I read the "God and the Gumiho" last year and quite enjoyed it (gave it three stars). Unfortunately, "The God and the Gwisin" did not meet my expectations. The plot wasn't terrible, but the reincarnation story was alright. I wasn't invested in Kisa and Seokga's relationship as much as I was into the relationship he had with Hani. I hope there won't be any more books in the series, but it feels like it left on a cliffhanger.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this arc!

I was so excited to get this book after reading The God and The Gumiho! This book had me laughing and kicking my feet the whole time. I love how Seokga and now Kisa are brought back together and I love how Seokga has to work to get Kisa to see how he sees her. Honestly such a fun ride and a great way to end this duology!

Like the God and the Gumiho, this book is a lot like a really good k-drama. This one has it all: soulmates, Korean folklore, romance, betrayal, and a murder mystery - all happening on a cruise ship in the Underworld. Some of the original cast makes an appearance, along with a few new faces. I couldn’t believe who actually did it. There were many twists and turns - not just with solving the murder but also with Kisa’s and Seokga’s relationships with each other and with themselves. This book is well paced, well written, and overall, a lovely read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for this copy of The God and the Gwisin by Sophie Kim! This was an incredible enjoyable read! I had no idea what to expect after the ending of The God and the Gumiho. I was so excited for this sequel and it did not disappoint!

I don't want to say anything that would be a spoiler for the first book, which is essential reading before this one, but The God and the Gwisin continues the story in such an interesting way. The characters are written so well. Sophie Kim does a soulmate dynamic with such talent that I couldn't help be engaged from start to finish with this book. I may have liked this one even more than the first. It was so fascinating to see Yoo Kisa compared to Hani and of course I loved Seokga.

I think the mystery was a little obvious, but this is one of those times where predictable just didn't bother me. It felt more like everything made sense , that's why I was able to figure out where it was going. The Korean folklore aspects of this story are great, and I particularly enjoyed the unique setting (an underworld cruise ship). And then the romance is probably my favorite part of the book.

I think it ended leaving room for another book, which I'll be looking forward to reading. This one was great and I absolutely, 100% recommend. If you read The God and the Gumiho already, you can't stop there! You have to read The God and the Gwisin!

The God & The Gumiho was my second favourite book of last year, I loved it so deeply it had me up absolutely sobbing at 3am so as you can imagine, I was so freaking excited for this sequel. And, it didnt disappoint. I knew that I wouldn't love it as much as ghe first and that's okay but I did really enjoy this book. I enjoyed the plot line, I loved seeing the chemistry between these two characters and how it was different from book 1 but you could still see that it was there. I truly love Seokga so much hes been through so much and im gonna need his happy ending.

Having loved the first book, I was super excited to get my hands on this sequel and it did not disappoint! I loved the change of scenery, I thought the atmosphere on the ship was really cool and different, though I did struggle with Kisa for the first half of the book - but I think that was because I was just missing Hani! Seokga was his typical cool guy, though a lot less nonchalant this time around as he simped and yearned for his soulmate. The mystery wasn’t as well done as book 1 but it was still enjoyable so I will still recommend for fans of kdramas, Korean mythology and reincarnation ❤️

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

The God and the Gwisin by Sophie Kim is the fun and mystery-filled sequel to the The God and the Gumiho. After the explosive ending of the first book, Seokga, the trickster god is trying to tracking down his long-lost love so that they can live happily ever after. He soon meets someone who fits the bill on a cruise ship for the recently or not-so-recently departed, run by gwisin (ghosts). Unfortunately, his brother is suddenly murdered on the ship, and it's up to Seokga and a new band of friends to uncover the murderer. Who would want to kill the Emperor? And can Seokga find love along the way?

Overall, The God and the Gwisin is an amazing #ownvoices adult fantasy that will appeal to fans of K-Pop Demon Hunters and K-dramas like Hotel Del Luna. One highlight of this book is how it is not as juvenile-feeling as the first book. When I read the first book, I remember writing that some of the humor felt very juvenile and YA-like. I am happy to report that the second book is a great improvement on the first. This book felt like it was actually written for upper YA and adults this time, as opposed to last time. Another highlight of this book is the mystery elements that had fantasy elements mixed on. My eyes were glued to the page as I tried to figure out the suspects and connect the clues. If you're intrigued by the synopsis above, or if you're a fan of adult fantasy, I highly recommend that you check out this book, which is available now!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy of this book.

