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emmieanna's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- 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 run a YA bookclub and this was a book that they chose almost unanimously to read next. What a beautifully written, folktale infused story with so much heart.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent, Violence, Miscarriage, Grief, Death, Injury/Injury detail, War, Kidnapping, Child death, Blood, and Adult/minor relationship
lauraloveslemons's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Violence, Blood, Death, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content, War, Infertility, Slavery, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy
mattyb's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆/☆☆☆☆☆
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Alcohol, Miscarriage, and Kidnapping
tashtasher's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- 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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Murder, War, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Minor: Child death, Fire/Fire injury, and Kidnapping
wickedgrumpy'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
shushkeepitdown's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
The eye catching cover was what made me want to read it. I do want a physical copy by sadly can't get one for now. With the beautiful cover it comes with a beautiful story. The characters are unique, dealing with their own struggles. Mina is definitely a protagonist who I love dearly. Her motives were done for the people she loved to the point she was willing to risk her life. None of the characters were boring however the story itself was a bit confusing since the sudden change in scenery is done so quickly. They go from one point to another so fast you sometimes might forget where they had gone. The ending was a bit predictable but there was a point in the story when Mina had to choose between the sea god and Shin, whether she actually became the sea god's bride I thought maybe this story wouldn't have a happy ending. I'm glad it ended happily. Not too difficult to read and the story is also nice. I think what gives it a bit of a lower rating for me is the love between the two characters just feel a bit bland? It wasn't as interesting as I had hoped but the rest of the story makes up for it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Genocide, and Blood
Minor: Death of parent, Child death, and War
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