I enjoyed this novella a lot. Yoo's writing is very engaging and the use of mythology and the supernatural was great. I liked the way the reader was immediately dropped into the action, and information about the setting and background was revealed as the story went on. There were some things I didn't love in one of the trans character's storyline, but in general the secondary characters were vivid and well-described. I'd love to read more about these characters, and in general I'm eager to read more of the author's work.

I am SCREAMING I am trying hard to think of a way to articulate this properly but all I can say is I've been waiting for a book like this for what feels like forever, and I ended up reading the entire thing in a single sitting starting from this morning. I love a good mystery, to begin with, but the way this book weaved in supernatural elements from Korean folk culture gave it a unique and exciting flavor that made it all the more fun to read. I adore the way this book went beyond the conventional tropes of a lot of Korean diaspora lit I've seen, from acknowledging the existence of trans people in Korea, KSL, to even acknowledging that, yes, Korea is a multi-ethnic nation where Chinese and Japanese people live and reside! It felt more *real* to me getting to read about these tiny details that are often lost in favor of presenting a more monolithic view of contemporary Korea, so I felt myself grinning throughout the entire book. I had an absolutely wonderful time with this!

Small Gods of Calamity is the debut novella from author Sam Kyung Yoo. The story features Kim Han-gil, a detective with a sense for the supernatural (which his fellow officers don't know exists) and a traumatic past related to the infestation of his mother (a mudang) by a worm spirit - a deadly parasitic spirit that most other supernatural practitioners don't think is real. So when Han-gil's latest case shows clear signs of a worm's presence, Kim finds himself desperate to stop it before it causes more harm...and burdened with the help of Shin Yoonhae, the man whose exorcism eventually resulted in his mother's tragedy.

The result is a story that deals heavily with trauma and with suffering as a result of loved ones actions, along with issues like transphobia (and how that can cause the aforementioned trauma) and the burning need to keep one's resentment inside. It's a story that works really well in this regards and ends in a hopeful ending, which I will definitely be keeping in mind come next year's award season.

Trigger Warning: Transphobia, particularly from family members, Suicide/Suicidal-Actions.

Quick Plot Summary:
Years ago, Kim Han-gil's mother performed one last exorcism of a boy, Shin Yoonhae, who had lost all of his senses due to a strange possession. But no one realized the possession was by a deadly new spirit - a worm curse - and that the exorcism had only moved the worm from Yoonhae to Han-gil's mother...who nearly killed Han-gil and then died as a result.

Years later, Kim Han-gil is a detective in the Jong-ro Police Department who is thought to be crazy - both by his fellow mundane detectives who can't see or know about spirits and by the practitioners of the supernatural who believe him to be obsessed with a worm spirit that they doubt exists. But when Han-gil finds a man having seemingly jumped to his death at the behest of a worm spirit, he finds himself reliving his past as he tries to prevent it from repeating...especially when his only available ally turns out to be Shin Yoonhae, now 16 years older, the boy he once blamed for his mother's death...

Thoughts: Small Gods of Calamity uses a very interesting and well laid out setting to tell a really good story dealing with some serious themes. We have a Korea that is thought to be entirely mundane by some people and also has spiritual/supernatural practitioners who know better that ghosts and spirits, sometimes dangerous ones exist. It's in this setting that we find Kim Han-gil, still trauma-wracked by the way his mother died and almost tried to kill him under possession, and desperate to do something to stop it from happening again. Han-gil hasn't really come to terms with what really happened and also has as a result been unable to not blame Shin Yoonhae, the boy whose possession got his mother killed through no fault of his own. Meanwhile, Shin Yoonhae also deals with the trauma of that event and blames himself. And a new third character, dealing with a modern case of worm possession, is a trans woman who has dealt with transphobia and being outcast from her family, from her boss, and even mistreatment from her boyfriend, and has struggled oh so hard to keep herself from being provoked by all that into violence

Small Gods of Calamity deals with all of this and recognizes the struggles these people all have with their trauma, while also showing how with help these people can all find some kind of better and happier path. It's a supernatural cop story - not a buddy cop story as it seems to be at first - that winds up with a hopeful and happy ending despite its exploration of these very harmful traumas, and it does so really well. A definite recommend for those looking for a really great novella, and definitely award worthy.

