Strange black orbs suddenly appear all over Earth and start sucking up all humans. Jeong-su tries to reach his parents, and along the way encounters others trying to escape from the orbs.

I did not enjoy this book, and I can’t believe that it won any awards. Maybe there is a problem with the translation, because I did not care for the writing style. The plot should have been compelling, but really wasn’t and it was hard to root for the protagonist. The end of the book was anticlimactic and unsatisfying. There was no explanation for the orbs. The only message of the book seems to be that humans are rotten. I didn’t learn anything new. 2.5 stars

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

Thirteen years after PSY’s Gangnam Style, America is still discovering and devouring Korean culture. Parasite won an Oscar, BTS and Blackpink are selling out at stadiums, and Squid Game dominates Netflix. So it’s no surprise that a publisher would try to cash in on this Hallyu Wave by publishing the country’s recent best-selling book of the last 20 years.

This was written so well and I loved the plot!! Would recommend this always!!!!! 4/5 star get a copy

This felt like a fever dream... I was really interested in the story description of a sci-fi, Asian fantasy. Unfortunately, it did not deliver what I am hoping for.

Overall, yes we are in a world being overtaken by black orbs. The story focused more on the social implications and how the humanity was stripped away so easily from most people. The main character was not likeable in any way and I was pretty much hoping for his demise throughout the story. Then we never get any conclusion...there is no understanding of what the orbs are, how they came to be or what even happened to his parents.

I think the writing style made it even more difficult for me. I understand it was translated into English but the dialogue and even internal monologues were just not realistic at all. No one speaks or thinks that way. It was like reading robots interact with each other.

Overall, I was sadly disappointed and though I pushed through while hoping for some type of improvement, I did not find it.

I really loved the premise of this book but the delivery just wasn't there for me unfortunately.

Please note that this review was delayed due to Netgalley no longer offering DRM files for those that do not own a Kindle.

Many thanks to NetGalley and MIRA for providing me with an eARC of The Black Orb in exchange for my honest review!

With its ability to maintain tension and slip in some dark comedy, The Black Orb makes for a decent ride. It tells a tale about the anxiety, violence, selfishness, and greed of humanity when they're pushed to their limits and trapped in dire circumstances. We get all of that with the aid of a cowardly, pathetic, and selfish protagonist who draws some cynical laughter out of me. Don't expect this to be the type of story that gives a whole explanation about the orbs, though. They remain an enigmatic force, with the narrative concentrating on the terrifying and widespread impact they have on our world. I'll admit, though, that I'm not wild about the conclusion, which feels like it's simply thrown in there as an attempt to amplify the bleakness. It's frustrating, because even before that, I'd felt like the story could have sunk its teeth into more fleshed-out layers. But if it had at least reached a fully satisfying ending, then this would have provided a nice redemption. Instead, I'm left to wrestle with these ambivalent feelings.

Overall, I'm officially rating The Black Orb 3.5 out of 5 stars, which I'm rounding down to 3 stars. While I wish it could have been more effectively executed, especially with the choices it makes to wrap things up, it's still a worthwhile read.

This book reminded me a great deal of Squid Game. A man needs to try and save the world from these mysterious black orbs and it's meant to be philosophical in nature. It just really didn't work for me the way in which it was intended - instead of being intrigued I found myself being rather bored. There was no one that I felt like I wanted to win, which is usually not the type of book that I read so it just didn't work for me - would work really well for others though I think!

A mysterious black orb shows up and starts devouring people. This book was interesting, but not the comfy read I was hoping for.

It was okay. The premise was more interesting than the delivery. I think it was a personal mismatch--I am not looking for "end of the world" type books and couldn't finish it.

I have a bit of a case of Mixed Thoughts™ about this one. There were some aspects that I... well not enjoyed, because it's pretty messed up, but we'll say certainly piqued my interest and kept me reading. On the other, there were times I wanted to throw this book at my wall, except I was reading on my Kindle and that would have been an expensive foible. Anyway.

What I Liked:

I mean, it was exciting and fast paced and you all know I love an end-of-the-world story. This was definitely a creative apocalypse, too, even if I couldn't quite wrap my head around how these orbs worked- neither could anyone else, so it tracked. There were also a ton of twists that made the story quite readable. The atmosphere was also good, as you certainly could feel the isolation and desperation. The story definitely excels at the creepy, messed up vibe, and I am bummed that it disappointed in other ways.

What I Didn't:

Okay so the main character kind of sucks? And so does everyone else for the most part. I had kind of hoped that there would be some epic character arc but that simply wasn't the case. It was all just so depressing, especially considering our current state of the world. And honestly, I think that had our MC been nuanced and kind of an ass, it could have worked. But he was just boring and also an ass, which did not. Like- antiheroes can work! But in this case, sir was just dull and miserably unlikable. He cares only about his status and ego, which is pretty dumb at the end of days, and he legit has the personality of a piece of bread. The end piece, too.

There is also a lot of really messy stuff happening (think assault) that should definitely have some trigger warnings included. The thing that bugged me is not that this stuff occurred, it was more how it was glossed over without any actual handling of the situation(s). Add to it, a lot of my questions simply were never answered.

