In The God and the Gumiho, Sophie Kim (Last of the Talons) spins an enemies-to-lovers tale about two antiheroes, drawing from Korean mythology and inspired by K-dramas.
Trickster god Seokga has been banished to the earthly realm after a failed coup in the heavenly realm, and his return is predicated on him killing 20,000 Unrulies, supernatural beings who terrorize humans. Kim Hani is a gumiho, a nine-tailed fox in human form that gains energy by consuming human souls (which is fatal for humans). She is also hiding her history as the Scarlet Fox, whose bloody spree a century ago led to a prohibition on the killing of humans by gumiho. In a twist of fate, Seokga and Hani end up working together when an eoduksini, a demon that eats souls, begins killing humans in horrific ways. At first, the two snarl at each other every chance they get, but god and gumiho are increasingly unable to resist their growing attraction. Hani recognizes her effect on the usually cold god when he begins showing emotion and vulnerability around her, but she can't keep her true identity from Seokga forever. They're hurtling toward a fiasco that could destroy them both--with no way out.
Seokga and Hani are complex characters, and Kim is a master at getting readers to root for them. Their initial spats and thrown barbs are irresistibly exciting, and their escalating sexual tension is intimate and passionate. Driven equally by plot and characters, the novel builds to an explosive, gasp-worthy conclusion that will leave readers eager for the second installment of the Fate's Thread series. --Dainy Bernstein, freelance reviewer