First of all, thanks to NetGalley, HodderBooks, HodderPublicity and Sophie Kim for their generosity for giving me this opportunity to read the ARC of "The God and the Gumiho"

This book has a K-Drama vibes, I could see it the moment I read the first chapter, which is good and interesting. There's a lot of Korean terms within this book, such as joseung saja (grim reaper), gwisin (ghost), dokkaebi (goblin) and still more which people who have never watched K-Drama nor read about Korean mythology would not understand. So, those people would find a tiny difficulty to enjoy the story. Fortunately, I know a little about the Korean mythology, and I found the story interesting! Also, since the setting is in mortal realm but with mystical creatures, it's kind of remind me of a K-Drama called "Hotel del Luna" but, instead of helping the creatures' unfinished business on earth', they were interrogating them, asking who did that, and banish the evils who did it.

Some people might say it felt like reading a young-adult book because of the way they acted is too-teenager for an adult book. However, personally I don't really mind. Just like what the characters in some K-Drama would do, they 'fought' over something minor, and yes act like teenagers sometimes, yet I still enjoy it. I like Hani & Seokga's characters too. The development was great

The plot is so fun, that I could barely put it down. There's unexpected twist as well.
For you guys who doesn't really like spice (like me), you're safe, the spice rating it's 1/5 for me. There's nothing explicit, and it's only a brief scene.

One thing I don't really like about this book is that one car scene that I don't think it's necessary.

First of all thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book had me hooked from the start. I personally don't know a lot when it comes to Korean Mythology and folklore, while the author mentioned taking some creative liberties when writing this book, I still enjoyed learning a bit more about the creatures.

There were so many elements to this book that were enjoyable. Being set in 1992, I did enjoy the lack of decent technology when hunting down the eoduksini. The characters in this book, while with a few unappealing qualities, were great. Loved the relationship between Seokga and Hani, and the lengths she would go to just to annoy him. The plot was great and the way they unfolded was well done. While I expected the ending, it still hurt when it happened.

This does read a little more YA then I think was intended, for characters that are so old, they act very immature. At points they were too much like teenagers.

Overall though, really enjoyed this book, would definitely recommend and I am looking forward to the next in the series.

This was not really what I expected and I found myself really struggling to finish it.

The story had a lot of promise but the execution was lacking and I simply did not care about the characters. The romance was way too quick and, once again, boring.

It was entertaining at times but this was just a big meh.

2⭐️

Unfortunately, this was a DNF at 40% for me. I completely understand that this is a minority opinion, and I'm giving it 2 stars because there were some moments that I found funny, or that I thought "ooh yes this is where it picks up" but that never fully happened. I think I wasn't able to fully connect with the characters and I just couldn't really get to liking them - and when that happens, I really struggle to finish a book. I think this is a book that a lot of people will love, I just unfortunately am not one of those people.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Ah this book was so good. I loved the characters, I loved the plot, I loved the romance. I loved everything. It was funny, it was clever and it was a really entertaining read.

The thing I want to rave about most was the romance. It’s enemies to lovers and it’s done right. It slow burn, there isn’t an instant moment where she’s like “I hate him but he’s really hot” which always pisses me off. I think she does mention how hot he is but in a “of course the arrogant dick of a god is attractive” rather than the insta-love spark that other characters are getting.

I also really enjoyed the characters. Hani was wonderful, funny and just a great character in a murderous way. I warmed to her so quickly and she was just the perfect fox character.

This was just such an enjoyable book. I really recommend it, but especially to anyone interested in Korean mythology or K-dramas.

✨ARC REVIEW✨: The God and Gumiho by @sophiekimwrites / release date 04.06.24 📕

Thank you so much NetGalley and Sophie Kim for letting me be an advanced reader for this book. I throughly enjoyed it!

Seokga is a fallen trickster god turned detective. Sent to the mortal realm to live out his penance, he has been tasked with taking down Unrulies and helping to banish them, until he completes this task he will not be reinstated as a God again. Seokga does not like the mortal realm much and it shows. He’s grumpy, rude, and insufferable to be around. The only thing that gets him through the day is coffee from the local cafe (a coffee with one sugar and one cream to be precise). However, barista Kim Hani takes joy in ruining his day, in the form of providing him exactly the coffee order he DIDNT ask for in a response to his constant cold behaviour. Their back and fourth dynamic is something I really loved about them.

