Was a fun sequel to nine tailed, I was lucky to get a physical of the first book for a readathon. I’ll definitely be buying myself the paperback of this too. The world building or continuation of it was fun, the story was fun and the magic.

Thank you to NetGalley and Jayci Lee for the opportunity to read and review King Foretold- Realm of Four Kingdoms Book 2

Introduction
Jumping back into the story of the Realm of Four Kingdoms took me a little while to warm up and fully recall the story line but it wasn't long before I was back to my eye rolling at Sunny, like ... urgh ...guuuurrrrl pleeeease! And just like that, I was home. Bear with me, this review is all love believe me. Go with it...

World building
We are spending alot of time in the Kingdom of Sky for this one, where Sunny is training to develop her skills in defeating a dark threat and learning to harness the Yeoiju’s magic.
There are defined feeling and design in the worlds that the characters of the story traverse. For example, characters travel through a void and can moon shift usung bodies of water- both these experiences are unique and feel different from each other. Also, the Four Kingoms and the mortal realm feel different from each other too. I love how this is done.
Through the description of colours and terrains, I felt I could visulise where events were taking place.

Characters
The author is brilliant at writing and shaping characters; with their strengths, flaws and interactions. Sunny, as a reluctant heroine, drives me crazy at times. Her inner dialogue just makes me want to shake her, but despite her flaws she grows in her reflections about/with her friends.
Lee writes with emotion and feeling. There are some beautiful scenes that portray heartfelt and raw emotion- and some that are pure power and rage.

Romance and Spice
The romance element is slow burn (For the love of the Gods, Sunny ... sort it out!!) But when characters finally realise the truth of their relationship, things get a little more spicy.

Chapter 27
Chapter 27 is what I would call the power and devastation chapter. Without giving too much away (no spoilers here thank you) this is where Sunny finally faces her nemesis and it's an all out battle between light and dark and let me tell you, the plot be plot twisting in this chapter! I was completely hooked.

Overall
Realm of Four Kingdoms is a brilliant story, interwoven with mythology, romance and fantasy. It's the fight between light and dark, good and evil - whilst trying to retain the sense of self.

I cannot wait for book 3 and to see where it goes next.

What a wonderful sequel the series pick up right where the first one left off. The characters and banter was so delightful. The world-building still enraptured me and held my interest the whole book. So excited for the next book

This story pulses with magic, heartache, and fierce determination. And, the blend of Korean folklore with contemporary emotion gives this world such depth and soul, and the romantic tension crackles on every page. I devoured every moment. It’s epic, emotional, and utterly spellbinding.

Overall, this continues the epic tale from Nine Tailed in an epic way. The growth of the characters was much more pronounced, the action (both like, regular action AND spicy action) was legit, and the comedic beats landed well. The snark in this series is top notch, honestly. My only complaint is one scene where the exchange isn't very genuine. It feels forced, like, this beat has to happen now, so it's happening - buckle up!

Otherwise, this is an excellent second installment of the series and after that ending, there better be a third book!

Specific conversation where the conversation didn't feel quite right. THIS IS A SPOILER, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.
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When Sunny admits that she loves Ethan by the cave before they are intimate, her words just don't sound genuine to me. I get that she was over flowing with emotion and wanted to share, but it had a forced quality to the interaction.

Wow!!!!
First of all, I didnt realize this was the second book of a serie, so I read the first book — which was so captivating I read it in one day! — then I resumed my reading of King Foretold. Incredible writing, breathtaking plot and plotwists and of course a *chef kiss* romance. I mean the yearning, the chemistry, the longing and the spice is perfectly mixed together! This book got me hesitating between Jihun and Ethan. But besides the romance, I like the fluidity of the writing and of course the inclusion of Korean mythology and words.
The author Jayci Lee managed to create a worldbuilding so diverse and fantastic in a well described manner — not too convoluted, not too vague —, it got me out of a reading slump, feeling like the first time I read a fantasy book.
The only thing which had me stop reading was the highstake tension of the dangerous missions Sunny goes through, along with her friends.
Speaking of them, the secondary characters are well written too, making me actually fear for their lives... which I was right to fear!
This saga leaves us on an emotional rollercoaster, a cliffhanger, and what a cliffhanger ! Indeed Think, Sunny, think !
I can't wait to read book 3!! 4.5/5 stars for this read, I hope in the next book, our Gumiho hero learns a bit more of self love and less scared of her dark side.

As a big fan of mythology, I’m really enjoying this Korean-influenced take on a new adult romantasy. This second book has some of the character growth I wanted more of in the first, with plenty of action-adventure to keep the fantasy side of the story moving.

In the human world, gumiho Sunny was stuck. She pretty much quit maturing in early adulthood, drifting through life except for a brief period with Ben and Ethan. Now that she’s in a magical realm juggling multiple prophecies, a messy romance, and a training montage that makes Rocky look like a wimp, she’s feeling pretty stressed. Plus, now she has FRIENDS and maintaining her little storm cloud attitude is getting harder as she gets closer to them. Plus, the bad guy is really gross and there’s nothing more confidence crushing than waiting around for him to strike while barely making any progress at mastering your superhero skills.

