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A Plagued Sea
Not yet published
Expected 11 Aug 26First the flood
Next the sickness
Last the change
Visionary Korean author Kim Bo-young unleashes a Lovecraftian nightmare of infection, transformation, and abomination.
“[Kim Bo-young's] fiction is a breathtaking piece of a cinematic art.” ―Bong Joon-ho, Academy Award-winning director of Parasite
While waiting for a train to Haewon, an isolated Korean seaside village, bodyguard Mu-young gets a disaster alert on her phone. TVs throughout the station report breaking news of a massive earthquake on the eastern coast. Despite the danger, Mu-young boards the train with her niece: she’d rather face the earthquake than leave the girl in her mother’s care. That choice haunts her for the rest of her life.
Three years later, Haewon Village is home to horrors. The earthquake unleashed an ancient plague that transforms its victims into fishy monsters, and the government’s lockdown has cut off any hope for help. Mu-young’s niece is dead, and all that’s left for her is to hunt villagers who break isolation. When an officious bureaucrat from Seoul arrives in the village, he stirs up even deeper trouble. Will Mu-young survive? Does she even deserve to?
Next the sickness
Last the change
Visionary Korean author Kim Bo-young unleashes a Lovecraftian nightmare of infection, transformation, and abomination.
“[Kim Bo-young's] fiction is a breathtaking piece of a cinematic art.” ―Bong Joon-ho, Academy Award-winning director of Parasite
While waiting for a train to Haewon, an isolated Korean seaside village, bodyguard Mu-young gets a disaster alert on her phone. TVs throughout the station report breaking news of a massive earthquake on the eastern coast. Despite the danger, Mu-young boards the train with her niece: she’d rather face the earthquake than leave the girl in her mother’s care. That choice haunts her for the rest of her life.
Three years later, Haewon Village is home to horrors. The earthquake unleashed an ancient plague that transforms its victims into fishy monsters, and the government’s lockdown has cut off any hope for help. Mu-young’s niece is dead, and all that’s left for her is to hunt villagers who break isolation. When an officious bureaucrat from Seoul arrives in the village, he stirs up even deeper trouble. Will Mu-young survive? Does she even deserve to?
112 pages, Hardcover
First published May 30, 2020
About the author
Kim Bo-young
14 books163 followersKim Bo-young (Korean: 김보영; born 1975) is a South Korean science fiction writer based in Gangwon Province, South Korea. In addition to her novels and short story collections, she has worked as a script advisor for Bong Joon-ho's Snowpiercer in 2013.[1] She is the first Korean science fiction author to be published by HarperCollins.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 208 reviews
July 4, 2026
Highly recommended for anyone who likes atmospheric horror. Beautiful language fuels our creeping dread that some inevitable nightmare is waiting for us at the end of the story.
A Plagued Sea is adapted from Lovecraft’s The Shadow Over Innsmouth but don’t worry, you don’t need to have read it! However there’s plenty of references if you’ve read the original. I particularly liked that the bigotry from the original is still present but it’s more complicated to sort through. Anyone who enjoys the Cthulhu mythos has plenty to dive into!
Kim changes the original story’s POV from a complete outsider, to Mu-young, a sight seeing visitor who’s been quarantined with the village. While she’s not a part of the community, she still has been abandoned by the government and lives with the constant threat of becoming ill.
Mu-young has taken it on herself to patrol the village at night, ensuring the sick do not mix with those who are still well and endanger them. She’s so disgusted over the disfigurement that accompanies the disease that she uses extreme & unnecessary force against the ill. Complicating this is her trauma. She brought her niece with her to sightsee and now she’s died of the disease. Mu-young’s guilt manifests through violence and it isn’t until she finds closure that she understands her own ablism.
A Plagued Sea is adapted from Lovecraft’s The Shadow Over Innsmouth but don’t worry, you don’t need to have read it! However there’s plenty of references if you’ve read the original. I particularly liked that the bigotry from the original is still present but it’s more complicated to sort through. Anyone who enjoys the Cthulhu mythos has plenty to dive into!
Kim changes the original story’s POV from a complete outsider, to Mu-young, a sight seeing visitor who’s been quarantined with the village. While she’s not a part of the community, she still has been abandoned by the government and lives with the constant threat of becoming ill.
Mu-young has taken it on herself to patrol the village at night, ensuring the sick do not mix with those who are still well and endanger them. She’s so disgusted over the disfigurement that accompanies the disease that she uses extreme & unnecessary force against the ill. Complicating this is her trauma. She brought her niece with her to sightsee and now she’s died of the disease. Mu-young’s guilt manifests through violence and it isn’t until she finds closure that she understands her own ablism.
Read
July 1, 2026Well, that was dissappointing. I expected horror, but it was not scary at all. The plot dragged and dragged, and it just didn't do anything to me.
The writing is so bland. There are no emotions whatsoever. There are no feeling described, and if the main character has ever felt fear, I'd have no idea.
The writing is so bland. There are no emotions whatsoever. There are no feeling described, and if the main character has ever felt fear, I'd have no idea.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Review in the June 2026 issue of Library Journal
Three Words That Describe This Book: Lovecraft retelling, immersive fear, sea soaked horror
Draft Review: What if Lovecraft’s “The Shadow Over Innsmouth” (1931) took place in an isolated, Korean, seaside town in 2020 where Muyong (our narrator) has been trapped for three years? During a holiday with her young niece, an earthquake revealed a volcanic island thrust from the seafloor and a strange disease started spreading, killing some and turning the infected survivors into fish-like creatures. The government has closed the town off from the rest of the world. But when a professor of infectious disease enters town, the truth of what has really been going on and who is responsible for it starts to emerge and the revelations are terrifying and violent. Bo-young’s novella casts a spotlight on the horrific ways humans have always treated the victims of disease (eg. leprosy, AIDS, COVID-19) while she also grapples with Lovecraft’s version of cosmic fear, of facing a monster that is so evil and cares so little for the insignificance of humanity, that they stand helpless against it. But in her version, hopeless does not equal powerless.
