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The Queen of the Spirit Woods
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Expected 3 Nov 26Win a free print copy of this book!
1 day and 17:15:26
100 copies available
U.S. only
YA romantasy inspired by Korean history, a girl fakes her way into becoming a royal kitchen maid where she is embroiled in forbidden love and palace intrigue after stumbling into the mysterious Spirit Woods and unwittingly becoming a vessel for 10,000 nature spirits.
352 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication November 3, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
August 29, 2026
Thank you Netgalley and Simon Teen for the advanced copy.
I loved this book from start to finish. It gave me the feeling of Spirited Away mixed with the court life of The Apothecary Diaries but once I hit the 90% mark — OH MY GOSH! All of the sudden I couldn’t read fast enough. The ending was wild and emotional. I adored the authors note with Korean history I did not know.
I really enjoyed the POVs from Mirae and Jae. I hope that one day there is a sequel that might continue their journeys. I also hope for a sequel because I have questions that remain unanswered. I definitely recommend this book!
I loved this book from start to finish. It gave me the feeling of Spirited Away mixed with the court life of The Apothecary Diaries but once I hit the 90% mark — OH MY GOSH! All of the sudden I couldn’t read fast enough. The ending was wild and emotional. I adored the authors note with Korean history I did not know.
I really enjoyed the POVs from Mirae and Jae. I hope that one day there is a sequel that might continue their journeys. I also hope for a sequel because I have questions that remain unanswered. I definitely recommend this book!
August 2, 2026
gods and political intrigue in ancient korea with a side of romance and unlikely allies
i’m a bit underwhelmed ngl… like this book was perfectly fine. i don’t have any major complaints. it just didn’t captivate me and doesn’t stand out imo
i think the main thing that kept me from feeling attached to the story was mirae. she’s the fmc and clearly very capable and determined. but i felt like her character was very one dimensional. i don’t feel like she had much growth or personality to latch on to. tbh i think all the main/primary side characters besides mirae were better developed and i found them more interesting than her.
the main plot twist was predictable but not really in a bad way, it suited the story. and i am actually happy with it cause i didnt like the trope mirae had with that character previously lol
i’m a bit underwhelmed ngl… like this book was perfectly fine. i don’t have any major complaints. it just didn’t captivate me and doesn’t stand out imo
i think the main thing that kept me from feeling attached to the story was mirae. she’s the fmc and clearly very capable and determined. but i felt like her character was very one dimensional. i don’t feel like she had much growth or personality to latch on to. tbh i think all the main/primary side characters besides mirae were better developed and i found them more interesting than her.
the main plot twist was predictable but not really in a bad way, it suited the story. and i am actually happy with it cause i didnt like the trope mirae had with that character previously lol
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The second half of the book was good but predictable. The characters finally came into their own after second half but the first half was sooo long to set the stage it kind of impacted my view overall
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for this ARC.
The Queen of the Spirit Woods had promise with the summary, but kind of fumbled on the delivery. However, I will admit I still enjoyed it. Why? Well, for those that know me, I love watching Asian dramas and I got my start in Korean dramas. I began watching them back in 2013 and the late 2010s to the early 2010s will forever be nostalgic for me. Reading The Queen of the Spirit Woods took me back to that time. Mirae, our female lead, definitely reflects some of the quirky, accident prone female leads of that time. Such as Joo Yoo Rin of My Girl, Gong Ah Jung of Lie to Me -- one I could not help but keep reflecting on the entire time I was reading-- and Seo Yi Soo of a Gentleman's Dignity. These girls' clumsy nature led them on a great journey they would have never experienced otherwise, and found a great love at the end of it.
Mirae was not an easy character to be in the mind of while reading unfortunately. In Jae's perspective, she always felt a little more like a regular girl in over her head. However, whenever we jumped back to Mirae's POV her clumsy nature became a type of secondhand embarrassment that I believe would make certain readers put the book down, and never go back to it. On screen it is easier to swallow with background music and a skilled director changing the tone of the scene to a mere accident, rather than an everyday occurrence.
Jae on the other hand, DEFINITELY embodies the stoic male lead who distrusts his love interest at first sight. This man is typically considered cold and aloof, but somehow falls for the girl who keeps falling for him literally. While reading, I found Jae to be the more compelling of the leads and looked forward to his perspective a lot more than Mirae's, as it balanced out the story well. He is cautious exactly when he needs to be, whereas Mirae is too easily trusting of others. Personally, I found it interesting how Sharon Choe makes both of these personality traits lead to the climax of the story.
Like the synopsis says, Mirae is handed the opportunity of a lifetime: working as a kitchen maid in the royal palace. She takes this opportunity as it is the only way she can afford the life saving medicine that both her father and sister need. On the way to the royal palace, Mirae crosses paths with Choi Wonshik-- a friend of Jae's, and very much out of reach due to his class-- and develops an instant crush that keeps pushing her back into his arms as the story progresses. Meanwhile, Jae thwarts an assassination attempt on his father's life, which leads him to investigate potential enemies and traitors to the crown. Mirae's recent arrival in the palace puts her under great scrutiny, and even more so once it comes out that she is a Mushin.
Whilst on an errand for the kitchen, Mirae happened upon a village of shrines and accidentally became the vessel for spirits of Daehan (Korea). With her new power, she finds they are fighting for control of her body which all in all leads to more shenanigans. No one fully explains what needs to be done in order to make this new living arrangement palatable. After all, Mirae is just a pawn in a much bigger scheme.
Although I enjoyed this story, I could not help but feel that the tone felt that the material it was handing the reader was much more serious and grave than how it was handled. I never had the time to feel the connection between the characters, nor the gravity of each situation. Time kept skipping along and too much happened at once to let me sit in the moment. For that reason I feel this would be a fantastic source material for an adaptation -- with a 12 to 16 episode long screen time, the viewer would have the time to feel the events unfold in a much more reasonable pace. Otherwise as it stands, this novel is not going to resonate with those unfamiliar with Korean dramas as this does not follow most western conventions in writing. The Queen of the Spirit Woods has a niche audience, but if it finds it I feel that it will be loved greatly by them.
