The God and the Gwisin is the second installment in Sophie Kim's Fate's Thread Series, following the events of The God and the Gumiho. This book was darker in its tone and setting, but brought back some old characters in a new light and introduced new ones which integrated well into the main cast. The God and the Gumiho was my favorite read last year and I was looking forward to more of Seokga and his reunion with a reincarnated Hani.

In The God and the Gwisin, Seokga's search for his reincarnated Hani leads him to Kisa, who has no memory of him, but with whom he must solve a murder mystery before the end of a cruise down the river of the dead.

I was not a fan of the river cruise, but it worked well for the more fantastical and supernatural setting of this book.

I enjoyed the dynamic between Seokga and Kisa (the god and the gwisin, respectively), because Seokga has changed since the events of the first book and Kisa is her own character, despite being the reincarnated Hani. Kisa is also relatable as someone who dedicated her life to studying, working hard, and is just exhausted and tired.

I loved Hajun and Somi as the side couple, very sweet, very much like a kdrama.

I also enjoyed Hani's cameo and the callbacks to the first book in the series.

The matching covers for The God and the Gumiho and The God and the Gwisin are beautiful and eye-catching.

Recommended for anyone who likes kdramas, supernatural fantasy, murder mistery, korean mythology and folklore, and reincarnated lovers.

"The God and the Gwisin" follows Seogka a few decades after book 1 ends, where he is still searching for Hani's reincarnation. When he unexpectedly finds her on a cruise ship for the dead reincarnated as a young woman named Kisa, Seogka will anything to get to know her a bit better. Then, his brother is murdered and Kisa and Seogka must team up to find the culprit before he takes the blame. With a cast of new and old characters, this 2nd installment in the "Fates Thread" series did not disappoint.

I enjoyed this book even more than book 1. It was full of fun characters, the mystery aspect to it was really engaging, and I enjoyed seeing Seogka get his second chance at love and at a better life. While I'm not certain if this is the final book in the series, it definitely had a conclusive and satisfying ending.

I'd highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a lighthearted murder mystery, grumpy mmc who becomes a softy around his girl, and a cast of vibrant characters based on Korean folklore. I certainly learned more about different Korean folklore creatures by reading this series, and I hope it sparks an interest in many readers.

4/5 stars

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, I want to thank Netgalley and Del Rey for providing me with the ARC to The God and the Gwisin in exchange for an honest review!

What can I say? I'd already adored The God and the Gumiho to bits. It was one of my highlights in 2024. I hadn't even known that the sequel would come out this soon until I just happened to stumble upon its preorder page. I cannot tell you how fast I ran to get the ARC, and let me tell you right now, this sequel is definitely something to look forward to.

The book starts shortly after where the first one ended, namely after a red thread appeared, connecting Seogka to his Fated. Now I am sure we all loved Hani. And I have to say, I was worried at first if Kisa could live up to Hani. I won't deny that they're different. They grew up in different environments and had different ambitions in life. However, I feel like that gives the character of Hani/Kisa's soul more depth. While they are not the same, there are various things that connects the two which gets discussed thoroughly throughout this sequel. Without any spoilers, I have to say that I love the way that the book resolved this issue and the way that Kisa's and Seogka's relationship progressed. I loved seeing them fall in love all over again, re-building their trust and what made them so incredible in the first book. It was also really nice to meet some characters again and see them grow in more or less unexpected ways.

The murder mystery itself was not the hardest to solve, at least in terms of whodunit. Their reasoning, however, was something I hadn't guessed, and I loved watching our main pair figure it out. It was so much fun to follow along with their journey and root for them. I really hope there's gonna be a third book because I am not ready to say goodbye yet. (Sophie Kim has another untitled book listed on her webpage, so I'm holding out hope! XD)

Overall I have to say that this book was definitely worth the wait as well as worth the time I took reading it. It was a fun journey that incorporated everything that we loved from the first book and transformed it into something new. To everyone who enjoyed The God and the Gumiho I can wholeheartedly recommend this sequel.

I absolutely loved seeing the story in this continue. So hard to review without spoilers, so I'll just say that it was an incredible adventure!

This was a really sweet continuation of the story in the first book, and feels right out of a K-drama in all the best ways.

