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4.34 AVERAGE
4.34 AVERAGE
Calling all my romantasy girlies! If you're looking for a series that has everything you love about romantasy (fun magic, pining romance, bickering romance, mystery, intriguing plot, fantastic writing), then you need to be reading the Fate's Thread series!
I was satisfied with book 1. In fact, I thought it was going to be a standalone. Boy am I glad I was wrong! This sequel was so needed. It was like meeting our MCs all over again because their personalities changed so much from book 1. But in a good way?? This book was soooo funny and the YEARNING?! 10/10. The mystery vibes were still there, but better than book 1 imo. Everything about this book was perfect. The humor. The romance. The fantasy. Everything. Idk if there’ll be a book 3, but I’d be there for it.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.
I was satisfied with book 1. In fact, I thought it was going to be a standalone. Boy am I glad I was wrong! This sequel was so needed. It was like meeting our MCs all over again because their personalities changed so much from book 1. But in a good way?? This book was soooo funny and the YEARNING?! 10/10. The mystery vibes were still there, but better than book 1 imo. Everything about this book was perfect. The humor. The romance. The fantasy. Everything. Idk if there’ll be a book 3, but I’d be there for it.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.
mysterious
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Minor spoilers for the God and the gumiho are kinda implied with this books summary. It’s hard to get around without spoiling since it involves reincarnation (which I just realized I spelled wrong in the graphic 🤣) of the main character Hani. I found the character development for Kisa to be so good. Like are you the same or not when you come back in the next life? When you don’t have those memories? What makes you, you. And accepting all the flaws and differences that came with that. I loved it. 5 stars. Go pick up your copy in July 💕. Thank you to @delreybooks for the arc copy and to @netgalley . Can’t wait for the issue to fixed on KOBO so I can use my ereader 💕 #thegodandthegumiho #thegodandthegwisin #arc
Having read The God and the Gumiho I was thrilled to be selected to read an ARC of The God and the Gwisin!
I liked the sequel better than the first book which is 1) rare and 2) difficult to achieve. I appreciated the depth that Sophie Kim created with Soekga and Kisa with their mental health struggles and vulnerability. I appreciate how Kim has chosen to weave and retell these Korean myths and Gods in her stories keeping the tales and curiosity alive for another generation and different audiences. The twists and turns kept me on my toes and the ending epilogue has me wanting to know more about their life after their surprise visitor.
"I have wanted you before I even knew you." That entire paragraph had me in tears, I found it so beautiful. I would share more but don't want to spoil it for anyone.
I liked the sequel better than the first book which is 1) rare and 2) difficult to achieve. I appreciated the depth that Sophie Kim created with Soekga and Kisa with their mental health struggles and vulnerability. I appreciate how Kim has chosen to weave and retell these Korean myths and Gods in her stories keeping the tales and curiosity alive for another generation and different audiences. The twists and turns kept me on my toes and the ending epilogue has me wanting to know more about their life after their surprise visitor.
"I have wanted you before I even knew you." That entire paragraph had me in tears, I found it so beautiful. I would share more but don't want to spoil it for anyone.
Thank you to Netgalley and Del Rey for the eARC of this book :)
The God and the Gumiho was one of my absolute favorite books of 2024 and its sequel lived up to every one of my expectations. It has the fun elements of a murder mystery (on a cruise ship), reincarnation, k pop idols, second change romance and Korean mythology all mixed into one with a mix of new and old characters that we already love.
After the cliff hanger of the first book, it picks up 33 years later with Seokga following the red thread of fate towards Hani, except it turns out it is not Hani, but Yoo Kisa. Much to Seokga’s dismay, we learn that Yoo Kisa has no memories of her past life as Hani (and therefore him). But when his brother gets murdered, they have to band together to figure out who the murderer is all while trying to understand their connection and where they fit into each other’s lives.
I really loved Yoo Kisa’s character and how the relationship with Seokga developed over time and in a completely new way compared to his and Hani’s relationship. Although she is not Hani, I really liked the way the character arc and story line was done to tell us that she is her own person but not skipping over Hani completely since her character still plays a part in this book. I loved how her past life started blending with her new life, yet not erasing the parts of her that still made her Kisa. We also get to see deeper parts of Seokga as he delves into his relationship with his parents and brother, as well as his insecurities from his past.
All in all, I really really loved this. It has the same humor and banter as The God and the Gumiho, yet also touches on the mental health issues of the characters.
The God and the Gumiho was one of my absolute favorite books of 2024 and its sequel lived up to every one of my expectations. It has the fun elements of a murder mystery (on a cruise ship), reincarnation, k pop idols, second change romance and Korean mythology all mixed into one with a mix of new and old characters that we already love.