The Queen of the Spirit Woods had promise with the summary, but kind of fumbled on the delivery. However, I will admit I still enjoyed it. Why? Well, for those that know me, I love watching Asian dramas and I got my start in Korean dramas. I began watching them back in 2013 and the late 2010s to the early 2010s will forever be nostalgic for me. Reading The Queen of the Spirit Woods took me back to that time. Mirae, our female lead, definitely reflects some of the quirky, accident prone female leads of that time. Such as Joo Yoo Rin of My Girl, Gong Ah Jung of Lie to Me -- one I could not help but keep reflecting on the entire time I was reading-- and Seo Yi Soo of a Gentleman's Dignity. These girls' clumsy nature led them on a great journey they would have never experienced otherwise, and found a great love at the end of it.
Mirae was not an easy character to be in the mind of while reading unfortunately. In Jae's perspective, she always felt a little more like a regular girl in over her head. However, whenever we jumped back to Mirae's POV her clumsy nature became a type of secondhand embarrassment that I believe would make certain readers put the book down, and never go back to it. On screen it is easier to swallow with background music and a skilled director changing the tone of the scene to a mere accident, rather than an everyday occurrence.
Jae on the other hand, DEFINITELY embodies the stoic male lead who distrusts his love interest at first sight. This man is typically considered cold and aloof, but somehow falls for the girl who keeps falling for him literally. While reading, I found Jae to be the more compelling of the leads and looked forward to his perspective a lot more than Mirae's, as it balanced out the story well. He is cautious exactly when he needs to be, whereas Mirae is too easily trusting of others. Personally, I found it interesting how Sharon Choe makes both of these personality traits lead to the climax of the story.
Like the synopsis says, Mirae is handed the opportunity of a lifetime: working as a kitchen maid in the royal palace. She takes this opportunity as it is the only way she can afford the life saving medicine that both her father and sister need. On the way to the royal palace, Mirae crosses paths with Choi Wonshik-- a friend of Jae's, and very much out of reach due to his class-- and develops an instant crush that keeps pushing her back into his arms as the story progresses. Meanwhile, Jae thwarts an assassination attempt on his father's life, which leads him to investigate potential enemies and traitors to the crown. Mirae's recent arrival in the palace puts her under great scrutiny, and even more so once it comes out that she is a Mushin.
Whilst on an errand for the kitchen, Mirae happened upon a village of shrines and accidentally became the vessel for spirits of Daehan (Korea). With her new power, she finds they are fighting for control of her body which all in all leads to more shenanigans. No one fully explains what needs to be done in order to make this new living arrangement palatable. After all, Mirae is just a pawn in a much bigger scheme.
Although I enjoyed this story, I could not help but feel that the tone felt that the material it was handing the reader was much more serious and grave than how it was handled. I never had the time to feel the connection between the characters, nor the gravity of each situation. Time kept skipping along and too much happened at once to let me sit in the moment. For that reason I feel this would be a fantastic source material for an adaptation -- with a 12 to 16 episode long screen time, the viewer would have the time to feel the events unfold in a much more reasonable pace. Otherwise as it stands, this novel is not going to resonate with those unfamiliar with Korean dramas as this does not follow most western conventions in writing. The Queen of the Spirit Woods has a niche audience, but if it finds it I feel that it will be loved greatly by them.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for an e-arc of The Queen of the Spirit Woods. To be honest, it did take me sometime to get into this. Partially because the first half of the novel is slow. Going into it, I did not realize it was a duology not a standalone. It does end on a slight cliffhanger, so if that isn't your vibe...maybe wait until the sequel comes out. Now, to dive in.
Mirae is the eldest daughter to a fisherman, whose father has been ill ever since her mother died. She cares for her father and her younger sister, but is unable to make enough money to support them both and purchase medicine that her father needs. So, when she is offered the chance of a lifetime by her friend (take her family name and go to work in the palace as a kitchen maid), she takes it. On her journey to the palace is when Mirae meets Wonshik, a kind nobleman with whom she is smitten with at first sight. Unfortunately, Wonshik is the best friend of Crown Prince Jae...with whom Mirae has a less than graceful first encounter. After a chance encounter in the last standing spirit woods, Mirae becomes the host for more than 10,000 gods. It is also here that she meets another god named Doobu, who is first seen possessing a magpie. Doobu is insistent that Mirae let him possess her so that he may find...something. All while there is a backdrop of potential political assassins and movements from a nation called First Sun, who may have ties to the Queen who is pregnant with either a girl or the boy that will usurp Jae as crown prince.
I understand why The Girl who Fell Beneath the Sea and The Cruel Prince are comparisons for this duology. Queen of the Spirit Woods does have a bit of the dreamy atmosphere that The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea (GWFBTS) has, but it lacks the whimsical romantic aspect. Presumably it is compared to GWFBTS because of the mythological aspect. Which makes sense. I am not overly versed in Korean mythology, but Queen of the Spirit Woods references many gods and goddesses from Korean mythos. So, it is not that far off of a comparison. In comparison to The Cruel Prince, Queen of the Spirit Woods takes place in the palace. So, the novel is drenched in court politics and you are not ever quite sure who to trust. However, I think that is where the novel's dual point of view does it a disservice in comparison. In The Cruel Prince, the reader does not have a clue about Cardan's motivations and inner thoughts. So, we are left to experience his character unfolding in real time in the same way Jude does. Which makes all of Cardan's actions able to be seen in a different light upon re-read. However, since we see Jae's point of view in this novel, the reader knows that Jae is not only a character that can be trusted but that he is not as rude and cynical as he appears to Mirae. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed his chapters immensely. But I never had a doubt that I could not trust him because we, the reader, have been inside of his head.
Something that might throw people off is that the prologue is about Jae and is in third person while the rest of the novel is in first person present from Jae and Mirae's povs. After finishing the novel, the prologue makes sense because it is setting up the main palace conflict without giving away any of the prince's internal thoughts (thus giving the reader the same impression of Jae at first that Mirae has of him). I thought it was an interesting way to start and definitely made me want to keep reading. Unfortunately, the last 50% of the novel goes by too quickly and the final resolution (if you can call it that) goes incredibly quickly with almost no explanation of the "why" of it all.
That all being said, I enjoyed all of the characters and the side characters. I just wish we got a little bit more of the political world building and more of the spiritual world building. Since this is a duology, I hope we will get some more things fleshed out in the sequel. Overall, I enjoyed it and will pick up the sequel!