Verdict: Not only a stellar example of the enduring power of Lovecraftian Horror across time and place, but also a direct assault on the racism and misogyny of its creator as seen in titles like House of Bone and Rain by Gabino Iglesias, The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle, and Winter Tide by Ruthann Emrys.
An excellent example of the enduring power of Lovecraftian Horror: Facing a horror that is full of malice, does not care one bit about the insignificant humans, and the narrator knows they are completely powerless. How do you respond?
Being helpless but not powerless-- the author discusses wrangling with this distinction as she wrote in the author's note.
She also makes some of the quiet parts of The Shadow Over Innsmouth-- loud. I appreciated that as will many in a modern audience. I am getting ahead of myself though.
Stellar retelling of the Lovecraft novella The Shadow Over Innsmouth but set in a seaside town in Korea. It has a the same themes-- the town has been isolated because of an earthquake and an ensuing infection of the people who were there after. For the last 3 years everyone in the town has been forced into a quarantine.
We have 2 outsider perspectives here-- one, our narrator Muyoung Seo has been on the ground since the quarantine- a trapped tourist, but as a trained security guard she has spent those three years enforcing the quarantine for the limited police force. She is an outsider with some inside friends. She has lost her niece to the infection.
The other, a visiting professor of infectious disease-- he is more the traditional Lovecraft narrator here. We only hear his POV in 2 letters. One at the start of the novella and one at the end.
Otherwise, readers are following Muyoung as she is figuring out what is going on-- really-- the professor visiting-- the first visitor in the town in 3 years is seen through her eyes and relayed to us.
As the villager turn to attack the professor-- they also turn a little on Muyoung as well. But because Muyoung has some personal connections to the infected humans she makes different choices.
I don't think any of this is a spoiler because the story this is all based on is 95 years old.
Both are led to make different choices as they learn the truth. And the idea of is all of this true or is it in their heads and they are going mad in different ways-- it's all here. And here the human horrors of prejudice are not shared by the author-- rather she is speaking out against that and instilling a lot of sympathy for the infected villagers for being treated badly for something that is no fault of theirs.
The professor is an excellent addition to the novella. It connects it to the source material very firmly, while still allowing a new version to emerge. Without him, those 2 letters, and his visit thru Muyoung's eyes, this is not a 5 star read.
Readers will clearly draw connections to this story and COVID-19 quarantines and how people are treated when sick, how those who get an illness are often blamed that they deserved it. Also how quarantines are unfairly placed. I thought about AIDS victims as well because there is a lot of talk here about the village not being worth finding a cure, they should just stay isolated forever or even worse, be killed.
A lot packed into this one sitting read. So thankful Tor Nightfire got it translated into English.
Level of Victor LaValle's The Ballad of Black Tom of Lovercfrat literal retelling. It is hard to do well. To capture the cosmic fear, the monsters, the original racism and turn its on its head, and to make a 1931 story resonate so clearly today. Almost 100 years later.
Other Lovecraft retellings by people Lovecraft himself would have hated that are at this level-- House of Bone and Rain by Gabino Iglesias and Winter Tide by Ruthann Emrys-- those connect more directly to The Shadow Over Innsmouth specifically.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Lovecraft retelling, immersive fear, sea soaked horror
Draft Review: What if Lovecraft’s “The Shadow Over Innsmouth” (1931) took place in an isolated, Korean, seaside town in 2020 where Muyong (our narrator) has been trapped for three years? During a holiday with her young niece, an earthquake revealed a volcanic island thrust from the seafloor and a strange disease started spreading, killing some and turning the infected survivors into fish-like creatures. The government has closed the town off from the rest of the world. But when a professor of infectious disease enters town, the truth of what has really been going on and who is responsible for it starts to emerge and the revelations are terrifying and violent. Bo-young’s novella casts a spotlight on the horrific ways humans have always treated the victims of disease (eg. leprosy, AIDS, COVID-19) while she also grapples with Lovecraft’s version of cosmic fear, of facing a monster that is so evil and cares so little for the insignificance of humanity, that they stand helpless against it. But in her version, hopeless does not equal powerless.
Verdict: Not only a stellar example of the enduring power of Lovecraftian Horror across time and place, but also a direct assault on the racism and misogyny of its creator as seen in titles like House of Bone and Rain by Gabino Iglesias, The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle, and Winter Tide by Ruthann Emrys.
An excellent example of the enduring power of Lovecraftian Horror: Facing a horror that is full of malice, does not care one bit about the insignificant humans, and the narrator knows they are completely powerless. How do you respond?
Being helpless but not powerless-- the author discusses wrangling with this distinction as she wrote in the author's note.
She also makes some of the quiet parts of The Shadow Over Innsmouth-- loud. I appreciated that as will many in a modern audience. I am getting ahead of myself though.
Stellar retelling of the Lovecraft novella The Shadow Over Innsmouth but set in a seaside town in Korea. It has a the same themes-- the town has been isolated because of an earthquake and an ensuing infection of the people who were there after. For the last 3 years everyone in the town has been forced into a quarantine.
We have 2 outsider perspectives here-- one, our narrator Muyoung Seo has been on the ground since the quarantine- a trapped tourist, but as a trained security guard she has spent those three years enforcing the quarantine for the limited police force. She is an outsider with some inside friends. She has lost her niece to the infection.
The other, a visiting professor of infectious disease-- he is more the traditional Lovecraft narrator here. We only hear his POV in 2 letters. One at the start of the novella and one at the end.
Otherwise, readers are following Muyoung as she is figuring out what is going on-- really-- the professor visiting-- the first visitor in the town in 3 years is seen through her eyes and relayed to us.
As the villager turn to attack the professor-- they also turn a little on Muyoung as well. But because Muyoung has some personal connections to the infected humans she makes different choices.
I don't think any of this is a spoiler because the story this is all based on is 95 years old.
