Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC.

Dnf’d at 33%. This was a much anticipated release for me, as I love Asian folklore and mythology and the premise seemed so fun and fantastical. But unfortunately this was a disappointment and the story just didn’t work for me.

I thought the writing and the humor was quite juvenile for an adult fantasy (they sure sneered and smirked a lot in this book). The interactions and bantering between the two main characters were guilty of the three C’s: cringey, contrived, and childish. I was mentally rolling my eyes whenever I had to push myself through the bad dialogues. The character work didn’t do it for me either. I can’t say I cared too much for our titular characters. Hani was just so immature and annoying (there she goes, smiling “sweetly” again). Seokga was a cranky prick, but wasn’t the worst; I didn’t warm up much to him either though, not enough to want to continue the story.

There were aspects of the story that were fun and cozy. It definitely reminded me of Legends and Lattes somewhat, what with mythical creatures just going about their day-to-day lives with 9-5 jobs. We’ve got gumihos working in a cafe; a fallen trickster god stuck as a detective after getting kicked out of the immortal realm; grim reapers ferrying souls to the afterlife when they’re not too busy sipping their black coffee. The magic + mundane combo made for an interesting setting.

Even though this didn’t work for me, I can definitely see how many will still find much enjoyment from this kdrama of a book!

This was a witty, comical, fantasy romance based on Korean mythology in a modern setting that had me crying happy tears at the end.

The God and the Gumiho is about… well, the trickster god of the Korean pantheon (Seokga) and the gumiho, a nine-tails or kitsune equivalent (Hani). They live in 1992 South Korea in a city in which humans and immortals coexist. Seokga is the Fallen God, sentenced to get rid of 20,000 Unrulies (bad immortals) for a failed coup against his brother. Hani is a retired gumiho- she used to eat souls and livers of men, but now she works at a coffee shop. They HATE each other. The reasons are silly, but what’s not a silly reason for a slightly unserious (until it isn’t) story? The plot started off simple, with a few things being easy to guess, but I thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns in the latter half of the book. Despite my inability to see how it would all tie up, it was wrapped up beautifully. I guess the fact I couldn’t work out an ending in my brain was a sign of good writing!

Sophie Kim’s writing is beautiful as it combines lyrical prose and top-notch banter. The book is dual POV of Seokga and Hani, both with very distinct and very snarky voices. I was giggling throughout the whole story.

The characters development is slow, but entertaining. The slow burn is fun and both characters change exponentially by the end. I especially enjoyed the change in Seokga. Oh, and his obsession with coffee is hilarious. I could almost physically feel his very strong emotions at the end.

The integration of Korean mythology was fun, but holy moly, a pronunciation guide and glossary would be nice. Kim did a good job of explaining what needed to be explained about the lore but I still found myself wanting a glossary.

Was it perfect? Nah, but most books aren’t absolutely perfect. I still really enjoyed it and would read it again. I’m not sure if it’s a series - it says Book 1 in Fates Thread. If it is, I’ll certainly read the other book(s). 5 stars from me!!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the eARC!

This is one of those books where I don’t care what anyone says.. THIS IS ONE OF MY TOP READS THIS YEAR!

What’s inside?
•Korean folklore
•Enemies to lovers
•Slow burn romance (w/ a bit of spice)
•Hidden identity
•Banter
•Action
•Forced proximity
•Morally Grey Characters worth cheering for
•Unruly demon creatures
•Gods & Fallen God..
•Beautiful writing


I absolutely devoured this Korean folklore romantic urban fantasy. These characters captured my heart! Was is unequivocally perfect? No. But it made me FEEL ALL THE FEELINGS. I was kicking my feet giggling, jaw dropping, smacking my head, covering my eyes, laughing out loud, and SCREAMING! Gods. I’m obsessed.

Such a fun, interesting fantasy. I loved the assorted Korean magical beings and the blend of magic and high fantasy with something that feels cozy and contemporary, like Hani working in a cafe for magical creatures. This was a very entertaining read with enjoyable characters and an immersive world. (and I'm obsessed with this cover, it's gorgeous).

