God and the Gumiho

Darci’s Review

The God and the Gumiho is a beautiful novel which explores how love can burrow through the darkest of hearts and the thickest of skins.

Sophie Kim has thoughtfully used her Korean heritage to create an alternate universe in which the monsters and demons of Korean folklore live amongst humans and hide their true nature from civilians' watchful eyes. Seogka, one of the main characters, is the fallen god of Chaos. As he once staged a coup against the beloved god Hwanin (his brother), he is now a curmudgeonly detective, charged with the capture of 20,000 unruly monster souls to reinstate his godhood. The other main character, Kim Hani, is another trickster in the human realm. She is a renowned Gumiho known as the Scarlet Fox, a monster which has killed and eaten hundreds of thousands of people in her past, and has escaped capture through her incessant hair dying, and the forgery of certificates.

To save a young Gumiho from capture by association, Kim Hani takes up the position of detectives assistant. Seogka does his best at making Kim Hani’s life miserable, although he doesn’t realise that he himself is working with a deceitful Gumiho that has its own interests at heart. With their increased time together, Seogka's hard exterior begins to erode with the influence of Kim’s bubbly personality. Will Seogka open his heart to Kim Hani, or will she be another unruly added to his death toll?

The God and the Gumiho is an astonishing urban fantasy entwined with themes of mystery and adventure. Kim has brilliantly explored how immortality creates indifference to human suffering, while also exploring how connection can sometimes break self-destructive and rigid ways of being. Overall, this was such a sweet and thrilling read, which adds to the Asian folklore-based fantasies I have loved this past year. A solid 4.5 star read!

Publisher’s Review 

They'll do anything to outsmart each other. Anything, except fall in love.

Kim Hani - the once-terrible gumiho known as the Scarlet Fox - spends her days working at a cafe and trying not to let a certain customer irk her. 

Seokga - a trickster god thrown from the heavens for his attempt at a coup - spends his days hunting demons and irking a particular gumiho. 

When a demon of darkness escapes the underworld, and the Scarlet Fox emerges from hiding before quickly vanishing, Seokga is offered a chance at redemption: kill them both, and his sins will be forgiven. 

But Hani is prepared to do anything to prevent Seokga from bringing her to justice, even trick her way into his investigation. Anything, that is - except fall in love . . .