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jackiie's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Alcohol, Death, Cursing, Blood, Violence, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
queer_bookwyrm's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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? It's complicated
4.0
4 ⭐ CW: violence, descriptions of blood, death of a parent, death, grief, child abuse (emotional)
Vicious Spirits by Kat Cho is book 2 in the Gumiho duology. Like book 1, this was a light and fun fantasy read (compared to what I've been reading lately) with a happy ending. This duology is great if you are interested in Korean mythology, YA romance, or K-pop/K-dramas.
We still follow Miyoung and Jihoon after the events of last book, but we get more of Jihoon's best friend, Somin this time. We also get a new POV from Junu the dokkaebi. Miyoung struggles with her grief and her lost Gumiho bead. Somin struggles with her feelings for Junu, and Junu struggles with what he actually wants vs. what he thinks he deserves.
The gang has to figure out what is causing a rip between the living world and the realm of ghosts, before the ghosts make everyone make and disrupt the natural order. We also get some interludes that give us more origin of dokkaebi and Junu's backstory. Junu's story is a sad one and helps us and his friends understand why he is the way he is, and why he doesn't think he deserves kindness or happiness.
Junu learns that you don't have to be the same kind of person you always were, people can change, and shutting people out and not letting others care for you, isn't helpful to anyone. Miyoung learns to let go of her dead loved ones so she can properly grieve and move on. Somin learns she must stop putting everyone else's wants and needs ahead of her own, and instead focus on herself and what she wants. I definitely relate to Somin the most. I find myself doing the same thing: stuffing my feelings down so I don't make anyone else uncomfortable and making sure everyone else is okay, even though no one asked me to do that. Something both Somin and I need to work on.
All in all, a fun duology that was a much needed break from all the serious books I've been reading.
Vicious Spirits by Kat Cho is book 2 in the Gumiho duology. Like book 1, this was a light and fun fantasy read (compared to what I've been reading lately) with a happy ending. This duology is great if you are interested in Korean mythology, YA romance, or K-pop/K-dramas.
We still follow Miyoung and Jihoon after the events of last book, but we get more of Jihoon's best friend, Somin this time. We also get a new POV from Junu the dokkaebi. Miyoung struggles with her grief and her lost Gumiho bead. Somin struggles with her feelings for Junu, and Junu struggles with what he actually wants vs. what he thinks he deserves.
The gang has to figure out what is causing a rip between the living world and the realm of ghosts, before the ghosts make everyone make and disrupt the natural order. We also get some interludes that give us more origin of dokkaebi and Junu's backstory. Junu's story is a sad one and helps us and his friends understand why he is the way he is, and why he doesn't think he deserves kindness or happiness.
Junu learns that you don't have to be the same kind of person you always were, people can change, and shutting people out and not letting others care for you, isn't helpful to anyone. Miyoung learns to let go of her dead loved ones so she can properly grieve and move on. Somin learns she must stop putting everyone else's wants and needs ahead of her own, and instead focus on herself and what she wants. I definitely relate to Somin the most. I find myself doing the same thing: stuffing my feelings down so I don't make anyone else uncomfortable and making sure everyone else is okay, even though no one asked me to do that. Something both Somin and I need to work on.
All in all, a fun duology that was a much needed break from all the serious books I've been reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Grief
Moderate: Blood, Violence, and Child abuse
miss__manga__'s review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Not as impactful as the original, but not far from it. Definitely goes more into history and lore, and is again a wonderfully emotive and funny read.
Content Warnings
Minor: Chronic illness, Death of parent, and Domestic abuse
whewtaewoon's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
The sequal to Wicked Fox is more focused on Somin, Jihoon's small but fiesty and strong friend as well as Junu, a dokkaebi who is friend to few (at first). Junu is the type of dokkaebi whose entire existence is meant to draw women in but Somin is unphased by his antics which seems to draw Junu in even more.