After the cliff hanger of the first book, it picks up 33 years later with Seokga following the red thread of fate towards Hani, except it turns out it is not Hani, but Yoo Kisa. Much to Seokga’s dismay, we learn that Yoo Kisa has no memories of her past life as Hani (and therefore him). But when his brother gets murdered, they have to band together to figure out who the murderer is all while trying to understand their connection and where they fit into each other’s lives.
I really loved Yoo Kisa’s character and how the relationship with Seokga developed over time and in a completely new way compared to his and Hani’s relationship. Although she is not Hani, I really liked the way the character arc and story line was done to tell us that she is her own person but not skipping over Hani completely since her character still plays a part in this book. I loved how her past life started blending with her new life, yet not erasing the parts of her that still made her Kisa. We also get to see deeper parts of Seokga as he delves into his relationship with his parents and brother, as well as his insecurities from his past.
All in all, I really really loved this. It has the same humor and banter as The God and the Gumiho, yet also touches on the mental health issues of the characters.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
First of all, thank you to NetGalley and DelRey for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. Also, there will be slight spoilers for the end of ‘The God and the Gumiho’, so if you haven’t read it, then what are you waiting for?
I went into this book with high expectations, as ‘The God and the Gumiho’ was one of my favourite books of 2024 and the ending left me both devastated and excited for the sequel.
And I can safely say that Sophie Kim delivered a satisfying conclusion to this fantasy duology!
The plot revolves around Kisa (the reincarnation of Hani’s soul and Seogka’s first love), who died on the day the red thread of fate manifested and now has to work on a cruise ship on the river of the dead where she meets Seogka (our trickster god), who has searched endlessly for her for 33 years.
But there are two complications. First, Kisa does not remember her first life or Seogka at all, and secondly, the Heavenly Emperor is murdered on the first night of the cruise (I always love an isolated murder mystery setting a la ‘Death on the Nile’).
What follows is a clandestine-ish murder investigation with faces both old and new, as well as a beautiful and careful exploration of Kisa and Seogka’s evolving relationship.
For me, a huge focus of this book was on the characters and exploring their pasts, traumas, mental health struggles and their complicated interpersonal relationships.
The author handles sensitive and heavy subjects such as suicide, depression, burn out, grief and toxic or complex familial relationships with care and manages to balance those with hopeful moments filled with connection and humor between the characters.
The relationship between Kisa and Seogka unfolds beautifully and explores what it means that while Kisa is Hani’s reincarnation, she is still her own person with her own peculiarities and characteristics. Both characters have to reflect on their feelings (and where they come from), their internal struggles and who they are to one another.
Sophie Kim has a seemingly effortless writing style that makes it very easy to connect to the characters and to picture the different mythological creatures and surroundings. In combination with the humorous undertones and bantering, I was reminded of K-Dramas such as ‘Tale of the Nine Tailed’ (I mean that with the highest compliments!).
Of course, the action does not fall short and though I felt the ending was a bit rushed and the reveal was not as shocking as in the first book, I enjoyed every minute of it and loved where the characters ended up.
All in all, ‘The God and the Gwisin’ was a delightful ending to this duology and I will miss Kisa and Seogka (and foolishly hope that we get to see more of them in the future).
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
I wasn't sure what to expect going into this as I haven’t read book one, but I ended up really loving it. The story weaves together some really interesting mythology. The premise of falling in love, being soulmates across time and across reincarnations is so interesting and the author did a great job with it. The pacing was very slow at times, but honestly, I didn’t mind. It was close to a cozy fantasy vibe and I was here for it! I'm looking forward to reading the first book and rereading this one!
**This review is based on an e-ARC generously provided to me through Netgalley**
Big Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the advanced copy!!
'The God and the Gwisin' is the second and final book in the 'Fate's Thread' duology.
The story of the first book leaves things on a most tragic note, and this book also starts in a depressive manner, but things quickly become quirky and funny as the beloved arrogant god takes charge of the plot. I also loved Kisa, much more than Hani, to be honest, as she was more relatable and bookish, and scholarly. I also enjoyed how the author wrapped things up and gave the story the best possible ending!
On the other hand, I found myself struggling to go through the middle part where the investigation was going on, but the final part got things back on track.
'The God and the Gwisin' is the second and final book in the 'Fate's Thread' duology.
The story of the first book leaves things on a most tragic note, and this book also starts in a depressive manner, but things quickly become quirky and funny as the beloved arrogant god takes charge of the plot. I also loved Kisa, much more than Hani, to be honest, as she was more relatable and bookish, and scholarly. I also enjoyed how the author wrapped things up and gave the story the best possible ending!
On the other hand, I found myself struggling to go through the middle part where the investigation was going on, but the final part got things back on track.