Scan barcode
staceyinthesticks'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? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Minor: War, Death of parent, Grief, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Fire/Fire injury, and Child death
clariu25's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I'm glad I did.
The story follows Mina, a girl who sacrifices herself to help her village. Then she founds that the Spirit Realm and the Sea God are quite different from what the legends say.
I found the story very cute. Mina is a bit stubborn but she learns quickly that people are there to help her, not control her. She is of course going through the grieve of loosing her family while adapting to a new and completely unknown place and trying to fulfill her mission. I liked her character a lot, brave but kind, not a superhero but not a damsel in distress. Her relationships with each of the characters are lovely, each one of them is different.
The book touches themes of faith, family, friendship, love, death... It's a cozy read that warms your heart.
Minor: Miscarriage, War, Death, and Child death
indigo_fox'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
5.0
It is so easy to fall in love with these characters, even the one who is supposed to be the villain. The side characters don't get fleshed out much but you still get enough about them to get a solid understanding of their personality. Although, I wish I had more time to learn about these characters.
The story itself was fun. This is my second time reading the story but I remember being surprised at various points in the story, even when I had my suspicions about what was going on. It was just as fun to watch the mystery unravel on my reread. Things weren't any less suspenseful as I was anxious to get to the reveals I knew were just around the corner.
Overall the story was great! I always enjoy a good folklore retelling!
Graphic: Child death and Death
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Blood
Minor: Grief, Death of parent, and War
bree_h_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
Graphic: Violence, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Child death, Adult/minor relationship, and Blood
Minor: War and Death of parent
vif'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? It's complicated
4.5
Moderate: Violence and Death
Minor: War
kaitrates's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
The writing is ethereal and lyrical as we join our main character Mina on her journey through the Spirit Realm. There are plot twists and battles, romance and secret identities, evil gods and shapeshifting creatures, and much more.
I loved both the family and the found family, the gorgeous writing, and the new-to-me setting and lore.
Unfortunately, the romance felt rushed and underdeveloped to me as did some other parts of the plot, including the ending to a degree.
Overall, this was a great fantasy to start my year off with and I’d definitely read from this author again.
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Death of parent, Child death, and War
bellebookcorner'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? It's complicated
3.5
“Nothing extraordinary is ever done out of reason or logic, but because it’s the only way for your soul to breathe.”
Graphic: Child death and Death
Moderate: Violence, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death of parent and War
green_amaryllis's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Child death
Minor: War and Violence
emmieanna'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? No
4.5
I have wanted to read this book for a long time and it has sat on my shelf for almost a year. The descriptions are so lyrical and vivid and Axie really made me believe in Mina’s story. The only thing stopping me from giving the full 5 stars is the fact I wish it were a duology. I want to know more about this world and Mina’s aspirations, as well as perhaps Shin’s POV and more internal struggle from both of the characters. A lot of the time they changed their minds rather quickly and the plot is so fast paced that we don’t have time to dwell on details.
Overall, I could not recommend this book enough. It is a gorgeous folklore fantasy that has strong Ghibli and fairytale threads.
Minor: Death of parent, Violence, Miscarriage, Grief, Death, Injury/Injury detail, War, Kidnapping, Child death, Blood, and Adult/minor relationship
lauraloveslemons's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Grief, Violence, Blood, Death, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content, War, Infertility, Slavery, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy