Absolutely devoured this book - I loved it so much.

First thank you to Netgalley, Delrey, Random House, and Sophie Kim for the ARC!

I haven’t read the first book (The God and the Gumiho) so I was going in a bit blind but honestly you don’t need to read it first, and actually, I think it might be more emotional experience to read it after The God and The Gwishin…

We are thrown into a bit of chaos at the start with Seokga looking for his love Hani who died and Kisa crossing over to life as a ghost aboard a cruise ship in the underworld. Fate being the mischievous thing it is wraps these two up with its red string and an adventure ensues aboard the ship solving a murder mystery.

It was such a fun book, great banter between the main characters and the little found family that forms along the way. The pacing was good and loved Korean mythology.

The romance was complicated but sweet and you got quite a lot of character development and depth for both Kisa and Seokga. I loved how it tied in characters from the first book and this is why I think reading this before the first book will make it just the much more of an emotional heartache.

I can’t wait to read the first book and treating it as a prequel!

This is a sequel that follows on from The God and the Gumiho and for my reading experience that context was really important.
The God and the Gumiho gave me my foundation in Korean mythology, I spent a lot of time looking things up (and then getting distracted and accidentally learning) to have context for stuff that was given it’s original name not the English translation (ie Gumiho, and I look it up to learn that means a nine tailed fox). So while initially I felt that this was a failure in story telling, it was pointed out to me that this was a failure in my expectations. My unconscious expectation was that anything non European/English should come with an explanation. I thought back on my experience and realised how much lore I learned and how much I appreciated that I wasn’t spoon fed.

Fast forward to the God and the Gwisin, and I am armed with a better understanding and appreciation for the way Sophie Kim writes, I have my trusty resources ready to look up anything unfamiliar and I am ready to learn as part of my escapism.

The God and the Gwisin focuses on Kisa, a doctor who now lives on a Cruise ship in the underworld, Seokga has been desperately looking for Hani (see previous book). He suddenly find a red string of fate around his finger and desperate to find Hani, is surprised to find Kisa at the other end of the string. Kisa is different from Hani in so many ways and neither Kisa or Seokga really know what to do about it. To complicate matters worse, there has been a mysterious death on the ship which Seokga and Kisa have to work together to try and solve.

I had so much fun with this story. This is definitely the case where a strong foundation was laid in the first book, and I liked it, but being able to read this as the second book, I absolutely LOVED it. This gave me all the context, depth, and K drama goodness that I wanted, along with some pretty solid love across time vibes.

hey so this shredded my heart then sewed the pieces together only to decimate it once more and gorilla glue it whole by the grace of the god.

10/10 recommend.

this series and these characters have my entire heart. i have no notes. this was adventurous, fun, GUT WRENCHING, and everything i could ever want. the writing is perfection, the characters are fully developed and wonderful, the plot was action packed and kept me on the edge of my seat, and i was in tears by the end. so yeah. READ THIS.

I'm back with another review of an advance copy I got from NetGalley a few months ago. With this one done, I still have four more books to review from my frenzy of requests, so I still have to read some more before I'll have a high enough percentage to be approved for books again. So much to read, so little time. Anyway.

*The God and the Gwisin* is the second book in the Fate's Thread series by Sophie Kim. Anybody who's read my reviews in the past may recognize this name from a review I did a few months ago of a book called Reign of the Talons. It was after reading that book that I applied for and received a review copy of this one...and then promptly realized I hadn't read the first book.

I read that book a few weeks ago and I really liked it, and I liked this one too. Unlike the Talons series, this one is marketed for adults instead of being YA. My impressions are that this means more swearing and somewhat more explicit sex. This isn't why I liked this book or the prequel, it just means that it's a bit different and the people who liked the original series should be aware of that.

That being said, I was a bit more lukewarm about this book than I was about the prequel or the author's other series. The characters were funny, the mystery was good, and it was really nice to see some resolutions to things broken in the previous book. However, it just fell a little bit flat to me.

It's hard to explain this without really talking about what happens in the book and that's more or less impossible without spoiling a major plot point in the first book, so I don't really want to go into it, but the whole situation just felt kind of rushed. I wasn't as invested in the characters as I was in the previous book or in the Talons series. There was just so much stuffed into so little space that there was a little opportunity to become truly invested. I think this pacing worked really well in the first book because of the cast. But this book just didn't give time to process any of the heavier things for me.

I'm not really sure if there's going to be another book in the series since it seems the author has a completely unrelated book coming out, but if there ends up being another book, I'll probably read it. Seokga's (one of the main characters) awkwardness and passion are something that I really liked and I continue to love the alternating perspectives that Kim has used thus far in all of her books. I just wanted a bit more from this book.

