Beautiful photo by @lostinbookworld
Hi Fairies!
Happy Thursday and welcome to day 1 of our readalong of The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea. I’m so excited to be reading this one with you, I hope you all love it!
Before we start, how are you all doing? I hope you had a wonderful weekend and got some reading and relaxing done.
Since today is day 1, we’ll be reading from Chapter 1 to the end of Chapter 6. Get comfy and let’s get started!
When you’ve finished today’s section, catch up with me in the comments down below so we can discuss the beginning of the book. Happy reading!
Please be warned, the following section will include spoilers for The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea by Axie Oh from the beginning to Chapter 6. Please only read on if you have finished this section!
–!SPOILERS!-
We join Mina at the shore, observing Shim Cheong standing on a boat ready to offer herself as the Sea God’s bride, but she’s not alone. Mina’s brother Joon is there too. Mina knows Joon will be punished for this, as no warrior is meant to accompany the Sea God’s bride but he says he couldn’t let her do it alone. He loves her.
Mina makes the split decision to put herself in Shim Cheong’s place and declare herself the Sea God’s bride. The dragon meant to accompany Shim Cheong beneath the sea seems to speculate, and seems to approve of Mina? She jumps beneath the sea. All to protect her brother and his love! I like Mina already.
Mina is falling, along with the dragon, and this is scaryyyy. She has flashbacks to stories her grandmother would tell her about the Sea God. She tells Mina the Sea God isn’t angry, he’s not punishing them, he’s just lost and waiting for someone brave enough to find him. I mean, if there’s anyone brave enough, it’s Mina right?!
When Mina comes around, there’s a red string of fate attached to her hand and she realises she’s in the spirit realm now. The spirit realm seems… freaky. An abundance of fog and carts without people, shoes without people? Where is everyone?
Mina thinks of the Sea God’s brides that came before her. Soah. Wol. Hyeri. Where are they all now?
When Mina follows the sound of a chime, it leads her to a shop full of wind chimes, and she recognises one! There’s a wind chime in the spirit realm that Mina made. She wanted to hang it above her niece’s cradle but her niece was born too early and didn’t survive. Mina threw the wind charm into the sea and now it’s here.
When she finds the Sea God. He is sleeping. In a fit of hatred Mina says she could kill him. She begs to know why the Sea God abandoned them, then she realises he’s just a boy. Around the same age as Mina herself. Has the weight of the world really fallen on him?
Even in his sleep tears spill down his cheeks and Mina feels bad for hating him so much. Mina sings for him, a song that her grandmother used to sing to her… and then a voice calls out that that’s enough… Has Mina woken the Sea God? Is he mad?
There are three masked figures in the room, asking Mina if she’s a bride or a bird… this is odd. They somehow know Mina wasn’t chosen to be the Sea God’s bride and want to know who chose her. Mina says she chose herself. Yaaaas gal!
They call her a magpie and say it’s romantic that she wants to save her kind by marrying the Sea God. Mina clings to the fact that he’s cursed and the Sea God hasn’t abandoned his people. They warn her she should never have come.
Mina argues that she will not let them take her life. She is cleverness and strength. Shin, one of the masked men, says he won’t take her life, just her soul and severs the Red String of Fate. When Mina gathers her wits there’s a magpie in Shin’s hands.
What on Earth just happened?!
Mina… can’t speak? Shin tells her that her soul is a magpie and her soul is tied to her voice as is often the case with storytellers or singers. Kirin and Namgi take the magpie – Mina’s soul – away to Lotus House but not before telling Mina she can come collect her soul at the end of the month?
Despite being unable to voice her worries, Shin can read lips and communicates with Mina and casually drops the bomb that in a months time, when she can collect her soul, she’ll be dead. A spirit. What about the Sea God????
Mina’s found by two spirits who notice her crying – they’re odd. One, a woman called mask, wears a wooden mask with a grandmother’s face on and a 8 or 9 year old boy, Dai, carrying a baby, Miki, on his back. They know her voice was taken and that she’s a Sea God’s bride and vow to help her get a job in Lotus House. As unusual as these spirits seem, I’m glad Mina has them to help her!
Mask and Dai take Mina to eat from one of the food carts. They have dumplings and Mina sneakily watches Mask to see if she will remove her mask to eat (I’d do the same) but Mask doesn’t eat hers, instead passing it to Miki.
They pass a procession and Mina finds out inside the golden box is a former Sea God’s bride, now destined to marry a death god. When Mina sees the woman inside the box, she realises it’s Hyeri. A girl Mina herself helped ready to be sacrificed to the sea some time ago. When she reminisces about Hyeri opening up to Mina about not wanting to die, Mina is crying. Dai tells her she cries too much and they tell Mina Shiki the death god and Shin fought over Hyeri… interesting?
