A grumpy fallen trickster and a mischievous fox-spirit team up to solve some murders, save the world, and fall in love??
This book was a really enjoyable read, full of Korean-inspired mythology, action, romance, mystery and beautifully grumpy and charming characters. I really liked the rich world of New Sinsi and I followed the story and characters with delight. There’s a lot to enjoy here for almost everyone, but particularly for fans of urban fantasy, mythological inspired stories, and K-Dramas. I’m looking forward to more from this author to come!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author (Sophie Kim) for an eARC of “The God and the Gumiho” in exchange for an honest review.
The heroine of this book was a bit different for me. You meet her fondly reminiscing about that time she ate so many men’s livers she got the practice banned for her entire species. I wasn’t sure I was going to like her. Anyway, I needn’t have worried. I LOVED Hani!
If a book makes me laugh, I highlight the part. I was highlighting like crazy in this book.
There's a lot of names to keep track of. I appreciated that when they mentioned mythological people it was usually with context.
I was soooo upset when I realized what the real main conflict was going to be. Because by then I was already in love with both the main characters.
I’ve heard this book described as a kdrama and that is exactly the feeling it gives. I have zero issues picturing the characters as kdrama stereotypes. If you like watching those types of shows you are going to love this book. It’s thoroughly enjoyable, a little bit ridiculous and full of magic and mythology. I can't wait for the next one!

With simple prose (although an improvement from the authors debut) and fun plot this novel will appeal to fans of (supernatural) k-dramas.

I didn’t know what to expect from The God and the Gumiho, but I absolutely loved it and it’s one of my favourite 2024 books so far. I was immediately enthralled, and I got so lost in Seokga and Hani’s story that I didn’t want to put it down for anything. It’s a fantasy that truly swept me away to another world, and I’m already very excited for the sequel.

The God and the Gumiho is about Seokga, a grumpy fallen trickster god, and Hani, a gumiho who can shapeshift into a fox. Both have terrible reputations, but somehow they find each other through coffee, and begin an unlikely friendship. Their chemistry is excellent, and I was rooting for them from their first meeting. They bring out the best in each other whether they like it or not, even if they are both keeping secrets that could bring their world crashing down around them.

This book is steeped in Korean folklore, which I have to admit isn’t something I had much knowledge of prior to reading it. It’s all really interesting and magical, and I love how Sophie Kim expertly weaves it into a contemporary setting. Gods and shapeshifters are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to creatures and entities featured in The God and the Gumiho, and I’m now very interested in further researching Korean folklore.

The God and the Gumiho is a mysterious police procedural story, featuring an enemies to lovers romance and an action-packed finale. It mixes genres so well, and there’s never a dull moment. It includes highly likeable characters, a stand-out setting, and a good dose of humour that would make even Seokga laugh (if he wasn’t the one providing it, of course). I loved this book so much, which really did take me by surprise. The eye-catching UK cover art should have tipped me off, but still I wasn’t sure what to think. All I can say is that it’s become an instant favourite, and if you like fantasy, I highly recommend it!

The God And The Gumiho

Once upon a time in a cosy creature coffee, coffee was served to a Fallen God named Geokga. An insufferable grumpy dude, who then claims the coffee was wrong and the barista needs to be fired. The visits after, the wrong coffee was delivered intentionally, making it éxtra sweet. And that, kids, is how Geokga met his assistant, Hani.

Geokga is a Fallen God who has been punished to take on 20.000 unrulies in the mortal realm, as punishment for his failed coup on his brother, the King. Geokga hates it there. The only thing he loves? Coffee. So when even that is ruined intentionally, it doesn’t exactly lift up his spirits. But what’s even worse, is that his bargain with the king changes, when they learn of the murders. Two bodies have been found with the unique marks of the Scarlet Fox, a notorious killer that still hasn’t been caught.

𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒃𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒔𝒍𝒂𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒘𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔. 𝑶𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝑰 𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆. 𝑶𝒏𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒃𝒆 𝒂 𝑮𝒐𝒅.

And the fox isn’t the only problem that needs ‘fixing’, a powerful demon has escaped and is dead set on creating a new ‘dark world’ in the mortal realm. Geokga is now tasked with finding and killing both the scarlet fox and the demon. As a reward, he will be reinstated as a God, but the clock is ticking. Working at the precinct his chief is convinced that the workload is too much for Geokga alone and is seeking an assistant. Overhearing this, and not planning on getting caught, Hani steps in to work alongside Geokga and make sure he will néver find out who the scarlet fox really is.

