4.25 stars — a delightful kdrama-esque detective mystery rom-com romp through korean mythology!! adorable and tropey in the best way, with writing that glitters

This review has been posted on Goodreads.

Read if you like:
🦊Grumpy/Sunshine
🦊<i>Foxed</i> Proximity (get it? Anyway…)
🦊Hidden Identities

Read in less than 24 hours, ‘The God and the Gumiho’ ticked all of my adult fantasy-loving boxes (including aspects I didn’t even know I needed and LOVED).

Set in South Korea in the 1990s, a fallen trickster god, Seokga, must spend his days capturing 20,000 demons to atone for his attempted coup against his brother, the emperor. When the mysterious Scarlet Fox, known for her killing spree in 1888 (just 500 hundred or so men missing their souls and livers) crops up in his neighbourhood, she becomes next on his list. Hani would very much appreciate not being on that list and not dying (thank you very much), so when an opportunity to be the grumpy detective's assistant lands in her lap, who is she to say no? She can steer the investigation in a slightly less Hani-centric direction. Except, bodies are stacking up, there seems to be an even bigger threat on the loose and Hani and Seokga might be in a little over their heads.

These two. I LOVE THEM. The banter is top tier and Hani is an absolute badass character I will now forever have a soft spot for. I think Sophie has a real flair for raw and flawed characters, especially those that embody the mythology she weaves in. Hani embraced her fox side unapologetically, preening in mirrors and, despite not wanting to be caught, was still prepared to defend herself with her skillset.

Yet, on a deeper level, Hani and Seokga both spent time examining their actions. Whether it was to eat a man's liver or stage a rebellion- if you’re a fox or a trickster, why is there punishment for embracing your nature? However, neither character was seen as young and naïve about the world, instead, the author embraced that they are (basically) immortals with long lives and what that means when they have to live forever with the consequences of their actions.

I love it when there is a crime or mystery included in a fantasy/romance and this detective-assistant duo hit that mark perfectly. I thought I might have guessed a few twists (in fact, I had not) and answers were kept just out of reach until they were finally revealed. The pace and tension were constantly high because the whole time you’re wondering if and when Seokga will find out who Hani really is and what the outcome will be. Oh, and if a demon of darkness will destroy the world- I wouldn’t read it if you’re looking for a low-stakes drama. That ending still has me in a chokehold hours after I’ve finished the book.

Excuse me while I go and binge everything else Sophie has ever written.

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC. Here is my honest review!

Because I'm quite familiar with Korean legend story, thanks to all Korean Drama I watched, this book is really fun to read for me. The world in this book is setting in human world but all the legendary creature is reside with us. We will see so many creatures mention since the beginning of the book.

This book tell us about The God who "kick" from their land to human world or they called him the Fallen God. Because of the mess happen in human world, he given an opportunity to back to his world by clear all the mess that is killed Eodoksuni and Scarlet Fox. Kim Hani, the Scarlet Fox in hidden, try to misguide Seokga about the Scarlet Fox by becoming his assistant. But with all what happen to them, they started to becoming friend to each other.

I love the story, I love the plot. I love how Seokga and Hani work together to "finished" Eodoksuni. The way both of them always bickering and how Hani annoyed Seokga so much. And I becoming more in love with their relationship after both of them become friends and more. The world building explain in too much detail I think so I skip some part of it and it is kind of hard to follow all the creatures mention if you're not familiar at all. Thanks to Kdrama I can understand most of the creatures mention in this book, but there are some I can't quite figure so I need to google it first to understand its nature. Hoping in the final book the author will include the explanation about the creatures (or it already mention in the book? hmm)

Another think I really wish to be different is the ending. It is bittersweet and I wish I could see more of them. It breaks me because it happen to them.

