Thank you so much to NetGalley for eARC!

As much as it pains me to say it, I am DNF-ing this book at 65%. This will most likely be a temporary DNF, and I'm certain I will continue to finish the book once I receive a physical copy. Somehow, reading this book on my Kindle makes the book feel longer than it probably is.

I thought the start of the book was solid. The prose is lovely and the writing does feel immersive if not a bit over-descriptive and over-written, leaving little opportunity for the reader to just pick up on context at times. I enjoyed the tidbits of worldbuilding without the info dumping that most other fantasy books are wont to have. As a fan of K-Dramas, I could see where the author pulled a lot of inspiration from, and I was enjoying the heck out of this book because it felt like consuming a K-Drama in book form.

The introductions of the main cast were fun and light, and I absolutely loved Hani and Seokga from the start. Each character was charming with their own distinguishing personality, and Hani and Seokga's banter and interactions were amusing to read. Even when the characters would be petty and immature, I didn't really mind it at first because I thought it was entertaining and had me chuckling here and there. However, as the book continued, the immaturity began to feel too much, and had me wanting to see more nuance to balance these traits out.

The thing that made me lose interest the most and that made me DNF this book is the romance. I really wish the author had drawn out the characters' feelings for one another a bit more, having them get together closer to the 70% or even 80% mark instead of barely half-way through the book. I felt as if the romance between Hani and Seokga felt too sudden and rushed, going from enmity and annoyance to tolerance before deep diving immediately into love. The characters basically fall in love within 5 chapters after going on a trip together, but there was barely any lead up or development to the moment they realize they have feelings for each other, and it all felt very out-of-character that they fell in love so quickly. I'm not sure if the scenes where they bicker and argue is meant to be portrayed as them suppressing their attraction for one another, but it never came off that way to me. And now since I've realized I don't care for the romance, and since it is one of the central focuses of the story, I just don't find myself caring anymore for the rest of the book; there's nothing that's keeping my interest much even with the mystery at hand.

I thought this would be a 5-star read for the longest time, but at the moment, I feel like that opinion is no longer true, and I will be rating this 3 stars for the time being. Like I said, I will most likely finish this book at some point. But for now, I think I'd rather move on to other books that can hold my interest more.

I'm a big fan of My Roommate is a Gumiho so this sounded right up my alley, but sadly, it fell flat for me. Both characters were genuinely unlikeable and not at all how I thought they would be. Their dialogue and inner thoughts were juvenile and got old after awhile (especially considering how old they were). I also just couldn't get into the writing style which made it hard to continue.

dnf @ 44%

From a craft standpoint, I think this novel was pretty good. The writing was good and perfectly suited the story and world of the novel, the world seemed interesting with the interweaving of Korean mythical creatures with a modern setting, and I especially liked the bits of lore that we were given at varying points in the story. In fact, I had really been enjoying the novel when I had started reading and had expected that I would have felt the same about the rest of the novel. However, once the story actually begun to delve into the two main characters and their relationship, I realized that this was not the case.

Both Seokga and Hani were just unbearably insufferable to me. Seokga was childish, petulant, and whiny, and even after reading up to nearly halfway through the novel, there’s not one redeeming or interesting quality I could name about this character. If anything, I can at least say that his shortcomings were at least acknowledged by the narrative which could point towards some character development at some later point in the story, but I did not care enough about him to see any of this.

Hani was written in a way that makes it seem as if she’s supposed to come across as ‘quirky, brave, and girlboss’ especially for standing up to Seokga, whose framed as an arrogant asshole, but she’s every bit as rude and childish as he is, if not more so. I started to dislike her at the start of the story because of how unnecessarily hostile she felt, when she was working as a barista and purposefully messed up Seokga’s order (when he at that point of the story has done nothing to her) and spilled it on him when he was trying to get her to redo his drink, and at one point she even regrets not spitting in his order. As someone who has worked in customer service, I found this behavior to be unbelievably rude and juvenile, and I was not a fan of how the scene was painted as ‘hahaha, quirky!’ My opinion of her only worsened as the story went on, though I thought her friendship with Somi was cute at least.

