Thank you to NetGalley, Zando, Hillman Grad, and Elaine U. Cho for the opportunity to read Ocean's Godori for an honest review. (I also received a physical copy as a gift from a friend).

Ocean's Godori is set in a future where Earth has attained space travel, making it a norm. Ocean is a girl who has lost loved ones and made mistakes in the past for the sake of her loved ones, even if that means her actions were seen as dishonorably going against a commanding officer's orders.

Ocean is a great pilot and a great shot. She may be disgraced, but finds a home on the Onheul, a delivery ship, where she finds family with the rest of her Alliance crew. Between raiders and political murders, Ocean and her crew get wrapped up in a plot far beyond their wildest imaginations, and no matter what, Ocean will do what she deems right for herself and the one's she love.

One flavorful aspect of this book is the Korean culture. Despite being a future of Earth, there is a key aspect of culture and feeling that one belongs or is, like Ocean and being Korean. The back of the book has a glossary of terms (mostly Korean, but with some other items as well) that are offered to the reader in a form of Alliance Onboarding, which made it a more immersive way to explore. It was much more fulfilling having the physical version of the book to refer to the glossary, as I can see the back-and-forth on an e-reader being a bit tedious.

One term stands out, as it is part of the title: godori. In the glossary, it is referred to as "hwatu" a popular Korean card game that is also often called "go-stop," or "godori." It explains the general rules and play style, and describes the cards as having "very distinctive illustrations with red backs." While this is just my own interpretation, and I could be reading very far into it, I find that the cover of the novel is meant to look like a godori card, featuring Ocean in the center. Like the card game they play, Ocean makes many choices in which she must choose when to keep going or when to stop, making the cover and title a metaphor for Ocean's life, in a regard. And if you haven't please take a moment to just admire the beauty of the cover details.

While I find a lot of the characters to have some depth and interesting aspects, Ocean is definitely the most well-rounded and unique character. There is a reference to her similarity to that of Akira (yes, the 1988 film) with her favored red flight suit, her skill with motorcycles (and spacecraft), and her key aim, as well as her hot-headed choices when a loved one is on the line. Exploring her past, friendships, and choices, as they are revealed through other characters throughout the novel, makes reading her actions and choices in the moment an even more intriguing experience in this exciting space opera novel.

One aspect of the novel I wasn't really a fan of was the writing style, and it had to do with sentence construction and pronouns that made determining speaker or action a bit convoluted at times. (This didn't have anything to do with the Korean pronouns, by the way. I understand and appreciate those, especially in the cultural context of the novel). It was more of a lot of "he" or "she" and it would take me a moment to determine who the pronoun was referring to, as I would have to go back two or three sentences to determine, where the use of a name may have been better.

Overall, Ocean's Godori is an exciting read that science fiction lovers will enjoy. It offers a cultural voice that more novels need so that a different perspective can be gained. Definitely a recommended read!

DEMOTED to a 5/5 because I was disappointed. 😌 Yes, demoted because it had a mental “+” before.

𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: Oceans Godori
𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: The Seduction of Sasani
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: Elaine U. Cho
𝗙𝗮𝘃 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿: Yoon + Sasani
𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: Easy
𝗧𝘆𝗽𝗲: e-Novel
𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: Space Opera-ish caliente
5/𝟱

🌵𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁
~ the delicious slow burn seduction
~ adventure in space
~ found family, loyalties + friendships
~ complexities of families
~ well-done multiple pov

Ocean-Headshot-Red crane, is the reason Sasani decided to embark on this particular adventure anyway - so when she keeps being brought to his room (for healing 👀🤭) he can hardly turn her away - although he his people won’t touch others, he desperately wants her to.

✨𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱.

I was upset at how good this book was… until I became disappointed. I have found my 2023 book lover (because book boyfriend seems so inadequate). 🌝

The writing is excellent, the pacing impeccable, so much goodies of found families, different cultures & loyalties… but the ONE thing I was longing for, because we don’t EVER get it… is what I ONCE AGAIN didn’t get. Although it was so close. 😭

🌵𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗵
~ it was demoted because of kissing order 🌝
~ & NO KISSING & NO proppperrr touching 🥹🥲
~ disappointed because my whole excited bubble was popped

♡🌵 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗲 ;)

Thank you to Net Galley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of Oceans Godori by Elaine U. Cho!

