The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea
the New York Times bestselling magical fantasy
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4.4 • 18 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
'Clever, creative, and exquisitely written' STEPHANIE GARBER
'A beautiful, mesmerizing retelling' ELIZABETH LIM
Don't chase fate. Let fate chase you.
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is the New York Times Bestseller in a magical feminist retelling of a classic Korean legend, perfect for fans of Uprooted and Miyazaki's Spirited Away.
For generations, deadly storms have ravaged Mina's homeland. Her people believe the Sea God, once their protector, now curse them with death and despair. To appease him, each year a maiden is thrown into the sea, in the hopes that one day the 'true bride' will be chosen and end the suffering.
Many believe Shim Cheong - Mina's brother's beloved - to be the legendary true bride. But on the night Cheong is sacrificed, Mina's brother follows her, 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 finds the Sea God, trapped in an enchanted sleep. With the help of a mysterious young man and a motley crew of demons, gods and spirits, Mina sets out to wake him and bring an end to the 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 . . .
READERS ARE IN LOVE
'So magical and wonderful' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'It is a glorious woven fairytale' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'This is simply a masterpiece of storytelling' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In Axie Oh's (XOXO) transporting historical fantasy based off the Korean folktale "The Tale of Shim Cheong," a village throws a maiden into the sea each year in hopes of appeasing a violent sea god who wreaks devastating natural disasters. Mina, 16 years old and furious at the gods for abandoning her village, sacrifices herself as this year's Bride of the Sea God; in doing so, she takes the place of her brother's love in a bid to save her sibling. After the sacrifice, Mina arrives in the spirit realm, where she finds herself tied to the sleeping, seemingly cursed Sea God by the Red String of Fate. As she seeks to wake the Sea God, she's initially antagonized and eventually supported by the Sea God's protectors—including Lord Shin of the Lotus House, a cold teenage nobleman whose developing relationship with Mina complicates her quest. Though exposition-heavy dialogue slows the novel's pace early on, Mina's determination to save her village and restore the order between humans and gods pushes the pace to an enjoyable clip, enabling an atmospheric folklore interpretation that's sure to satisfy fans of historical K-dramas such as Moon Lovers. Ages 13–up.
Customer Reviews
Great!
I loved this take on the story. The world felt well established with a dreamlike vibe, and I finished this in just 3 days! Thanks Axie Oh