firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc!!

i’ve noticed that a lot of books pubbed back in 2023 and 2024 that could have been left as standalones have been receiving a second book, and i personally felt a lot of those books could have been left alone.

however, the god and the gwisin was an excellent addition to the world that sophie kim created in the god and the gumiho. it was so lovely to return to the world and the characters, and most importantly added another man who yearns to my shelf!!

i also listened to the audio, which had my favorite: dual narrators! they did a great job!

As of right now, I think I like this book more than the first! It was so fun to see Seokga and Kisa fall in love. I was interested in how Kim was going to thread Hani in Kisa and have Seokga fall in love again. Kim did a wonderful job with it and I was a very content reader. It felt like a great ending to their story.

There’s mystery, a new setting (forced proximity), a baby, and fun characters antics. I was surprised by the comedy in this one, since I don’t think the first was meant to be as funny, compared to this one.

I would say, the mystery did go on a little long towards the second part of the book. It’s still worth to read the end since the characters are so lovable.

Recommend!!

Tropes: forced proximity, Korean myths, grumpy mmc, gods and mythical creatures, soulmate

Book: 4 ✨
Spice: 2.5

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Del Rey for the eARC! I always appreciate it so much!! My review is honest and not contingent on receiving the ARC.

Kisa's totally different from Hani (from the first book of the duology) and probably that's what makes her even more interesting, since she has no recollection nor memories from her past life and so the relationship between her and Seokga has to start from new, with totally different dynamics and situations from before.

Seokga's for sure my favourite character of this series. He has a stubbors, cold and strong appearance, but hides a soft, fragile, insecure and depressed nature. He's sad, he wants love but he thinks he doesn't deserve it. His story is one of emotional abuse, abandonement and loneliness.

In this second book, like in the one before, secondary characters are not so "secondary". They're really important for the plot, not only for entertainment.

In this book too, even if in a different way, the main characters have to solve a mystery about death and dark creatures. It's a trope that I really like reading about, because if mixed with fantasy and mythology, the mystery genre shows its best potential (in my opinion). Every situation could end in a lot of different ways and plot twists can be really surprising.

This author's writing style is simple and entertaining, easy to read and enjoyable. We have two alternating povs (Seokga's and Kisa's) and a lot of funny and goofy moments, that make the story not only dark and serious but also ironic and wholesome.

The series' final is just as I pictured it in my head. I was hoping for a lot of actions and plot twist with a sweet and cozy epilogue, a "happy ever after" closure. And this was exactly what I found at the end of the "Fate's Thread" series.

It's hard for me to find sequels I love as much as their predecessors, but this one won me over immediately. Sophie Kim has created something really special with this duology and it is one of my all time favorites. The charm and wit is irresistible. This one also had an emotional depth that I wasn't expecting. If Sophie Kim decides to write more in this world I'll immediately add it to my TBR!

The God and the Gwisin by Sophie Kim is a witty, heartfelt, and atmospheric sequel that solidifies this series as one of my favorites. This time, Seokga the No-Longer-Fallen, fresh off saving the mortal world and now reluctantly working on himself, finds his red thread of fate leading him to the underworld. Instead of his lost love Hani, he meets Yoo Kisa, a weary gwisin working off her karmic debt aboard a luxury cruise down the river of the dead. When the Heavenly Emperor is murdered mid-voyage, the two are thrown together in a race to solve the crime before the ship reaches its final port.

I adored Seokga in book one, and somehow Sophie Kim makes him even more compelling here. His trademark charm, sharp wit, and vulnerability shine, and his growing bond with Kisa is just as engaging as his romance with Hani was. Kisa herself is instantly likable, equal parts guarded and relatable, and the banter between her and Seokga crackles. The confined setting of a supernatural cruise ship is pitch-perfect for the murder mystery, giving the story a tight, engaging pace while also allowing for lush, eerie worldbuilding.

We also get more interactions between Seokga and his brother, adding emotional depth and further cementing his character arc as one of the strongest I’ve read in recent fantasy romance. This book delivers humor, heart, romance, and mystery in equal measure, and it left me even more invested in these characters and the unique world Sophie Kim has created. I can’t recommend this series highly enough.