Both are led to make different choices as they learn the truth. And the idea of is all of this true or is it in their heads and they are going mad in different ways-- it's all here. And here the human horrors of prejudice are not shared by the author-- rather she is speaking out against that and instilling a lot of sympathy for the infected villagers for being treated badly for something that is no fault of theirs.
The professor is an excellent addition to the novella. It connects it to the source material very firmly, while still allowing a new version to emerge. Without him, those 2 letters, and his visit thru Muyoung's eyes, this is not a 5 star read.
Readers will clearly draw connections to this story and COVID-19 quarantines and how people are treated when sick, how those who get an illness are often blamed that they deserved it. Also how quarantines are unfairly placed. I thought about AIDS victims as well because there is a lot of talk here about the village not being worth finding a cure, they should just stay isolated forever or even worse, be killed.
A lot packed into this one sitting read. So thankful Tor Nightfire got it translated into English.
Level of Victor LaValle's The Ballad of Black Tom of Lovercfrat literal retelling. It is hard to do well. To capture the cosmic fear, the monsters, the original racism and turn its on its head, and to make a 1931 story resonate so clearly today. Almost 100 years later.
Other Lovecraft retellings by people Lovecraft himself would have hated that are at this level-- House of Bone and Rain by Gabino Iglesias and Winter Tide by Ruthann Emrys-- those connect more directly to The Shadow Over Innsmouth specifically.
June 27, 2026
Un omaggio esplicito a Lovecraft, come dichiarato anche dalla stessa autrice nella postfazione al punto da definire il suo romanzo una “riscrittura” del mito di Chthulhu.
Per una buona metà, “Il mare infetto” è più hollywoodiano che horror cosmico, complice anche un’impostazione più aderente all’action che all’evocazione. Dà il meglio di sè nelle ultime 30-40 pagine, in cui si entra veramente nel vivo e iniziano pure i brividi sulla schiena.
In definitiva: esercizio di stile, puro intrattenimento.
Mi ha molto divertito però.
Me lo sono goduto felice durante un viaggio in treno.
Per una buona metà, “Il mare infetto” è più hollywoodiano che horror cosmico, complice anche un’impostazione più aderente all’action che all’evocazione. Dà il meglio di sè nelle ultime 30-40 pagine, in cui si entra veramente nel vivo e iniziano pure i brividi sulla schiena.
In definitiva: esercizio di stile, puro intrattenimento.
Mi ha molto divertito però.
Me lo sono goduto felice durante un viaggio in treno.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
4.0 Stars
This was a wonderfully atmospheric lovecraftian horror novella. I am always looking to read more translated horror and I was pleased to find one that I enjoyed so much.
Obviously, I'm not reading the original writing but I felt that the translated version was quite pleasant to read.
It was a fairly short story but it matter to leave a good impact. I would recommend to readers as long as they don't mind a shorter page count.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
This was a wonderfully atmospheric lovecraftian horror novella. I am always looking to read more translated horror and I was pleased to find one that I enjoyed so much.
Obviously, I'm not reading the original writing but I felt that the translated version was quite pleasant to read.
It was a fairly short story but it matter to leave a good impact. I would recommend to readers as long as they don't mind a shorter page count.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
Want to Read
September 21, 2025Translated cosmic horror...novella...she is meant for me i fear
July 6, 2026
Thank you to Honford Star and NetGalley for the free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review
I rarely read horror, and I don’t know much about Lovecraft, but I am a huge fan of Kim Bo-Young, and talk up her books all the time. So when I heard that she was releasing a horror novella in English, my interest was piqued. And while I don’t know if I’d recommend it for a reader’s first experience with KBY (that would be I'm Waiting for You and Other Stories), I found myself satisfied once again with how Kim weaves timeless human debates about love, fear, and xenophobia into a fairly straightforward story concept.
Although Kim says herself that this story had its origins before Covid, the atmosphere of A PLAGUED SEA gains greater relevance in light of how poorly society responded to the pandemic. Three years after the plague is discovered, the seaside village of Haewon remains quarantined, isolated from the rest of the country. Resources and funds are slim for the villagers and the one hospital that is able to care for the infected. Little progress in researching the disease has been made in the ensuing years because, once the rest of the country realized that it wasn’t spreading beyond the village, finding a cure became less of a priority. After all, why bother finding a cure for only a handful of people when it is much more expedient to just cut them off from the world indefinitely?
And so, with that, things become less black and white, and that’s where the story becomes endlessly fascinating for me. Are the infected villagers whose disease has progressed so far that the hospital locks them up in a closed ward for years to be feared or pitied? What about the gruesome creatures that come out of the sea? Do they deserve to be loved and taken care of as well, or scapegoated because of their looks? Who deserves our regard more: the unblemished, uninfected abusive husband, or the sea creature who treats others well?
And suddenly, the story becomes not just a horror tale, but an interesting examination of societal attitudes towards “others,” whether they be immigrants or outcasts with different looks or behaviors. No one exemplifies this better than Woojin, the starry-eyed researcher from the city who flouts all rules and barges into the village, urban male privilege on display, demands the treatment he expects to receive as an honored guest, and reacts poorly when things don’t go as he expects. OoooOOOOooooHHHHhhh.
A PLAGUED SEA reminds me most of Violet Kupersmith’s Build Your House Around My Body—another book I loved, in which the atmospheric setting provides fertile ground for exploring interesting themes. Its novella length is perhaps too short to provide better character development for the MC, who acts like a blank vehicle that moves around the village to interact with the far more interesting side characters. Still, I can’t stop thinking about this, and am impressed all over again by Kim Bo-Young’s ability to tell any story in a thought-provoking, reflective, and propulsive way.
[January 2026]
My god-tier favorite sci-fi author has a new book coming out in English--brb, just going to be insufferable and reread the synopsis endlessly until Summer 2026!!
I rarely read horror, and I don’t know much about Lovecraft, but I am a huge fan of Kim Bo-Young, and talk up her books all the time. So when I heard that she was releasing a horror novella in English, my interest was piqued. And while I don’t know if I’d recommend it for a reader’s first experience with KBY (that would be I'm Waiting for You and Other Stories), I found myself satisfied once again with how Kim weaves timeless human debates about love, fear, and xenophobia into a fairly straightforward story concept.