I did not get far enough into the novel to see the two main character’s get into a romantic relationship, but I doubt I would’ve enjoyed the romance between them. Their banter was annoyingly juvenile, and for mythical deities that are supposed to be 1000+ years old, they both acted a surprisingly lot like annoying teenagers. Even the bits of ‘softness’ between them just felt forced, and I just don’t think I’d be able to buy a romance between the two of them.

The plot did seem decent enough, but not enough for me to push through the perspective of two deeply annoying, unlikeable narrators.

Honestly no notes. I absolutely adore this book, the characters, plot, and setting are interesting and entertaining. This novel is in competition with “A Song to Drown Rivers” by Ann liang for my favorite book of the year, because it is just so effortlessly atmospheric.

The romance even though it happened in technically seven days did not feel rushed and poorly executed. Which is something that truly did surprise me.

I would recommend this if you are looking for a book with the same vibes of Alchemy of Souls, and even if you’re not I recommend this if you just want a solid fantasy book!

Baby’s first arc (or at least the first arc that I requested and got approved for :))
I saw the synopsis and I was like, sign me up, please.
The God and the Gumiho is admittedly inspired by K-drama. So, reader beware, I guess? It definitely lives up to the pitch, which probably isn’t for everyone, but it’s definitely for me.

Sassy Gumiho barista (by way of capitalism) meets fallen Trickster God detective (by way of punishment) and they team up to track down two mythological baddies, but she’s one of them. A bit of enemies to lovers and a bit cozy, even if the stakes are too high to really be considered a cozy fantasy.

Hani and Seokga are a bit frustrating at times (par for the course for my relationship with K-Drama characters) but they’re overall good eggs and it was enjoyable to spend time with them and watch their relationship unfold while tracking down a super powerful demon threatening the world.

While Sophie Kim does note that the mythology was inspiration rather than a retelling, I enjoyed my time looking up the mythological creatures (yay mythology!) And, as far as the K-Drama aspect goes, think Goblin or The Tale of the Nine-Tailed.

I’m definitely looking forward to the series continuing.
Thank you to #NetGalley & Random House for providing me with a copy for review. #TheGodandtheGumiho

5/5 stars
Recommended if you like: fantasy, mythology, Korean mythology, multiple POVs, enemies to lovers, mystery

This review has been posted to Goodreads on 3/4, my review blog on 4/4, and to Instagram on 4/10.

This was definitely one of my favorite reads of February! It's got the perfect blend of magic, shenanigans, scheming, enemies-to-lovers, and humor. I was definitely on the edge of my seat as Hani and Seokga searched for the eoduksini, and while they got closer to one another with Hani still hiding her identity.

I definitely thought the worldbuilding was interesting. Most of the time is spent on a world where humans and immortals exist side-by-side, with the former completely unaware. So the characters have normal, everyday things like coffee, cars, and cellphones, but also have more magical items like swords and charms, and come across humans and magical creatures alike. I also liked the details about items the magical community could by from the store, particularly the non-human-liver alternatives the gumiho eat since Hani's Scarlet Fox spree resulted in the banning of eating human livers and souls. It's a small part of the book, but I thought it was a nice touch.

I absolutely love Hani. Her hidden past as the Scarlet Fox means she's notorious in immortal circles and not only is responsible for the ban on gumiho eating human livers and souls, but is also the gumiho with the highest kill count. Despite this, she's actually pretty normal and down to earth. She's also pretty funny, both intentionally and unintentionally, and I liked her blasé attitude about eating livers (and thus killing people). Hani clearly cares deeply and while she's dedicated to misguiding Seokga in regards to his Scarlet Fox investigation, she earnestly wants to help find and defeat the eoduksini. She also strives to help her friend Somi throughout the book and feels responsible over the younger gumiho.

Seokga, on the other hand, is a complete and utter asshole. But he grows on you. The trickster god is still bitter about being thrown out of the godly world and having his own realm of darkness locked up after his attempted coup. It's unclear how much of his personality is residual from that and how much is just him naturally, but Seokga really does not seem to care about anyone, nor very many things (other than coffee, man is particular about his coffee) prior to the events of the book. That being said, it becomes clear that Seokga does have deeper ties to his exiled life than it seems, and even he comes to the realization that there are some people that he cares about. It's easy to forget that Seokga was a trickster god because he's fairly serious and dedicated to his investigation(s), but it shows up in odd moments, such as when he cheats at rock, paper, scissors. Despite the fact that he's an asshole, Seokga does have a certain charm about him, even before he begins being a more...tolerable person.