I loved The God and the Gumiho so I had high expectations for this book and it did not disappoint.

After the ending of book one, The God and the Gwishin follows Yoo Kisa, now reincarnated into Kim Hani - who once again has died. Only this time she is now a gwishin and bound to work on a cruise ship in the underworld. Our favourite moody god Seokga has been through it over the 30+ years looking for any trace of Yoo Kisa, his hope being lifted after finding out they were connected by the red string of fate only to be crushed when he once again was unable to find her. That is until he stumbles across Kim Hani working on the underworld cruise ship he was sent on for vacation. Kim Hani possess no memories of her past life and has a totally different personality so the idea if the two really are the same person despite sharing a soul plays a huge part in the novel. I loved seeing Kim Hani and Seokga's relationship develop over the course of the book as it is widely different to how Yoo Kisa and Seokga interacted.

Sophie Kim is slowly working her way up to becoming one of my favourite authors. Her voice really shines in this book and Seokga once again proves how much I love him with his grumpy personality but soft side for Kisa.

I loved seeing some old characters make an appearance in this book especially Somi. She had been through so much in the last book and I loved seeing how her character evolved during the 30+ years spent after the death of Yoo Kisa. The new characters also so fun and silly.

The Korean folklore is once again explored really well in this book and helped flesh out the world really well.

I did guess the villain very early on because it was quite obvious (as really there was no other reason for this character to exist lol) but I did not see some of the plot points coming.

If you loved the God and the Gumiho you are sure to fall in love with the characters all over again in this book. I can't wait for the possible book three??? Especially with that ending??!!??!!

I loved the first book in this series and was so excited to be able to read the sequel! The immersive and fascinating world of Korean folklore combined with the urban settings of the city were so fun to experience through our characters. Once again, this was a fun adventure with Seokga and Hani (now Yoo Kisa) I liked seeing their relationship develop all over again and getting to dive deeper into the spirit world. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me early access to this book!

Do I like rom-coms now?

Korean Loki is in search of his lost love, Hani, or at least the new incarnation of her. A mysterious red thread appears, but Seokga is at a loss for every lead he has; he still can't find her. Yoo Kisa is the reincarnated version of Hani and trapped working on a cruise in the underworld, where Seokga just happens to be taking an unwanted vacation.

The mystery storyline moves much slower and less tense moments than "The God and the Gumiho." Which might leave a few fans a little underwhelmed. I actually enjoyed this new side of Seokga and watching him and Yoo Kisa find their way. I can relate to the studious and academically curious Yoo Kisa but I love we still see glimpse of the feisty Hani in her.

If you loved the first book, you'll love this one too! If you love rom-coms or K-rom-coms, then I definitely recommend starting with the first book and read this!

The mix of humor, romance, and underworld intrigue made it a super fun read. Seokga is such an entertaining character—his therapy sessions and awkward attempts at being a better god had me laughing more than once. Kisa was also really compelling; I liked seeing her navigate the afterlife while dealing with all the chaos around her. The mystery aboard the cruise kept me hooked, and I loved how the romance and suspense were balanced. Overall, it was witty, imaginative, and just the right mix of heart and humor—I couldn’t put it down.

Unfortunately I DNFed this book after months. I could not get into it. The writing was lush and atmospheric, and it gave the kdrama vibes, but it didn’t catch me. I think it was a me thing, not the book itself. It will find its home.

🎬 It unfolds like a korean drama playing in my mind, layered with humor, mystery, and emotional depth.
🌸 If you loved Hana’s personality and demeanor from the first book, you might notice she is a little different here. She’s gentler, guided by analysis and logics, yet at her core, she remains the same. She still commands respect, just in a more understated way. 🧢 And then there’s Seokga - he made my knees weak as he grappled with the early discovery in the book. He’s rough around the edges, yet loyal and unexpectedly tender.

this is such a fun duology (??? COULD BE MORE?? I’m praying for more). that said, after the way the first book ended, opening this book to see a 30+ YEAR TIME JUMP had me ready to faint.