Look, it really did take a few or a lot of chapters to really warm up to the new characters (don’t know if this is a spoiler or not lol) but I was dying over how Seokga who is a literal GOD, fumbling and being super awkward when face to face with the person who is essentially his soulmate.

I have to say I absolutely love love love the mythology ~ this time we take a deep dive onto a cruise-ship in the underworld where souls/ghosts/and the in-between work onboard in hopes of reincarnating into a new life!

As much as I missed the hot and heavy banter, I loved that we got see more of the two brother’s relationship, and what led to their breakdown (and basically a coup lol), more of the side characters (new and old!!), and what a surprise even Gods need therapy!!

Anywho it didn’t hit as hard at the first book but I was still tearing up at the end .. but now when will the third book come out????

Thank you Del Rey and Netgalley for the ARC!

OOOH I am so happy to be back in this world. Kim did a great job introducing the new character of Kisa, including parts we love of Hani while also acknowledging she isn't the same person. I love the new love story that played out, the way side characters got to develop more, and the fact we got to learn more about the world and how it works. I feel like Kim is writing towards something, and I am so excited for this story to continue to play out.

If you like K-Dramas, you really should pick this one up.

Thank you Netgalley and Sophie Kim.

God and the Gishwin is an amazing story that from the very first moment, I was completely drawn into its surreal, yet strikingly human world. The interplay between divine forces and flawed, beautifully written characters is unparalleled.

I will continue to watch this author and all her glorious writing in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a beautiful continuation of this series. I really loved how it did not even feel like any time had passed since the first book. I loved how Kisa was different in this life and how her and Seokga came back together. The mystery in this book was great and it was fun to have these characters back together to solve a crime.

I liked book one, but this book left me scratching my head a bit. The mystery fell flat, and I was less invested in it than I think the author would've wanted me to be by certain plot beats/chapters. I'm sure there's an audience for this book, most likely teens, and I'm sure they'll love it. It just ended up not being for me.

I thoroughly enjoyed The God and the Gumiho, but I have to admit, I struggled with this one. Like Seogka, I had difficulty getting behind the new reincarnation of Hani, and couldn't quite love her as I did her past self. Had to DNF at 67%, unfortunately. Will still be getting this for our collection as I'm sure our readers will love to read the second and final installment to this duology.

TLDR: LOVED THIS BOOK as much as the first one!!!

After finishing book 1 I really thought book 2 would naturally still have Hani, to find that Hani actually did die and reincarnate into someone completely new threw me off at first but I came to actually really love the journey this took me on. Kisa is so brilliants and knowledgeable hungry and fun!! I really loved her character and the way Seokga was able to love her for her. His character growth in this book is astounding, I feel like we for sure got a new Hani but also a new and reformed Seokga!!

Overall one of my favorite parts of this book was seeing a new team of misfits form to solve a murder mystery all while finding (or rediscovering) love.


Cannot say enough good things about this book and I hope there is a book about Somi and Hajun!!!

I absolutely adored this book. While it was not as good as the first one, in my opinion, it was still a really good sequel. I love books based on the red string of fate, and being able to find your soulmate in every life time and this book really did well with showing the struggles that one might face while waiting to reconnect with a lost love. While the last book left off <spoiler> with our amazingly charismatic and beloved FMC dying </spoiler>, we get introduced to our new FMC in this sequel. Kisa is completely different from Hani in so many ways, which was a huge change to the FMCs dynamic with Seokga. At first, I wasn't sure how I felt about Kisa and Seokga, since Hani's personality was more suited to him (in my opinion), and Seokga seemed to realize this, but still was interested due to Kisa being his soulmate, just in another life. However, Kisa did grow on me, and I was able to see and understand why she would also be a good match for Seokga. The introduction of new characters and bringing back old characters and giving us a new view of them was also a really great idea and I enjoyed it.

I also liked the attempt at delving into the murder mystery genre with this book, although the big reveal wasn't really a surprise to me. As soon as the murder happened, the thought popped into my head about who had done it, <spoiler> and I couldn't get how no one else was able to see that it was the therapist. She was just introduced, knew all about Seokga's life and want to his soulmate, came on the ship for no reason, but yet no one doubted her. </spoiler>

After the traumatizing ending of the first book, I was very worried about how Sophie Kim would end this book, but this ending made me so happy to see.

