Scan barcode
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
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
zennyreads's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
Small Gods of Calamity has an unique fantasy set in modern era - comprising of spiritual beings, humans and magical elements with a cast of Korean & Japanese characters.
I went into this novella thinking that it was a simple mystery novel about a police detective investigating the spirit responsible for many unfortunate deaths, including his own mother. But it was emotional, painful and nerve-wrecking to read. I absolutely adore the diverse representations that included a transgender character, a bisexual and ace MC and a disabled rep as well. The ending was beautifully executed, and a story about healing, forgiveness and found family. A hidden gem indeed!
Thank you to Interstellar Flight Press and Netgalley for the ARC, leaving my honest review and thoughts.
I went into this novella thinking that it was a simple mystery novel about a police detective investigating the spirit responsible for many unfortunate deaths, including his own mother. But it was emotional, painful and nerve-wrecking to read. I absolutely adore the diverse representations that included a transgender character, a bisexual and ace MC and a disabled rep as well. The ending was beautifully executed, and a story about healing, forgiveness and found family. A hidden gem indeed!
Thank you to Interstellar Flight Press and Netgalley for the ARC, leaving my honest review and thoughts.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Transphobia, Suicide, and Death
More...