The Queen of the Spirit Woods

by Sharon Choe

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.

A kingdom on the brink of colonization.
Ten thousand nature spirits and deities seeking a vessel.
A genial nobleman and a grumpy prince uncovering the secrets at Court...
And the girl at the center of it all.

Mirae has a dangerous She has faked her way into a job as a royal kitchen maid with the hope of sending money to her family. And life in the kitchens isn't easy. The palace is in an uproar after a recent assassination attempt on the king, and Mirae nearly gets fired after inadvertently getting in the crosshairs of Jae, the prickly crown prince, during his investigation.

Her position gets even more precarious when a chance encounter with a witch in the mysterious spirit woods makes her the vessel of ten thousand spirits and deities. When her new powers spill out into the palace kitchens, Wonshik, a kind nobleman, lends a helping hand. Soon Mirae finds herself embroiled in a power struggle between the queen and Wonshik's best friend, Prince Jae.

With the help of a fellow kitchen maid and a meddlesome ghost, Mirae must untangle the web of lies to find the traitor within the palace. But an encroaching threat from the empire to the east looms ever closer, and the palace is rife with lies and shadowy allegiances. Who can Mirae trust?

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Young Adult Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Romantasy, High Fantasy

1 pages, Audio CD

First published November 3, 2026

Reviews

[Zana]

DNF @ 23%

I loved the lush descriptions of the different settings and the characters' actions and their interactions with one another. I could easily picture everything in my head.

But this was too Disney movie for me (which isn't my thing) and the plot points felt like they were thrown together to create a story around the romance, giving this more of a romantasy vibe than fantasy romance. If you're looking for something along those lines, then this might work out for you.

Thank you to Atheneum Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for this arc.

[Katrin · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

This was interesting, atmospheric, and quite beautiful at times, but I have to admit I expected a little more.

I really enjoyed the concept of the world, the Korean mythology, spirits, gods, shamans, and the whole history surrounding the destruction of the sacred spirit woods. It was fascinating to see how all of this intertwined with politics, power struggles, and the threat of colonization. The idea of a girl suddenly becoming a vessel for thousands of spirits was also something quite unique.

However, the plot sometimes felt a little overloaded. Political schemes, conspiracies, royal family secrets, divine powers, spirits, and one revelation after another — at some point, it all became a bit too much. I would have loved to spend more time getting to know the characters and watching their relationships develop instead of constantly being introduced to another mystery that needed to be solved.

As for the romance, I have mixed feelings. I enjoyed the dynamics between the characters, but I wanted more depth and development. Some moments didn't get enough room to breathe before the story moved on to the next major event.

That being said, I liked Mirae. She's not some princess who starts out knowing she's destined for greatness. She's just an ordinary girl trying to save her father, only to find herself at the center of events much bigger than she could ever imagine. Her journey and connection with the spirits were definitely among my favourite parts of the story.

The ending left me with a pleasant impression, although I wish some of the plot developments had been explored in greater detail.

Overall, this is a lovely fantasy with an unusual setting, fascinating mythology, and an interesting premise. I just wish it had a little more emotional depth, and that some of its storylines had received more attention.

Not bad at all. Just not quite what I was hoping for.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC!

[Mercury · Rating 2 out of 5]

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 🫩🥀

[Ella (DearFuturePublisher) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Rating: 4/ 5
Audiobook Rating: 4.5/ 5

Book Described in Emojis:
🌲👻🏯👑✨💔🦊

Reading Mood || Read This When You're Craving...:
Read this when you're craving Korean mythology, mysterious spirit filled forests, royal secrets, political intrigue, and a little forbidden romance.

Quick Summary:
Mirae takes a job as a royal kitchen maid to help support her struggling family, but things get complicated when she accidentally becomes the vessel for ten thousand spirits and deities. Suddenly, she's caught between palace politics, dangerous secrets, a charming nobleman, and a rather grumpy prince.

Worldbuilding, Characters, Plot & Pacing:
Hands down, my favorite part of this book was the Korean mythology! 😍 I'm not very familiar with Korean folklore, so I absolutely loved learning about the different gods and spirits woven throughout the story. The mysterious Spirit Woods and their connection to the conflict between Daehan and the Sun Empire were fascinating. Honestly, I wanted MORE of this!

