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A review by dmniccoli
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
5.0
I adore this book. Its enchanting. It’s heartfelt. It’s tender. The dialogue is witty, clever, and romantic. My heart was in my throat the whole book, and it kept surprising me (but in a good way!) The big reveals definitely landed and got me teary-eyed 😭
There’s no dilly dallying, we jump right in with Mina sacrificing herself, offering herself as the Sea God’s Bride, so that her brother and the love of his life can stay together. And so that she can put a stop to the storms that are terrorizing the coast and her people.
Mina is fierce and brave with the capacity to be unapologetically vicious in order to protect herself and the ones she loves, but she’s also observant and quick to adjust her world view when she sees signs that people or gods are not what they seem, and are perhaps better intentioned than she originally thought. Or have the capacity to change.
Shin, the Lord of Lotus House, protector of the Sea God, is a fierce and steadfast warrior, but he’s also so tender and caring.
*romance spoilers*
Mina and Shin start out as enemies, then tentative allies when they find out the Red String of Fate ties them together, and the progression of their relationship is really quite sweet and had my heart threatening to beat right out of my chest. Shin tries to hide it but of course he’s smitten with Mina, and there’s all these little gestures and words of affirmation & wisdom and understanding between them, and I just ate it all up.
Even when Mina and Shin are brand new allies and unsure of each other, they are never mean. Of course, they challenge and tease each other, which we love to see, but they are also surprisingly honest and supportive when it’s needed. As much as angst can be fun, I just loved seeing these characters surprise me and choose tenderness instead.
The point of contention between Mina and Shin is over how the Human and Spirit Worlds are negatively impacting each other.
Mina is frustrated and angry that the gods have abandoned humans and their prayers. Shin pushes back and argues that she’d blame the gods when human suffering is self inflicted, the result of their own choices—and that maybe it’s the gods who need protecting from humans. But neither are completely right or completely wrong, and this question comes full circle in the end, and as a result of the main characters’ choices both the Human and the Spirit Worlds are changed for the better.
I also gotta say that I loved the side characters—Mina’s grandmother and her wisdom, her siblings. Namgi is such a lovable ball of chaos who’s not afraid to tell it like it is but with humor. But is also a big sweetheart. Dai, Mask, and Miki look out for Mina and are so reliable and dependable. The strength of family and friends in this is so, so good and wholesome!
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh is infused with love—of friends of family of soulmates—and healing. My heart was so full having read this.
There’s no dilly dallying, we jump right in with Mina sacrificing herself, offering herself as the Sea God’s Bride, so that her brother and the love of his life can stay together. And so that she can put a stop to the storms that are terrorizing the coast and her people.
Mina is fierce and brave with the capacity to be unapologetically vicious in order to protect herself and the ones she loves, but she’s also observant and quick to adjust her world view when she sees signs that people or gods are not what they seem, and are perhaps better intentioned than she originally thought. Or have the capacity to change.
Shin, the Lord of Lotus House, protector of the Sea God, is a fierce and steadfast warrior, but he’s also so tender and caring.
*romance spoilers*
Mina and Shin start out as enemies, then tentative allies when they find out the Red String of Fate ties them together, and the progression of their relationship is really quite sweet and had my heart threatening to beat right out of my chest. Shin tries to hide it but of course he’s smitten with Mina, and there’s all these little gestures and words of affirmation & wisdom and understanding between them, and I just ate it all up.
Even when Mina and Shin are brand new allies and unsure of each other, they are never mean. Of course, they challenge and tease each other, which we love to see, but they are also surprisingly honest and supportive when it’s needed. As much as angst can be fun, I just loved seeing these characters surprise me and choose tenderness instead.
The point of contention between Mina and Shin is over how the Human and Spirit Worlds are negatively impacting each other.
Mina is frustrated and angry that the gods have abandoned humans and their prayers. Shin pushes back and argues that she’d blame the gods when human suffering is self inflicted, the result of their own choices—and that maybe it’s the gods who need protecting from humans. But neither are completely right or completely wrong, and this question comes full circle in the end, and as a result of the main characters’ choices both the Human and the Spirit Worlds are changed for the better.
I also gotta say that I loved the side characters—Mina’s grandmother and her wisdom, her siblings. Namgi is such a lovable ball of chaos who’s not afraid to tell it like it is but with humor. But is also a big sweetheart. Dai, Mask, and Miki look out for Mina and are so reliable and dependable. The strength of family and friends in this is so, so good and wholesome!
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh is infused with love—of friends of family of soulmates—and healing. My heart was so full having read this.