Seokga has spent the last 30+ years searching for Hani’s reincarnation. as he becomes more desperate and more depressed, his brother and his therapist recommend he takes a vacation on a cruise ship in the underworld. the cruise ship is staffed by people who have died, but are not allowed to reincarnate yet due to past sins.

and you’ll never guess who is working on that very ship... !!!

this book quickly turns into a murder mystery with a Scooby Gang-esque group of “investigators” (a god, a shaman, a gumiho, and a k-pop idol).

it puts us in a position to learn more about Seokga’s inner workings, but while I feel like both books went pretty deep into who Seokga is, I wish more time had been given to Hani and Kisa. we do not get to know much about her family, except that she’s basically estranged from them.

I also felt deep empathy for Seokga while reading, because I also missed Hani and felt a bit disappointed on first meeting Kisa, who is so incredibly different on the surface than Hani was.

(sidenote: my childhood pet hamster was also named Kisa, so that’s another layer that made this feel a little weird for me - RIP Kisa the hamster)

the only things that really frustrated me in this book were:
not NEARLY enough romance - Kisa and Seokga are definitely a slowburn in this book, but by the time they are opening up to each other, the story is almost over. I LOVE the slowburn, so I don’t wish that away, but I do wish the story had gone on just a little bit longer so we could have enjoyed their romance a bit more
the initial murderer reveal felt very much like everything just suddenly being explained in one swoop and it felt super underwhelming after however many chapters of investigating - kind of spoiler note: I know this was a bit of a red herring, but we didn’t know that at the time! in the moment, it felt like, “wow, that’s it...???”

plot: ★★★★★
I love a murder mystery. I love soul mates. I love the lost memory trope. I enjoyed this a lot.

writing: ★★★★☆
overall, I enjoyed the writing style. the only thing I’m hung up on is wishing the world had been explored a little bit deeper.

I would have liked to know more about how reincarnation worked in this world. we got 1 scene where Hani and Kisa were able to talk and share memories. will Kisa be able to do that again? if not, what happened that allowed it that one time??

and like I already mentioned, the reveal of the murder felt super convenient after spending so much time hunting for clues. it was kind of frustrated to have all of that detective work essentially be for nothing.

pacing: ★★★★☆
I felt like we took almost a hair too long for Seokga to find Kisa, but this could just be me being impatient. once we had all of our characters in the same place, I think the story FLEW by. I struggled to put it down.

characters: ★★★★☆
mixed feelings about Somi coming back, but I guess I was glad for it in the end. Somi and Hani’s relationship was super cute. it was sweet to get to see Kisa get to know Somi as well.

Somi and Hajun were cute but if I’m being honest, I was getting annoyed with them taking page time away from Kisa and Seokga being cute, LOL.

I missed Hani. Kisa grew on me eventually, but it was a little tough at the beginning. I guess it helped to empathize with Seokga though.

romance: ★★★★★
Seokga is SOOOO GOOOOOOD PLEASE

when he finally starts flirting with Kisa?? I was hyperventilating. I mean:

[ He blinks lazily up at her. Her hair falls like a curtain around them. Before he can stop himself, Seokga reaches up and tugs one of the beautiful brown curls with a finger. To Seokga’s extreme satisfaction, Kisa’s eyes widen, and her lips part.

OR

[ “What... do you dream about?”
“You.”

ARE YOU FOR REAAAALLLLLL??????

someone get netflix on the line NOW and make this into a live action series PLEASE. it’s not even that groundbreaking, but the yearning and the tension between Seokga and Kisa is just PERFECT.

I needed at least 20 more chapters of them just flirting with each other omg.

over-all: ★★★★★
I loved this book and had so much fun with it. I feel a little dissatisfied with the ending though. it doesn’t seem fair that Kisa is trapped in limbo for as long as she wants to be with Seokga. I get that she got to choose where she is trapped, but I was hoping for a reincarnation loophole. it feels like it could be open-ended enough that maybe we will get a third book someday...??

I love this story so much and I’m so happy they get to be together!! I hope more comes out cause I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of reading about these soulmates

While I can't say that I loved The God and the Gwisin as much as I loved the first book in the series, it was still a fun ride, with an ultimately satisfying conclusion.

