast like a shooting star, a dragon’s power is like a river, slow and steady, but limitless.
living one thousand years or by fighting in one thousand battles. Only then can we be elevated from snakes to dragons or a pearl of a dragon can transform an Imugi from a snake into a dragon. It’s rumored a dragon’s pearl can grant any wish.
Dragons are also three times the size of an Imugi, and universally benevolent and good. Not like Imugi. Imugi are evil.

My huge thanks to Hodder & Stoughton via Netgalley for giving me a chance to read The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh, I have given my honest review.

Beneath the sea,
the dragon sleeps What is he dreaming of?
Beneath the sea, the dragon sleeps When will he wake?
On a dragon's pearl,
your wish will leap.

Sacrifice is a commonly used theme in fantasy books, some of which I have cried over and others, like this, which I have enjoyed.
There are the usual two halves about this book that I need to talk about, the first being the story and the second the writing. I need to split this in a way I usually do not do in order for my rating to make sense.
The writing and the way the scenery shifted and the story went back and forth was brilliant. I do not use this word lightly. The number of times we move along in the narrative timeline, I should have been restless or mildly annoyed. I was neither of these things. The story played just the way I best enjoyed it. We start off with the ritualistic yearly sacrifice of a very beautiful woman predestined to be the wife of the Sea god. Mina has a big problem with this, the main reason being that her brother is emotionally invested in this endeavour, and she cannot see him unhappy. She finds herself accepted by the dragon (in exchange) and enters a new realm. Once there, she struggles to make choices to stay alive and not stick out among the other 'spirits' and unravel why the Sea god is no longer the benevolent overseer he once was. I liked the writing style and narrative flow enough to recommend this to anyone who wants to read a fantasy seemingly mired in Asian folklore (because I do not know any of the underlying legends), written intriguingly and seeming surprisingly shorter than it actually was (a rarity most times).
Now moving on to the second part of my review, the storyline itself. The plot was not bad. It was unique in its own way and had me emotionally invested in everything that was unfolding. As mentioned earlier, I did not feel like it was a long read, having finished it in a couple of sittings (more because I did not feel like putting it down-something I always cherish). That may also be because I felt like the last finale was a little rushed. Given how things had been playing out till that time, the final few scenes had too much happening in too short a time! I also guessed two things that were supposedly a secret. I am not sure how many people will see it as a surprise, but I did not, which took away a little of the excitement I was harbouring. If I was into giving half stars, I would have said this is a 4.5 out of 5 read, but since I do not do that, I am going to round it down.
I would highly recommend this to readers of this genre.

I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

I love how this started with a splash (pun intended) and we are thrown straight away into the story, a refreshing change from having to slog through introductory world building like in alot of YA fantasy books. Instead, background information and  character history unfolds effortlessly as the book progresses, often through the telling of a story or in a memory.

The rest of the story is lush and magical but also a little rushed and convoluted sometimes...not in any way enough to detract from my enjoyment of it though. Mina is great, as are the cast of supporting characters, I particularly loved Kirin and Namgi! Infact, I usually like when a book is a stand alone as I get daunted by commiting to a series but I would LOVE more from this world and its characters- I would immediately buy the Death god and Hyeri"s story!

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

The YA genre seems saturated by heroines who are (allegedly) neither beautiful nor intelligent but they are spunky and clumsy and bursting with goodness. Well, I have had my fill of these girls.

