I really enjoyed this book and finished it in one sitting. It is a fun, supernatural mystery based on Korean mythology. I would rate this 4.5 stars.

It felt like a K-Drama, which meant I knew the twists were coming but still enjoyed them. It was well-written, well-paced and kept me engaged the entire time.

I enjoyed Hani and Soekga’s chemistry and there was a dash of spice and a lot of tension. An enemies-to-lovers plot is always a fave and the banter was great.

The ending did hit exactly how I think the author intended and I cannot wait for what comes next. I’m glad the cover said Book 1, because I need to know what’s next for our leads.

The only thing I would change is to include some sort of glossary of the various aspects of the mythology. The author describes each creature and the lore well, but if you’re unfamiliar, it’s always good to have a place to easier refer back to.

Thank you NetGalley and Del Ray for an advanced copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions expressed are my own.

This book was a 5 star read for me, hands down. I feel like it usually takes me a while these days to get into a book, but The God and the Gumiho just hit all the right boxes for me when it comes to a good fantasy. While I don’t believe that this book did anything revolutionary in terms of plot, there were still enough twists and turns that kept me interested and invested. I loved learning things about the world itself and all the gods and mythical creatures who inhabit it along with the humans.

And the ROMANCE. The God and the Gumiho read like a good K-Drama. The romance didn’t feel forced, and I was LIVING for the moments that Hani and Seokga shared together. Literally had me kicking and blushing reading this on my Kindle. I don’t even like the one bed trope like that but if they were written like how Sophie Kim wrote it in this book, I might have to reconsider.

The pacing of the book was great, I loved the dual POV, and the ending??? No words. My literal Roman Empire. This book hasn’t even come out yet, and I already need the sequel. June 4th cannot come fast enough.

Thank you to NetGalley, Del Rey and the author for the eARC!

—Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the chance to review an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was so good! First book in a new fantasy series by Sophie Kim.
This line pulled me in:
‘’..the most notorious nine-tailed fox in Korea pairs up with a trickster god–turned–detective to track down a wrathful demon . . .‘’
And it delivered! I love every gumiho included book and movie out there but this one was one of my favorites because it has such a witty dialogue and fun banter. Obssessed!

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an e-ARC of this book to review!

Kim Hani is the Scarlet Fox. She is the viciously renowned and immortally remembered Gumiho of legend. The woman who killed five hundred men of London a century ago and ate their livers to sate her hunger, consuming so much that she was able to quietly retire her feared mantle and become a barista at the Creature Cafe, lying about her immortal age and dying her brilliant red hair to chocolate brown.

Seokga the God is no more. Seokga of lies, mischief, malice, and deceit is no more. There is just Seokga the Fallen, doomed to spend his days cleaning up the mortal realm of Unruly Creatures as penance for his coup against his brother, the king of the gods. And the only gods-forsaken thing worth his appreciation in this realm is coffee. Beautiful, wonderful, hot and delicious coffee. Served by the most insufferable Gumiho he has ever met, at Creature Cafe.

In a desperate bid to protect a younger Gumiho, Hani throws herself directly into the line of sight of Detective Seokga, who is trying to track down the Scarlet Fox in connection with two fresh murders. But Hani's problems aren't limited to protecting herself and her friend--- something much more horrifying has started attacking and brutally killing mortals and Creatures alike. Something that has escaped the realm of death and seeks revenge against Seokga, who has been promised a full return of his powers, godhood, and palace if he can bring both this great evil and the Scarlet Fox down.

Hani is only tolerating Seokga and his superiority complex because she needs to protect herself and others. She despises his snobbery, his cruelty, his apathy. She despises his perfect appearance and his coffee order of one cream, one sugar. She absolutely hates him. And she really, really wants to kiss him.

Seokga is only tolerating Hani because he, admittedly, needs an assistant. And she's been proving herself useful, even if horrifically annoying and unbearably rebellious. She gets things done. She gets his coffee order wrong on purpose. She gets him thinking about what it would be like to hold her in his arms every night, to wake with her every morning.

