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yellowbinge's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Publishing date:
04.03.2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Interstellar Flight Press for the ARC. My opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and Interstellar Flight Press for the ARC. My opinions are my own.
The book as a meal: A fantastic blend of spices and comforting ingredients in a tasty soup
The book left me: Wanting more like this, and a continuation of the story please ...
Negatives:
Repeats descriptions a lot, often on the same page
Conversations flow a little strangely
Characters can seem very irrational with no proper reason for it
Not so much a mystery, more so a "oh no it broke, not we have to fix it"
Positives:
Characters have surprising amount of depth for such a short story
The plot moves naturally
Great dynamic between the characters
Features:
Lots of korean culture, myths, spiritualism, talismans, a tiny cameo with sign language, lots of queer representation, possensions, multiple POV's
Why did I choose this one?
I was craving a mystery again, but since I can't stand the usual "whodunnit" killer kind ... I opted for a more fantasy-esque book. This was an absolute success in those terms
Pick-up-able? Put-down-able?
Pick-Up-Able. Very engaging story, got me hooked.
What was the vibe and mood?
It had a very heavy and serious kind of vibe to it. As if everything was hung on a thin thread ready to snap at any moment, but we gotta be safe before we attempt to climb it. It also reminded me of "Constantine" a lot, similar mood there.
The descriptions of people spirit energy also brought with it some "phantom smells" for me, so I could constantly "smell" whatever was happening on page. Very freaky, and very cool
Final ranking and star rating?
A tier, 4 stars. Very good book. I will be on the lookout for this author again. Vibed with the writing and the character work a lot. Will also be recommending this around in my circle, I think it might surprise a lot of people
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Transphobia, Death, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Deadnaming, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Gaslighting and Self harm
cobwebshelves's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
"He remembers thinking Shin Yoonhae looked like someone who was just quietly waiting to die. He guesses that hasn't really changed, even after all this time."
tw: transphobia, gore, body horror
Since my discovery that I do, in fact, enjoy ghost stories a couple years back, I haven't actually picked up that many. "Small gods of calamity" turned out to be a ghostly delight. Despite its relatively small page count, it's enthralling and had me invested in the story pretty quickly. The slice-of-life view of Kim Han-gil's life as a detective-slash-ghost-hunter had pretty solid worldbuilding, introducing a range of paranormal phenomena and spiritualists. I did not expect the POV to shift halfway through yet I loved the contrast between Han-gil and Yoonhae's voices and experiences.
The thing is, I was left wanting more - the small thing keeping it from being a five-star read for me. Give me two hundred more pages, give me a webtoon, a series (I saw a few reviews mentioning it felt like a k-drama structure but I'm not sure there's enough to fill 20 90-minute episodes), anything – I would love to stay in Han-gil's bubble for longer. The biggest let-down is that in such a fast-paced story, the secondary characters are left unexplored, feeling almost like an afterthought at the very end.
Nevertheless, this made for a wonderful buddy read with my best friend and I plan to keep an eye on what Sam Kyung Yoo has in store next as their debut novella left me impressed.
Thanks to Interstellar Flight Press and NetGalley for the arc.
tw: transphobia, gore, body horror
Since my discovery that I do, in fact, enjoy ghost stories a couple years back, I haven't actually picked up that many. "Small gods of calamity" turned out to be a ghostly delight. Despite its relatively small page count, it's enthralling and had me invested in the story pretty quickly. The slice-of-life view of Kim Han-gil's life as a detective-slash-ghost-hunter had pretty solid worldbuilding, introducing a range of paranormal phenomena and spiritualists. I did not expect the POV to shift halfway through yet I loved the contrast between Han-gil and Yoonhae's voices and experiences.
The thing is, I was left wanting more - the small thing keeping it from being a five-star read for me. Give me two hundred more pages, give me a webtoon, a series (I saw a few reviews mentioning it felt like a k-drama structure but I'm not sure there's enough to fill 20 90-minute episodes), anything – I would love to stay in Han-gil's bubble for longer. The biggest let-down is that in such a fast-paced story, the secondary characters are left unexplored, feeling almost like an afterthought at the very end.
Nevertheless, this made for a wonderful buddy read with my best friend and I plan to keep an eye on what Sam Kyung Yoo has in store next as their debut novella left me impressed.
