I was not expecting a buddy cop mystery with mythological creatures when I went into this, but I’m happy to say I loved it. It actually reminded me a lot of the TV show Castle because of the detective/normal person duo and their dynamic. However, this story takes place in 1992 in South Korea. Seokga is the fallen god of mischief working as a detective to find Unrulies (misbehaving mythological creatures) so he can leave the mortal world and live as a god again. Hani is strong independent gumiho, and secretly the legendary Scarlet Fox, who happens to get herself involved in one of Seokga’s cases. In order to throw him off her trail, she becomes his assistant to help solve an even more serious and urgent case.
I adored their annoyance-to-lovers, grumpy-sunshine dynamic and appreciated that they kept the banter/pestering going even after the romance started moving forward. I loved learning about the different creatures from Korean mythology. Their descriptions were woven into the story well. They didn’t feel like an info-dump and were done well enough to keep me from having to stop constantly and google what something was/could do. I appreciated that the main mystery was actually solvable if you paid attention to the clues, even though I didn’t manage to figure it out. I love it when books can surprise me.
Overall, I really, really loved it and can’t wait to see what’s in store for the next book!

Thank you to Netgalley and Del Ray for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Tropes:
🦊 Forbidden Love
🦊 Enemies to Lovers
🦊 Morally Gray FMC & MMC
🦊 Grumpy MMC & Sunshine(ish) FMC

The God and the Gumiho immersed me in a vibrant world that is full of Korean mythology. Reading this book felt like watching an action-packed fantasy K-Drama with the extreme personalities and dramatic twists expected of the genre! I had a riot of a time reading it, and highly recommend it.

Given the premise (and, frankly, knowing very little about Korean mythology beforehand), I was delighted by how dark some of the demon creatures that our main characters encountered throughout the book were - it felt like it raised the stakes in a unique and riveting way. Because I knew so little about this mythology going into the book, I absolutely was going a bit of Googling throughout to make sense of a few things I was uneducated on. There were a few moments where I would have loved more descriptors of these beings, but it also isn't the author's job to educate me about them, either.

I really enjoyed the chemistry between the love interests and their romantic arc. I do think that there were a few rushed moments between them wanting to rip each others' throats out and falling for each other, but it certainly didn't ruin the experience for me.

This book certainly has some cheesy moments, which I think the genre lends itself to. Often, they landed, and I thought they were cute/entertaining, while there were a couple of other times I think some supporting details could have made a moment a lot stronger. With that being said, these moments were pretty easily overlooked since I was having so much fun being along for the cheesy, dramatic ride.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and will absolutely be recommending it to my followers and friends, especially those who I know love a good K-Drama!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Above review will be posted on Goodreads @ https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4459943-starcrossedstacks and on Instagram @ https://www.instagram.com/starcrossedstacks/ on June 5th, 2024, as per the publisher request.

I support women's rights, but most importantly I support women's wrongs. Kim Hani supremacy!!

This was SO SO SO good!!! I need more on Hani and Seokga immediately. Like in my grubby paws now immediately. Although this wrapped up quite nicely, I am not ready to leave this world or these characters that I love. I literally devoured this book at every single second I could find! Hani is such a snarky and cunning character, and I loved every single interaction between her and Seokga. Normally I am not a huge fan of insta-love in books, but this one was done so well that I forgot it happened within a matter of days that they were practically infatuated with each other. The things they do to save each other, and the world they live in, is heartbreaking. Sophie Kim weaves an enticing tale of two unlikely lovers that take on the monumental task of racing against time to stop an apocalypse at any cost. I am eager to read Kim's next installment for this series!!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Absolutely amazing! I loved this book so much. It was extremely engaging and I got through it in one sitting. The leads had great chemistry and their arcs were so well done. This had a prominent kdrama vibe throughout which is what I loved most about it. They should develop this into an actual show!

I really liked this book. It was fun to see enemies to lovers play out in a fantasy context that was new to me. In particular I enjoyed the dual perspectives, character development, and robust world. This novel has also inspired me to learn more about Korean mythology!

Read if you like:
🦊 snarky, badass MCs
🥺 grumpy MCs with gooey centers
💫 mythological retellings

Thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for this ARC!

