“the god and the gumiho” feels like a k-drama in book format. i have no idea what kind of drug sophie kim put into this novel, but it’s addictive. i felt like one of those ipad kids while reading it because, for the two days it took me to read the book, i brought my tablet everywhere so i can squeeze in some pages. it’s got a great, engaging plot, with a good amount of action and an amazing cast of characters - and i can’t really pinpoint how i went from thinking the mmc is absolutely annoying to actually rooting for him. the romance was well-developed and it didn’t feel rushed at all. the banter between them was delicious. i think i can say this will be one of my favourite reads of 2024, for sure.

the writing fit the vibe of the book perfectly, but i have to say it reads like a young adult novel, not an adult one. the book features some mild smut scenes, so it’s definitely adult, but it doesn’t read like one. it didn’t bother me, but it’s worth mentioning. i think the banter is where the book shines, because you can see each character’s personality shine through.

hani and seokga were so fun to follow, both as standalone characters and as a couple - they start out as two individuals that absolutely despise each other, which makes for a lot of funny interactions. they’re both pranksters, but hani was my absolute favorite, as she’s a menace. she’s witty and clever and i loved loved loved how her character evolved throughout the story. seokga also went through a massive chance - he grew a heart and a consciousness and i have to say i ended up really hoping he will sucessfully go back to being a god. i would’ve liked if the villains got a bit more time, so their motives were fully fleshed out, but it didn’t bother me that much.

i think the mythology and the fact that sophie didn’t hold back from using it properly added so much to the story. i was completey fascinated by the array of creatures that were mentioned in the book and i loved reading about the gods and their relationships. the book is perfect for fans of those fantasy k-dramas, because it features all the tropes that make said k-dramas so enjoyable. i also loved the fact that the fallen god ended up being a detective & how well hani fit into the picture, but i truly love anything that has a “sherlock” vibe.

overall, i can see why this might not be everyone’s cup of tea, as it isn’t without fault, but i had so much fun reading it that i cannot rate it lower. it’s a 5 star read purely based on my enjoyment. i cannot wait for the next book in the series because i will miss these characters terribly. in the meantime, i will be reading sophie kim’s other works, because i’m a bit obsessed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the e-ARC.

Going into the story, I wasn’t fully sold on the lore translating well to a novel form due to fighting scenes (although I have seen many gumiho related dramas over the years and I watched 80% of Goblin) but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. While it did feel like a kdrama with many of the tropes that we love, it also felt a bit more refined than recent ones. Third person being used throughout the story didn’t bother me; it actually made me feel more immersed in the story.

Right off the bat we’re introduced to our MC and neither are truly likable, which I enjoyed. I’m always annoyed when just the male MMC sucks and the FMC gets stuck with him, but here they’re both annoying old farts with their own pasts. They have a misunderstanding that fuels hate on both ends, and get “thrown” together to work on a case as detective and assistant. I enjoyed watching them fall in love and seeing Hani and Seokga become less annoying due to being with one another. Another thing I really enjoyed was that Hani remained badass when it came to fights, and it wasn’t another damsel in distress type of storyline. Aspects of the story I wish we got more closure with is Somi and Seokga’s brother. Somi got such a crap deal and I just need closure that she’s alright. As for Seokga’s brother, I just wanted closure on if they were able to mend their relationship.

Overall, this story was a solid 3.75 for me. Some aspects of the plot line dragged on for too long and the ending was too quick for my liking. I’d love to read more adult works from Sophie Kim.

4.5 stars, rounded to 5 stars

This was such a fun read! As a fan of kdramas, I had requested an arc of this book a while ago, just because Sophie Kim has been on my radar for a while now, and I'm so thankful that I was approved, because this book was so much fun and so easy to binge. It reminded me of some of my favorite kdramas and I really loved the back and forth between Hani and Seokja. The world was easy to picture and the characters meshed so well together that this was an easy 1 day binge and I'm looking forward to reading book 2 when it releases!!!!

More detailed review to come once this is released.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own and not influenced in any way by the publisher.

I adored this book. The God and the Gumiho follows fallen god Seokga and Gumiho Hani as they work together towards a (somewhat) collective goal.

I loved the world building, the character development (I felt like Seokga and Hani really grew throughout the book), the ROMANCE (grumpy sunshine, enemies to lovers), and the found family.