Mirae is the eldest daughter to a fisherman, whose father has been ill ever since her mother died. She cares for her father and her younger sister, but is unable to make enough money to support them both and purchase medicine that her father needs. So, when she is offered the chance of a lifetime by her friend (take her family name and go to work in the palace as a kitchen maid), she takes it. On her journey to the palace is when Mirae meets Wonshik, a kind nobleman with whom she is smitten with at first sight. Unfortunately, Wonshik is the best friend of Crown Prince Jae...with whom Mirae has a less than graceful first encounter. After a chance encounter in the last standing spirit woods, Mirae becomes the host for more than 10,000 gods. It is also here that she meets another god named Doobu, who is first seen possessing a magpie. Doobu is insistent that Mirae let him possess her so that he may find...something. All while there is a backdrop of potential political assassins and movements from a nation called First Sun, who may have ties to the Queen who is pregnant with either a girl or the boy that will usurp Jae as crown prince.
I understand why The Girl who Fell Beneath the Sea and The Cruel Prince are comparisons for this duology. Queen of the Spirit Woods does have a bit of the dreamy atmosphere that The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea (GWFBTS) has, but it lacks the whimsical romantic aspect. Presumably it is compared to GWFBTS because of the mythological aspect. Which makes sense. I am not overly versed in Korean mythology, but Queen of the Spirit Woods references many gods and goddesses from Korean mythos. So, it is not that far off of a comparison. In comparison to The Cruel Prince, Queen of the Spirit Woods takes place in the palace. So, the novel is drenched in court politics and you are not ever quite sure who to trust. However, I think that is where the novel's dual point of view does it a disservice in comparison. In The Cruel Prince, the reader does not have a clue about Cardan's motivations and inner thoughts. So, we are left to experience his character unfolding in real time in the same way Jude does. Which makes all of Cardan's actions able to be seen in a different light upon re-read. However, since we see Jae's point of view in this novel, the reader knows that Jae is not only a character that can be trusted but that he is not as rude and cynical as he appears to Mirae. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed his chapters immensely. But I never had a doubt that I could not trust him because we, the reader, have been inside of his head.
Something that might throw people off is that the prologue is about Jae and is in third person while the rest of the novel is in first person present from Jae and Mirae's povs. After finishing the novel, the prologue makes sense because it is setting up the main palace conflict without giving away any of the prince's internal thoughts (thus giving the reader the same impression of Jae at first that Mirae has of him). I thought it was an interesting way to start and definitely made me want to keep reading. Unfortunately, the last 50% of the novel goes by too quickly and the final resolution (if you can call it that) goes incredibly quickly with almost no explanation of the "why" of it all.
That all being said, I enjoyed all of the characters and the side characters. I just wish we got a little bit more of the political world building and more of the spiritual world building. Since this is a duology, I hope we will get some more things fleshed out in the sequel. Overall, I enjoyed it and will pick up the sequel!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Giving a fantasy book I hyped up in my head two stars is KILLING me to do, but I also pride myself on being honest, so alas. 2.25 stars, really, because there WERE moments throughout the book I enjoyed. Most of my praise goes towards the incorporation of the folklore and the mystifying spirit woods that are central to the struggle between the Sun Empire and Daehan. Pretty neat to read about.
Now onto my rant.
I started this at work on a slow day so I was able to read through 43% of it uninterrupted and the rest of the 57% I wrapped up at home. The pacing started off a bit iffy to me, with how quickly she left home and got over halfway through to the palace, and then the chance encounter with Wonshik where she’s instantly attracted to him. Iffy is the best description I’ll give the pacing because the rest of it was nonsensically all over the place. Forgivable for an uncorrected advanced copy but not for a finished work come November.
Circling back to Mirae and Wonshik in the beginning. I guess love at first sight does exist, and she is a protagonist in a YA novel so I’m not going to fault Mirae for that. The love triangle has to be set up somehow.
That’s another part of the story I have critiques about—it all felt too convenient and mechanical. Have the girl fall for a seemingly perfect, charming, sweet man and then the brooding prince sweeps in and we all know how it’ll go: she’s going to find out her impressions of him were misguided and he’s actually a sensitive soul deep down, a heinous act occurs from the first love interest because “who would’ve seen that coming!” (sarcasm), and the wide-eyed girl and stone-cold prince are set up to get together. Having the first introduced love interest be lathered in good qualities and moments with the central character of the love triangle (a phrase that doesn’t even fit the trope but it is what it is with this story) only to have him thrown with vicious velocity into chud status is a waste of time and cheaply played. No sad backstory or circumstances revealed about his past justified any of the result. The love triangle did nothing for me as a reader and, in my opinion, was completely wasted within an interesting plot backdrop.
For a book that is marketed for fans of The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea and The Cruel Prince, I saw nothing of that in this book with the relationships, and the political intrigue fell flat playing second fiddle to said relationships that led every character by their neck throughout it. I loved both of those comp titles (read, logged, and reviewed 🤓), so I was eager to read this one and be swept away into a politically charged fantasy that would move me to care about what happens to the characters and the world they live in, but no. The only character I felt remotely inclined to care about by the time the story hit the halfway mark was that damn orange cat.
The ending was intensely brutal, but I don’t care to read on and find out what happens next. Maybe Wonshik will be redeemed eventually, and if he does, I would hope that his arc has all the nuances that’ll be considered Zuko-tier given his actions, but I doubt it. One day I will stopped being fooled by pretty covers and sprayed edges 🥀
Now onto my rant.
I started this at work on a slow day so I was able to read through 43% of it uninterrupted and the rest of the 57% I wrapped up at home. The pacing started off a bit iffy to me, with how quickly she left home and got over halfway through to the palace, and then the chance encounter with Wonshik where she’s instantly attracted to him. Iffy is the best description I’ll give the pacing because the rest of it was nonsensically all over the place. Forgivable for an uncorrected advanced copy but not for a finished work come November.
Circling back to Mirae and Wonshik in the beginning. I guess love at first sight does exist, and she is a protagonist in a YA novel so I’m not going to fault Mirae for that. The love triangle has to be set up somehow.
That’s another part of the story I have critiques about—it all felt too convenient and mechanical. Have the girl fall for a seemingly perfect, charming, sweet man and then the brooding prince sweeps in and we all know how it’ll go: she’s going to find out her impressions of him were misguided and he’s actually a sensitive soul deep down, a heinous act occurs from the first love interest because “who would’ve seen that coming!” (sarcasm), and the wide-eyed girl and stone-cold prince are set up to get together. Having the first introduced love interest be lathered in good qualities and moments with the central character of the love triangle (a phrase that doesn’t even fit the trope but it is what it is with this story) only to have him thrown with vicious velocity into chud status is a waste of time and cheaply played. No sad backstory or circumstances revealed about his past justified any of the result. The love triangle did nothing for me as a reader and, in my opinion, was completely wasted within an interesting plot backdrop.
