Member Review

Seokga, the Trickster God, has spent the last 33 years looking for his lost soulmate, Hani, and working on fixing himself so he can be worthy of the happiness that was promised. When the red thread of fate leads him to a dead end and some lashing out, his brother, the Heavenly Emperor, decides it's time to take a break and books them and Seokga's therapist a trip on a luxury cruise down the river of the dead. It's there that the red thread reveals Yoo Kisa, the reincarnated form of Hani, is a gwisin working the karmic debt Hina accrued. Seokga has to come to terms that Kisa isn't Hani and Kisa has to wrap her mind around the fact that she was destined to be with the god, even if she doesn't remember it. Add the fact that someone has murdered the Heavenly Emperor and they have to find out who before the rest of the pantheon finds out and blames Seokga, and this will not be a relaxing cruise for anyone.

I loved Hani and her relationship with Seokga, so I was really interested in seeing how Kim translated that into a relationship with someone new. I loved what she did with all the exploration and introspection that led to Kisa and Seokga realizing how perfect they are for each other. It is delightful icing on the cake that is the murder mystery driving the plot. I'm amazed at how we got a full-on murder mystery on a ship and a romance in the same story without it ever feeling like one lost importance to the other. It's expertly woven together in a character exploration that keeps giving you delightful little hits of happiness, romance, and discovery.

Extra points for the fact that I think it would be entirely possible to love this book just as much if you just jumped right in without reading book 1 first. I wouldn't recommend it because The God and the Gumiho is a delightful read, but I appreciate it when an author takes the time to make a sequel able to stand on its own.

Delighted thanks to NetGalley and Inklore | Del Rey for the chance to read this wonderful conclusion!