Thank you net gallery for the advanced copy of this book. This was a fun read, a fantasy about two bickering supernatural beings. It does read like a k-drama but that is ok. I would recommend this.

4/5

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group, Del Rey, and NetGalley for providing me with the eARC. All opinions are honest and my own.

A romantic urban fantasy that draws inspiration from Korean mythology. This is a mix of k-drama, grumpy-sunshine romance, detective story, fanfiction, and comedic potpourri. And honestly it kind of works.

The worldbuilding using Korean mythology really drew me in, and it felt like a breath of fresh air to the Euro-centric medieval fantasy novels that have lined bookstore shelves lately. Kim Hani and Seokga imbued the story with life, their interactions cute, charming, and infuriating. Honestly, what an entertaining dynamic. The plot maintained itself as a detective story with various threads yet managed to not lose sight of any of them. There was so much to enjoy here.

The only component that felt lukewarm to me was the individual characterizations. For immortal beings, Kim Hani and Seokga sure read juvenile. Don’t get me wrong – their bickering and stupidity worked well together as a sort of *dynamic*, but separately these characters were ridiculous. In an eye-roll sort of way. But I guess that’s why they’re meant for each other.

I would highly recommend this to fantasy romance readers who like to dabble in the k-drama world, or vice-versa. This is kind of the perfect crossover. Think “Goblin” (Lee Eung-bok), but in book form and more age appropriate.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. Hani truly stood out as a highlight. Her character was complex and layered in a way that enhanced the plot. Seokga felt a bit inconsistent to me, being that he was a trickster god, but his personality didn't seem to convey the trickster aspect very well. I'm hoping that we see more of his personality in the subsequent books.

I'm looking forward to reading more from Sophie Kim.

bThank you, NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Del Rey, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

Kim Hani stopped eating souls. Once the Scarlet Fox, now she's too full and she's now working as a gumiho barista in a coffee shop, irritating Seonkga the Fallen, exiled the kingdom of Okhwang, and forced to live in the mortal realm Now working as a detective. When a demon escapes the underworld and threatens the mortal one, they are forced to work together, to track it down and stop it, before it's too late.

In this sly and dazzling contemporary fantasy, the most notorious nine-tailed fox in Korea pairs up with a trickster god–turned–detective to track down a wrathful demon . . . before it can destroy the mortal world. Okhwang’s emperor offers Seokga an bargain: Kill the demon and the mysterious Scarlet Fox and being reinstated as a god. Hani has no intention of being captured and as his assistant, she will undermine the investigation and hid her own traces. As they track down the demon and its violence, god and gumiho find themvelves drawn to one other and this could change everything they hold dear.

The relationship between god and gumiho shine in this book. They are brilliant, funny, bickering, grumpy and "sunshine", both mischevious and intriguing and I absolutely loved this story! It's filled with epic moments and it's so evocative it's like you're actually watching a drama. Action, lies, mysteries and powers, this book has everything and it's sto originally. There everything for everyone, Action? Check. Romance? Check. Angst? Check.
You can't not love this book! It's skillfully written, evocative and very creative!

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this eARC!!

4 ⭐
Ugh I enjoyed this so much. Forget grumpy x sunshine, give me more grumpy LI and the person that won't stop annoying them on purpose. Seokga and Hani had so much chemistry and their banter was hilarious. My only criticism is that I wish the romance was more of a slow burn so the angst at the end could be even more impactful. I need to read Sophie Kim's other books while I wait for book 2 of this series.

The way this book pulled all my heartstrings and made me feel like a high schooler again lol.
I fell in love with k-dramas when I was in high school and that started my love for the rest of the Asian dramas (which is a whole another conversation lol) and this book has everything you want in a k-drama. I have never watch one with both MC being ancient so that was extremely enjoyable.
This book has it all y’all. A sassy ancient badass FMC who is also a gumiho, a grumpy fallen god, a really really good banter, mystery, murder, Korean mythology and an amazing ending.
All that said, I need book 2 already!
Thank you NetGalley for giving me an arc in exchange for my honest review.

This book was a pleasant surprise that I happily gulped down. The story follows Hani Kim, a gumiho that has consumed thousands of livers and souls, and Seokga, the fallen trickster god in exile, living in 이승 (the world of the living). Seokga despises everything about the world of the living, especially Hani Kim, the barista at Creature Cafe, which he frequents for the one thing he loves about 이승, .. coffee.🇰🇷☕️

Seokga desperately wishes to return to 옥황 the heavens among the other gods. When a powerful demon, 어둑시니, escapes to 이승 and goes on a killing spree, Seokga has the chance to be a god again if he captures the demon and the Scarlet Fox. Despite his dislike for Hani Kim, Seokga believes they have a better chance together. Little does he know, Hani is the Scarlet Fox.

