Deadly storms have ravaged Mina’s homeland for generations.
Floods sweep away entire villages, while bloody wars are waged over the few
remaining resources. Her people believe the Sea God, once their protector, now
curses them with death and despair. In an attempt to appease him, each year a
beautiful maiden is thrown into the sea to serve as the Sea God’s bride, in the
hopes that one day the “true bride” will be chosen and end the suffering.
Many believe that Shim Cheong, the most beautiful girl in the village—and the
beloved of Mina’s older brother Joon—may be the legendary true bride. But on
the night Cheong is to be sacrificed, Joon follows Cheong out to sea, 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 seeks out the Sea God, only to find him caught in an enchanted
sleep. With the help of a mysterious young man named Shin—as well as a motley
crew of demons, gods and spirits—Mina sets out to wake the Sea God and bring an
end to the killer 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…
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My Review:
*I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley*
Mina lives with her family in a small coastal village. Every year, a young woman is picked as the Sea God's bride, a sacrifice in a bid to ease the devastating storms caused by the Sea God.
The girl chosen as the next Sea God's bride is Shim Cheong, Mina's brother Joon's love. On the night that Cheong is taken out to the sea, Mina follows, jumping into the sea first.
Mina finds herself in the Spirit Realm alongside ghosts and creatures, some of whom don't want Mina to find the Sea God or break the curse that keeps him asleep.
With only one month to wake the Sea God before she will be unable to leave the Spirit Realm, will Mina succeed?
The premise for this book really intrigued me, but I was also slightly hesitant to read it - I tend to have unpopular opinions and was worried I wouldn't like it - but I ended up being glad that I gave it a chance.
Mina was a likeable and relatable protagonist who loved her family and helped others. I enjoyed the glimpses of her life at home that were scattered throughout the book, as well as seeing how Mina reacted in the different situations she was put in while in the Spirit Realm.
I liked a lot of the side characters and the relationships Mina had with them. I would be interested to find out more about them all.
The mythology was interesting, as was the setting of the Spirit Realm.
The plot was fast paced and held my attention throughout. There were several times when I was surprised by something that happened, which doesn't happen very often in YA nowadays.
The writing style was easy to follow, and I would be interested in reading another book by the author, as well as reading this one again at some point.
Overall, this was an enjoyable, unique read that I would recommend.
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