For a book that is marketed for fans of The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea and The Cruel Prince, I saw nothing of that in this book with the relationships, and the political intrigue fell flat playing second fiddle to said relationships that led every character by their neck throughout it. I loved both of those comp titles (read, logged, and reviewed 🤓), so I was eager to read this one and be swept away into a politically charged fantasy that would move me to care about what happens to the characters and the world they live in, but no. The only character I felt remotely inclined to care about by the time the story hit the halfway mark was that damn orange cat.
The ending was intensely brutal, but I don’t care to read on and find out what happens next. Maybe Wonshik will be redeemed eventually, and if he does, I would hope that his arc has all the nuances that’ll be considered Zuko-tier given his actions, but I doubt it. One day I will stopped being fooled by pretty covers and sprayed edges 🥀
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
every single one of my annotations is just me being suspicious of the cat
The Queen of the Spirit Woods is the first book in a YA fantasy series based on Korean mythology for fans of Axie Oh's The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea and Elizabeth Lim's Six Crimson Cranes. I requested it from NetGalley because the premise of a girl possessed by ten thousand spirits sounded super intriguing, and while I still think it was an enjoyable debut, I wasn't the perfect reader for it because the story deals a lot more with court intrigue than the blurb makes it seem, and I'm not a huge fan of court intrigue plots. However, I did appreciate the author's note at the end about her inspiration for this story and its connections to history.
Song Mirae's family is ill, and the only way to save them is to fake her way into becoming a royal maid. After a failed assassination attempt leaves Prince Jae suspicious of everyone, Mirae finds herself caught in the chaos of the investigation, and as if matters couldn't get worse, a run-in with a witch leaves her haunted by ten thousand spirits and deities biding for her attention. Most of the plot involves court intrigue, with the prince investigating the assassination attempt and Mirae trying to find her footing in the palace. While the blurb makes it sound like Mirae's arc will be primarily focused on dealing with her spirits, I honestly found that aspect to be very mild and more of an inconvenience to what seemed to be her true goal of finding a place to belong. I thought the pacing was a bit slow; for a story that begins with an assassination attempt, the stakes aren't super high, especially for Mirae. While the last 10% was faster-paced, twisty, and promising, the buildup took too long, and I lost my investment around the halfway point. This book ends on a cliffhanger, and though there is currently no sequel announced, I do think there will be one to come. Whether I read it or not is still up for debate.
I might've tolerated the slower plot better if I cared more about the characters, but none of them called to me in a way that left me obsessed. As far as FMCs go, Mirae is fine. She's clearly thrown into a world she's unfamiliar with, but does her best to adjust. Her background makes her bolder when encountering the royals, but she's still kind and wants to save her family. I just didn't grow attached because she felt very typical to me, and I wanted something to set her apart more. I felt the same way about the MMCs, Wonshik and Jae. They're set up to be a love triangle, but most of the attraction felt immediate (like silly school crushes), so I didn't really root for any romance. Jae is the cold (but secretly sincere) prince, and Wonshik is his warmer but still protective best friend. Mirae also meets a female friend, Oona, who was probably my favorite of the main cast. I do question parts of her development, but she felt the most unique and intriguing to me.
The Queen of the Spirit Woods is a YA fantasy novel based on Korean mythology for readers who enjoyed The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea and Six Crimson Cranes.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!
3.25/5
The Queen of the Spirit Woods is the first book in a YA fantasy series based on Korean mythology for fans of Axie Oh's The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea and Elizabeth Lim's Six Crimson Cranes. I requested it from NetGalley because the premise of a girl possessed by ten thousand spirits sounded super intriguing, and while I still think it was an enjoyable debut, I wasn't the perfect reader for it because the story deals a lot more with court intrigue than the blurb makes it seem, and I'm not a huge fan of court intrigue plots. However, I did appreciate the author's note at the end about her inspiration for this story and its connections to history.
Song Mirae's family is ill, and the only way to save them is to fake her way into becoming a royal maid. After a failed assassination attempt leaves Prince Jae suspicious of everyone, Mirae finds herself caught in the chaos of the investigation, and as if matters couldn't get worse, a run-in with a witch leaves her haunted by ten thousand spirits and deities biding for her attention. Most of the plot involves court intrigue, with the prince investigating the assassination attempt and Mirae trying to find her footing in the palace. While the blurb makes it sound like Mirae's arc will be primarily focused on dealing with her spirits, I honestly found that aspect to be very mild and more of an inconvenience to what seemed to be her true goal of finding a place to belong. I thought the pacing was a bit slow; for a story that begins with an assassination attempt, the stakes aren't super high, especially for Mirae. While the last 10% was faster-paced, twisty, and promising, the buildup took too long, and I lost my investment around the halfway point. This book ends on a cliffhanger, and though there is currently no sequel announced, I do think there will be one to come. Whether I read it or not is still up for debate.
I might've tolerated the slower plot better if I cared more about the characters, but none of them called to me in a way that left me obsessed. As far as FMCs go, Mirae is fine. She's clearly thrown into a world she's unfamiliar with, but does her best to adjust. Her background makes her bolder when encountering the royals, but she's still kind and wants to save her family. I just didn't grow attached because she felt very typical to me, and I wanted something to set her apart more. I felt the same way about the MMCs, Wonshik and Jae. They're set up to be a love triangle, but most of the attraction felt immediate (like silly school crushes), so I didn't really root for any romance. Jae is the cold (but secretly sincere) prince, and Wonshik is his warmer but still protective best friend. Mirae also meets a female friend, Oona, who was probably my favorite of the main cast. I do question parts of her development, but she felt the most unique and intriguing to me.
The Queen of the Spirit Woods is a YA fantasy novel based on Korean mythology for readers who enjoyed The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea and Six Crimson Cranes.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!
3.25/5
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The premise sounded very promising - a young girl, out of her depth working at the palace amid shifting politics in a historically-set Korea, inhabited by a thousand (or more) spirits who is tasked with saving these spirits and gods. Unfortunately, the novel itself did not enchant me nearly as much.