This was so good!

I regret not reading this sooner, because this was just everything I didn't know I needed. I was immediately drawn into the story, and I read it all in one sitting. I simply could not put this down, and when I suddenly found myself at the end I was like ??? Hello, I need more.

I love the different characters, their relationships with one another, and learning more about this futuristic new world Cho is introducing us to in this book. This book has action, heartbreak, mystery, and found family. We follow Ocean Yoon, our messy, stubborn protagonist, and her crew, who all have their own baggage and quirks.

If you are into space operas with big emotions, unforgettable characters, and learning more about different cultures and the struggles that come along with growing up outside of "your" culture, then this book is for you. I am really looking forward to the second book in this series, I can't wait to read it!

Solid debut novel that focuses on the crew of a spaceship being drawn into a larger plot against a member of the galactic elite, and on the legacy of deep sea oyster divers as applied to a future Korean space program. Fairly solid, probably won't remember much of it in a year, but still a fun time.

2.5 stars
Even immediately after finishing the book I'm so confused about what I've just read!! Constant references to Korean traditions and family but set in space where the main characters are zipping around the solar system on a misson for "The Alliance" which I'm not fully clear on their alleged purpose, but they are constantly being portrayed as the bad guys by everybody off the ship they talk to. Ocean, the main FMC, has just broken up with her boyfriend for cheating on her, one of the MMC is Haven, a member of a sect that people treat differently (again this isn't fully explained why) and the other MMC is a famous Korean (can't over emphasise enough how many times it is mentioned that he is of Korean descent) who is on a ship that explodes and then all sorts of other mad stuff happens afterwards. I don't know if there were too many characters to keep track off - halfway through the book a new crew is introduced and lots of the old crew is never really mentioned again despite still being present. I just don't get what the point of it all was?! Space opera with Korean heritage - is it a series or standalone? I'm not sure but I won't be reading book 2 if one arrives.

When you read as many SF books as I do you get to placing them in categories. I hate it when publishers say "Perfect for fans of XXX and YYY" but here I am doing it myself. This is perfect for fans of Miles Vorkosigan, and if you don't know who that is, read this book and then the Vorkosigan books.

Space opera and convoluted plots with lots of deception. I like it.

So I tried to read this book a few times but I was not connecting with it, in the end I dnf. But truly is more of a me thing and the book can work for other people because the ideas are rather interesting. Maybe someday I will try again.

Thank you Zando and NetGalley for an eARC. All opinions are my own.

Ocean's Godori follows Ocean Yoon, the pilot of a transporter spaceship, Teo, the second son of a powerful corporation, and Haven, an outcast working on the same ship as Ocean.

I really enjoyed seeing all the Korean words sprinkled throughout the book and the cultural references. I especially loved reading about the food. The book was engaging from the beginning. I liked that there were multiple points of view from very different people, and I thought the supporting characters added to the story. I thought the MCs could've been developed more, or that we could've deleted into their minds a little more than just surface thoughts. Sometimes the book felt like it didn't have an entirely clear sense of direction and I wasn't completely invested in the plot. The ending was !!!! and I was not expecting it, but I kind of like it.

I enjoyed the book and recommend it.

I never fully connected with the plot or the writing style, but I'm confident others will appreciate it more than I did.

I had trouble tracking the POV characters at the beginning of this book, but by the time they came together and their stories aligned, I was hooked. I do feel like this story was just the beginning of something longer, so I certainly hope it will be a series that can build on the story and worldbuilding started here. A great sci-fi romp.

"Ocean's Godori" is a much hyped and deeply anticipated book that falls far short of expectations. This book fails to accomplish everything it sets out to do and instead of portraying a future with a strong Asian presence it produces a muddled and unbelievable mish-mash of badly cliched and derivative Sci Fi themes.

Although the book does portray, as promised, a future in which a reunited Korea dominates space flight and commerce within the Solar system, it does so in a haphazard and poorly articulated manner while failing to provide any significant description of the historical events that led to this state. This instantly deprives those interested in world building scenarios of critical detail that would enhance the book.

