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4.34 AVERAGE
4.34 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
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
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really enjoyed The God and the Gumiho, so was looking forward to this sequel. While I didn’t like it quite as much as its predecessor, The God and the Gwisin was still a fun, enjoyable read.
Book 1 ended on a hopeful note, with a red thread of fate appearing on Seokga’s finger - a sign that, as promised by Hwanin, Hani’s soul had reincarnated somewhere in the world, waiting to be found. Book 2 starts with our god of mischief burnt out, exhausted from futilely searching for Hani. Though he’s made some personal strides by going to therapy, rebuilding his relationship with Hwanin, and otherwise enjoying the return of his godly powers (minus his ability to read minds), Seokga can’t stop thinking about Hani.
Intellectually, he knows she’ll be a different person - the only thing he knows is that her eyes will be the same - but that hasn’t stopped him from anticipating their meeting or getting overly emotionally invested in their reunion. Hence the burnout and his lingering frustration and anger with various other deities in the pantheon. When his therapist suggests he take a vacation, Seokga is forcefully whisked away by Hwanin on an underworld cruise ship. It’s just about the worse thing he could imagine.
Until the red thread pulls him towards Yoo Kisa, a gwisin working as a crew member. Who has absolutely no memory of Seokga or her past life’s time with him during the Dark Days. Who has a completely different personality than Hani’s. And, important to note, who is very much dead. Seokga is quietly devastated, reeling from his (admittedly misguided) shattered expectations. Good thing his therapist, Dr. Jang, accompanied him and Hwanin on the trip.
I was kind of curious how the whole reincarnation thing would work. There’s a whole interrogation of the concept, using Theseus’ ship as a metaphor: is the ship the same if it’s built through different materials? Is someone’s soul truly the same if they’re shaped by different experiences, thoughts, and feelings? It’s an interesting idea to unpack, and one that Kisa struggles with throughout the book. Particularly since she has no recollection whatsoever of her past life, it’s a bit of a hard sell when you’re just meeting some guy who thinks he’s your soulmate.
It’s a very different romantic conflict than Book 1, which may be good or bad depending on your preferences. As a fan of enemies-to-lovers, I did miss the snarky banter, the reluctant attraction, and just general mischievousness that characterized Seokga and Hani’s relationship. It’s much more… sincere and sweet, I guess? Kisa’s apparent youth and inexperience are a hard contrast from Hani’s calculated, assertive air. She’s bookish, awkwardly enthusiastic, and genuinely kind - her calling was to heal and care for others, rather than to steal from ATMs.
While Kisa is certainly fine as a character, I did think her inner conflict was compelling: is Seokga drawn to Kisa, or is it his memory of Hani that’s attractive? Will she only be seen in comparison to his first love, and if so, will she fall short of expectations? There are points when she looks on enviously at Hajun and Somi’s budding relationship, as they aren’t weighed down by any past experiences. It’s a logical doubt to have, and one she has to fight against as she slowly comes to terms with her own hopes and desires.
Anyway, overall I enjoyed this duology. I’ll also note humor felt fairly consistent, albeit with a few sillier moments (e.g., smutty romance novels, tabloids digging for dirt on certain deities). I couldn’t imagine this one quite as easily as a K-drama in my head (maybe I need to watch more cruise ship themed shows?), although the Kopiko product placement did make me laugh.
Book 1 ended on a hopeful note, with a red thread of fate appearing on Seokga’s finger - a sign that, as promised by Hwanin, Hani’s soul had reincarnated somewhere in the world, waiting to be found. Book 2 starts with our god of mischief burnt out, exhausted from futilely searching for Hani. Though he’s made some personal strides by going to therapy, rebuilding his relationship with Hwanin, and otherwise enjoying the return of his godly powers (minus his ability to read minds), Seokga can’t stop thinking about Hani.
Intellectually, he knows she’ll be a different person - the only thing he knows is that her eyes will be the same - but that hasn’t stopped him from anticipating their meeting or getting overly emotionally invested in their reunion. Hence the burnout and his lingering frustration and anger with various other deities in the pantheon. When his therapist suggests he take a vacation, Seokga is forcefully whisked away by Hwanin on an underworld cruise ship. It’s just about the worse thing he could imagine.