Where I struggled was with the romance. 😅 I wasn't a huge fan of Wonshik or Mirae's almost immediate infatuation with him. I'll give it some grace because it reminded me of that first young crush where someone is handsome and sweet to you, and suddenly they're the most wonderful person alive. But the whole charming nobleman versus brooding prince situation felt pretty predictable. I also had some issues with how the love triangle developed. I could see where things were heading, and I wish we'd spent more time building those relationships instead of rushing through some of the emotional moments. This very well is a me thing though and I can see others absolutely loving this book.

Tropes & What to Expect
🌲 Korean mythology and enchanted spirit woods
👻 Tons of spirits and deities
🏯 Royal court intrigue and palace secrets
👑 Brooding prince
✨ Magical powers and ancient folklore
💔 Love triangle and forbidden romance
🦊 Supernatural creatures and mysterious encounters

Audiobook Experience:
The audiobook was my format for experiencing this story. The mythology, supernatural elements, and palace setting gave the story plenty of atmosphere, although I found myself more interested in those elements than the romantic storyline.
Narration performance was fantastic and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to listen to this story!

Final Thoughts:
I think there's a really interesting story here, especially with the spirits and the political conflict, but I wish those elements had been explored more deeply. I'm curious about where things go next, even if this first installment didn't completely win me over I absolutely would read a second installment.

Perfect for Readers Who Love:
Korean inspired fantasy, palace politics, magical forests, meddlesome spirits, and YA romance with a brooding royal love interest.

Many thanks, Simon & Schuster Audio for the ALC. As always, all thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

[Stevie · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

[Joe · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

The Queen of the Spirit Woods stands out in a congested YA fantasy landscape through its emphasis on right and wrong and the human connection.

When I first started this book, I wasn’t entirely sold on it. We’ve all read this story a million times: a girl from a poor village must go and work at the palace so that she can save her family from poverty, sickness, and whatever else is happening that is stressing her out. For the first half, I found the book just okay. Nothing was really happening that was capturing my attention. The reason I decided to stick with it was that I had a feeling the book was going to get better, and I was right!

The second half was full of action, intrigue, and such interesting world-building and character development. I quite literally couldn’t put the book down. I finished the second half in one sitting—that’s how locked in I was.

Mirae’s interactions with the spirits were easily one of my favorite parts of the book. Each spirit had such a distinctive personality, and the dialogue between them and Mirae was so entertaining. It added a decent amount of levity to a story that was rather serious most of the time. I also really enjoyed the dynamics between Mirae, Jae, and Wonshik, both as a trio and in their individual pairings. Mirae and Wonshik had a budding romance brewing, Jae and Wonshik are childhood friends, and Mirae and Jae went from strangers to unlikely allies. Let me tell you, this led to some MESSY interactions, and I ate it up. I wouldn’t even consider this a love triangle, and yet it’s one of the better ones I’ve ever read—and that’s really saying something.

I listened to this on audiobook, and that was one of the reasons I thankfully kept reading the book. The narrators were excellent, and their performances immersed me in the plot and the world, even when I wasn’t fully buying into the story.

I’m very satisfied with how this book ended. There’s such a clear direction for where the plot is going as we wait for book two, and I can’t wait to dive in when the time comes.

Thank you to Simon Teen and Simon Audio for gifting me an early copy of this book ahead of its official release.

[Andi · Rating 2.5 out of 5]

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.

[Bailie · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!

[Emily | emilyisoverbooked · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing | Atheneum Books for Young Readers for the #gifted copy!

A dual-POV young adult romantic fantasy following a royal kitchen maid and a prince who get swept up in dangerous palace intrigue, a forbidden love triangle, and the plight of thousands of displaced spirits and deities.

THE QUEEN OF THE SPIRIT WOODS is a YA fantasy based in Korean folklore and Colonial Era Korea, and it was perfectly adapted for a young adult audience... but at 30-something, I also really enjoyed this one!

Sharon's writing is so descriptive and beautiful. I loved being able to vividly picture all the scenes in my head. I also love that we got both Mirae and Jae's POVs throughout the story, but that it took awhile for them to get together because of the love triangle.

What I didn't expect? Severed heads! While this seemed like a light, fun fantasy read and had all the beautiful descriptions and romance, there was also the Korean historical influence in the pages, which added storylines of colonialism and treatment of women with power. This was a really well-balanced story and I highly recommend it!

[Rynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[LadyoftheBlade (Britt) · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!

[Michele · Rating 2 out of 5]

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

[Priya | fablesandstarlight · Rating 3.25 out of 5]

Can we please take a minute to appreciate how stunning this cover is? I was immediately intrigued and knew I needed to know more!