Although Kim says herself that this story had its origins before Covid, the atmosphere of A PLAGUED SEA gains greater relevance in light of how poorly society responded to the pandemic. Three years after the plague is discovered, the seaside village of Haewon remains quarantined, isolated from the rest of the country. Resources and funds are slim for the villagers and the one hospital that is able to care for the infected. Little progress in researching the disease has been made in the ensuing years because, once the rest of the country realized that it wasn’t spreading beyond the village, finding a cure became less of a priority. After all, why bother finding a cure for only a handful of people when it is much more expedient to just cut them off from the world indefinitely?
And so, with that, things become less black and white, and that’s where the story becomes endlessly fascinating for me. Are the infected villagers whose disease has progressed so far that the hospital locks them up in a closed ward for years to be feared or pitied? What about the gruesome creatures that come out of the sea? Do they deserve to be loved and taken care of as well, or scapegoated because of their looks? Who deserves our regard more: the unblemished, uninfected abusive husband, or the sea creature who treats others well?
And suddenly, the story becomes not just a horror tale, but an interesting examination of societal attitudes towards “others,” whether they be immigrants or outcasts with different looks or behaviors. No one exemplifies this better than Woojin, the starry-eyed researcher from the city who flouts all rules and barges into the village, urban male privilege on display, demands the treatment he expects to receive as an honored guest, and reacts poorly when things don’t go as he expects. OoooOOOOooooHHHHhhh.
A PLAGUED SEA reminds me most of Violet Kupersmith’s Build Your House Around My Body—another book I loved, in which the atmospheric setting provides fertile ground for exploring interesting themes. Its novella length is perhaps too short to provide better character development for the MC, who acts like a blank vehicle that moves around the village to interact with the far more interesting side characters. Still, I can’t stop thinking about this, and am impressed all over again by Kim Bo-Young’s ability to tell any story in a thought-provoking, reflective, and propulsive way.
[January 2026]
My god-tier favorite sci-fi author has a new book coming out in English--brb, just going to be insufferable and reread the synopsis endlessly until Summer 2026!!
January 21, 2026
A decent action horror book, but devoid of any type of psychology. It's completely empty of feelings or emotions. You should read it if you like Lovecraft's works, especially Innsmouth and Cthulhu.
—
Un libro horror action decente, ma privo di qualsiasi tipo di psicologia. È completamente vuoto di sentimenti ed emozioni. Dovreste leggerlo se vi piacciono i lavori di Lovecraft, specialmente Innsmouth e Cthulhu.
—
Un libro horror action decente, ma privo di qualsiasi tipo di psicologia. È completamente vuoto di sentimenti ed emozioni. Dovreste leggerlo se vi piacciono i lavori di Lovecraft, specialmente Innsmouth e Cthulhu.
arcs-review-copies-tbr
June 15, 202615/6/26: omg I got approved for the ARC this book sounds so interesting!! I am really excited to read it. Hope i can get to it last week of June.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
When Haewon Village, a quaint and isolated Korean seaside village is overwhelmed by the resulting tidal wave from an earthquake, vacationers Muyoung and her little niece are quarantined there. A nasty outbreak of a mysterious disease has resulted, leaving the residents slowly (or quickly) exhibiting physical transformations: splotchy spots, bulging eyes, protruding lower jaw. In short, they seem to have that Innsmouth-look.
I thought Kim Bo-young does a fantastic job in this novella of taking a cult classic of the Mythos and giving it a twist (which of course, I won’t reveal, because, spoilers! I felt emotionally connected to the characters, and in fact, I wished the story would have been longer. Kudos to the author, and my thanks to her, the publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity of an early read.
I thought Kim Bo-young does a fantastic job in this novella of taking a cult classic of the Mythos and giving it a twist (which of course, I won’t reveal, because, spoilers! I felt emotionally connected to the characters, and in fact, I wished the story would have been longer. Kudos to the author, and my thanks to her, the publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity of an early read.
June 11, 2026
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC of A Plagued Sea!
Here's the thing, I hate to compare books, and honestly this is not a true comparison, its readers advisory, and as a librarian, I'm pretty fantastic at that. If you liked Providence Girls but wanted less romance, this is for you. If you liked Into the Drowning Deep but wanted less gore, this is for you. And if you loved either of those books (both of which have a special place in my heart and on my bookshelf at home) then you will love this book! (And if you love this book but haven't read the others, look at you, you now have two books to add to your TBR! How exciting for you!)
I was drawn to this book because I have been really enjoying Asian Horror a lot lately. Combine that new interest with my tried and true love for Aquatic Horror and I was salivating waiting to get my hands on this!
Kim Bo-young does an incredible job of world building and getting you to emotionally attach to characters in such a short book length. To have a full backstory of how and why the plague happened, what changes occur to a person physically, how the plague has affected the society, and also be emotionally attached to at least two if not three characters, all within 112 pages is astounding and wild. There are some 400+ page books that cant manage that.
If this book even slightly peaks your interest, give it a try. You will not be disappointed.
Here's the thing, I hate to compare books, and honestly this is not a true comparison, its readers advisory, and as a librarian, I'm pretty fantastic at that. If you liked Providence Girls but wanted less romance, this is for you. If you liked Into the Drowning Deep but wanted less gore, this is for you. And if you loved either of those books (both of which have a special place in my heart and on my bookshelf at home) then you will love this book! (And if you love this book but haven't read the others, look at you, you now have two books to add to your TBR! How exciting for you!)
I was drawn to this book because I have been really enjoying Asian Horror a lot lately. Combine that new interest with my tried and true love for Aquatic Horror and I was salivating waiting to get my hands on this!
Kim Bo-young does an incredible job of world building and getting you to emotionally attach to characters in such a short book length. To have a full backstory of how and why the plague happened, what changes occur to a person physically, how the plague has affected the society, and also be emotionally attached to at least two if not three characters, all within 112 pages is astounding and wild. There are some 400+ page books that cant manage that.