Our barista, Hani has a secret. She’s the scarlet fox who killed many men for their livers, before she overate a century ago. When a string of murders start to take place in the city, Hani knows that they are nothing to do with her - but who could be going around and murdering people in the night?

When she gets wind that law enforcement think it’s a rogue demon and that Seokga could benefit from an assistant on the case - she offers herself up willingly, believing she can keep herself hidden and help with the investigation at the same time…

The plot of this book is well paced, and I really enjoyed the twists and turns of the investigation with them working together, alongside all the mythological elements. I felt that the romance side to it had a k-drama feel and I hoooonestly loved it okay. The only thing that threw me was the ending, and whilst I can assure you it was a wonderful ending the last 5 chapters will have you tugging on your heart strings and wishing there was more. Both the characters had their own flaws, which I think is what made them honest characters. I really enjoyed the POV from each of them overall. I read this in like a day! Couldn’t put it down! ❤️

I really struggled to get into this book for quite a while and it was very close to being a DNF for me.

After the first half, I did really start to enjoy the story and felt like I could connect with the characters more.

It was well written and has a great storyline.

I feel like maybe Korean mythology isn't for me but I'm glad I gave it a try

So, it took me a little while to get into The God and the Gumiho, but once I got into it I was hooked!
I very much enjoyed learning about all the different creatures included in this book. I think gumihos are my favourite though - eating men's livers and stealing their souls 😂
The progression of Seokga and Hani's relationship was done so well but that ending was heartbreaking 💔
I really hope we get a second book as I need to know what happens next! I'm not ready for that to be the end.

I absolutely adored this book and already know it's going to be a top 5 read of the year for me.

Hani and Seokga are the most unlikely pairing to try and solve the case of the Scarlet Fox. Hani is a Gumiho and Seokga is a called God.

This book had me chuckling along (Hwanins tit's), as the main characters angst and banter towards each other continues throughout the book.

There is a little romance, a lot of grumpy sunshine and adventures across the world.

The writing is so beautiful and poetic in places. After reading the very first chapter I knew I was going to love this book. I cannot wait for the next installment in this series.

4.5/5 stars

The God and the Gumiho is Korean folklore-inspired contemporary fantasy romance set in the fictional 1992 South Korean city of New Sinsi. Seokga is the fallen trickster god of deception, being punished for a failed coup more than 600 years prior. Now, he is given the chance to return to godhood if he is able to kill both the demon of darkness plaguing the city and the notorious gumiho the Scarlet Fox who has recently resurfaced. Gumiho Kim Hani was once the Scarlet Fox and is now a bored barista entertaining herself by constantly getting a certain aggravating fallen god’s coffee order wrong. But after a recent slip up threatens to reveal her past, she decides to infiltrate Seokga’s team as his assistant to derail his investigation. Their tense interactions over coffee turn to more as they are forced to actually work together before their world goes dark.

This book was just a thoroughly fun and enjoyable read. It is fast-paced, charmingly disarming, and somehow a slow-burn romance that’s only set over a few days. The mystery helped build up tension and give the plot a sense of urgency. Despite the serious happenings surrounding them (the murders) and their implications, the book is just so unserious about them (at least initially) and leans heavily into the developing relationship between Seokga and Hani.

From a contentious start with months of history of personality clashes over the cafe counter, they are both changed by their association with each other and the romance that blossoms between them. It’s trope-filled with enemies-to-lovers, grumpy/sunshine, only one bed, and forced proximity all filled into one, and I enjoyed every bit of it.

Are they both immature for beings that are supposed to be hundreds of years old? Yes. Is this a YA book in disguise as adult? Also, yes. Is this what I imagine a K-drama would read like? Yes, even though I don’t watch K-dramas at all. And that ending is every bit as dramatic and sensational as I wanted it to be, wringing out near-devastated tears out of me with just a ray of hope.

The God and the Gumiho is a fun and charming Korean-inspired romantasy that exceeds expectations.

What an absolute delight of a novel. You can tell that the book is out there to have fun with itself, and that definitely translated to my reading experience.