Bottom Line: I think we were maybe supposed to be rooting for the orb?

It was an overall enjoyable read but Jeong-su is insufferable. He is very narcissistic and not a good person. The whole story definitely feels like a satirical take on how the world would respond to this type of dystopian crisis. I just couldn’t get into the story as much because of the main character. Chapter 14 is a great look at how the world would likely respond to a crisis like the orbs with their online posts and conspiracy theories. The narrator of the audiobook certainly made this a more enjoyable read so I thank him for the great voice work!

“These Orbs of Despair consumed every human on earth, including myself. We’ve known death, pain, grief, fear, powerlessness, and, most of all, despair.“

a special thank you to Net Galley & MIRA for allowing me access to an Advanced Reader’s Copy of Unloved by Ewhan Kim (translated by Sean Lin Halbert)!! it’s an absolute privilege to receive an ARC & i’m so honored to be able to share a honest review in exchange.

🌃 publication date: february 4th, 2025
review: ★ ★ ★ .5 (02/01/25)
a strange sci-fi novel on the darkness human nature with many rhetorical questions. (be sure to read the acknowledgement to get insight in the author’s intentions, missed this in my online ARC)

as someone who loves korean apocalyptic shows/movies (ex. train to busan, sweet home, all of us are dead, etc), this novel read so quickly.

it was interesting to read bluntly about jeong-su’s experiences. as readers, we slowly understand more of his true(?) nature as the situation worsened. however, likely because the current politics in the U.S., this message didn’t as impactful as expected.

it’s difficult to be an optimistic when human nature is shown to be so cruel (and self-serving). i couldn’t help but consider what it would be if the black orb appeared in the U.S. i fear the situation would be far worse, to say the least.

there were graphic & hard-to-read scenes, which (unfortunately) added to how realistic the book is. this is especially true for details like the chaos of the internet prior to, during and in the aftermath [chapter 14 felt so so relevant to today.]

although i wouldn’t recommend this to everyone, especially if you hate problematic main characters or up-to-interpretation endings.

The Black Orb, by Ewhan Kim, translated by Sean Lin Halbert, is a fast-paced adrenaline rush of a book in places, but it’s also deeply thoughtful about control, or rather, about reactions to losing control, whether that’s due to surreal danger, panicked reactions, cynical human predators, or toxic male environments. This book, coming out from HarperCollins on Feb. 4, isn’t for everyone, with its weird horror, violence of various kinds, a problematic main character, and mysteries that never really get resolved; however, it absolutely kept me interested and engaged, and presented a lot of ideas to consider.

Per the publisher: One evening in downtown Seoul, Jeong-su is smoking a cigarette outside when he sees something impossible: a huge black orb appears out of nowhere and sucks his neighbor inside. Jeong-su manages to get away, but the terrifying sphere can move through walls, so he’s sure he won’t be able to hide for long. … Impervious to bullets and tanks, the orb splits and multiplies, chasing the hapless residents of Seoul out into the country and sparking a global crisis with widespread violence and looting.

Jeong-su isn’t a hero, but he doesn’t think of himself as a bad guy, either. His initial funk is replaced by a determination to get to his elderly parents and try to protect them, and he actually helps a couple of random strangers along the journey. But although he thinks of himself as someone who’s learned to be tough and do unpleasant things to survive and succeed, he also sees himself as powerless in many situations, from the compulsory military service of his youth to mandatory after-hours socializing as a businessman. Later, when he’s trapped for a long time with another, younger man, one incident (after a long period of stress) turns him into a bully passing on abuse and trying to justify the toxicity he has absorbed. And anyone in a Prisoner’s Dilemma with him should be deeply concerned!

I don’t know what the prose of The Black Orb is like in the original Korean. In this translation, it’s vivid and direct, fast-paced where it should be, conveying uncertainty and grim claustrophia well in other chapters.

Aside from a couple of brief passages in the beginning, showing how other people react in the beginning of the crisis, everything is told from Jeong-su’s point of view (third person past tense), but the reader hears from various other people through him as he wanders and looks for his parents. Particularly interesting is a community of refugees he encounters, who have figured out a way to work together to safeguard themselves from the black orbs, but they are very secretive about their methods and discourage outside communication. (The media and governmental broadcasts stop soon after widespread absorptions disrupt society, and many people distrust the broadcasts anyway and put their faith in soothing rumors instead.)

Later, crowds are frantically searching for scapegoats, although people don’t put it that way. Their reasoning is that if they can find someone immune to the orbs, they can get an explanation for what’s been happening, and thereby protect themselves, and then maybe life can go back to normal, for the survivors. But what they really want is someone to blame, and to hurt to repay their sufferings.

Nobody finds out what the black orbs are, or why they do what they do, although some characters spend time researching black holes. In some ways, these mysterious antagonists almost might as well be dragons who suddenly appear and start eating people. So it’s tempting to classify this book as more of a surreal horror novel rather than science fiction, or even science fantasy. But other than the orbs, everything feels very grounded, and the explorations of personal choices by the hero-victim-villain and other individuals, and portrayals of various group-dynamics reactions (cooperation, censorship, rumor-mongering, panic, and violence) do have a lot of relevance for the present time and near-future scenarios. However one thinks this book should be categorized in publishing terms, it’s extremely well crafted, exciting, and darkly intriguing.