Until the red thread pulls him towards Yoo Kisa, a gwisin working as a crew member. Who has absolutely no memory of Seokga or her past life’s time with him during the Dark Days. Who has a completely different personality than Hani’s. And, important to note, who is very much dead. Seokga is quietly devastated, reeling from his (admittedly misguided) shattered expectations. Good thing his therapist, Dr. Jang, accompanied him and Hwanin on the trip.
I was kind of curious how the whole reincarnation thing would work. There’s a whole interrogation of the concept, using Theseus’ ship as a metaphor: is the ship the same if it’s built through different materials? Is someone’s soul truly the same if they’re shaped by different experiences, thoughts, and feelings? It’s an interesting idea to unpack, and one that Kisa struggles with throughout the book. Particularly since she has no recollection whatsoever of her past life, it’s a bit of a hard sell when you’re just meeting some guy who thinks he’s your soulmate.
It’s a very different romantic conflict than Book 1, which may be good or bad depending on your preferences. As a fan of enemies-to-lovers, I did miss the snarky banter, the reluctant attraction, and just general mischievousness that characterized Seokga and Hani’s relationship. It’s much more… sincere and sweet, I guess? Kisa’s apparent youth and inexperience are a hard contrast from Hani’s calculated, assertive air. She’s bookish, awkwardly enthusiastic, and genuinely kind - her calling was to heal and care for others, rather than to steal from ATMs.
While Kisa is certainly fine as a character, I did think her inner conflict was compelling: is Seokga drawn to Kisa, or is it his memory of Hani that’s attractive? Will she only be seen in comparison to his first love, and if so, will she fall short of expectations? There are points when she looks on enviously at Hajun and Somi’s budding relationship, as they aren’t weighed down by any past experiences. It’s a logical doubt to have, and one she has to fight against as she slowly comes to terms with her own hopes and desires.
Anyway, overall I enjoyed this duology. I’ll also note humor felt fairly consistent, albeit with a few sillier moments (e.g., smutty romance novels, tabloids digging for dirt on certain deities). I couldn’t imagine this one quite as easily as a K-drama in my head (maybe I need to watch more cruise ship themed shows?), although the Kopiko product placement did make me laugh.
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt
adventurous
funny
hopeful
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:
Complicated
slow-paced
adventurous
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
I liked the first book more. This one was very predictable. Nothing surprised me and the male lead seemed kind of stupid. Even more so than in the first book.
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
This was a very sweet and fun read!! I enjoyed the first book more because I am a sucker for enemies to lovers and I found this mystery to be more predictable than the first, but overall it was still a really fun exploration of Korean mythology in a modern context, and this book felt like it healed the relationship wounds from book 1. It was a celebration of love its many different forms - familiar, friendship, and romantic - I am sappy so I loved that!
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The God and the Gwisin gave me old god in current time vibes. The god Seokga finds himself on an underworld cruise with his brother. Chaos ensues, while Seokga is in the midst of chasing an invisible thread connect to his finger.
This story was a whirlwind of mystery and adventure. Funny at times, and very enjoyable. The characters were very likable and I was curious to see how the story would unravel. This book was a delight to read.
Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group Del-Rey, Random House Worlds & Inklore for the opportunity to read this advance reader copy.
This story was a whirlwind of mystery and adventure. Funny at times, and very enjoyable. The characters were very likable and I was curious to see how the story would unravel. This book was a delight to read.
Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group Del-Rey, Random House Worlds & Inklore for the opportunity to read this advance reader copy.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Thank you to PRH Audio for the ALC. I didn’t connect with this one as much as I did with The God and the Gumiho, and I think that’s because nothing really stands out about Kisa like there was for Hani. I called the villain early in the book. The story was still charming though. It was sweet to see how invested Seokga was in finding and nurturing his fated in her new life. He is far less grumpy and open-minded. 🥰
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
~*ARC Reader*~
First off thanks so much to The Del Rey Team for selecting me to recieve an early copy of The God and the Gwisin! I was so excited to hear the sequel was coming out and your offer to let me into the group of ARC readers sent me over the moon! Also thanks to NetGalley for the ability to access these ARCs!