Wholesome, vanilla, inoffensive, The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is a relatively enjoyable YA read that tone-wise will definitely appeal to younger audiences (with very few alterations this could easily have been a middle-grade book). As usual, I was sold by the comparison, which in this case happens to be one of my all-time favorite films, Spirited Away. While The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea does present readers with some vivid descriptions of the Spirit Realm, the characters and world-building were not as nuanced as Miyazaki’s ones. Also, I couldn’t help but compare (unfavourably) this to other fairy-tale-esque YA books such as Daughter of the Forest and Six Crimson Cranes.
Anyway, the story is fairly plot-driven as we follow our ‘spunky’ heroine trying to put an end to the curse afflicting the Sea God, a god who once protected humans but for generations has been destroying her homeland by causing deadly storms. To appease him every year a beautiful maiden is thrown into the sea and becomes his bride. This year it will be someone from Mina’s village, the lovely Shim Cheong who happens to be the object of affection of Mina’s brother, Joon. Seeing how much they love each other Mina hijacks the ceremony and sacrifices herself instead. Once in the Spirit Realm, she discovers that the Sea God has been asleep for years and that only his ‘true bride’ can put an end to his curse. We don’t learn much about what happened to the previous brides, with the exception of one, and she doesn’t really get much page time. It would have been nice to know what these other brides got up to in the Spirit Realm but alas the plot is very much focused on Mina who is determined to save her people from future heartaches. She’s somewhat aided by the ‘mysterious’ Shin, and his two sidekicks, the funny one and the surly one. They do come into contact with other gods and spirits but these scenes are short-lived and rather rushed. Mina makes a few heedless choices because she just can’t bear not to do what’s right (le sigh), and she eventually develops feelings for someone.
Mina manages to make people help her left and right because her goodness is just that motivating. Eventually, we learn more about the Sea God and the identities of Mina’s newfound allies.
It would have been nice to have Mina think about her family more. She mostly thought of her grandmother when the plot needed it and it felt a bit unrealistic that she would so easily get over them. I was also tired of the narrative telling us that Mina was not beautiful or intelligent when it is quite obvious that she is the most special girl in the whole bloody book. The love interest was a bit bland and his sidekicks were rather cliched. The Sea God’s curse and the events that led to it were somewhat anticlimactic. The story tries to have Mina bring these gods and spirits to their senses by reminding them that there are humans who pray for them and need their help, but her arguments were so simplistic that it made it hard for me to believe that her words/actions would be so ‘touching’ to others. The ending could have easily been shorter as it came across as prolonged for no reason whatsoever. While there were certain elements that I liked and I did not find this to be an unpleasant story, well, it felt very mid. I guess I could see this book working for readers who enjoyed Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Gods of Jade and Shadow.
Sadly, I was rather disappointed by The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea, as I was looking for richer storytelling, a more developed cast of characters and world-building, and a less predictable plot. Overall this was an easy if forgettable read and I’m not sure whether I would read more by this author.

This book is written well and has a very descriptive text. This is such a powerful story. It reminds me of Miykaza Spirited Away. I love the spirit realm and how vast it is. I loved that this has been based on Eastern Asian folklore. At the centre of it, this novel is about the heart. Mina oh I adore her and how she sacrifices herself, its interesting to see the relationships which she forms with other characters. This is a must read for young adult fantasy

I have a full review here: https://youtu.be/lWU-nWbxGHU I like the concept and the lore around the book all the mythology the only let down of the book for me was the lost interest and the relationship because I felt something was lacking

Before everything I must say that this book is simply beautiful. Axie Oh's writing just breathes life into the story. the setting, the world building, the characters!! I am impressed. Yes there were certain parts that were predictable especially if you are familiar with Korean myths or have watched waay too many k dramas but that didn't make the story any less magical.

The themes of grief, hope and love were explored in this book which made for some emotional moments. Mina, the protagonist, was determined and brave with her task. I found it really nice that she didn't make a lot of stupid decisions that we see a lot of YA characters do. Even the side characters were great, I would love to know more about them especially Namgi (but *sigh* this is a stand alone).

Overall a magical story with the perfect amount of fantasy, adventure and romance written in elegant prose.

this was a beautifully detailed kindhearted story and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment.
I loved the flowing writing style and lovely characters! It was heart-warming and gorgeous 😌🌟✨
Axie Oh is an incredibly talented author who's books are always enjoyable to read.