If this book even slightly peaks your interest, give it a try. You will not be disappointed.
November 23, 2025
Strano, a tratti molto inquietante.
Un mix ben riuscito tra horror e fantascienza, una narrazione fluida.
Mi è piaciuto molto. Unica pecca, avrei voluto fosse più lungo.
Un mix ben riuscito tra horror e fantascienza, una narrazione fluida.
Mi è piaciuto molto. Unica pecca, avrei voluto fosse più lungo.
July 7, 2026
This was underwhelming in many ways.
On one hand, I liked the premise, with the monster-creating disease and the impossibility of retaining one's humanity amid the horrors of bodily mutation and near anarchy. But the characters were unlikeable in every way, and I didn't particularly sympathise with them or enjoy following them through the story. The plot also let me down; it didn't hook me the way I thought it would, and I was expecting way more body horror considering that’s how it’s marketed. The hype behind the writer was another reason I picked up this book, seeing how she's apparently very famous in Korea for her science fiction, but I didn't find this novella to be one of her notable works at all. I may consider giving her books another try in the future, but I won't be picking this one up again.
2.5 stars rounded up.
Thanks to NetGalley and Honford Star for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
On one hand, I liked the premise, with the monster-creating disease and the impossibility of retaining one's humanity amid the horrors of bodily mutation and near anarchy. But the characters were unlikeable in every way, and I didn't particularly sympathise with them or enjoy following them through the story. The plot also let me down; it didn't hook me the way I thought it would, and I was expecting way more body horror considering that’s how it’s marketed. The hype behind the writer was another reason I picked up this book, seeing how she's apparently very famous in Korea for her science fiction, but I didn't find this novella to be one of her notable works at all. I may consider giving her books another try in the future, but I won't be picking this one up again.
2.5 stars rounded up.
Thanks to NetGalley and Honford Star for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
March 2, 2026
Yun-hui ha proprio detto "tra un uomo (mio marito) e un orso (letteralmente il mostro della palude) scelgo l'orso" e buon per lei.
July 10, 2026
This book had such an amazing premise. Reading the synopsis I was instantly hooked and immediately hit request here on Netgalley.
However, I was saddened to learn that the novella was not my personal cup of tea. I think my biggest complaint overall for A Plagued Sea was the lack of emotion. The writing felt very direct and never really hit on the emotional points like I expected based on the loss experienced within the 100+ pages of this novella.
As a plus, I did love the descriptions of the sea disease and how it came about! I also loved the isolation of the characters
However, I was saddened to learn that the novella was not my personal cup of tea. I think my biggest complaint overall for A Plagued Sea was the lack of emotion. The writing felt very direct and never really hit on the emotional points like I expected based on the loss experienced within the 100+ pages of this novella.
As a plus, I did love the descriptions of the sea disease and how it came about! I also loved the isolation of the characters
January 2, 2026
Kim Bo-young, in questo suo breve romanzo horror-fantasy, rende omaggio a Il richiamo di Cthulhu, riprendendo le atmosfere lovecraftiane in una riscrittura che vede l’orrore cosmico provenire dagli abissi marini.
Ora, io non ho letto il ciclo di Cthulhu e non sono in grado di valutare la qualità della riscrittura, meglio così perché non sono appassionata di queste forme narrative.
La storia inizia con un terremoto e relativo tsunami che sconvolgono gli equilibri di un isolato villaggio di pescatori. Col maremoto si scatena una terribile epidemia - il morbo del Mare dell’est - che trasforma i contagiati in orrende creature dalle sembianze ittiche. Il villaggio è in isolamento e Seo, arrivata a ridosso della catastrofe, rimane intrappolata nel posto, chiuso al mondo esterno. Essendo sana si ritrova a dare la caccia ai contagiati che violano l’isolamento.
Il romanzo è stato scritto nel 2020 e, a detta dell’autrice, non c’è nessun riferimento alla pandemia. Mah, io nutro qualche dubbio in merito perché ci ho letto (o ci ho voluto leggere) qualche lieve critica al sistema della gestione del Covid. Però io sono un po’ una c@g@c@xx1.
La narrazione si completa con l’evoluzione del personaggio di Seo che da odiata esecutrice di ordini superiori, fredda e violenta, annichilita dalla situazione e da una perdita personale, diventa una sorta di salvatrice.
L’orrore cosmico, qui, va oltre la comprensione umana, si ammanta di ignoto e di ambivalenza, spaccando a metà la concezione del diverso, sondando la dedizione di alcuni uomini ad una divinità mostruosa portatrice di un male assoluto.
L’ambientazione è cupa e putrescente, la paura si trasforma in terrore, e il terrore sembra quasi annidarsi dalla parte sbagliata.
Non è particolarmente inquietante, è molto fantasy o forse sarà che il fantasy, per quanto oscuro e malvagio possa essere…, rimane fantasy (e mi fa un po’ sorridere).
Kim Bo-young è una delle più quotate scrittrici sudcoreane di fantascienza, ha collaborato anche col regista Bong Joon-ho, quello di Parasite. Pur amando in generale la letteratura sudcoreana, questo lavoro mi ha lasciata un po’ tiepida. Credo che riproverò col suo L’origine delle specie, ma solo perché c’è un po’ di fisica quantistica.
Ora, io non ho letto il ciclo di Cthulhu e non sono in grado di valutare la qualità della riscrittura, meglio così perché non sono appassionata di queste forme narrative.
La storia inizia con un terremoto e relativo tsunami che sconvolgono gli equilibri di un isolato villaggio di pescatori. Col maremoto si scatena una terribile epidemia - il morbo del Mare dell’est - che trasforma i contagiati in orrende creature dalle sembianze ittiche. Il villaggio è in isolamento e Seo, arrivata a ridosso della catastrofe, rimane intrappolata nel posto, chiuso al mondo esterno. Essendo sana si ritrova a dare la caccia ai contagiati che violano l’isolamento.
