3 stars. ☆

the most infamous nine-tailed fox in korea teams up with a cunning god-turned-detective in this cunning and brilliant modern fantasy to find a furious demon before it destroys the mortal world.

love, mitra <3

The God and the Gumiho ended up being one of my anticipated reads for this year after reading the premise. This book is marketed for fans of fantasy K-dramas and It did deliver in that regard. The atmosphere was spot on and I felt the characters had a good progression from enemies to lovers. However, I felt the plot lacked due to the focus being on the relationship. I felt the book could have been shorter and conveyed the same story better. I also didn't understand why the female lead couldn't be honest so she could have saved herself all the heartache. Besides that, I think the book is interesting and I will likely read the sequel to see how it all wraps up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the e-book copy!

This was a really fun mystery/romance. I liked that while it had a modern setting, it was actually set in the 90s, so there wasn't so much of an emphasis on social media like you see in a lot of contemporary novels. I absolutely loved Seokga and Hani and how they went from enemies to reluctant allies to lovers. Both of them had such interesting backstories. Sophie Kim balanced the little moments between them as they slowly fell in love with the more action-packed moments so well.

You know when you start a book and right away you get the feeling that you're not going to like it? That's what happened with this one and it was a bummer because I loved the cover and I loved the description.

Sadly, I disliked the writing style and tone immediately, but I kept going. Then, when we're introduced to characters who are immortal and hundreds of years old, but they act like teenagers, I knew this book just wasn't for me.

They're given these rich stories as backgrounds; one is the god of trickery and the other is a being that eats men's livers, but the way they speak and act doesn't match that at all because the author, for some reason, made them sound like modern-day teenagers. The "banter" was weak as well and, overall, I just didn't care for this at all.

It felt like the author had good ideas but kinda ruined them in trying to get the story to fit popular tropes. In my opinion, of course. I see a lot of people loving this and that's great, I wanted to be in that group.

I really enjoyed this book. I hope the author continues to write more books in the future. I can't wait to see what this author releases in the future.

This book surprised me in how much I enjoyed it! Sophie Kim's writing was so well done and I really enjoyed her style. The story had everything that makes more a good fantasy novel: fun banter, slow burn romance, stellar character development, and an engaging plot line. Having the story told in dual POV was perfect because sometimes the readers knew more some then the characters and could feel that tension but I was still pleasantly surprised by some plot twists. At the end of the story I was absolutely hooked and I won't spoil it but the ending is so worth the read, even though overall it was a fairly quick and easy one. I think this book is perfect for someone who likes more modern fantasy with folklore since it was set in a city and had the mystery aspect with a detective as a main character but he was also a powerful God, so it had a bit of everything.

The second half of this book really picked up as more of the folklore came in. The first part was mostly the two acting way younger than their supposed 1000+ ages. The tone of the book leaned more towards YA. Overall, readers interested in Korean folklore, kdramas or enemies to lovers plots will like this one.

This was a wild and hilarious ride! You have one semi reformed gumiho who usually doesn't do more that antagonize one fallen trickster god, at least not till a group of guys tries to attack her late one night. I believe Hani is fully in the right in disposing those jerks and it was just bad timing that a powerful demon escaped and is out for blood, specifically Seokga who had been thrown down to the mortal world after a failed coup attempt along with the army he had raised. Despite being immortal, both of them learned to become more mature and less self centered in this mess of trying to find both the demon and the awful Scarlet Fox.

Since Hami is the Scarlet Fox, this leads to lots of hilarity amid the death and darkness that the other demon is causing to turn the mortal world into a Dark world full of the most unruly of creatures. Yes, there is also sadness but when you put a fox and a trickster god together in a partnership there are also plenty of laugh out loud moments ( especially concerning the particulars of a perfect cup of coffee). The biggest issue does get solved by the end but left open enough that there will be more books in the series and I am very much looking forward to that! The ending had strong Goblin: The Great and Lonely God. It was bittersweet but hopeful.

Such a fun book and I am glad I got the chance to read it!

This was a soft DNF. This was my most excited to read for the year 2024, I felt like it wasn't good, but it also wasn't terrible. I just don't think I was the target audience and that's okay. I loved the fantasy and Korean mythology. And I feel like it is definitely screams out for any k-drama lover. Don't take my review to heart. I am a mood reader, so I don't think I was in the mood for this book.

4.5 stars

I fell in love with Sophie Kim's writing last year when I read Last of the Talons, which was one of my top reads of the year and a favorite Asian book. So when she announced this new world and adult story, I literally jumped up and down in excitement to read it. And obviously, I LOVED IT!