Sophie Kim knocks it out of the park again!
"The God and the Gumiho" follows Hani, a gumiho and Seokga, the fallen trickster god as they come together to solve a string of murders. I love how Kim involves Korean mythology into her work, and it's really great to learn more as the book goes on. The first part of the book really stopped me up, where I was intrigued by the characters and their pasts, but their current relationships were a bit difficult to fully get behind. Seokga and Hani's main dislike for one another is founded on a coffee order gone wrong, but the dislike that they feel for one another is a bit difficult to understand until the two are together. As Hani joins the investigation, their dislike for one another feels more like annoyance-to-lovers, rather than enemies-to-lovers.

Admittedly I do not read urban fantasy, and I have not watched K-dramas, but I really enjoyed the sometimes-campy nature of the story. Seokga's growth throughout the novel was super fun to read, and watching he and Hani's relationship go from annoying each other to depending on each other was so cute to read, even though the pacing at the end was a bit fast for my taste. Hani's character is so great to read too! I wish we got a bit more of her being mischievious, as it's mentioned a lot in the beginning of the novel. It's fun to read about a FMC who is confident and more upfront.

The last chunk of this book had me HOOKED, and it eased all of my nervousness that came with the intro to the story. The crime/mystery picked up and I realized how much I enjoy them as a duo investigating and working with each other. This made the tension rise so much as I was nervous for Hani and Seokga, individually and for one another. The ending was SO refreshing too! Overall, this story took me a longer time than normal to get into (which might be because I jumped out of my usual genres), but after the initial adjustment to the story I had so much fun reading! I'm really excited for more world-building, and to see more mythical characters in a modern setting!

Sophie Kim is an instant-buy author for me, and I'm so excited for whatever she writes next!

LOVE LOVE LOVE. This book was so fresh and exciting (to me). I was hooked after the first two chapters told us he LOVES coffee, it makes life worth living and then we immediately learn that she works in a coffee shop and HATES it.
The perfect grumpy/sunshine(but also a little grumpy and sassy) "buddy cop" combo.
The Fallen God and the Scarlet Fox might be my new favorite couple. I learned so much about Korean mythology and creatures reading this book as well. A little bit of romance, a little bit of mystery, a little bit of urban fantasy, a little bit of k-drama, a whole lot of fantastic book.

"You're impossible"
"You're insufferable"
"You're intolerable"
awww they're flirting!

The narrative excels in its world-building, offering a rich tapestry of Korean folklore and contemporary elements. The stakes are high as Hani and Seokga navigate a path of mayhem and violence to track down the demon. Their journey is fraught with danger and secrets that threaten to unravel their growing connection.

The God and the Gumiho is a captivating read that will delight fans of fantasy and mythology. The novel’s unique portrayal of the gumiho, combined with its intoxicating mix of action, mystery, and romance, makes it an irresistible page-turner. Whether they can prevent the apocalypse or let their secrets tear them apart keeps readers enthralled until the very end.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc.

The God and Gumiho is one my top reads of the year, for sure. Set in the nineties a fallen god (who is a detective) teams up with a gumiho (the famous criminal scarlet fox who went of a man eating bender in 1888) to solve crimes.

This was a totally unexpected read for me, it felt like a K-drama and I would find myself losing track of my time spent reading because I was invested. The paving was good, the plot was great the characters were interesting and made me want more.

All in all I won't be accepting criticisms of this book because I thought it was a super fun and interesting read.

I had a mixed experience reading this book and although it got a bit better for me towards the second half, I wish I could’ve felt that way about the whole story. My main issues were with Seokga and Hani, I found their behavior to be immature and a bit annoying honestly.. especially at the start when they first start working together. I will say that once I got used to them and how they interacted, I was able to enjoy my time spent reading more. I think the world itself is interesting and I would’ve loved more information on New Sinsi and the other creatures in general, I also loved the detective side of the plot and the mystery behind the demon they’re tracking down. I actually thought the ending was cute and reminiscent of k-dramas, so I guess the characters did grow on me!

The God and The Gumiho was so good. So cute and so fun. I know little about korean mythology yet i understood things the more i read. The beginning of the book was slow but once i hit half way i could not stop, everything sped up and i enoyed it.

HANI AND SEOKGA.

I LOVE THEM. The progression was in a short amount of time but i loved it. I LOVE THEM. The banter between them was just so good.

The only confusion i had was the year being 1992 yet i ket thinking it as modern day from the talk of phones and tapes.

but i enjoyed this book so much and cant wait to buy a physical copy.

