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4.34 AVERAGE
4.34 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
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 enjoyed this one even more than the last one. I liked the humor and the characters were lovable.
3.25... i think?
the first installment worked because of the back-and-forth banter between hani and seokga and while i like kisa (i mean, same soul, come on and she's practically a walking encyclopedia), kim kind of hits you over the head repeatedly that kisa and seokga are meant to be, and if not better than him with hani. as in, it's very tell and not show when it comes to their chemistry and to make it even more meh, seokga's personality felt SO dialed down. it also didn't help that the mystery lacked intrigue—there were barely any moving parts leaving it to feel like an afterthought rather than an interwoven mission (be with kisa AND solve the murder).
additional 1/4 star for the world and the comedic breaks given by side characters like hajun and somi (they were refreshing!).
the first installment worked because of the back-and-forth banter between hani and seokga and while i like kisa (i mean, same soul, come on and she's practically a walking encyclopedia), kim kind of hits you over the head repeatedly that kisa and seokga are meant to be, and if not better than him with hani. as in, it's very tell and not show when it comes to their chemistry and to make it even more meh, seokga's personality felt SO dialed down. it also didn't help that the mystery lacked intrigue—there were barely any moving parts leaving it to feel like an afterthought rather than an interwoven mission (be with kisa AND solve the murder).
additional 1/4 star for the world and the comedic breaks given by side characters like hajun and somi (they were refreshing!).
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-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
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
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
The God and the Gwisin felt even more like a K-Drama than its predecessor, so if that was something you enjoyed, this book will definitely be up your alley!
I had fun with this book. Seogka had some interesting character development from the previous book, and Kisa was a fun contrast to Hani.
Seogka did a lot of yearning for something he felt a little entitled to, and Kisa was very consistently pushed to be someone that she wasn’t. I’m glad that she held her ground for the entirety of the book, but if I were her, I would have lost my utter mind with all these people comparing me to someone else.
Overall, this was a good time. This book accomplished its goal, which is always satisfying to read. The bulk of this book is a cozy and campy murder-mystery, but the climax is so much more explosive by comparison.
I had fun with this book. Seogka had some interesting character development from the previous book, and Kisa was a fun contrast to Hani.
Seogka did a lot of yearning for something he felt a little entitled to, and Kisa was very consistently pushed to be someone that she wasn’t. I’m glad that she held her ground for the entirety of the book, but if I were her, I would have lost my utter mind with all these people comparing me to someone else.
Overall, this was a good time. This book accomplished its goal, which is always satisfying to read. The bulk of this book is a cozy and campy murder-mystery, but the climax is so much more explosive by comparison.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Just FYI: if you have not read book 1, I’m not sure how to comment without at least implying some information about what happens. I’ve tried to be suitably vague for people who know the setup for book 2.
“The God and the Gumiho” was one of my favorite books of 2024 and I have recommended it pretty much nonstop. I was thrilled to be offered an ARC of the second book, but I really wrestled with my discomfort around the power dynamics involved in this story. Hani and Seokga were well-matched and felt like equals (if anything, Hani had an edge). This installment, with the sheltered 20-something-year-old Kisa, felt WAY too much like grooming to me. I don’t believe that was the author’s intent, and any romance with a human and an immortal is gonna have those weird vibes. I’m not sure if I would have had such an intense visceral reaction to their budding relationship if Kisa had been a bit less sheltered, but this put me off.
Also, in the year of our lord 2025, can we please drop the storyline of “Your antidepressants are actually DRAINING your magical powers”? Please and thank you.
There were parts of this that I enjoyed, so it wasn’t a total wash for me, but I’m not sure how to feel when the concept itself was my issue.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. I can see that other people didn’t have this hangup, and since I’m someone who gets deeply icked out by power dynamic imbalances in romance in general, take this with a grain of salt.