Then, they’re at Lotus House. When Dai knocks, the door opens and there stands Nari… who is Nari? I’m intrigued!
We’re off to an amazing start! Already this is so atmospheric and shrouded in mystery, I can’t wait to see what happens!
Make sure you leave a comment with your thoughts and feelings, I can’t wait to see what you all think!
I’ll be back tomorrow for more readalong fun!
Love,
Shannon
Mina is such a powerhouse, to take that leap for someone you love is just something else. It was really interesting to see her soul form too, a Magpie. The pace this story goes is just right.
That’s such a perfect way of describing Mina, I love it! ?
I dove in blind (haven’t read the blurb or have and forgot ) so I might be completely off with my theories… But my first thought when I saw the dragon that took Mina to the Sea God was that he could be the god himself and then, that his soul might be trapped in the dragon form like Mina and her magpie. And I feel like the scene with her lost wind chime that she stumbled upon was there for a reason…
I didn’t expect for things to escalate so quickly by our girl losing her voice! I liked that bit as well as the three “musketeers”, especially Shin ((is he the love interest?)). The highlight of today’s section!
I have questions about the curse that put the Sea God to sleep, the memory / vision or whatever it was that Mina saw and I am also intrigued by the animosity between the lord of Lotus House and the death god because of Hyeri??? Sounds promising!
I can’t wait to find out who Nari is to Mina and what awaits her in the Lotus House. Will she manage to get her soul back within a month? What about her family, Joon and Shim Cheon now that Mina took her place as the Sea God’s bride? Were they punished? Also, Mina’s new companions seem to be fun.
So far the story has my attention. And I am excited for more!
((or is it a star-crossed kind of romance of Mina and the Sea God?))
i had the same thought about the dragon! i’m curious to see if she will take it in a different direction! also, the banter between Shin and Mina definitely caught my attention!
with Hyeri previously being a Sea God’s bride, does that mean that she failed at the task Mina has been set to complete? Is that how she was now able to marry the death god?
I also wondered about the connection between the sea dragon and the sea god!
If the Sea god is supposed to be the move powerful god, who could have cursed him? The chimes also intrigue me, I wonder if they are the recipe for breaking the curse.
ALSO!!! The Death God is marrying an old sea god bride. And apparently the head assassin guy wasn’t at the wedding because he and the death god are fighting about love, but not over the girl ??? secret romance brewing??
So glad you’re enjoying it so far! ?
Okay, okay, i already finished the first six chapters, i hope i can follow up the readalong considering the book isn’t too long <3
i always love retellings, especially if i don't know the original tale yet so i can learn about it, there are so many super intteresting tales out there, this one seems to work really really well for a book!
At first i thought i wouldn't like Mina that much but even after some chapters in i realized that she is a pretty cool girl that i start to adore!
I'm really curious why there is the actual dragon outside collecting girls every year when the boy is actually asleep – i really wonder what's going on with him, what brought him to this state.
That Mina doesn't have a voice for now will be quite interesting cause of the communication issue, so far lip reading and guessing what she meant worked out but i bet this will be quite tricky.
also i'm already in love with the spirit world and the three "kids" Mina met there even though it's very bittersweet considering they are all dead and especially dying at such a young age.
and gasp the other brides are still out there roaming in the spirit world, i'm already excited what this will bring – i suppose i start with the next chapters right now <3
So happy to hear you’re enjoying it so far! ?
Props to Mina for not even hesitating to sacrifice herself to save her brothers love.
I also really like how fast paced the beginning is!
Yesss, Mina is amazing! ?
What a rich world the spirit realm is! I hope Mina is able to find and connect with more former Sea God brides. I want to know what happened to them all and if they found happiness.
I get the feeling this story is going to go exactly like how Namgi predicts. But maybe with a bit of a love triangle with Mina, Lord Shin and the Sea God thrown in. Will she be able to wake him?
I love this little band of spirit who’ve taken to her. I wonder if we’ll find out how they died and why they were so insistent on remaining in the spirit world.
The little group of supportive spirits are my fave! ?
Love the books so far. The first thing I keep coming back to is the comment about the forest and winding path. I also think that Miki may be Mina’s niece.
So happy you’re liking it so far! That’s an interesting theory! ?
I have a theory but not sure if I’m allowed to say? Really enjoyed the first 6 chapters and found it pleasant to read not too hard to follow with having paused the other books I’m reading atm to read this ?
You can say! We love reading your theories ?