The God and the Gumiho was a fast-paced, action packed read that finds its roots in Korean mythology. A fallen god and a infamous nine-tailed fox team up to find and banish a demon that is threatening to turn the mortal realm into a new dark world to replace their inaccessible dark world home. Hani initially joins the investigation with the purpose of throwing Seokga off the trail of one the targets of his investigations. The demon causes them to truly work together and then the romance blooms (hellooo forced proximity).
The Korean mythology was very interesting as a reader that is generally unfamiliar with the different gods in that pantheon. Kim provided enough detail for me to understand the different relationships between the gods and different realms without overwhelming me.
The investigation part of the story was really interesting and, as we discover more bout Seokga, is very complex and keeps the reader on the edge of their seat.
I think the romance aspect was what I found to be lacking. It didn't feel all that natural, especially since Hani went from extreme dislike and throwing coffee all over Seokga to having soft, loving feelings for him in a relatively short period of time. Seokga is often rude and lacking in an empathetic emotion in his conversations and relationships in the beginning of the book, but one look at Hani's breasts has him change his tune. Their connection seems based on physical attraction and lust more than anything else and makes a jump to "I'll die for you" love too quickly for me to find it compelling.
Overall, it was a quick read that was generally enjoyable and I would be interested in reading more books set in this world Kim has created

3.5 stars

The God and the Gumiho is a fun, campy romantic fantasy about mischievous immortals in a Korean city filled with mythical creatures. Though I really enjoyed the world and the characters, I wish the book had leaned into the fantasy elements a little bit more. This definitely feels like a romance book set in an urban fantasy world. Which is fun! But the light and fun romance bordered on cringe for me at times. (Am I just a miserable person?)

Seokga and Hani are both compelling main characters. I love that they are both powerful immortal beings with long, complicated histories. They can come across as a bit childish at times, but it also suits their natures as a gumiho and a trickster god. The banter, tension, and angst before the romance really starts was so entertaining. Their relationship was cute. I almost wish it had been a slower burn but I also understand why it wasn't. I think I just prefer what Sophie Kim does with an angsty romance (looking at Wrath of the Talon where she ripped my heart out).

I like Seokga’s character arc and I am excited to see how he develops in the next book. However, his godly nature was a bit underdeveloped and his personality felt inconsistent at times. Seokga is a disgraced trickster god known for pulling endless pranks on the rest of the pantheon. But what we’re told of his personality as a god doesn't really translate to Seokga as a character. I also don't love how drastically he changed after the romance started.

The monster-hunting, urban fantasy detective side of the story was my favorite part so I was a little disappointed when the romance really took over the story. I love the urban fantasy world that Sophie Kim creates and I just wanted to explore it a bit more.

The ending was a complete surprise, but I love the direction the story is going. The bold choice really sets the story apart. For most of the book I did not plan to continue the series, but now I am absolutely hooked.

Oh my goodness. Where do I freaking start? This book was hilarious, fun, and just a great time overall. I felt like I was watching a crime k-drama while reading this book. The enemies to lovers, were actually enemies (and they were super horrible to each other). The character development was perfect, and the plot was captivating.

Kim Hani, the gumiho (or a nine tail fox), was witty, smart, and so funny. She took great pleasure in making Seokga’s life a living hell as much as she could, and honestly I loved her for that. She comes off initially as a very carefree, and slightly self-centered character, but she cares very deeply for the ones she loves (pretty much just her one singular friend, Somi).

Seokga, our grumpy fallen god, hates the mortal world, and makes sure everyone knows it. He is not the most likable character in the beginning, but he has his reasons. The way Seokga changes throughout this book melted my freaking heart. He has spent most of his life alone, and when he meets the insufferable Kim Hani, his whole world changes (for the better in my opinion).

I just have to say this again, but I freaking loved the character development both of them went through this book. It was everything. It actually killed me to see how much they both changed, especially with that ending. I loved that the enemies didn’t become lovers too soon, and my heart tugged at watching them go from absolutely hating each other, to tolerating, to actually enjoying being with one another.

My only tiny critique is that I think it would have been nice to have an index of Korean words for the different beings. There were times where I would forget what a word meant (but this could just be a me problem). But besides that, I don’t have much else.

