The Mountains, the Sea, and the Spaces in Between

by S.M. Hyun

A search for a woman gone sideways.

Another woman in possession of deadly secrets.

Camellia Kimoto is a simple person living a simple life. That is, until she gets the call-out for a Search and Rescue deployment rife with complications—of the supernatural variety. One of which is none other than the enigmatic Rafael Sugiyama. Also known as the sea kami’s huntsman.

Suddenly, Cam’s once routine existence is filled with evasions and subterfuge as she struggles to keep her secrets hidden while the pursuit of their missing person goes awry.

In the ultimate search riddled with high stakes, will Cam manage to survive? Or will she lose her heart…and her life?

Unknown Binding

Reviews

[Stefanie Verhelst · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story brings elements of Japanse folklore and Korean terms/ culture to the table. It was both interesting and enriching.

The are cute creatures, a nice slow burn enemies to lovers and such intriguing characters!

A must read for someone who wants to read a unique urban fantasy with Asian culture.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easiest 5 stars I’ve read this year

Honestly I wish I could give this book more than 5 stars. It was just fantastic. The whole entire story, the characters, the K9s, and Pea in her entirety.

I never wanted it to end, almost threw my kindle a couple times, and absolutely cannot wait for the next book. Highly recommend this to anyone wanting something unique.

[Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cover is beautiful but doesn't tell you what this is about. The blurb is not much clearer[1]. So here's my take.

Camellia Kimoto came to the US Pacific Northwest as a refugee fleeing death, trauma, and war in her homeland. She runs a successful Search and Rescue business and is well connected among the Japanese and Korean supernatural community in the area (the /yokai/ [2]). For years she has avoided trouble and protected her own, sharing the grief of lost family and lost homelands with her beloved search dogs, an eclectic found-family team of not-quite-humans, and some powerful friends who are feared even among the /yokai/. Guarding her heart and her secrets but unable to really heal.

Yet terrible things are happening in the sea kingdom, and the despotic dragon sea-god [/kami/] has sent his personal hunstman to Oregon to retrieve his runaway life-partner, last seen missing on a hike in the area. The /kami's/ deadly monsters swarm on Cam's territory. Can Cam find the woman first? Nor is this hunstman what he seems - mercurial, brooding, and tormented, one thing is sure - her life and her heart cannot go back to normal once the hunstman is in it. And there is more at stake than one woman's life. The struggle of gods and immortals could destroy all she has worked to build.

And Cam will let that happen over her dead body.


--
OK, that's my attempt at a blurb. I have used some terms the text does not. It's not completely spoiler free but much of this is apparent in the first few chapters, and you can't really say what the book is without dropping at least some of it.

Tonally, this is mostly a monster-action book. I could actually imagine Owen Pitt and his crew from Monster Hunter International showing up in an SUV and joining the fight, Cam cussing them out for imagining that their silver-laced ammo will do anything to a swarm of /jorogumo/ spider-women-monsters. Though the author is less keen on fight scenes but certainly into gore and horrific injuries.

At a metaphoric level there's a meditation here on immigrant experience and the experience of loss and trauma. On the positive side, even when talking about Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the book is refreshingly neither woke nor anti-woke but just completely uninterested in such Western categories. On the negative, Cam is seven kinds of messed up, and many of the characters we meet are the last of their kind; this makes for a melancholy book. Superficially there are some similarities to Gaiman's American Gods, including a suggestion that faith might create nonhumans. But for Gaiman faith is a core theme, where as Hyun is more interested in the cultural aspect.

The main reason I haven't given 5*, I will paraphrase the British arrest caution: "it may harm your final act if you do not mention, earlier in your book, important information you rely on for your denoument". There's a tough balance between infodump and WTF in a book with this much backstory, and for me it wasn't quite right.

Finally, as a Christian reader, I find the book thematically a mixed bag. It could be read as an elegy for an animistic worldview that is dying in the disenchanted modern world. It is frequently brutal with little hope to relieve it and with "gods" who deserve no respect or worship. And yet Cam herself is a figure who gives grace even to monsters who don't deserve it, and who champions choice and redemption for the powerless even though those are alien virtues to the powerful in her culture.

