I did like this book but found a 2 things mainly that just made it hard for me to really get into the book fully.
1. The language
I really struggled with the Korean mythology. I don't know anything about Korean lore and so I had to keep stopping to learn or remind myself what something was or looked like. It was a little frustrating but I can also accept that my knowledge might be lacking.
2. The ages of MC
They're supposed to be extremely old but act like bratty teenagers for most of the book. Really struggled to see the appeal in Seokga and Hani seemed a little one dimensional for me.

all praise to sophie kim.
the god and the gumiho follows a retired nine-tailed fox kim hani, known as the scarlet fox, who joins forces with seokga the fallen, a disgraced trickster god. their unlikely partnership forms to hunt down a powerful demon threatening humanity.; the euodukisini. seokga seeks redemption and reinstatement as a god, while hani aims to preserve her anonymity. despite their bickering and secret agendas, they find themselves drawn closer as they confront the looming apocalypse. their ultimate challenge lies in whether they can unite to save the mortal world or let their hidden motives tear them apart.

i haven't had this much fun reading in such a long time. the book occasionally had the feel of a wattpad story, but it was well-researched in korean mythology and maintained good pacing throughout. i managed to anticipate the plot twist, but i was caught off guard because i had anticipated the story would continue in its previous direction. the 4 stars are because this is marketed as an adult fantasy, but had the world-building of a ya novel which bothered me at times. another thing was that the god and gumiho have lived for thousands of years and still act like teenagers. the only mention of their old age would be when their exhaustion was mentioned.

im not one for romance but i feel like hani x seokga might be one of the best enemies-to-lovers or grumpy x sunshine ive read. they both hated each other, they yelled, screamed, and fought...it was so delicious. the ending of this book had me in literal shambles because sophie lock your doors i need the sequel right now!! the red string of fate, the resurrection, seokgas pain...gosh.

when seokga said him and hani would see the sunrise together I WAS BACKFLIPPING, SOMERSAULTING, i was becoming a professional gymnast. a lot of room for improvement but still very good.

thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this arc!

Better than i thought, even though it was a bit difficult to get through at the beginning as there were many characters introduced and the plot was already a bit heavy, i found the latter part of the book to be quite bittersweet which tugged at my heart-strings. the characters were fun to read, annoying sometimes but it didn't hinder any excitement during my reading. the chemistry was okay, it wasn't anything great but good enough for me. i believe this would be eithet a duology or series, so i look forward to the next one.

thank you Netgalley and publisher for the arc.

"The God and the Gumiho" is a delightful adventure, driven by two devious, morally grey protagonists. Seokga, who exudes a lot of MCU Loki energy, is arrogant and expects mortals to cater to his whims despite having lost his god powers and status. Hani, unrepentant about her past as the Scarlet Fox, believes that consuming souls is in a gumiho's nature and sees no need to apologize for it. Their dynamic is refreshingly different from the classic "play by the rules" versus "break the rules" pairing, as both characters have their own distinct moral lines.

The novel offers an engaging mystery adventure set in a "creature" world that coexists with the mortal one, complete with glamoured shops and agencies cleaning up supernatural messes. Hani and Seokga's investigation spans across South Korea, leading to numerous creature encounters as they search for the human host of a demon. The exploration of this supernatural world adds depth and excitement to their journey.

However, some aspects of the mystery could have been better executed. The protagonists tend to latch onto theories too quickly, often not considering alternative suspects or explanations. Despite this, the interactions between Hani and Seokga are a highlight, with Hani's trickster ways providing both humor and intrigue as she steers the investigation and gets under Seokga's skin.

For those familiar with the K-Drama space, which inspired this book, "The God and the Gumiho" may hold additional charm. Nevertheless, it serves as a perfect comfort read, blending crime-solving with a budding romance between two crafty characters. The growth of Hani and Seokga throughout the story, while subtle, adds depth to their relationship and the overall narrative.