"𝑫𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎? 𝑱𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒂 𝒕𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆? 𝑵𝒐𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘. 𝑰𝒕'𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒚 𝒅𝒂𝒚." 𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒊 𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒌𝒔, 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒍𝒚 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒄𝒌. "𝑫𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘, 𝑯𝒂𝒏𝒊," 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒔𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒍𝒚, "𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒇?" "𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕?" 𝑯𝒂𝒏𝒊 𝒂𝒔𝒌𝒔 𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒍𝒚. "𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒂 𝒄𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒔 𝒖𝒑 𝒕𝒐 𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒘𝒏𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒓𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒉 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒂𝒔 𝒂𝒏 𝒖𝒏𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒕."

The God and The Gumiho mainly follows the pov’s from Geokga and Hani, which is the perfect setup in my opinion. It brings out their very different personality traits and gives you an inside scoop in how they perceive each other and the cases they work on. There is plenty of banter and their dynamic changes rather slowly. However, according to the book it all happened in a week - which felt a bit unrealistic, as it doesn’t feel like everything could have possibly taken place in such a short time.

I liked their grumpy x sunshine dynamic and how Hani - altho deceitfully - played a huge part in letting Geokga see the joys of life. Eventually those arcs are beautifully done. We get to see Hani being confronted with her own selfishness and Geokga is met with genuine feelings. Their redemptions towards the end are satisfying. The combination of mysterious murders and them working together was a fun twist in a setting that normally wouldn’t necessarily speak to me. I’m usually not too fond of Asian themes and most of it has to do with unexplained terms. In fantasy we’re often met with made up words, but they will be explained. When this doesn’t happen, I’m unable to fully grasp the details of the world, the descriptions et cetera and it frustrates me.

Here’s an example:
“𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒍𝒂𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒃𝒐𝒌, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒋𝒆𝒐𝒈𝒐𝒓𝒊 𝒂 𝒑𝒆𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒌, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒎𝒂 𝒂 𝒇𝒍𝒂𝒘𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒕𝒆. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒓𝒖𝒎 𝒓𝒊𝒃𝒃𝒐𝒏 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓, 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒈𝒊 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒈𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒚 𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒅𝒔 𝒃𝒂𝒔𝒆.“

They’re clearly describing an outfit, but for me to understand - it would be nice if it was more descriptive or less. Now five terms are thrown at me, with zero explanation but the general of it being a traditional outfit. And one being called a ribbon. Along with asian names, places and unexplained creatures - this would sometimes just annoy me or leave me confused.

I liked that both characters were rather equal when it comes down to experience, age, power and so on. Both have their + and - and they’re beautiful characters in their own rights. However, despite them being so old and so experienced, they make some really dumb choices. Not only is Geokga tricked by Hani, but also Somi (who’s as nervous as she can be) and the demon. For a God of Mischief, he is quite easily tricked. Then we have our girl Hani, who has killed thousands and is in ‘hiding’, making dumb choices like hiding stolen evidence under her bed, hiding her famous choice of weapons in her underwear drawer etc. Because of this, the author ‘dumbed down’ the story a bit, causing it to read a bit more as a young adult rather than adult. But then again, we wouldn’t see explicit sex scenes in any young adult.

So, if you enjoy Asian Mythology dipped in a 90’s sauce with monstrous demons, a murder mystery, deceit and betrayal and a grumpy x sunshine romance. This may be the book for you! Be aware though, if you like clean books, because this book does contain some (not much) sexual content and swearing.

3.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy to review. All thoughts are my own.

I'm a huge fan of Korean folklore and used to really enjoy K-Dramas, so when I saw The God and the Gumiho being marketed as paying homage to both, I was beyond excited. There aren't a lot of Korean-set fantasies in fiction, and I was impressed by the author's attention to weaving in multiple supernatural entities and keeping their traditional Korean names in the text - such as using gwisin for ghost. I also think the world of New Sinsi worked well as a backdrop for this urban paranormal, and the pop culture tidbits were a clever nod, especially when woven into the Pantheon storyline (I cackled at Somi writing fanfic of the Gods). It was nice to read about gods that weren't set within the Greek pantheon, and the lore built around them was believable, and sometimes quite funny.