3.5 stars rounded down.
***SPOILERS in this review

Things I liked:
The plot
The variety of magical creatures
Enemies to lovers

Things that weren’t my favorite:
-Although I love enemies to lovers, I’m not sure that it was accomplished very smoothly in this book. The two MCs are enemies for about 50% of the book and then all the sudden they are just smitten with eachother. There’s not much in terms of character development that pushes them together. About 50% Seokga all the sudden starts treat Shim with more respect too, which I appreciate…but again it seemed sudden with no development behind it.
-It did not make sense for the yojeong to bargain the MCs kiss in exchange for the prophecy. What did the yojeong get from that exchange?
-Coffee being the solution to the nightmares from the eoduksini seems realllyyyyy cheesy.
-Two lines from Seogka that gave me the ick “what are we?” and “do you want to…all of it?”. He’s supposed to be a fallen god who has tons of experience, but this just comes across as juvenile.

The epilogue sets up perfectly for the second book. I plan to read the second book when it is released!

I am completely and utterly destroyed. I'm writing this review with tears falling down my face and my throat burning. A book has not affected me like this in a very long time. Damn you, Sophie Kim.

Upon starting this book, I did not expect to be so emotionally affected. Yet here we are. I do not even know where to start with this one....

Let us start with the characters, I suppose. Kim Hani is perhaps one of my favorite characters from a fantasy novel ever. Seokga is lovable even at his most rude. The side characters are fantastic too, Shim being my favorite.

The plot itself is fantastic. The way Kim writes it is even better. Pacing is no issue here and everything that happens feels necessary. Every little joke, every bit of worldbuilding, it all adds up. Kim also does a very wonderful job at educating the reader on Korean mythology, which I previously knew little of.

Now for the part that hit me the hardest: the ending. Oh my Gods. I haven't cried so hard in a very long time. You just come to care for Hani and Seokga so much, you care for the world around them too. It was so perfectly tense and heart-ache inducing.

Finally, I will say that I cannot wait to read the next book. So ready for all the laughs, pain, and joy it will surely bring.

In 1888, Kim Hani, also known as the legendary Scarlet Fox rummaged London, killing five hundred men and taking all of their souls and livers. Now, she works at the Creature Cafe, serving coffee to mythical creatures from Korean folklore including haetae, dokkaebi, gwisin, and gumihos just like herself.

Seokga is the fallen god of trickery and treachery. Centuries ago, he was banished from his kingdom of Okhwang for staging a coup against his brother, Hwanin, the emperor of gods. Now, he leads a life as a detective, hunting demons and solving crimes to prove himself worthy.

When rumors circulate that the Scarlet Fox is back after Hani's recent killings, chaos erupts in the streets of New Sinsi. On top of that, a bloodthirsty euduksini is running loose, threatening to end the world. To prevent further destruction, Hwanin strikes Seokga a deal: kill the Scarlet Fox and the euduksini, and regain his godly status.

Seokga is assigned an assistant to help him stop the two creatures. Little does he know, however, is that Hani is the Scarlet Fox herself, and she has no intentions of being caught.

The God and The Gumiho is the first book I've read by Sophie Kim, and I am definitely looking forward to reading more by her in the future, This book was such a delightful and highly entertaining read, and I genuinely think there's something for everyone in its pages. It's the perfect type of palette cleanser read when you need something new. I prefer low fantasy and fantasy set in cities, so I had so much fun with this. The dynamic between Seokga and Hani, where he is trying to kill the Scarlet Fox and she is the Scarlet Fox was done so well. There was so much tension and banter, and I was so obsessed with the characters and world. I'm not the biggest fan of the enemies to lovers trope, as I feel like it is so overdone and just doesn't hit for me the way it does for other readers. However, it worked perfectly here and I was so happy about that. There's very little flaws in this book. I just found the story to be a little repetitive at times and some moments to be a bit cheesy, but besides that, it was a solid read. I highly recommend you check this book out when it comes out!

This was so good! I had such a good time reading this! The character growth in Hani and Seokga was good, and I loved the banter between them. I enjoyed the mystery aspect of the storyline. It was fun following along trying to figure out what was happening.

I was immersed in the storyline and I found myself wanting to keep reading!! I can’t wait for the next book!

I'm truly enjoying this book. from the plot to the characters, it's kept me interested and I devoured it. I love how its like reading a kdrama. The characters are engaging and the locations are fun as well.

*Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review*

Oh wow , what an adventure this was.I devoured this in one sitting!this was so witty and hilarious. some of the antics had me in stitches. I absolutely loved it. The plot and the characters ,the world building.All of it.I would definitely recommend. can't wait to get my special edition of this book with some artwork. going to be stunning.