Seokga is a fallen god, working as a detective and bitterly counting down the Unrulies banished (9,000 and change left to go!) until he can serve his penance and be allowed back in his own realm. The one thing he enjoys about his current realm, coffee, is routinely ruined by Creature Café worker Kim Hani, who takes pleasure in rewarding his unpleasantness with too much cream and sugar in his drinks. Oh yeah, and she always takes pleasure in eating men's livers, or she did, as the notorious Scarlet Fox, before she overate a century ago. Paired up now to hunt down both a demon and the Scarlet Fox herself, well. You can guess what happens.

And what happens is an utterly charming reading experience! The writing is sharp and lovely, and the plot is solid and well-paced. Despite how much fun this whole story was, it still felt like the plot had stakes, which is fair, given that it was about a demon killing people in horrific ways. I got invested in Hani and Seokga's investigation, and the ups and downs of it, and even when it was predictable, it had an enjoyable way of getting there. The predictable beats of the investigation were also aid by the mythological elements - I loved all the mythology and mythological creatures. That was definitely a highlight!

The characters were another highlight. Both Hani and Seokga were jerks (some more than others, Seokga), but in a fun way, Hani especially. I mean, I support women's wrongs, and I would read a book of Hani's London rampage where she kills hundreds of men. They both had personalities outside one another and had growth that felt natural.

The one thing that I could have used a bit less of was the romance. I knew that was coming, I knew what I was getting into, and I did like the pairing, but I just felt that it . . . wasn't really needed. There were parts of the book, about midway through, where the narration switched to a lot of heady looks, a lot of sidelong glances of longing, and while the many, many romance tropes fit the story in a fanfiction kind of way, I didn't really need that much of it all, personally.

Overall, pretty wonderful and with a LOT to like. If you're in the mood for something quick, well-written, and super fun, this is one of the best choices you could make. And if you're not in the mood for that, well, maybe give it a try anyway.

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

While I liked the mythology and some elements of the fantasy world, the plot was not interesting for me. 3.5 stars

This was a DNF for two reasons. One, I didn’t like the characters at all. I understand that a trickster god and a creature who lives off men’s livers can’t be nice, but I need some redeeming qualities to root for them, something sympathetic under the evil that doesn’t bat the eye when they kill. I found both of them unpleasant and didn’t care if they survive. I certainly wasn’t going to stay for their romance.

Main reason for giving up, however, is the setting. The book is set in 1992 for no apparent reason like a historical event or a person that was clear before I stopped. The year doesn’t show in any way in people’s dresses, looks or environment, and they could live in any modern era. What there is, are inaccuracies too glaring to overlook.

Computers weren’t common in 1992, not even in Korea that wasn’t the technological wonder it is today. They were slow, expensive and didn’t have programmes to make them useful. Not every cop would have them, and definitely not to write reports with. Printers didn’t spew papers; they were slow and also expensive. There was no internet and if there were, it would be a dial-up modem that was slow and unreliable. There was no recording CCTV system so that a cop could study surveillance videos at his desk. Computers couldn’t handle photos, let alone videos. A minimum wage waitress couldn’t have afforded a computer and she most certainly wouldn’t buy it solely to write fan fiction with. There was no prevailing cultural idea yet that computers were something a person should have.

1992 is a good year, if an author wants to show a society that wasn’t yet taken over by technology. A bit slower, one where a cop has to do legwork to collect VHS tapes from random shops’ security cameras in the hopes that they show his perp. The author made a choice with the exact year, making it as important for the story as the mythologies. She should’ve studied her chosen year as much as she claims to have studied Korean mythology too, if she wanted to stick the landing. As it is, I had to stop reading before I broke my e-reader in rage.

I would like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was so good!! Sophie Kim really managed to write an alluring story and make you care about the two main characters, as well as the side characters involved, without having too complicated of a cast.

I loved that this story was followed through both the god and the gumiho, so to say, especially since Seokga and Hani obviously had different pieces of information available to them. And then a random chapter from Hwanin's POV? So good!!

The writing style was also easy to get through and made it a quick read. The pacing seems to be just right, and the final 150 or so pages especially pushed me to continue. I read those all in a day.

The book, however, had some very slight spicy scenes (or ones that at least hinted at spice), and I didn't really feel like that was necessary or added much to the book. I also managed to fall asleep mid-chapter on numerous occasions, which might have been due to reading while tired, but I also wouldn't remember that I stopped mid-chapter and just not continue for a couple of days.