Can’t recommend this book enough for all fantasy and fantasy/romance lovers.

This honestly may be one of my favorite books of all time, and I could not put it down for the life of me ♡

The God and the Gumiho follows Seokga, the fallen god of mischief and trickery and now detective who is tasked with killing twenty thousand monsters as punishment, and Kim Hani, the infamous Scarlet Fox who is both a legend and the most wanted nine-tailed fox in the world for her killing spree over a century ago. All is well until one night, the Scarlet Fox is rumored to be back and Seokga is tasked with hunting her, but when Hani hears that the fallen god is in need of an assistant, she leaps at the opportunity with the full intent of steering the investigation away from her. But when dead bodies are found with darkness in their veins and a vengeful monster with the ability to kill a god threatens the whole of the mortal world, Hani and Seokga have to do whatever it takes to save everything they've known, or lose everything they've learned to care about.

TROPES:
» grumpy x sunshine
» hate to love
» unlikely allies
» forced proximity
» one bed
» tending to wounds

THE WORLD BUILDING perfectly sets the scene and the atmosphere for the entire book without being overwhelming with the involved Korean mythology. And the fantastical aspects of the novel aren't all dumped into the first few chapters but are explained throughout the novel and are explained when necessary, which is really nice. The major monster kinds had their own unique characteristics specific to their kind as well as a stereotype as to their role in modern society that I found very entertaining and fun. This book as a whole felt very reminiscent of a kdrama to me and I ate it up.

THE PLOT is fast paced (in my opinion) with the perfect mix of entertaining banter and action. The story is told from 2 narratives, Seokga’s and Hani’s, and the chapters are relevantly short. The amount of action and more serious scenes are perfectly balanced with the soft banter-filled scenes which is what made this book fly by for me. The mystery of this whole plot kept me hooked and on the edge of my seat! And when I thought I knew what was going on, I was proven completely wrong a few chapters later. The romance is an exquisite slow burn and is such a rollercoaster of emotions, but the banter and their grumpy x sunshine dynamic are utter perfection. And the last 100 or so pages had me holding on for dear life and I couldn’t read it fast enough, but at the same time I didn’t want to leave this world yet (if you couldn’t tell, this book had me experiencing a whole spectrum of emotions that I am still recovering from to this day).

THE CHARACTERS are very well flushed out and developed and I loved how complicated Hani’s and Seokga’s characters are—they are both clearly morally gray and both of them accept it—and they balance each other out so well. Hani is a fire cracker of a character who is clever and quick witted but whose self-preservation is her biggest challenge. And for Seokga, who is cold and uncaring for the mortal world, it is his amount of unconcern for anyone but himself and his pride are what get in his way. And that is what makes Hani and Seokga’s journey together all the more enthralling (also the banter they have but that’s beside the point). I absolutely adored every moment these two spent on the page and how different they are but seem to understand each other better than anyone else could.

Again, I cannot emphasize enough on how much I adored this book and I highly suggest reading it if you love watching kdramas and if you enjoyed reading Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an ARC of The God and the Gumiho in exchange for an honest review ♡

This grumpy/sunshine, hate to love, urban fantasy world set in South Korea had me from kicking me feet giggling at the FMC and MMC to tearing up at the end. I adored how fun this book was and how lovable the characters became for me. I loved Hani from the start, how she lived to annoy the grumpy god. I will highly recommend it to others but do wish to read more! I am unsure if there will be more… I’ll be happy when I can get a copy on my shelves of this book either way.