I love Korean Literature, but I haven't delved into Korean fantasy/folklore much—until now! This book has me obsessed. A witty Fox Demon and a grumpy Fallen God solving mysteries together? It's everything a girl could want and more!

Oh this is unlike anything I've ever read!! I love it and would honestly recommend it to anyone who wants to read something similar-ish to the k-drama "tale of the nine-tailed"!! Korean based fantasy is definitely a new favourite of mine.

Loved the story, loved it as an introduction (for me) to Korean mythology - nicely woven into a modern fantasy. It struck me as very similar to Norse mythology, with its multiple realms, and the Seokga/Hwanin relationship very like the Loki/Thor rivalry.

Gripes:
The enemies-to-lovers storyline struck me as overly cheesy, with them hating one another right up until the moment the plot requires Seokga to take off his shirt, at which point his toned abs are so hot they're irresistible....
The setting very much implies 21st century: routine use of mobile phones, takeaway coffee culture being just two pointers. Then the epilogue suddenly asserts all this action took place in the early 1990s, which is way before mobile phones in every pocket and buying your breakfast takeaway coffee were a thing. A lot has happened in the last 30 years - setting a story in the 1990s needs as much research as setting it in the 1890s. Or just don't put a date in the epilogue at all...

Overall still an enjoyable read, so just knocking off one star for cheesiness.

The God and the Gumiho is a really fun read. This book is different from others I have read recently but I really enjoyed the change of pace. It took me a few chapters to get into the style of writing of this book and the world building with several characters/gods etc but once I was a bit in to it this became easier to follow and keep up with. I really enjoyed the story and plot development with out two main characters and the fun banter that the two had throughout. I look forward to continuing with the next book by this author.

Honestly, I did not think I would like this book as much as I did. It was absolutely fantastic and made me feel like I was reading a K-Drama (only recently gotten into those shows.

It did take me a few chapters to get used to the writing style but once I was in, I was having an absolute blast. There was tension, and romance, and humour in all the right places. The characters were so easy to fall in love with, and then there was a one bed drop and I was feral for the story. So invested in what happens, then we get THAT plot twist and I wanted to scream and cry. It was so good.

Loved it and will be looking to read more if there is a continuation of the series!

Thankyou to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton | Hodderscape for a free e-arc in exchange of a free review.

This was so much fun! Iv never watched a K-Drama so when i saw that this was written like one, i didnt know what to expect.

-Imagery was great, i could picture everything perfectly
-Loved all characters- funny, dynamic and likeable
-Pacing was good
-Resolution and ending was good, i was a little worried about how it was going to pan out
-Mystery crime solving element was fun

It was excellent!

We're quickly put into the story, and I really liked the pacing. There's a bit of confusion with all the different gods names and the different creatures/unrullies, but it turns out that you either slowly get everything (the most important ones), or you just give up trying to remember what a specific unruly should look like.

I really liked Hani and Seokga. Their story and their romance is a bit classic and cliché, but their own particularities (being a gumiho and a fallen god that is) makes it really entertaining ; and the way that Seokga slowly changes is a very hard bonus point to this romance! I really loved their banter as well, it was fun.

The story itself is very interesting : I really liked having a double police investigation, with both creatures to catch, and both very different stories of their own. I was suprised by the plot twist ; and it's rare coming from me as I usually get a hint or intuition about it, but nothing here, so you did a good job Sophie Kim! I also really liked how the story ended.

It seems to be a start of a series, and I'll gladly read the next book! However I do believe that this book one can be considered as a standalone as itself, the book's story is over, and I like that : the story ends and it's not dragged, but it still give hints of a possibility for a future new story as well.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
🌟🌟🌟🌟/5
I had such a fun time with this book! Sophie Kim's adult debut is a wild ride with myth, magic and monsters, a compelling romance and a dose of mystery.