The Queen of the Spirit Woods is full of vivid imagery and descriptive language that makes you feel completely immersed in its setting, and right there alongside the characters. In this way, the comparisons to The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea (which I loved) make sense! Who wouldn't love the sound of a "fish out of water" FMC suddenly becoming a vessel to thousands of spirits/deities and then being forced to navigate high-stakes court politics? While I did enjoy certain elements of the story, the overall execution fell a bit flat compared to my expectations. I struggled with the pacing of the first half of the book and often found my attention drifting. That being said, I did enjoy the second half of the book, especially as the different storyline threads began coming together and the pacing picked up nicely. The plot twist, while predictable, made for a crazy, action-packed ending and has left me curious to see where the story goes from here! In terms of the "forbidden love triangle", while this was initially a selling point for me, having read the book I could've done without it because it felt more like a distraction from the rest of the story and didn't really add any compelling tension.

"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."

I do recommend the audiobook for those interested! The audio narration was a great time, and I especially loved hearing the back-and-forth interactions between Mirae and the spirits play out during my read.

[Abby · Rating 3.25 out of 5]

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

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Minna · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Children''s, and Ms. Choe for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

I really enjoyed this. I've been on a real Asian-lit kick lately (especially titles that read like literary versions of the k- and c-dramas I love so much) and this was a great addition to my list. I will say this: the style, tone, pacing and tropes would probably resonate best with a reader who also watches k dramas. Once you've seen enough of them you really learn to recognize (and even expect) certain elements.

Mirae takes the place of a sick friend as a palace maid, a golden opportunity for her to support her family. Mirae also has some magical abilities that make her a shoo-in for position of spirit host to thousands of gods.... simultaneously. There's also a charming nobleman, Wonshik, and his friend Crown Prince Jae, who is tasked with uncovering the culprits behind an assassination plot. Wonshik comes across as kind and charming and friendly, and Jae as surly, cold and aloof, so OF COURSE as any regular k-drama watcher knows, Jae will be the eventual love interest. LOL.

I had some issues with the POVs; while I appreciated Jae's I think I would have preferred that we only got Mirae's. If Jae's needed to be included I think it would have been better keeping Mirae to first person and Jae in third. I think that would have preserved some of the mystery and motivations in the story and given Mirae's POV the dynamic edge. After all, KNOWING that Jae means well really lessens the dramatic impact. I also would have liked more, more, more, of the spirits/mythology/magic world building. That was my favorite part of the story and I'd love to see more in book #2. I could definitely see this being adapted to a TV screen and would 100% watch.

Looking forward to the second half of the duology!

[Risa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Being part Korean, I was soooo excited to read this but ended up feeling very underwhelmed.

I appreciate the author's intent of focusing on a part of history that is not really discussed in the US - the colonization of Korea by Japan. However, it seemed a bit hard to follow if you don't know this part of history and I will say that I didn't even know that was the inspiration to this based off how the plot is a bit everywhere and a little jumbled. The pacing also made it hard to stay very engaged in the story and hard to grasp how much time has actually passed between events. The only time it really picked up the pace where I felt engaged was towards the end of the book.

The characters also fell pretty flat for me. The dynamic between the characters leaves a lot to be desired and the weird insta-love between Mirae and Wonshik just made no sense to me. I understand initial attraction to someone but I just couldn't wrap my head how this relationship was evolving in the story. I also can't really grasp the dynamic between Mirae and Jae and how their relationship is unfolding. I can see that we are going to have a love triangle here but I'm not really that engaged in it that I feel strongly for either male character.

I'm hoping that in the next book everything starts to make sense because it feels like there's just a lot of plot holes and so much left unexplained in this first book. Also hoping for some more character development in the next as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atheneum Books for Young Readers for providing and ARC for an honest review.

[Tee · Rating 3 out of 5]

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!

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Lauren | TransportedLFL · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

Thank you to Simon Teen for the free book and to Simon Audio for the free audiobook. These are my opinions.

This is a fascinating new fantasy. I greatly appreciated the unique world building. It featured fights among spirits and a clash between more traditional belief in a spirit world and secular concerns. There were also very large class divides and questions of international alliances. All of these I enjoyed seeing explored.

Within this setting, Mirae takes the opportunity to go to the palace and become a kitchen maid. She is completely unskilled at the task, but she wants to be able to send home money to her father and younger sister. Along the way, she meets Wonshik, a nobleman, Crown Prince Jae, and the queen. And she gets caught up in all sorts of political intrigue and machinations.

