Sophie Kim you did it again!! I completely fell in love with Seokga and Hani in the first book and was a little nervous about her being reincarnated as Kisa and not remembering anything because I was so invested! But as soon as the book started it had such a familiarity to it while also being entirely different to the first book in such a good way! The whole story in the background around the murder and them working together again on a mystery was so so fun! While also rediscovering themselves in this new realm and who they were to each other in these new versions of themselves. All of the side characters were so fun and really added to the story while also some surprising characters from the first book that I hadn’t expected to see! That was such a treat! I was so invested the entire time not only in the murder plot and what was going on but also in Seokga and Kisa and their budding relationship. What an amazing follow up to one of my favorites from last year! Such an easy 5 stars! I hope Sophie Kim continues to write in this world because it’s always such a joy to revisit!

I literally squealed when I received the approval for this ARC so first off thank you thank you thank you because your girl was in TEARS at the end of book one. Anyways, Seogka. Seogka’s sass. That’s it. That’s the review. 10/10.

I really enjoyed The God and the Gumiho and that enjoyment absolutely extended into the sequel "The God and the Gwisin" - my only complaint is that because I also received an arc for book 1 that the wait for this one was excruciating

Book 1 was heartbreaking in the absolute best way and I absolutely loved seeing everything play out and wrap up in this book. The writing style that Kim has is so unique and vibrant that I honestly felt like I was watching an anime versus reading a book. The red thread theory is also one of my favorites and I adore that the author seems to love it as much as I do.

Being able to see Seokga's trauma and backstory along with some of the insecurities regarding expectations just made the character development and plot so so amazing. I love how well written the characters are in relation to one another and how Kim is able to take such intense moments and sprinkle in fun bits of joy and levity to keep things balanced. All of the side characters were such a delight and I'm hoping that one day we may get a few more books or novellas in this universe featuring some of them.

The "villain" may have been a little on the obvious side but honestly I don't think it really matters, I think that being able to pick up on that wasn't really a big deal and that the story in general just had so many amazing features that it was actually kind of nice to not have to stress about that part (but, I also didn't read this with the intention of having a big mystery to solve on my own, so ymmv with opinions on that)

I adore this series and I adore Sophie Kim and I truly cannot wait to read more and more from her.

Also, side note: the ART on these covers is AMAZING. Even if I didn't adore the books I would honestly buy them solely to just stare at them all day.

I adored the first book and felt this was a fantastic sequel it really expanded upon the incredible intricate world building and lore, the characterization of the characters is what makes this a stand out for me, authentic and relatable, love this duology!

I think I enjoyed the first book a tiny bit more, but still found myself thoroughly enjoying this sequel. The characterization throughout is just so well done. Very realistic, human, and relatable characters. This sequel really expanded on the world in a way that really helped immerse you in the space and draw you further into the story. Overall, really loved it.

I loved the first book and loved the second. I think this book really helped to build on their first book while also showing more of the world, plot, and characters to show both new stuff and to build on the first book. I had so much fun reading it and think it was a great sequel. I highly recommend this series

While I don't think this was as fun as the first book, this is still a very good sequel. The ending is very much satisfactory, and I'd read a third book if there ever was one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House/Del Rey for this eARC!

INSANE sequel. I mean, I loved the first book, so I had high hopes for this one. I was not at all disappointed. The characterization in this series is so good, it is really believable. I was literally blown away and I am so happy with this conclusion.

To say the Fate's Thread duology went platinum in my house would be an understatement. The God and the Gwisin has been on my highly anticipated releases shelf since the second I closed book one, and I was not disappointed. Charmingly spirited and thrillingly passionate, I devoured TGATG within the day I was approved for the ARC. TGATG overflows with silly antics, emotional punches, and loser gods as Kim continues to do a masterful job at breathing fresh life into mythological characters—making these ancient immortals feel authentic and relatable.