Now to the good stuff - we're back with Seokga as he searches for Hani's reincarnation that his brother promised him. And he has sure been searching...for 30 years. 😭 When his brother Hwanin insists they go on an underworld cruise to relax Seokga's frayed nerves, Seokga is resistant. Upon arriving however, the red thread around his finger pulls taut and he finally finds his threaded soulmate, Yoo Kisa - Hani's reincarnation - working aboard the ship. Which means that not only does she not have memories of him (why would she have memories from her past life?) but also that she's already dead. And that's just the beginning...
This was another amazing whodunnit from Sophie Kim that I greatly enjoyed. Exploring the concept of reincarnation and how much of a person really remains through changes was a fascinating journey, especially with Sophie's use of the Ship of Thesus as a parallel. And there was so much humor sprinkled in without distracting from a very serious murder plot, and a deeply troubled Seokga who is clearly struggling through his own internal (and external) battles. Sophie Kim tackled mental health in a genre that often either makes light of it or demonizes it - and she did it with respect and a deft hand that she should be proud of. We got the classic murder-mystery vibes, some cheeky "sudden family" hilarity, and a sweet slow-burn romance all together without any of the themes feeling like they were in direct competition with eachother or that they didn't belong. I really see Sophie Kim's evolution as a writer here, and I'm super curious to see what she does next.
First off thanks so much to The Del Rey Team for selecting me to recieve an early copy of The God and the Gwisin! I was so excited to hear the sequel was coming out and your offer to let me into the group of ARC readers sent me over the moon! Also thanks to NetGalley for the ability to access these ARCs!
Now to the good stuff - we're back with Seokga as he searches for Hani's reincarnation that his brother promised him. And he has sure been searching...for 30 years. 😭 When his brother Hwanin insists they go on an underworld cruise to relax Seokga's frayed nerves, Seokga is resistant. Upon arriving however, the red thread around his finger pulls taut and he finally finds his threaded soulmate, Yoo Kisa - Hani's reincarnation - working aboard the ship. Which means that not only does she not have memories of him (why would she have memories from her past life?) but also that she's already dead. And that's just the beginning...
This was another amazing whodunnit from Sophie Kim that I greatly enjoyed. Exploring the concept of reincarnation and how much of a person really remains through changes was a fascinating journey, especially with Sophie's use of the Ship of Thesus as a parallel. And there was so much humor sprinkled in without distracting from a very serious murder plot, and a deeply troubled Seokga who is clearly struggling through his own internal (and external) battles. Sophie Kim tackled mental health in a genre that often either makes light of it or demonizes it - and she did it with respect and a deft hand that she should be proud of. We got the classic murder-mystery vibes, some cheeky "sudden family" hilarity, and a sweet slow-burn romance all together without any of the themes feeling like they were in direct competition with eachother or that they didn't belong. I really see Sophie Kim's evolution as a writer here, and I'm super curious to see what she does next.
adventurous
emotional
funny
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
I thought this was a great continuation! It’s very different considering the events at end of the last book, but I think the author really found her stride when it came to the characters in this one. I really enjoyed both the old new and characters, and I particularly enjoyed seeing Seokja’s continued growth. All the character dynamics were really fun, but also had a lot of heart, and while there are a lot of funny moments, there’s also quite a few heavier themes and character trauma that I think were handled well. I also enjoyed getting to see more of the gods and other mythical creatures in this one, and the new setting was interesting.
I think my only real gripe is that I found the mystery to be very obvious, so much so that I thought I was wrong, so I think that was stronger in the first novel. However, I think the character dynamics were the real star and the romance(s) were really strong for me, so I just enjoyed the ride. The end of this also hints at more in this world, and I’ll definitely be reading anything else from Sophie Kim.