This. Was. Perfect. I will hear no arguments!

The grumpy MMC, the coy and mischievous FMC? I was eating it up. It actually made me smile to myself and shed a few tears, which as someone autistic, is rare for me when reading.

I don’t want to include spoilers because part of my enjoyment in reading this was seeing everything be revealed slowly and witnessing character development through small, meaningful moments.

This story had humor, action, danger, romance. I wish I had someone in my life to gush over it with. Sometimes when I’m getting super attached to characters I start to feel anxious that the ending might be a huge let down and really ruin the whole thing, this is not the case here. In my opinion it was wrapped up in a meaningful way. It would make a truly amazing Korean drama for Netflix to be honest, but my imagination does it justice like no other. I will absolutely be purchasing a physical copy when this is published - thank you so much NetGalley for supplying this digital copy for review.

The God and the Gumiho is one of those stories that you never want to end. From the murder-mystery vibes to an amazing enemies to lovers, I did not want to put this book down (and actually groaned in disappointment when I finished it).

I could literally see this story playing out as a Kdrama with Song Kang as Seokga while I read. If you love romantasy with a splash of mystery, this is 100% the book for you.

4.5⭐️ rounded up to 5⭐️

KDrama Lovers Rejoice

The story was so enjoyable, the romance was nice and I even got emotional at the end (of course would it be like a Kdrama if I wasn't crying?). There wasn't anything that I disliked. It really felt like I was part of the world and could easily picture this as a beloved drama. Look I already have the cast picked out in my head. QQ

This will be a book I buy all SEs of.

I will now be devouring everything written by Sophie Kim and no one can stop me.

Thank you to Netgalley, Sophie, and Random House for the arc. ^^

The prose is lovely—albeit quite purple—and I would be willing to bet my fantasy book club will love this one.

I did stop after chapter 1, but easy three stars, four to five for the right readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this book and finished it in one sitting. It is a fun, supernatural mystery based on Korean mythology. I would rate this 4.5 stars.

It felt like a K-Drama, which meant I knew the twists were coming but still enjoyed them. It was well-written, well-paced and kept me engaged the entire time.

I enjoyed Hani and Soekga’s chemistry and there was a dash of spice and a lot of tension. An enemies-to-lovers plot is always a fave and the banter was great.

The ending did hit exactly how I think the author intended and I cannot wait for what comes next. I’m glad the cover said Book 1, because I need to know what’s next for our leads.

The only thing I would change is to include some sort of glossary of the various aspects of the mythology. The author describes each creature and the lore well, but if you’re unfamiliar, it’s always good to have a place to easier refer back to.

Thank you NetGalley and Del Ray for an advanced copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions expressed are my own.

This book was a 5 star read for me, hands down. I feel like it usually takes me a while these days to get into a book, but The God and the Gumiho just hit all the right boxes for me when it comes to a good fantasy. While I don’t believe that this book did anything revolutionary in terms of plot, there were still enough twists and turns that kept me interested and invested. I loved learning things about the world itself and all the gods and mythical creatures who inhabit it along with the humans.

And the ROMANCE. The God and the Gumiho read like a good K-Drama. The romance didn’t feel forced, and I was LIVING for the moments that Hani and Seokga shared together. Literally had me kicking and blushing reading this on my Kindle. I don’t even like the one bed trope like that but if they were written like how Sophie Kim wrote it in this book, I might have to reconsider.

The pacing of the book was great, I loved the dual POV, and the ending??? No words. My literal Roman Empire. This book hasn’t even come out yet, and I already need the sequel. June 4th cannot come fast enough.

Thank you to NetGalley, Del Rey and the author for the eARC!

—Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the chance to review an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was so good! First book in a new fantasy series by Sophie Kim.
This line pulled me in:
‘’..the most notorious nine-tailed fox in Korea pairs up with a trickster god–turned–detective to track down a wrathful demon . . .‘’
And it delivered! I love every gumiho included book and movie out there but this one was one of my favorites because it has such a witty dialogue and fun banter. Obssessed!

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an e-ARC of this book to review!

Kim Hani is the Scarlet Fox. She is the viciously renowned and immortally remembered Gumiho of legend. The woman who killed five hundred men of London a century ago and ate their livers to sate her hunger, consuming so much that she was able to quietly retire her feared mantle and become a barista at the Creature Cafe, lying about her immortal age and dying her brilliant red hair to chocolate brown.