I was initially apprehensive going into this book after reading the summary—a big pet peeve of mine is memory loss trope because it's often executed carelessly. However, Kim is careful in writing the story between Kisa and Seokga. Despite it being a completely different dynamic with different characters/personalities from the ones we were introduced to in book one (which was to be expected), the heart of who Kim Hani was and who Hani and Seokga were is ever present—resulting in this book feeling like merely another chapter and a natural continuation in their love story.

My biggest critiques are with the big third act reveal. The entire book builds to this giant reveal of the whodunnit mystery and as a reader, I felt as though the emotional impact and nuances could have been mined out a little more. This book feels, to me, undoubtedly like Seokga's story—a story about a trickster immortal god finally shedding his armor and his journey of self-discovery. We are told repetitively throughout the book a giant root of Seokga's tree of issues but when face to face with this root, everything is wrapped up nicely with a red bow within two paragraphs. I would have liked to learn more about the emotional side effects of all that transpired. The ending, while perfect and beautiful and lovely, felt rushed and I believe an extra chapter or two would greatly alleviate the sense of something missing I felt when I finished.

Nevertheless, this sequel left this reader with a stupid ear-to-ear grin at 1 am. I desperately hope Kim chooses to revisit this world in her later works—these stupid gods are my family and I need them back yesterday. I also think it's important to note that this book delves into darker and more sensitive topics than the first book but Kim handles them with care and thought. I would advise trigger warnings for suicide and death for readers who may be sensitive to these topics.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey Random House for an Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for my honest review.

5/5 stars
Recommended if you like: murder mystery, Korean mythology, multiple POVs, fated romance

This review has been posted to Goodreads as of 2/4, Instagram as of 2/20, and my review blog as of 2/25.

This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year and I'm so excited to have gotten an ARC!! I got an ARC of The God and the Gumiho last spring too, so it's been ~torture~ waiting for this one. I have to say, it definitely delivered!

At the end of book 1, the Red Thread of Fate had just appeared to Seokga, indicating Hani's reincarnation. In this book we discover that shortly thereafter, the Red Thread became hopelessly entangled and Seokga has spent the last 7 years trying to reach the end of it. He's worn down, stressed, depressed, and just generally not having a good time. Hwanin, who really does want Seokga and Hani to find each other again, decides Seokga needs a vacation...and straight to the river cruise in hell they go. Literally. Funnily enough, that's exactly where Yoo Kisa, and thus the end of the Red Thread, is.

When she was alive, Kisa was a shaman of childbirth and healing. She specialized specifically in maternal and childbirth medicine and became one of, if not the, youngest doctor in Seoul's magical maternity unit. After her death, she's become the on-ship doctor for ghosts (gwisin) who need a vacation. It's not the most glamorous job, and Kisa definitely misses her magic, but for the most part she goes through her day-to-day activity with little complaint. Because Kisa is a rule follower. Basically the exact opposite of Hani. And that's an important thing to take note of. Hani was sarcastic and flirty and not afraid to break the rules, but Kisa is deeply analytical and follows her mind rather than her heart. Altogether, the two are quite different. That being said, both of them are deeply caring and protective, and I found them both to be funny. They have different kinds of humor to be sure, but both Hani and Kisa can be hilarious at different times. And neither are afraid to put Seokga in his place when the situation warrants it (and because this is Seokga, you know the situation warrants it).

While Kisa is not Hani, I still liked her character. She is very analytical and her passion for medicine and science really comes through. I appreciated seeing an analytical STEM character who genuinely carries that through to all aspects of her life. Case and point: Throughout the book she continually takes notes on the gods, the Red Thread of Fate, and anything else 'new' so that she can write a research paper on the topic(s). A research paper. As a gwisin. You can see how she became the youngest doctor, and I actually kind of wish we got a sneak peek at one of those papers, they sound fascinating, lol.

