If a K-drama was condensed into book form, I'm pretty sure it would be something like this. Everything about this book was so fun, and I laughed out loud more than once!
The characters were fantastic - complex and layered with a fleshed-out personality and excellent chemistry. The romance was believable and so cute!
The worldbuilding was also really well-done. I loved all of the nods to Korean folklore and mythology like the dokkaebi, joeseung saja, gumiho, etc. It reminded me of a lot of fantasy K-dramas, which are my favorites. I do think that readers who haven't watched as many dramas or aren't familiar with Korean stories would benefit from a glossary. The text does have descriptions and elaborates on the Korean terms, but I think it would be helpful nevertheless.
The ending was really nice, too. I like that the book is able to stand on its own and doesn't leave the reader hanging. That said, I need the sequel immediately.

Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Teen for the digital ARC!

i love any books to do with mythology and i absolutely adored this book!

Hani & Seokga had the best relationship! it was the perfect amount of banter and romance. i really enjoyed that it wasn’t an “instant” type of love. it was a slow burn from the start, even though it actually happened very quickly. the author does such a good job on making it seem like it was so much longer!

i had never read a book about korean mythology, so i was a little nervous, but the author made it so enjoyable and interesting! you learn so much about the culture! i can’t wait to read more!

thank you to Netgalley and Random House for approving me for an ARC. these opinions are my own.

Overview

Two ancient beings, far too old for an “I’ve never felt this way before” phase, found themselves undeniably attracted to each other in ways they’ve never thought possible, despite everything.

I wholeheartedly believe there is such a thing as the right book at the right time. By the end of the first chapter, I knew this was going to be such a book for me. It was written for me and I was going to love it. It took me over a month to finish the book because I devoured the first 70% of the book and then proceeded to procrastinate finishing since I didn’t want it to end.

Final rating: 4.8 / 5.0 stars

The Review

I was originally drawn to this book because of the premise: a gumiho (fox) and a trickster god working together to prevent an apocalypse. Foxes are known to be cunning and are tricksters in their own right, so a dynamic featuring trickster x trickster with deception, high stakes, and potential angst? Sign me up. Without revealing too much, I was not disappointed.

Hani is playful and adaptable, but neither a genius nor a perfect liar. Hani is a 1700+ year old fox, who lived through a time period when killing and eating men was not yet taboo, so of course she wouldn’t bat an eye at killing. That doesn’t make her a psycho killer though. Beneath a bad temper and a superiority complex, Seokga is perhaps a god with some attachment and abandonment issues. Seokga has lived for so long holding no attachment, so once he finally finds someone who can make his heart shiver, he’d best hold on for dear life. The stakes for both characters were so high that it makes you question if a resolution resulting in a happy ending where both characters get what they want would even be possible.

I love it when authors write like the readers know what is going on. Do I know what a jeoseung saja, dokkaebi, bulgasari, are? No. Doesn’t matter though because while there was always a quick description of what each of these mythical beings are, the author doesn’t expend more time than necessary explaining. These characters just make sense existing in the world they live in, doing the work they do. That’s the beauty of a reimagining, isn’t it? At least, I think so.

I didn’t feel like the mystery aspect was anything special, but I still enjoyed it because the tension was well preserved throughout the process. I did figure out the twist before the reveal, but only like tens of pages beforehand. I don’t think this makes the plot predictable per se, rather I think the author did such an excellent job of leaving breadcrumbs and trusting the readers to connect the dots themselves. When I think to myself, “no way, that’s too obvious” the characters quickly also acknowledge “no way, that’s too obvious”. Therefore, to me, the author did an amazing job at keeping the reader on the same page as the characters, not too far behind nor too far ahead. There was just enough information presented when the information was necessary. Keeping the readers and characters on similar wavelengths is always praiseworthy when it comes to writing a mystery.