The hardest part I had with this book is that the female main character isn't Hani. Don't get me wrong, Kisa grew on me and by the end of the book I loved her and Seokga together. But one of my favorite parts of the first book was Hani herself, and having her no longer technically be a character was hard to get used to. Which I think was kind of the point. We had to go on the same journey that Seokga did, learning that while Kisa might be the reincarnation of Hani, she is not the same person anymore. I found that aspect to be interesting, as it helped me, the reader, understand Seokga even more, as I also wanted Kisa to be Hani for the first part of the book. Going through the same process as Seokga was kind of trippy, I won't lie, but in the end, it had an even greater impact as I accepted Kisa as the new main character, along with Seokga. I'm not sure if any of that made sense, but there you have it.

That aside, the plot did meander a bit. It was supposed to be a murder mystery, but 90% of the murder mystery-ing happens in the latter half of the book, which made the first part drag a bit. Again, I ultimately enjoyed it, but I had a much harder time getting into and staying with this book than I did the first. It felt like nothing was happening, and then suddenly everything was happening, and then it was over.

However, I really enjoyed everything else. I loved seeing some old faces. The setting was entertaining (a cruise ship in the underworld full of the dead? How cool is that!). The shenanigans were endless. The banter was perfection. The new characters fit perfectly into the world. And the world itself? Love, love, love. Please give me more. Don't get me wrong, I think this is a satisfying ending, but I wouldn't mind reading more about these characters and this world Sophie Kim has created. I'm under the impression that this is a duology, but I wouldn't be upset if I'm wrong.

I highly recommend this series. While I don't think The God and the Gwisin hit quite as well as The God and the Gumiho, this is definitely one of my favorite series.

I received an advanced copy of The God and the Gwisin directly from the publisher through NetGalley and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Seokga the No-Longer-Fallen is back, searching desperately for the reincarnated soul of his lost love, Hani. When the red thread of fate pulls him onto a cruise down the river of the dead, he finds not Hani, but Yoo Kisa, a woman with no memory of him, and no interest in recovering it. But when the Heavenly Emperor of Okhwang is murdered, Seokga and Kisa are thrown into a high-stakes mystery where solving the crime before the cruise ends might be the only way to uncover the truth about their bond and perhaps the fate of the world itself.

This book is like Hotel Transylvania 3 in book form: a supernatural cruise, danger lurking in the shadows, and a love story tangled up in chaos. I really enjoyed book one of this duology, and I was so excited to see how the story would wrap up. What I loved most about the first book was the sharp detective mystery, and while that’s present here, this sequel shifts focus toward the characters, their romance, and their fated connection.

It wasn’t quite what I expected, but I still had a good time with the story. If book one leaned into the mystery, this one leans into the mythology and emotional stakes. If you're looking for more Seokga and Hani/Kisa you will definitely find that here, even if the mystery takes a backseat.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I didn’t know if this book could top its predecessor, but wow did this overtake the first book for me, and I loved the first book.

I love how the relationship between Seokga and Kisa was handled with the fact that he had expectations from her previous life and she had no memory of him. I was nervous this would be handled in a way that was disrespectful to either Kisa or Hani, but I think this was beautifully done. In their soul, they are the same person and they share the same values though being slightly different in personality and skill. The soul of the ship is the same!

That being said, Seokga being so down bad and in love and soft and having heart eyes for Kisa without even technically meeting her was amazing. Their banter and dynamics really did have me kicking my feet and giggling. Their interactions and relationship were so well done!

And of course, I love a little side of girl friendships and bonds being formed (reformed?) and a bit of murder mystery (the way everything tied together wasn’t totally unexpected but the execution and levels to the mystery were diabolical). And solving a murder mystery while babysitting your big/little brother who is a god? Wholesome and sweet and I loved getting to see Seokga realize how much he loves his brother.

Overall, I loved this book and its predecessor and highly, highly recommend them!

I very much wanted this series to continue, and so happy it did! Wonderful read, wonderful characters!

⭐️: 4.5

What happens when the god of mischief, a therapist, a K-Pop idol, and a ghost meet up on a cruise ship in the underworld? Well, this book apparently.

Y’all, I adore this series. Go read the first book in the series and then come back here.