Seokga, as mentioned, is not exactly at the top of his game. He was living contently enough prior to the Red Thread showing up, he got a huge burst of hope, and then was plunged into spending the next seven years desperately trying to find Hani's reincarnation, only to discover she died mere hours after the Red Thread showed up. What an emotional rollercoaster. Luckily Seokga's been seeing a therapist, which is going about how you'd expect, but it does seem to be helping a little.

Some past characters show up as well as new ones. An obvious friendly face is Hwanin. He accompanies his brother on the cruise (RIP) and we get to see a little more of the two's relationship here. It's been 33 years since Seokga was restored and the two are on much, much better terms. I enjoyed their sibling ribbing as well as the clear care they both have for each other. There's also another friendly face from Seokga and Hani's time in New Sinsi in '92 and when I say I did a double take 👀

Hajun is a new character and is Kisa's best friend. He's a dead kpop idol who works in the ship's clinic with Kisa. I really liked his character. He was protective of Kisa but was also newer to the world of creatures and so did sometimes have minor freakouts over what was going on around them. He's sweet and brought some levity to the situation, which I liked.

The mystery in this one is, obviously, who killed Hwanin. I was pretty invested in figuring this out, particularly since the Hwanin here is not the same Hwanin as in book 1. There are misdirects and twists and honestly for a while no good suspects, which makes it hard to formulate a hypothesis. I did figure out parts of the mystery, but wasn't able to figure out the entire thing and was a little off on certain parts, so it was a nice surprise when everything was revealed at the end.

Overall I enjoyed this book and seeing what happened with Seokga's Red Thread of Fate. Kisa was definitely a different character to work with, but I liked her and she and Seokga managed to figure things out. The mystery was also good and I enjoyed trying to puzzle out where it was going. I do think I like book 1 slightly more (Hani will forever have my heart) but this is an excellent sequel.

Okay, I need everyone to jump on board with this series, because Sophie Kim’s dreamy blend of romance, fantasy, and mystery is so perfect that I wish I could read both this and the first book all over again. After loving THE GOD and the GUMIHO so much last year, I had high expectations for the next book - and they, thankfully, delivered beyond my dreams.

The God and the Gwisin by Sophie Kim is a spectacular sequel to The God and the Gumiho!
Kim creates a beautiful world you can just fall into and love the characters even with all their quirks. The romance in this book is flawless, the banter was beyond good.
This book starts where the last ends. Seokga runs to find Hani but at the end his thread gets tangled and he misses her. You find out that Hani was reincarnated as uber smart Kisa who helps deliver magical babies. Unfortunately she’s dead now. Seokga is eventually forced onto a magical underworld cruise where the dead (Gwisin) man the boat where he finds Kisa. Who is very much not Hani but is Hani. A deadly murder takes place and they must work together (along with a frenemy) to discover the culprit.

What I loved:

❤️ The Banter! Omg the banter was A+. I was over here smirking at my kindle and laughing out loud at points. Just 5 star writing.

❤️ The World Building- Kim always creates a divine world where it’s easy to see and immerse yourself into. The Asian lore is perfectly interwoven and even those without knowledge of the lore can easily understand.

❤️ The characters- Each of Kim’s characters has a very realistic flaw and it’s amazing to see, even as a god Seogka has his own flaws (actually more than the others.)

I literally cannot find anything that I did not like about this book. It had action, it had romance, it had me on the edge of my seat, it had comedy. Everything was just so good. I cannot wait for Kim’s next novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey Publishing for this ARC.
I received an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

Miss Sophie Kim does it again! The God and the Gwisin is a surprisingly good sequel to a book I was not so sure needed one. Initially, when I read this synopsis I was worried this installment would be too similar to the first one, The God and the Gumiho. Given the premise is our two main love interests solving a mystery together once again. But Kim does a beautiful job weaving together an entirely new story with our same (but different) beloved characters. I think leaving the duology here would work perfect well. But I wouldn't mind visiting our friends here once again if Miss Kim feels compelled to take us further.