Overall, the pacing was quite fast, with everything happening over the course of a few days, yet the plot was so tightly knit together, I didn’t feel it was too rushed. If there was one thing that was a little rushed, it was probably the final battle. Personally though, I didn’t really care because the action wasn’t what I picked this book up for. If I have any complaints, I think the emotional beats during the final scenes could’ve slowed down a little. It wasn’t as angsty as I would’ve hoped because everything happened so fast. After completion, I can look at the story as a whole and recognize this book was very well planned.

A couple of lines hit pretty hard. I can’t wait for the official release so I can start adding quotes to my goodreads!

Final Remarks

I think personal enjoyment plays a big role in ratings and I definitely enjoyed this book a lot. I initially wanted to rate this a five star, but it lacked a little bit of that “this will live rent free in my mind forever” and “my non-existent therapist will hear about this” factor. Don’t get me wrong, I still think about this book every other day since completion. Actually, I might come back and change it to five stars later, after release and having read the finalized version.

In order to avoid any spoilers, I can’t gush too much about anything, but in short this book is everything I currently wanted, really. I look forward to picking up a copy upon release just to reread and see all the breadcrumbs I may have missed the first time around. Probably a bit early to say this, but I think this might be a favorite of the year.

About the Spice

The spice kinda came out of left field, I didn’t expect it at all so I was surprised when it happened…and I was right next to my mom while reading it haha. Although there isn’t much, there is definitely a tiny bit of spice. Probably like a 1.5 out of 5.0 on a spicy scale (0 being no spice at all), it’s not very explicit. Regardless, you might like spice, or you might not, so I thought I’d mention it.

Miscellaneous Musings

The romance between the two leads aside, I really love Seokga’s relationship with Shim—how despite being the “younger” of the two (sixties vs thousands lol) he still treats Seokga a lot like a son. Seokga really was a brat in many ways.

Sigh, I love the coffee’s involvement. Coffee was the moment I knew I was going to love this book, how the author ties the two characters together in the first two chapters via coffee as a storytelling device.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the arc in exchange for an honest review. Also thank you Sophie for writing this spectacular book!

I was worried that my inexperience with K-dramas and Korean mythos would hinder my enjoyment of the story but I'm happy to report that that was not the case.

Hani is a menace and I love her. Seokga is a different brand of menace and I also love him.

The mystery and suspence of the novel relies on old tropes but plays them so well it sounds like a new song.

I am incredibly biased when it comes to urban fantasies, but even so this one stands out above the rest.

Worth every second reading and for that I will give it five stars.

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. The God and the Gumiho was IMMACULATE. Ms. Kim is insanely gifted at creating such creating complex worlds, and her characters? I am obsessed with this series already, and this is only the first book. I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy, and will certainly be recommending it! A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads.

Hold on, I’m not done crying yet.

This story was everything I love in a book. Enemies to lovers, tricksters, mythology, mystery and a satisfying ending; even if I’m still in tears over it!

Only thing that bothered me was the speed at which their relationship suddenly became lovey. It was way too fast, but who am I to say how fast a fallen god and a nine tailed fox can fall in love.

This is not the right book for me at the moment, I had to DNF it at 10%.

From what I did read, there was nothing wrong with the books itself. The writing is excellent and the setting is well defined without being bogged down with lengthy descriptions. I like what we were given of the characters and the hints of the magical world. My hold-up is I don't think I like urban fantasies as much as I thought. I will definitely try coming back to this one when I am in the right mood and I look forward to exploring the author's others works.

I predict this is at least a 4 star read for the right audience. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC ebook.

The God and the Gumiho was an entertaining read. As a Korean-American, I’m embarrassed to admit that I’m not all too familiar with different types of Korean myths or folktales. However, I’ve gotten more into learning about different kinds of demons and monsters thanks to Korean dramas!