🌟WHY I LOVED IT:

• Korean history and gods are complex, blending folklore, Confucianism, Buddhism, and history. I loved the inclusion of various gods from these realms.

• The chemistry between the two leads! As a fan of the enemies-to-lovers trope, I enjoyed their petty banter. Their inner monologues were distinct and funny. Usually, when authors present multiple POVs, one can feel lacking, but this was not the case for Hani or Seokga.

• The story is fast-paced, with plenty of action and never a dull moment. It reminded me of the Korean drama Goblin, with gods and creatures living among humans in a contemporary setting. I do wish there were more descriptions of the setting of the 90s.

• I loved the untranslated Korean words spelled out phonetically in English. It added authenticity and familiarity, especially with terms like 옥황, 염라대왕, 구미호, 해태, 환웅, 환인, 삼신할미, which I had encountered in books and TV shows, evoking nostalgia.


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With strong K-drama vibes, lots of Korean mythology, grumpy/tsundere character, and lots of coffee, this book was unputdownable Due to watching an insane amount of k-dramas, I did find some plot pines predictable.
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While I didn't know all the gods and supernatural creatures mentioned, I appreciated the challenge, prompting me to look things up. If you like mythology, folklore, k-dramas, this book is for you! Grab a cup of coffee and pick it up today!

A fallen god and a retired ravenous gumiho team, in the middle of a supernatural murder case? Yes please!

The God and the Gumiho by Sophie Kim is the first in the Of Fate’s Thread Series and is so much more than I expected, in the best way! I’ve been waiting for a fantasy like this and it’s finally arrived. I already enjoyed Sophie’s previous series and I just knew this would take things to a whole new level. Trust me, she did not disappoint! There’s a beautifully elaborate style of worldbuilding, story setup and tons of imagery. There’s no room for guessing here and even with the small “leave it to your imagination” moments, there’s still more than enough detail to guide it.

I’ve read a lot of enemies to lovers stories, but this one is different in a good way. Rather than the typical “I hate you/I love you” story, it builds up in a more interesting and different way. Since the story is not based in romance, it allows the fantasy, mystery, adventure aspects to push the story forward while they build a crazy relationship, good or bad.

Also, even though this is the first book and an introduction to the series, it sets things up for more books beautifully. Additionally, and most importantly, I love love love the use of Korean mythology used to tell this story. It’s already fun having a gumiho in the story, but mixing in other creatures and gods makes it even more fun and an intense adventure.

I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to get to know other cultures’ mythology and lore in a fun way. If you love shows like Tale of the Nine Tailed, you’ll probably enjoy this as well. It’s filled with Korean lore, some romance, lots of fantasy, and even more Korean mythological creatures! Plus, you’ll get to learn a little Korean along the way. Enjoy!

I can’t wait until book 2 comes out. Patiently, impatiently waiting! In the meantime, other books to check out by the author are: Book 1- Last of the Talons, Book 2- Wrath of the Talon, Book 3- Reign of the Talon

I have no words honestly for how good this book was. I absolutely loved this. It definitely has the feel of a KDrama and will tug at your heartstrings. I can only hope to find a love like this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for providing me this E ARC to review.

This book was absolutely delightful. If you like Assistant to the Villain and Asian inspired fantasy, you must read this.

The banter was glorious and I loved the early 90s setting. The romance was slow burn enemies to lovers and I loved every second of it.

The ending DESTROYED me and I need the next book ASAP! I already knew I loved Sophie Kim’s YA writing but this was next level! I can’t wait to read more.

P.S. the dual narration audiobook only added to the delightfulness of this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In this sly and dazzling contemporary fantasy, the most notorious nine-tailed fox in Korea pairs up with a trickster god–turned–detective to track down a wrathful demon . . . before it can destroy the mortal world.

Loved this book so much! Cute Korean fantasy mystery. Pacing was a bit slow to start, but picked up. Loved the world building and the character development.

The God and the Gumiho was an easy and engaging book with the best vibes. This was different from most of my usual reads, which are literary fiction with darker moods, but this felt like a light nice break from the usual drama. I was most intrigued by the title, which caught my Korean eyes. I love cultural myth based retellings and fantasy, so I immediately added this book to my TBR.