3.5/5, rounded up because I had so much fun.
Kim Hani is a gumiho working in a coffee shop frequented by the immortals and monster of New Sinsi in 1992, delighting in tormenting local heartthrob/dipshit and fallen trickster god, Seokga. She may also be the Scarlet Fox, an infamous gumiho who went on a killing spree in Victorian London- but that’s beside the point! She’s been too full to devour livers or souls in decades anyway.
Seokga is tasked with tracking down the violent spirits he enlisted in his attempted heavenly coup, unable to return to his home or his powers until he’s killed 20,000- a number that, centuries later, still feels impossibly high. However, Seokga gets a chance to skip in line when his brother offers him a deal- Seokga can get his divinity back right now, all he has to do is kill the Scarlet Fox and the mysterious dark entity terrorizing New Sinsi.
Hani can’t have that. She accepts a job as Seokga’s assistant, planning to help him catch one monster while putting him off the trail of the other. Seokga doesn’t want an assistant, especially not the barista who messes up his order with malicious consistency. Both plan to be rid of the other as quickly as possible, but as they work together, they realize that they may have found their match- these two scheming immortals might be perfect for each other, but even if they get past their pride and posturing, their story is destined to end in tragedy.
I had so much fun with this one. I am so so sick of books where a twenty-something young woman falls for an immortal man (who is usually also somewhat controlling and a little bit skeevy). Both Hani and Seokga are immortal, chaotic, and not afraid to make morally wild choices. It was so much fun to watch them both try to out-play the other and become grudgingly impressed with the other’s antics.
It is as advertised- relatively tropey and K-drama-esque in dramatic contrivances- but that’s part of why it’s so fun; the tone is well done and doesn’t take itself too seriously. My one complaint is that I wish Seokga and Hani had spent a little longer in the space in between “we hate each other” and “we love each other”. Some of the most fun in this book happened when they were balancing their continued annoyance with their growing attraction- I think there was more space for play there that would have been enjoyable and also made their romance feel a bit more organic.
Sophie Kim did a great job with pacing as well- the twists weren’t the most surprising, but they were placed throughout the story in a way that kept me from being bored or frustrated with the characters for missing something obvious. The stakes were raised for the final confrontation and I’m locked in 100% for the sequel. I really enjoy a semi-standalone series starter like this- I’m excited for the sequel, but I could see this also being a satisfying standalone read because Kim crafts a full story within its pages.
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for an e ARC in exchange for an honest review- all opinions are my own.

This book was truly a tapestry of Korean fantasy. I felt at home in this book: laughing, crying, screaming. I was rooting for all of the characters and the world was woven together so beautifully. The story was perfectly paced and I wanted to give every character a hug at least once. I absolutely adored the book and I’m so excited to buy it in a couple months.

The God and the Gumiho essentially reads like a K-drama, and I think your enjoyment of it will really depend on how much you want to ingest a K-drama in book form. While I love watching K-dramas, certain aspects just don’t translate to things I enjoy reading, particularly the silliness and over the top antics.

What I did enjoy about The God and the Gumiho - both lead characters are anti-heroes/morally grey, which you usually don’t get to see with female main characters. The writing is generally very readable (other than one truly atrocious rhyme in a prophecy) and not a struggle to get through, and overall the book reads very quick. i also enjoyed the various Korean supernatural creatures that showed up, and I think for the most part the author does a good job of adding in cultural touchstones in the setting.

What I didn’t enjoy - as mentioned above, there’s a lot of silliness that isn’t quite my thing, and this isn’t a particularly complex story or setting (not that it needs to be, just speaking for what I want as a reader). Additionally, it’s a pet peeve of mine when words from another language are constantly thrown into the text for no apparent reason other than to highlight this is a non-Western story - I’m not referring to it being in dialogue, or to name things that are specific to a culture (though a guide to the names for the supernatural creatures probably wouldn’t go amiss), but sentences in the narrative such as “the chief sounds like a harabeoji lecturing his grandson.” We already know this takes place in a Korean setting, what is this adding other than perhaps confusing or alienating non-korean speakers? (Note: I am part of the Korean diaspora and understood the Korean being used).

I’m not sure if there will be a follow up, but the main story does get wrapped up and it can definitely be read as a standalone.

DNF at 24 %

I really tried to get into this one, but I think I just was not the correct audience.

This felt much more like a TV show script or anime, and that style doesn't work for me. The story is told in the 3rd person, and it was just an unfortunate choice as it made the characters feel one-dimensional and cartoonish. I honestly really hated Hanni and couldn't buy into her character because HOW would a thousand-plus-year-old character be this immature and selfish? It came off as YA in a way I really was not expecting the book to be.

I am admittedly new to Korean mythology, but I also found myself confused so many times about which god is which and what each type of creature is, and this was really frustrating to me because I was really interested in learning about them. I would have benefited greatly from a glossary of some sort. As it is, I was just spending so much energy trying to keep characters straight that I had a hard time appreciating the plot.

I wish the description for this book had been a bit different because I think it's setting itself up to fail a bit. Instead of emphasizing the mythology aspects, I'd rather have seen this described as a cutesy cat and mouse with mythology elements and anime vibes. I absolutely think there is an audience for this book, and I feel like a slight tweak in the description will help it find it.