And that's okay. People who have liked her other books will like this one—I did too after all! I'm excited to see what she comes up with next and wishing her all the best. I'm definitely looking forward to her next book.

This book was PERFECTION. Its a the perfect follow up to The God and the Gumiho, and honestly made me tear up at the end. Im so glad that Seogka gets his happy ending. I feel this books is for fans of kdramas like myself because it has the slow burn romance, the witty banter, the intense moments and also is heart warming and I was unable tomput down. Seogka's character is such a well written complex one. His moral compass slowly changes and we see a more kind, conscientious person

3.5 but I will gladly bump this up to 4 stars!

I was shocked at how much I ended up liking this one. It took a me a little bit to get invested in the book but once I did I finished it within a day. The part that had me constantly coming back to think on it was the Ship of Theseus theory and reincarnation. Replacing certain parts of a 'ship' does it still make it the original ship? I think the author did an amazing job exploring this unique theory.

I really loved Kisa and Seogka in this and the mutual party red string of fate that tied them (literally) together. I loved that they could hear certain lines of their thought process and I think that helped break the ice between them and minimized the miscommunication that can get SO boring. As always I looked up all the different creatures that were mentioned in the book and enjoyed learning about them.

I related to Kisa more than I did with Hani. Kisa is more quiet, factual, down to earth book lover that I can wholeheartedly appreciate. The realistic view of how she reacts to the face of her trauma was hard to read but I appreciate the emotion that went into writing it. My heart broke for her but Seogka was there to pick the pieces up.

Seogka's growth was amazing and I'm not talking about with Dr. Jang, his inner monologue about love, loss, loneliness shows great strength. He is super understanding with Kisa and that warms my heart with their intimate moments.

I'm curious to know if there will be moments with these two, would definitely recommend to others!

I adored The God and the Gwisin. After loving The God and the Gumiho (which was god-tier for me), I had really high hopes going into this one—and it absolutely delivered. This world is so original and fun, and I was instantly pulled back in.

Kisa being dead again and ending up working at the SRC Flatliner and Seokga chasing her across the globe like a mythological disaster boyfriend while his therapist suggests he go on vacation? Incredible. I am hooked..The humor lands so well, and it balances beautifully with the emotional core of the story.

I loved the mix of reincarnation, ghosts, divine therapy sessions, and fate entanglements. There’s just something really special about how this book blends epic stakes with banter and modern weirdness. The chemistry, the vibes, the setting—it all worked for me.

Perfect sequel.

The God and the Gwisin is the second book in Sophie Kim’s Fate’s Thread series. After the intense cliffhanger at the end of The God and the Gumiho, I was desperate to get my hands on the next book. Thankfully, Kim did not disappoint!

This book is part murder-mystery, part fantasy and lots of fun! I found myself laughing at the wonderfully ridiculous situations that Seokga and Kisa get themselves into. Without giving too much away, there are some hilarious moments with a floating baby.

I was nervous about the reincarnation aspect of this story and the changes that it would cause in the story. However, I found the new characters and new versions of old characters to be delightful. It really felt like a new little family was being born on the page.

I also loved the new setting! Rather than taking place in New Sinsi in the 90’s, this novel is set on a pleasure cruise in the middle of the underworld. There are new creatures, new gods, new godly powers and more. We particularly learn more about Seokga’s mother and father, the creators of the universe. Their presence in the story leads to more emotional depth in our trickster god and higher stakes. No spoilers, but be prepared for some grand godly schemes.

If you loved the funny relationships between deities in the Percy Jackson series and wanted to see more, or if you are a fan of Asian mythology and fantasy, please give this series a shot!

This book is very entertaining. A bit cringe at some parts, but nothing I will hold against its excellence at creating a wonderful reincarnation love story. I care for the characters a lot and was a bit sad when it came to an end.
Kisa may not be as troublesome (but fun) as Hani, but she's charming in her own way. I love how the characters are able to solve misunderstandings between them and how they work as a team in solving the murder case. Seokga and Somi have a lot of character developments and it's refreshing to see them bicker (harmlessly) while trying to get Kisa's attention. I'm not usually a fan of spicy scene but it was done quite beautifully so there is no room of protest from me.

I really struggled with this review and to be honest I nearly dnf'd the book. It failed to capture the same charm compared to it's predecessor The God and the Gumiho,

Overall the story itself is fine. The murder mystery falls a little flat, the red herrings and twists can be spotted early in the narrative. The climax of the book feels fairly rushed and there is an overall lack of tension in solving the mystery.

