Rina Olsen
In this gripping prequel to Third Moon Passing unfolds a tale of murders and missionaries, religion and race, love and war, and an unlikely friendship that transcends the realms of life and death.
OUT NOW!
Teen author
About Rina
Rina Olsen was born in 2007 in Tokyo, Japan to an ethnically-Korean mother and an American father. When she was four, her family moved to Guam, where the variety of cultures and people greatly shaped her writing. A 2024 YoungArts alum and Top 15 Winner of the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award, she has been recognized by the John Locke Institute, the Sejong Cultural Society, the Walt Whitman Birthplace Association, and Guam History Day. Her work has been published in places such as Jellyfish Review, Okay Donkey, The Hopper, Milk Candy Review, Emerge Literary Journal, and elsewhere. She is a Best of the Net nominee, and was twice longlisted by the 2024 Wigleaf Top 50 Very Short Fictions. She is also an editor for the teen literary magazines Polyphony Lit and Blue Flame Review, and was invited to serve as an instructor for Polyphony Lit’s Summer 2023 writing workshop Around the World of Poetry in 80 Days. When she isn’t writing, Rina can be found playing the piano, looking up obscure history, or with her nose buried in a good book.
fiction, History, fantasy, mYthology
Third Moon Passing
“Men cannot live without gods, Chansol,” he said quietly, “but gods cannot live without men, either.”
The year is 1871. Five years ago, the mountain god’s daughter and the dragon of the Han River caused a terrible accident. Now, they decide to set things straight—by calling on two human girls that are somehow at the heart of it all. As a result, the shaman’s rebellious daughter Daseul, along with the scholar’s tomboy Wolhwa, are both thrust from their lives in Haedong Village and into the realm of the gods. But with an ominous curse, hidden enemies, and the rapid approach of aggressive Western forces, will the girls—and the gods—be able to discover the secrets of their entangled past before it’s too late?
In Third Moon Passing, Rina Olsen presents a world where ancient folk tales become a reality, where gods and humans alike walk the earth, and where history can change its course with the flick of a dragon’s tail.
FICTION, HISTORY, FANTASY, MYTHOLOGY
The Water Stricken
In this gripping prequel to Third Moon Passing unfolds a tale of murders and missionaries, religion and race, love and war, and an unlikely friendship that transcends the realms of life and death.
Joseon Korea, 1866: the new prince-regent and his ruthless government have recently launched a crackdown on the spread of Catholicism, triggering panic across the peninsula amid rumors of French retaliation. As executions double in number, a young concubine, Hwangbo Pyori, is discovered dead in a ravine, having been killed on her wedding night. When Pyori’s restless ghost returns to Haedong Village to find her murderer, she joins forces with the only person who can see her: Narae, a damo who doubles as an undercover Catholic obsessed with ending tensions between Korea and France. As they grapple with each new clue that raises more questions than answers, and struggle to navigate the increasingly murky intersections between faiths amidst bloody battles, the girls face a deadly question: your country, or your religion?
With its evocative prose and intricate plot, The Water Stricken is a mesmerizing tale that delves into the complexities of faith, identity, and sacrifice in a time of turmoil.
Reviews
“This book is an exceptional example of storytelling and I recommend it to everyone. There is simply no way to read Third Moon Passing and come away not a fan of the plot, the characters, or the mind-blowing teenager who wrote it. I sincerely hope to see more from this author in the future.”
— Kathy Stickles, Feathered Quill
“Third Moon Passing is a strong debut that marries fantasy with historical fiction with a precise and skilled hand, and it is sure to captivate.”
— Genevieve Hartman, Independent Book Review
“Olsen displays genuine skill in her writing and is able to weave together prose that merges combinations of description and tension, often in the same breath. ‘…his brow was furrowed, weighted down with worry. In the gray mist of the day he could see, in the distance, the tall masts of the U.S. Asiatic Squadron spiking the clouds.’ Very highly recommended.”
— Asher Syed, Readers’ Favorite
“Third Moon Passing is a mesmerizing and enchanting read that will captivate fans of fantasy, mythology, and historical fiction.”
Reviews for The Water Stricken
“Through its exploration of fate, duty, and the collision of past and future, [The Water Stricken] offers a profound reflection on how the forces that shape our lives—both human and divine—demand a reckoning. Rina Olsen’s captivating blend of history, folklore, and fantasy leaves readers contemplating the weight of decisions and the far-reaching impact of tradition and belief.”
— Lauren Hayataka, Independent Book Review
“This beautiful tale perfectly combines ancient Korean folklore, mythology, and historical events. Rina Olsen gives readers richly developed characters, captivating settings, and a fascinating blend of reality and fantasy.”
— Keana Sackett-Moomey, Readers’ Favorite
Interviews
Interview with Feathered Quill, August 2023
Interview with Literary Titan, September 2023
Interview with Milk Candy Review, December 2023
Interview with Polyphony Lit, August 2024
Interview with The Asian Cut, October 2024
Other Publications & Honors
PROSE
Bataya Slums, 1971—Milk Candy Review (Wigleaf Top 50 Very Short Fictions 2024 Longlist)
Canefield Dreams—2024 YoungArts Winner in Writing: Novel Category
Finalist in the 2023 John Locke Institute Global Essay Competition, History Category, Prompt No. 2
Another Encounter—The Lumiere Review, JUSTICE
My Grandfather Says the Polar Bears Are Coming Soon—The Hopper, Issue 8.1 (Best of the Net nominee)
Jasmine—Emerge Literary Journal, Issue 26~27
butterfly, metamorphosing inside an empty tangerine—Aster Lit, Issue 9
A Contemporary Icarus: The Balance of Success and Tragedy in “Waxen Wings”—2023 Sejong Writing Competition, 2nd Place (Senior Division)
The Life Cycle of Strawberries—Unfortunately, Literary Magazine
Skeletons in the Closet—Okay Donkey (Wigleaf Top 50 Very Short Fictions 2024 Longlist)
Ruminations on October 19—Write the World Review, Issue 4.3
What Comes in Threes—Mobius: A Journal of Social Change, Issue 33.3
The Commuters—101 Words
A Retelling of the Parable of the Two Sons—Jellyfish Review
POETRY
Coloniales Indicia—Harpy Hybrid Review, Issue #11: Fall 2024
self-portrait as a dead deer—Top 15 Winner of 2024 Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award
Linear Z—Blue Marble Review, Issue 35
elegy: record of fingerprints—Renaissance Review, Issue IV “Revolution”
The Gramophone in the Garden of Eden—2024 Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site Annual Student Poetry Contest, 1st Place (High School)
anatomy of a hodophile—38th Annual Walt Whitman Birthplace Poetry Competition, 2nd Place (Category E)
aubadoir—The Round, Issue 25
elegy: record of train tracks—The WEIGHT Literary Magazine
triptych of faith—Thimble Literary Magazine, Volume 6.3
Lost in Translation—Élan Literary Magazine, Fall/Winter 2023 Issue
the wharf—Write the World Review, Issue 5.2
It Was 7:34 PM in a Hotel Lobby—Sophon Lit
house of cards—37th Annual Walt Whitman Birthplace Poetry Competition, Grand Champion (Category D) (print anthology)
he says *t easy—Girls Right the World, Spring 2023 Issue
한 // Han—Months to Years, Winter 2023 Issue
The Mul Gwishin—Dreams and Nightmares, Issue 122 (print)
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