I really loved the worldbuilding! Kim does a great job at introducing readers to gods and creatures from Korean mythology. I'm a huge fan of mythology inspired urban fantasies and this was no exception. Seokga and Hani were great MCs. They do come off as a bit too childish although they are thousands of years old, but I enjoyed their banter. The romance was full of angst and didn't feel rushed. I enjoyed the romance, but it did rely heavily on tropes sometimes (I usually dislike/am indifferent to tropes except found family). I'm sick of the one bed trope, even more when it's pulled off in an obvious way, and I wasn't a fan of it. The last few chapters had me at the edge of my seat. The climax was well written and made me unexpectedly teary. The LOVED the endin. Without spoiling anything, let's just say that I adore the red thread of fate.

Overall, the God and the Gumiho was a fun time and I'm really excited to see where Sophie Kim takes these characters next!

This was a breathtaking story and I could barely put it down. I am excited to see what Kim writes next and cannot wait to get my hands on it.

Actual Rating: 3.5 stars

Set during the early 90s in New Sinsi, a fictional city in the mortal realm where gods and mythological creatures roam among regular humans, The God and the Gumiho follows an unlikely duo as they work together to stop a demon of darkness from destroying the city and possibly the world.

One half of the duo is Seokga, a fallen trickster god who, after his failed coup, is now working as a detective as part of his sentence of having to slay 20,000 Unruly demons before he can reinstated as a proper god. He’s grumpy, prideful and certainly not the nicest to be around. But, does Hani care? Nope. As the gumiho known as the Scarlet Fox in her heyday, Hani’s not afraid of an ill-tempered fallen god. In fact, she’d fearlessly dish back what she gets, even when that lands her in hot water — and boy, it definitely does because right after getting on Seokga’s bad side, she has to worm her way into his good one so he won’t bring her and her friend to justice.

While this makes them sound like an ideal grumpy X sunshine / enemies-to-lovers duo, Seokga and Hani are, unfortunately, more annoying than I can withstand. For beings that are more than a thousand years old, they’re as mature as horny teenagers who’ve managed to find a spot and time away from adult supervision. It’s especially ridiculous how unprofessional both are when working. Like, arguing in front of the spirit of a murder victim? Making out and grinding at a stakeout? Peak bombastic side-eye, criminal offensive side-eye territory.

Also, since the main characters were just not it for me, I wasn’t a fan of the romance. The characters were too two-dimensional to bring their romance to life. Instead, they upped the cringe factor of tropes like ‘there’s only one bed’, ‘and they were roommates’ and ‘this is stupid and can come back to bite me in the ass but I’ll do it anyway’.

The aforementioned aside, I completely adore the mystery, the way the plot unfolded and the interwoven East Asian mythology. The detective plotline had me hooked in the beginning while everything that followed post-climax was *chef’s kiss*.

The God and the Gumiho starts as (and is mainly) an urban fantasy set in 1990s South Korea (in a fantasy city called New Sinsi). We have two perspectives throughout, with a bonus third perspective late on, and it’s a bit of a mystery story too.

Seokga, the titular God, is a fallen god tasked by his brother to earn back his full position and powers after trying to pull a coup on him. He’s a trickster by nature and mostly maintains a very strict demeanour (with a tad superiority complex).

Hani, our Gumiho, is a lovely ball of sunshine! Though she does believe it’s perfectly acceptable to go around eating livers and taking souls (as long as the person deserves it, anyway).

An unruly dark monster, called a eoduksini, has decided to start going on a little murder spree, and Seokga is tasked with finding and killing them. Hani finds herself in a spot of trouble at a similar time, and when Seokga ends up tasked with tracking down an infamous gumiho also… she decides it’s safest to become his assistant.

Seokga and Hani pretty much hate each other at the start, which makes for some excellent snarky interactions between the two for most of the story! Hani can’t help but try to stick the knife in by sending jibes. Slowly, they start to become more comfortable around each other and such a natural, lovely build up to that.

Hani is, of course, lying about some things for the majority of the story, which adds another layer to what would be an amazing k-drama to watch! So many interactions between Hani and Seokga had me laughing a lot, but at the same time I genuinely cried during some of the more intense moments.