Reading it, the main characters were what interested me the best. I usually dislike main characters, but these two were so loveably built and I loved reading about them. Each had a unique personality with the perfect dose of grumpiness and quirky cuteness and I just internally screeched every time. And the chemistry? Not only between the main characters but also with their friends was so good.

The plot was what kept me engaged. It was so hard to put the book down because something always kept happening! All the events flowed so flawlessly and at the perfect pacing. However I would say that a lot of plot 'twists' were very predictable and the overall plot wasn't that unique despite the characters making it feel interesting. The ending was a little unexpected, and I didn't entirely dislike it, but I felt like it would have been a better resolution if it had carried on the lighter mood of the general genre or if it had ended with a sad ending all together instead of tying the two together at an ending I can't decide as 'happy' or 'sad'. I wonder if it was supposed to feel hopeful, because it didn't quite reach that either.

The setting was probably where I got the light hearted vibe of the book. I liked the way various Korean folk lore creatures were incorporated, but the way the immortal world existed within the mortal realm felt a bit chaotic and I couldn't completely take the story very seriously. This is probably my personal taste as I rarely read YA and can't get used to YA fantasy. This mood did help this book becoming an easy and fun read for me though!

The writing style was okay, felt clean with no unnecessary details, though not much of the poetic extravagance I die for. I enjoyed trying this book, as I try YA every once in a while, and it was a pretty good and fast read. It was well written and it was very engaging. I would recommend if you like the retelling/YA fantasy/slice of life genre or if you wan't to try it!!

This book was great and I cannot wait for the next installment in this series
The paranormal/mythology setting during the 90’s was such a good combination
It’s enjoyable to read and its characters are well written and interesting
Seokga and Hani are the main characters in this story and both of them have complex personalities and backgrounds, they can be childish sometimes but at the same time it simultaneously fits their nature perfectly
The ending surprised me and made me wanting more
You should totally give it a chance!

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley. Due to my work schedule, I couldn't read it until now, but I couldn't put it down once I started. I wanted to read this because I'm a fan of Sophie Kim's Talon series. The God and the Gumiho is a wonderful, compulsive adult read, and I found myself wanting to read it anytime I had a free moment. I loved the two main characters, Seokja and Hani. This book combined mystery, action, and romance with a rich reinterpreted world of Korean mythology. The ending surprised me and was also beautifully poignant. The pacing was perfect, and no part of the story dragged. At the beginning I found it a little hard to keep track of all the different Korean words for the Unrulies so a dictionary/glossary might have helped, but then I quickly got absorbed in the book and was able to track everything. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in Asian mythological worlds.

3 stars. ☆

the most infamous nine-tailed fox in korea teams up with a cunning god-turned-detective in this cunning and brilliant modern fantasy to find a furious demon before it destroys the mortal world.

love, mitra <3

The God and the Gumiho ended up being one of my anticipated reads for this year after reading the premise. This book is marketed for fans of fantasy K-dramas and It did deliver in that regard. The atmosphere was spot on and I felt the characters had a good progression from enemies to lovers. However, I felt the plot lacked due to the focus being on the relationship. I felt the book could have been shorter and conveyed the same story better. I also didn't understand why the female lead couldn't be honest so she could have saved herself all the heartache. Besides that, I think the book is interesting and I will likely read the sequel to see how it all wraps up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the e-book copy!

This was a really fun mystery/romance. I liked that while it had a modern setting, it was actually set in the 90s, so there wasn't so much of an emphasis on social media like you see in a lot of contemporary novels. I absolutely loved Seokga and Hani and how they went from enemies to reluctant allies to lovers. Both of them had such interesting backstories. Sophie Kim balanced the little moments between them as they slowly fell in love with the more action-packed moments so well.

You know when you start a book and right away you get the feeling that you're not going to like it? That's what happened with this one and it was a bummer because I loved the cover and I loved the description.

Sadly, I disliked the writing style and tone immediately, but I kept going. Then, when we're introduced to characters who are immortal and hundreds of years old, but they act like teenagers, I knew this book just wasn't for me.

They're given these rich stories as backgrounds; one is the god of trickery and the other is a being that eats men's livers, but the way they speak and act doesn't match that at all because the author, for some reason, made them sound like modern-day teenagers. The "banter" was weak as well and, overall, I just didn't care for this at all.

It felt like the author had good ideas but kinda ruined them in trying to get the story to fit popular tropes. In my opinion, of course. I see a lot of people loving this and that's great, I wanted to be in that group.

I really enjoyed this book. I hope the author continues to write more books in the future. I can't wait to see what this author releases in the future.