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readingwithtemperance's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I feel like I just really love books set in the afterlife honestly. I loved that you could visit your ancestors and all of the gods and goddesses. And choose what form you take as well.
The story itself was beautifully crafted. Very atmospheric and whimsical. I love stories based on folklore!
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Violence, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Miscarriage, Death of parent, and War
bethann_coleates's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Child death and Death
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Miscarriage, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
heatherpageone's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
First off, I really enjoyed the premise of the story. The setting was captivating, with a whimsical and mythical vibe that carried through the entire narrative. However, I felt that the execution fell short in some areas. The author introduced a lot of intriguing concepts and cool ideas, but they often felt underdeveloped. The story was packed with information and events, but there wasn’t enough time spent fleshing out these ideas, leaving them without proper explanation or conclusion. As a result, the world-building and magical system felt a bit confusing and lacked detail. The pacing was inconsistent, with some parts dragging out longer than necessary. As someone who appreciates well-fleshed-out worlds, I found myself a bit frustrated with the lack of depth in certain areas, but it still provided an enjoyable, if not fully satisfying, reading experience.
As for the characters, the main character was decent, and I found their romance to be sweet and cute. However, the relationship felt rushed, with not enough build-up to make it fully believable. The romance started from a rocky place, so it needed more development to really sell the connection between the characters. On the other hand, some of the secondary characters, like Kirin and Namgi, were quite interesting. I just wish we could have delved deeper into their thoughts and given them more opportunities to shine.
The plot twists towards the end were a nice touch, although some of them were predictable due to the hints dropped along the way. However, the ending itself felt rushed. I was hoping for more, especially when it came to exploring what happened to the Sea God in the spirit realm during the two-year gap after everyone returned to their respective places.
Overall, this book might be a good choice if you’re looking for a palate cleanser or an easy read, but it left me wanting more in terms of depth and development. It would likely appeal to readers who enjoy fantasy with a strong mythical element and don’t mind a bit of ambiguity in the world-building.
Minor: Child death and War
piprigsby's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Child death, Death, Blood, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death of parent
klsreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I REALLY wanted to love this book. Loosely based on a Korean fairy tale, it follows Mina, a young girl who sacrifices herself to the increasingly violent Sea God to save her people. In a page right out of Spirited Away, she falls through the sea into the Spirit World and must find a way to break the Sea God's curse. There were quite a few lovely ideas in this novel, but they were underdeveloped, weaving circuitous plotholes that left me exasperated.
This book was confusing - sometimes barreling at break-neck speeds through assassination attempts and sometimes dragging through memories and myth. I wish the author had spent more time developing the characters and world. It was whimsical and sweet, but the pace moved so quickly that the world collapsed on itself. We barely had time to get to know anyone - most things were shown, not felt, and there was little time for lingering or angst. I wanted more lyrical, fairy-tale esque prose because of the format. Perhaps this would've worked better as a short story? There were lots of explanations and little trust in the reader, which makes me think it was written for a younger audience. That being said, I did like Mina, though she fit many of the "special, strong chosen one" tropes (which can be done well, tbf). Namgi might've been my favorite character (queer, found family, creature of myth? Sign me up).
It's possible I'm not the demographic audience, which is ok! I might not have a cultural understanding. At this moment, this book wasn't for me. I recommend it if you like Studio Ghibli, easy-read fairy tales, and Korean folklore.
(Am I a hater?? This is not the best review streak, lol).
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Child death, Miscarriage, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and War
Minor: Bullying
nil033's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, and War
Minor: Alcohol
lunxchloe's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
5/5
Moderate: Violence and War
Minor: Child death, Death, and Blood
fiercereadsfiction's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Child death and Violence
Minor: War
smileypers0n's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Grief and Abandonment
Minor: Child death, Violence, and War
rileydobereading's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Death, Violence, Death of parent, War, and Injury/Injury detail