I already finished the book last week but am excited to read these posts for the read-along! I really enjoyed the book overall and think it was a great pick for the monthly box. 🙂
So happy you liked it! ?
So many things going on! Myra is such a force, diving into the water and giving her life for her brother and his love. What a cool lady. I loved all of the imagery from the sea to the palace to the little beach town.
I felt a little claustrophobic when she lost her voice. That is really hard! Will she get it back? Will she “live” or experience a long future? Will she be the true destiny of the sea God? Will she see her family again?
I love the characters we’ve met so far, especially the children. I love that Myra knows the former sea God’s brides and I’m really interested to see what happens with them.
Was it just me or was anyone else wondering if Shin was really the sea God and the “sleeping prince” just a pawn?
I don’t know this story at all so I’m really excited to see what happens next!
Oops. Mina. I’m reading 2 books at once! One MC is Myra, the other Mina.
I already have read the book all the way through and I liked it a lot!
On the last day of readalong i will share my opinion with you about the book.
Until then, I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did!
Love u all!
???
Action right away! I got Alice in Wonderland vibes – Mina “falling” into a fantasy world with creatures and different characters. Can’t wait to read on.
Love that comparison! ?
Really enjoying this one so far! I like how it jumped straight into the action of Mina jumping into the sea to save her brothers love. I’m intrigued to see where the story goes but so far I’m slightly wary of Mask and the three cloaked figures. The world however is so vivid and I can’t wait to read more
I’m so happy you’re enjoying so far! ?
I was not expecting it to jump into the story so quickly!
Mina seems like such a strong and ruthless character, looking forward to see how this relates to the story as it unfolds.
Also feeling like her wind chime for her niece being there and her finding it so quickly seems significant.
Looking forward to tomorrow to find out who Nari is and Mina’s surprise at seeing her.
So far this book is good and so easy to read! Can’t wait to see how the story goes.
I’m really intrigued by the whole setting of the city Mina finds herself in! Alsoooo, is Shin the love interest?!
If so, I’m EXCITED
Wow, I’m really liking this story so far. The writing is beautiful and it feels like I’m in a fairytale. I understand the Spirited Away vibes now. I think the premise of this book is so good! I love the Spirit Realm that Mina is in right now, very interesting. The world seems vibrant and so full of life. I also love the fact that sea creatures are just swimming/floating around in the Spirit Realm. I’m curious about everything, as it all seems so mysterious. Who are all these people and what happened to the Sea God? Why was Mina’s soul taken? What is Shin’s motive? I can’t wait to find out more alongside Mina, who is a very likable and relatable main character!
So glad you’re liking it so far! ?
Well Axie Oh wasted absolutely no time at all getting to some juicy parts of the story, did she!?
I don’t haven’t read something so quickly for ages! Looking forward to reading more tomorrow ?
Yessss, I love that we’d dived (sneaky swimming pun there ?) straight in! ?
Mina is such an interesting main character. I love how much she cares for her brother and his happiness that she sacrifices herself instead of his love Shim Cheong. I’m very intrigued by Shin and his two friends. I’m not sure what their angle is yet but I hope they become allies.
I love how quick of a read this book is and how easily I became invested in the story.
oooh this is so good already. Great pace, lovely narration, easy to read. Mina is a great character, strong and unafraid. I have a feeling about Shin. This my theory: Shin is really the Sea God and the curse has trapped someone close to him on his throne and there is a quest to be completed to free him. The brides are taken to hopefully complete the quest but it has to be someone special to be able to do it. Of course that is going to be Mina. Probably way off the mark but that is what I am thinking so far. I do think that Shin is going to be the love interest.
I’m so glad you’re enjoying it! ?
I went into this not knowing a whole lot except for the very basic inspiration, but it’s done really well with holding my attention, the fast pace is the right kind of fast to keep me engaged!
I like Mina, she’s strong-willed but also willing to be emotional which is nice to see, I really like Shin, those have a good dynamic right off the bat and I’m interested to see how it develops (still not sure if he or the Sea God is the love interest, or if something else is going on there).
Also, completely separate from all of that, I feel for Joon, seems like a top kind of guy and I hope he and Shim Cheong can be happy together because they seem like they deserve it <3
Generally, I've had a lot of fun annotating my copy, drawing red strings everywhere as well as my stellar thoughts haha
Okay so I am already obsessed with this!! I think the description of the world is amazing and I actually feel like I can see everything playing out scene for scene. Mina is AMAZING!! Like seriously to jump off a boat into the sea with a dragon and not know what’s going to happen?! Seriously you go girl, I love a main character when they’ve got some oomph.