Lastly, I felt like this book would have been phenomenal as a standalone. Although the ending for sure hints at a sequel, it would have been even better for me if this was just an open ending to a book and I didn't have to expect a sequel.

The God and the Gumiho overall is a really fun read though, and I would recommend!

TLDR: first 60% were quite enjoyable, until the romance really kicked in and i died by teenagers without any social skills (but they're immortals so it's infuriating). The plot was meh, but i didn't gouge my eyes out. Decently entertaining if you have the right expectations.

More (ranty) thoughts:

a) the mythology
My background: i didn't know anything about Korean mythology, or really Korea in general.
It was done nicely in that i was never confused. All the words are explained and used with enough description i always knew who was what kind of creature. The world was decidely not western, but i can't judge how well it's inspired from Korea because i'm an ingorant brat lol!

However, it ended up being quite boring. Yeah, we got new creatures, but they're basically normal humans + a tiny bit of power. For example, Hani, the main woman, is a Gumiho: a nine-tailed fox. She spends 2 seconds in her animal form, and uses her powers once or twice and that's it.
I also didn't get captured by the vibes, or the magic, or anything really. Things ended up quite bland.

b) the romance
Suprisingly (seeing which book box it was picked by), the romance was ok for the first 60%. It's a very low stakes, rom-com type of thing, but i liked it. They start as "ennemies", forced to be colleagues and they don't like each other. Ensues some insults, and nice banter. I liked how this first part was constructed.

The last 40% were a nightmare. They go from "maybe we could actually be friends" to "let's fuck!!" to "does she even like me uwu" in 4 pages. And then we repeat kiss, "does he like me", ... ad vitam eternam
The entire conflict their relationship revolves around isn't even important in the end, and i feel like Sophie Kim threw out a love story with so much potential.

Good point for me who doesn't like sex scenes that much: there aren't many, and they are rather short.

c) why make them immortals if they behave exactly like teenagers? They don't have better reasoning skills, and don't get me started on the people skills! As i've just said, they spend 40% of the book looking at each other, kissing, and then wondering if the other likes them or not. Made me remember middle school, and not in a good way.

d) the plot (yes, there is one!)
Pros: there is a plot, and it's halfway to decent. There's murders and you have to catch the bad demon.

Cons: the author thinks you're dumb and won't understand that she's serving you clues in just the right order to string you along. When Agatha Christie does it, it's marvelous and you can't understand why you didn't get it on your own, when Sophie Kim tries, it's transparent and annoying.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the advance reader copy.

I found this quite hard to get through and enjoy. It reads like a YA book and doesn’t feel like it’s for adults.

There’s a general amount of bloating to the writing and the story, when I think it would have been a good novella.

There’s a good amount of world building, if not too much sometimes and the Korean influence was what kept me reading.

I think the main characters were childish even though they kept mentioning how old they were and how people saw them as younger than them. Which to be honest, with how they acted I don’t blame the other characters for thinking they were young.

Overall thoughts:
5⭐️
1.5 🌶️

‘If the Scarlet Fox is truly back… Well. It is Seokga’s job to catch her, and catch her he shall.’

‘“Emperor Seokga,” she hums. “It does have somewhat of a ring to it.” He cannot prevent his smile from growing. “Oh, I know.”

Tropes: Mythical creature, Korean folklore (retelling/ adapted), grumpy/ sunshine, Murder Mystery, Coffee Shop Romance, Morally Grey MC, One Bed, Badass FMC, Fallen God, Third Person Dual POV, Reluctant Allies/ Enemies to Lovers, Nickname, Slow Burn

Seokga The Fallen has one chance to clear his debt to regain his status as a God. All he has to do is kill a demon & The Scarlet Fox.. it can’t be that hard.. can it?

Where do I even begin?!
If I could give this book 10/5 stars I would! I LOVED it so much!

The vibe is a little anime, a little Ghibli. Which had me sold from the start! Honestly, I could see this as an anime series & I would 100% be down!
The writing style is detailed, a little whimsical & kinda quirky (in a good way). It has deception, murder mystery, twists & turns! Not heavy on the spice, but the story really doesn’t warrant it (this isn’t a criticism by the way).

If you like a book that gets straight into the plot, this is it! 10% in & we’re already into the action! Fasted paced & the pressure of time is really felt throughout.
The characters, what can I say, I loved Hani (she’s my favourite) & Seokga. They’re almost grumpy/ grumpy, enemies to lovers & it was great.

