ebookreview | Entries tagged with series: fate's thread

The God and the Gumiho by Sophie Kim

Series:
Fate's Thread #1

Genre:
Korean Mythology, Mythology, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, Contemporary, Science Fiction, Adult, Asian Mythology, Asian Fiction, Asian Fantasy, Folklore, Korean Mythology, Fairytales, Asian Author, Paranormal, Supernatural

Publication Date:
June 4, 2024

Pages Numbers:
416

Read Date:
June 12th, 2024

Date Finished:
June 12th, 2024

Rating:
5/5

Blurb:

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.

Kim Hani has retired from a life of devouring souls. She is, simply put, too full. Once known as the infamous Scarlet Fox, she now spends her days working in a coffee shop and annoying a particularly irritating, if unfairly handsome, trickster god as often as she can.

That god is Seokga the Fallen. Exiled from the heavenly kingdom of Okhwang, he now begrudgingly resides in the mortal realm, working toward his redemption and suffering through his interactions with the particularly infuriating, if sneakily charming, gumiho barista at his favorite café.

But when a powerful demon escapes from the underworld and threatens to end all of humanity, Okhwang’s emperor offers Seokga an enticing bargain: Kill this rogue creature, as well as the legendary and elusive Scarlet Fox, and he will be reinstated as a god. Hani, however, has no intention of being caught. Seokga might be a trickster god, but she has a trick of her own that he’ll never see coming: teaming up. As Seokga’s assistant, Hani will undermine and sabotage his investigation right under his overly pointy nose. Sure, she’ll help him kill the demon, but she certainly won’t allow him to uncover her secret identity while they’re at it.

As the bickering partners track their case down a path of mayhem and violence, the god and the gumiho find themselves inescapably drawn to each other. But will the unlikely couple stand together to prevent the apocalypse, or will they let their secrets tear them—and the world—apart?

Review:

Once known as the Scarlet Fox, Hana Kim has been keeping a low profile since her appearance in London where she gorged herself on the souls and livers of men including that of the infamous Jack the Ripper. Thoroughly stuffed, she has been using her time out of the spotlight and working in a Creature Cafe as a barista, but one night while returning home, she finds herself confronted by men who wish more harm than good on her. With their livers in her hand, she decides to offer a taste to her fellow barista, but now Hana learns that her actions have consequences and the one trickster god she loves annoying may be hunting her down.

Once the god of trickery, Seogka has fallen from grace after trying to usurp his brother from his throne. In doing so, he was punished and sentenced to the Earthern realm where he took up a role as a detective as penance for his crimes. Seogka hates everything including the barista that tends to annoy him while making his coffee wrong. It doesn't help when she becomes his partner when a string of murders begins and the resurfacing of the Scarlet Fox. Now, Seogka and Hana have to work together to bring the creature behind the murders and the Scarlet Fox to justice.

I loved this book. The characters. The world-building. The fantastical mythology. I love the banter our leads have with each other. The concept of a demigod who's fallen from grace and is now a detective, paired with a shape-shifting creature who's been hiding in plain sight as a barista, is intriguing. The fact that they're forced to work together to solve a series of murders and capture the Scarlet Fox adds a layer of tension and complexity to their relationship.

The banter between Seogka and Hana was a lot of fun and a contrast between their personalities and backgrounds led to some fun and engaging dialogue. I love that they got under each other's skin. I also liked the fact the romance was not instant but slow burn.

The world-building blended with Asian Mythology was a bonus. With Greek Mythology being overly saturated with mythology romance, it is nice to see another mythology being used. Asian mythology is just as rich and fascinating, and it's great to see more stories incorporating it into their world-building.

I loved this book and if you are looking for something close to the Asian dramas that you enjoy watching, then this book is something I recommend you pick up.