A formally fallen god, his estranged brother, and his therapist walk onto a ship and into the red string of fate's other end. The plot of this book was more self contained than book 1 since it took place almost entirely on a ship cruising the waters in the afterlife. Here we meet Kisa, Somi's reincarnation and an endearing k-pop idol who had committed suicide. This book takes place 33 years after The God and the Gumiho, and I was glad Sophie Kim brought Somi back as well. Most of the book is spent solving a murder mystery and watching and Kisa and Seokga's slow-burn relationship develop. Between this, his personality, and his therapist, it was reminiscent of the TV show Lucifer which I appreciated. I also liked that the red string of fate was a character in the book with it's own sentience. Although I loved the banter between Hani and Seokga more, I grew to love Kisa too and this book's quirky humor. I still like book 1 better, but this was a great entry and I will read the next in the series if it's continued.

4.5 ⭐️

*Seokga the No-Longer-Fallen* is a genre-mashing voyage through mythology, romance, and murder mystery, and while it dazzles with clever banter and emotional nuance, its world-building occasionally buckles under its own ambition. The premise—an underworld cruise ship ferrying souls of the dead—is irresistible, and the depiction of divine bureaucracy and karmic debt adds a refreshing layer of dark whimsy. But the rules of this elaborate afterlife feel both too rigid and too vague, shifting as the plot demands rather than offering a consistent framework to anchor the reader.

Seokga is compelling: a trickster god in therapy is a concept with infinite potential, and the author wisely lets his vulnerability peek through the snark. Kisa, meanwhile, is a more grounded figure, and their dynamic crackles with both tension and reluctant affection. Yet as the red thread tightens, the mythology behind it remains murky, relying heavily on the reader’s tolerance for poetic abstraction rather than providing satisfying clarity.

The central murder mystery moves briskly, and the emotional payoff lands, but one can’t help wishing the setting had been better realized. A river cruise through the afterlife should feel mythic; instead, it sometimes feels like a backdrop sketched in with ghostly ink.

This book - wow! Usually the second book in a series is not as good as the first but that can not be said for God and the Gwisin. I loved this book just as much as the first. I enjoyed that it wasnt a carbon copy of the first, it has new mysteries and plots yet the story remained consistent. The story is captivating, hilarious, swoonworthy and heartwrenching all in one. Fantastic read and I hope to read more from Sophie Kim.

I freaking loved this book, equal to or possibility more than the first one! I am just so more in love with this book at the moment that I don't have a huge amount of words except that people should definitely read it!

I again had to Google some of the words for the various mythological creatures which was cool because it was really interesting to learn more about Korean mythology.

The only reason that this wasn't a 5 star read was that I picked the bad guy and the motives really early on in the story but other than that this had plenty of laughs and feels, both of which I adore in a book.

Thank you Del Ray and Netgalley for the eARC. Because its a lazy day Sunday with minimal plans outside of grocery shopping, I have left an honest review.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the eARC of The God and the Gwisin. I just finished The God and the Gumiho earlier this week and had no idea it was not a standalone. I immediately ran to NetGalley to see if an ARC was available and lit up like a candle when I was approved.

These stories are so much fun. I would probably give this book closer to a 4.5 star and I actually liked it even better than I liked the first book.

This book follows Seogka after he lost Hani in book one and her reincarnated self, now known as Kisa. I honestly thought I would HATE this story because I’m a loyalist and I adored Hani’s spunky character in book one and didn’t want to start over with a “new” FMC in this book. Boy was I wrong.

The character development in this book is done so well and, as stated earlier, even better than book one. You really felt the pain of Seogka’s past and loss. You also really got to love Kisa’s character and understand her similarities and differences to Hani. Somi comes back in a fun way in this book and gets a good redemption arc, which I was glad to see. And Hajun is a new character that you sort of instantly fall in love with.

The family dynamics and trauma of Seogka and Hwanin are a big part of this story and, without spoiling anything, Hwanin’s character is one of the best surprises in this book.

I think the only thing that would’ve made this story better would have been to have an illustration guide to the multitude of Korean monsters named off in this book. Hard to keep them straight or to get my mind wrapped around them. That would’ve been helpful.

Overall, I REALLY enjoyed this sequel and would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoyed book one. It did not disappoint.

This one was a bit odd for me! I enjoyed parts of book 1 but the ending really got me. But in book two (which I will say, is still a dectective story with a wildly different location), it was cute, but the things I didn't love in book one stayed present.