The premise was so good, but it felt to me like there were some logical leaps in the plot. The action takes place on many levels, both spiritual and mundane. And not all of them were fully explained or developed. One part that seemed like it was intended as a substantial plot twist felt like it was so structurally foreshadowed that it was inevitable to me. Ultimately, I was intrigued by the characters but left with a lot of questions. I am hopeful the next book will help to add more depth and answers.

Michelle H. Lee and Eric Yang narrated the audiobook. I was impressed with both narrators, especially given the many voices they were responsible for. In particular, the spirit voices added a great effect to the audiobook.

[Lyon.Brit.andthebookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨ Thank you to the publisher @simonteen for the copy! ✨ #SimonTeenInfluencer #TheQueenOfTheSpiritWoods

Sometimes you just have to ignore the Goodreads reviews and go in with an open mind 😂 And I’m SO glad I did with The Queen of the Spirit Woods by Sharon Choe!

I listened to the audiobook while following along with my physical copy (my new favorite way to read!) and I was completely immersed in this beautiful story. It gave me major Disney vibes and that is a HUGE compliment coming from me ✨🏰

Between the enchanted spirit woods…Korean mythology…palace secrets…magical beings and all the royal court intrigue…there was so much to get swept up in. I’m a sucker for a royal court…give me complicated loyalties…a prickly prince…a little forbidden romance and a kingdom full of secrets and I’m happy!

There were a few slower moments along the way but I didn’t mind. I was enjoying the world so much that I was more than happy to linger. I especially loved learning about the Korean mythology woven throughout the story and exploring the magical world Sharon Choe created.

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Lyon.brit.A...

[Bunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Emma · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

Choe’s strength as a writer lies with her descriptions; the settings are lushly detailed and the characters are vivid on the page. I love the different gods and spirits Mirae encounters on her journey and the friends she makes. I think the strongest relationship is, unsurprisingly, between the two main characters, Mirae and Jae. Their initial tension takes its time to grow into trust without falling into an immediate romance, which I appreciate in a story with a fraught political climate like this one. Romance doesn’t have to be ignored, but it probably shouldn’t be the characters’ main focus. Instead, Mirae and Jae learn shocking truths about their homes and the people around them that force them to work together in an attempt to save their kingdom and the spirits’, which makes for a gripping story. My only gripe is that the twist villain was clear practically from their introduction, simply by virtue of falling into common tropes. If there is a sequel, I look forward to how things will develop after that devastating finale.

[Jenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

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!

[Jessie Wallace · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

3.5/5 Stars

The beginning is a bit slow, but once you get into the story and the world is more established it is a really fun book! The main character, Mirae, is a bit flat for me, but she is still a fun character to follow. The Prince, Jae, is also a bit flat, but he has more growth than Mirae. Still interesting characters, they just don't have a ton of growth. I think they will grow significantly if/when the story continues! The other maid, Oona, and the Prince's best friend/Mirae's love interest, Wonshik, provide great foils to the two MCs and make for some interesting twists and turns.

By far, the best part of the book is the Korean folklore! It is fascinating to hear about some of the spirit beliefs and such in Korean history.

Overall, would recommend if you enjoy Korean folklore, but very much acknowledge it's the start to a duology or more so there is a lot of build up and questions that don't fully get answered yet.

[Sarah Decker · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Violetdazey · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[sunny_reads_]

DNF @ 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.

[Sydnopses · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley & Simon and Schuster for this ARC of The Queen of The Spirit Woods.
I was really excited to read this one. But I unfortunately felt like the beginning dragged on too much but didn’t leave us with much connection to the characters family or reasoning behind leaving. I would’ve liked a bit less time at the castle, and a bit more time with Mirae’s family so we could grow connected with her family, and leave them as well. That way we feel more depth for her loss & the pressure she feels. There were really strong points of this book but ultimately the multiple POV’s felt a little out of place and structured a bit oddly. I think the pacing of the book weaved in and out of slow & fast for me, which made it a bit harder to get through. But ultimately it was a cute read.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely masterful tale with truly beautiful prose, this story captivated me.

An epic tale of a young woman who sneaks into the castle to work as a maid to make money to care for her family and finds herself in the midst of courtly intrigue, a spiritual war, and possibly possessed by the spirits of the gods.

I was so entranced by the writing that I hardly noticed how much I had read. It's so lyrical in its prose, brilliant in its world building, and the characters are so well written - even when I want to shake them for their decisions - that this was such a quick read.

Fantastical elements, magical moments, and even a touch of romance round out the plot and make for an excellent read from cover to cover.