But as it seems to be the case with my favorite reads lately, I get so caught up in the story and the "after" glow, that I don't find the right words to review to book. So sorry for not having more details to provide. Just know that Kim outdid herself with this one! The banter is one of the best out there. The Asian mythology woven into the plot is chef's kiss. The mystery, intrigue, the grumpy sunshine dynamic, the tension of the cases and relationship as Hani and Seokga try to work together but at the same time to outmaneuver each other is delicious.

The whole thing kind of reminded of the Crimson Moth. They were enemies, circling each other while also trying to work together and keep the other one at a distance but at the same time they couldn't help fall for each other. I feel like kicking my feet just typing this.

The ending left me reeling and I am so looking forward to the sequel!

I'm just sorry I missed the Fairyloot special edition, this book definitely deserves a place on my trophy shelf to re-read and pet and aww and ahh. lol

Thank you to the publisher for the arc <3

*this is me making puppy eyes and begging for the ARC or any glimpse of the sequel. I NEED SEOKGA'S POV

Book Name: The God and the Gumiho
Author: Sophie Kim

ARC

Thank you to Netgalley and **Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Del Rey**

Stars: 2

- Thoughts.
- Sherlock Holmes Mystery meets Korean Mythology
- Romance wasn’t Romancing (to me)
- K-drama vibes
- ancient beings acting like Twilight characters
- Just not the right vibes
- I read for romance, not mystery and mystery was the best part
- Feels like YA with Adult content

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This epic fantasy blends in Korean fantasy with writing reminiscent of fantasy YA of the my childhood - this is no ACOTAR or From Blood and Ash. We start off entrenched in Korean mythology. I'm lucky enough to be relatively familiar with the terminology, but found that even for me, there was some denseness at the beginning; the writing is dense in its description, while not quite lush - we're thrown in, and it sort of felt to me like a TV script where we open in on a dark god striding onto the screen and then an explosion of action. I love the myth of the gumiho, and have always found it to be one that is embedded in giving women power in an unfortunately sometimes unfeminist way, and have appreciated how that narrative has turned the tide, even if it has become overly sexualized in Western media. So I appreciate this book and its take on the mythology, and careful treatment of the culture. I'm not a particularly big fan of the high fantasy style, and feel that this book could use some editing for improvement on flow of the sentences and content, but overall found it to be an incredibly fun book to read and delve into more of the Korean mythology world.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballentine for the e-arc!
It is an amazing and stunning fantasy book with tricksters, demons, and nine-tailed foxes, complete with a super angsty romance! Based on Korean mythology, this book has a bit of everything: Romance, adventure, mystery, and magic. The two MCs, Seogka, the trickster god, and Kim Hani, the gumiho, are such an interesting pair! Not only are they fantastical creatures, but the secrets behind their dynamic make it such an entertaining read. Lots of banter and low-key flirts! The mystery and Sherlock vibes where so good! It's like Sherlock and Watson, but if Watson knew the mystery all along. Its a great take on such fantasy and mystery!

The God and The Gumiho by Sophie Kim was a fairly fast-paced fantasy read with some romantic elements I couldn't help but adore. Books that humanize and focus on the lives of spirits and divine creatures are always fascinating so this book was a perfect setup on multiple levels. I particularly enjoy that this story was based in non-western mythos and think it will be a good read for fans of what fell beneath the sea.

Overall rating: 3.5

Despite being busy, I would pick up this book in every moment of my free time. I truly felt like I neededddd this book whenever I had the time for it. This is the type of book that I missed sleep to finish.

There’s so so much good in this book. The mystery was mysterying. I really didn’t expect the culprit, and I love questioning each of the characters. It was definitely a quick and fun read, and the plot progressed in a way that mostly made sense.

I loveddd Hani. I loved how badass she was, and how morally grey and imperfect she was. Watching her emotional depth deepen as she became more interested in Seokga was <33. I did not love her lying…but I get it for the most part. It just felt super angsty. And Seokga. Sigh and swoon. Watching a man in love be able to embrace his love is so heartwarming. I loved how soft Seokga became throughout the book. He completely changed from my initial view for him in the way he adoredddd Hani. Watching him genuinely and truly care for Hani, enough to go to the ends of the Earth for her? Hello me and who??? I loved loved loved them together.

I had some gripes. Although I loveddddd Hani and Seokga, their relationship didn’t give 1000+ year old gods. They acted childish, petty, and immature at the beginning of the relationship, which kind of didn’t make sense to me. Are they not grown? I loved the dynamic it created for them, but I did find it unrealistic. I also didn’t get the 90s vibe that the setting was based in. It’s not that big of a deal! I just wish Kim made the time period less subtle—it would’ve been cool to see how the time setting would change some aspects of the book. I also felt as though the character descriptions didn’t quite match the personalities shown in the book. Seokga, the legendary trickster god, didn't perform many tricks. He was moody and grumpy, yes. But deceptive? Not quite. My biggest issue was the pacing of their romance. I loved them together, but their relationship felt quite insta-lovey. It felt like they went from haters to lovers within a week with little buildup (?) One of my biggest pet peeves is enemies (or adversaries (?)) to lovers that’s rushed.