As a closing note, Hani and Seokga deserve the whole damn world. They were the absolutely BEST duo, and to the author, Sophie Kim, if you are reading this, I am begging you to give me the next book pleaseeee! I need moreeeee!

Thank you netgalley and Random House for the e-arc of this wonderful book. I had an absolutely blast.

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for an e-arc of this book.

4.5/5 stars

This was so good and I’m so sad but happy. Next to the definition of bittersweet in the dictionary is a picture of this book.

Seokga and Hani’s character developments were written so well, as we saw the (let’s be honest) jerks they started out as to the selfless softies (only for each other though!) they became. I appreciate the growth so much.

The half star I deducted from this book is simply because it was a little bit insta-love-y and I am nothing if not consistent: I don’t really like that trope. But that being said, I did love Seokga and Hani’s relationship, they were so mean and FUNNY to start and ended sweet and still funny.

That was another pleasant surprise from this book, it genuinely made me laugh with some of the dialogue and scenarios (top among them: when Seokga cuddled Hani and then woke up and just stared at his hands like they betrayed him for a dramatic amount of time).

But the end had me SOBBING that was so rude but somehow also hopeful?

Anyway, I really loved this and would recommend it to anyone who loves a good buddy cop tv show or movie where they fall in love at the end.

I am a simple creature. A girl in love with her K-dramas, no matter how many times I physically recoil from cringey scenes. I eat them up every time. So it doesn't surprise me how much I loved this book, despite the juvenile MCs and somewhat overplayed tropes.

Kim Hani has retired from the life of eating men's souls as the Scarlet Fox to work in a coffee shop. Her shenanigans now consist of annoying the fallen trickster god Seokga by ruining his coffee orders. Seokga <i>hates</i> the mortal world and is trying to get back to Okhwang. He has several centuries left of this miserable existence until he is offered a deal: kill the Scarlet Fox and a demon terrorizing mortals in exchange for reinstated godhood. Hani, determined not to get caught, becomes his assistant and starts messing with the investigation. But she hesitantly starts working with Seokga when the demon destroys life as she knows it.

The MCs are really what made this story work for me. The immortals have the emotional maturity of a teen and the critical thinking skills of a toddler when it comes to each other. It's PEAK sunshine and grumpy energy. Honestly, this book's greatest strength is just how ridiculous it is. Their dynamic was so bad it was <i>good</i>. I adore mischievous women and Hani is the embodiment of that. It played well with Seokga's aversion to anything resembling cheer. They will not be everyone's favorite couple, and it was exhausting at times, but I loved it.

The mystery was fun because of how many moving pieces there were. Hani and Seokga chased down several leads which meant they covered a lot of ground. I loved the setting (90s Korea) mixed with interesting Korean folklore and fantasy creatures. The author did a great job balancing the real world and fantasy.

I will say, this book will have a very certain audience. The writing style and character depth make it feel very YA, but the violence and brief sexual scenes put this book in NA/Adult. I recommend this for K-drama lovers and readers who love slightly exaggerated sunshine and grumpy dynamics. Otherwise, steer clear or you will be asking yourself what you just read.

Sophie Kim, please give me more of Hani and Okhwang I love them.

CW violence, swearing, gore, brief sexual scenes.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine/Del Rey for the advance copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC of the God and the Gumiho! Set in a modern-day city in South Korea, this dual-POV story follows Hani (formerly the Scarlet Fox) and Seokga (a fallen god). Seokga is given an opportunity for redemption: to stop a very dangerous creature that has been tearing up South Korea and to kill the Scarlet Fox after it made a reappearance after a long retirement. To make it more interesting, Hani gets a job to be Seokga’s assistant in solving the two cases.

Hani and Seokga are quite a duo - they hated each other at first, then over time grew to like each other. I loved the banter between the two from the beginning. The other characters were interesting and rounded out the cast well, and I was quite surprised as to who the dangerous creature (besides Hani) was. I’m a sucker for mythology-based novels, so I absolutely loved the use of Korean folklore - it was a bit overwhelming at first to get through the different kinds of figures (so much so I almost gave up), but if you push through it, you can figure out what is going on in the story. Overall, the book is reminiscent of a high quality k-drama: it has an interesting storyline, romance, betrayal (in more ways than one), and, like most k-dramas I’ve seen, ends with a bit of a cliffhanger that leaves me wanting more.