Thank you to Random House Publishing for the eARC of this book. This is my honest review.

I don't know why I was less invested in this book. Maybe because of things going in my personal life. Or my ongoing exam Or story itself.
So Well it not comes out in a way as I expecting.
I will give it another chance when I'll be free and fresh minded . Then maybe comes out good.
But for now , it doesn't work out for me.

Thank you so much for the eARC NetGalley and Del Rey. All opinions provided are my own.

I have so many feelings right and I’m not sure how to write this review without it being a nonstop gush in how much I loved this book. I loved reading The God and the Gumiho last year; the ending for the first book nearly broke my heart. I nearly let out a scream when I saw the email with the eARC offer for book 2.

TLDR review: Absolutely recommend this book and everything was fantastic. The God and the Gwisin was even better than the first book; everyone should read it. 5/5 stars

Proper review:

At the end of book one, 26 years after Hani died, the Red Thread of Fate appeared on Seokga finger. Indicating, Hani had successfully reincarnated and was in the living world once more. Unfortunately for Seokga, Fate had other plans. Book 2 opens with Yoo Kisa, Hani’s reincarnated self, sitting on top of a building. While contemplating her life, Yoo Kisa falls over the edge and her second life comes to an end. Seokga is forced by his brother and therapist to take a vacation from searching for Hani; the forced vacation ends up being a cruise for all of them. While on the cruise, Seokga discovers Kisa is working for the cruise line and she has no idea who he is. To make things worse, while trying to figure out his feelings with his former lover, the Heavenly Emperor of Okhwang is murder. Seokga and Kisa are tasked to find the murder before the cruise ends.

I loved this book. I think it’s one of my favorite reads for 2025. I was gripped by the story from start to finish. It broke my heart for Seokga to find Kisa and realize that she had no idea who he was. I was ready to storm the heavens and give someone a lecture for putting him through this miserable pain. Grief and dealing with grief is one of the major themes of the book. Seokga’s grief of losing Hani and the grief of Kisa not knowing her soulmate, Kisa’s grief of losing her life and conflicted feelings of meeting Seokga, Kim Hanjun’s grief of how he took his own life and trying to heal from his trauma, Nam Soni’s guilt and grief of her past actions. While there are heavy moments in the story, the humor does a good job of making sure it’s not overwhelming. I also enjoyed the murder mystery plot. Was it kind of predictable? Yes. Did I care? No. I’m so glad I was able to read this book.

5 stars for me. I am praying there is a third book because the ending had me gasping.

It is so good to get another book with Seokga and Hani, fate threaded together! But of course it isn't going to be easy for this trickster god or former gumiho known as the Scarlet Fox. Somehow they were not able to meet, even with Seokga following the thread everywhere and not finding Hani. I love that we get a new setting in the underworld, on a cruise ship for the dead. And while I miss Hani, Yoo Kisa is a really fun Gwisin and former shaman with interesting friends like a kpop star, and reunited with old friend Somi. You get tons of humor (especially with a very intriguing fate thread), laugh out loud bits (quite the risqué book club) but also so many feels! And they played with my emotions, from the depression that Seokga feels trying to find Hani and finding her as Kisa instead, realizing it doesn't matter the form of people, as long as the soul remains the same, finding new common grounds, plus solving the murder of Seokga's brother and dealing with heavy family issues among the gods. And a super cute floating magic baby!

Yes, it is totally a kdrama type of story but I love it and I will forever root for Seokga and Kisa though I really want to read the next book! Or maybe I can check out the lates articles in the Godly Gossip, at least until we get a third fate thread book that will answer all the rest of the mysteries surrounding it and Seokga and Kisa!

This was lots of fun! I really liked that it actually grappled with the question of whether or not Seokga's desire for Kisa was genuine or him just projecting his love for Hani onto her (to the point that I kind of wish this had been a standalone or the two timelines had been melded together so that both books followed both Seokga and Kisa and Seokga and Hani).

I think the mystery was also really fun (if kind of obvious) and the setting was really cool. I loved getting to see more of the brotherly bond between Seokga and Hwanin, as well.

Please note, there are a lot of spoilers in this review for The God and the Gumiho (book 1 of this series) as the plot of The God and the Gwisin heavily follows that of book 1. Please read on at your own discretion!

