“Small Gods of Calamity” by Sam Kyung Yoo is a fun to read speculative fiction that perfectly merges the hardboiled world of police investigation with the supernatural world of ghosts, magic, and evil spirits. For a 154 page novella, this work of speculative fiction has a very impressive scope. The hero is a South Korean detective who is also a powerful psychic with a very traumatic background. He communicates with ghosts and spirits, performs magic, and saves citizens from horrors that ordinary people do not even known exist. If this isn’t enough, Yoo also provides a complex and fascinating back story for our hero, and continues to thrill readers with complex South Korean (and even a bit of Japanese) mythology and culture.

I will keep an eye out for more of Sam Kyung Yoo’s writing, and I really hope he writes many more novels in this exciting world that he has created in “Small Gods of Calamity.” The prequels that are hinted about in this work sound totally awesome.

I thank Sam Kyung Yoo and Interstellar Flight Press for kindly providing a temporary electronic review copy of this work.

I'd rate this a 4.5/5 ⭐️.

Things I liked:
1. We went straight into the plot, didn't spend time on several introduction chapters but it was still paced wonderfully.
2. The characters each had their own emotional depth and when we changed perspectives it gave better insight and leaves the reader thinking
3. Mythology

Things that I wish were included:
1. I don't know how to pronounce some names and really wished there was a index almost at the end or beginning on how to pronounce the names.
2. It would have been nice to have an epilogue to see what the dynamics of the characters are after the events of this book, do they speak to each other? Are they friends?

Overall, a enjoyable quick read that I would recommend others to read.

Thank you to Interstellar Flight Press for giving me the opportunity to be involved in the ARC process of this novella.

Small Gods of Calamity is a short but very packed Korean inspired urban fantasy read that follows Kim Han-gil, a spirit detective with a pretty bad reputation with not only the police force, but with the spiritual world.

The story firstly shows it thriller mystery roots as the murder case turns into something that is deeply rooted in Han-gil's past, however goes into topics of mental health, suicide, disabilities and a very subtle LGBTQ+ romance that especially, the latter, not only had me pleasantly surprised, but had me smiling with every moment that they were together trying to get along. But overall, these themes add so much to the main lot without actually overwhelming and diverting it elsewhere to pad out the time needed to read it.

Han-gil's character in particular was one of the most human characters I have ever read. It feels like he was an actual human being and you feel his genuine emotions as he's progressing through the story. What initially felt like a 28 year old man with a veteran lone wolf air to him, turned into something real with guilt, confusion and acceptance over what his life has became.

There had been a couple minor spelling grammar errors in chapters 10 and 11 but I promise for anyone who wants to give this novella a shot, please do! I would have never thought that so much meaning and emotion could be packed in under 200 pages, but Sam Kyung Yoo accomplished that and so much more.

This book just ended up feeling too long and drawn out for me to get any enjoyment out of it. I'm trying to read fiction to have some kind of fun experience from it and this really didn't offer that for me at all.

I picked this book up on a total whim, but I am so glad I did. The story was tightly woven, bringing together pieces from the past and present to create a rich novel with believable characters. The writing was smooth and the mythology of the world was really interesting to dive into.

I really appreciated the authors clear familiarity with South Korean culture norms, which reflected in the story, as well as their multi-dimensional representation of queer folks. The central themes of forgiveness and responsibility were explored in clever and nuanced ways, leaving the reader with a satisfying and thought-provoking story at the end.

Overall, I could not recommend this book enough to others!

Sam Kyung Yoo has done an amazing job quickly grabbing my attention and keeping me engaged throughout this mystery thriller. This was a very easy and fast-paced read. I love that I got to experience Korean culture and folklore. The plot is great the characters are well written. I love that we can acknowledge disability, mental health, and LGBTQIA+ and not feel like it's the only point of the book. Just like everyday life, these things are all a part of it but are not the main focus. The characters personality is not centered around being disabled or a member of the LQBTQIA community.
If youre lookong for a little bit of magic in your life I would highly recommend reading small gods of calamity. Immerse yourself in the culture and enjoy the mystery.

The plot of ‘Small Gods of Calamity’ hooked me right away, throwing me headlong into a world of magic and mystery, and leading me through elements of Korean culture and mythology that were a wonder to explore. Our main character, Kim Han-gil, is a delight. Hilarious and human in turns, he’s a spirit detective, he works with magic, sees ghosts, and controls powers that I cannot even begin to fathom, and yet he is so incredibly human and so incredibly relatable that I immediately felt like I knew him. He felt like a friend.

It's also so refreshing and comforting to open up a book that speaks so frankly about subjects that I usually find people tip-toeing around, even in books where they are key factors in the plot. Sam Kyung Yoo is unafraid to have their characters talk about sexuality, mental health issues, disabilities, trauma, and so many other topics that I find are often discussed either like they’re something to be ashamed of, or something that needs fixing. In ‘Small Gods of Calamity,’ these topics are handled neither like the author wants to jump over the topics as quickly as possible, nor in a way that is overdone and preachy. Having a disability, having mental health issues, or being a member of the LGBTQ+ community are everyday elements of people’s lives the world over, and the author does a phenomenal job of incorporating these aspects of life into their characters, and into their character’s dialogue in a way that feels real and honest. I’ve had these same, simple, honest conversations with my own friends, with colleagues and family members. Sam Kyung Yoo does an excellent job of representing these elements in a way that bashes you over the head with how normal it is.

And of course I can’t forget the magic. Ghosts, spirits, talismans, worms. The real power in this book is the way reading about the magic happening invites readers to see what Han-gil is seeing, hear the water droplets, feel the sunshine on their skin, smell the salt water smell of the sea. There is atmosphere and energy in reading a book like this. The use of imagery involving all of the senses, inviting you to feel what the characters feel, smell what they smell, taste what they taste-- it pulled me in and then swallowed me whole.