Shin now Shin… I am very intrigued by him, there’s definitely more to him than meets the eye and I can’t wait to see where we go with him? Like maybe he’s a possible live interest?
I think things are happening very quickly and seem to be moving at a pretty good pace which I appreciate! I love it when a book gets going right from the off, so yeah I can’t wait to read more!! ??
Emily (@emmies_booksta) xxx
There is so much happening in this story already! Mina goes beneath the sea so fast and the Sea God sleeping? I did not see that coming. This Lord Shin character has me wondering if we are going to see a love triangle happen.
I love a good love triangle! ?
This is one of my most anticipated reads this year! I’m liking Mina so far and I really like the mystery of the plot – it’s definitely engaging. I do think the beginning was a bit too rushed, I wish we got at least a few pages of development to see Mina’s relationship with her brother. I also sense some romance and am very curious on that front!! Excited to see where this goes!
I am so excited for this book! It has been a while since I have had a book that has hooked me so quickly I can not wait to find out what happens. I really liked the idea of her soul being a magpie, and I am excited to find out what the significance is of the wind chime being there in one piece.
The setting and world building in this book reminds me severely of Spirited Away. While I know Spirited Away is inspired by Japanese mythology, while the setting is inspired by many places one being a mountain town in Taiwan and this book is inspired by Korean mythology, I wonder if the myths have any similarities or stem from the same beginnings. I’ll definitely be looking more into this, but am so far loving it. I’m routing for Mina and am really interested by the sleeping Boy.
Axie has mentioned that she loves Spirited Away! I’m going to have to watch it. ?
so far i am really vibing with the mythological aspect! the storytelling doesn’t seem forced and it feels fresh. it is reading a little young for me, but it is enjoyable nonetheless. is it bad that I am shipping Mina with Shin instead of the Sea God?
this is my first time doing a readalong so i’m excited to interact with everyone!
I think I’m rooting for Shin too! ?
It was really interesting to me how right away, in chapter one, Mina went into the sea and how now we’re seeing bits of her past revealed as the story goes on. I love the worldbuilding and I’m excited to see how it expands.
So glad you’re enjoying it so far! ?
Wow this is SO MUCH like Spirited Away that Mina keeps morphing into Chihiro as I read. I love Spirited Away so that’s not really a bad thing, just wild how much of it I can see in this.
I’m pretty hooked into Mina’s quest already, except I keep getting distracted to look at the end papers of the book because they’re SO GOSH DARN PRETTY.
I have to admit I’ve never seen Spirited Away but I’ll definitely be watching it! ?
I am so intrigued by the characters that we’ve been introduced to so far, and it’s so fun to speculate how this story is all going to pan out! I’m curious about the Sea God and Shin and how they are possibly connected, because despite the whole soul-stealing and ‘assassin’ mask vibe he genuinely seems like a caring guy. Excited to keep reading!
I’ve started this book blind, knowing only that it’s inspired by a Korean folkstale (I’m a sucker for retellings!), but nothing more and I’ve really enjoyed these first few chapters. Things really did escalate quickly! I think that the dragon is definitely the god himself… much like Mina’s soul takes the form of a Magpie. I also really like Mina, she seems really strong and selfconfident: I loved how she ‘chose herself’. I think that it’s very interesting that she has lost her voice and I look forward to see how she is going to communicate with others. Moreover, I’m very curious as to why the Death God is marrying an old sea god bride!
My favorite quote is:
“Who are you to say what my fate is – if I am to fail, or if I am to succeed? My fate is not yours to decide. My fate belongs to me.”
This seems like a very promising start. I can’t wait to read on!
That is such a great quote! I love how strong minded Mina is! ?
Really love how this one got started RIGHT away!
So quick to dive into the plot, and really respect that. The writing so far has such a wonderful fairy tale vibe to it, and can’t wait to read more.
Super intrigued by what is up with the Sea God, and wondering what might be happening with Lord Shin…
I always read late at night and post on here a day late but wow this just jumped right in! It was almost a little disorientating for that first chapter or two but after that, I was 100% here for it and had a hard time putting it down after this day’s chapters.
I have been looking forward to this book for months! It has a very intriguing start and I am really liking Mina, the parts where she is reminiscing about her brother Joon do choke me up a bit and the story gas only just begun
I have been looking forward to this book for months! It has a very intriguing start and I am really liking Mina, the parts where she is reminiscing about her brother Joon do choke me up a bit and the story has only just begun
Oooh, enjoying this one so far. I have two theories – one that the dragon is Shin somehow and that Mina will break his curse and the Sea God’s curse too and Mina and Shin will be the romance if Mina has one.
