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A review by ceruleanshelves
The God and the Gumiho by Sophie Kim
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
4.0
an intriguing blend of korean mythology and kdrama! i wish i was more familiar with the latter bc i've seen other reviews mention a lot of references and nods to popular kdrama series, but unfortunately they'd all go over my head.
i always enjoy reading less-utilized mythology sources; i was constantly looking up different creature references. and the food 🤌🏼 any food descriptions or new foods are a plus for me in books. the early 90's setting was also quite fun and nostalgic - i almost keeled over at "expensive nokia 121" lol.
while the murder mystery could be gruesome at parts, it was nicely juxtaposed with the silliness of the kdrama-esque relationship dynamic between our fallen god seokga and the infamous gumiho hani. i do feel like it wasn't the most complex relationship i've read in a book, but it was fun. they did act a bit teenager-ish for a god and a mythological creature of hundreds/thousands of years of age, but i chalk it up to the modern inspirations.
i probably would've given this 3.5 stars, but i like the creativity of blending contemporary kdrama with ancient mythology.
not one of my fav reads this year, but i'm interested in seeing where book 2 goes with that ending 👀
i always enjoy reading less-utilized mythology sources; i was constantly looking up different creature references. and the food 🤌🏼 any food descriptions or new foods are a plus for me in books. the early 90's setting was also quite fun and nostalgic - i almost keeled over at "expensive nokia 121" lol.
while the murder mystery could be gruesome at parts, it was nicely juxtaposed with the silliness of the kdrama-esque relationship dynamic between our fallen god seokga and the infamous gumiho hani. i do feel like it wasn't the most complex relationship i've read in a book, but it was fun. they did act a bit teenager-ish for a god and a mythological creature of hundreds/thousands of years of age, but i chalk it up to the modern inspirations.
i probably would've given this 3.5 stars, but i like the creativity of blending contemporary kdrama with ancient mythology.
not one of my fav reads this year, but i'm interested in seeing where book 2 goes with that ending 👀
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gore
Minor: Vomit, Alcohol, and War