Seokga the God is no more. Seokga of lies, mischief, malice, and deceit is no more. There is just Seokga the Fallen, doomed to spend his days cleaning up the mortal realm of Unruly Creatures as penance for his coup against his brother, the king of the gods. And the only gods-forsaken thing worth his appreciation in this realm is coffee. Beautiful, wonderful, hot and delicious coffee. Served by the most insufferable Gumiho he has ever met, at Creature Cafe.

In a desperate bid to protect a younger Gumiho, Hani throws herself directly into the line of sight of Detective Seokga, who is trying to track down the Scarlet Fox in connection with two fresh murders. But Hani's problems aren't limited to protecting herself and her friend--- something much more horrifying has started attacking and brutally killing mortals and Creatures alike. Something that has escaped the realm of death and seeks revenge against Seokga, who has been promised a full return of his powers, godhood, and palace if he can bring both this great evil and the Scarlet Fox down.

Hani is only tolerating Seokga and his superiority complex because she needs to protect herself and others. She despises his snobbery, his cruelty, his apathy. She despises his perfect appearance and his coffee order of one cream, one sugar. She absolutely hates him. And she really, really wants to kiss him.

Seokga is only tolerating Hani because he, admittedly, needs an assistant. And she's been proving herself useful, even if horrifically annoying and unbearably rebellious. She gets things done. She gets his coffee order wrong on purpose. She gets him thinking about what it would be like to hold her in his arms every night, to wake with her every morning.

The Fallen God and the Greatest Gumiho really do have bigger priorities than falling hard for each other, but there's only two weeks for Seokga to fulfill his brother's bargain, and Hani doesn't know how much longer she can keep the truth of her identity concealed...

~~~

Absolutely a five star read. This is a single-sitting, no-breaks, eyes glued to the page type of fantasy romance for me. It was cozy in ways I was completely unprepared for. Despite the adult nature of death and violent crime, as well as some very mature (in a wisdom sense) inner dialogue and characterization, I felt like this book wrapped me up in a soft, fuzzy blanket and handed me a cup of Hani's hot chocolate. I felt so full of excitement and anticipation while reading, and I felt empty and the huge desire to go back and immediately read it again when I was finished.

Sophie Kim has delivered a masterpiece that speaks to all kinds of readers. Mythology nerds, culturally curious readers, cozy fantasy consumers, and especially k-drama lovers. I, personally, have never experienced a k-drama, but I could tell there was a lot of love for the medium behind the birth of this story. And the worldbuilding and descriptions--- I am not by any means an expert in Korean myth, but Sophie Kim makes you feel like you understand the Creatures, the realms, and the gods with very little exposition needed. And for anyone with a physical copy when this is published--- use that glossary! It will help you a lot.

I fell in love with Seokga as he fell in love with Hani. And I absolutely adored the fact that he didn't resist that fall at all. Yes, the Gumiho is unfairly attractive, and yes, she drives him absolutely insane. But she blazes with life and passion and far too much confidence, and he is drawn to her like a moth to flame. He admits to having around 200 demigod children, but he has never been in love. Until now.

Hani is trapped by the circumstances of the world. After her binge of human livers in London a century back, she has settled down, and the world around her has grown to see Gumiho consumption of souls and livers as taboo. Nine-tailed foxes go their whole immortal lives without tasting human flesh. Or, if they risk it, they face being slain by Seokga the Fallen on his quest to cleanse 20,000 Unrulies from the realm to regain his god status. Hani is massively powerful, immortally uncaring. She knows that being true to her Gumiho heritage isn't wrong, it's her nature, and the nature of all the others in the world. But bad things can happen even if good intentioned. And now she's working for the man she despises... And she's falling hard for him. I absolutely adored Hani's characterization.

I truly believe that if you love cozy fantasy, enemies to lovers romance, and mythology, you will find yourself absolutely entranced by the God and the Gumiho. I greatly anticipate the second book in the series.

This book was such a breath of fresh air and truly enjoyable. I found myself giggling and laughing within the first 20 pages. It was an amazing balance of lore, tension, and light-heartedness, that I found myself coming back for more. I appreciated that the author kept true to the culture, with some written liberties, as I felt that it truly enhanced the story and I was able to bring this story to life in my mind. The prose was perfect, not too winded but just enough to pull you in and make you feel wholly invested in the characters. A beautiful, whimsical, grumpy-sunshine story. Thank you, NetGalley and Del Rey for choosing me to read and review this story! I will definitely be looking for more from this author.