A big thank you to NetGalley for an honest review.

I absolutely LOVED THIS BOOK!

This 100% delivered on the K-drama vibes and I was eating it up. ALSO I love love love gumiho lore. It was so fun to learn about all the other mythological creatures featured in this book that I'd never heard of before. The romance was great, very high-tension and I really enjoyed all of the characters. Also. . .gotta love the drama!

I really enjoyed this! Thank you so much to the publisher for my ARC!

The God and the Gumiho by Sophie Kim

★★☆☆☆ || 2.5/5

---

ARC received on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I came into the story expecting a K-drama-esque story, and a K-drama-esque story is exactly what I got. The story is a cute, mystery rival-to-lovers, cat-and-mouse chase (god and fox chase lol) - embodying all that you could come to expect from a K-drama. If I watched this on screen, I imagine I’d thoroughly have a good time. The stylistic choice of writing, however, made reading a struggle. There were quite a few times where I wanted to DNF due to the clunky narrative.

The plot was interesting, but the way it reads like a fanfic is somewhat off-putting and made it difficult to immerse into the story. A few scenes felt immature and YA (situations and behaviour that I’d expect of a teenager but not of a 1000 year old gumiho). There was a decent amount of fluff, which I think could have been cut out to tighten the pace of the story, where it seemingly dragged a little too long from time to time.

I struggled a bit with liking the characters individually. Hanni comes off as a immature, self-important bitch - but she did become more palatable throughout the story. Seokga just did not really hit for me. Truth be told, I found his dialogue a little cringe. I think Hanni and Seokga’s interactions is what shined the most, filled with cute and witty banter and reminiscent of your typical K-drama romance plot. It’s unfortunate that I felt as if the progression from rivals-to-lovers was a bit abrupt and needed more time.

I’d probably settle for an “it’s okay” regarding the book. Reading The God and the Gumiho was neither immersive nor exciting, and I struggled to complete the book. I can see why others may love the book but unfortunately, this was a miss for me.

For fans of:
- Legends and Lattes
- Crescent City

Hani is an unruly gumiho, a mythological, man-killing, immortal, soul-eating fox. She has a colorful past, to say the least, but she swears her rambunctious, murderous days are over...at least for now. However, now and then there is no harm in a little soul-stealing.
Seokga is a fallen god. He is exiled to Earth to serve thousands of years of penance for his attempt to take over his brother's heavenly throne. He argues it is unfair to punish him for simply following his nature, he is the Trickster God after all, but his brother, the king of the gods disagrees. So Seokga spends his days among the humans, working as a detective/demon hunter until he pays off his unending penance.
Hani and Seokga are unexpectedly united when a nightmare demon begins to hound the citizens of their city and Hani schemes her way into becoming Seokga's assistant as he hunts the demon.

Includes:
- South Korean mythology retelling
- grumpy vs sunshine but they're both stubborn and mischievous
- 100% morally gray protagonists
- witty banter
- cozy mystery
- good cop - bad cop
- Brooklyn 99 but with gods and gumihos
- dual POV

This story is somehow able to combine two sneaky and mischievous main characters with a murder mystery and still make it feel cozy and wholesome. I didn't know that was possible, but wow, this was a fantastic book. It was so fun reading a grumpy-sunshine type of urban fantasy where both the grumpy and the sunshine characters are a little sick and twisted.

Some readers may feel deterred by the fact that the story is a retelling of South Korean mythology if they aren't familiar with the genre. However, without being familiar with the original story, I was able to easily follow along with all of the new terms and creatures I was being introduced to, and I never felt like I was playing catch up.

I received this audiobook as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing, and Sophie Kim for the opportunity to review this book. This review is also available on my GoodReads - check out my profile https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/62314863

Effortlessly blending Korean folklore with modern urban fantasy, Kim constructs a world that is both recognizable and intriguingly exotic. In the vibrant metropolis of New Sinsi, we are introduced to Seokga, a fallen god, and Hani, the fabled Scarlet Fox, whose unlikely partnership lies at the core of the story.

This book has an urban fantasy feel with a really lovely romance. The writing was beautiful and I really enjoyed the bits of Korean folklore.

