Synopsis

Kim Hani (POV Character) has retired from a life of devouring souls. She is, simply put, too full. Once known as the infamous Scarlet Fox, she now spends her days working in a coffee shop and annoying a particularly irritating, if unfairly handsome, trickster god as often as she can.

That god is Seokga the Fallen (POV Character). Exiled from the heavenly kingdom of Okhwang, he now begrudgingly resides in the mortal realm, working toward his redemption and suffering through his interactions with the particularly infuriating, if sneakily charming, gumiho barista at his favorite café.

But when a powerful demon escapes from the underworld and threatens to end all of humanity, Okhwang’s emperor offers Seokga an enticing bargain: Kill this rogue creature, as well as the legendary and elusive Scarlet Fox, and he will be reinstated as a god. Hani, however, has no intention of being caught. Seokga might be a trickster god, but she has a trick of her own that he’ll never see coming: teaming up. As Seokga’s assistant, Hani will undermine and sabotage his investigation right under his overly pointy nose. Sure, she’ll help him kill the demon, but she certainly won’t allow him to uncover her secret identity while they’re at it.

As the bickering partners track their case down a path of mayhem and violence, the god and the gumiho find themselves inescapably drawn to each other. But will the unlikely couple stand together to prevent the apocalypse, or will they let their secrets tear them—and the world—apart?

*Blurb taken from Goodreads

Review

Did I think I needed a k-drama-inspired novel following a trickster god and a nine-tailed fox as they solved a murder mystery and bantered while slowly falling in love? No. But now I can’t imagine having not read this little gem! I’m BEYOND excited that I’m getting a special edition from FairyLoot!

If you aren’t familiar with Korean mythology, prepare yourself to jump head first into this one! As a reader who fits this description, I listened to the audiobook and immensely enjoyed it. Greta Jung and Intae Kim are great narrators and, if like me, you aren’t familiar with the language and pronunciation, I highly recommend listening to this one. In a dual POV, I’m always a fan of multiple voice actors, so this was a nice treat (though there were slight inconsistencies with how the narrator’s portrayed one another’s characters). Those of you who are familiar with Korean mythology, be sure to read the author’s note, as Kim does frontload us with the fact that she takes creative liberties with the characters from these original tales.

Hani was a delightful FMC who wonderfully balances the tagline of mass murderer with a heart of gold. Which seems absurd, but actually works here because this entire text hangs its hat on being quirky and melodramatic. She’s a snarky heroine who cares deeply for her city and her friends, but who doesn’t shy away from her nature as a gumiho. Which is, of course, a man-eater in the most literal of ways. What I love the most about her is that the romance she falls into with Seokga doesn’t change these attributes or domesticate her. Both protagonists fall just shy of evil and completely self-interested, which makes them all the more fun.

Our MMC’s character also grabbed my heart. He’s a surly detective who doesn’t really care to follow the rules because, well, he is a god. Fallen, sure, but he’s on his way back to power. Seokga hates basically everyone and everything—except coffee. And while some may find his coffee obsession eye-roll worthy, I thought it was delightful! Plus, it comes in handy. In fact, so much of this novel would have had me cringing anywhere else, but it works here because it’s meant to be campy.

Both of these protagonists undergo character arcs in which they grow exceptionally. Their journeys felt organic, as did the romance. Not a single moment came off as contrived for the sake of the plot. In fact, though Kim has a tightly woven plot here, this felt more like a character-driven storyline. It made the whole novel come together in a seamless manner that left me teary-eyed at the end.

This was a win for me! The prose was solid, characters perfectly written, plot tightly woven, and the ending left me smiling—I can’t wait for book two! And I’m curious what book two will be, considering this read like a standalone with a slight open-ending that rings with hope.

Critiques

1. Thrown Into Korean Mythology: Not a critique for me, but something to prep people for. Again, if you’re new to Korean mythology, Kim doesn’t ease readers in. And frankly, I love that she dropped us into her urban setting and had us run with her! We do get explanations of the many mythical creatures and their attributes, but then we move right along. For readers who need more time to process, be ready to make some notes as you grow accustomed to the folklore woven into this tale.

2. Seokga’s Morality: Don’t get me wrong, I loved Seokga. And I understand his character is meant to be borderline narcissistic. But I felt so bad for the Unrulies! All they wanted was a way back into their home, which is the exact same thing he wanted. And I expected him to come to this realization at the end as a completion of his arc, but he doesn’t. He still didn’t understand that the entire populace he’s hunting down—after having aligned themselves with him in his coup—just wanted to go back to their world. And maybe this aspect of his character remains true to the original mythology—I’m not sure. But it felt like a thread that was left frayed in an otherwise succinct work.

Content Note

On page major character death. The story ends hopeful as opposed to mournful, so if you’re concerned about a somber finale, don’t! But do note that a major character passes away.

You can find more content warnings at the Trigger Warning Database

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