Whilst this had the makings of everything I tend to enjoy, I believe I built my expectations up too high before reading it, which wasn't entirely fair to this novel. Unfortunately, The God and the Gumiho didn't grip me as entirely as I hoped. I found the first 40% (ish) very hard to navigate, and this was mostly down to the main characters. I did enjoy Seokga a great deal more than Hani overall, but even he was a challenge to fall deeper into with all the repetition used around his fall from being the God of Tricksters. Hani took an even longer time to appreciate, and thus I found a lot of the personal elements and struggles of this book didn't affect me as they should. The chemistry between the pair felt forced at times, and I was never fully sold on them going from enemies to desperately in love with the other. I was more invested in the side characters than either main, and was disheartened that it took me so long to warm up to them.

The murder mystery and the storyline around the demonic villain were interesting, and whilst I guessed one of the twists early on, I did enjoy how it played out. That being said, and this is a good thing for those coming into this looking for the formula, if you know how Korean dramas are set up, then this is going to be very predictable for you to read. I also felt like this fell prey to the more recent style of K-Dramas (and is one of the reasons I don't regularly watch as I used to now) of adding way too much into one storyline. I think this storyline overall would make for a better cinematic experience than reading material, as the characters didn't feel fully dimensional to me to pull off everything that was going on in this book.

I started reading this on a set schedule with a friend who also received this as an arc and we both enjoyed it more when we consumed it and had less time to sit and point out the moments we liked or not. I wonder if I had read this alone if I would have enjoyed it earlier on than I did, though I don't think the glaring repetition and lack of dimension to the characters would be any different if I had. However, being a transparent reviewer, I wanted to mention this as a potential cause for my lack of enjoyment early on.

Overall, I had an alright time once I adjusted my expectations, and really enjoyed the culminating scenes of the last 15% of this read. I think fans who enjoy the supernatural fantasy k and c dramas will pick this one up and find some comfort in the predictable nature and well-established formula here. And whilst I do have my issues with the main characters, I am intrigued enough by the ending that I will pick up the sequel with the hope that now the world and characters are established the storytelling will be more engaging.

Korean folklore, murder mystery, and angsty romance blend together in this captivating tale.
We follow Kim Hani, a Gumiho and the renowned Scarlet Fox, and Seokga, the fallen Trickster God, as they team up to solve a murder mystery.
This was such a fun read, featuring morally ambiguous main characters with alternating points of view.

Hani's juggling act as a Gumiho, torn between her wild side and longing for a slice of normalcy, gadded layers of complexity to her character. Meanwhile, Seokga's grumpiness and loss of divinity made his journey to redemption more compelling.

Hani is all sunshine and rainbows to everyone but Seokga, who despises everyone, especially Hani! It’s completely hilarious watching their banter as they work together and ultimately fall for each other. Their dynamic was filled with tension, wit, and a slow-burning chemistry that had me hooked.

The supporting characters were also well-developed, each contributing significantly to the narrative.

The plot maintains a suspenseful atmosphere, leaving readers on edge about the potential discovery of hidden identities, solving the mystery, and facing the potential consequences of failure.
The author seamlessly integrates elements of Korean folklore into the modern world and exploring Korean mythological creatures adds an extra layer of intrigue to the story.

Overall, this book was a brilliant blend of mystery, romance, and mythology.
I cannot wait to see how their story continues in book 2!

I have no idea how time passed so quickly. I just found myself going through the pages of this one book for the whole entire day, unraveling the thread of its story with glee and musing over Kim Hani’s great wit and nine tails. But let’s not drag this on and just dive right into it. I mean, after thanking Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me the pleasure of reading a copy in advance.

The Book Title and the Cover

I bet you can already guess what I’m about to say, yet I’ll say it anyway: the cover was a total catch! It lured me in with its marvelous blues and decrepit god who’s standing right in the center, smirking, as a red fox climbs over his back. I was sold right away thanks to the colors and the mythical creatures summoned within the lines, which is, in fact, how I even ended up requesting this title.

The second reason was the actual title. Such straightforwardness and simplicity caught my eye right away. Having read another story about foxes and watched quite a few movies or series on the matter, my heart was stolen at a glance. Besides, it’s just another fantastic retelling about the foxes and the gods inhabiting the South Korean peninsula.

