chrisljm's review
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Honestly I feel like three stars is being generous but the book was entertaining enough so I'll leave it. However I found the plot drags and meanders, and it just felt incredibly unorganized. The characters were flat, and not to say they're unlikable, but there wasn't enough development for me to grow attached to any of them, and this includes all the relationships as well. The prose itself was pretty and flowery, but it also felt juvenile and repetitive. I think the book was too ambitious, and perhaps with a different editor it could have been better.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Alcohol, Violence, Blood, Self harm, War, Death of parent, Injury/injury detail, Miscarriage, Murder, Grief, and Child death
Minor: Pregnancy
eatingbrains's review
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Oof.
While I agree that the premise is reminiscent of the movie Spirited Away and Uprooted by Naomi Novik (two things I enjoyed thoroughly), it was very much written for a YA audience. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. I think the main difference between YA classics and contemporary YA is that the classics are written to be understood by younger audiences but will still have a broader appeal.
At the end of the day, this one missed that mark for me. It was very much full of emo, cringey moments, insta-lovey when I could have sworn they were initially portrayed as enemies. The pacing was bizarre and very jarring (which could be attributed to a dream-like quality, if I was being generous). Situations were convenient when needed to be, and I often had to suspend my disbelief to continue reading. Lastly, the characters were lacking development and the repetition got old (referring to all of the grandmother's grandmother bits, and so many sentences starting with "But").
While I agree that the premise is reminiscent of the movie Spirited Away and Uprooted by Naomi Novik (two things I enjoyed thoroughly), it was very much written for a YA audience. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. I think the main difference between YA classics and contemporary YA is that the classics are written to be understood by younger audiences but will still have a broader appeal.
At the end of the day, this one missed that mark for me. It was very much full of emo, cringey moments, insta-lovey when I could have sworn they were initially portrayed as enemies. The pacing was bizarre and very jarring (which could be attributed to a dream-like quality, if I was being generous). Situations were convenient when needed to be, and I often had to suspend my disbelief to continue reading. Lastly, the characters were lacking development and the repetition got old (referring to all of the grandmother's grandmother bits, and so many sentences starting with "But").
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Sexism, Violence, Xenophobia, Alcohol, Blood, Confinement, Miscarriage, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Grief, Injury/injury detail, and Medical content
empathreads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Mystical, all-consuming, and a marvel to read. The plot and character development were beautifully geared toward a lesson on how it takes a brave heart to change things. You either let fate decide for you or let fate chase after you. The world-building was easy to comprehend and imagine with the straightforward details it let on. I just loved it, especially that it didn't have unnecessary content and was very straight to the point considering it is a standalone novel. And you just can't help falling in love with the characters brimming with emotions. The tales being told felt nostalgic and brought back childhood memories. I've added it to my list of books to reread.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Pregnancy, Violence, War, Blood, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief
melaniereadsbooks's review
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for an ALC of this book.
To combat the deadly storms, each year Mina's village sacrifices a bride to the sea god, as legend says only his true bride will stop the storms. But to save her brother's beloved, Mina takes the place of the chosen sacrifice and falls beneath the sea to the realm of spirits, where she will find there is more to the legend than she originally thought.
This was so beautiful! I definitely see why it says this would be great for fans of Spirited Away because it definitely is! I loved the mythology and beautiful storytelling. The characters were excellent and the pacing was really good! Mina is such a great main character and I love how fierce and determined she is to save the ones she loves. I also love the red string of fate woven through this entire story!
I do wish that it felt like the characters knew each other better. At one point it seemed like they just all really liked each other and I wasn't sure exactly what Mina had done to make them all her friends at that point. I did love this though!
To combat the deadly storms, each year Mina's village sacrifices a bride to the sea god, as legend says only his true bride will stop the storms. But to save her brother's beloved, Mina takes the place of the chosen sacrifice and falls beneath the sea to the realm of spirits, where she will find there is more to the legend than she originally thought.