The romance is, obviously, between Hani and Seokga. They balance each other out pretty well once they get past their barista-customer annoyance. Seokga is able to play 'bad cop' with ease while Hani is a much more soothing figure and the type who can calm crying witnesses enough to give a cohesive statement. I liked seeing the quirks they brought out in each other and am glad they get their chance at a happy ending.

The whole Scarlet Fox thing really is a mess. Hani was just enacting a kind of vigilante justice when she got the bright idea to take their livers as a treat for a friend. Unfortunately, the killings align too much with her 1888 spree and whaddya know suddenly there's a hunt on for the Scarlet Fox. Hani definitely does not want to get caught, and she definitely doesn't want another gumiho taking the fall in her place, she'd rather the whole thing just fizzle out and get written off as a fluke, and she's willing to attach herself to the investigation, and thus her least favorite customer Seokga, in order to achieve that. While there were some tense moments when I was worried about her getting caught, it was humorous to read about Hani doing her best to thwart Seogka's investigation and coming up with absurdities to get it done.

The eoduksini is the more serious of the two, particularly since the eoduksini has the potential to create a dark world in the realm shared by humans and immortals, something no one wants happening. There are a lot of twists and turns in this part of the investigation and I was definitely trying to work it out myself as the characters were. At times I felt confident I knew who it was, and then something new would happen and I would second-guess myself or Seokga and Hani. I was very invested in finding out who the eoduksini was and seeing how things would play out there.

Overall I greatly enjoyed this book and definitely recommend it to fantasy lovers. Seokga and Hani are pretty different but each bring humor to the novel and the two of them fit well together. I thought the worldbuilding was pretty interesting and I enjoyed getting to know the world and the magic within it.

4.5 Stars

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Considering most of the arcs I have read so far have been disappointing this book was a pleasant surprise!

The best way I can describe this book is fun.
I had a lot of fun with the characters’ dynamics, the way the plot progressed, and the jokes. It was just a great reading experience all around. The two strongest elements in the book are the characters and the investigation aspect of the plot:

Characters: I enjoyed how the author set up the characters and their flaws. Normally these kinds of characters I find irritating, but instead, I loved they were unapologetically wicked and sometimes ridiculous. Because these flaws were laid out so well I expected there to be massive impacts on the plot and when it happened, I enjoyed the payoff. However, in the end, both characters had to come to terms with their issues and their changes helped to bring together the story’s resolution.

Investigation: I also enjoyed the way the investigation was plotted out. I feel like so many times in other books, characters just come to dead ends until we find out that there is this obscure ‘thing’ in a scene that helps characters solve an entire plot offscreen. Not in this book!

We saw the characters doing a lot of work going through data and tracking down leads. I don’t feel there were massive jumps in logic that happened like in some detective stories. In fact the time it happened, it ended up having a huge impact on the plot in ways I wasn’t expecting.

My main issues with the book were minor. There were a few scene transitions that were too quick and jarring, like the transition between chapters 36 and 37. I thought I missed a chapter at first. There were also a lot of references to sweat, which I think would have been less noticeable had it not happened as often as it did.

As a side note, I recommend pretty much any songs made by Banks if you’re looking for music to read this book to. 🫶🏻

***Two quick technical corrections. I don’t count these towards the rating as I understand this is an ARC and not fully completed.

-Chapter 15, page 133. Seokga’s name is spelled wrong in the line: -“Eating them?” Seoka asks sharply.-

-Chapter 40, page 290. Hearse is spelled wrong, it’s listed as hease.

#TheGodandtheGumiho #NetGalley

3.5* stars.
This book has a very pretty cover. This was fascinating exposure to South Korean mythology, and I hadn’t realized how much I didn’t know and I enjoyed learning more about it. I perceived this book as being marketed to YA and I feel like it read that way for me.

The only thing was the romance fell a bit flat for me. I couldn't feel their chemistry as strongly as I wanted to. Although, I will say that I preferred their personalties at the end of the book compared to the beginning.

4.75 stars! Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine, Del Rey, and Random House Publishing Group for this advanced copy! You can pick up The God and the Gumiho on June 4, 2024.