The dual PoVs between Mirae, our protagonist, and Jae, the prince, didn't seem to have much purpose other than when important scenes occur and only one of them is present (mostly Jae and the political machinations of court where Mirae, as a kitchen maid, would not be attending). On a similar note, the relationships built between Mirae, her kitchen maid friend Oona, the prince (Jae), and the prince's friend Wonshik seemed to be a balancing act the author struggled with, as character's stances/views on the other characters were often repeated. Not sure if it was meant to be that way to set up for what occurs in the climax but I was almost a little bored with the way the relationships were handled.
The prose wasn't bad at all, but it wasn't imbued with breathing magic either. I didn't feel involved in any way as the reader, following along the same twists and turns the plot takes our protagonist down. The romance was strangely light but also a focal point driving the plot somewhat. I wish I enjoyed this novel more than I did.
My Takeaways:
- Characters' thoughts on other characters in the story seem almost OCD at times
- a thousand plus spirits inhabit our protagonist but we only really get to know a few
- a lot of the spirits are purposefully kept mysterious, even when they help drive the plot forward
- the twists weren't too hard to guess by the midway point of the book, unfortunately
Thank you to NetGalley, the author Sharon Choe, and the publisher Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing | Atheneum Books for Young Readers for giving me an eARC to read and review.
The dual PoVs between Mirae, our protagonist, and Jae, the prince, didn't seem to have much purpose other than when important scenes occur and only one of them is present (mostly Jae and the political machinations of court where Mirae, as a kitchen maid, would not be attending). On a similar note, the relationships built between Mirae, her kitchen maid friend Oona, the prince (Jae), and the prince's friend Wonshik seemed to be a balancing act the author struggled with, as character's stances/views on the other characters were often repeated. Not sure if it was meant to be that way to set up for what occurs in the climax but I was almost a little bored with the way the relationships were handled.
The prose wasn't bad at all, but it wasn't imbued with breathing magic either. I didn't feel involved in any way as the reader, following along the same twists and turns the plot takes our protagonist down. The romance was strangely light but also a focal point driving the plot somewhat. I wish I enjoyed this novel more than I did.
My Takeaways:
- Characters' thoughts on other characters in the story seem almost OCD at times
- a thousand plus spirits inhabit our protagonist but we only really get to know a few
- a lot of the spirits are purposefully kept mysterious, even when they help drive the plot forward
- the twists weren't too hard to guess by the midway point of the book, unfortunately
Thank you to NetGalley, the author Sharon Choe, and the publisher Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing | Atheneum Books for Young Readers for giving me an eARC to read and review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was a pretty good read overall!
First of all, the cover is absolutely gorgeous! It caught my eye immediately, so well done on that front!
My favorite element of this book was the incorporation of the folklore. I really loved seeing how the mystifying spirit woods are central in the struggle between the Sun Empire and Daehan. That was such a compelling concept, and it really makes this story stand out!
Unfortunately, the pacing felt inconsistent to me. It felt rushed a lot of the time, especially at the beginning. When Mirae and Wonskin first met, for example, they seemed to fall for each other rather quickly, which isn’t my personal favorite.
The plot was really interesting, but there were elements that felt a bit too convenient and predictable for my personal liking. I also wish the love triangle had felt a bit more balanced overall, as I wanted to feel a bit more conflicted about who she was going to choose.
I felt like the relationships overtook the political intrigue in this book as well, which is a shame because I was really looking forward to the latter (especially given the comp titles).
I do think that other readers could enjoy this book, so I would recommend others give this book a chance if it interests them.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing | Atheneum Books for Young Readers for allowing me to read the eARC!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Actual rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Favorite quote(s):
“Justice is not only doing what we think is the right thing. It is knowing that humanity will always commit wrongdoings but striving to make the world a better place anyway.”
Review:
This was an interesting and enjoyable read. My rating is low only because despite what I loved about this book, I felt like the pacing was slow and then rushed at the end. It just felt off to me. Despite this, I found the characters and the story to be incredible and interesting. The world was vivid and immersive. I loved the writing and how this author described things. I loved the mix of Korean myths and that it was inspired by Korea's dark history. I loved Mirae as a character. She did what she had to for those she loved, even if it was hard. Her time at the palace wasn't easy, and meeting the Spirits made it harder but very funny at times. The whole thing with the gods and the woods was fascinating and had me wanting to know more. I enjoyed Jae, the prince. He was really kind when he wanted to be, and the banter with him was amazing. I am excited for more of him in the next one. As for Wonshik, I adored him at first, but by the end, I was pissed at him. His relationship with Mirae had been great, and I loved his friendship with Jae, but things changed. After that insanely intense ending, I can't wait for the next one.
Actual rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Favorite quote(s):
“Justice is not only doing what we think is the right thing. It is knowing that humanity will always commit wrongdoings but striving to make the world a better place anyway.”
Review:
This was an interesting and enjoyable read. My rating is low only because despite what I loved about this book, I felt like the pacing was slow and then rushed at the end. It just felt off to me. Despite this, I found the characters and the story to be incredible and interesting. The world was vivid and immersive. I loved the writing and how this author described things. I loved the mix of Korean myths and that it was inspired by Korea's dark history. I loved Mirae as a character. She did what she had to for those she loved, even if it was hard. Her time at the palace wasn't easy, and meeting the Spirits made it harder but very funny at times. The whole thing with the gods and the woods was fascinating and had me wanting to know more. I enjoyed Jae, the prince. He was really kind when he wanted to be, and the banter with him was amazing. I am excited for more of him in the next one. As for Wonshik, I adored him at first, but by the end, I was pissed at him. His relationship with Mirae had been great, and I loved his friendship with Jae, but things changed. After that insanely intense ending, I can't wait for the next one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 17, 2026
Thank you to Simon and Schuster for allowing me to read the eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
When Mirae Song fakes her identity into a job in the palace kitchen her only intention was to earn money to send home to her family, but instead finds herself swept up in dangerous palace intrigue and becomes the vessel for thousands of spirits and deities.
This book started off slow for me, but I ended up loving it. It is beautifully written and is a perfect blend of palace intrigue and Korean mythology with a historical inspiration. I loved the dual perspective between Mirae and Prince Jae. They were both great characters and their differing perspectives brought a nice contrast to the story.
All of the characters were well rounded and it is hard to dislike any of them. Whether good or bad, I understood their motivation and goals, even if I felt that they were wrong. They all did as they thought was best for their kingdom and families.