Huge thanks to Interstellar Flight Press for giving me an access to an arc of this! This is a book I didn’t know I needed to read. It was equal parts heart-wrenching and unsettling but in the best way. This book isn’t very long but it packs a punch and it manages to sit with you for a bit. It’s always fascinating to read fantasy/supernatural stories that are grounded in the rich folklore of one’s origin, especially when it is something other than the usual European folklore, which gets centered much more often. Love that this also doubles as meditation and exploration on grief and how one processes all of this.

I believe that the writing was very strong for this and I’ll be adding this author to my reading radar. I’m looking forward to hearing what others have to say when this comes out.

Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley!

4.5 Supernatural Stars!

I absolutely loved and devoured this book. The world building felt a bit rocky until the second or third chapter, then things went smooth-sailing from there. I find it a bit lacking that Han-gil’s new partner just gets tossed to the side and forgotten at the latter half of the story. I wish Han-gil’s backstory was better explored and that Han-gil and his co-worker’s relationship was highlighted a bit more. I know that’s not the point of the story and that it wouldn’t really serve any purpose, but it just felt like it was a thread left hanging there—now, if there were to be a second book, disregard this comment lol.

The story definitely tugged at my heartstrings. I love the dual POV and I love how there was a small asexual representation from Han-gil. I love that it wasn’t such a huge thing, that it wasn’t such a big part of his personality or anything of the sort.

Anyway, there was great pacing, great fleshed-out characters, and I wish for a sequel!!! I think that’s the biggest takeaway I had after reading the book because I find myself wanting to know more about the characters, where they go from there, and how they’re going to deal with life moving forward—especially if they’re going to keep being partners!!

Beautifully written and this cover art!

The back story of Detective Kim Hang-Gil, how his struggles have spilled over into his work life and are wreaking havoc. I got into this world without issue. Being a detective with the ability to see the dead and smell spirits that most can not, causes Hang-Gil to obtain a less-than-desirable reputation around the office, which means he tends to go through partners pretty quickly. So much so, that his coworkers take bets on how long his newest partner will stick around.

Hang-Gil gets himself wrapped in a paranormal case that brings him face to face with a ghost from his past. A ghost that he blames for the death of his mother, a ghost that he will need to solve this case and save the life of a young transgendered woman.

There are no dull moments in this book.. the story moves at a very steady pace. The attention to detail was perfect, I could see the colors, feel the atmosphere, smell the smells.

I can see this going to film, this world can be expansive. I will most definitely look for more titles from this author.

This book was an intriguing combination of a crime thriller and a ghost story. Dark and gritty. I was excited by the Korean setting and the ensuing cultural references, particularly those of Korean shamanism.

I did find the prose to be a bit clunky and/or basic at times. And the pacing was slow at the start. But by the end I was intrigued, and the ending even brought a tear to my eye.

I enjoyed this a lot. Reading this was like watching a thriller-mystery kdrama. I liked the description of the spirits and the effects they are causing on each person. If there will be a second book, I will definitely reading it.

Thank you so much to the author and netgalley for this book!
Weirdly, I requested this by accident but after reading the synopsis I thought Id give it a go and I cannot get over how amazing this short little read was!
I really loved the main character Kim Han-gil and the world that was created within 150 or so pages. It was full of mystery, magic and was so intriguing!
I definitely recommend this book if you're looking for a murder mystery, Korean set novella with demons and magic.

I didn't know much going into this other than that it was a novella about a detective hunting down a malevolent spirit, but once I started reading I simply couldn't stop.
Kim Han-Gil, Seoul's only spirit detective, goes to hunt down a soul-eating malevolent worm and soon finds himself forced to team up with his childhood arch-nemesis Shin Yoonhae, whom he has always held responsible for his mother's horrifying fate.

What is on the surface a quite dark and haunting urban occult story about spirit possessions peeled back its layers to reveal itself to be a tale about pain and broken souls, about trauma, and ultimately, about forgiveness and reconciliation.
Atmospheric, steeped in Korean folklore and dripping with emotions, Small Gods of Calamity put me through the wringer and left me feeling almost like I had just undergone a purifying experience - and while this is going to sound contradictory to everything I just said, it is also utterly charming.
I thoroughly enjoyed this little book and will definitely pick up whatever Sam Kyung Yoo writes next - dare I hope that there may be a squel? I would love to spend more time with these characters.

I want to thank NetGalley, Sam Kyung Yoo and Interstellar Flight Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here expressed are my own.

