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Quick answer: If you loved Axie Oh, try The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea, XOXO, The Gilded Wolves, Daughter of the Moon Goddess, Spin the Dawn and Six Crimson Cranes. Each one is a swoony YA romance or fantasy with Korean or East Asian settings, myths and big feelings.
Axie Oh is a Korean American author known for The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea, a retelling of a Korean folktale in which Mina throws herself into the sea to save her village and enters the Spirit Realm, and for the K-pop-inspired romance XOXO. Her books mix romance, myth and heart. Readers love her lush settings and her swoony love stories. These books share her Korean inspirations and her romance.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Heat level | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea | Axie Oh | Low | readers new to Axie Oh |
| XOXO | Axie Oh | Low | readers who love K-pop romance |
| The Gilded Wolves | Roshani Chokshi | Low | readers who like heist fantasy |
| Daughter of the Moon Goddess | Sue Lynn Tan | Low | readers who like Asian myth |
| Spin the Dawn | Elizabeth Lim | Low | readers who like magical quests |
| Six Crimson Cranes | Elizabeth Lim | Low | readers who like fairy-tale retellings |
| Gods of Jade and Shadow | Silvia Moreno-Garcia | Low | readers who like myth journeys |
| The Astonishing Color of After | Emily X.R. Pan | Low | readers who like grief and family secrets |
| I Believe in a Thing Called Love | Maurene Goo | Low | readers who like K-drama romance |
| Frankly in Love | David Yoon | Low | readers who like Korean American families |
| Tokyo Ever After | Emiko Jean | Low | readers who like royal surprises |
| The Wrath and the Dawn | Renée Ahdieh | Medium | readers who like retellings |
| Flame in the Mist | Renée Ahdieh | Low | readers who like Japan-inspired fantasy |
| Seoulmates | Susan Lee | Low | readers who like Seoul romance |
| The Last Fallen Star | Graci Kim | Low | younger readers |
1. The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh
A girl enters the Spirit Realm to save her village.
Best for: readers new to Axie Oh.
2. XOXO by Axie Oh
A cellist falls for a K-pop star.
Best for: readers who love K-pop romance.
3. The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi
A crew hunts a powerful artifact in 1889 Paris.
Best for: readers who like heist fantasy.
4. Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan
A girl seeks to free her mother.
Best for: readers who like Asian myth.
5. Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim
A girl disguises herself to become the emperor's tailor.
Best for: readers who like magical quests.
6. Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim
A princess saves her brothers turned to cranes.
Best for: readers who like fairy-tale retellings.
7. Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
A girl frees a Mayan god of death.
Best for: readers who like myth journeys.
8. The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan
A girl visits Taiwan after her mother's death.
Best for: readers who like grief and family secrets.
9. I Believe in a Thing Called Love by Maurene Goo
A girl uses K-drama tactics to win a boy.
Best for: readers who like K-drama romance.
10. Frankly in Love by David Yoon
A boy fake-dates to please his parents.
Best for: readers who like Korean American families.
11. Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean
A girl learns she is a Japanese princess.
Best for: readers who like royal surprises.
12. The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh
A Scheherazade retelling.
Best for: readers who like retellings.
13. Flame in the Mist by Renée Ahdieh
A girl disguises herself to join a gang.
Best for: readers who like Japan-inspired fantasy.
14. Seoulmates by Susan Lee
Childhood friends reconnect.
Best for: readers who like Seoul romance.
15. The Last Fallen Star by Graci Kim
A Korean American girl discovers witch magic.
Best for: younger readers.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Axie Oh: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Axie Oh. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most. If a pick is part of a longer series, read the first book before you commit, and check the age or content notes in the table before passing a book to a younger reader.
How to Choose
Start with The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea or XOXO. For K-drama-style romance, I Believe in a Thing Called Love and Seoulmates are perfect. If you love myth-inspired fantasy, Daughter of the Moon Goddess, Six Crimson Cranes and Spin the Dawn are excellent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Axie Oh?
A Korean American author of YA romance and fantasy.
What is The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea about?
A girl sacrifices herself to the Sea God to save her village and enters the Spirit Realm.
What is XOXO about?
A cellist falls for a K-pop star while living in Seoul.
What age are her books for?
They suit readers about 13 and up.
Are her books clean?
Yes. They are mostly mild romances.
Where are her books set?
Mostly in Korea or Korea-inspired fantasy worlds.
What should I read next?
Six Crimson Cranes.