The Characters and Plot

Kim Hani and Seokga the Fallen are sworn enemies, both very different from one another, especially in terms of their likes and dislikes. Hani, who is painstainkingly hiding her identify as the most wanted criminal, the Scarlet Fox, works as a barista in a cafe where mostly fantastic creatures such as grim reapers, ghosts, goblins and gods visit. Among them all, there is the fallen trickster god, Seokga, who works as a detective in a nearby precinct which aims to maintain the balance between the worlds and punish the unruly creatures inhabiting the Earth. Even though at odds with each other, both Seokga and Hani, are thrown together in an unlikely team hunting for a very dangerous creature looking to destroy the world.

Thoughts

What I loved most about this book was definitely the encounter with all the mythical creatures found in South Korea, such as the goblins, the ghosts who took a bunch of forms (from water ghosts, to hungry ghosts and other types of gwishin), grim reapers, the woman with the slit smile, and tricky fairies. Even though some of the names will ring foreign to most readers, especially those who do not speak Korean or are unfamiliar with the culture, I still think they will be able to understand what each creature does and how their history works, especially since Sophie Kim only bases herself on some facts and then builds on, offering her own twist to it all. Additionally, even though for some of them the author uses the Korean names, she follows up with the English description as well, although, I must admit, having an index of sorts either at the beginning or at the end of the book, might have turned out useful for foreign readers.

Next up, there was the dynamic between Hani and Seokga, the banter and the trickery that went on, only for it to result in (mostly) everyone’s favorite romantic trope—enemies to lovers. The writing flowed pretty nicely, with the story following both characters from each one’s perspective, from a third person’s point of view. The romantic part also happened gradually, although the time-frame it fell under was rather short, however, it did not seem unnatural or forced. Although I am not a fan of double perspective books, the execution within this story was very well done. I loved the ease with which I could read through the events happening around each of our leads, but what bothered me, on the other hand, was the use of profanity throughout the narrative part. Within the dialogue, it made sense, however, the author could have definitely left it out within the narration.

The fighting scenes were also a delight to read, as was the detective aspect of the plot. I quite enjoyed the grand reveal of the criminal at the end, and laughed a little as I was half right (it was one of my two guesses). The plot, overall, managed to keep my eyes glued to the pages and my fingers flipping eagerly through them, waiting for the next instance where the two would reveal their skills, whether in friendly banter or in fighting the evil forces. The images were pretty clear and the execution nicely done.

Finally, I found myself wanting a physical copy of this book on my shelf, and wondering what kind of adventures the writer plans for the next installment, even though, in my view, the ending was perfect.

Loved this so much !

It was such a good ya book and the story and the characters 😍😍😍

I was totally addicted

I know most people are loving this book, and maybe I just read it at the wrong time or something, but in theory I should've really enjoyed this. I love chaotic evil characters because they are fun to read about. Instead, I was bored and this book took me 10 days to finish because I would skip my usual reading time and rewatch episodes on Netflix instead.

The book is too long for what it is, and a smaller page count and a tighter plot would've served it better. Hani and Seogka interact in the way kids do when they're intent on getting on each other's nerves. Also, I know both of them have done bad things in the past, but if I'm only seeing them act morally grey at worst, I'm not really going to buy into the whole "they are so evil" bit. It doesn't help that Hani's reaction to a couple of murdered and mutilated people is, "It is disconcerting to see this carnage. She's killed, yes, ripped out livers—but this is...different.", when she has killed 500 men and eaten their livers.

There are parts in the text that make it clear that the book is supposed to be comedic, but it didn't hit that way for me. I do think I'm going to be in the minority, and that most people will end up enjoying this, but if you start reading this and wonder if something is wrong with you because you're not enjoying this, then at least know you're not alone.

Incredible!! I haven’t had much experience with Korean mythology, but got swept away into this magical realm. I really enjoyed the writing style and absolutely adored this book!

Hani and Seogka are my absolute favourite! Had me blushing and kicking my feet - I loved this so much! It did rip my heart out as well, but I know it’s good when I get so connected to the character that I end up crying with them. The ending with the Red Thread of Fate was such a lovely touch and could have spent even longer in this realm!

Would highly recommend this to anyone interested in Asian-inspired mythology with gods and monsters in an urban fantasy setting. Honestly was such a fun read!

As a Kdrama and passionate of Korean culture and mythology, this book was right up my alley. I loved it so much I just could not put it down!!

I did not quite know what to expect from this urban fantasy romance, but I must say it definitely did not disappoint. Get ready for banter, murders, solving crimes, emotions and obviously so so so much tension.