However, I was put off quite early on when themes of self harm and suicide were explicitly discussed without any trigger warning. Whilst handled carefully by the author, the inclusion of these in a subplot adds little to the plot or character arcs. These parts were ultimately jarring and distressing, taking me out of the narrative.

Sophie Kim is a great writer and her character voices are distinct. The romance between Seokga and Kisa is well paced and the reincarnation trope is handled very well.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me early access in exchange for an honest review.

This review contains spoilers for The God and the Gumiho!! If you have not read that book, please stop and go read it first!

US Release Date: 06.03.2025
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Format Read: E-Book / E-ARC
Tropes:
❥ Forced Proximity
❥ Duel-POV
❥ Second-Chance Romance
❥ Soul Mates
❥ Korean Folklore

My Synopsis:
Book number two in the Fate’s Thread series is set 33 years after the end of The God and the Gumiho. Seokga has been desperately searching for Hani’s reincarnated form, but when he his lead by their red thread of fate to a cruise down the river of the dead, he finds Yoo Kisa instead - and she has no memory of him what-so-ever. When a murder of an important passenger occurs, Seoka and Kisa must work together to solve the crime before the cruise ends. Through this collaboration, Seoka and Kisa grow closer, blending their past and present selves into something new.

My Review:
As a fan of the first book in this duology, I was excited to revisit this world and thrilled to continue to follow my darling curmudgeon, Seokga. In this sequel, we get even more character depth and emotional exploration than the first one. We traverse themes of grief and identity with grace and care. I particularly loved the complexity of Kisa’s character, and the dynamic between her and Seokga as they explore the idea of both their past and present selves. We get a rich cast of side characters as well, which brought lightness and humor to the story.

The pacing is similar to the first book, and I would categorize it as medium paced. As with the first book, the mystery itself was pretty predictable, so I appreciated this pacing and felt that it really fit the story well. The world building was done well for this sort of story, and I never felt as if it was lacking or I had more questions than answers.

As for the romance, this is one of the sweetest and genuinely moving love stories I’ve read within this genre. We get so much more vulnerability in Seoka this time around, and so much delicious, angst filled pining. It was beautiful to see how much Seokga had grown since meeting and losing Hani, and I appreciated his approach to getting to know Kisa and navigating their new dynamic. Their dialogue was everything and the banter hit even harder this time around.

If you loved The God and the Gumiho, you’re in for such a treat with this conclusion. Thank you so very much to @Netgalley, @Delrey, @randomhouse, and @sophiekim for this e-ARC! Opinions are of course my own.

Such a fun sequel!

I enjoyed this sequel a lot more than I anticipated! It was fun, and a super easy read. I devoured it in a single day! I honestly didn't know what to expect from this book, but it really did surprise me.

Kisa was such a unique FMC! I thought the development of really setting her apart from Hani was very well done. I was slightly worried that they would feel too similar or too different and that wasn't the case at all. I thought the dynamic of Kisa and Hani was very well written. I also enjoyed her character's journey in this book. Only thing is I wish Kisa and Seokga would've had more time to build their dynamic. It wasn't that it was rushed per se, but it felt undeveloped in a way in my opinion. I do, however, think their overall relationship was heartwarming. It was hard to watch Seokga struggle with realizing Kisa wasn't Hani. And I wish we could've spent a little more time unpacking that revelation.

Overall, I thought this book was a very solid sequel, and I enjoyed my time back with this world and the characters! Definitely would recommend if you love a cozy, easy to read fantasy with low stakes. Perfect airplane or beach-read if you ask me!

I would like to thank the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating: 4.5/5

The God and the Gwisin is the perfect sequel to The God and the Gumiho. I swear I laughed out loud at every other page - this is not a book to read in a place where one is expected to be quiet. I cried at one point. Kim is so good at blending humor and seriousness. The incorporation of Korean folklore was, once again, fantastic. The characters were anything but stagnant in their growth. The mystery wasn’t ground breaking, but let’s be honest- this book is meant to be entertaining and a little bit reflective, not some literary masterpiece. Seokga is one of my favorite grumpy MMC’s of all time. The banter between him and, well, everyone is great.