Other world building elements, such as descriptions of the cultures populating various planetary bodies are mostly nonexistent and the development of non -Korean earth groups is almost completely neglected. Additionally, character development is flat , one dimensional and generally cliched. Plot development is equally neglected. The movement of the plot itself alternates between turgid stagnation and erratic jumps. To top it all off, the book just ends in mid sequence once it finally starts to pick up momentum. Perhaps, the ending was meant to bridge into a sequel, but if so there is no indication that it would be worth reading.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Hillman Grad Books, for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

A very generous 2.5 stars rounded to 2.

Once the action really starts, things pick up. The other characters are more engaging and the story gets more interesting as a result. But just when we finally start to get some emotion out of Ocean and really start to feel a relationship forming, the book ends abruptly. It was actually a little jarring to me. I read through quite a bit of the author’s note at the end thinking it was some strange pivot in the story before I admitted it was over, and I was left feeling unfulfilled.

I’m sure there’s another book coming, but I really hated the suddenness to Ocean’s Godori’s ending. I felt like I had put so much effort into getting to know Ocean and just as it was starting to pay off, the end. I felt like Cho could have done better with that.

Full review at link https://thecosmiccircus.com/book-review-oceans-godori-by-elaine-u-cho/

A Korean space opera with stunning aerial battles? YES YES YES 100x over. I loved the way the found family was built, the relationships between all the characters, and just all the heart that this book was written with. The action scenes were highly immersive and I loved all the discussions on humanity and the choices we make. The Korean culture presented was also extremely vibrant. One thing I didn’t like was the love triangle and the cliffy at the end. Nonetheless, I had an amazing time.

I thought this was so fun and unique and adventurous. Really just enjoyed the overall ride of this story and thought the writing made reading a fluid process.

"Ocean's Godori" is a great addition to the sci-fi genre. While the book has a warm up period, readers get to meet the players and quickly after we readers get to the good stuff: space adventure! and yes, romance too.

Than you author and fellow bookseller Elaine U. Cho, Zando, and Netgalley for bringing us readers this title.

This was an incredibly fun little space opera! I liked everything about it except the extremely abrupt ending (and a tendency to treat spaceships like they are bound by friction). But the characters were well-drawn and enjoyable to spend time with. The story was compelling. I hope there's a continuation of the story to offset the sudden end!

Ocean’s Godori manages to explore a popular narrative while creating something fun and unique that keeps the reader hooked by every page.

A sci-fi adventure all in the name of a missing best friend was exactly what drew me in and it didn’t disappoint. Elaine U. Cho’s character development and emphasis on found family while finding oneself, which is explored by Ocean, was refreshing and tied this story together.

I couldn’t find much at fault with the writing, but I had issues with the formatting of the e-book, which did take away from my overall read.

Ocean Yoon is Bad*ss in Elaine U Cho’s OCEAN’S GODORI—Highly Recommend!!

‘When her best friend, Teo, second son of the Anand Tech empire, is framed for murdering his family, Ocean and her misfit crewmates are pushed to the forefront of a high-stakes ideological conflict. But dodging bullets and winning space chases may be the easiest part of what comes next.’

‘“Oh, it’s you.” The scar at [his] mouth twists as he frowns. “Had your chance, but you missed.”’

‘“I never miss,” Ocean says.’

Thank you, NetGalley and Hillman Grad Books (Zando), for providing me with an eBook of OCEAN’S GODORI at the request of an honest review.

I loved the characters in this book. Ocean was a strong protagonist. Her portrayal and character were compelling, and the author incorporated her background well into her development. I will say I was a little concerned based on how we first meet her, but there was good growth present throughout the rest of the book. It was the same for the secondary characters/other protagonists, which led to them all feeling like real people. The worldbuilding was also strong, with enough details incorporated throughout to make the world feel well developed and engaging.

There were only two real things that were negative for me. The first is that the beginning felt rather fragmented, and it took a bit longer than I prefer to become situated into the story and to figure out who was who. I almost felt like I needed to reread the beginning after I was about a third of the way into the book. I think this was partially due to there not being too much of a plot present in the first portion of the book. The second thing is that the ending is quite abrupt. I certainly hope a sequel is coming, or else I’m going to be disappointed!

If you enjoy sci-fi that’s somewhere between adventure and cozier found family, then you may like this one (I know several folks who disliked that it didn’t fit squarely in either genre, but I enjoyed it). The cover is also stunning! This is the author’s debut work, and I’m looking forward to seeing what they do next. Many thanks to NetGalley and Zando Projects for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.