The Fallen God and the Greatest Gumiho really do have bigger priorities than falling hard for each other, but there's only two weeks for Seokga to fulfill his brother's bargain, and Hani doesn't know how much longer she can keep the truth of her identity concealed...

~~~

Absolutely a five star read. This is a single-sitting, no-breaks, eyes glued to the page type of fantasy romance for me. It was cozy in ways I was completely unprepared for. Despite the adult nature of death and violent crime, as well as some very mature (in a wisdom sense) inner dialogue and characterization, I felt like this book wrapped me up in a soft, fuzzy blanket and handed me a cup of Hani's hot chocolate. I felt so full of excitement and anticipation while reading, and I felt empty and the huge desire to go back and immediately read it again when I was finished.

Sophie Kim has delivered a masterpiece that speaks to all kinds of readers. Mythology nerds, culturally curious readers, cozy fantasy consumers, and especially k-drama lovers. I, personally, have never experienced a k-drama, but I could tell there was a lot of love for the medium behind the birth of this story. And the worldbuilding and descriptions--- I am not by any means an expert in Korean myth, but Sophie Kim makes you feel like you understand the Creatures, the realms, and the gods with very little exposition needed. And for anyone with a physical copy when this is published--- use that glossary! It will help you a lot.

I fell in love with Seokga as he fell in love with Hani. And I absolutely adored the fact that he didn't resist that fall at all. Yes, the Gumiho is unfairly attractive, and yes, she drives him absolutely insane. But she blazes with life and passion and far too much confidence, and he is drawn to her like a moth to flame. He admits to having around 200 demigod children, but he has never been in love. Until now.

Hani is trapped by the circumstances of the world. After her binge of human livers in London a century back, she has settled down, and the world around her has grown to see Gumiho consumption of souls and livers as taboo. Nine-tailed foxes go their whole immortal lives without tasting human flesh. Or, if they risk it, they face being slain by Seokga the Fallen on his quest to cleanse 20,000 Unrulies from the realm to regain his god status. Hani is massively powerful, immortally uncaring. She knows that being true to her Gumiho heritage isn't wrong, it's her nature, and the nature of all the others in the world. But bad things can happen even if good intentioned. And now she's working for the man she despises... And she's falling hard for him. I absolutely adored Hani's characterization.

I truly believe that if you love cozy fantasy, enemies to lovers romance, and mythology, you will find yourself absolutely entranced by the God and the Gumiho. I greatly anticipate the second book in the series.

This book was such a breath of fresh air and truly enjoyable. I found myself giggling and laughing within the first 20 pages. It was an amazing balance of lore, tension, and light-heartedness, that I found myself coming back for more. I appreciated that the author kept true to the culture, with some written liberties, as I felt that it truly enhanced the story and I was able to bring this story to life in my mind. The prose was perfect, not too winded but just enough to pull you in and make you feel wholly invested in the characters. A beautiful, whimsical, grumpy-sunshine story. Thank you, NetGalley and Del Rey for choosing me to read and review this story! I will definitely be looking for more from this author.

East Asian mythology, urban fantasy, gods, spirits and demons, reincarnation and love. I don’t know if I believe this deep unending love presented, they folded in less than a week after a couple kisses and hugs. This is a part of the reason why their arcs from selfish to selfless felt half baked, but their end was beautiful non the less. I also wish there were mini wins in between their chase for the villain, the plot dragged in the middle because I was just waiting for the next clue or reveal—this novel could be tighter 50 pages less. The characters followed the typical sunshine-grump and criminal-detective tropes… this is pretty trope heavy come to think of it. I wish more of the H’s trickery nature was shown, it would have made his character slightly more interesting outside of his expected personality. The highlight of this novel is the world created. Magical and intriguing. I can feel the author’s love for her culture and history in the details of things like food, weapons, architecture, and the afterlife. I really liked that.

*It was a pleasure to read the ARC for The God and the Gumiho, thank you S. Kim and Del Rey.

This story by Sophie Kim is straight up delightful. The city, the world, the mythology, the characters. I've always been a sucker for detective stories and partners forced to work together, and reluctantly finding common ground. If you're interested in a fun spin on a Sherlock and Watson tale, with all of the love and banter that will leave you giggling, it's about time you pick up The God and the Gumiho.

I really, really loved this. So much so that after weeks of not picking up a single book, I read this in one day. It was that good. When I saw it on Netgalley, I expected a stereotypical enemies-to-lovers romance. I thought that I would enjoy it, but I didn't expect to love it. I've never been so happy to be surprised.

For me, the best thing about the God and the Gumiho was the characters. I loved Hani and Seokga SO much. Although I definitely preferred Hani's perspective (partly because I saw myself in her), I loved Seokga's chapters as well. Especially when it came to the romantic moments!! It was so fun to get both characters' perspectives and thought processes, especially when outwardly, they were still pretending to despise each other. I'm a sucker for enemies-to-lovers, so this was right down my alley.