And sighhhh. The ending. I get, I loved it, I loved to hate it. It was so bittersweet (less bitter, more sweet). It was a perfect end for Hani and Seogka. I’m really curious about the next book, though! To me, this feels like it could realistically end as a standalone. But regardless I WILL be reading the next one when it comes out.

* I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book starts out slow, but the final half was much more exciting for me as a reader. It was a fun overall read, but just lacked some of the depth that I look for in books.

“The God and the Gumiho” is about Seokga, a fallen god, and Hani, a Gumiho who once went on a killing spree. In order to redeem himself, Seokga was tasked to stop a dangerous creature from taking over New Sinsi, and the Scarlet Fox, who has suddenly returned after years of peace.

Seokga and Hani’s relationship development and banter were so fun to read. I could almost hear ‘cue fun banter’ music in the background, thanks to years of watching K-Dramas. Their slow-burn love story felt natural, with a bit of spice without having too much detail. I loved that they were both morally grey characters, with distinct pasts, although one was more cunning than the other.

The side characters were also a highlight for me, especially when there were hints of romance brewing between one of them. We were also introduced to other supernatural beings from Korean folklore, and even though I wasn’t familiar with some, their descriptions were well done. I was delighted to see familiar beings from old favorite dramas (hello, LDW from The Goblin!) Initially, I was intimidated by the supernatural names written in romanized Korean, but the author provided helpful reminders when they reappeared later in the book and making it easier to follow. Using the Hangul alphabet would have been more challenging to read, so I like that it kept it as authentic as possible. Although I taught myself reading and writing Hangul 12 years ago, I don’t use it daily; it would have given me nosebleed each time a new character was introduced in Hangul lol. Ohhh the dedication page was uber sweet, as she dedicated the book to her grandparents—I’m not crying! As someone who lost both grandparents a few years ago, it made me think of them.

I’m crossing my fingers that this book gets chosen for a film adaptation so I can watch this with giddy behavior like a teenager.

Thank you so much NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and the author for allowing me early access to this book.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The nine-tailed fox teams up with a trickster god? Say less, I'm in.

The God and the Gumiho by Sophia Kim is a YA fantasy novel that ties back to Korean mythology. Kim Hani has retired from a life of devouring souls. She is, simply put, too full. Once known as the infamous Scarlet Fox, she now spends her days working in a coffee shop and annoying a particularly irritating, if unfairly handsome, trickster god as often as she can. That god is Seokga the Fallen. Exiled from the heavenly kingdom of Okhwang, he now begrudgingly resides in the mortal realm, working toward his redemption and suffering through his interactions with the particularly infuriating, if sneakily charming, gumiho barista at his favorite café. But when a powerful demon escapes from the underworld and threatens to end all of humanity, Okhwang’s emperor offers Seokga an enticing bargain: Kill this rogue creature, as well as the legendary and elusive Scarlet Fox, and he will be reinstated as a god. Hani, however, has no intention of being caught. Seokga might be a trickster god, but she has a trick of her own that he’ll never see coming: teaming up. As Seokga’s assistant, Hani will undermine and sabotage his investigation right under his overly pointy nose. Sure, she’ll help him kill the demon, but she certainly won’t allow him to uncover her secret identity while they’re at it. As the bickering partners track their case down a path of mayhem and violence, the god and the gumiho find themselves inescapably drawn to each other. But will the unlikely couple stand together to prevent the apocalypse, or will they let their secrets tear them—and the world—apart?

The characters were unique, though at time a little unbelievable. The plot was compelling. And the vibes were all there.

Thank you for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this book! A fun contemporary read with magical elements.

As a lover of any + all mythology, I was eager to dive into The God and the Gumiho. While I enjoyed it enough, it's definitely not my favorite read of the year and I do think there's room for growth.

What I did like—I thought the mystery and the plot were intriguing. And Sophie Kim wrote it with just enough hints that I was able to figure it out JUST before the main characters but not to the point where it was too obvious. As someone who doesn't know much about Korean mythology, I was able to keep along with it and enjoy the story.

However, the second half of the novel was much stronger than the first half—the pacing was a bit slow in the beginning. There were moments too with the characters that just felt...young for older, mythological characters, but once we settled into the second half, we were cruising.

My true rating is 3.5 stars but rounded down.