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for this eARC.
This is going to be a hard review to write because I was going to give this book 3 stars. Even now, I am a bit hesitant about it. If I change my mind after sitting on it, I will update my review.
I honestly loved the world building, the characters, the Korean mythology, red thread dynamics, the bit of humour and the mystery, however, I really liked how the first book was mainly closed door and so expected the second book to be the same.
So I was surprised when I found that this book has an open door scene, however, if you choose to skip the scene, you won't miss anything. (This is why I changed it to 4 stars. It's not ideal and I know some people who don't prefer spice might disagree with me, but in a world dominated by spicy books, if all declarations, decisions, any info that might affect the story are made/said before or after the spicy scene and skipping it is possible, that is enough for me.) A warning by the author would have definitely been better as I know many of the no to little spice readers won't expect this based on the first book.
Please note that there is a mention of suicide of a character, the MMC and FMC have trauma and it's explained thoroughly throughout the book especially the MMC's in case that matters to you. (Your mental health matters)
When Seogka finally accepts that Kisa isn't Hani (by realizing that they have the same main characteristics that he loves even though they are their own different people with different aspects and that he needed these differences in the first and second time, thus started loving Kisa as her own person), the author doesn't follow on that, it wasn't communicated properly by Seogka through his actions/words till he expressly says it later on.
You are suddenly exposed to some aspects of the characters' personalities that should have been mentioned in the beginning, so I disconnected a bit while reading as it doesn't happen in a way where their characters developed or something got explained so now you know something new. It doesn't also contradict the explanation of the characters' personalities in the beginning, so it didn't annoy me that much. I feel like I can't the idea across properly, but this is how I felt.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and it was a fun read.

! Spoilers ahead for "The God and the Gumiho". !

I was very pleasantly surprised by "The God and the Gumiho" when I read it last month, so I was thrilled to get an arc of book 2 and read it relatively quickly after book 1. I basically had no other choice after that mean of an ending. But "The God and the Gwisin" throws much of the first book's formula overboard and introduces a new (old) main character, new character dynamics, and a new setting. It's a bold move by the author, but don't worry, it works.

After the end of book 1, Kim Hani not only reincarnated into a completely new life as Yoo Kisa, but also already died again and is now a gwisin, a ghost, working in the underworld. In the meantime, the no-longer-fallen trickster god Seokga was looking everywhere for his soulmate but couldn't find her, even though they are connected through the Red Thread of Fate. After a 33-year search (I still don't understand how the first book took place in the 90s), his therapist sends him on a ship that's navigating the waters of the underworld – for a vacation. There he finally meets his soulmate, but it's not the Hani he's been looking for, but Kisa. The question if these two are the same person plays a big part in the book, and it made the relationship with Seokga very interesting. Kisa doesn't possess any memories of her previous lives and has a totally different personality. When alive, she worked as a doctor in magical medicine and led a very academic-focused life to get there. She's intelligent and approaches everything in an analytical way, but she's also a caring friend. I liked her a lot and she fit well into the little group that consisted of: a shaman (dead), a fox (dead), a K-pop idol (dead), a trickster god (immortal), a baby (immortal). They are a merry band of characters and often unserious – I cackled over their smut book club –, but the book also doesn't fail to handle heavier themes well when necessary. I would definitely put trigger warnings for suicide and death, so be aware. Seokga's character exploration was hard to read as well, because it unpacked his traumatic past with his father. His character got a lot of depth in this book, and other gods got a bigger role as well. I'm not well versed in Korean mythology, so reading about the gods, creatures and realms was super interesting, just like in book 1.

The one thing I didn't like about this book was the whole mystery / investigation part. The reveal was so painfully obvious to me, because there [SPOILER] is literally no other reason for Dr. Jang being a character in this book but for being a villain. As soon as she joined Seokga on the cruise, I knew she's not to be trusted. [END OF SPOILER] But no character thought the same way. The investigating lacked too, especially after Seokga was an actual detective in book 1. But I think you won't mind too much if you're mostly in for the characters and the romance. Seokga and Kisa's relationship was very nice, and I especially like that their bond wasn't a secret but clear from their first meeting. I could have done without the whole hearing-each-other-thoughts-part, because I don't really see a reason for that.