This grumpy/sunshine romantic fantasy full of snark should have been right up my alley, but unfortunately I just didn't connect with it. I'm sure plenty will love it, but I found my attention wandering. Such a shame!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Unfortunately, this book wasn't really for me. I didn't really care for the story or the people until maybe the last 20%. After that, i did enjoy it more.

This book has a fallen god that now works as a detective and a gumiho who takes the job as his assistant. Together, they try to find those who are haunting the streets and killing people.

This could have been really fun and interesting, and for a lot of people, I think it will still be. I just didn't vibe enough with anything until way too late. And it's nothing, really. I can pinpoint why i didn't like it as much as I hoped I would.

2,75 ⭐️

I absolutely love books which incorporate mythology, particularly where I can learn something while enjoying the story. This book goes not disappoint in those factors!
The premise was there, and it has the cosy familiarity of a tv drama/mystery series, that just leaves you wanting to know more once the story gets going.

On that note, the story does start of rather slow, and can drag in places. But it does pick up once the main characters start working together.

But there's just some things that threw me off, though the concept was fantastic, the ideas were there, it is just the execution that faltered in places.
For example it ia marketed as being an adult book, but overall it just felt very... typical YA... like how people expect YA to be, like juvenile, naive characters, and full of cliché moments that can be a bit cringe inducing.
The idea, also, of the MMC being grumpy, is quite immature also, like maybe someone who didn't know the world and characteristics of beings better would assume him to be grumpy... but he's just a straight up dickbag at times, and damn right mean. It's like a typical teenage assumption?? If that makes sense.. it's a bit naive in terms of judging character.
The FMC is supposed to be giving badass but is giving gaslighting, "girlboss". She is badly handled and has many contradictions to her character. Like, she can run about ripping and devojeing livers from her victims and all is good, but ahe cannot barento look at a victim with their heart missing?
She's supposed to have evaded capture foe centuries yet there's soamy slip ups it males you wonder how can that even be possible? She seems like an amateur not what she's supposed to be.

The romance between them also feels extremely rushed. They had chemistry, and that feels wasted here. Thwu go from tearing each others throats out, to a poorly done one bed trope where they just have to receive the Sexual tension... apparently. It feels such a waste when they had so much potential to have rushed it like that, instead of building on their friendship, and chemistry, and it being organic. It felt forced, and left me wanting better for them.
And the whole story rakes place in two weeks? It feels like it should be taken longer and been less rushed.

But over all I had a decent time reading this and was invested. The last 20% is really gripping. I do look forward to reading more and I hope the next book develops at a better pace and the characters have some growth. They're thousands of years old and so naive it is almost painful.

But, hey, the main take away is I would happily read more to see how the story progresses and the characters grow. Ao, if you love kdrama you would enjoy this.
Perhaps it was just a bit too much drama for me...

5 stars
😭❤️

A grumpy, fallen trickster god must team up with a shapeshifting notorious gumiho - who is in hiding - to work together to take down a demon of darkness. Sophie Kim's The God and the Gumiho has a contemporary setting in a creative modern world enthused with magic and mythical creatures, while being packed with Korean mythology.

While I felt the book started a little slow, once the main characters had to work together everything just fell into place and I loved reading every page of what followed. I particularly loved the grumpy/sunshine vibes and the funny banter and teasing between our main characters, I found myself being very emotionally attached. We have morally questionable characters, which is a plus for me, but they are just big softies deep down. I felt the pacing of their relationship was perfect, it wasn't rushed and felt very natural.

The storyline however was a little more on the rushed side of things; I think the story takes place over the space of 2 weeks or less, which didn't feel likely while reading and it felt like more time had/should have passed. Saying that, I did enjoy the twists involved and that the story was wrapped in the one book allowing this to be read as a standalone. I do look forward to seeing what the author does with this world in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I think I've mentioned this in another review before, but I don't watch K-Drama. In fact, my media consumption primarily revolves around three things nowadays: Star Wars, Baldur's Gate 3, and reading. But this book's description grabbed me, and I was curious on how Kim's K-Drama inspiration would incorporate in her Korean mythology fantasy world.