Book two attempts to weave in many story threads - epic fantasy, warrior academy, star-crossed lovers, political intrigue, and found family just to get started - and it does each of these beautifully while it’s doing them. But there are simply too many and not enough time, leaving each of these threads feeling unfinished. I would have liked more time to develop Jihun’s story and the source of his feelings. Or maybe Hana and the suhoshin training. The quick pace and gentle, self-deprecating snark in Sunny’s voice made every page a delight. I would have happily devoured another 100 pages or more to give the middle and its many parts more development!

While the book suffers a bit from trying to be too many things, altogether it’s a fresh and entertaining read for fans of retellings who are tired of yet another Greek myth or fairytale. (Maybe you started down this new sci fi/romantasy retelling journey with Lunar Chronicles and now you’re ready for something different? Just me?) I’m very excited for a third book, which will hopefully revisit and complete some of the more exciting unfinished threads from King Foretold. (Or really just Jihun, dang it. More of the broody, confusing one!)

A fantastic next installment in this adult Romantasy series! 

Book two picks up where book one left off, so you really do need to read these in order. It's been nine months since I read book one, and I will admit I was a tad lost at the very start needing a bit more of a reminder on character names and how book one ended. But once I got there I thoroughly enjoyed King Foretold.

It's a fast paced action adventure that reads very easily, and I appreciated it for that. It's not dense with worldbuilding and fantasy (which is fine, but not at all for me). This installment spends a lot of time on Sunny training and learning her magic, denying her feelings for Ethan, and also turning down super-hot Jihun. The balance of romance and fantasy totally worked for me! 

At times Sunny did read a bit young and naive, and at 130-something I wanted her to be a bit more confident. The group of side characters continues to be highly entertaining, lols were had and tears were shed! I am invested in this story and can't wait to find out what happens next! 

I also absolutely loved that there is A MAP and a pronunciation guide at the beginning of this book. Do want for literally every book please.

This book had me in its grip from the very first page and refused to let go. There’s something deeply powerful about a story that balances myth, heartbreak, and rebellion with such raw intensity, and this one does it all with the rhythm of an epic ballad laced in starlight and sorrow. The romance crushed me in the best way. There’s so much unsaid, so much yearning steeped in sacrifice. I was clinging to every quiet glance and every missed moment between them. The world-building is exquisite, rich with Korean mythology that pulses through every scene, and the writing is poetic without losing clarity, emotional without ever tipping into sentimentality. It wrapped me in a spell. I’m going to be thinking about this one for a long, long time.

Wow wow wow.

I read and loved Nine Tailed and NEEDED to know what happened next. Thankfully I was able to get King Foretold on NetGalley, but now of course I need know what happens next again! Ugh.

Anyway, King Foretold picks up where Nine Tailed left off and contains all of the fun banter, humor, mythology, and action I loved about the first book. I enjoyed seeing Sunny grow in her badassery and also learn to trust her friends and Ethan! She’s been alone for so long, so seeing her reluctantly accept her ragtag group of friends was heartening.

Sunny has decided to keep Ethan at arm’s length for spoilery reasons, and of course it does no one any good. I very much enjoyed seeing them interact, however.

Jayci Lee has woven a really unique and interesting story and I absolutely cannot wait to know what happens next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC. While I did receive an ARC, this review is entirely my own thoughts.

King Foretold is the second book in this series so I would definitely recommend reading the first one first as this one picks up where the first book left off with Sunny back in the Realm of the Four Kingdoms. She is being trained in both magic and combat and still trying to figure out where things are with Ethan and Jihun. I found myself definitely enjoying Jihun's character a lot in this book. I'm actually enjoying him way more than Ethan, but I do still like Ethan. This story has great characters, action, banter, tension, magic, mystery, suspense and a cliffhanger ending that left me excited to read the next book in this series.

Having devoured the first book, Nine Tailed, I was so excited to see King Foretold on NetGalley.
I thoroughly enjoyed continuing Sunny's story. I love the Korean folklore, its fascinating to learn about. Unfortunately I didn't get into this one as easily as I did Nine Tailed (Maybe because it was such a long gap between reading Book 1 and this one). However it is definitely worth the read to find out what happened next. Also the banter between characters is great and Sunny's inner thoughts and general attitude always makes me giggle. Now to wait for the Book 3...!
Thank you for the opportunity to read King Foretold.

I loved the first book so much andnim having a great time with the second book it's like reading a Kdrama..

Book 2 of the series, this one packs a lot more lore and character development. I enjoyed it, almost as much as Nine Tailed.
The banter is witty and hilarious, the tension stays taught for so long, and seeing the changes the main characters experience is just the right amount to move the story along.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the arc! All opinions are my own.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.