Seogka is a Fallen God who must find and kill twenty thousand souls of monsters whom he freed to take over his brother's throne. Hani is an Unruly Gumiho ( kinda like an immortal Fox shifter) but she has a big secret. one that would solved all of Seogka's issues. However they get off on a really bad start and cannot stand each other. But when Hani learns that she could make Seogka's life a living hell all the while helping him with his murder case, she cannot be more excited, but none of them expected they could be friends, or even something more. Could that be the beginning of something or the end before it even began?

The slow burn in this novel will make you swoon, even if you want to murder both Seogka and Hani because they are so clueless but you also just want to let it play out and see what happens, however Sophie Kim did not have to go that hard for the ending, it had me sweating and almost pulling out all my hair.
I love that she kept the Korean culture (such as the hanbok, talking formerly to your elders...) I appreciated those details so much, it did feel like I was watching a kdrama, especially with all the banter, I would not be surprised if Hani would ask Seogka to do some Aegyo for her, it just seem like her style.

Thank you to net galley and Sophie Kim for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When people say don’t judge a book by its cover, don’t listen! I picked this book up based on the cover, the title and the fact it has some references to Korean mythology and it was so good!!!

The God and The Gumiho is the perfect mix of fantasy, crime, deceit, mystery and romance, which is well written and fun. I thought that the world building was interesting but slightly confusing (probably because I’ve never read a Korean mythology book before) due to how many different types of Unrulies there were.

Hani and Seokga have the perfect sunshine x grumpy vibe going on with lots of banter and snark. I think my only problem was that there relationship seemed a bit childish at time especially for two immortal but I still loved it.

Summary: Kim Hani, a gumiho, and Seokga, a fallen trickster god, must outsmart each other to stop a demon, avoiding love at all costs.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book, all thoughts are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC.

Sadly, this one was a miss for me and I ended up DNFing.

I am not the biggest fan of urban fantasy but I’m challenging myself to be more open to it as I don’t want to miss out on the great books being published in modern settings. So when I read the synopsis of this book, I wanted to give it a try since it sounded right up my alley.

What makes me struggle with urban fantasy is when it feels too colloquial, it takes me out of the story and makes it hard for me to enjoy.

This book reminded me of contemporary enemies to lovers romances that are filled with snark and microaggressions to build the tension and angst between the characters. While I’m sure others will have a great time with this, it ultimately ended up being the book’s pitfall for me as I personally do not enjoy enemies to lovers in contemporary romance.

This is 100% a personal preference but sadly it stopped me from getting interested in the plot because I kept being irritated at the main character’s interactions.

I do think the world is crafted well and the plot sounded interesting for sure which is why I’m giving the book 3 stars, it just wasn’t for me.

This book combines fantasy with crime/mystery, where Hani, the gumiho FMC, and Seokga, the fallen god MMC, must (reluctantly) work together to hunt a demon wreaking havoc.
The fantasy elements were the strength of the book, with a diverse range of characters featured from South Korean mythology. The character development was strong, not only for the main characters but also amongst the side characters too. There is a constant thread of humour running throughout which makes the grumpy/sunshine trope work really well between Hani and Seokga through their banter.
The plot twist, or rather the identity reveal, was a bit predictable, and the mystery part and general pacing was a bit slow for my own tastes - it only sped up and became really gripping for the last 10-20% of the book, but on the whole, this was an enjoyable read. The second half was much stronger than the first half.
I'd recommend to those who enjoy East Asian mythology within the fantasy genre, and who have an interest in fantasy crime.

This is a KDrama in writing format! If I could, I would give this book more than 5⭐️s! I absolutely loved this book!

Reading The God and the Gumiho felt like watching a kdrama for the first time: magical, captivating and enchanting. The first few chapters felt a little confusing with all the folklore legends and monster’s names but as soon as got a handle of the names, it went very smooth! I will be honest, I didn’t want to stop reading this book: Hani is such a good FMC, she’s confident, funny, is not scared to speak her mind and harbours a massive secret - she might or might not be a very very old famous Gumiho. Seokga is just trying to complete his penance of sending 20,000 unruly creatures to hell so he can go back home. He seems cold and filled with hard edges but in reality, once his walls come crumbling down, he is kind, just and very sweet!