[1] I don't mind an occasional "Forrest Gump's chocolate box" book pick based on a nice cover where I don't know what I'm getting. But it does seem to go completely against the grain of Gen Z culture and modern publishing. Russell Newquist has a good substack series about the mistakes he made starting in indie publishing in this regard. I can't help feel this book would sell better with a better blurb and a hot Korean woman, brooding Japanese man, and cute rescue dog on the cover battling a dragon or something.
[2] the book drops a lot of Japanese and Korean words in italics. Reading on Kindle, you can get a Wikipedia lookup for a lot of them instantly. There is a glossary but in the Kindle edition this is at the end and I only realised once I'd finished.

[sonali| reads_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

the fantastic blend of japanese folklore and korean legends was such a beautiful element of this book. initially, i had issues reading the book as i am a stranger to japanese & korean terms from their rich lores, but as the story progressed— i got a grip on those words. i appreciate the glossary S M has attached at the end of the book, it was such an interesting experience to know these legends and how this was introduced in the modern world!

there are fur babies— they're K9, smart, adorable and interesting, and a sweet little pea— my favourite part of the book!!

the characters were such an intriguing aspect of this book— they were unique and fun to meet, especially cam (herself), uncles and aidan! S M's writing style was brilliant with her choice of words, vivid descriptions for the underwater realm which plays a great role in plot and monologue of her quirky characters that gave her sense of humor. there are more secrets left to be uncovered in the next installment for which i'm looking forward to. the only complaint i've with the book is i somehow felt the character chemistry between cam and possible love interest a bit underdeveloped, which could've been worked through a bit more?

other thing which was a special highlight for me in the book was the struggle of belonging from a mixed ethnicity and the experiences that come from it (mostly the bad ones with a few good ones), possibly drawn from the experiences of the author herself.

if you're looking for a book that breathes life into creatures from the japnese & korean mythology, legends and folktales, love good witted characters and meeting adorable fur babies in the book— this book is perfect for you!

thanks SM Hyun for an ARC copy and thanks Rena Violet for introducing me to SM in the first place.

[forgetmenotlibraries · Rating 5 out of 5]

📚 ARC Book Review

Book Title: The Mountains, the Sea, and the Spaces In Between
Author: S.M. Hyun
Genre: Urban Fantasy / Fairytale Retelling
Release Date: 6/5/25
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)

📝 Summary

This story follows Camellia Kimoto on a supernatural search-and-rescue mission, where she joins forces with the suspicious kami kariudo, Rafael Sugiyama, and a tight-knit crew of found family she’s gathered over the millennia. It’s a journey steeped in magic, reimagined Asian fairytales, and high-stakes adventure.

💭 What I Liked
• Enemies to lovers? Yes!
• Found family? Yes!
• Cute animals galore? 100%
• Strong female main character? Absolutely!
• This book had all the tropes I adore. Each delivered beautifully!
• I especially want to highlight how S.M. Hyun writes about food. It’s more than just a meal in this book. Shared meals became a symbol of connection, comfort, and shared culture. Those scenes made me feel like I was sitting at the table with the characters.

❓ What I Didn’t Like

Honestly? Nothing comes to mind. I’m usually not a big fan of slow burns, but this isn’t primarily a romance novel! The romance develops naturally, and it fell just right into the story.

📖 Favorite Quote

S.M. Hyun wrote several moments that had me cackling in various cafes across my town. My favorite line by far?

“His auburn head popped out of the pantry, a bag full of snacks in one hand, and a bag full of smut in the other. ‘I’m armed and ready. Let’s roll.’ “

[Maggie Lane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took a chance on this book as Korean culture/folklore is not something I would gravitate toward in books. BOY am I glad I got this book! The characters have a depth to them that makes you eager to learn more about them. Thank goodness the book came with a glossary for people like me who knew little to nothing about the folklore of the culture as well. The cover art, the chapter images, and the depictions of characters made the book so encompassing of a world you want to explore in to meet all of them. I am eager for the next book to come out!

[Aster Rowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. The main character, Cam, was amazing. She kept going and fighting despite everything she'd been through. Rafael was a very interesting character and I adored Pea! I found the world building fascinating, both the human SAR rescue and the magical creatures and places. The story was great, with excellent action and plot twists. I will be looking out for the next book in this series.

[Reading Willow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of being an early reader for the Mountains, the Sea, and the Spaces in Between... and what a pleasure it was !!!

The Asian folklore blends perfectly into this urban fantasy to create a unique and interesting world that was impossible to put down.

All the characters have an incredibly unique voice. This book will have you screaming, crying, and laughing with/at them.