Cozy Quill | The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea

Axie Oh

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A New York Times Bestseller! Axie Oh's The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is an enthralling retelling of a classic Korean folktale, perfect for fans of Wintersong, Uprooted, and Miyazaki’s Spirited Away.

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.

Praise for The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea:

An ABA Indie Bestseller

“On every page I found something marvelous and new, and I was eager to keep reading because I wanted to further explore this wondrous new world.” —The New York Times

“A beautiful, mesmerizing retelling I wish I’d had when I was growing up. ... A heartfelt tale that I will be recommending for years to come.” —Elizabeth Lim, New York Times-bestselling author of Six Crimson Cranes

“A clever, creative, and exquisitely written tale of sacrifice, love, and fate.” —Stephanie Garber, New York Times-bestselling author of Caraval

Also by Axie Oh

2026 Book Club Season

This year our focus is utilizing the library as much as possible, so we've chosen books that have released in past years to make those holds a bit shorter. We have a free book club for our members hosted in the Cozy Quill Discord.

Each month, I will create a forum for the book we're reading set in three-chapter clumps for discussion. I've carefully considered our books for this year, BUT these are absolutely subject to change. My goal is always to diversify our book club offerings, so if we discover a new story here or there that would improve on that mission, we're flexible.

Looking forward to more cozy reading with you this year!

Monthly Book List

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