From what I read, I really hope this book isn't a misrepresentation.

Everything about this book is so damn juvenile. The special combination of the prose and characters made me want to shrivel inside myself; I had to daydream or put down my phone in order to temporarily relieve myself of the painful amount of cringe and boredom I was experiencing.

The prose is what people think YA writing is, except with a few fucks and a sex scene or two thrown in. It's clunky, there's a lot repetitive exposition dumps/bits (Fine when it was world-building, because I don't know anything about Korean mythology, but the background stories and motivations of the main characters got so annoying), and it wasted so much word-count on things that I just did not care about. If this is Kim's adult writing, I don't wanna know what her YA works are like.

The characters, despite being over thousands of years old, act more like what middle schoolers think is cool and badass. Seokga is repeatedly described as grumpy, but he's straight up a dick. Nothing about him was endearing or interesting. He also has a weird vendetta against anyone who ears glasses?? Like, dude, not everyone can afford or comfortably wear contacts. Hani, though, was worse. She's gaslight-gatekeep-girlboss personified, but the novel is trying so hard to make all of her abhorent behavior cute and quirky. In the hands of another writer, she could of have nuance as a morally gray character, but she's so damn childish! The only reason she starts beefing with Seokga is because she thinks he's a dick. He is, but that doesn't excuse her for having the worse customer service skills I've ever seen (i.e., throwing coffee on him, purposely getting his orders wrong, etc.) I just couldn't stand either of them, and them getting together 200-some pages in just made me hate their relationship even more. Just, ugh.

The only positive I can give this book was the world-building. It was overwhelming and confusing at times, but I liked learning about Korean mythology, and it being in an urban fantasy environment is pretty cool.

Overall, I, for the life of me, did not like this book. The writing and characters are too immature for a supposedly adult book, and I almost don't understand how so many people like it so much.

3.5⭐. Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC.

The God and the Gumiho has all the vibes of a fun K-drama with a sizzling romance and a gripping crime procedural thrown in... but those vibes just fell short of this novel reaching that amazing potential. The last 20% was great and had me on the edge of my seat, which is what saves this from being a "just okay" 3-star read for me. My main issue is that this story hinges upon the love story of the titular god Seokga and gumiho Hani, and a convincing romance that captures my heart isn't one that goes on a speedrun like this did. It took a little over a week for them to go at each other's throats to relieving their sexual tension, all after the clichéd Only One Bed trope. It feels like such a waste because Seokga and Hani DO have chemistry, and a more organic development of their relationship would've made this a memorable romance.

TGatG, while marketed as Adult, feels rather YA in terms of how immature and almost rookie-ish these millennia-old titular immortals are supposed to be. Seokga flounders as a veteran detective, unable to see through Hani's deception despite her multiple laughable slip-ups that I wouldn't expect someone who's evaded capture for centuries to be making. That said, for all the flaws, I had a decent time overall, and it was a breeze to read through. The ending was very satisfying, particularly Seokga & Hani's respective growth as individuals.

The God and the Gumiho by Sophie Kim

Sophie Kim, DID YOU PUT DRUGS IN THIS BOOK? IS THE COFFEE LACED WITH CRACK? BECAUSE WHY AM I ABSOLUTELY HOOKED?
I am telling you, no I am URGING YOU, if you love
• 90s romcoms/k-dramas
• Early 2000s anime (It just has this nostalgia vibe)
• Couple banter (Castle and Beckett from Castle or Jake Peralta and Amy Santiago)
• Golden Retriever x Black Cat energy
• Interesting Korean mythology
• Murder mystery type vibes
• Cat and mouse games

I had very high expectations from The God and Gumiho and this book did not disappoint. In this book Kim Hani, the infamous Scarlett Fox is a retired Gumiho. She lives a quiet life in the coffeehouse with her friend Somi and often. This is until she is forced to kill the men who attacked her. Unfortunately, long-term coffee customer and grumpy lead detective Seogka is hot on her tail. Yet the notorious Scarlett Fox is not the only thing which the Fallen God Seogka needs to contend with. He has struck a deal with his brother that if he manages to eradicate the Scarlett Fox and the monster ravaging the city to darkness, Seogka can have his God status back. This results in a complicated cat and mouse game between Seogka, Hani and this mysterious creature.