Thanks to Interstellar Flight Press and NetGalley for the arc.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Transphobia, and Body horror
paracosim's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
4.5
Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This novella is what The Dead Take the A Train wishes it could be. Both are about spiritualists and exorcisms, both have aspects of horror (though this one is much less gruesome), and both have queer protagonists who are down on their luck and mocked by their paranormal communities. Where The Dead failed, though, Small G-ds of Calamity succeeded.
The pacing was excellent. The author reveals pieces of information bit by bit, letting the reader slowly piece together what happened in the past to make the characters who they are in the present, and it was so masterfully done that I was surprised to learn this is a debut. The story itself was grim but had moments of humor to break up the angst, the descriptions were vivid, and the mention of Han-gil being bi and asexual? Flawless. Stunning. Very natural. The trans representation? Beautiful. Chef’s kiss. The worldbuilding was also done very nicely.
My only wish is that it was longer, and that we’d gotten a bit more of an explanation about the supernatural world itself. It left a lot up to interpretation in a way that had me wanting. Overall, though, I have very high hopes for anything this author comes out with next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Death, Transphobia, Death of parent, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Deadnaming, Grief, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Ableism
phoricho's review
dark
mysterious
tense
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
3.0
I enjoyed this book. I really liked that it was set in Seoul and that the main character was bi, asexual and adopted.
The whole fantasy aspect was set within Asian folklore, which wasn't something that I'd ever read before but I found it very insightful.
The topics/themes of forgiveness and family were really strong and I loved how they were explored differently for each character.
Overall I really enjoyed this book, however, I found it to be slower paced and a little information heavy when explaining the lore.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Transphobia, Murder, Self harm, Stalking, Violence, Body horror, Mental illness, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Deadnaming
lachesisreads's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
I didn't know much going into this other than that it was a novella about a detective hunting down a malevolent spirit, but once I started reading I simply couldn't stop.
Kim Han-Gil, Seoul's only spirit detective, goes to hunt down a soul-eating malevolent worm and soon finds himself forced to team up with his childhood arch-nemesis Shin Yoonhae, whom he has always held responsible for his mother's horrifying fate.
What is on the surface a quite dark and haunting urban occult story about spirit possessions peeled back its layers to reveal itself to be a tale about pain and broken souls, about trauma, and ultimately, about forgiveness and reconciliation.
Atmospheric, steeped in Korean folklore and dripping with emotions, Small Gods of Calamity put me through the wringer and left me feeling almost like I had just undergone a purifying experience - and while this is going to sound contradictory to everything I just said, it is also utterly charming.
I thoroughly enjoyed this little book and will definitely pick up whatever Sam Kyung Yoo writes next - dare I hope that there may be a squel? I would love to spend more time with these characters.
I want to thank NetGalley, Sam Kyung Yoo and Interstellar Flight Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here expressed are my own.
Kim Han-Gil, Seoul's only spirit detective, goes to hunt down a soul-eating malevolent worm and soon finds himself forced to team up with his childhood arch-nemesis Shin Yoonhae, whom he has always held responsible for his mother's horrifying fate.
What is on the surface a quite dark and haunting urban occult story about spirit possessions peeled back its layers to reveal itself to be a tale about pain and broken souls, about trauma, and ultimately, about forgiveness and reconciliation.
Atmospheric, steeped in Korean folklore and dripping with emotions, Small Gods of Calamity put me through the wringer and left me feeling almost like I had just undergone a purifying experience - and while this is going to sound contradictory to everything I just said, it is also utterly charming.
I thoroughly enjoyed this little book and will definitely pick up whatever Sam Kyung Yoo writes next - dare I hope that there may be a squel? I would love to spend more time with these characters.
I want to thank NetGalley, Sam Kyung Yoo and Interstellar Flight Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here expressed are my own.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Transphobia, Deadnaming, and Death of parent
starryeyedreads's review
emotional
sad
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? Yes
5.0
This book has a lot of representation. I was pleasantly surprised at the setting, because most books like this one take place in New York.
I love how trauma and PTSD were portrayed throughout the story. Han-gil takes time to warm up to Yoonhae but he gets there. I would be lying if i said i wasnt shipping them them during most of the book. I really loved learning a bit about Korean and Japanese culture through the characters. I was also pleasantly surprised to see deaf representation, because that certainly isnt common in books (although it should be)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Death, Murder, Transphobia, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Xenophobia and Domestic abuse
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