I really enjoyed this book and can't wait for the next volume to see what happens to this excellent cast of characters.
When Mirae Song fakes her identity into a job in the palace kitchen her only intention was to earn money to send home to her family, but instead finds herself swept up in dangerous palace intrigue and becomes the vessel for thousands of spirits and deities.
This book started off slow for me, but I ended up loving it. It is beautifully written and is a perfect blend of palace intrigue and Korean mythology with a historical inspiration. I loved the dual perspective between Mirae and Prince Jae. They were both great characters and their differing perspectives brought a nice contrast to the story.
All of the characters were well rounded and it is hard to dislike any of them. Whether good or bad, I understood their motivation and goals, even if I felt that they were wrong. They all did as they thought was best for their kingdom and families.
I really enjoyed this book and can't wait for the next volume to see what happens to this excellent cast of characters.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Disappointing.
I had a hard time getting into this and at no point was I ever fully enveloped in the story. The author didn't set the scene well enough; the world-building was lacking and the relationships between all of the characters were poor. At some points it felt like we were a little too focused on having character interactions between Mirae and the male leads than the plot at hand, but even then the plot itself was very...lacking.
Somehow the pacing was too fast and abrupt and also moving too slow. Sometimes the chapters would just end on a note where when I'd flip the next page, I'd be met with the start of a new chapter and go "???" because I wasn't expecting it to end like that. It was jarring. There is something about the author's writing that is just not good. It feels like it's missing something essential to write the story. Overall, this feels like a messy novel.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atheneum Books for Young Readers for the eARC!
I had a hard time getting into this and at no point was I ever fully enveloped in the story. The author didn't set the scene well enough; the world-building was lacking and the relationships between all of the characters were poor. At some points it felt like we were a little too focused on having character interactions between Mirae and the male leads than the plot at hand, but even then the plot itself was very...lacking.
Somehow the pacing was too fast and abrupt and also moving too slow. Sometimes the chapters would just end on a note where when I'd flip the next page, I'd be met with the start of a new chapter and go "???" because I wasn't expecting it to end like that. It was jarring. There is something about the author's writing that is just not good. It feels like it's missing something essential to write the story. Overall, this feels like a messy novel.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atheneum Books for Young Readers for the eARC!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I want to thank Simon & Schuster for providing me with an ARC of The Queen of the Spirit Woods in exchange for an honest review.
This was a difficult book to rate. In the end, I'm settling on three stars, although my actual rating is probably closer to 2.8.
I finished the book, though it took me close to a month. This book has two stories. One is the fantastical tale the book blurb sells. At about 3/4 of the book, the story changes.
Until then, I read the book primarily as the fantasy its premise promised. Then certain names, symbols, events, and conflicts became increasingly explicit parallels to Japan's historical colonization of Korea. The author's note ultimately confirmed the historical inspiration. I have no objection whatsoever to that subject matter. In fact, I think either concept could make an excellent novel: an epic fantasy inspired by Korean mythology and culture, or a historical fantasy exploring colonization, occupation, resistance, and national identity. My difficulty was with how the two were integrated. Rather than feeling as though the historical themes had organically emerged from the fantasy story, I felt as though the novel I had been reading abruptly gave way to a much more explicit historical allegory.
So, I am torn. The fantasy story that drew me in is there. There are romantic elements, but this is NOT a romantasy book. Two characters barely kissing is a romantic element; the core of the story has nothing to do with said kissing. The epic fantasy story (up to the point when it suddenly changes genres) was four stars for me. The execution dropped the score to two stars for me. None of these details is inherently problematic. The problem is their cumulative effect: they repeatedly pulled my attention away from the story.
The ending also contributed to my disappointment. Several threads felt insufficiently resolved, and the conclusion relies heavily on looking toward a better future. Given the historical framework the novel has established by the end, that future carries meaning because readers already know Korea's eventual trajectory. I understand the hopefulness behind that choice, but I wanted an ending that resolved the fictional story on its own terms rather than one whose emotional resonance depended so strongly on the history underlying it.
Finally, a note about the ARC itself. I expect advance copies to contain errors. They are uncorrected proofs, and occasional typos or formatting problems don't affect my rating. Unfortunately, the number and variety of issues I encountered here went considerably beyond what I normally expect from an ARC. Between typos, awkward constructions, attribution problems, POV inconsistencies, and other prose-level issues, there were times when I felt less like I was reading a publication-ready advance copy and more like I was beta-reading a manuscript that still needed substantive line editing and proofreading. Because these issues repeatedly interrupted my immersion, I ultimately had to factor them into my rating.
And yet, beneath all of those problems is a fantasy story I enjoyed. Much of the mythology worked for me. The story eventually worked for me. That's what makes this book so frustrating to rate. I wanted Mirae to win and the bad guys to get their due justice. I wanted Mirae to step into her role as queen of the spirit woods. And I wanted Jae to reunite with his mother.
Ultimately, The Queen of the Spirit Woods contained a four-star story for me, but the execution repeatedly got in its way. The late shift toward explicit historical allegory further distanced me from the fantasy narrative I had become invested in. I liked a great deal here, but an equally significant amount frustrated me.
This was a difficult book to rate. In the end, I'm settling on three stars, although my actual rating is probably closer to 2.8.
I finished the book, though it took me close to a month. This book has two stories. One is the fantastical tale the book blurb sells. At about 3/4 of the book, the story changes.
Until then, I read the book primarily as the fantasy its premise promised. Then certain names, symbols, events, and conflicts became increasingly explicit parallels to Japan's historical colonization of Korea. The author's note ultimately confirmed the historical inspiration. I have no objection whatsoever to that subject matter. In fact, I think either concept could make an excellent novel: an epic fantasy inspired by Korean mythology and culture, or a historical fantasy exploring colonization, occupation, resistance, and national identity. My difficulty was with how the two were integrated. Rather than feeling as though the historical themes had organically emerged from the fantasy story, I felt as though the novel I had been reading abruptly gave way to a much more explicit historical allegory.
So, I am torn. The fantasy story that drew me in is there. There are romantic elements, but this is NOT a romantasy book. Two characters barely kissing is a romantic element; the core of the story has nothing to do with said kissing. The epic fantasy story (up to the point when it suddenly changes genres) was four stars for me. The execution dropped the score to two stars for me. None of these details is inherently problematic. The problem is their cumulative effect: they repeatedly pulled my attention away from the story.