I really, really enjoyed this novella. There were several elements to this story that not only caught my interest, but were also up my alley. The first element is that this novel is set in Seoul. This setting had me fixated - for one thing I live in Seoul and am Korean, so reading a story that's first (I'm assuming) published in English but set in Korea, with a Korean main character, was very cool. Second, it's a setting and approach(?) to a story that I myself would love to try and write some day! Moving back onto the novella, the second thing is that it is a supernatural mystery crime novel, one of my favorite and oddly specific genres. So basically, this story is like the perfect story for me.

I honestly really enjoyed it. The beginning was not as engaging as the rest of the story, mainly because I wasn't sure whether the culprit at the time was going to be the main antagonist or not, and because there was an odd sense of disconnect from the main character. Also, whether it's due to my own lack of knowledge regarding East Asian spiritual culture and queer culture, I also felt a little out of the loop? The story really developed and got enjoyably intense - in both characterization and plot, and I would've honestly loved to have read this as a full-length novel, with an even deeper exploration of Han-gil, his past and his abilities, as well as his relationship with not only Yoonhae, but everyone else around him (especially the community - imagine the angst!).

Kim Han-gil is a character I would want to both read and write fanfiction about, and I think that's one of the best things a writer can invoke in me. I feel like he has the potential to become a dearly loved character to me, if he's ever given an opportunity for a full-length novel and therefore more in-depth character exploration.

There were a few minor technical errors, such as no spacing between two words, and Yoonhae's name being referred to as 'Yoonjae' at one point, but that's about it I believe. There is also, a part in the middle where it gets suddenly quite explicit in its gory details, which was a shock and one I feel wouldn't hurt to let others know. It really was just that one time though, which caught me off gaurd.

I really enjoyed the story - it had all the elements I am intensely into as a reader, the MC was very interesting and one I would love to read more about, and it has elements that I have a personal attachment to. All in all, an enjoyable novella and the only regret is the length.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

Very atmospheric and I was intrigued with the relationships between the characters. I love Korean culture and loved exploring aspects of it through this novel.

A tightly woven blend of myth, magic, and the ties of a found family.

A fun little urban fantasy novella. Well written with intriguing characters.

4 stars

Small God's Of Calamity is well written short urban fantasy/crime thriller which follows 28 year old Detecrive Han-Gil of the Jong-ro violent crimes police department.

Whilst being a police detective he also works as a 'spirit detective' along with his adopted sister Azuna to help people who have been possessed or ghosts which can't seem to move on.

For a book which was only about 150 pages long it sure packed alot in the pages. Told in the 3rd person it covers themes of Death, Suicide, Murder, Spirits, Possession, Loss, Regret, Revenge and ultimately, healing.

While it is mostly told from Han-Gils POV we do get 2 chapter later on from a different characters POV.

Whilst I enjoyed this story it took a while for me to get into it because of all the information/world building which had to be done however once I got into it the story seemed to unfold and end so fast but still managed to wrap things up really well without lose ends or missing anything out, I would love to see what happens next with these characters (especially between Han-Gil and Yoon-hae if the author decides to write a follow on.

Well, I've never read anything quite like this. (are there other books like this?)

First off, the title. 10/10. 100% what drew me in.

The story. It's urban fantasy (set in modern day Seoul). And also a detective novel (regular crimes and supernatural crimes). And there are lots of lovely moments of human connection as well.

Han-gil is a detective (regular - deaths, and spiritualist - hunting down spirit worm parasites). His sister, Azuna, is a high flyer in business and parasite exorcism. Shin Yoonhae is a figure from the past and a part timer (part time what? Not sure, but it was fun to read about).

So in sum - invisible spirit worm parasites are eating souls in Seoul, the detective detecting the deaths is also hunting the worms, in fact there's a network of people hunting the worms, terrible things have happened recently and in our protagonist's past, there's some of the hallmarks of a detective story...

Also there are ghosts.

What I loved most were the little details: the charms and wards, the sibling relationship (seemed familiar), the workplace nonsense, the descriptions of how Han-gil and Yoonhae experienced souls through their senses.

My only quibble is the quite fast resolution of one of the story threads/relationships towards the end. Just slightly too neat for me.

I'm glad I took a chance on this book. The little details added up to an enjoyable read. I hope there's more!

Thanks to Interstellar Flight Press and NetGalley for the eARC. This is an unbiased review.