I will say the plot of this book was unique, and I really think Sophie Kim has really unlocked a magic vault for similar books to start being pushed by editors. I’m not going to lie, a lot of this book is “vibes”. So my critical brain is really turned off.

Hani and Seogka

Let me tell you- if you want a master's class in banter and cute rivalry-look no further than Hani and Seogka. Here are the three songs which perfectly summarize their relationship. It would be

• Fuck It I Love You- by Lana Del Rey (for the cool factor)
• Anti Hero by Taylor Swift (make no mistake Hani and Seogka are not good people)
• Out of time –by the Weeknd (for the downtown dark vibes)

The golden cat and black cat energy (yes, not golden retriever-golden cat hehe) between Hani and Seogka was EVERYTHING! Finally, a couple who are actual rivals and not secretly in love with each other from the beginning. Their banter made me laugh out of load, the sexual chemistry felt genuine and I was not sure throughout the book whether they would betray each other or not, which made for a very entertaining read. Usually these kinds of books are tropey and formulaic but with Hani and Seogka, I actually felt emotionally invested in their journey, and I am eager to see how it will develop in book two.

Honestly, they were giving such strong Richard Castle and Kate Beckett vibes season one vines-AND I WAS LOVING IT. However, I do wish there were more emotionally intimate moments between Hani and Seogka (which is why I rate this book 4.5 stars not 5). I felt like a lot of their relationship development was carried through physical and action scenes rather than emotional scenes between the two. However, as this book is meant to be part of a series, I feel like the base roots for an emotional relationship are there-they need to be further developed in book two.

Korean Mythology and plot

As someone who has zero knowledge of Korean mythology, the way Sophie Kim combined Korean Mythology in a 90s setting is nothing short of marvelous. Her books really read like the 2000s Japanese anime tv shows I used to watch as a kid. I could literally picture everything unfolding in my mind. This book also has a classic detective show vibe, which I love too. Surprisingly, I actually could not predict what the big reveals of this book would be. The plot was gripping and THE ENDING SCENES WERE SO EMOTIONAL AND GRIPPING. My heart was hooked by the end-the very last page made me want to rush to Sophie Kim’s house and demand book two!

Gods, Reincarnation and spirituality of the book

One of the most surprising, but amazing parts of the book was the dynamics between the God/ higher realms and the human realm in Korea. Also, the fact that Hani and Seogka are very old creatures with their own pasts was refreshing to read. The other elements of the book, like talk about reincarnation and hell realms just added to the plot in satisfying ways. I really felt Sophie Kim was setting up a proper world. I actually felt danger and terror from the monsters she was describing- I mean a monster which invades your soul via your nightmares? Sign me up.

Secondary Characters

I feel the secondary characters to this story were fleshed out, endearing and added to the story. I did not expect to love the relationship between Seogka and his brother, but it turned out to be one of the best parts of the book. I cannot give away too much without spoilers, but I am expecting them to turn up in book two.

Thank you Net Gallery and Hodder & Stoughton for the early advanced copy.

The God and the Gumiho
5 ⭐️ 
1 🌶️ 

Seogka, is a fallen trickers god, who is forced to a supernatural investigator on earth and sending nasty creatures back to the spiritual dimension they came from (after a failed coup to take over his brothers heavenly kingdom). The FMC Hani a Gumiho, is the legendary fox spirit called The Scarlett Fox, best known for a mass scale human slaughter 100 years ago (Gumiho loves human livers). 
Hani accidentally draws attention to herself following some murders, she infiltrates Seogka investigation to try and sabotage the efforts to find her. 