The end of this book ruined me (not in bad way😂), although I had to take a good few minutes (1 hour 😂) to compose myself.

Only criticism is that I found it hard to imagine some of the characters, but I think that’s on me because I’m not familiar with Korean Gods/ Folklore at all.
I really hope people produce some fan art for this book because I feel like it would help a lot + it would look amazing!

Contender for my book of the year!

Thank you to Sophie Kim, HodderScape & NetGalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I really enjoyed reading this - the two main characters were well-drawn and the romance didn't feel forced at all. The world-building was fun and I loved that Kim did a sort of double-twist to trick those of us who thought we knew what was going on! I'm intrigued to see where the story goes next.

I honestly cannot praise this book enough! Seokga (MMC) and Hani (FMC) are a brilliant pairing. The relationship between Seokga and Hani develops so beautifully that you can’t even pinpoint the moment that he stops being so cold and distant and starts to show real concern for her welfare. It is like a wonderful metamorphosis of the first flower blooming in springtime; it signifies that the cold, lonely isolation is over and something beautiful is on its way.
There is plenty of action along the way, with Seokga and Hani each having their own motivations that develop as the story twists and turns - much in the way that life throws curveballs at us, despite our best intentions (obviously without deadly monsters in the mix!)
This is easily one of my top reads of the year as so many tropes were brilliantly portrayed but with a premise such as I have never read before: being loosely based on Korean gods. As someone who appreciates Korean culture, but has very little experience of it, this story was easy to follow and introduced me to the various gods, goddesses and monsters that exist.
I was intrigued from the outset with its premise, but I went into it not knowing much more that what I read when I applied and WOW. I am so glad that I got the opportunity to read this book - I was very quickly hooked and now face the agonising wait for the next book in the series!

Tropes:
- Grumpy x Sunshine
- One bed
- Enemies to lovers
- Forced proximity

Very mild spice - 0.5 rating

Thank you to Sophie Kim, Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

R E V I E W

The God and the Gumiho by Sophie Kim

☆☆☆☆

Advanced Reader Copy graciously provided by Hodder and Stoughton | Hodderscape via Netgalley.

This book was a tricky one for me to review. As a result of the quick plunge into Korean mythology, I felt a little culturally out of my depth in the beginning. I found myself plunged into New Sinsi, a place where mythical creatures from Korean Lore live side by side with mortals with little explanation as to why.

Fallen God Seokga has been banished to Inseung after a coup to overthrow his brother, the King of the Gods, went awry. Desperate to reclaim his position and return home to Okhwang, Seokga has worked alongside the immortal version of the police to rid Inseung of the supernatural Unrulies that fell to this world alongside him six centuries prior. When a new murder turns out to be the handiwork of an infamous Unruly Gumiho - The Scarlet Fox - the most powerful and deadly Gumiho in history, Seokga is set the task of bringing her down.

Kim Hani is a barista who has resented the sneering fallen God since he first accused her of messing up his coffee order and then tried to get her sunmarily fired on the spot. When the opportunity arises to act as his assistant, Hani jumps at the chance to toy with the arrogant God and thwart his mission to return to Okhwang. But this isn't her only motivation, for Hani has a secret. One she has been hiding for 104 years. One that forces her to hide the power she has absorbed, dye her all-to-revealing scarlet hair, and lie about her age. After an act of self-defense has Seokga on one of her nine tails, Hani determines to use this opportunity as his assistant to cast suspicion away from her once and for all.

The premise of this book was interesting, and once I reached halfway, I was definitely more invested in the plot. The banter and the subtle cat and mouse dynamic between the God and the Gumiho was top notch, with Hami giving as good as she got and not letting Seokga get away with anything. Despite Seokga's romantic past, he definitely fell first here, and he fell hard. The romance that bloomed between the two was authentic and sweet and not rushed despite the time frame of the story (though I will admit I wish we could have turned the spice up a notch). I loved the ending and how it enabled us to catch up to our current timeline with the premise of a happy ending but I wish we could have seen more of Seokga's trickster nature throughout as it didn't really surface in this story.

I believe this is the first book in a series but as there weren't really any loose ends, I'm not sure who the next book would be about so I'm intrigued to see where the author will take us next.