Book Review: The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea

Cover art for The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea

Author: Axie Oh

Published: 2022

Format Read: Hardcover

Genre: Fantasy

My Rating:  5/5 stars

I currently base my reviews loosely around the CAWPILE system developed by Book Roast on YouTube. I modify the categories depending on the format of the story I’m reviewing.

My star ratings are purely by my opinion and not measured by any particular metric.

SPOILER WARNING: This review will contain spoilers! Proceed with caution!

Summary

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.Many believe that Shim Cheong, the most beautiful girl in the village—and the beloved of Mina’s older brother Joon—may be the legendary true bride. But on the night Cheong is to be sacrificed, Joon follows Cheong out to sea, even knowing that to interfere is a death sentence. To save her brother, Mina throws herself into the water in Cheong’s stead.Swept away to the Spirit Realm, a magical city of lesser gods and mythical beasts, Mina seeks out the Sea God, only to find him caught in an enchanted sleep. With the help of a mysterious young man named Shin—as well as a motley crew of demons, gods and spirits—Mina sets out to wake the Sea God and bring an end to the killer storms once and for all.But she doesn’t have much time: A human cannot live long in the land of the spirits. And there are those who would do anything to keep the Sea God from waking…

Characters

Mina is feisty and follows her heart. She sacrifices herself for her brother’s sake and ultimately has a plan to save her people. When everything goes awry, she doesn’t give up, and I like that about her.

Shin is dark and mysterious, as are his two companions. They are a great dynamic trio and I love them.

I figured out Dai and Mask before the reveal, as well as a certain connection between Shin and the Sea God.

Shiki was really cool. (I may have a soft spot for ‘death’ characters…)

Honestly, I love all the characters. They are each so individual and well developed, you can easily imagine each of them.

Atmosphere

There’s a really cool, almost ‘city in Spirited Away’ vibe to the city. There’s mystery, but also a magical air to it that keeps you hooked.

Writing Style

I enjoyed Axie Oh’s writing style. It’s easy to understand I think she explains things well enough that you can picture what you need to.

Plot

Apparently this is a retelling of a Korean myth, if I’m not mistaken. And I love it. The plot is straightforward, but she tells it in such an enchanting way, you can’t help but want to know what happens.

Intrigue

How can Mina stop the storms? Among other questions that appear along the way, this one drives the entire story and everything works well to keep you interested.

Logic

Everything makes sense in a mythical kind of way, especially if you have even a slight understanding of these types of mythologies.

Enjoyment and Final Thoughts

I very much enjoyed this book. When I bought it, it was mostly because the cover art is absolutely gorgeous. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book, to the point it became my favorite read of the year last year. I look forward to her next stories.

Would I Recommend?

YES! I would definitely recommend, especially if you’re looking for something a bit different from the typical medieval fantasy or romantasy. The story is interesting and the romance is cute (and clean). I will recommend this to everyone who will listen.