Summary: Kim Hani is the famed Scarlet Fox gumiho who has been lying low... by serving coffee at a cafe. Seokga the Fallen is a former god who has, well, fallen from grace after a coup gone wrong. Seokga is subjected to life with mortals until he satisfies the condition of his return. However, his brother modifies the terms of his banishment and will allow Seokga to return if he can kill the powerful demon eoduksini and the Scarlet Fox. Hani signs up to be Seokga’s assistant in order to divert his attention away from herself, all while helping him track down the eoduksini.

If you’re into the enemies-to-lovers trope, then this is for you because—wow—do Hani and Seokga hate each other! Lol! The story is held together by tracking down demons and solving the identity of the eoduksini. Overall, it’s a fun plot.

As for my qualms… I’d say this book had a lot of “convenient” plot points to progress the story along. To me, some of it felt unnatural and a little lazy? Also, I thought there was a lot of use of the Korean names of certain types of demons, which is cool but could also get confusing if one can’t remember the terms.

Overall, the book was entertaining, but it’s a one-time read for me. If it’s a series, I will not be continuing on. I’d give this book 3.5/5 stars, so I will round up to 4. Thank you Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The powers the exceptional descriptiveness had on me is insane. I loved reading this! I cannot wait to see where Sophie Kim takes us next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is my first ARC, and boy was it a great one."The God and the Gumiho" has been added to my favorite books of 2024. I'm really hoping the author has plans for this to be a full series.

A fast-paced modern mythological fantasy set in 1992 South Korea filled with gods and monsters, a murder-mystery, and a fallen god - gumiho duo working with and against each other at the same time. If you love kdramas, fantasy manhwa, fun detective mysteries, or coffee: you'll probably love this book.

While I was intimidated at first by all the incorporations of Korean mythology and culture that I wasn't familiar with, it was so easy to get wrapped up in the story because of how well it was all woven in. It also gave me the opportunity to do a little research and learn something new. :)

Hani and Seokga's dynamic is so refreshing and fun. Their banter is entertaining, and they're actually close in age. (Kinda, they're both over 1600 years at least) There was no crazy power discrepancy so they were able to operate as (mostly) equals. Their relationship feels like it builds slowly, even though the book isn't crazy long. With the duel POV, their individual character development shines through as well. On top of amazing main characters, the side cast were never forgotten or one-dimensional. Overall, amazing characters and development.

The mystery itself fooled me, I'll admit it. I was questioning myself basically the entire book on if I had it right or not. As someone who is not fun to watch movies with because I guess everything, Kim's smart writing was a breath of fresh air.

I 10/10 recommend this book. It wasn't overly trope-y and the relationship that develops between Hani and Seokga felt so natural. I wouldn't even call it an enemies-to-lovers dynamic, it felt more "buddy cop-to-lovers" in the best way possible.

(I will beg for a sequel if I have to)

Modern Mythological Fantasy is set in South Korea and heavily influenced by Asian legends of monsters and gods. Morally, grey gods and monsters playfully add complexity to the world, giving everyone layers of strengths and weaknesses, relatedly human.
The contentious enemies to sweet lovers feel raised goose-pimples and teared me up—a fabulous example of breathtaking character growth that clawed at my heartstrings. The intensity ensnared me as the dangers unfolded.
Strengths: The couple’s depth, feelings, and choices: Go team Hani & Seokga!
Weakness: The middling begins to wane, but the end is so worth it! Additionally, some cultural inferences or backgrounds may need to be flushed out more to audiences unfamiliar with these legends. For example, tonal formal vs informal speech.
Overall, the flair and research required to create a mythologically infused work are strong. I encourage you to put this in the read pile. It has a solid 4/5-star rating.
This was a sponsored ARC through NetGalley for an honest review.

Thank you to Net Galley for the eARC copy in exchange for my honest review.