This was so beautiful! I definitely see why it says this would be great for fans of Spirited Away because it definitely is! I loved the mythology and beautiful storytelling. The characters were excellent and the pacing was really good! Mina is such a great main character and I love how fierce and determined she is to save the ones she loves. I also love the red string of fate woven through this entire story!
I do wish that it felt like the characters knew each other better. At one point it seemed like they just all really liked each other and I wasn't sure exactly what Mina had done to make them all her friends at that point. I did love this though!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, and Child death
Moderate: Grief, Violence, and War
Minor: Blood, Injury/injury detail, and Murder
elmewhy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
~~4.5 Stars~~ 14th February 2022
*rounded to 5 stars
Beautiful, a poetic tale filled with myths coming alive, true love, loyalty, and sacrifice.
I got so invested in this world and the characters that I read it in one sitting, the story flowed easily, and the pacing felt just right. Plus, Axie Oh did a wonderful job in describing the settings/location, the Spirit Realm felt mystical and real, I really fell into this world as much as Mina did.
Mina is a wonderful heroine, she's written as not the most beautiful, strong, or wisest but she is by far the most loveable and relatable - her loyalty and love to her family shines through and fuels her bravery and strength. The other characters are wonderful compliments to Mina and help her with the journey but I felt we could have been given more depth into their lives and motivations.
I enjoyed how this book managed to avoid a lot of cliches, mainly with Mina, and how although she wasn't the "chosen one" she chose herself for the sake of her family. I didn't mind the ending it felt peaceful and well rounded. Purely selfishly I felt there were times within the book things could have been explored more (romance building with love interests, depth into side characters, more explanation into the gods/myths) but I can't fault how easily this book sucked me into this tale. A really wonderful read that deserves all the hype for its publication.
Plus the cover is stunning, I'll definitely be trying to get a physical copy upon publication.
Details
-Plot: fast-paced
-Romance: PG, Slow-burn, M/F main love interests
-TW: Child loss, small mentions of blood and violence (nothing too gore, very tame)
-Ending Happy/Sad/Unfinished:
Thank you to NetGalley for this e-ARC copy in exchange for an honest review
*rounded to 5 stars
Beautiful, a poetic tale filled with myths coming alive, true love, loyalty, and sacrifice.
I got so invested in this world and the characters that I read it in one sitting, the story flowed easily, and the pacing felt just right. Plus, Axie Oh did a wonderful job in describing the settings/location, the Spirit Realm felt mystical and real, I really fell into this world as much as Mina did.
Mina is a wonderful heroine, she's written as not the most beautiful, strong, or wisest but she is by far the most loveable and relatable - her loyalty and love to her family shines through and fuels her bravery and strength. The other characters are wonderful compliments to Mina and help her with the journey but I felt we could have been given more depth into their lives and motivations.
I enjoyed how this book managed to avoid a lot of cliches, mainly with Mina, and how although she wasn't the "chosen one" she chose herself for the sake of her family. I didn't mind the ending it felt peaceful and well rounded. Purely selfishly I felt there were times within the book things could have been explored more (romance building with love interests, depth into side characters, more explanation into the gods/myths) but I can't fault how easily this book sucked me into this tale. A really wonderful read that deserves all the hype for its publication.
Plus the cover is stunning, I'll definitely be trying to get a physical copy upon publication.
Details
-Plot: fast-paced
-Romance: PG, Slow-burn, M/F main love interests
-TW: Child loss, small mentions of blood and violence (nothing too gore, very tame)
-Ending Happy/Sad/Unfinished:
Spoiler
Happy. Mina leaves her family unknown if they will meet again in the future but she joins her soulmate and newfound family/friends in the Spirit Realm married to the Sea God.Thank you to NetGalley for this e-ARC copy in exchange for an honest review
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Child death, Blood, Violence, Death of parent, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/injury detail, and Murder
More...