I really liked Seokga and Hani’s relationship: the way they start as enemies because he just keeps picking on her whenever she makes his coffee; then transform into working together; their banter and feelings growing and them changing to be the best version of themselves. They felt like they really do belong together! All the secondary characters were also very exciting and super interesting to follow and I did not see the plot twist coming - who the nightmare/fear demon was!

I also loved the end. I always feel that with scenes like that, you do need this extra little bit, this extra paragraph, this extra epilogue to close the chapter in your heart. And it was truly, in a very Korean fashion!

This was my first book from this author and I guarantee it won’t be the last!

Many thanks to the publisher for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

Thanks to Netgalley and Hodderscape for providing an eARC of this book.

I loved this, I am a HUGEEE kdrama fan and this felt like reading a kdrama. It was so cute and funny. A nice, fun and easy read which still had a rich world full of fantastical creatures and great world building.

The book's pacing did feel a little off at times but the chemistry between Hani and Seokga was great. Overall, this is a super fun read that I'd recommend to anyone who's into kdramas, fantasy and the enemies to lovers trope!

"The God and the Gumiho" is the first installment of "Fate's Thread," an adult contemporary fantasy series written by Sophie Kim and currently in progress. A novel that completely won me over, making me laugh, smile, swoon and cry repeatedly, leaving me with the absolute need to read the sequel!

The story takes place in the fictitious town of New Sinsi, South Korea, in 1992, in a world where gods, demigods, and supernatural creatures belonging to Korean folklore move among unwitting humans, in human forms. I was enchanted by this world building strongly based on Korean folklore! I found it large, understandable, and well-managed, with simple explanations limited to the bare minimum so as not to get lost. The descriptions are extremely vivid, evocative, so much so that at certain moments I was moved with their beauty. My only criticism, if criticism can be called, is the lack of a glossary for non-experts in Korean culture (like me). There are numerous specific terms in the text, and yes, many are explained in a few simple lines, but others are not. Personally, driven by a strong curiosity, I had no problem searching for answers on the internet, but I think it would be more convenient to have one available perhaps at the end of the book. Overall, however, I loved the setting immensely and can't express anything but kudos!

The narration proceeds fast and briskly, embellished by extremely bewitching, evocative and lyrical prose. The story mixes fantasy with the mystery element, weaving a real investigation with interrogations, evidence and analysis. I admit that I guessed the various plot twists in advance, but this did not bother me, partly because I am rarely surprised now and partly because I found everything fantastically developed. In addition to the more investigative part, the story unfolds between deceptions, secrets, lies, betrayals, fights, and the sizzling interactions between the two protagonists. A definitely winning mix that kept me glued to the pages from beginning to end, pushing me to devour it and leaving me wanting more.