This book is a very goofy fun time, and this iteration has the bonus of the ~reincarnation drama that I normally eat up with a spoon. I think people are really going to have a great time with this one, in terms of new characters, old characters, and that potential sequel (three-quel? series??) hook at the end. It just didn't work for me!

Thanks for Del Rey and NetGalley for the chance to read and review!

[3.5/5 stars]

i ate this whole book up in just a few hours and it was actually so serious that i physically couldn't do anything else until i was done. so i think this says a lot about how much i love these characters but I'm sad to say i still prefer the first book to the sequel.

i think sophie kim is a talented writer because she manages to make her characters feel so much so acutely, and in turn this makes the reader feel as if these characters were alive and real. she nails the yearning in this book and it made me so emotional countless times. her take on reincarnation, the red string of fate theory and the ship of theseus question was interesting to follow and i enjoyed the ride overall, because I'll read anything she writes at this point and because this world is so much fun. she's also just hilarious. genuinely.

what made the first book so much fun for me was ultimately hani's personality. her character was so refreshing and the mischievous back and forth she had with seokga was just the best. so that might be why the sequel didn't do it for me as much. just because i felt like that wasn't really there in the same way anymore, for obvious reasons. However, i still had fun reading about these characters again and will definitely be seated for anything miss sophie writes in the future.

Full disclosure: The God and the Gumiho was one of my favorite reads of last year so to say I was nervous for the sequel is an understatement.
Reader, my fears were unfounded.
Sophie Kim delivers a worthy follow-up that exceeds the first book.

We join Seokga, reinstated as a god, 3 decades after Hani's death and 7 years after the red thread of fate appeared. 7 years of fruitlessly searching has left him destroyed and in therapy, so, much like all great heartbroken romance main characters, those around him decide the best cure is the sea. Only this time it's a cruise. On the river of the dead.

When he feels the tug of the red thread of fate lead him to Yoo Kisa, he discovers the reincarnation of Hani who died 7 years ago does not remember him or her previous self.

Laced with humor what follows explores themes of identity, as well as fate and destiny versus choice and free will, set against a locked room (or locked cruise in this case) murder mystery.

The God and the Gwisin further delves into the world established in the first while bringing back some friendly (and some less than friendly) faces.
Although it is a sequel it provides enough context that it can also be read as a standalone (except do yourself a favor and read God and the Gumiho at some point. And the Talons trilogy while you're at it).

I absolutely loved this duology and was so excited to receive an ARC of this book. Honestly my favorite read of the year so far. The story seemed fresh and it kept my interest. This book in particular was unexpectedly thought provoking with its the Ship Of Theseus thought experiment. I will now keep my eyes open for any future books from this author!

God and the Gwisin was an enjoyable follow up to God and the Gumiho. We finally get the continuation of Seokga’s journey of finding the soulmate that was tragically taken from him in the previous book. Seokga’s dry humor and sarcasm coupled with the introduction of a caretaker storyline really kept me entertained and giggling throughout the story. Seokga and Kisa’s romance was sweet, but it was missing that enemies to lovers vibe that helped me devour the first installment. Although I enjoyed it, I found myself longing for the banter and chemistry Hani brought to the relationship from the first book. The cruise ship setting was a little off putting at first, but Sophie Kim makes it work and delivers a fairly solid sequel to God and the Gumiho.

The pacing of this book is so smooth and well constructed that it took me three sittings to get through half of it.

I just love Kim's writing style when it comes to their narratives. Agh the change in setting, the plot, the YEARNING. I think this read solidified Kim as an insta-read author for me.

The way it incorporates the plot of the first book but it recontextualizes it through the lens of a new character who is intrinsically linked to it all but remembers none of it.

Just as fun and emotional as the first one if not more so.

I really enjoyed this book! It was a bit slow in the beginning and felt a bit repetitive with Kisa talking about nothing but work and Seokga only talking about Hani. But after the first few chapters I really started to love this book. I found myself wanting to read just 1 more chapter to know what happens. I love that the setting is on a cruise ship as well!

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for this ARC! Due to be published June 3, 2025

Rating rounded up from a 3.5.