I adored Jihoon and Miyoung, and still do, but I think Somin and Junu were (besides Jihoon's halmoni) my favorite characters in this series. Which, by the way, I hope there is at least one more of. I think Kat Cho has a lovely way of creating characters with entirely relatable pain (even the gumiho and dokkaebi) and I just found the whole book to a bit painful, a bit funny, and a bit inspiring. I wish Jihoon, Miyoung, Junu, Somin and perhaps most of all Changwan the best in their future fictional lives.
I adored Jihoon and Miyoung, and still do, but I think Somin and Junu were (besides Jihoon's halmoni) my favorite characters in this series. Which, by the way, I hope there is at least one more of. I think Kat Cho has a lovely way of creating characters with entirely relatable pain (even the gumiho and dokkaebi) and I just found the whole book to a bit painful, a bit funny, and a bit inspiring. I wish Jihoon, Miyoung, Junu, Somin and perhaps most of all Changwan the best in their future fictional lives.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
urlocalvocaloidstan's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
5.0
This book was just as great as the previous book in the series, with plenty of drama and romance going on. Even though the story is about Miyoung and Jihoon, this book focused a little bit more on Somin and Junu and their relationship. All the characters have really good writing and backstories that explain their motives. There was so much going on and so many plot twists at the end, but the duology still managed to wrap up really nicely with this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Grief, Blood, and Violence
Moderate: Emotional abuse
lisa_m's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
This was a great sequel to Wicked Fox and a good end to the Duology. I really liked the first book but I think I like this one even more.
I love Junu and Somin even though I didn't expect this book to be so much about them.
My only problem with this book is that I was in a bit of a reading slump when I started reading it and even though I always enjoyed myself when I was reading it I still had to force myself to get through it. There are other books I really want to read but I knew I had to finish this one first which made me not like this book quite as much as I could have. Also the writing style was sometimes a bit strange. Most of the time it was alright but sometimes there was just something off idk.
Also I have to say that even though I liked the characters I wasn't overly invested. It was pretty sad but I didn't cry at all because the characters and their pain just seemed too distant. (And I usually cry super easily!)
I am very happy I read this book though and I would absolutely recommend this Duology to anyone especially if you like mythology, a korean setting or you like fantasy but want something different to the usual settings and tropes.
I love Junu and Somin even though I didn't expect this book to be so much about them.
My only problem with this book is that I was in a bit of a reading slump when I started reading it and even though I always enjoyed myself when I was reading it I still had to force myself to get through it. There are other books I really want to read but I knew I had to finish this one first which made me not like this book quite as much as I could have. Also the writing style was sometimes a bit strange. Most of the time it was alright but sometimes there was just something off idk.
Also I have to say that even though I liked the characters I wasn't overly invested. It was pretty sad but I didn't cry at all because the characters and their pain just seemed too distant. (And I usually cry super easily!)
I am very happy I read this book though and I would absolutely recommend this Duology to anyone especially if you like mythology, a korean setting or you like fantasy but want something different to the usual settings and tropes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Abandonment and Death of parent
paige04's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief
bookishcb_21's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This sequel was REALLY good!! I enjoyed that this book picked up where it left off, focusing on the characters from the first book, but following the blossoming start of something between Junu and Somin. Junu wasn’t on good terms with everyone in book one, but Somin was bound and determined to figure out Junu and why he was still sticking around. I loved the drama and like book one, I couldn’t wait to get to the next chapter…and then the next chapter 😊 It was also cool to see a quick mention of BTS in this book, so I may or may not have squealed 💜🎶 Sad to be done with both of these books, but now I can add another favorite series to my list for 2021!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Violence
Minor: Death of parent
aseel_reads's review
adventurous
funny
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
3.0
this was unfortunately quite disappointing, coming off the first book. while I loved the idea of having the main characters/plot of the first book play a role in this companion novel, I felt like it focuses too much on them, that we didn't really get the actual main characters and then when we went to their pov, it felt silly in comparison to what events we witnessed for the other characters. I also don't like the immoral and young girl romance trope, so there was that.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Violence, and Murder
translove's review
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Blood
Minor: Toxic relationship and Alcoholism