Thirty-three years after the events in the last book, Seokga has been searching for Hani's reincarnation for all this time, but what he isn't aware of is that the day that the red string of fate appeared was the same day that Hani's reincarnation, Kisa, died. Now Kisa works on a luxury cruise ship in the afterlife waiting for the day when she can be reincarnated again (something that is going to take a while given how much bad karma Hani accumulated in her past life). When Hwanin forces Seokga to take a vacation on said cruise ship, it puts him and Kisa on a crash course to discovering each other and trying to figure out if there is a path forward for the two of them.

The best thing about this book is that there's no confusion between Kisa and Seokga. They know who they are to each other and who Seokga and Hani were, and now the real question is what can they move forward into being together. It's a complicated romance that works really well and is made even more complicated by all the other people around them. Hajun is a great addition to the series, and it was good to see Somi back in the mix, as well. Kisa versus Hani is also really well handled in a way that doesn't invalidate either character but lets them stand on their own. As always, Seokga is a major highlight and his humor is one of the best parts of the whole series.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group-| Del Rey for the ARC

Not going to lie I was very intrigued as to how the second book would follow that explosive end of book 1, *Chef's kiss* I did not expect, I could not expect what was to follow.

Poor Seokga, brooding and hot and in search of the thing he refused to acknowledge in book 1 and hunting for in book 2, I need you all to understand In my head, Seokga is 100% Gong Yoo.

I'm always hesitant about the next book in a series I love, but damn did I get blown out of the water ( if you get it, you get it). I feel so much for Kisa, I wanted to give her a hug and a gentle cuff to her head, as always the characters were compelling in the way that can only be explained in the specific bonds that you have in community, whether it is as a person within a community or someone who has been pushed out because you no longer fit the ideals.

This is still a murder mystery at the end of the day, we see how these characters who have an undeniable push and pull figure out where they stand, one who remembers everything from before and another who doesn't, it is a bit heart breaking, for Seokga to figure out how to love again and for Kisa to learn that she is more.

I wanted to scream when I finished this book, chicken soup for my soul I tell you.

This book had such a fun premise (despite the mean cliffhanger of the first book)! The author has the amazing ability to keep the delicate balance between humorous dialogue and the dark and heavy themes. The foreshadowing for the big twist was done beautifully, with enough hints and tips between the lines that there was enough to guess on and that if one already guessed it, still had a heart stopping moment when it was finally revealed. The romance, with the first book, was built up deliciously. It was fun, it was sad and it was tragic at some points. I am so happy that the author left a possible plot threat hanging at the end for another book in this series, since I am not ready to leave this characters behind!

Oh my Gods! I ate this up! I didn’t know how this book was gonna go, being on a cruise for the dead in the underworld, but I wasn’t disappointed! So much action, multi layered characters, witty banter, LOL moments, entangled emotions, mystery, friendships, romance… THE THREAD OF FATE! I want to go back and start this book over again. Seokga has my heart. GAH.

What happens when a dead ex-murderer, dead kpop idol, dead maternity doctor / shaman, and a very much alive trickster god must solve a river (of the dead) cruise murder mystery?

I absolutely adored The God and The Gumiho. Like screaming and crying over it. Did I have that same level of emotions of this? ... No... But sometimes it's okay to not have whirlwind feelings.

Speaking of which, I think that was a really important part of Seokga's story here. Yes, he wanted to find Hani again. I mean, is that not exactly what we all wanted to see, Hani and Seokga back and chaotic as ever? Well, sometimes we don't get what we want. Sometimes the universe thinks maybe you need something gentler or kinder. That something here was Kisa, the reincarnation of Hani.

Kisa is almost the exact opposite of Hani, and yet little bits of her live on. Unfortunately for them, Kisa dies the day their Red Thread of Fate appears, and Seokga runs himself to the bone around the world for 7 years trying to find her. His therapist has the perfect plan though, a river cruise vacation for some family bonding time! (I think this could have been vastly improved by forcing Seokga to go down a water slide, but that's just my opinion.)

All the side characters are as *chef's kiss* as ever, even a certain red thread itself. Somehow even Somi was great to see back after how much I had NOT forgiven her. I think this was a really sweet experience that showed a lot of emotional growth for Seokga. Also him learning to take care of a baby was great, especially a baby that casually floats away sometimes.