Kim Hani and Seokga, protagonists with their respective third person povs, won me over! I found them to be portrayed beautifully and with incredible development. Hani is a gumiho, once known as the infamous Scarlet Fox, the most famous and wanted gumiho in the supernatural community. The reason? Having killed many, too many men, feeding on their livers and souls until she filled herself completely. Saturated and at her most energetic, the gumiho decided to leave the spotlight, retiring, changing her identity and moving to New Sinsi, where she currently works as a waitress in a coffee shop. She, who detests coffee and can't stand the sound of the bean grinder, spends her days brewing obnoxious coffee, dealing with that hellish device, and serving customers. Yeah, that sounds really ironic! Hani is a sarcastic, chatty, carefree and determined creature who hides a cunning, devious, selfish and decidedly bloody soul beneath her smiling facade. Yet, even if in a twisted way, she cares about people and what surrounds her. Of course, she would rather gorge herself on coffee than admit it, but underneath all her bravado she has doubts, fears, insecurities and feelings like anyone else. Seokga, on the other hand, is the god of trickery, better known as Seokga the Fallen. Responsible for a failed coup attempt against his older brother, the emperor of the gods, Seokga was exiled from the celestial realm and condemned to live in the mortal realm, with a modicum of his powers, as punishment for his actions. Forced to walk among humans, the god lives in New Sinsi and works as a detective in supernatural law enforcement. Not out of altruism or kindness, but as a way to atone his punishment and return to his rightful place among the gods. Seokga is a grumpy, cold, prickly, selfish, distrustful, lonely, cocky and mocking god, a skilled weaver of lies, manipulations and deceptions. He detests human beings, can't stand social relationships, and has no regard for others. However, beneath his sour and know-it-all attitude, he hides a deeply wounded soul. Hani and Seokga are two complex, tormented, and morally gray protagonists who sent me into juices! But now let's talk about the development of their relationship, which I found simply spectacular! The one thing Seokga appreciates about humanity is coffee, and this passion of his pushes him to keep going to his favorite coffee shop, where unfortunately Hani works. After a very disastrous first meeting, Hani and Seokga have established a sort of bizarre routine, with her busy preparing him wrong orders and throwing sarcastic jokes and him ready to reciprocate with cutting remarks. A situation that evolves with the news of Scarlet Fox's reappearance and Seokga's decision to hunt her down. Hani has no intention of being discovered and so, in a surprise move, assumes the vacant position of Seokga's assistant. A victory across the board! Not only will she be able to follow his investigation and throw him off the trail, but she will also be able to create trouble for him and prepare him disgusting coffees. And so begins their forced cooperation, which leads to forced proximity, resulting in extremely hilarious interactions. She is a ray of sunshine who enjoys disturbing him, he is a super grumpy who has no problem retorting blow after blow. And I found myself repeatedly rolling with laughter at their hilarious banter. In short, a grumpy x sunshine brilliant and a forced proximity effervescent! Of course, things soon get complicated, especially when the relationship between Hani and Seokga begins to change from tough to close-knit, blossoming into an attraction as powerful as it is impossible and dangerous. And here comes the enemies to lovers powerful (or hate to lovers, I still have the doubt)! Okay, so basically the story takes place over the course of a fortnight, but I swear to you that I felt no rush in the development of this dynamic. The way they go from hating each other to getting closer, starting with small moments of help, a few confessions and some concessions, convinced me a lot. Moreover, their chemistry is really sizzling and made me swoon badly! There are some spicy scenes without much description, which fully satisfied me! I had high expectations about Hani and Seokga from the very premise of the novel, and I'm glad I wasn't wrong! They made me laugh, smile, sigh, swoon, suffer and cry so much and I can't wait to read more about them!

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In short: a lot of interesting ideas, in a world that won't be familiar to many of its prospective readers (unless, like me, they watch a lot of K-drama!) spoiled by lacklustre plotting and thin characterisation.

The basic premise of the book is that, like much urban fantasy, there's an unseen world alongside the one the humans know, inhabited by all sorts of supernatural beings - this one is set in 1990's Korea with the gods and creatures to match. Our protagonists are Seokga, who's currently subject to the need to deal with a certain number of demons he released on earth as part of a failed attempt to become ruler of the gods, and Hani, who's a gumiho successfully concealing just how old she actually is. Hani is working in a coffee shop and gets lots of pleasure from messing up Seokga's order every day but insinuates herself into his professional life when she discovers her own secret is at risk.

Unfortunately, while characters bickering can be entertaining in the short term, the ongoing strife between these two characters means they actually come across more as teenagers than how old they both supposedly are. In addition to this, I struggled a bit with feeling any kind of sympathy towards one character who'd messed up badly and caused all sorts of mayhem in a putative relationship with another who's literally left a trail of dead bodies in her wake. Sure, maybe one of them was Jack the Ripper and others are clearly arseholes, but is being an arsehole a capital offence?

The cover's nice, it's not a particularly challenging read if you don't actually think about the implications of both protagonist's previous actions, but I couldn't get away from them myself. So, not for me and not a series I'll be carrying on with.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, via Netgalley. This is my honest review of the book in question.

First of all, thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.

The God and The Gumiho by author Sophie Kim is everything that fans of dramas and fantasy books would want.
Personally the tittle and the beautiful cover were the things that caught my attention really quick and being myself a fan os k-dramas, I got really curious about that.

In the story we follow Seogka a "fallen" God and Hani, a gumiho that is famous for being a assassin. Seogka is a detective and Hani after years of laying low, to save herself, has to kill a group of humans. Needing to protect her identity, she end up working as Seogka's assistant, who has been trying to get the famous gumiho for years.

I think the story has some potential, but the first 20% of the book in my opinion dragged a bit too much, which made me read the book way slower than I would normally. It's also a bit hard to connect with the main character Hani at the beginning. Then the story just paces quite fast.

Overall it was a fun read, still don't know if I would keep reading the rest of the series. And definitely would like to do a re-read at some point.

I think this was 3,5/5 with potential to become a 4/5.