The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! š
jackiie's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Alcohol, Death, Cursing, Blood, Violence, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
urlocalvocaloidstan's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Ā This book was just as great as the previous book in the series, with plenty of drama and romance going on. Even though the story is about Miyoung and Jihoon, this book focused a little bit more on Somin and Junu and their relationship. All the characters have really good writing and backstories that explain their motives. There was so much going on and so many plot twists at the end, but the duology still managed to wrap up really nicely with this book.Ā
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Grief, Blood, and Violence
Moderate: Emotional abuse
paige04's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief
bookishcb_21's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This sequel was REALLY good!! I enjoyed that this book picked up where it left off, focusing on the characters from the first book, but following the blossoming start of something between Junu and Somin. Junu wasnāt on good terms with everyone in book one, but Somin was bound and determined to figure out Junu and why he was still sticking around. I loved the drama and like book one, I couldnāt wait to get to the next chapterā¦and then the next chapter š It was also cool to see a quick mention of BTS in this book, so I may or may not have squealed šš¶ Sad to be done with both of these books, but now I can add another favorite series to my list for 2021!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Violence
Minor: Death of parent
translove's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Blood
Minor: Toxic relationship and Alcoholism
natsinbookland's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Grief
Minor: Animal cruelty
plumpaperbacks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
[second read, December 2022]
I question my past selfās taste on a lot of things, but I can say one thing with absolute certainty: when she said āVicious Spirits is perfect,ā she was ABSOLUTELY GODDAMN RIGHT. THIS BOOK IS A MASTERPIECE.
I love all four characters in this duologyās quartet, but Junu is in an entirely different category. The love I have for him knows no bounds. I went into this reread knowing I loved him but not really remembering why, and came out of it adoring him even more fiercely. HE IS THE SWEETEST CINNAMON ROLL!!! MUST PROTECC!!! š„¹šš«šš„¹
Seriously though, words cannot describe how much I adore him. Iāve always sympathized with him, thatās nothing new, but I did notice something this time around that I didnāt before. Maybe the nuance of it all was lost on me because I listened to this on audio, or maybe I just forgot because Iāve read so many books and had so much else on my mind in the two years since reading this initially. I donāt know which it is. But the way he just crumbled inside, bit by bit, every time one of the other characters doubted or berated him, even as he continued to smirk and joke and pretend he was fineā¦ IT KILLED ME. HE NEEDS THE BIGGEST HUG AND EVERYONE NEEDS TO BE NICE TO HIM. JUNU DEFENSE SQUAD 2022. š„¹š„¹šš
And the romance??? SO HELP ME. KAT CHO HAVE MERCY ON MY SOUL.
āBut itās not Miyoung who made me hope.ā
[[MUFFLED SHRIEKING]]
JOMIN IS HATE-TO-LOVE DONE RIGHT AND THATāS THAT ON THAT.
Andā¦ yāknowā¦ theyāve almost made me cry twice now. So thereās that. Fun times. :ā)))
In other news!! Read this duology!! It has no fandom and that is a TRAGEDY!! Join in my awe, adoration and intense feelings!! āØāØāØ
[first read, September 2020]
If Wicked Fox was phenomenal, then that must mean that Vicious Spirits is perfect. I put the audiobook on hold via Libby immediately after finishing the first book, and I was so freaking excited the day it was ready. Once again, despite it being nearly twelve hours long, I marathoned it in about a day. I even chose listening to this over playing The Sims, which, for me, means a lot.
I didnāt read the synopsis for this book, so I was not aware that it was a companion, not a direct sequel. I didnāt know that Somin and Junu were the protagonists this time around, with Miyoung and Jihoon still quite prominent but no longer narrating. It was a surprise, but not an unpleasant one.
I donāt think I have the words to describe how much I love this book. I keep a note on my phone while reading, to track reactions and thoughts to put in my reviews. This time around, that note is just a long list of panicking and fangirling and emojis. Itās fitting, to be honest, as this story was even more of a whirlwind than that of the first book.
I adore these characters with my whole heart. I already knew that Miyoung and Jihoon were amazing, but learning more about characters that were on the sidelines in Wicked Fox and falling in love with them was a treat. Somin and Junu are just as amazing, in my opinion, and thatās that on that.
My favorite part of the story was undeniably the relationships between the four leads. Miyoung, Jihoon, and Sominās friendship. The way the three of them antagonized Junu, even though sometimes they took it too far and I wanted to give Junu a hug. (Who am I kidding, I want to give them all hugs.) Miyoung and Jihoon are properly together now, and adorable. Then thereās the agonizing but adorable, heartbreaking yet heartwarming hate-to-love situation with Somin and Junu. I did wonder if something would happen between them, though it was a passing thought. But wow, I love and support it so much!!!