This is definitely a recommended read, for people that like kind of silly murder mysteries, fantasy/mythology, and especially explorations of fated mates and reincarnations.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Del Rey for providing an eARC of The God and The Gwisin.

A formally fallen god, his estranged brother, and his therapist walk onto a ship and into the red string of fate's other end. The plot of this book was more self contained than book 1 since it took place almost entirely on a ship cruising the waters in the afterlife. Here we meet Kisa, Somi's reincarnation and an endearing k-pop idol who had committed suicide. This book takes place 33 years after The God and the Gumiho, and I was glad Sophie Kim brought Somi back as well. Most of the book is spent solving a murder mystery and watching and Kisa and Seokga's slow-burn relationship develop. Between this, his personality, and his therapist, it was reminiscent of the TV show Lucifer which I appreciated. I also liked that the red string of fate was a character in the book with it's own sentience. Although I loved the banter between Hani and Seokga more, I grew to love Kisa too and this book's quirky humor. I still like book 1 better, but this was a great entry and I will read the next in the series if it's continued.

4.5 ⭐️

*Seokga the No-Longer-Fallen* is a genre-mashing voyage through mythology, romance, and murder mystery, and while it dazzles with clever banter and emotional nuance, its world-building occasionally buckles under its own ambition. The premise—an underworld cruise ship ferrying souls of the dead—is irresistible, and the depiction of divine bureaucracy and karmic debt adds a refreshing layer of dark whimsy. But the rules of this elaborate afterlife feel both too rigid and too vague, shifting as the plot demands rather than offering a consistent framework to anchor the reader.

Seokga is compelling: a trickster god in therapy is a concept with infinite potential, and the author wisely lets his vulnerability peek through the snark. Kisa, meanwhile, is a more grounded figure, and their dynamic crackles with both tension and reluctant affection. Yet as the red thread tightens, the mythology behind it remains murky, relying heavily on the reader’s tolerance for poetic abstraction rather than providing satisfying clarity.

The central murder mystery moves briskly, and the emotional payoff lands, but one can’t help wishing the setting had been better realized. A river cruise through the afterlife should feel mythic; instead, it sometimes feels like a backdrop sketched in with ghostly ink.

This book - wow! Usually the second book in a series is not as good as the first but that can not be said for God and the Gwisin. I loved this book just as much as the first. I enjoyed that it wasnt a carbon copy of the first, it has new mysteries and plots yet the story remained consistent. The story is captivating, hilarious, swoonworthy and heartwrenching all in one. Fantastic read and I hope to read more from Sophie Kim.

I freaking loved this book, equal to or possibility more than the first one! I am just so more in love with this book at the moment that I don't have a huge amount of words except that people should definitely read it!

I again had to Google some of the words for the various mythological creatures which was cool because it was really interesting to learn more about Korean mythology.

The only reason that this wasn't a 5 star read was that I picked the bad guy and the motives really early on in the story but other than that this had plenty of laughs and feels, both of which I adore in a book.

Thank you Del Ray and Netgalley for the eARC. Because its a lazy day Sunday with minimal plans outside of grocery shopping, I have left an honest review.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the eARC of The God and the Gwisin. I just finished The God and the Gumiho earlier this week and had no idea it was not a standalone. I immediately ran to NetGalley to see if an ARC was available and lit up like a candle when I was approved.

These stories are so much fun. I would probably give this book closer to a 4.5 star and I actually liked it even better than I liked the first book.

This book follows Seogka after he lost Hani in book one and her reincarnated self, now known as Kisa. I honestly thought I would HATE this story because I’m a loyalist and I adored Hani’s spunky character in book one and didn’t want to start over with a “new” FMC in this book. Boy was I wrong.

The character development in this book is done so well and, as stated earlier, even better than book one. You really felt the pain of Seogka’s past and loss. You also really got to love Kisa’s character and understand her similarities and differences to Hani. Somi comes back in a fun way in this book and gets a good redemption arc, which I was glad to see. And Hajun is a new character that you sort of instantly fall in love with.

The family dynamics and trauma of Seogka and Hwanin are a big part of this story and, without spoiling anything, Hwanin’s character is one of the best surprises in this book.