This book was exactly what I needed at the exact right time. It was quick-paced with high-stakes, sharp writing, and delicious banter between two snarky protagonists who leaped off the page. I loved the 1990s setting and the way Sophie Kim wove South Korean folklore and culture into the story. It felt more like I was watching a K-drama than reading a book, but with fascinating fantasy elements that were easy to grasp.

The ONLY reason this isn't straight up 5 stars is because I wish the tension between Hani and Seogka had been a littttttle bit more drawn out. Kim did such a fantastic job establishing the enemies/rivals aspect and building it up to reluctant allies and friends. But once they realized they felt attracted to each other, they quickly got together physically. I wish there'd been a bit of a longer lead-up to them getting together, BUT I can understand why Kim did that to increase the emotional drama at the end of the story.

Speaking of the ending -- it didn't have to go SO HARD. OH MY GOD?? I couldn't put it down once we reached the climactic battle, and now I'm BEGGING for Book 2 crumbs. Safe to say Sophie Kim is going to be a new auto-buy author for me, and I can't wait to dive into her other books!

TW/CW: Death, murder, sex (not very graphic), language

REVIEW: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily writing an honest review.

The God and the Gumiho is a wonderful dive into Korean mythology. It is the story of the fallen god Seokga and the gumiho (an immortal fox shifter) Kim Hani, who are brought together to solve a series of supernatural crimes in the human world.

I loved this book. The writing was engaging, the characters were interesting, and it was a new mythology for me – something I always love reading. Although there are some pretty dark parts in this book, the writing keeps it from getting depressing, and there’s almost a whimsicality to some of it.

I am very much looking forward to the second book in this series, which I highly recommend!

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the eARC

4.5★- a fun urban fantasy romp

For this one, think urban fantasy mystery + some enemies to lovers action + family and friend drama. deception, animosity, humor, protectiveness, and more!

we have two main characters who would each be extremely annoying to interact with, thrown at each other to solve a mystery and basically be bounty hunters? one of them is the stoic and mean type, and the other is more trickster/annoying (and she’s not the trickster god of the two of them!). but as times goes along and they help and grow to care for each other, the dynamic improves. these characters definitely fall into the morally gray realm, though the have internal morality that keeps them from feeling too off the rails. their relationship is the core of this story and is portrayed in a believable and moving way- I was invested in their love early on.

this book has an engaging writing style that kept me reading until I finished it the same day I started. the dual POV structure also kept me interested because I wanted to understand how each character felt about the situation.

I did find the conclusion a little underwhelming. I think the way it worked out didn’t quite wow me with cleverness in terms of finding a way to fix things, but also didn’t go the “we can’t always get a happy ending” route. So it just felt like an underwhelming compromise. But I did like that it allowed for a nice character moment between brothers….

I’ll post my review on my Instagram over the next week or two, and update here with the link. (NOW UPDATED WITH LINK)

The writing style of this has been a huge turn off and I’m finding that I just cannot finish this book. I’m stopping at 20%. I appreciate that I’ve been able to receive an arc, though.

This is a great, robust urban fantasy with a unique take on the noir genre, in a way. I somewhat couldn't stand the male main character, but his development as well as the focus on the gumiho female main character overcame my dislike. The book itself is incredibly immersive and atmospheric and more than lives up to the gorgeous cover.

→ 3.5 stars, rounded to 3

The story follows Seogka, a fallen god who was banished to the mortal realm after a failed coup in an attempt to take over his brother's kingdom, and Kim Hani, the infamous Scarlet Fox known for mass murder who has retired to working in a coffee shop, as they work together to uncover the whereabouts of a powerful demon that threatens their home.

I found it a bit difficult to get into at first since the setting seemed a bit ancient Korea-esque rather than modern day, which made the informal slang and modern devices seem out of place. The dialogue was also a bit awkward, especially Seogka's snarky comments that did not match with his personality. After I got into it, the story had me hooked with the perfect amount of action, romance, and tension ... until the second half. I found the romance to be a bit lacking since everything just happened so suddenly and the plot felt dragged on and became boring. The characters were also unlikeable, considering they are a thousand-something years old and were acting like kids. Seogka would have been more likeable if he was cunning as promised rather than the rude personality he had, and Hani's quips, smooth at first, became annoying after a while.