The story wrapped up nicely this time and provided way more closure than the mean ending of book 1. The very last chapter did make room for a sequel though, so maybe Sophie Kim plans to write some more in the future. I would literally read anything set in this world.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

The God and the Gumiho (book 1) was in my top reads of the year last year. Something about them just sucked me in from the very start. Then that cliffhanger.. GUT wrenching. I knew how it ended that this book would hurt!

The red string theory is so fascinating to me and every time I see it in a book I just squee bc it’s so romantic and heart pounding. Just imagine your soulmate at the other end and you feel a tug…

Seokga is devastated and finds himself searching for his soulmate AND a murderer. But Hani isn’t Hani and I think I was just as sad as they were about this! She has no recollection of their memories and they’re basically starting from scratch.

Fret not, though, the banter is still top notch. Their tension and angst is better than ever and their friends are sarcastic and funny as always.

Romantically swoony, heartfelt, tense, and mysterious. Sophie got all the feels in this one just as much as book one. I love how Seokga just loves Hani, in all her forms!

4 Stars

I got completely sucked into the follow up to The God and the Gumiho and devoured it in 48 hours! It was exciting to meet the same grumpy, witty Seokga after 30 years of therapy and the reincarnated Hani as the stressed, tired & anxious Yoo Kisa (you and me both girl!). The cast of characters were lovable, and I felt invested in each of them and was cheering for their growth throughout the book. So many times throughout the book I felt my heart breaking, but the way the characters supported and loved each other fiercely made me feel so many things.

The layers of mystery in the story were intriguing - I did feel some of it was predictable, but it felt intentional and I found myself really enjoying how the plot and clues were presented in the book. The writing was great to read, I felt myself having to slow down and absorb what was being presented as it was so gripping I kept wanting to skip ahead! The way that the relationship between Kisa and Seokga grew over the book really made me swoon.

I think the pacing could have been a little clearer as the beginning 50% of the book felt like it was all day one & two, and then suddenly the pace sped up with the ending sequence. There was also one part where I was confused about who was meant to know about the emperor’s death and who wasn’t, I had to flip back and forth to confirm. This could be a me-as-a-reader problem though. The writing style might not be for anyone, but if you're looking for a silly, light hearted but also the serious themes mentioned are treated with the sensitivity they deserve.

Overall this was a great continuation of the series, featuring both returning and new characters to the world. The world building was great, I loved learning about the wider universe and it has a satisfying ending. Always happy to be getting to spend more time with grumpy sassy Seokga!

Ever since finishing The God and the Gumiho back in November I have been gagging for book two! I was so glad it wasn’t a standalone because Sophie beautifully paints a world that I didn’t want to leave! I love how richly steeped in Korean folklore this story is, I absolutely ate it up and book two is just as enchanting as the first! The murder mystery element was so fun, I was wildly speculating and had a running list of theories and suspects as we followed the impromptu investigation. Be ready to go through the gambit of emotions, because I found myself utterly heartbroken, kicking my feet with glee, swooning, AND laughing out loud at the witty writing. I couldn’t get enough, I’m so excited to see what Sophie writes next (although I am hoping for more featuring this cast of characters) because this cruise is one I won’t soon forget!

Thank you SO MUCH NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you to netGalley and Random House for the eARC.

The God and the Gwisin is the follow up novel to The God and the Gumiho. We follow up thirty three years after the first book to find out that Seokga has been on a long search for the reincarnation of his love, Hani. Turns out, Hani is now Kisa, a perfect perfectionist who had become a maternity ward ob-gyn shaman. She also just fell off a building and died and now is stuck on a cruise ship as a gwisin.