This story follows gumiho, Kim Hani, and the god, Seokga, and their adventure to track down a demon in this world filled with Korean mythology. I learned a lot about Korean mythology and loved the world building in this novel that fused the mythology with our mortal world. The beginning caught my attention, but I had a hard time connecting with the characters mainly through the whole story. I thought the relationships were a bit rushed and I would have liked to see more development. These characters also felt more like teenagers in the way they were talking and thinking even though they are supposed to be ancient. Their banter felt a little cheesy at times which took me out of the story.

The plot and the worldbuilding was very enjoyable. The plot slowed down in the middle and had some expected resolutions towards the end, but I enjoyed the plot and all of the Korean mythology included. I was doing a bit of research when certain mythology names came up which I found interesting. Overall, the worldbuilding was done very well, but my connection to the characters was not as strong and I had a harder time getting super invested in the story as a result.

I really love the mystery aspect and blending it with mythology. More fantasy should do that. It made the book more fun to read.

☆ Enemies to lovers
☆ Only one bed
☆ Murder mystery
☆ Forced proximity

Spice 🌶🌶🌶/5

This book was such a delight to read! I loved the banter and even caught myself laughing a few times.

The dynamic between Hani and Seokga was beautifully done, and I really loved the character development from both of them.

I felt like I was really reading a kdrama and in all the best ways. ♡

AND THAT ENDING!!!!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the ARC! ♡

I LOVE this book.

The main characters are two flawed individuals, but they complement each other and form a connection while trying to work together. This book includes some typical romance tropes, but I ate that up. For example, the one-bed trope? Elite. The stake-out scene? Obsessed. The scene where Seokga was bargaining with Aeri for information? Reminded me of Bones S3 EP9 with Booth and Bones (highly specific reference).

I loved that there was disability representation with Seokga and that he is depicted using a mobility aid that doubles as his weapon. I think the little things like that are amazing in books and it's mentioned a couple of times throughout the book that he is impacted by it and the other effects from his fall from grace.

There are a couple of small things that I would've preferred to see or have criticisms regarding. I'm not sure what it was, but something felt off while reading the book. I think that it was related to the pacing of the romance because I would've loved a slower progression of Hani and Seokga's realization of their feelings for each other. The way they are characterized, they are shown to be stubborn and annoying (I say that lovingly), so I expected more of an internal struggle about having feelings for this person that they supposedly hate. Like... Potentially trying to distance themselves or causing fights because of it, but that's my personal preference and the story still works well even with the romance paced as it is.

Another little complaint I have is that I think the ways and timing in which Seokga called Hani "fox" were a bit weird and inconsistent. It felt forced at times and didn't fit the dialogue as well as it could have. I think if it was spaced out more or used more casually, it would've read better. Also, I wouldn't categorize the relationship as enemies-to-lovers, I'd say it's closer to hate-to-allies-to-love and I think recommending it as an enemies-to-lovers romance could be very misleading and ruin the reading experience for some people.

I can't think of more to say, but I was kicking my feet and giggling so many times throughout my time reading. I felt so immersed in the story while reading and even though I wrote a bit more on the criticisms I have regarding the book, I would recommend this book. I will be waiting for Fate's Thread #2.

The God and the Gumiho is such an AMAZING story, I loved it so much! I really hope Sophie Kim makes this a series!!

The book starts with Seokga, a fallen god who has a chance at redeeming himself and Hani, a crafty Gumiho who was once known as the Scarlet Fox and went on a killing rampage to satisfy her hunger!! Seokga is trying to regain his godly status. To achieve it, he must both stop an extremely dangerous monster that has been wreaking havoc in the territory, and the Scarlet Fox who has made a sudden reappearance after a long retirement of killing! Seokga’s new assistant and partner is Hani, the Scarlet Fox- Get ready for a crazy ride my fellow readers!!!

This was my first book I’ve read by Sophie Kim, boy does she deliver! I loved the romantic wholesome connection and banter between Hani and Seokga! Their relationship was balanced and very entertaining as they go on this journey together! The Korean Mythology in the story was also very interesting to read and to learn about- so cool!! I would definitely recommend this book, one of my faves of the year so far!!!