Although I did have some minor issues with it, it was a quick and mostly enjoyable read overall. I will be picking up the sequel when it releases to see where the story goes.

I enjoyed the lighthearted voice and K-drama inspired premise, but was turned off by the writing style, in particular the heavy use of passive voice and the third person omniscient perspective. Not vibing with a writing style is the number one most difficult thing for me to get past in a story, and unfortunately soured my reading experience. The characters themselves were fun & charming but lacked much depth. Overall the story catered heavily towards the fanfiction crowd, chocked full of ~snarky~ dialogue and predictable if popular tropes. The best part about this was the heavy influence of Korean mythology in the world-building and lore, but the creativity wasn't enough to account for other weakness.

This book was everything I was hoping it would be. Two crafty immortals working reluctantly together to fight evil. My favorite tropes of grumpy/sunshine (even if that sunshine is sarcastic) and the ever-loved only one bed. This is a fantasy/mystery combination that pulls creatures and demons from folklore into the real world.

I have always had a fascination for trickster gods and for fox women, so to have them star together as main characters in this novel set the bar high. I’m so glad it did not disappoint.

I strongly recommend reading this if you loved The Fox Wife. And if you haven’t read either, I recommend reading both. Mysterious deaths and fox spirits go hand in hand.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance read of this title. All opinions described are my own.

Thanks to Netgalley for sending me an arc in exchange of an honest review.

Okay so, when I first started to read this, it was hard to believe that Seogka was a trickster god. He didn't felt charming or cunning, mostly just rude. which is disappointing because I was hoping that was the type of character he was.

Then Hani, who is a legendary fox spirit called The Scarlett Fox, and it's supposed to be 1,000+ years old, mostly felt juvenile to me.😭 I wanted to like her so bad. She's also supposed to be cunning but some of the choices she made to hide her identity had me questioning how she wasn't found out sooner.

If you are really into K-dramas, this book definitely have the vibes of one.

Ps. the cover alone for this book, would have me going to the store to buy it.

There here is so much I want to say.
I loved the story, Sophie Kim's writing and Hani so much, and Seokga kinda grew on me.

Hani was everything. Morally grey fmc with a dubious moral compass but a sense of honor and a bored yet witty personality.

Seokga had multiple sticks up his butt but was so much more than the cold, broody mmc stereotype we are used to. He was a little pathetic at times and Hani rilling him up was just the best.

Plus add to those two a mystery to solve, some action, a 3D small cast of characters, a side of sibling rivalry, and the ever intriguing Korean folklore. This might be read as a standalone but I definitely need more.

And the end. The end was just perfect.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book definitively delivered on reading like a K-drama in book form which I enjoyed. The story also has an interesting concept that is easy to grasp, making it a straightforward yet engaging read. It was also pretty fast-paced, and though it took me a little bit to become invested, I liked that the pacing never felt like it dragged. The Korean mythology was very interesting and also made the setting stand out.

In terms of characters, though they also took some time to grow on me, their dynamic was filled with good banter that made it easy to root for them. I will say though at times their interactions seemed overly childish for beings who have lived for thousands of years. This sentiment extends to some of their actions, which sometimes came off as unbelievably stupid given their age and experience.

Although, as I mentioned before, I really enjoyed the romance, the transition from enemies to lovers felt somewhat unrealistic and could have been a bit better. Initially, it seemed like the relationship development would follow a believable route and take its time, but then there was a sudden shift from animosity to being overcome with feelings after just one night, which seemed too abrupt a change. The first kiss scene between them though was honestly awful as it felt weird and out of place; Aeri making the bargain that she will only give them the information if they kiss seemed contrived and lacked any logical motivation, which made the scene severely underwhelming.

While we’re talking about things that were a tad underwhelming, the solution to the nightmares given to the victims by the eoduksini felt way too easy. Despite that however, I really enjoyed every other aspect of the ending, enough to be looking forward to see where the sequel will take things.

Overall despite its drawbacks, this was still an enjoyable read with an interesting concept, nice pacing and storyline that will appeal to K-drama fans and fantasy romance readers alike.

~Rating: ★ ★ ★ ✰ ✰ .25~

I am quite the sucker for fantasy and mythology, so this book is a perfect genre bend for me. Bring in the korean mythology to this novel brought a fresh take for both genres. this is a book that comes around very rarely. I loved every page!