The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea
AXIE OH
Synopsis:
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…
Content:
Language: Not present
Violence: A few fight scenes involving swords, monsters, and magic. There are some descriptions of blood, but nothing too graphic. There are discussions of past wars and destructive storms, and the river of dead in the underworld is said to be near overflowing.
The majority of the fighting happens with these snake monsters who believe that by fighting in a thousand battles, they will become dragons.
Sex: A chaste kiss, discussion of marriage (including arranged marriages), as well as a married couple who lost a child. Two unmarried characters sleep in the same bed, but nothing happens.
LGBTQ: Not present - though there could be an implied attraction between two male characters
My Review: I was expecting much more from this. It wasn't bad—I just had too many questions for me to give it higher than three stars. After reading so many raving reviews, I was confused about what everyone else had made of these unanswered questions (some that were kind of vital to the story!). There were things that just did not make sense, but I was able to enjoy it for what it was.