And I loved this even more because the characters felt so real. To be completely honest, Hani and Seokga's dynamic reminded me of the dynamic I have with one of my friends, which was so much fun. Their banter was so goofy, I loved every minute of it. In fact, I can't wait to reread this, just for the banter.

As for the ending, I loved it. It did what so many other books stray away from, and actually established consequences. Sure, it left me in tears at work, but it was so refreshing. I do wish we'd gotten a bit more of an epilogue, but that's me being selfish. The story left off at the perfect place. Bittersweet; with the promise of better things to come.

After DNF'ing the last book I had tried to read, this was an incredible find. I'll definitely be picking up Last of the Talons now!

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you Netgalley and Del Rey for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

In this book we follow a mischievous fallen god turned detective who's on a mission to solve demon cases to reclaim his divine status, and an infamous fox spirit, who volunteers as his assistant to keep her own secrets under wraps.

It was a very fun read! If you're into kdramas like my demon, alchemy of souls, and tale of the nine tailed, you should definitely give this book a shot. while it's full of popular tropes, much like a kdrama rom-com, it never takes itself too seriously, and the characters and setting are hilarious. they had me giggling numerous times. kim hani, our main character, is an absolute joy to read. she's funny, vain, clever, selfish, and very messy – what's not to love? I also really enjoyed the fantasy elements; there are a lot of different creatures, but it didn't feel overwhelming to me.

i will say though, one thing that didn't quite hit the mark for me, despite enjoying a lot of their banter adventures, was the pacing of the romance. I wished there was more of a slowburn. sometimes, the shifts in relationship dynamics and character personalities felt a tad abrupt, making it a little insta love, especially from the mmc.

nevertheless, it was an enjoyable read, and I'm looking forward to seeing what unfolds in book 2.

I was given a copy of the ARC for this by netgalley for an honest review

Premise of the book: a infamous nine-tailed fox in Korea unwillingly pairs up with a trickster god–turned–detective because she is trying to hide her own tracks from him, and ends up assisting him in tracking down a wrathful demon . . . before it can destroy the mortal world.

Definitely gives you korean drama vibes but in book form. I enjoyed reading it and the writing was good and flowed well. The only thing that slightly inconvenienced me was all the korean terminology, granted she does say what it means in the book, but it's not re-iterated every time she uses the term again so I found that I had to highlight the different types of korean mythical creatures so I can refer back and remind myself what it was.
Other than that, I felt like this story was interesting and will have anyone who loved "My Demon" on netflix squealing while they read.

tl;dr
Supernatural mystery, and romance featuring lots of banter between a grump and a smart ass.

Thoughts
I feel like I grouse about this for every book written like this, but it gets me every time. I do not get along with third person present tense. I don't know why, but it kills immersion for me, and it took me a couple tries to really get into this one. That being said, I liked what I found once I finally settled in. You've got mystery, a ton of drama, and two strong leads who provide plenty of banter for fans of animosity-to-love relationships. The author is clearly channeling k-drama energy for this part, and I love it. Kim Hani is a very fun read, and I delighted in all her smart ass antics. Seokga is a great moody boy, although I admit there was far less trickery than I would have expected from someone who's a literal trickster god. His passion for coffee is excellent, though. I very much appreciate that the author trusts the readers to either understand the Korean terms, or be interested enough to look them up. Truly, thank you. The ending feels satisfying enough to be a one-shot, although it seems implied that this is the start of a series? I can only hope the next book will be about a certain member of the supporting cast instead, because she deserves her moment.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ • 5

The God and the Gumiho was my first read from Sophie Kim, and it really did not disappoint. I don’t think I have a single complaint or piece of critique for this book.

The new take on traditional Korean mythology and storyline were interesting. And the characters? Unique and likable. Not to mention the stunning cover artwork for the different editions of the book.

The only thing I need is MORE. More of the characters, more of the story… I really hope there’s a sequel planned for The God and the Gumiho. If you watched Tale of the Nine Tailed or Goblin, this book is for you babes. Absolutely can’t understate how much I enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Wow, this was such a fun story, the prose gave me the magical feeling of a traditional fairy tale just in a way more contemporary setting. I loved watching the relationship of Seokga and Hani develop against the backdrop of the mysterious murders. Sometimes I feel like books with multiple things going on tend to favor one side of the story more, but in this case, I felt like everything was balanced really well. I really enjoyed the world with the blend of magical creatures living out their supernatural lives amongst the humans, it kind of reminded me of the manga xxxHoli but with Korean creatures of myth. Also the ending made me tear up a little but I loved it :') I like when stories don't necessarily end with the happiest of endings that are all butterflies and sunshine but give a conclusion realistic to the circumstances of the storyline with a happy(ish) (or not!) ending that is on that same level.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to access an early digital copy of this book!