If you like K-dramas and urban fantasy, you should read The God and the Gumiho. It's a great summer read for when it's so hot that your brain wants to escape reality just a bit. While I thought some of the flashbacks in the beginning felt a little clunky (I am no editor), it was not a struggle to get into the book's world-building. If you're like me and you're unfamiliar with Korean mythology, I don't think you even have to worry about looking up the unknown terms in this book; if you could get through Dune, this is a piece of cake. I did almost wish there was a pronunciation guide, but I suppose that's what the audiobook is for.

Review: 4.5 Stars

“Hani once thought of Seokga as a bewildering puzzle. But now…now, she sees that Seokga and she are one and the same. Two jigsaw puzzles that fit together perfectly, despite their difference in natures, their ridges and edges.”

Where do I even begin…Well, the author noted that this book is a love letter to K-dramas…If so, she definitely succeed as it has everything one can find in a kdrama: hate-hate-love (check), banter (check), awkward moments (check), a bad doo doos to hate (check) and betrayal (check check).

Hani and Seokga could not be more different! One is perky and cheerful while hiding behind her cunningness and power behind a bubbly facade while the other is grouchy, abrupt and rude while having almost little power due to his fallen status. They met under the funniest of circumstances when Seokga accuses Hani of making his coffee wrongly and got her into trouble with her boss. Since then, Hani could never resist making his order wrongly if only to jab at him and their dislike for each other was mutual! Their paths intersect further when Hani became Seokga’s assistant if only to point him in the wrong direction while hiding the fact that she is the Scarlet Fox, a gumiho who was known to went on a devouring binge during the 1800s and went into hiding after to avoid being caught. Of course, complications arise when they actually become friends and start falling for each other while attempting to save the world from a nasty creature that escapes the underworld.

I adore Hani and Seokga - their character development was wonderful to see especially when they start falling for each other. The tenderness they showed one another was reminiscent of a k-drama where I was letting out giggles and squeals and was smiling like a lunatic while reading. My only small critique is at times the characters’ reactions and actions felt very YA, eg: Hani’s use her daggers for the recent kill in years which would scream Scarlet Fox immediately etc.

The plot started out slow and the story just got better and better. I picked up a few clues along the way and finally caught on to who the creature possessed. This also shows how relationships can be a complicated thing when everything comes together to make it an explosive climax ... .AND THAT ENDING!! I definitely had tears in my eyes at moments because there were definitely some emotional scenes.

I honestly did not expect to love this book as much and am so glad I got my hands on a physical ARC.

Wow, Simply Amazing!!! 4.5 Stars
(I did received the digital Arc copy of The God and the Gumiho.)

I Loved Hani's & Seokga's banter throughout the story, to me it felt very natural & it reminded me how my own personal relationship felt very natural & belonging so for them to fall deeply for each other at such short time did not seemed strange to me.
- Also, can we talk about their character development at the end?! I just wanted to hug them.

I will also say because I love my Kdramas I was able to appreciate and enjoy the fast connection between Hani & Seokga. I was also able to portrait it as a kdrama in my head while I read & that was very fun!

Now the last 15% was crazy! I felt all the emotions and the scene will live in my head rent free.
Also, I did not see that plot twist coming!!!! I was left with my jaw on the floor!

Because of how the story ending I'm hoping & praying we get a second book because I would love to see them fall in love again.

Also can it be adapted to a kdrama!!!!???? I would love to see the characters come to life.

Here's a summarized Synopsis:
Kim Hani, once the infamous Scarlet Fox known for devouring souls, has retired to a quieter life working in a coffee shop. She enjoys annoying Seokga the Fallen, a trickster god exiled to the mortal realm, as he works toward redemption.

“A dull pounding has started to bludgeon Seokga’s temples… likely from this demon’s fucking monologuing.”

I love this book's blend of contemporary fantasy and detective elements, making it perfect for binge-reading. My favorite thing about this book is Hani, an ancient fox with a feisty attitude and a love for killing men. What's not to like? The dynamic between Seokga and Hani is reminiscent of an old married couple, constantly bickering yet caring for each other in their own peculiar ways. Perhaps it's because they've been around for thousands of years
Thank you to NetGalley for the eArk!