I will say, on that note, that this book seriously stressed me out. I thought the ending of Wicked Fox was intense, but that honestly feels like childās play compared to the second half of this. I was, essentially, freaking out for six (seven?) hours of the not-quite-twelve hour experience. One minute Iād be laughing at cute banter, and five minutes later Iād be concerned because there was a fight. Then after another ten minutes or so, Iād be panicking completely. Cho does not go easy on readersā emotions. The worst of it was about 80% in, and around the 85% mark I was unbelievably close to crying. That just doesnāt happen to me, but I am attached to these characters and I feared the worst.
But thankfully, thankfully, things worked out. Iām so, incredibly happy with how everything wrapped up, and now Iām wondering a) when I can buy my own copies of these books and b) what Iām supposed to do now that the duology is complete. Thereās not even any couple fan art I can put as my phoneās lock screen. Or, at least, none that Iām aware of. (If you find some or draw some, help a girl out and let me know please.)
So, yeah, I have a new series to be obsessed with and shout about at every opportunity. Vicious Spirits was even more brilliant than its predecessor, something I hoped for but wasnāt sure was possible. I look forward to Choās future work. In the meantime, PLEASE READ WICKED FOX.
Representation:
I question my past selfās taste on a lot of things, but I can say one thing with absolute certainty: when she said āVicious Spirits is perfect,ā she was ABSOLUTELY GODDAMN RIGHT. THIS BOOK IS A MASTERPIECE.
I love all four characters in this duologyās quartet, but Junu is in an entirely different category. The love I have for him knows no bounds. I went into this reread knowing I loved him but not really remembering why, and came out of it adoring him even more fiercely. HE IS THE SWEETEST CINNAMON ROLL!!! MUST PROTECC!!! š„¹šš«šš„¹
Seriously though, words cannot describe how much I adore him. Iāve always sympathized with him, thatās nothing new, but I did notice something this time around that I didnāt before. Maybe the nuance of it all was lost on me because I listened to this on audio, or maybe I just forgot because Iāve read so many books and had so much else on my mind in the two years since reading this initially. I donāt know which it is. But the way he just crumbled inside, bit by bit, every time one of the other characters doubted or berated him, even as he continued to smirk and joke and pretend he was fineā¦ IT KILLED ME. HE NEEDS THE BIGGEST HUG AND EVERYONE NEEDS TO BE NICE TO HIM. JUNU DEFENSE SQUAD 2022. š„¹š„¹šš
And the romance??? SO HELP ME. KAT CHO HAVE MERCY ON MY SOUL.
āBut itās not Miyoung who made me hope.ā
[[MUFFLED SHRIEKING]]
JOMIN IS HATE-TO-LOVE DONE RIGHT AND THATāS THAT ON THAT.
Andā¦ yāknowā¦ theyāve almost made me cry twice now. So thereās that. Fun times. :ā)))
In other news!! Read this duology!! It has no fandom and that is a TRAGEDY!! Join in my awe, adoration and intense feelings!! āØāØāØ
[first read, September 2020]
If Wicked Fox was phenomenal, then that must mean that Vicious Spirits is perfect. I put the audiobook on hold via Libby immediately after finishing the first book, and I was so freaking excited the day it was ready. Once again, despite it being nearly twelve hours long, I marathoned it in about a day. I even chose listening to this over playing The Sims, which, for me, means a lot.
I didnāt read the synopsis for this book, so I was not aware that it was a companion, not a direct sequel. I didnāt know that Somin and Junu were the protagonists this time around, with Miyoung and Jihoon still quite prominent but no longer narrating. It was a surprise, but not an unpleasant one.
I donāt think I have the words to describe how much I love this book. I keep a note on my phone while reading, to track reactions and thoughts to put in my reviews. This time around, that note is just a long list of panicking and fangirling and emojis. Itās fitting, to be honest, as this story was even more of a whirlwind than that of the first book.
I adore these characters with my whole heart. I already knew that Miyoung and Jihoon were amazing, but learning more about characters that were on the sidelines in Wicked Fox and falling in love with them was a treat. Somin and Junu are just as amazing, in my opinion, and thatās that on that.
My favorite part of the story was undeniably the relationships between the four leads. Miyoung, Jihoon, and Sominās friendship. The way the three of them antagonized Junu, even though sometimes they took it too far and I wanted to give Junu a hug. (Who am I kidding, I want to give them all hugs.) Miyoung and Jihoon are properly together now, and adorable. Then thereās the agonizing but adorable, heartbreaking yet heartwarming hate-to-love situation with Somin and Junu. I did wonder if something would happen between them, though it was a passing thought. But wow, I love and support it so much!!!