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for the arc! This was very good, and like a hot chocolate, indulgent. It does read like part anime, part fairy tale, part Ghibli film, part rom com. In the same vein, it was sometimes cliche, yet it also went in many places I didn’t expect, sometimes even subverting said cliches. Enjoyment did drag for a tiny bit in the middle, where 2 big tropes come into play, but if this is a letter to Korean and Asian culture and pop culture, I have a feeling said tropes and cliches are done purposefully; given that I didn’t mind them too much either means that were done well. Also the ending was masterfully done, making me laugh, cry, and smile. A dark chocolate hot chocolate then. Most definitely somewhat bittersweet, warm, delicious, satiating, and lending you hope. -4.5

**eARC provide by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

First of all, I do not think that this genre is for me. I will be giving the cozy fantasy world one more chance and then remove myself if I find that these books do not hit the spot for me.

I do think that this book is 100% for you if you like popular cozy fantasy reads like Forged by Magic. This is meant sincerely: if you enjoy snarky predictable dialogue, characters who are there to serve a purpose and tropes like Just One Bed (which I die for).

I did really enjoy the setting as I absolutely love the weaving of the magical world with the mortal world.

This boom is comfortable and I think that's why it's cozy! You understand where the story is going and what the stakes are. However, I found most of it just very boring. It was far too long for the content provided. The characters fell flat and I didn't feel like there were any development arcs.

Kim Hani is supposed to be selfish to the point where she would sacrifice her best friend to continue being free, so why is she then so happy to sacrifice herself for someone she despised a little over a week ago? A point of entry for Hani and Seokga's bond could have been their moral gayness, I suppose. For Hani, killing men, eating their livers and getting a taste of their souls is simply part of her nature, but it's something that's now outlawed, something that she is punished for. Seokga is the god of trickery and deceit. He is okay with killing his own brother, so why is this dynamic never explored between the two of them? He only kills unrulies bec his brother told him it's the only way to get reinstated.

Things only seem to happen for plot convenience and, at first, I thought I was going to really enjoy this. I loved the grumpy sunshine dynamic and Hani seemed well-thoughtout but but as the book went on, I just lost a sense of who each character was and why.

This book was very good. The plot was very well done and was very quickly paced. The banter was hilarious and I loved it so much!

first of all i would like to thank netgalley and random house for giving me this opportunity to read this wonderful book!

this is the first time i have read one of sophie kim’s books, and let me say she took my breath away! she is a fantastic author. the world of new sinsi is amazing, the characters equally as amazing. kim hani is such a badass character and i adore her so much! she isn’t afraid to go after that she wants. as for seokga, he wasn’t my favorite at first, but just as hani went through, he grew on me. i couldn’t put this book down, the mixture of adventure and romance just
kept me in its clutches. i cannot wait for this book to get formally released. i will be purchasing it!!

if you are a fan of story’s having to do with mythology, romance, and some adventure, this book is 100% for you!

i cannot wait for the next book in the series to come out. thank you sophie for making such an awesome book, i will be taking the time to look into your other works.

This book will have you hitting the ground running. There is so much to see and do in this world and the characters are badass yet hilarious at some points. There was not a single boring moment in this book and I want more!

As always, Sophie Kim has delivered an incredible read.

I loved the story of Hani and Seokga, and found the entire novel to be enrapturing. Korean mythology is a fairly new genre to me, and this novel offered an incredible glimpse into how powerful a retelling can be. The creatures are sympathetic, grotesque, powerful, admirable, and a whole host of other adjectives. The story speaks to love and loss, selfishness and selflessness (and everything in between). It calls for us to look deeper into what motivates us, and for us to examine how much we're willing to hide from those we love.

Sophie Kim is a wonderful author, and I believe that this book will be her next greatest hit. Needless to say, I'll be scooping up a physical copy from my nearest bookstore come June 4th!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Sophie, and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this story.

Dear Sophie Kim,

Please make this is a series. PLEASE. It awakened my fantasy kdrama enjoyment, and the ending absolutely gutted me. I love my grumpy god and his cute, endearingly, sassy hot-chocolate drinking fox. I want to see them to continue to solve mysteries, live in his fancy palace, catch / kill more demons.

Please?

You like My Demon? Alchemy of Souls? Enjoy grumpy / sunshine trope, and actually want to read a fun fantasy detective mystery - read this. It shocked me honestly this was the same person who wrote the YA series. I think she truly has a hit with this one.

I love the world of fantasy creatures, grim reapers, gods, magic, and food. Lots, and lots of food.

I also love that while it took 7 days for him to develop feelings for her, it took a while to see it played out on paper. I also loved that as soon as he kissed he fell harder and wanted her like he never wanted any one before.

I loved the ending, and while it ended on a happy note, I don't think their work is finished and I don't think we've seen the last of them. But just in case, please read this, support it, and get me book two.