3.5 stars. A really interesting story about spirituality, complex family dynamics, gender and disability. The story throws you right into the middle of the action which was quite disorientating especially for me as I am unfamiliar with a lot of Korean culture but the story was engaging and gripping. The relationship our main character has with those around him is compelling and is reflective of his past. Of course as it is a novella the backstory and world building isn't as developed in places as it might be for a longer novel but overall this was an enjoyable read

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me, but I don't think it's bad! This is one of those books that is for a specific audience. I definitely would recommend this for people who like a more cut and dry writing style and this is definitely for an audience that likes a more gritty feel to their horror/crime/thriller books. Unfortunately that's just not something I personally enjoy. This just couldn't keep my attention and I needed the book to be more descriptive or have more flowing writing for my personal taste. This is definitely a reader issue, not a book issue.

This book has a lot of representation. I was pleasantly surprised at the setting, because most books like this one take place in New York.

SPOILERS BELOW

I love how trauma and PTSD were portrayed throughout the story. Han-gil takes time to warm up to Yoonhae but he gets there. I would be lying if i said i wasnt shipping them them during most of the book. I really loved learning a bit about Korean and Japanese culture through the characters. I was also pleasantly surprised to see deaf representation, because that certainly isnt common in books (although it should be)

Synopsis: In this novella, Han-gil navigates his position as a police officer and a spiritualist in the as a spirit wreaks havoc in Seoul.
CW: Suicide/Self Harm, Transphobia, Gore
Rated 2.5/5 (rounded up to 3)

Review: (No spoilers)
Thank you to the publisher, Interstellar Flight Press, and to Netgalley for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The best part of the world of this novella was the way the spiritual practices were described. It married the spiritual traditions of Korea and Japan and integrated them into the fantasy in a very believable way. I really enjoyed the different ways the connection to the spiritual manifested between the characters. It added a richness to the way that Han-gil saw the world around him. In addition, Han-gil struggles with anxiety/depression, and many readers might find his experience relatable. Readers will also might be happy to see the bisexual representation in this novella.

I found the pacing to be really uneven throughout the entire book. The back 25% of the novella is loaded with much of the meat of the story. Due to this, the character development and the plot itself felt rushed. I found the ending sequence to feel especially rushed. Around the 50% mark I was still waiting for something to happen, which was surprising considering this book is being marketed under the thriller genre. The book lacked the feeling of tension I expected for this genre. Due to the pacing and the lack of action or character development early on, I struggled to get invested in the story.

Aside from the pacing, the text utilized excessive exposition to move concepts forward. As a reader, I felt like much of what I needed to know about the world, characters, and plot was directly told to me, instead of shown. The plot ended up feeling like a series of conveniences instead of Han-gil exhibiting much agency over the story and interacting with the world. Similarly, the characters ended up feeling flat. Their actions and dialogue often felt like it was just moving the plot along, rather than expressing character personality.

In regards to the urban fantasy setting, it often felt like the characters were existing in some sort of void. The environment and world often felt empty, with the characters spending little time existing in the greater world of this alternative reality Seoul. If the book had not explicitly stated this city was meant to be Seoul, not much in the text would point me to that conclusion. Similarly, Han-gil’s history with the world and some of the connections to the greater spiritualist community felt underutilized. Although Han-gil repeatedly reminds us of what has happened in the past, we rarely feel any major repercussions or have a greater understanding of how the world works.

I would be remiss not to mention the explicit transphobia exhibited by characters (not the author!) in the text which some might find uncomfortable to read.[MINOR SPOILER TO FOLLOW] In addition, the way in which the trans character was used as the antagonist (albeit unwillingly) was wrought for me. I think the text could have done more to separate the person being possessed from the actions of the worm spirit. Without that, interpretation for the actions of the trans characters falls into a gray area. I found it a little disheartening, as trans characters are often villainized in thriller/horror genres, especially when their motivation for committing crimes is connected to their existence as a trans person. [MINOR SPOILER OVER].

Ultimately, a lot of my issues with the story come down to the writing itself. The characters and world had potential, but I found that book never let them shine to their fullest. The uneven pacing took me out of enjoying the thrill of the mystery. I have hopes that future books from this author might fix these problems, because the ideas in this book were good, just not polished. For those looking for a simple, slow paced story, with an interesting magic system and a focus on characters, this book might be for you.

Absolutely wonderful book! Magic and forgiveness woven through an excellently paced story with fascinating characters.