Kim Hani, also known as the Scarlet Fox, has retired from a life of devouring souls. She is, simply put, too full. Now she spends her days laying low in a coffee shop and annoying a particularly irritating trickster god.
That god is Seokga the Fallen. He was thrown out of his heavenly kingdom centuries ago for staging an utterly pathetic attempt at a coup against his brother, the emperor. But when a powerful demon escapes from the underworld and threatens to end all of humanity, the emperor offers Seokga an enticing deal: Kill this rogue demon, as well as the legendary and elusive gumiho called the Scarlet Fox. In return, he will be reinstated as a god.
There’s only one problem: Kim Hani has no intention of being caught. Seokga might be a trickster god, but Hani has a trick up her sleeve that Seokga will never see coming—teaming up. As Seokga’s assistant, she’ll undermine him at every turn, sabotaging his investigation right under his overly pointy nose. Sure, she’ll fight the demon, but she can’t allow Seokga to uncover her secret identity.
Before long, though, the tension between the bickering couple boils over, and the god and the gumiho find themselves inextricably drawn to each other. But will the unlikely duo stand together to prevent the apocalypse, or will they let their secrets tear them—and the mortal world—apart?
This is such a fun, action- and magic-packed book for the summer! I really loved Hani and found her to be funny in a casual sort of way. Seokga is the kind of character who’s 100% an asshole but somehow still likeable. Hani and Seokga are pretty different from each other, which leads to them clashing before they’re even paired together on a case, but it also means once they can work together they’re able to leverage different skills to remarkable effect.
The powerful demon is the main mystery/plot of the book, and I definitely went back and forth on who I thought was the culprit. I definitely enjoyed the chase. I also think the more intense eoduksini mystery pairs well with Hani’s more humorous attempts at derailing Seokga’s investigation into the Scarlet Fox (i.e., her). The two mysteries intertwine in interesting ways and there are definitely a few nail-biting moments in both.
Interested in hearing more about the book? Check out my full-length review!
Reading Queen E Reviews 