Big thank you to NetGalley and Random Publishing House for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A wonderful mix of urban fantasy and mystery with a beautiful touch of romance. Oh, this was a delightful read! I went into this knowing nothing about Korean mythology. However, Sophie Kim's writing made it easy to understand and grasp this new world. I was captured right from the beginning and my interest honestly never wavered. If anything, I started to slow down towards the ending simply because I didn't want it to end (and I was nervous for the outcome of these characters). This was the first novel I've read by Sophie Kim, but definitely not the last!

Even though it is only March, I think “The God and the Gumiho” might just be one of my favorite reads. “The God and the Gumiho” follows Seokga, a fallen god who has been a chance at redemption and Hani, a Gumiho who was once known as the Scarlet Fox and went on a killing rampage. In order for Seokga to regain his godliness, he must both stop an immensely dangerous creature that has been wreaking havoc in South Korea, and the Scarlet Fox who has made a sudden reappearance after a long retirement. What happens when Seokga’s new assistant is Hani, the Scarlet Fox that he is searching for?

One of the things I loved the most about this book was the relationship between Hani and Seokga. They had banter and were a very entertaining couple to read about. I appreciated that their relationship was balanced. While Seokga is a God, Hani is a powerful Gumiho that has been alive for thousands of years. It was a breath of fresh air to not read about a really old man and a teenager. Hani is also the more morally grey one of the couple. She has killed, a lot. Seokga has his own past, but he is the trickster god, and I was not under the impression that his past was filled with murder.

Seokga and Hani’s relationship was not quick, in the terms of the page. They had to get to know one another as they went on this journey together, and they definitely did not immediately find themselves liking one another. However, in terms of the actual storyline, their relationship was quick. I found myself astounded when I found out that the majority of the events of the book took place in about a week.

There were so many little aspects of this book that I loved. All of the different incorporations of Korean mythology was well done. At first it was slightly intimidating, but I found myself quickly going along with what was happening. I would not give up early on if you find yourself struggling with this.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I think this is the first ARC I find myself NEEDING a physical copy of.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

💌 ARC from Netgalley

THE GOD AND THE GUMIHO
GENRE: modern fantasy/mythology
GUT REACTION:
FINAL RATING: 4.5 / 5

Oooohhhh this got me. Y'all know I love a good mythology story, and while I've read plenty of Greek-inspired books, this is only the second or third Korean novel I've read tied to mythology (shoutout to THE GIRL WHO FELL BENEATH THE SEA by Axie Oh). I don't know that much about traditional Korean folklore or mythology, but I didn't ever feel like that hindered my enjoyment or understanding of the book. Sophie Kim leaves plenty of context clues for an unfamiliar audience to pick things up, and Google is only a click away.

In THE GOD AND THE GUMIHO, a fallen god and a "reformed" fox spirit become an unlikely pair as their city is plagued by an ancient evil. For the disgraced god, killing this creature means returning home with his powers restored. For the fox, being close to the investigation means covering up her long history of killing and eating the souls of mortal men. It's Grumpy X Sunshine with a slightly violent twist.

I also cried my way through the ending of this book, but you know ... sometimes a girlie just needs to cry.

I have very few criticisms to give, and none that I really feel are worth putting in a review. If you like mythology, or k-drama, or modern fantasy (or just, you know, a fun story), I think this book is a worthwhile read, and if it doesn't become wildly popular when it officially releases, I'll be shocked.

Also, I see you with that drive-by bi rep, Sophie Kim. Would love it to be a little louder next time, but I was happy to see it there.

I LOVED this book. I cannot wait for the next one. If you enjoy romance, fantasy, a little mystery and banter read this!

These folktales were completely new to me and it was so fun to learn about them and fall into *wink* this world.

For those wondering, there is some spice, and while it’s not fade to black, I would only give it maybe 🌶️

Thank you to Random House and Netgalley for this ARC!