A really enjoyable continuation of The God and the Gumiho - anyone that liked the first book is sure to find something to love here, too. However, in some ways, it doesn't quite capture the same charm as the first book (in my opinion) - the female lead (Kisa) didn't call to me in the way the lead from Gumiho (Hani) did, and I felt that the mystery plot wasn't as fleshed out as it could be, which fell flat in comparison to the plot of Gumiho. Overall, still a fun read, that I would recommend (with the caveat to lower expectations if you're expecting it to be as strong an entry as Gumiho).

dnf @ 51%
I really tried very hard to finish this book, but I couldn't bring myself to pick it up.
I was enjoying the beginning so much. I loved the mental health rep, and Hwanin and Seokga's relationship. Unfortunately I didn't feel any chemistry between Seokga and Kisa, it fell flat. I also feel like the book lost it's plot and it's just a bunch of stuff going on at the same time which disconnected me from the story. I still think Sophie Kim is a very good writer, and has great potential!

BRB crying. Is there gonna be a book 3? I need it desperately. Being back with Seokga, and getting to meet Kira, has been so much fun. And I'm glad to see Somi get some redemption. Everything about this book was fun and fast-paced, and kept me guessing, then second guessing just when I thought I had things figured out.

Thank you endlessly to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this. Getting the email with this book attached to it was such a pleasant surprise.

*3.75 stars*

I'm not really sure of how I feel about this book. I loved the God and the Gumiho, and I had such high expectations for the sequel, but it's left me with a bittersweet feeling. I did like the plot and the mystery (it was a bit repetitive from the first book but fine anyway), I found The Baby a bit annoying to account for at times, but again, nothing crazy. My main issue with this book is that I kept comparing Kisa to Hani and, honestly, I didn't like her as much. I get that the point is that they're two different people, but I still was very disappointed. I liked getting to see Somi, and it was a fun and addictive read, but I just wish we could get Hani back tbh. It's not that Kisa is not a good character or anything, I just didn't like her as much.

This was so good, I really like the writing style. I did read the first one prior and honestly I love the storyline, I thought it was quite an eventful book. Overall really awesome.
Solid 4.25⭐️

Massive Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an e-Arc copy of The God and the Gwisin by Sophie Kim.

Sophie Kim delivers another enchanting, action packed, and emotionally charged installment in The God and the Gwisin, the sequel to The God and the Gumiho.

We’re immediately reunited with our mischievous (and adorable) god Seokga (my love), as he searches for his reincarnated soulmate; but it quickly takes a bittersweet turn when the thread (iykyk!) reunites them only to find out that Yoo Kisa (Hani) remembers nothing of their past life. The heartache is visible 💔

Set aboard the SRC Flatliner, the story unfolds as Seokga and Kisa work together to solve a high-stakes murder mystery while navigating their complicated dynamic and watching over an infant Hwanin. Kisa is a brilliant, witty FMC; her sharp mind and cautious skepticism toward Seokga make her deeply relatable. Watching Seokga learn to love her for who she is, rather than just as Hani’s reincarnation, is one of the book’s most satisfying arcs. Their romance builds slowly and thoughtfully which was possibly my favorite part about the book.

The side characters shine just as brightly, from Kisa’s endearing friends (Somi and Hajun are instant favorites) to Seokga’s complicated family ties. The humor is sharp, the banter delightful, and the found family themes add warmth to the high stakes plot. That said, the murder mystery itself is somewhat predictable; the confined cruise setting really limited the suspects; but the journey is so entertaining that the lack of surprise didn’t ruin the overall story for me.

What I most appreciated, is the deeper exploration of Seokga’s grief and growth, as well as the clever parallels between Kisa and Hani. While the setting may feel more contained than The God and the Gumiho, Kim’s signature wit and emotional punches keep the story engaging. The book is Flawed in its predictability but irresistible in its charm.

Can’t wait for the next book!

This was SO much fun I was laughing the whole time and could not put it down. I would love if the author would write more books following these characters

3.5 stars, rounding up to 4 stars for Seokga.

While I did enjoy this overall, it was missing the spark and magic that made the first book amazing.
The plot really took a backseat in this one, and I wasn't hugely invested in the mystery. Nor did I find the reveals very shocking.
I also disliked that the setting was the cruise ship basically the entire time. It was kind of dull. I missed 90s New Sinsi.

However the character work was amazing. The character growth in Seokga was sensational. I struggled a little with Kisa at first but I came to really adore her - much like Seokga. Their love story was really the highlight of this book. The side characters were great too. I was especially happy to see Somi again.

Overall I did enjoy it, but am disappointed that it didn't hit like The God & the Gumiho which was a 5 star read for me.