They had banter and were a very entertaining. They didn't like each other to begin with, and Seogka was very reluctant and rude towards Hani at first. I really enjoyed their personalities. The story and whole setting.
 
The story progresses very well but I was a bit shocked that the majority of the events of the book all take place within around a week. 

Overall I loved the book, and can't wait for the next one after the ending!!

A grumpy, coffee-loving former-God and a beautiful, murderous Gumiho are forced to work together. What could go wrong?
This book was so much fun to read and, particularly at the end, suitably heartbreaking. Set in New Sinsi, South Korea, this book introduces the reader to a world where Korean mythological creatures, shadow like demons included, still walk the earth. They have comfortably settled into our world and even have their own coffee shops! Little details like this were so charming and really made the book come to life.
I particularly loved the relationship between Seokga and Hani, our two main characters. Whilst there is a lot of animosity, anger and even some betrayals standing in the way of their love, it is clear how much they truly care for each other.
As for the plot, I really enjoyed the murder mystery at the heart of the story. Whilst some of the detective work done by the characters doesn’t make sense (why would going to a club draw out a killer demon?) I think that the journey to find the killer was entertaining. And the final battle in the book was my favourite part of the story! Not only do the characters get to show off their strength, but we also meet the true saviour of the book- coffee! Without a bit of caffeine that sleep, shadow demon might have destroyed the world.
This book was absolutely wonderful and I would definitely recommend it to fans of mythology, urban fantasy and K-dramas!

The first thing I need to point out is that both covers are beautiful, but this one is without a doubt my favorite.

That said, let's talk about this story:
It is a perfect book for lovers of "Guardian: The Lonely and Great God," the 2016 kdrama (Goblin).
The author mixes a lot of folklore with a love story in the best style of enemies to reluctant allies to friends to lovers. She adds elements of modern fantasy to a wide variety of myths. The result is a book where romance skillfully intertwines modernity and tradition.
I loved that our protagonist was far from being a damsel in distress, and although her counterpart is a god, the power dynamics between them never felt unbalanced.
The other detail that captivated me was the third protagonist of these pages, who although does not have his own POV in the story, is undoubtedly the star of the show in almost every chapter: Yes, I'm talking about coffee!

What did I dislike?
• The romance was very rushed: Their relationship evolved at unbelievable speed.
• The crime investigation: it sadly crossed the boundaries of the absurd too often, but I will limit myself to highlight a question: who hires a civilian as an assistant to a police investigation; a woman who mysteriously offers herself for the position and fits all the characteristics of your main suspect????
• Seokga: being the god of deception, he turned out to be painfully naive (almost silly, at times).
• Hani: the worst handled character. She instigated her best friend to commit misdeeds, but is horrified if said friend follows her advice. She ripped out the livers of her victims to devour them, but can't bear to see a body from which the heart has been removed... She is a supernatural assassin who marked history centuries ago; but she has amateur behaviors such as keeping the weapon that incriminates her in her underwear drawer... at her boyfriend's house: aka, the one in charge of capturing her. (This list goes on, but I think you got my point)

My rating is ☆☆☆.5 /5☆
I enjoyed the book and I recommend it as a simple story for lovers of kdramas and romantasy.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the opportunity to read this eARC.

The God and the Gumiho is a wonderful tale inspired by Korean myths full of action, mystery and delicious humour backed by a set of very interesting characters who will work their way into your heart from the very beginning.

I love Korean mythology and I love Kdramas. I expected this book to be a blend of the two and it was a pleasant surprise that it did not disappoint. I got vibes from my two favourite Kdramas of all time, “Tale of the nine-tailed” and “Goblin” and needless to say I had the time of my life reading this one. The mystery had me wondering until the last few chapters, the hints planted masterfully by the author throughout the plot. The main characters’ backstories were informational enough without being tiring and hindering the plot but only advancing it and illuminating Seokga’s and Hani’s evolution regarding themselves and their relationship.