The ending also contributed to my disappointment. Several threads felt insufficiently resolved, and the conclusion relies heavily on looking toward a better future. Given the historical framework the novel has established by the end, that future carries meaning because readers already know Korea's eventual trajectory. I understand the hopefulness behind that choice, but I wanted an ending that resolved the fictional story on its own terms rather than one whose emotional resonance depended so strongly on the history underlying it.
Finally, a note about the ARC itself. I expect advance copies to contain errors. They are uncorrected proofs, and occasional typos or formatting problems don't affect my rating. Unfortunately, the number and variety of issues I encountered here went considerably beyond what I normally expect from an ARC. Between typos, awkward constructions, attribution problems, POV inconsistencies, and other prose-level issues, there were times when I felt less like I was reading a publication-ready advance copy and more like I was beta-reading a manuscript that still needed substantive line editing and proofreading. Because these issues repeatedly interrupted my immersion, I ultimately had to factor them into my rating.
And yet, beneath all of those problems is a fantasy story I enjoyed. Much of the mythology worked for me. The story eventually worked for me. That's what makes this book so frustrating to rate. I wanted Mirae to win and the bad guys to get their due justice. I wanted Mirae to step into her role as queen of the spirit woods. And I wanted Jae to reunite with his mother.
Ultimately, The Queen of the Spirit Woods contained a four-star story for me, but the execution repeatedly got in its way. The late shift toward explicit historical allegory further distanced me from the fantasy narrative I had become invested in. I liked a great deal here, but an equally significant amount frustrated me.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you netgalley for the arc of this book !!!
»»——— ᢉ𐭩 ———««
As someone who loves those historical kdrama, this literally played out like those books, but ofc with thr shamanism and historical aspect ingrained into it, and the most important thing, prince jae I love his character so so much, mirae was such an amazing mc as well, but the thing that made this a solid 4 star was the last 3 chapters, I loved the actions and how things unraveled, all in all without spoiling anything if you love Korean historical fiction with alot of fantasy that is easy to read this is the one, and i got to learn alot about the colonial history of end of joseon era from authors note to, they elaborate it really well.
»»——— ᢉ𐭩 ———««
As someone who loves those historical kdrama, this literally played out like those books, but ofc with thr shamanism and historical aspect ingrained into it, and the most important thing, prince jae I love his character so so much, mirae was such an amazing mc as well, but the thing that made this a solid 4 star was the last 3 chapters, I loved the actions and how things unraveled, all in all without spoiling anything if you love Korean historical fiction with alot of fantasy that is easy to read this is the one, and i got to learn alot about the colonial history of end of joseon era from authors note to, they elaborate it really well.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Did Not Finish
September 7, 2026DNF @ 81% - I had such high expectations for this one.
I tried so hard to finish this book, but I just couldn’t. The concept itself was incredibly interesting, but poorly executed. So little happened in this story that for most of my time reading this, I was bored. The whole plot is centered around the main character going to the haunted spirit woods and accidentally becoming a vessel for thousands of spirits and gods, yet somehow that was reduced to just a small fraction of this story. There are so many plot hole concerning both that aspect of the story as well as the court politics. The romance, character development, and overall plot was lacking. Not once did I lose myself in this book, which is something I’m terribly sorry about.
I tried so hard to finish this book, but I just couldn’t. The concept itself was incredibly interesting, but poorly executed. So little happened in this story that for most of my time reading this, I was bored. The whole plot is centered around the main character going to the haunted spirit woods and accidentally becoming a vessel for thousands of spirits and gods, yet somehow that was reduced to just a small fraction of this story. There are so many plot hole concerning both that aspect of the story as well as the court politics. The romance, character development, and overall plot was lacking. Not once did I lose myself in this book, which is something I’m terribly sorry about.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3 stars A fantasy story based on Korean history, It was fine but the Fmc Mirae did feel a little bland she's fine, she didn't annoy me. But I wish she's a little more fleshed out since this is the first book. But the cover is gorgeous! Though the love triangle is a little predictable on what route is moving towards though since its a common theme in books I won't push further on it. The writings are beautiful as well I guess I just didn't fall in love with the story as I thought I would. (Also I was on vacation for a while so I couldn't pick it up as often as I would have liked)
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
It took me a little bit to get into this book, but it really drew me in in a way that made me want to keep going. The structure and combination of myth and folklore and mystery was compelling. I liked the main characters very much and the author made them so real that as things began to come apart it was hard to let go of your expectations, even as you realized the clues were there all along. Nicely done.
I was given an ARC copy of this book and this is my honest review, freely given.
I was given an ARC copy of this book and this is my honest review, freely given.
July 31, 2026
This was a wonderful read! If you enjoy storytelling inspired by real life events and mixed with Korean folklore you won’t be disappointed! I will also say that this story would be great for anyone who enjoys a good k-drama period piece! It just an all around good read.
While this was an advanced copy my opinions are of my own and I invite you to form some for yourself.
While this was an advanced copy my opinions are of my own and I invite you to form some for yourself.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘚𝘪𝘮𝘰𝘯 𝘛𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺!
The Queen of the Spirit Holds features an intriguing plot full of political drama, fascinating Korean mythology, and is complete with one of the best romantic tropes: yearning. I adored this world, the storytelling, and the pacing of this novel and the drama steeped within and can't wait to read more from this author!
The Queen of the Spirit Holds features an intriguing plot full of political drama, fascinating Korean mythology, and is complete with one of the best romantic tropes: yearning. I adored this world, the storytelling, and the pacing of this novel and the drama steeped within and can't wait to read more from this author!
Review of advance copy received from Author
It has a simple whimsy to it. It quietly flows through your mind. It’s not flashy or overly political or overly action packed or dramatic. It just is as it is and it just lets be. “Less is more” quiet elegance. I appreciated the meticulous detail and beautiful imagery. I loved that i could put this down and not stress about it. Great historical value added to it.
September 4, 2026
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC! This was a fantastic YA story. I truly enjoyed the lore, action, romance, and twists. I was truly fooled and I cannot wait for more from this author. If you love stories like Mulan where you get a little bit of everything, this is for you!
Read
August 15, 2026This is absolutely everything I love about epic fantasy, an expansive world, complex politics, and an incredibly unique magic system. I'm in love.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I actually enjoyed the first half of this book more than the second half. I liked the characters and development but grew bored.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I want to thank Simon & Schuster for providing me with an ARC of The Queen of the Spirit Woods in exchange for an honest review.