I went into this book thinking it would be a cool sci-fi, apocalyptic read, but it rapidly became a reflection on the dark side of the human condition. This apocalyptic event brought out the worst of human nature.

The premise: there is suddenly a big, black orb in Seoul, South Korea, that slowly moves about the city and absorbs people into it. Any attempts to destroy it are unsuccessful and this orb can pass through solid material, so nowhere is safe. Then the single orb starts to replicate, and each one after that does the same.

We follow Jeong-su in first person POV as he along with the rest of society breaks down into chaos. With nothing to stop the orbs, many abandon any morals they have and become animalistic, giving in to their primal urges. Jeong-su goes from being an ok guy to a very unlikeable person by the end of the book.

While the story was very engaging, it was like a train wreck that I couldn't look away from. In the end I was left feeling disgusted with the characters, the story and myself for actually finishing the book. I would not recommend unless you are a fan of a dystopian story with a dystopian ending.

For fans of speculative apocalyptic fiction, Know, however, that this is pretty much a downer-and that there isn't really anyone to root for because the protagonist isn't likable let alone someone I wanted to root for. This also feels heavy on philosophical arguments that were going over or pasty head. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. I DNF but I'm sure there's an eager audience for this..

Jeong-su is the first person to see one of the black orbs, but he doesn't know what it is. Frightened, he ends up missing work, but doesn't tell anyone what he's seen. The black orb eventually becomes many orbs, which absorb all the humans they come into contact with.
Jeong-su doesn't always do what would be considered the right or good thing because he is focused on self-preservation. This brings up a lot of questions, especially as more and more people are gone.
This was a very weird book and I enjoyed it a lot and didn't want to stop reading. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

This was...weird. I don't know if it's the translation or what, but this came off as so over the top. It has plenty of in your face commentary about the base desires of humanity and all our faults and cruelties. But I didn't come out of this feeling like I learned a lesson or felt any hope. If you put general social media complaints about culture and politics into a scifi scenario you get this and it's not fun.

A fairly decent read. This kind of reminded me of the kdrama Dark Hole, except there were orbs and not a hole. But the feel was similar. Lots of eerie dread. The reader is on a wild ride with Jeong Su here, and all of his bad decisions along the way. I enjoyed the weird time cuts and felt it made the story flow in a creepy way.

Jeong-su is smoking a cigarette in the alley behind his home when an older, well-dressed man bumps into him and gives a warning, "Youngester, watch out for..."but Jeong-su never hears what for, and after glancing around and seeing nothing, he decides it was nothing. That is until he sees the orb. A black, perfectly spherical orb just floated in the street. His curiosity soon turns to horror, then when it *absorbs* a woman. Terrified, he runs into his home, puts a bag together, and flees, not knowing that there is no place safe on earth from the Black Orbs.

Okay, this seemed incredibly cheesy at first and came across the same way watching The Blob with my parents when I was little did. And then the last hour or so it goes absolutely sideways. And I genuinely loved it.

So there's a lot going on here; commentary about trusting the government, commentary on trusting the media, commentary on simply trusting each other, commentary about internet rumors, I mean I could go on for pages. It's genuinely a ton to unpack. And quite frankly, I can't even comment on much of it because I'm not S. Korean. But what I will 100% comment on is the running themes is Jeong-su is a selfish prick. And just when you think that *maybe* he might start thinking about someone but himself for thirty seconds, he opts not to. This genuinely isn't terrifying or unsettling or whatever you want to call it because of the Black Orbs. It's because of how being self-centered affects everyone around you. This man had the opportunity to do the right thing up until the very end, and he still just didn't. I genuinely don't think I've hated a character so much in my life. Because it's not that he actually physically hurts anyone, he doesn't even when he has ample opportunity, too. It's that he just uses everyone. One person who only cares about himself could literally bring about the destruction of the entire world.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this. Absolutely a roller coaster of emotions from the very beginning. I spent the whole time hoping one guy might finally do the right thing and being horribly disappointed every single time.

As always, thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the eArc!

What would you do if a massive black orb appeared out of nowhere and swallowed your neighbor whole? This chilling question sets the stage for an apocalyptic nightmare in “The Black Orb” by Ewhan Kim, translated by Sean Lin Halbert. Set in Seoul, the novel follows Jeong-su, a self-absorbed office manager. As mysterious orbs multiply, consuming people and plunging the city into chaos, Jeong-su embarks on a harrowing journey to find his parents, navigating looters, cultists and desperate survivors along the way.

Using the relentless orbs as a metaphor for modern anxieties — financial burdens, societal expectations and toxic masculinity — Kim has created a fast-paced and chilling thriller that merges dark humor with sharp social commentary. Through Jeong-su’s morally ambiguous journey, the story explores humanity’s fragility and the tension between societal connection and individual survival.