Second theory, is that Shim Cheong was somehow involved with the dragon before and that’s why she shied away. Something is going on with the shying away thing anyway….
Hoping to catch up with today’s chapters tonight or tomorrow morning 🙂
The setting of this book gives me Ghibli movie vibes, which I’m all in for! I really like Mina and want to know her more. I am also intrigued that the Sea God is a young boy. Also curious about the ‘assassins’, who are definitely not assassins. 😀
These first chapters were a great start, can’t wait to read more!
I love when the story starts with the girl being a boss! The first few chapters give you subtle hints of what’s to come, I’m guessing Shin will be the love interest and I love a good enemies to lovers trope, super interested in mask and dai, and Miki are they siblings or just spirits of children that look after each other? Also love the fact she can’t talk it gives more to the storyline, she’s not only trying to save her village by helping the sea king, but also in a race against time to save her life.
This one has me so intrigued right from the get go and compelled to keep reading to find out what is going on….
I admire how devoted to her brother Mina is. She jumped right off the prow of that ship and sacrificed herself. She had no idea what waited for her when she did that and I adore her for doing it anyway. Her love is limitless.
I am loving the imagery and symbolism in this one….the dragon, the magpie, the Red Ribbon (Red String of Fate)…the Wind chimes. I might not know what they all mean just yet but I’m enjoying them immensely!
I’m wondering if Mask is one of Mina’s grandmothers? And maybe Miki is her niece? Either way, I am enjoying the spirits that Mina is meeting as she attempts to get her soul back.
And, I am definitely curious about Shin. I’m also wanting to know more about the Sea God and what caused him to go into this sleep he’s in.
I’m really liking the story so far!
I know I’m really late but wanted to pop in and say that I’m enjoying the book so far! This is my first read-along and I couldn’t be happier with the choice of book! I thought it was neat how this one started right at the point, I agree with others who said that this was a little jarring at first but now that I’m in a rhythm I’m loving it!
I already know that I will love this story. Easy to read and easy to get lost in the Spirit Realm. Also, this FL cover is so pleasing to the eyes, I like me some pastel colours plus the edges are ?
I love Mina, especially when she said My Fate belongs to me. I truly believe that we are the masters of our own fate.
Excited to read on. Will we see more of Shin in the story? Is he the love interest? Will we see the previous Sea God’s brides other than Hyeri?
I also see some Spirited Away vibes liked it’s been said
I’m a little late, but I’m definitely really excited to get reading in this book. This was one of my most anticipated books this year.
Currently it’s off to a bit of a slow start as I’m trying to work out what’s going on, but I really enjoying the whimsical environment of the story.
I devoured this book. The beginning just sucks you in and from there on you can’t put it down. Mina is a bad a** and I am here for it. Take control girl.
So, I’m liking Mina already as a heroine. She’s “ordinary” in terms of status, looks, talent, or whatever else they judge by, but is fierce, smart, & passionate. I feel like her losing her voice (very Ariel/The Little Mermaid) & hearing HER wind chime will have a connection. Also, I may be wrong, but I feel like Shin isn’t so bad as he seemed to her. Oh, & in his description, there was mention of his eyes reminding her of the dragon. Could the dragon be related to him or even the Sea God the way her Magpie is related to her?
Nari must be the spirit of someone she lost in the human world, but who was she to Mina? If Mina will die within a month of losing her soul, & the other Sea God’s Brides have been here for years, does that make Hyeri a (dead) spirit to still be here & marrying the Death God? Will she come across the other former Sea God’s Brides that she named before?
The Fairyloot edition is so pretty!! I don’t think I ever read the blurb for this book so I’m going in blind. So glad that it is fast paced and straight into the action. Enjoying the banter with mask and Dai.
I’m enjoying the book so far. I like that it gets into the action quickly and it is fast paced.
I have lots of questions. Who cursed the Seagod and why? Is the dragon related to the Seagod? Who is the love interest? I thought it was going to be the Seagod, but now I wonder if it could be Lord Shim?
Late to the party but just started this today! Wow does this story just throw you into the plot, I usually like books like that but this feels like a little too much too quickly.
I am curious to see where this story goes and what happens!
I’m a bit late to the party but So far I’m really enjoying the story. I like how it’s jumped right into things. Mina seems like such a strong and fearless character end I’m very excited to see how she fairs in the spirit world.
I’ve also been very interested in the myths and setting of this story as I don’t know much about the Asian culture.
The spirit world aspect seems very interesting and I can’t wait to know more about it. I also hope the Mina little band of spirit kids are in in because they seem very entertaining.
Also I can’t wait to learn more about Shin! He is very mysterious and I can tell there is a lot more to learn about him.