Il romanzo è stato scritto nel 2020 e, a detta dell’autrice, non c’è nessun riferimento alla pandemia. Mah, io nutro qualche dubbio in merito perché ci ho letto (o ci ho voluto leggere) qualche lieve critica al sistema della gestione del Covid. Però io sono un po’ una c@g@c@xx1.
La narrazione si completa con l’evoluzione del personaggio di Seo che da odiata esecutrice di ordini superiori, fredda e violenta, annichilita dalla situazione e da una perdita personale, diventa una sorta di salvatrice.
L’orrore cosmico, qui, va oltre la comprensione umana, si ammanta di ignoto e di ambivalenza, spaccando a metà la concezione del diverso, sondando la dedizione di alcuni uomini ad una divinità mostruosa portatrice di un male assoluto.
L’ambientazione è cupa e putrescente, la paura si trasforma in terrore, e il terrore sembra quasi annidarsi dalla parte sbagliata.
Non è particolarmente inquietante, è molto fantasy o forse sarà che il fantasy, per quanto oscuro e malvagio possa essere…, rimane fantasy (e mi fa un po’ sorridere).
Kim Bo-young è una delle più quotate scrittrici sudcoreane di fantascienza, ha collaborato anche col regista Bong Joon-ho, quello di Parasite. Pur amando in generale la letteratura sudcoreana, questo lavoro mi ha lasciata un po’ tiepida. Credo che riproverò col suo L’origine delle specie, ma solo perché c’è un po’ di fisica quantistica.
November 28, 2025
Romanzo in cui l’orrore cosmico incontra un dolore umano viscerale. La storia si apre con la guardia del corpo Mu-young che prende una decisione fatale: salire su un treno diretto all’isolato villaggio costiero coreano di Haewon durante un’allerta per un massiccio terremoto, privilegiando la sicurezza della nipote rispetto all’ordine di evacuazione ufficiale. Tre anni dopo il disastro, Haewon è isolato da un lockdown governativo. Il terremoto non ha causato solo danni strutturali; ha scatenato un’antica piaga che trasforma le sue vittime in mostruosità grottesche e pesciformi. L’atmosfera è densa di decadimento, riecheggiando un terrore lovecraftiano, ma radicato nella realtà coreana.
La prosa cruda rende l’orrore non solo fisico, ma un terrore psicologico. L’arrivo di un burocrate invadente da Seoul non fa che acuire il conflitto interno, rappresentando la corrotta indifferenza del mondo esterno.
Una interessante storia di angoscia esistenziale.
La prosa cruda rende l’orrore non solo fisico, ma un terrore psicologico. L’arrivo di un burocrate invadente da Seoul non fa che acuire il conflitto interno, rappresentando la corrotta indifferenza del mondo esterno.
Una interessante storia di angoscia esistenziale.
May 26, 2026
3.5⭐️
‘A Plagued Sea’ is about ~120 pages and I fully recommend it as it’s a quick read. So creative and disturbing, very Cthulhu and cosmic horror coded.
The book starts with a prologue, our main character, Seo Muyoung, is taking her niece on a trip to Haewon (a sea side village). Following an earthquake, flooding and changes in the environments, a plague like disease that changes the body to resemble something more fish-like and alters the mind descends (called East Sea Disease). The village is cut off from the rest of the country and left in isolation, the story picks up 3 years later as Muyoung works to keep people from breaking their isolation.
Then a stranger comes, one of the first outsiders and claims to be a researcher for diseases. And soon Muyoung learns there’s more than just a disease at hand.
But man this was well done, the descriptions were so good that I was grossed out a bunch. Plenty of in depth descriptors on rotten fish, garbage, decaying houses, and bodies (human or not). I immediately felt the atmosphere of a trapped village lost in time and in sea water with garbage and decay, and something evil preying on it.
As the story progressed, I had just thought “WTF” during a few of the reveals. This was a fascinating and loved the Lovecraftian-ness as I hadn’t realized there would be Cthulhu tie ins.
*ARC courtesy of netgalley*
‘A Plagued Sea’ is about ~120 pages and I fully recommend it as it’s a quick read. So creative and disturbing, very Cthulhu and cosmic horror coded.
The book starts with a prologue, our main character, Seo Muyoung, is taking her niece on a trip to Haewon (a sea side village). Following an earthquake, flooding and changes in the environments, a plague like disease that changes the body to resemble something more fish-like and alters the mind descends (called East Sea Disease). The village is cut off from the rest of the country and left in isolation, the story picks up 3 years later as Muyoung works to keep people from breaking their isolation.
Then a stranger comes, one of the first outsiders and claims to be a researcher for diseases. And soon Muyoung learns there’s more than just a disease at hand.
But man this was well done, the descriptions were so good that I was grossed out a bunch. Plenty of in depth descriptors on rotten fish, garbage, decaying houses, and bodies (human or not). I immediately felt the atmosphere of a trapped village lost in time and in sea water with garbage and decay, and something evil preying on it.
As the story progressed, I had just thought “WTF” during a few of the reveals. This was a fascinating and loved the Lovecraftian-ness as I hadn’t realized there would be Cthulhu tie ins.
*ARC courtesy of netgalley*
July 8, 2026
Format: Audiobook/Physical
Rating: 3 ⭐
A Plagued Sea is a little horror fever dream of a novella! This was a thinker, for sure, as I felt like there were a lot of metaphors, which I speak more to in my June reading wrap-up. I enjoyed the audiobook and recommend it to readers who are horror fans and seeking a story that speaks to more than what is on the page. Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC and Tor Nightfire for the physical ARC.
Rating: 3 ⭐
A Plagued Sea is a little horror fever dream of a novella! This was a thinker, for sure, as I felt like there were a lot of metaphors, which I speak more to in my June reading wrap-up. I enjoyed the audiobook and recommend it to readers who are horror fans and seeking a story that speaks to more than what is on the page. Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC and Tor Nightfire for the physical ARC.
Read
January 11, 2026Leído en coreano. El título original es <역병의 바다>.