Pros:
- It's nice to see more development from characters and deal with the kdrama issues of amnesia/lost memories and how much would unconditional love can be.
- Showing flaws in all characters that aren't just making convenient plot points and have their own wants and needs has shown some writing development from the first novel.
- I don't think it meant to, but having therapy speak/therapy usage as a form of weaponization against Seokga was interesting and also a bit of a commentary on gen z's usage of therapy speak being used against everyone else and each other.

Cons:
- The author has no idea what S. Korea is like. At all. Which is baffling to me, someone of Korean descent, to write this about the author, someone of Korean descent who has also been imbued with the knowledge of these myths their whole life. According to the pretext before the novel and the acknowledgements after the novel.
- I absolutely loathe that the novel spent more time talking about coffee/coffee types than it did describing the Korean mythology it was trying (and I emphasize the word 'trying') to highlight. There was more descriptions of a flat white than there was of what a dokkaebi was. And if anyone couldn't remember what an eoduksini or a jangsan beom was, she wasn't ever going to remind you. Even if there was a dictionary to help the reader, I was reading a digital copy, and I sure as anything wasn't going to go back to check.
- The editing. There were some glaring issues with the writing, which I do chalk up to the author being young, and that is why I will probably not read another one of her books. She should know that her writing has a decent amount of potential, but between her either ignoring edits she needs to make or some extreme oversight, I should not be reading the following passage;
"He's quite certain that if given half the chance, Hwanung would hurl him back down to Iseung.
Seokga formed this theory after Hwanung explicitly told him that if given the chance, he would hurl him back to Iseung."
- Other writing discrepencies I couldn't work past;
- Seokga "bonked" his head falling out of bed because his brother and nephew had a screaming match in another palace.
- "Shan't"
- so and so "used the informal"- What is the point if there is no actual written difference denoting the language change? Who cares if Kisa talks in banmal if it isn't written any differently????
- The author made a whole segment of Kisa writing/thinking/saying "arse" and "bum" to remind the audience she is half British. That actually meant nothing to the plot, but could've been interesting as a point of her not fitting in. But nobody cares and she's also dead.
- Gonna follow up with that Hajun says "posterior" after Kisa says posterior but he's an idol. He didn't go to med school or indicated on having a large vocabulary beforehand. Why is he saying this now?
- The smut was cringe, also starting up at the tail end of one chapter and kept going into the next with an eventual fade to black was actually strange and not needed because it cut into the pacing.
- I did not like the gossip rag, even gossip columns would not call some of the highest ranking gods "Hottie Hwanin" and "Sexy Seokga".

All in all, this book was not for me, and this isn't something I would denote being an novel for adults. Just because you want to write explicit sex and say the word "fuck" isn't great if you can't actually utilize better prose.

I read The God and The Gumiho last year and it was one of my favourite reads! So I couldn't wait to read this sequel!

It's a hard sequel to review because I loved it overall, but I also really couldn't let go of a previous character (I don't want to spoil). The author did deal with this really well, but I just loved that character far too much and felt more chemistry between them and the love interest, Seokga. This is just personal opinion though and didn't take away my enjoyment of the book. I did warm up to the new character, Kisa, so it shows how great the author's writing is.

What I really loved was the mystery weaved through the book. I was suspicious of two characters from early on, but the book kept me guessing until 70% of the way through, when some last clues made me certain and I was right about them from the beginning. I like that it kept things interesting!

And I also loved the relationship between Seokga and Hwanin. This was a good twist by the author, to give them a new way to move forward and I really hope to see more about them!

Seokga has really done a lot of growing as a character. Hani made him open his heart and Kisa has helped him start to heal. He plays up and expects reactions that Hani would have gave, but Kisa has different morals and he notices this, so he starts to become a better person.

I also really adored the interview at the end of the book! I won't say too much but it had me laughing.

Please also note, there are focuses on grief and mentions of suicide and depressive states in this book. The author handles these sensitively, but it also is light and funny in other parts.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore and the author for the review copy, provided in exchange for an honest opinion.