Summary
This book follows Seogka who has been searching for his lost love’s reincarnation and Kisa, who is his reincarnated lost love.

A large portion of the story is set on a cruise ship, the HRC Flatliner, which was a fun way to read it and definitely made an interesting setting for a fantasy and mythology inspired mystery book.

Kisa is working on the cruise ship in the medical bay to atone for her actions in a past life – Hani’s life. Kisa wants to be reincarnated and start over – she’s tired of being tired.

Seogka’s brother dies while on board and appears again as a baby. So, while Seogka is trying to reconnect with the reincarnated love of his life who doesn’t really see a long term future for them and solve his brother’s murder, he also has to babysit that same brother as an infant who has a penchant for floating.

There’s a lot going on, but the story feels cohesive and there is a lot of humour in this book.

Who would I recommend this book to?

Firstly, I’d recommend this book to anyone who read The God and the Gumiho and who wants to know what happens after.

If you’re interested in reading a mythology inspired mystery book that has K-Drama vibes and an enemies to lovers romance, I’d very much recommend reading The God and the Gumiho.

From a plot perspective, you could read The God and the Gwisin and still enjoy it. You’d be more in line with experiencing the book as Kisa does as opposed to how Seogka does.

However, I’d still recommend reading the first book, well, first as I believe this will make the second book read more powerful emotionally. You’ll feel the gut punches because you’re already invested in the characters. It also gives more weight to The Ship of Theseus problem that is posed throughout the book because the reader has the knowledge of the original “ship’ – Hani.

They both feel quite similar with the “mythology inspired mystery book that has K-Drama vibes” but the romance is different. Seogka and Kisa are, essentially, fated mates but one has already been in a romantic relationship with the other in a past life. It’s a take on this trope that I haven’t read before and it was very cute. Seogka is also respectful and respects boundaries, which made this work better.

I would say the mystery aspect is very easy to figure out and this is really the only thing preventing me from rating it a five star. There need to be hints and foreshadowing, but I feel like it is made too easy for the reader and then I was just waiting for ages for the characters to figure it out as well which slowed the book down for me. The same is for the ending, although I did enjoy it.

Also, there is no risk of miscommunication in this novel because Seogka and Kisa can hear each other’s thoughts, at least in part, through their bond. While miscommunication can work and it causes tension, sometimes it can be a bit too unbelievable. This makes Seogka and Kisa communicate – raw and unedited thoughts. I liked this because their growing relationship never suffered from miscommunication and always felt like it was developing well, but there is still the tension of Kisa wanting to be reincarnated (which would mean they might never find each other again).

⭐️ 3 stars ⭐️

A big thank you to Del Rey and Netgalley for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I must admit, I might be in the minority here, but I don’t really click with this duology. I fear the mix of fantasy and mythology with some modern day details isn’t my cup of tea. The romantasy plotline is sweet, and I love how the characters have such vivid emotions because you can really connect with the characters and root for their romance. However, the mystery is lackluster. The build up for it is slow and tense, only for the resolution to be rushed and the reveal painfully obvious?

Not really for me, but I’m glad I gave this book a try!

4.5 stars!

Gahhh it was so good.

Out of all the ARCs I've been able to read so far, this is the one that I felt the most privileged and honored to be allowed to read. I loved The God and the Gumiho, and I was so excited to read this one, and I'm pleased to announce that it did not disappoint. Given the way the last book ended, I was afraid that this one would fall into some of the kdrama trope traps that would cause it to lose a lot of the features that I loved most about the God and the Gumiho, but it managed to maintain many of the elements that made the God and the Gumiho a book that I keep coming back to. I think God and the Gumiho probably had a stronger, more cohesive plot, but The God and the Gwisin definitely had the stronger character work and emotional tension. I was totally captivated by the characters' struggles and emotional pain, and I felt the emotions right alongside them (it hurt so good). If there were plot holes (there probably were?) I missed them because I was so focused on the emotions and the characters' relationships with each other and how well told those elements of the story were. I think the only thing that really stood out as being different from God and the Gumiho in a way that I didn't appreciate was that there was an open door sex scene (you can skip it pretty easily), and I had appreciated how God and the Gumiho faded to black instead.

I'm already planning to read this one again--even though I think rereading it and the first book will probably only break my heart a little more.

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