Reviews - The God and the Gumiho

The God and the Gumiho is a wonderful mixture of modern mystery, folklore, and whimsical fantasy. Following Kim Hani is a deadly foe to be against, sadly she’s retired from the life of hunting down men for sport. Working in a coffee shop she finds herself absolutely irritated by one of her customers. Seokga, a god vanished from the heavens, is forced to hunt down the unrulily creatures he set loose from the depths below. Seokga may have put his mischievous side behind him as he settles behind his desk, but Kim Hani isn’t quite done with her trickster ways. She tangles him in a web of deceit in order to keep her innocence all the while finding herself charmed by the fallen god. And while Kim Hani learns more about Seokga he is still oblivious as to her past and her crimes.

This book is a wonderful drama perfect for those who like K-dramas or soap operas. The folklore intertwined through the story and characters making for an interesting world but not overly complicated. The relationship between Seokga and Kim Hani is a wonderfully playful take on an enemies to lovers trope. This detective mystery set in a fantastical world of nine-tailed foxes, gods, and creatures straight from Korean folklore will have you captivated.

If there was one thing I could change about this book I would have liked to see a little more of their romance bloom towards the very end. Though I understand that with the pressures they were under and the time restraints it is more realistic that they would not have been as focused on themselves. I’m very interested to see how their relationship is built up again in the second book given the circumstances.

dianemcguire1's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

bookishblades's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny 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

4.25

thelitraccoon's review

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hopeful lighthearted mysterious sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 3 stars | 🌶️ 0.5 Spice

A book that makes me cry is a rarity—but this one got me.
I don’t typically gravitate toward romance, and while The God and the Gumiho is dressed in the trappings of Korean folklore and light fantasy, make no mistake: this is, at its heart, a romance novel. And honestly? I quite enjoyed it.
The writing is beautiful—lyrical without being dense—and the story flows easily, with a plot that’s engaging yet not overly heavy. What really stood out to me was the emotional undercurrent running through the book. There’s a softness to the way grief, love, and healing are explored that genuinely moved me.
My main critique is purely personal: I’m not a fan of the grumpy x sunshine trope, and it’s a big one here. That said, if you're into that dynamic, you’ll probably love the chemistry between the leads. And even with my bias, I was still invested.
I appreciated the subtle twists and turns throughout the story—there’s an element of deception woven in that kept me guessing, even if some aspects were still a bit predictable. It strikes a nice balance between comfort and surprise.

Will I read the second book? Absolutely. I need to know where this story goes next.

lemonaderoses's review

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adventurous emotional funny 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

4.5

gnitro's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

liznbooks's review

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2.0

There is a fine line between grumpy and asshole. Unfortunately Seokga toes on the asshole line for me. They way he treated the victims was horrible. He was impatient, rude, and lacks a lot of empathy. No wonder he doesn't get much info from them. Both of the leads were unlikeable to me. Although their backstory is interesting. Especially Huni's past, we didn't get too much of it. The modern fantasy was interesting but I still have a lot of questions about how things work.

zulroman's review against another edition

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adventurous tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Picked this up because of the cover and I’m glad I did.

The book follows Hani, a mischievous gumiho (a nine tailed fox spirit) trying to earn redemption from her past, and Seokga, a trickster god who’s been banished and is trying to earn his place once more.

These two end up working together to solve crimes (all I heard was Lucifer saying: detective!!). Hani is trying to protect herself and friend without revealing she’s the scarlet fox; meanwhile Seokga is actively searching for the scarlet fox and trying to solve the murders 🤝🏽. Their enemies to lovers dynamic was addictive; full of sharp dialogue, reluctant attraction, and with just enough angst to keep me interested.

The world-building is vibrant, weaving Korean folklore into a modern setting without feeling overdone. Hani is a fantastic FMC; she’s clever, flawed, and unapologetically fierce; while Seokga balances arrogance with surprising vulnerability. Their banter alone makes the book worth reading.

That said, the pacing stumbles in places, and some side characters could’ve been a bit more fleshed out. Nevertheless, this still takes on a fresh take on mythology with humor, heart, and a slow burn romance.

Can’t wait to get started on book 2!

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