Throughout the story, there were some points that reminded me a lot of season one of Tale of the Nine-Tailed, and I adored that. I’ve only watched it fairly recently, so I couldn’t help but imagine the main characters as the main actor and actress from that. If you enjoyed the k-drama then you’ll love the book, and vice versa!

Overall, I just adored this story and I will definitely be reading more from Sophie Kim, thankfully I already have a copy of Last of the Talons!

Thank you, NetGalley & Hodder & Stoughton | Hodderscape for access to this incredible ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Actual rating: 4.75 stars

A must-read for all fans of Loki, SakuAtsu, and fox shifters!

It's been SO LONG since I've been this invested in the main leads of a book. But I simply could not stop talking about them to my friends and family.

They are both so incredibly flawed, so brilliant and cunning and stubborn so fascinating as character case studies. Absolutely adored their undeniable developments, as a pair but as individuals as well. Especially Seokga's. Some of my favourite parts of the book were the paragraphs that showcased his growth.

I fell in love with them both from the very first chapters. If I could describe them, I'd probably shy away from the 'Grumpy x Sunshine' dynamic this book seems to have been advertised with. The best way to describe them has to be:

"She's a piece of shit. He's an asshole."

And I adored that.

If anything, this dynamic reminded me so much of SakuAtsu, which has been such a ship dear to me for years. And speaking of other things this book reminded me of, following Seokga's story felt so similar to what an MCU Loki redemption arc would have looked like had it involved a romantic interest. But that is definitely just my geeky ignorant brain since I have no prior knowledge of Korean mythology. As it stands, Seokga's story development is a masterpiece, that made me incredibly emotional on many occasions.

The writing style was beautiful as well, I must add.

Truly, this had to be the most surprising read for me this year, since I had no expectations going it and ended up enjoying it so thoroughly.

My one bit of criticism is that a Glossary or any bit of guide, visual or not, of the mythic beings/gods and goddesses would be ideal to help us, unknowledgeable Westerners, fully understand and immerse ourselves in the story. Maybe there is one in the final version, but in this ARC such an addition was definitely missed.

1 star

It took me a bit to find words to describe why I didn't enjoy this, and to be honest, my main issue was that I didn't like or care about our main characters.
The plot was disjointed, and the romance that was supposed to be enemies-to-lovers didn't deliver either, so overall, I didn't enjoy this one, which is a shame because I was truly excited about it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Seokga the fallen trickster God - to work towards his redemption he has to live between mortals and live his days as a supernatural investigator. But then he gets the chance to wipe the slate clean: Not only catch a powerful demon that escaped the underworld but also the legandary fox spirit Scarlet Fox. What he doesn't know - he is already quite familiar with the Scarlet Fox because it is none other than the annoyingly charming barista Kim Hani. So Hani teams up with Seogka to sabotage the investigation - it's just unfortunate that both are catching feelings for each other...

I love some good GrumpyxSunshine energy in my books and Seogka and Hani were perfect for it. The whole story was like watching some classic K-Drama, but I also think you really have to get that to enjoy the book.
The two main characters had some really good banter and their interactions were often hilarious and charming. To watch them fall for each other was so cute. I know that the story is finished but I have a feeling we haven't seen the last of Seogka and Hani.

An absolutely fantastic and magical story that exudes a lot of humor and wit. I really had a lot of fun watching the two protagonists fight for love. I often had to laugh, even though overall it was just a nice, exciting story.

I absolutely loved the God and the Gumiho.! As someone unfamiliar with Korean culture and folk tales, I didn’t feel overwhelmed at any point, instead, the world building eased me in, explaining the magic system well. The characters were so well written, you could be forgiven for thinking it was real. I loved the pacing of the plot, tying everything up neatly but still leaving a few loose threads for the next book, which I absolutely cannot wait for! Overall, a very good adult fantasy book, with minimal (but present) spice and a gripping storyline