I was excited to get my hands on "King Foretold," especially after finishing "Nine Tailed" in a few sittings earlier this year. I did a quick reread of "Nine Tailed" to refresh on the mythology and terms, but this was probably overkill as Jayci did a great job in folding the reader back into the worlds that she created. The glossary at the back of the book was also very helpful.

As with "Nine Tailed," I was captivated by the combination of Americana and Korean folklore. The plot was enjoyable and unique. Looking forward to the next book in the series and hope that Jayci continues to write romantasy.

This picks up right where book 1 left off, which would be great if I didn't have a huge gap between finishing the first one and starting this one (10 month gap 😅). I prefer to have some kind of refresher in sequels, especially for series that are not completed, so I had a hard time getting into book 2 since I couldn't remember how book 1 left off.

Sunny's inner diologue never fails to make me giggle though.

Somehow, Jayci Lee has outdone herself. I found this book even more riveting than the first, probably because the MC, Sunny, has grown so much. Her character is even more relatable now. She's not quite as stubborn or obtuse, and while she has a hard time dealing with all these feelings, her loyalty shines. The cast of side characters makes me want to hug each and every one of them. While they don't get a lot of page time, when they do the banter is quick and fun - and does a lot to build their relationships.

Narration is beautifully descriptive. The author also does a wonderful job of explaining enough Korean lore to understand its significance, without being a lecture or a knowledge dump. Pacing flows very nicely, with lots of action packed in towards the end. I did find this book spicier than the previous one, though still maybe a 2 out of 5.

I loved the tension between the main character and her love interest, and also the nod towards a love triangle.

Thank you Montlake for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I am once again utterly obsessed with the story of Sunny and Ethan!!!

We start off with Sunny in her suhoshin training arc, even if she doesn’t really want to be suhoshin. She makes friends with Hana and Haesan, even if we don’t see a lot of them or get to know them well, which is a shame because they’re fantastic side characters. We do get to see a lot more of Jihun, Draco, Hailey, and Minju and how they grow alongside Sunny!

We eventually get to the first battle of this story for which it is named, and what a shocker! The battle is really creative and well written, using uncommon methods, and we get to actual strategy! Also really loved seeing Sunny work well with Jihun! I was devastated to lose yet another side character I’d grown attached to despite not knowing her long… but boy, it only gets harder from here..

When we at last get to the main battle, man oh man is it brutal! An unexpected twist reveals a the set up for the next chapter of this saga, while hinting at an explanation for certain things, and also taking another beloved side character from us too soon…

Overall, loved it - fantastic story! Was Sunny a bit cheesy at times? Absolutely. Was it a bit much? Yes, but pretty accurate and realistic of someone with newly discovered romantic feelings.

Can’t wait for the next one!

Jayci Lee, welcome to the fantasy table—and please pull up a throne, because King Foretold is a total power play. Best known for her swoony contemporary romances, Lee dives into YA fantasy like a nine-tailed fox on a mission, blending Korean folklore, modern angst, and just enough magic to keep your heart racing and your eyebrows permanently raised.

Sunny Cho is the reluctant heroine you root for even when she’s kicking and screaming (and occasionally sulking). She’s powerful, prickly, and profoundly relatable. She doesn’t want to be chosen. She wants a nap and maybe a moment of peace with Ethan, her fated-but-forbidden love interest. But alas, destiny calls—and it’s not leaving a voicemail.

The Realm of Four Kingdoms is brimming with intrigue, layered world-building, and peril that feels both epic and personal. There are shadowy betrayals, magical training montages, ancient secrets, and that classic fantasy recipe: a girl, a prophecy, and a choice that could end everything—or save it. Plus, did I mention the slow-burn yearning that hurts so good?

The pacing in the first third wobbles a bit (Sunny trains, Sunny struggles, Sunny broods), but once the stakes rise and the emotional gut punches start landing, the book finds its rhythm and doesn’t let go. Fans of mythology-inspired fantasy (think XOXO meets Shadow and Bone with a side of Descendants of the Crane) will devour this.

Ultimately, King Foretold is a story about embracing identity, facing fears, and rewriting fate—and Sunny Cho proves herself a heroine worthy of legend.

A strong start to what I hope is a long, magical reign in fantasy from Jayci Lee. I’ll be ready with a sword, a snack, and maybe a few tissues for the next installment.

ARC provided via NetGalley – thank you to the publisher!

Unfortunately, I didn’t realize King Foretold was the second book in a series when I picked it up, and I haven’t read book one yet—which I think affected how fully I connected with the story. There were moments where I felt like I was missing some important context, especially around the characters’ backstories and dynamics.

That said, Jayci Lee’s writing is as smooth and engaging as I remembered from the last book I read by her (which I really enjoyed). She knows how to bring emotional stakes and romantic tension to the page, and the characters had strong potential. I just wish I’d started with book one to really appreciate their arc.

I’m still interested in continuing the series—and I’ll definitely go back and read the first book before revisiting this one.