Un tributo a Cthulhu, narrado desde el prisma de la cuarentena del COVID-19. Los personajes me parecieron un poco planos, pero la ambientación me resultó lo suficientemente entretenida. Me parece que fue una buena elección para empezar a adentrarme en las obras de Kim Bo-young en su lengua original, pero no creo que ella misma la tenga en muy alta estima dentro del resto de su obra. Se nota que es algo simpático hecho para un proyecto de novelas coreanas inspiradas por Lovecraft. De todas formas, espero que tenga mucho éxito y que genere más interés en la traducción de la autora.
Un tributo a Cthulhu, narrado desde el prisma de la cuarentena del COVID-19. Los personajes me parecieron un poco planos, pero la ambientación me resultó lo suficientemente entretenida. Me parece que fue una buena elección para empezar a adentrarme en las obras de Kim Bo-young en su lengua original, pero no creo que ella misma la tenga en muy alta estima dentro del resto de su obra. Se nota que es algo simpático hecho para un proyecto de novelas coreanas inspiradas por Lovecraft. De todas formas, espero que tenga mucho éxito y que genere más interés en la traducción de la autora.
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June 8, 2026Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy
A Plagued Sea by Kim Bo-Young first person-POV Korean horror. Muyoung is travelling with her niece when an earthquake strikes and causes a small town to become infected by something turning them into fish-like monsters. With her niece dead and not much else to do, Muyoung hunts people who break quarantine, but it leads her to learning the truth behind the plague and what the future might hold.
I'm not super familiar with Lovecraft's works and I'm still learning what cosmic horror is, so I'm not sure how this fits among the people inspired by his stories. What I can say is that I was fascinated by Kim Bo-Young’s idea to focus on the town and the people trapped in it instead of the scientist or someone else from the outside. For good reason, a lot of stories are about outsiders entering somewhere new, but this is right in-between and let's us see both view points as Muyoung is not from this town, but she's been there long enough to understand it and its inhabitants.
There's a lot of atmosphere built up in so little page time. Every single scene helps add to the sense of coming dread while connecting to something that happens later. I love a work that is tightly written but still allows the world to breathe and feel real and I got that with how Muyoung viewed the town and its inhabitants, such as the young people still living life even if their options have been dramatically cut down.
I would recommend this to readers of horror and fans of reinterpretations of Lovecraft's lore
A Plagued Sea by Kim Bo-Young first person-POV Korean horror. Muyoung is travelling with her niece when an earthquake strikes and causes a small town to become infected by something turning them into fish-like monsters. With her niece dead and not much else to do, Muyoung hunts people who break quarantine, but it leads her to learning the truth behind the plague and what the future might hold.
I'm not super familiar with Lovecraft's works and I'm still learning what cosmic horror is, so I'm not sure how this fits among the people inspired by his stories. What I can say is that I was fascinated by Kim Bo-Young’s idea to focus on the town and the people trapped in it instead of the scientist or someone else from the outside. For good reason, a lot of stories are about outsiders entering somewhere new, but this is right in-between and let's us see both view points as Muyoung is not from this town, but she's been there long enough to understand it and its inhabitants.
There's a lot of atmosphere built up in so little page time. Every single scene helps add to the sense of coming dread while connecting to something that happens later. I love a work that is tightly written but still allows the world to breathe and feel real and I got that with how Muyoung viewed the town and its inhabitants, such as the young people still living life even if their options have been dramatically cut down.
I would recommend this to readers of horror and fans of reinterpretations of Lovecraft's lore
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Review of advanced reader copy received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
This one is for the Lovecraft lovers who always wanted more of a perspective from the residents of Innsmouth. Seeing the village of Haewon and its inhabitants from Muyoung’s perspective, an outsider turned resident herself really changes the way the reader feels about the inhabitants themselves. The horror does not come from those who have been impacted by the disaster and disease, but the outsiders who have determined the inhabitants are less than for something they cannot control. Highlighting the humanity still left in the people who have been impacted, though they may not be the same people they once were or may not be human at all, they are still deserving of basic human empathy.
Though I wish this has been longer as I felt very invested in the characters and their stories, keeping the page count low really allows for the full impact of the story to be felt and easily digested by the reader. I look forward to reading more from Kim Boyoung in the future as I think this novella highlights her storytelling abilities!
This one is for the Lovecraft lovers who always wanted more of a perspective from the residents of Innsmouth. Seeing the village of Haewon and its inhabitants from Muyoung’s perspective, an outsider turned resident herself really changes the way the reader feels about the inhabitants themselves. The horror does not come from those who have been impacted by the disaster and disease, but the outsiders who have determined the inhabitants are less than for something they cannot control. Highlighting the humanity still left in the people who have been impacted, though they may not be the same people they once were or may not be human at all, they are still deserving of basic human empathy.
Though I wish this has been longer as I felt very invested in the characters and their stories, keeping the page count low really allows for the full impact of the story to be felt and easily digested by the reader. I look forward to reading more from Kim Boyoung in the future as I think this novella highlights her storytelling abilities!
May 23, 2026
Thank you NetGalley and Honford Star for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A Plagued Sea is a short, sharp take on Lovecraft’s The Shadow over Innsmouth, transposed to a desolate Korean port. I wasn't familiar with Lovecraft's story before reading, so this was a new narrative to me.
The book immediately sets a scene of despair and eerie horror, an atmosphere which is kept throughout. You can smell the rotting fish and the vision of poverty and an abandoned people, and feel the weight of their quarantine and isolation. We slowly learn more about what is really happening through our protagonist, Muyoung, who is dedicated to keeping others safe after losing her niece.
The writing, and of course translation, is great at building tension as we get deeper into the story and it becomes an immersive experience - exactly what you want from such a short book. I recommend reading this in one sitting if you can, to really be in Haewon with Muyoung. I enjoyed the Author's Note too, which explores some of the themes a bit more and posits something interesting about Lovecraft himself. 4 stars.