Thank you DelRey and NetGalley for the egalley!

considering i gave the first book 3 stars, no one is more surprised than me by this rating. the characters had so much more depth and the romance was honestly just beautiful. there was a twist on the red string of fate that made this more unique as well. Seokga is known as the trickster god, but here we see him as just a man who’s broken and depressed, trying to pick up those broken pieces. Kisa is Hani’s reincarnation and while she does still have a connection to Seokga, she’s also completely her own person. this means that they have to build their relationship from the ground up organically, things aren’t rushed and it was so entertaining seeing both of them try to hide their thoughts from one another.

there’s another mystery aspect to the plot— this time, it has to do with Seokga’s brother Hwanin. he gets murdered and they have to figure out who’s responsible. one thing i will say that i actually guessed who the culprit was early on, but that didn’t bother me. i also wasn’t expecting the mental health rep, all the characters: Seokga, Kisa, Somi and Hajun have had a rough time in their lives for different reasons and i loved seeing their friendships grow as they work through what’s been weighing them down. i even loved Somi’s side romance with Hajun, he was the sweetest. i really don’t have any complaints about this book, it completely took me by surprise and i am so happy that i continued the series. Kisa and Seokga are two characters that will 100% be sticking with me for sure.

Let me start off by saying that the first book in this series, The God and the Gumiho, was my absolute favorite read of 2024.

The God and the Gwisin is the perfect sequel and now both added to a recurring re-read list reserved for my top tier favorites of all time.

It gave me major “Goblin: the lonely and great god vibes”, especially with Seokga on his hunt to find Kisa (Hani reincarnated) and all the entertaining drama that follows. I mean who doesn’t love a good murder mystery?!

Sophie Kim is magic and you can’t convince me otherwise. The way she has brought these characters to life will have a permanent mark on me.

If you like murder mysteries, Korean mythology, Koreans dramas, or just all around great story telling that can suck you in- read this series immediately.

Huge thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for gifting me with an eARC copy of this book, and to Sophie for dreaming up this story and bringing it to life.

This sequel to The God and the Gumiho is so perfect. Seokga is back and after the events in the first book, he is trying to find his fated love again. Except this time Hani is not Hani anymore. Seokga works to reunite with his lost soulmate on a cruise ship in the underworld and this reincarnated version of her soul, Yoo Kisa, does not remember him.

Not only is Seokga trying to reconnect with Kisa and find the bond that had him falling for Hani, but we have another mystery to solve. This time it’s a murder mystery on the cruise! I love that Sophie Kim is able to take some known story plots, mash them up with Korean mythology, especially the afterlife in this case, and craft a beautiful love story out of it. We get a few other recurring cast members in this one and we learn a bit more about Seokga and his family history.

There were some great twists and turns to the mystery and while I did suspect the ultimate killer, I did not suspect just how heinous their plot truly was. And we again get left on such a climactic cliffhanger, that I am on the edge of my seat waiting for the announcement of a book 3!

4.5 stars

Thank you to @delreybooks and @netgalley for the eARC.

Sophie Kim has to be one of the cleverest authors i’ve ever read stories from - this book had me kicking and giggling and laughing out loud and then also tearing up on the train in public??? Sophie’s voice is so clear in this book and Seokga’s grumpiness was easily my favorite part of this book. this was an excellent sequel to an amazing duology and i will part ways as one of my favorites - just pure fun!

I have a very hard time understanding why this series hasn't gone completely viral because these books are magical. The God and the Gwisin is proof that the sequel can be better than the original.

This time around we get the story of Seokga (I missed his grumpiness so much) and Kisa, the reincarnation of our previous FMC, Hani. They meet while Seokga is supposed to be on a cruise vacation, but it turns out to be anything but relaxing as a murder mystery develops on board.

This book took me from laughing hysterically to emotional destruction and back. This story is an absolute gift, and I need at least 5 more books in this world please.

Overall, read it immediately.

The God and the Gwisin is a gorgeously atmospheric continuation of the series, steeped in Korean folklore and ghostly mystique. Centered around a reluctant medium and a mysterious god tied to death, this installment explores grief, vengeance, and redemption with emotional depth and eerie elegance. The chemistry between the leads simmers beneath layers of pain and unspoken truths, drawing readers into a romance haunted by both the past and literal spirits. While the pacing can feel deliberate, the payoff is rich in both worldbuilding and heart. A beautifully written, haunting tale that lingers like a whisper from the other side.

listed!)

I enjoyed The God and the Gumiho last year, so when I saw the opportunity to read the sequel, I jumped at it. This book was so great, I couldn’t stop turning the pages. I feel like this series would make an amazing TV show.

We have a 30-ish year time jump from the end of book one. Seokga is still hunting for Hani. Everyone has decided that he needs a vacation and sends him on a cruise ship in the underworld. We got another murder mystery and wonderful supporting characters. Full of hope and heartbreak, it was the perfect balance between plot and romance.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️