Seokga is a veritable grump and Hani is a teasing fox through and through. Put those two together and the result is delicious banter since the first page they meet each other. Well we could expect nothing less from a trickster god and a nine tailed fox right? And wait till you see how this flaming hate turns into warm friendship and hot passion and ends up in fiery love. I love them both and I am so here for the continuation of their story.

The only slight issue for me personally was the matter of betrayal which had a really big buildup through the book and a minor impact when everything was resolved at the end.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the copy of this ebook.

Ps. The end of Chapter One and beginning of Chapter Two was the most brilliant presentation of main characters I have ever read in my entire life.

the god and the gumiho

this review avoids spoilers by using neutral pronouns and [REDACTED] in place of names :)

what a book omg! it was amazingly written and beyond enthralling, the worldbuilding was so captivating and detailed and I loved the characters and how they all interacted with each other!
in this book we follow Seokga and Hani through their unlikely meeting (coffee shop meet ugly anyone?) and as their relationship develops through the novel. Hani weasels her way into Seokgas investigations into a string of murders connected to a historical gumiho the Scarlet Fox and a demon terrorising the city in order to turn his eye away from her and her friend as suspects in the Scarlet Fox case.  their now joint investigation takes turns they never could have imagined; as their relationship goes from tumultuous to something softer along with it.

I adored this book! the characters were so easy to know and root for, and I loved how Hani and Seokgas relationship developed from the disdain and annoyance it began with to the devastatingly emotional ending. the ending of this book did make me cry just with how developed the character and maturity of [REDACTED] was and how humble they were 🥹. I also loved the cyclical nature of the book; how similar the beginning and the end were with the exception of how much better [REDACTED] treated themselves and others around them. the epilogue got me as well, it was so beautiful to see how [REDACTED] reacted to what happened and how much joy it brought them.
the description of the different realms along with how involved and yet disinterested the gods were to the human realm and the tragedies that were befalling it. the different demons included were so interesting to read and I loved the inclusion of all the mythology behind all of them; from the ones I had heard about and the ones that I hadn't!

As someone that enjoys kdramas and very familiar with kdramas tropes and cliches I was very much intrigued by The God and Gumiho. However I believe this book is a perfect example why some writing works better in drama format rather than a book. While the premise sounded interesting the story, characters and world building left much to be desired.

I tried to love the characters but they just weren't as likable and sometimes felt like characters acted very OoC. The plot was very predictable and felt like the author tried to tick all the boxes that made kdrama romances fun in 2016-2018. The plot is set in 1992 but i often forgot which era the book was set in. What I really enjoyed however is the writing style. Sophie Kim's narration and prose is very good and often felt like I could see the scenes on my screen. Overall a decent debut book. Thank you Hodderscape for the arc through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was very excited to read this book when i saw the blurb and it did not disappoint. Kim Hani, a retired Gumiho, works in a café shop where she, particularly, likes to annoy a trickster god. Seokga, a fallen god, must live in the mortal realm until he completes his punishment. Both of their lives intertwine when a series of events force them to work together. Secrets between them and a powerful demon from the underwold on the loose, it's upto Hani and Seokga to stop him before humanity is lost.

This is a great enemies to lovers book with all the bickering we like to see between our main leads. I found their interactions funny and could feel their hatred towards each other. As soon as i went into this world, it was so descriptive and painted such a lovely picture for me. First impressions are always important in a book and i'm so happy i was able to get into it straight away. The pacing was perfect and the characters were so cool. Hani is a badass with a mouth and Seokga is a broody guy who's only love is coffee with one sugar and one cream. I found myself having to cover the page because i didn't want to, accidently, skip to the end in important scenes. Even though i figured out the villain, i still loved every moment of this book and would recommend it to others.