A Plagued Sea is a short, sharp take on Lovecraft’s The Shadow over Innsmouth, transposed to a desolate Korean port. I wasn't familiar with Lovecraft's story before reading, so this was a new narrative to me.
The book immediately sets a scene of despair and eerie horror, an atmosphere which is kept throughout. You can smell the rotting fish and the vision of poverty and an abandoned people, and feel the weight of their quarantine and isolation. We slowly learn more about what is really happening through our protagonist, Muyoung, who is dedicated to keeping others safe after losing her niece.
The writing, and of course translation, is great at building tension as we get deeper into the story and it becomes an immersive experience - exactly what you want from such a short book. I recommend reading this in one sitting if you can, to really be in Haewon with Muyoung. I enjoyed the Author's Note too, which explores some of the themes a bit more and posits something interesting about Lovecraft himself. 4 stars.
June 14, 2026
“(You are) an insignificant, meaningless thing, no more than a speck of dust that deluded itself into thinking it was born with meaning.”
“Horror claws at my heart, and it’s as though my blood is being drained to the last drop.”
🖤🖤
I would love to see an expanded, full size novel of this. One where the main character is examined more and the townspeople are given a bit more personality. I wanted the bleakness to be pushed a bit further and at times I felt the potential of emotional impact but I just needed a little more to actually get there. Overall this was a great read though. The setting was amazing and I loved the descriptions of everything! An interesting story, for sure. Definitely recommend if you enjoy cosmic horror! Feeling very inspired to go read some Lovecraft now.
Thanks so much to Netgalley and Tor Nightfire for the arc!
The English translation of A Plagued Sea publishes August 11th 2026 in all formats.
“Horror claws at my heart, and it’s as though my blood is being drained to the last drop.”
🖤🖤
I would love to see an expanded, full size novel of this. One where the main character is examined more and the townspeople are given a bit more personality. I wanted the bleakness to be pushed a bit further and at times I felt the potential of emotional impact but I just needed a little more to actually get there. Overall this was a great read though. The setting was amazing and I loved the descriptions of everything! An interesting story, for sure. Definitely recommend if you enjoy cosmic horror! Feeling very inspired to go read some Lovecraft now.
Thanks so much to Netgalley and Tor Nightfire for the arc!
The English translation of A Plagued Sea publishes August 11th 2026 in all formats.
June 10, 2026
The translator did a fantastic job. The descriptions of the infected are so visceral and impossible to shy away from. And the audiobook narrator making the garbled infected noises where appropriate was amazing.
I think the book was a little too short to really make Mu-young stand out as an individual. I wanted a little bit more of her pre-infection personality - though her interaction with the woman on the train platform was a pretty solid foundation.
It was also really awesome to see how Mu-young sees the town in a fresh light when she starts interacting with the outsider. She sees the shabbiness and the things that disgust her about how she and the others have had to live. And that everything breaks open with something as mundane as an embezzlement scandal.
{Thank you Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review; all thoughts are my own}
I think the book was a little too short to really make Mu-young stand out as an individual. I wanted a little bit more of her pre-infection personality - though her interaction with the woman on the train platform was a pretty solid foundation.
It was also really awesome to see how Mu-young sees the town in a fresh light when she starts interacting with the outsider. She sees the shabbiness and the things that disgust her about how she and the others have had to live. And that everything breaks open with something as mundane as an embezzlement scandal.
{Thank you Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review; all thoughts are my own}
July 8, 2026
4 ⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an ALC!!
Trapped on a foggy and isolated island, one that’s filled with grief and distrust due to a plague, Mu-young is trying to get to the bottom of what happened 3 years ago to her niece and fellow islanders. They have all been turned into wet and ripe fishy human abominations, and the outside world has all but abandoned them. But on her journey, she gains empathy for these ancient creatures.
Very Lovecraftian, I felt really immersed. I can smell the salty sea air, feel the weariness of the islanders to outsiders and even imagine what the fish people looked like. This was a breeze to flow through and was a good addition to the aquatic horror genre.
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an ALC!!
Trapped on a foggy and isolated island, one that’s filled with grief and distrust due to a plague, Mu-young is trying to get to the bottom of what happened 3 years ago to her niece and fellow islanders. They have all been turned into wet and ripe fishy human abominations, and the outside world has all but abandoned them. But on her journey, she gains empathy for these ancient creatures.
Very Lovecraftian, I felt really immersed. I can smell the salty sea air, feel the weariness of the islanders to outsiders and even imagine what the fish people looked like. This was a breeze to flow through and was a good addition to the aquatic horror genre.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Really enjoyed this horror novella! Despite it's short length it covers a LOT of ground, and I don't think I can (or want) to try and summarize the plot in this review.
I liked all aspects of it: the pandemic and what the sickness does to people, the emotional side of Mu-young losing her niece, the slow reveal of what really is going on, and the casual cruelty of one particular side character.
Overall a really successfull novella, and I am glad it got translated into English!
I received an ARC and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
I liked all aspects of it: the pandemic and what the sickness does to people, the emotional side of Mu-young losing her niece, the slow reveal of what really is going on, and the casual cruelty of one particular side character.
Overall a really successfull novella, and I am glad it got translated into English!
I received an ARC and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
June 3, 2026
The plot was initially intriguing, and the story felt very original, but it wasn’t able to hold my attention through the second half. I also couldn’t really connect with any of the characters, which is a key aspect of storytelling for me. There seemed to be themes surrounding race and class, but I didn’t feel they were developed deeply enough within the narrative. Overall, an interesting read with some compelling ideas, but ultimately not one of my favorites.
April 18, 2026
Awesome read! I was able to snag this ARC from the bookstore where I work, and I’m so glad I did. I love shorter books, especially when they’re horror—it takes skill to do them well, without feeling rushed or overbearing, and this book manages just that. Creepy, descriptive, and to the point: I’d love to see this adapted one day. :)
April 20, 2026
Una revisitazione di Lovecraft che presenta degli spunti interessanti, ma finisce per non approfondirli mai. Una lettura che consiglierei a chi vuole qualcosa di scorrevole e atmosferico.
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