Thank you to the publisher for providing a review copy

Thanks to Netgalley and Randomhouse for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I would say 4.5, rounded up to 5. A Korean Folktale retelling turned into an urban fantasy mystery. It definitely has a fairytale vibe while exploring characters and questioning humanity and nature. A sneaky infamous 9-tailed fox teams up with a grumpy fallen trickster God to hunt a demon.

A slow burn romance/ enimes to lovers, murder mystery with cute banter, this book kept me guessing. I really enjoy this story and while you can read this with no knowledge of Korean Folktales, it had me inspired and looking up more stories. Even thought parts of the story are a little dark, I found it to be a little cozy and easy to read. Absolutely loved

ps- there's a one bed trope which is my fav.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Calling all K-drama fans! The God and the Gumiho by Sophie Kim is an amazing adult fantasy inspired by Korean mythology. The story revolves around Kim Hani, the former Scarlet Fox who killed hundreds of human souls. Nowadays, she works in a coffee shop and doesn't plan on murdering anyone. When Seokga, a fallen god, enters the coffeeshop one day and Hani pours coffee on them, the pair don't get off on the best foot. But when a demon threatens their world, they team up to track him down. But will they become more than just partners?

Here is a humorous excerpt from Chapter 1, which is from Seokga's point of view:

"Seokga the not-mortal rolls his eyes and exists the shop, doing his best to hide the slight limp with the support of his beloved cane. His limbs were once mangled and ruined by his fall from grace, and although he has since healed, his right leg has never quite recovered, throbbing, with a persistent, dull pain. He presses his mouth into a firm line to hide discomfort as he continues on his way.
The mortal realm of Iseung disgusts him, but there is one feature-and, mind you, one feature only-that he finds he does not loathe with the entire expanse of his bitter soul.
Coffee."

Overall, The God and the Gumiho is an amazing adult fantasy that will appeal to fans of Spirited Award, Hotel Del Luna, Lore Olympus, and noir detective films. One highlight of this book is how the book combines the police procedural and mystery genres with the fantasy elements. It's such a unique idea, and I definitely want to read more books like this. Another highlight of this book is the fantastic world-building with Korean mythology. I loved reading about the world of New Sinsi and the many fantastical aspects of this setting.

One final highlight is the explosive and emotional climax, which I sped through and could not put down. I actually felt myself tearing up, which is very difficult for a book to do. If I had to complain about 1 thing, I would say that the flirting between the two main characters felt a bit YA-ish to me, and I wasn't sure if the book was YA or adult fantasy while I was reading it. Finally, the mystery could have been better. I predicted multiple reveals before they happened. But If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of fantasy books in general, you won't regret checking out this book when it comes out in June!

"The God and the Gumiho" was a captivating tale featuring a clever fox and a fallen god. I was thoroughly enchanted by the seamless integration of world-building and mythology into this mysterious narrative. The story had everything I look for in fantasy: mystery, magic, intrigue, action, romance, and an immersive world. The romance, delicately woven throughout, added a layer of depth and emotion to the story. Despite my usual preference for conclusive endings, I found myself surprisingly hopeful despite the bittersweet note it ended on. Overall, "The God and the Gumiho" stands out as one of the best books I've read this year, and I eagerly look forward to exploring more of Sophie Kim's work.

I struggled a little with this book, I wanted to DNF it a couple of times because the story was extremely slow to start, I was bored, and I could feel a massive reading slump coming. But I pushed through… it got a bit better, but I was confused most of the time. Being a newbie to Corean mythology, a glossary would’ve been helpful to navigate this unfamiliar and complex world.
The banter was fine, the plot was ok, and I liked how the author blended the fantastic and the romantic elements. Overall, I found it lacking in some parts and it didn’t keep me quite engaged. I won’t be continuing this series.

This was a really great read. It kept me hooked the whole time, I could not put it down!

I think the only area it struggled (that’s too strong of a word) was the fight scene. It was a little hard to follow, but then again, I’m not reading this book for that, I’m reading it for the God and the Gumiho ;)

I really liked the depth of characters, and how you could see them slowly change their ways or feelings. I think a little more backstory on them would be really cool- like more than just what happened in 1888 for Hani, and more than just the Fall for Seokga. Just a few stories maybe :)

I would LOVE to read a sequel to this, or maybe a separate book in the same universe!