I think the only thing that would’ve made this story better would have been to have an illustration guide to the multitude of Korean monsters named off in this book. Hard to keep them straight or to get my mind wrapped around them. That would’ve been helpful.

Overall, I REALLY enjoyed this sequel and would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoyed book one. It did not disappoint.

This one was a bit odd for me! I enjoyed parts of book 1 but the ending really got me. But in book two (which I will say, is still a dectective story with a wildly different location), it was cute, but the things I didn't love in book one stayed present.

This book is a very goofy fun time, and this iteration has the bonus of the ~reincarnation drama that I normally eat up with a spoon. I think people are really going to have a great time with this one, in terms of new characters, old characters, and that potential sequel (three-quel? series??) hook at the end. It just didn't work for me!

Thanks for Del Rey and NetGalley for the chance to read and review!

[3.5/5 stars]

i ate this whole book up in just a few hours and it was actually so serious that i physically couldn't do anything else until i was done. so i think this says a lot about how much i love these characters but I'm sad to say i still prefer the first book to the sequel.

i think sophie kim is a talented writer because she manages to make her characters feel so much so acutely, and in turn this makes the reader feel as if these characters were alive and real. she nails the yearning in this book and it made me so emotional countless times. her take on reincarnation, the red string of fate theory and the ship of theseus question was interesting to follow and i enjoyed the ride overall, because I'll read anything she writes at this point and because this world is so much fun. she's also just hilarious. genuinely.

what made the first book so much fun for me was ultimately hani's personality. her character was so refreshing and the mischievous back and forth she had with seokga was just the best. so that might be why the sequel didn't do it for me as much. just because i felt like that wasn't really there in the same way anymore, for obvious reasons. However, i still had fun reading about these characters again and will definitely be seated for anything miss sophie writes in the future.

Full disclosure: The God and the Gumiho was one of my favorite reads of last year so to say I was nervous for the sequel is an understatement.
Reader, my fears were unfounded.
Sophie Kim delivers a worthy follow-up that exceeds the first book.

We join Seokga, reinstated as a god, 3 decades after Hani's death and 7 years after the red thread of fate appeared. 7 years of fruitlessly searching has left him destroyed and in therapy, so, much like all great heartbroken romance main characters, those around him decide the best cure is the sea. Only this time it's a cruise. On the river of the dead.

When he feels the tug of the red thread of fate lead him to Yoo Kisa, he discovers the reincarnation of Hani who died 7 years ago does not remember him or her previous self.

Laced with humor what follows explores themes of identity, as well as fate and destiny versus choice and free will, set against a locked room (or locked cruise in this case) murder mystery.

The God and the Gwisin further delves into the world established in the first while bringing back some friendly (and some less than friendly) faces.
Although it is a sequel it provides enough context that it can also be read as a standalone (except do yourself a favor and read God and the Gumiho at some point. And the Talons trilogy while you're at it).

I absolutely loved this duology and was so excited to receive an ARC of this book. Honestly my favorite read of the year so far. The story seemed fresh and it kept my interest. This book in particular was unexpectedly thought provoking with its the Ship Of Theseus thought experiment. I will now keep my eyes open for any future books from this author!

God and the Gwisin was an enjoyable follow up to God and the Gumiho. We finally get the continuation of Seokga’s journey of finding the soulmate that was tragically taken from him in the previous book. Seokga’s dry humor and sarcasm coupled with the introduction of a caretaker storyline really kept me entertained and giggling throughout the story. Seokga and Kisa’s romance was sweet, but it was missing that enemies to lovers vibe that helped me devour the first installment. Although I enjoyed it, I found myself longing for the banter and chemistry Hani brought to the relationship from the first book. The cruise ship setting was a little off putting at first, but Sophie Kim makes it work and delivers a fairly solid sequel to God and the Gumiho.

The pacing of this book is so smooth and well constructed that it took me three sittings to get through half of it.

I just love Kim's writing style when it comes to their narratives. Agh the change in setting, the plot, the YEARNING. I think this read solidified Kim as an insta-read author for me.

The way it incorporates the plot of the first book but it recontextualizes it through the lens of a new character who is intrinsically linked to it all but remembers none of it.

Just as fun and emotional as the first one if not more so.