I am torn over this review. I loved the story. Hated the execution.
The Goodreads book blurb promises the following: YA romantasy inspired by Korean history, a girl fakes her way into becoming a royal kitchen maid where she is embroiled in forbidden love and palace intrigue after stumbling into the mysterious Spirit Woods and unwittingly becoming a vessel for 10,000 nature spirits.
The NetGalley book blurb promises the following: The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea meets The Cruel Prince in this epic, lush young adult romantic fantasy following a royal kitchen maid who gets swept up in dangerous palace intrigue and a forbidden love triangle… and accidentally becomes the vessel for thousands of spirits and deities.
The title hints at a heroine stepping into her role and fate as the queen of the Spirit Woods.
First, this is not a romantasy. This book has romantic elements, but the romance isn't the core of the story. Saving the spirit woods is.
Second, the "love triangle" is nonexistent.
Third, this is a young adult novel with crossover appeal for YA readers.
Fourth, if you loved The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea or the Cruel Prince series, DO NOT expect the same. I went in expecting this and was quickly disappointed. I did, however, keep reading.
Fifth, if you hate the miscommunication trope as a strategy to move the plot...
The story is about Mirae, who is soon tasked with carrying 10,000 spirits and resolving the situation with the shrinking spirit woods, the spirits' home. Prince Jae must find out who is conspiring to assassinate the king. The story shifts to a quest that could free the spirits, and Jae sees a way to learn more about the assassins, but around 3/4 of the book it takes a turn and becomes a story about colonization. If this was the actual story, then historical fantasy might have been a better genre choice. What frustrated me is how we went from romantasy to historical fantasy without properly resolving either storyline.
I wanted the fantasy story promised. I wanted the romance. I wanted the happy ending that standalone romantasy normally conveys. I wanted Mirae to step into her role as queen of the spirit woods. I wanted the caste system abolished and the bad guys to get their due. I didn't get any of it. And it is a pity because the fantasy story was engaging enough.
Now, let's talk about the execution. The grammar and lexical issues were everywhere, leaping at me from nearly every page and affecting my ability to stay immersed in the story.
While the fantastical story about the gods and spirits gets 4 stars, the execution is 2 stars. The fulfillment of narrative promises is 1 star. So, this comes out to 2.6 or 2.7 for me.
I am torn over this review. I loved the story. Hated the execution.
The Goodreads book blurb promises the following: YA romantasy inspired by Korean history, a girl fakes her way into becoming a royal kitchen maid where she is embroiled in forbidden love and palace intrigue after stumbling into the mysterious Spirit Woods and unwittingly becoming a vessel for 10,000 nature spirits.
The NetGalley book blurb promises the following: The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea meets The Cruel Prince in this epic, lush young adult romantic fantasy following a royal kitchen maid who gets swept up in dangerous palace intrigue and a forbidden love triangle… and accidentally becomes the vessel for thousands of spirits and deities.
The title hints at a heroine stepping into her role and fate as the queen of the Spirit Woods.
First, this is not a romantasy. This book has romantic elements, but the romance isn't the core of the story. Saving the spirit woods is.
Second, the "love triangle" is nonexistent.
Third, this is a young adult novel with crossover appeal for YA readers.
Fourth, if you loved The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea or the Cruel Prince series, DO NOT expect the same. I went in expecting this and was quickly disappointed. I did, however, keep reading.
Fifth, if you hate the miscommunication trope as a strategy to move the plot...
The story is about Mirae, who is soon tasked with carrying 10,000 spirits and resolving the situation with the shrinking spirit woods, the spirits' home. Prince Jae must find out who is conspiring to assassinate the king. The story shifts to a quest that could free the spirits, and Jae sees a way to learn more about the assassins, but around 3/4 of the book it takes a turn and becomes a story about colonization. If this was the actual story, then historical fantasy might have been a better genre choice. What frustrated me is how we went from romantasy to historical fantasy without properly resolving either storyline.
I wanted the fantasy story promised. I wanted the romance. I wanted the happy ending that standalone romantasy normally conveys. I wanted Mirae to step into her role as queen of the spirit woods. I wanted the caste system abolished and the bad guys to get their due. I didn't get any of it. And it is a pity because the fantasy story was engaging enough.
Now, let's talk about the execution. The grammar and lexical issues were everywhere, leaping at me from nearly every page and affecting my ability to stay immersed in the story.
While the fantastical story about the gods and spirits gets 4 stars, the execution is 2 stars. The fulfillment of narrative promises is 1 star. So, this comes out to 2.6 or 2.7 for me.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me a read at this.
A Korean fantasy, sign me up! I loved the show Alchemy of Souls and I hoped for something here along those lines. I got really interesting characters but a very murky plot that hopefully will right itself out when book two releases.
Our female lead is taking the name and position of a girl who is ill to serve in the palace. Problem is that she is heading to the palace with magic and this magic is not quite appreciated by the palace. During one of her outings, she inherits a power and a position that makes her important to those of the magic kind.
Unfortunately, this causes her to be of interesting to two parties: the prince, who already dislikes her and does not trust magic folk, and the other a friend of his who has a secret or two.
I found the plot to be kind of underdeveloped when it comes to the magic and the rules / reasons for the dislike through the kingdom. While I am sure that the book was basically a build up, it felt like the reveals that we got at the end to some of the plot points really didn't help with the magic. I think it will be better explained by book two, but still, It was a mid book for me, and I really hoped to enjoy it more.
A Korean fantasy, sign me up! I loved the show Alchemy of Souls and I hoped for something here along those lines. I got really interesting characters but a very murky plot that hopefully will right itself out when book two releases.
Our female lead is taking the name and position of a girl who is ill to serve in the palace. Problem is that she is heading to the palace with magic and this magic is not quite appreciated by the palace. During one of her outings, she inherits a power and a position that makes her important to those of the magic kind.
Unfortunately, this causes her to be of interesting to two parties: the prince, who already dislikes her and does not trust magic folk, and the other a friend of his who has a secret or two.
I found the plot to be kind of underdeveloped when it comes to the magic and the rules / reasons for the dislike through the kingdom. While I am sure that the book was basically a build up, it felt like the reveals that we got at the end to some of the plot points really didn't help with the magic. I think it will be better explained by book two, but still, It was a mid book for me, and I really hoped to enjoy it more.
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