I will say, on that note, that this book seriously stressed me out. I thought the ending of Wicked Fox was intense, but that honestly feels like childās play compared to the second half of this. I was, essentially, freaking out for six (seven?) hours of the not-quite-twelve hour experience. One minute Iād be laughing at cute banter, and five minutes later Iād be concerned because there was a fight. Then after another ten minutes or so, Iād be panicking completely. Cho does not go easy on readersā emotions. The worst of it was about 80% in, and around the 85% mark I was unbelievably close to crying. That just doesnāt happen to me, but I am attached to these characters and I feared the worst.
But thankfully, thankfully, things worked out. Iām so, incredibly happy with how everything wrapped up, and now Iām wondering a) when I can buy my own copies of these books and b) what Iām supposed to do now that the duology is complete. Thereās not even any couple fan art I can put as my phoneās lock screen. Or, at least, none that Iām aware of. (If you find some or draw some, help a girl out and let me know please.)
So, yeah, I have a new series to be obsessed with and shout about at every opportunity. Vicious Spirits was even more brilliant than its predecessor, something I hoped for but wasnāt sure was possible. I look forward to Choās future work. In the meantime, PLEASE READ WICKED FOX.
Representation:
- full cast of Korean characters
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Blood, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Medical content, Death of parent, Cancer, and Fire/Fire injury
Miyoung mourns the recent loss of her mother and Jihoon mourns the recent loss of his grandmother; Somin remembers and mourns her late father, who died of cancer when she was a child. There are a few instances of characters visiting or being admitted to the hospital, though never for long. In the last third of the book, one character dies by strangulation and one by fire, though both scenes are brief/vague and neither character is major.booksthatburn's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Vicious Spirits doubles down on the series' focus on the messy nature of relationships (family, friends, romance new and long-buried). Full of danger, anguish, and catharsis; with a supernatural core. A worthy sequel to Wicked Fox; may there be many more.
Thereās a mortal/immortal romance with a substantial age gap (at least a century). Their dynamic is full of consent and care, and I really like how itās handled. The story continues the first bookās theme of establishing and holding healthy boundaries, which includes spending some (or quite a lot) of time in the messy space of trying to figure them out. This creates a story which is deeply concerned with consent, history, kinds of love, and how people navigate these things in their lives. It allows space for mistakes without propping up cruelty, and the overall effect is very cathartic to read. The age gap and its implications are discussed within the text and I think this might be my new favorite treatment of this particular trope. There are also several different portrayals of parent/child relationships, some carrying over from Wicked Fox and some which are newly explored here. I said before that this story is concerned with kinds of love, and that care isnāt limited to romance. It is complex and multi-faceted; familial, platonic, romantic, and probably some more I'm missing. It explores how they go wrong, what it takes to make things go right, and the joy of having someone elseās company.Ā
Quickly running through my normal book two check: I like this as a sequel. It deals with some lingering effects of the first book while still having its own separate storyline, we learn more about people we already knew pretty well while also highlighting some who didn't get much attention in the first book. I don't know if there's going to be more in the series but it feels like there's a lot that could be explored here if the author decides to continue this series (either with these characters or with different ones in the same setting). The story is robust enough to stand on its own, the decision to center characters that were present in Wicked Fox but not POV characters was a smart one, and I think it worked out very well.Ā
Thereās a mortal/immortal romance with a substantial age gap (at least a century). Their dynamic is full of consent and care, and I really like how itās handled. The story continues the first bookās theme of establishing and holding healthy boundaries, which includes spending some (or quite a lot) of time in the messy space of trying to figure them out. This creates a story which is deeply concerned with consent, history, kinds of love, and how people navigate these things in their lives. It allows space for mistakes without propping up cruelty, and the overall effect is very cathartic to read. The age gap and its implications are discussed within the text and I think this might be my new favorite treatment of this particular trope. There are also several different portrayals of parent/child relationships, some carrying over from Wicked Fox and some which are newly explored here. I said before that this story is concerned with kinds of love, and that care isnāt limited to romance. It is complex and multi-faceted; familial, platonic, romantic, and probably some more I'm missing. It explores how they go wrong, what it takes to make things go right, and the joy of having someone elseās company.Ā
Quickly running through my normal book two check: I like this as a sequel. It deals with some lingering effects of the first book while still having its own separate storyline, we learn more about people we already knew pretty well while also highlighting some who didn't get much attention in the first book. I don't know if there's going to be more in the series but it feels like there's a lot that could be explored here if the author decides to continue this series (either with these characters or with different ones in the same setting). The story is robust enough to stand on its own, the decision to center characters that were present in Wicked Fox but not POV characters was a smart one, and I think it worked out very well.Ā
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Death
CW for age-gap romance, abuse, assault, parental abandonment, murder, major character death.
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