‘Small Gods of Calamity’ introduced me to the writing of Sam Kyung Yoo, and I’m so excited to see what they will come up with next.

It was my first time reading a sci-fi/fantasy of this type. Regardless I was pleasantly surprised! The first chapter hooked me in and I enjoyed how small the book was. The writing was great, magical, and captivating.

Genre: Mystery/Thriller, Fantasy

Romance: LGBTQIA+ (but not the main focus)

**I had the privilege to have an arc of this book thanks to NetGalley**

🪷 preface — Sam Kyung Yoo’s navigates the mystery and fantasy with a unique less that highlights aspects of the Asian spiritual world in a way that feels like a breath of fresh air, their use of complex character building in combination with this fantastical world making you want more.

📚 overall thoughts — This book is gripping. I was reeled in the instant I opened to the first page, the mystery behind the characters and the world capturing my attention with Yoo’s writing style. The story itself is fast-paced and touches my heart dearly. It is full of angst and suspense that just keeps you glued in for hours on end. It is quite an easy read and is very much a story that is easy to follow. The character relationships and how they interact with the world seem to be one of the best things about this book. Overall, a very solid fantasy mystery/thriller that has a strong Asian LGBTQIA + voice that needs to be heard and seen by more.

“Small Gods of Calamity” by Sam Kyung Yoo takes place in South Korea and follows Han-Gil, a detective investigating a string of suicides. **Suicides do happen on page** Han-Gil is able to see and talk to ghosts, but unlike his other clairvoyants he can also see parasitic ghost worms that possess people. This story follows his quest to trap and kill the worm that possessed and forced his mother to commit suicide. He does this with the help of his sister, Azuna, and a previously possessed boy named Yoonhae.
I absolutely loved this trio. They each had unique personalities and voices. The dialogue felt smooth between them as well. A character I would have loved to see more of was Wonshik. The way Han-Gil disregarded Wonshik actually made me dislike Han-Gil a little, but his last partner did die because he got to close to the investigation regarding a worm so I guess Han-Gil had reasons.
As a nature documentary lover, I was thrilled by the comparison’s between them and the ghost worms. I think the imagery really brought the worms to life and gave them substance even if they were ghostly beings.
My main critique is that the world-building fell a bit flat. I had a few unanswered questions, but as they weren’t necessary to understanding the plot I wasn’t left feeling as though the plot was unresolved. I would love to see more of these characters!

I ended up loving this book! I wish there was a bit more characterization but the pacing was great, and it starts off which a bang, and I loved how quickly that grabbed my attention. It kept me reading for much longer than I should have in a sitting, but I really enjoyed it! I honestly cannot wait to see what this author comes up with next! I will say it did read, at least for me, somewhere between YA and adult fantasy, not quite either but still a great read. The mix of mythology and thriller ended up working very well!

The first chapter got me hooked and interested in knowing more about the story and how the magic and spirit perception works.

The mc made me think of John Constantine, was he the inspiration for this character?

I learned a lot about East-Asian culture as well, the author mentions overworking, mental health & other stuff.

It's a quick, enjoyable read. I definitely see this story having a prequel to explore more about the relationships the characters have or a story about the gods..

A snappy urban fantasy with thriller elements, Small Gods of Calamity interweaves East Asian spiritual practices with a unique tale about parasitic possession and trauma coming to a head from two very different perspectives.

The book primarily follows Kim Han-gil, a detective working in Seoul with a side gig of trying to exorcise soul-eating worms. As a protagonist, he's fairly lovable, with a matter-of-fact attitude that can border on endearingly comedic. To some who are a bit more picky with these sorts of characters, he may border a bit on annoying, with his brash almost lone wolf attitude and burning hatred for a guy he met once as a kid that can definitely feel irrational at times, but I never found it to be a bad thing, the plot moved forward quickly because of his actions, and I never felt that lull common in the middle of many books where the protagonist needs to do something but just... isn't.

One of the highest praises I have of the novella is that it knows exactly when to slow things down, draw us into a flashback or switch perspectives to Yoonhae, who by virtue of being much more quiet and careful, slows the chapter down a little bit and take more things in. Both of these things can be difficult to balance, as said before, especially flashbacks, but they never felt distracting, providing important contextual information with each one. Second only to this is the descriptions of everyone's souls, which felt reminiscent of arguing with fellow synesthesia-having friends about the colors, tastes, sounds and smells of whatever we could think of, a very specific feeling, but one I don't think I've seen much in any media.

The primary complaint I have is the characters never quite felt real. They weren't the writing equivalents of plastic dolls by any means, and can still evoke visceral reactions in times of great emotion, but they definitely behaved in a way that was just out of reach of perfectly realistic. Too energetic, too subdued, or the conversation just didn't quite flow exactly how it actually would had it been real. This isn't a story ruining critique, of course, but someone looking for that should be aware before coming into it. The only other frustration I sort of had with the book was how little I still felt I seemed to understand the background information when all was said and done. I kept checking to see if maybe there was a first book in the series I missed with the missing context, but didn't seem to find any. If a sequel is in the works to explain it though, I would definitely consider picking it up.

Additionally, I think if you're looking for a thriller or any sort of mystery, rather than fantasy, you may wish to skip this one. It's definitely thrilling in the interesting with plenty of action sense, but there isn't much of a... finding the killer type deal in here. It gets worked out fairly quickly and the rest of the book is mostly just dealing with the fallout.

Overall, though, if you're looking for a fantasy with focus on East Asian beliefs, a unique take on the soul and possession, a touching tale on working through trauma, or even just a comfortingly large amount of queer characters (even without romance) within one book, I'd definitely check this one out. It's unlikely to disappoint.