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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
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:
Yes
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-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
Actual rating: 4.5/5 stars
I really enjoyed this one! It started a little slower, but I was hooked once the mystery took off! I loved Hani and Seokga's dynamic and their banter. It was nice to see their relationship blossom! I'm looking forward to reading the sequel!
I really enjoyed this one! It started a little slower, but I was hooked once the mystery took off! I loved Hani and Seokga's dynamic and their banter. It was nice to see their relationship blossom! I'm looking forward to reading the sequel!
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
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:
Yes
Status as of 7/24/24: Pg 207 / Ch 21
I'm debating on if I should DNF this book, which is really disappointing since I was looking forward to it when I first heard about it. I mean, a god of mischief and a gumiho pitted against each other?? How can that not be awesome???
Unfortunately, the gumiho is my least favorite part of this book.
The world we are dropped in is fantastic. I love how it's steeped in Korean mythology without any hand-holding or excuses. A lot of books with more widely familiar mythologies make assumptions that the reader knows who the book is talking about. (At this point who doesn't know who Loki is? Or certain Greek gods? Or hell, how about Christian mythology?) It's high time other cultures were able to do that as well. In this book we get brief descriptions with details that are pertinent to the story, but anything beyond that will have to be researched separately.
One thing I do know - if not specifically from Korean culture - is that gumiho, or fox spirits, are mischievous creatures. They are also cunning and can live for a very long time. The impression I have also gotten from other stories is that their scheming gets more skilled as they get older.
So why does the older fox spirit in this book act like a 16-year-old brat? Her attempts to annoy Seokga are childish, and I cannot put faith in her thwarting him when her thinking is along the lines of a high schooler assuming they can outwit a seasoned veteran in his field. There is a particular scene with a younger gumiho involving food that I really did love. Her instincts there were alien to a human's POV and she disregarded consequences b/c in her mind she should be above them. That attitude totally made sense to me for her character, especially for someone who has lived a long time, but then why does all of that history disappear when faced with Seokga and the rest of the book's plot?
I was also annoyed with the portrayal of Seokga at first, but I've gotten over that one. Granted, I know nothing about the trickster god in Korean mythology, but the fact that he's a trickster god gives me some clue as to what to expect. Except my expectations are nowhere to be seen. In this book he's more of a grumpy old man in a hot young body than a trickster. Though, given he is fallen and really wants to go home, I realize he has priorities to focus on, so the lack of mischief isn't so off for him. It would be cool to see his nature come through somewhere, perhaps even to the (brief or permanent) detriment of his goals b/c he can't help himself, but I don't think this is that kind of book, and that's OK. I totally get the "I just want to go home" feeling. The man has my sympathy, and I wish him success.
From the looks of it, the romance is about to start. Given how much Hani (the gumiho) annoys me, this doesn't bode well for my enjoying it, but we'll see.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
EDIT: 7/25/24
Skimmed the rest of the book last night. There were definitely points I liked with the mystery, and I loved the solution and negotiations of the ending. I really loved the author's choices with the ending. If I had been more emotionally invested in the main characters and their relationship it would have been even better, but even without that, I can appreciated the way the book went. Good choices.
Other points only added to my frustration with the book. Little things here and there, but in particular the scene with the fairy.
I did pick up on the fact that certain scenes were supposed to be amusing and were structured well for that, but overall I'm sad I couldn't enjoy this book more. I really wanted to.
I'm debating on if I should DNF this book, which is really disappointing since I was looking forward to it when I first heard about it. I mean, a god of mischief and a gumiho pitted against each other?? How can that not be awesome???
Unfortunately, the gumiho is my least favorite part of this book.
The world we are dropped in is fantastic. I love how it's steeped in Korean mythology without any hand-holding or excuses. A lot of books with more widely familiar mythologies make assumptions that the reader knows who the book is talking about. (At this point who doesn't know who Loki is? Or certain Greek gods? Or hell, how about Christian mythology?) It's high time other cultures were able to do that as well. In this book we get brief descriptions with details that are pertinent to the story, but anything beyond that will have to be researched separately.
One thing I do know - if not specifically from Korean culture - is that gumiho, or fox spirits, are mischievous creatures. They are also cunning and can live for a very long time. The impression I have also gotten from other stories is that their scheming gets more skilled as they get older.
So why does the older fox spirit in this book act like a 16-year-old brat? Her attempts to annoy Seokga are childish, and I cannot put faith in her thwarting him when her thinking is along the lines of a high schooler assuming they can outwit a seasoned veteran in his field. There is a particular scene with a younger gumiho involving food that I really did love. Her instincts there were alien to a human's POV and she disregarded consequences b/c in her mind she should be above them. That attitude totally made sense to me for her character, especially for someone who has lived a long time, but then why does all of that history disappear when faced with Seokga and the rest of the book's plot?
I was also annoyed with the portrayal of Seokga at first, but I've gotten over that one. Granted, I know nothing about the trickster god in Korean mythology, but the fact that he's a trickster god gives me some clue as to what to expect. Except my expectations are nowhere to be seen. In this book he's more of a grumpy old man in a hot young body than a trickster. Though, given he is fallen and really wants to go home, I realize he has priorities to focus on, so the lack of mischief isn't so off for him. It would be cool to see his nature come through somewhere, perhaps even to the (brief or permanent) detriment of his goals b/c he can't help himself, but I don't think this is that kind of book, and that's OK. I totally get the "I just want to go home" feeling. The man has my sympathy, and I wish him success.
From the looks of it, the romance is about to start. Given how much Hani (the gumiho) annoys me, this doesn't bode well for my enjoying it, but we'll see.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
EDIT: 7/25/24
Skimmed the rest of the book last night. There were definitely points I liked with the mystery, and I loved the solution and negotiations of the ending. I really loved the author's choices with the ending. If I had been more emotionally invested in the main characters and their relationship it would have been even better, but even without that, I can appreciated the way the book went. Good choices.
Other points only added to my frustration with the book. Little things here and there, but in particular the scene with the fairy.
I did pick up on the fact that certain scenes were supposed to be amusing and were structured well for that, but overall I'm sad I couldn't enjoy this book more. I really wanted to.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
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
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
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:
Yes
cried internally because i was at work but if i were at home i think i'd empty the tissue box in one go
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My only gripe is that they fell in love too quickly. Otherwise, such a fun read.