Thank you to hodder books and netgalley for allowing me to read and early copy for an honest review.

This is probably more like a 4.25

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for accepting my request to read and review this book early. This sounded up my alley and I was not disappointed!

This book was so much more than I expected, and I am so glad I took the time to read it.

I adored the relationship between Hani and Seokga so much, I laughed out loud at some of their interactions. Their growing tension was immaculate. Honestly one of my only complaints with this book was that I wish it was spicier.

Unexpectedly I cried at this books ending. I haven’t done that in forever, but it really tugged on those heartstrings for me, and the time jump ending with the little nugget of gold at the end made me so happy.

This was a really unique setting and world, with the over saturated inclusion of Greek myth in fantasy these days, learning about Korean mythology and the gods was so intriguing coming from someone who knows virtually nothing about them. I think the author also made it accessible incase you weren't familiar with them.

This book also reminded me a little of Crescent City especially in terms of the human + other creature urban city, the creature going around killing people that the are trying to hunt down alongside local law enforcement, and the aspect of the love interests having failed in revolutions in the past and left with having to kill monsters as punishment. This similarity isn't really a complaint though because I truly did enjoy this book and in every other way it was far different.

If there is a book 2 in the series following the same characters I will 100% read it. (less)

Our main characters, Kim Hani and Seokga, are not the heroes by any means. Actually, they are the villains who are forced to play the hero to protect the humans in their city. Kim Hani is a gumiho, a nine-tailed fox who hides her identity as the Scarlet Fox. She was once known for her liver binge (yes, you read that right, she ate liver) and is almost considered a legend by the other nine-tailed foxes. Seogka is the fallen trickster god. After his attempt to seize the throne from his brother went awry, he was sentenced to capture 20,000 paranormal criminals before he could regain his powers and position as a god.

The two couldn't be more different from each other, but when Seogka is tasked with capturing the Scarlet Fox, Kim Hani joins him in hoping to derail his search effort. But when a monster that risks destroying their city and their life as they know it appears, they will need to join forces for real this time.

I was cheering for Kim Hani since the beginning. She's not the typical heroine, and I quite enjoyed that. She's selfish, arrogant and nobody matters other than her. Seogka considers everyone else to be below him and he's on Earth just to do his job to regain his position as a god. During their time together they don't change each other, but instead accept each other for what they are. I'm to going to lie, the ending was quite sad and I wished for something different, but I can't wait to see what book 2 will bring.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodderscape for approving me for this ARC. This was a highly anticipated read for me after my friend read the ARC and loved it so much she’s hoping to get a special edition copy.

This is my first Asian-inspired fantasy read (have more on my TBR) and it’s what I would call an urban-retro fantasy. It’s modern day but set in the 90s. The opening page was a little weird, I can see it as an opening shot in a film but appears slight strange in writing. The book took a while to get going, about 15% in, and I found it didn’t really start to pick up until 23% in. Oh but when it picked up, it picked up fast. The pacing and flow was spot on. It felt like I was watching a K-drama unfold in my head. The mystery and crime wasn’t something I expected so it was a pleasant surprise.

Seokga and Hani felt like true enemies to lovers, in the sense that they deeply dislike and antagonise one other. More akin to Divine Rivals, rather than the type we tend to find in the romantasy genre these days. I loved their banter and interactions with each other. Seokga is meant to be an unpleasant and difficult to like character to those around him but there’s something that makes him likeable to you as a reader.

I ended up enjoying this a lot more than I anticipated. I didn’t love it but I really liked it. The creatures from Korean mythology reminded me of the K-drama, Hotel del Luna, so if you enjoyed this book, you’d probably enjoy that show. It felt unique and different to other fantasies I’ve read, there were some tropes but it felt done in a refreshing way, nothing ever felt overdone. Kudos to Sophie Kim.

I’ve rated this 4/5 stars.