Back of Book: 

Eighteen-year-old Gu Miyoung has a secret--she's a gumiho, a nine-tailed fox who must devour the energy of men in order to survive. Because so few believe in the old tales anymore, and with so many evil men no one will miss, the modern city of Seoul is the perfect place to hide and hunt.

But after feeding one full moon, Miyoung crosses paths with Jihoon, a human boy, being attacked by a goblin deep in the forest. Against her better judgment, she violates the rules of survival to rescue the boy, losing her fox bead—her gumiho soul—in the process.

Jihoon knows Miyoung is more than just a beautiful girl—he saw her nine tails the night she saved his life. His grandmother used to tell him stories of the gumiho, of their power and the danger they pose to men. He's drawn to her anyway. 

With murderous forces lurking in the background, Miyoung and Jihoon develop a tenuous friendship that blossoms into something more. But when a young shaman tries to reunite Miyoung with her bead, the consequences are disastrous and reignite a generations-old feud... forcing Miyoung to choose between her immortal life and Jihoon's. 

Book Number: One 

Genre: Young Adult | Fantasy | Romance 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

A Korean fantasy starring a young gumiho as she tries to blend in with society and please her overbearing mother. 

Gu Miyoung has just moved to Seoul after her dangerous secret was nearly exposed in her old town. Miyoung is a gumiho, a nine-tailed fox spirit that feeds on the souls of men in order to maintain immortality. One full moon, Miyoung finds a young man being attacked by a goblin in the woods and saves his life. Unfortunately, the lad she saved attends her new school, and she can't seem to escape Jihoon's interest. Jihoon knows what he saw that night in the woods. His grandmother used to tell him stories of the wicked gumihos, but for some reason, he finds himself drawn to Miyoung despite the danger she presents. Unbeknownst to the both of them, the chance meeting in the forest tied their fates together forever. As the two form a reluctant friendship, Miyoung comes to learn that Jihoon (and humans in general) are actually not that bad. 

I've been eyeing this one forever, because I absolutely adore ninetails! I honestly knew little else about this one going into it, but I was sold on the Korean mythology alone. I didn't love it as much as I hoped I would, but it was certainly a very solid book. 

The beginning of this one was a little slow for me, as Miyoung is quite determined to hate Jihoon. I feel the book becomes more interesting as she begins to warm up to him and they begin to form a unique type of friendship. Jihoon feels this urge to protect Miyoung from the dangers of high school, and Miyoung just wants to be left alone. Jihoon wasn't willing to take no for an answer, which I thought was pretty sweet. They both desperately needed a strong ally in their corner, so I'm glad they came to rely on one another in the end. 

Familial relationships are a huge part of this book. Miyoung and Jihoon both have complicated feelings towards their parents, but it becomes evident as the book progresses that they care for their children very much. I especially enjoyed observing the relationship between Miyoung and her mother, Yena. Her mother has been alive forever (she's an immortal fox, after all), so she is very jaded and believes the world is filled solely with evil. Yena is hard to like at many times throughout this story, but I found her to be one of the fiercest and most loyal mothers I've read about in a while. 

I wasn't completely sold on the romance in this one, but Miyoung and Jihoon are slow to trust (and therefore lust after one another) that it didn't ick me out either. This book does take place over a year and a half (ish), so they definitely had time to get to know each other. These two certainly fall in and out of love with each other over the course of this story, too. I'm excited to see how book two reads with them as an established couple. 

There were so many events towards the end of this book that really shocked me! I was not expecting some of the twists that this book had. Some minor characters became extremely important, which I didn't surmise. The fight scene at the end played out quite differently than I anticipated, but it wrapped the story up nicely. It really does feel like it could be a stand alone novel. That is, until the epilogue hits. 

The epilogue was intense and has me intrigued to learn what exactly book two will be about. I feel these books are going to be quite different in subject matter and vibes, which has me excited. I did enjoy this one, but there was a ton of events that repeated over and over again, which made this one feel a bit longer than needed. I feel these events won't be present in book two, so I'm hoping it is even faster paced. 

Overall, "Wicked Fox" was an exciting Korean fantasy starring some unique magic, namely gumihos. I love ninetails, so that was definitely one of the highlights for me. Watching Miyoung and Jihoon come to trust one another was fun, especially when they were in their tentative friend phase. The action in this one was thrilling and unpredictable, which was something I very much appreciated. The ending was kind of crazy without ending on a cliff hanger, which I feel is the best type of ending. I look forward to checking out book two in the near future! 

Back of Book: 

After the events of Wicked Fox, Somin is ready to help her friends pick up the pieces of their broken lives and heal. But Jihoon is still grieving the loss of his grandmother, and Miyoung is distant as she grieves over her mother's death and learns to live without her fox bead. The only one who seems ready to move forward is their not-so-favorite dokkaebi, Junu.

Somin and Junu didn't exactly hit it off when they first met. Somin thought he was an arrogant self-serving, conman. Junu was, at first, amused by her hostility toward him until he found himself inexplicably drawn to her. Somin couldn't deny the heat of their attraction. But as the two try to figure out what could be between them, they discover their troubles aren't over after all. The loss of Miyoung's fox bead has caused a tear between the world of the living and the world of the dead, and ghosts are suddenly flooding the streets of Seoul. The only way to repair the breach is to find the missing fox bead or for Miyoung to pay with her life. With few options remaining, Junu has an idea but it might require the ultimate sacrifice. In usual fashion, Somin may have a thing or two to say about that.

In Vicious Spirits, Kat Cho delivers another beguiling and addictive read full of otherworldly dangers and romance. 

Book Number: Two (Last Book) 

Genre: Young Adult | Fantasy | Romance 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Miyoung and the gang are back in this follow-up companion novel to "Wicked Fox." 

Miyoung and Jihoon's lives have changed forever, but at least they have each other to lean on now. Miyoung is haunted by the ghost of her mother, Yena, and Jihoon is struggling to find a new normal without his grandmother by his side. With the support of their dear friend Somin and their enemy turned sort of ally Junu, Miyoung and Jihoon are trying to move on with their lives. Unfortunately, these four aren't getting the break they deserve due to the ghosts that are appearing in the human realm. Miyoung's missing fox bead seems to be tied to this conundrum, and the friends must find a way to retrieve the bead before it is too late. 

I enjoyed "Wicked Fox" so I figured I should read this one sooner rather than later so I didn't forget all the stuff from book one. I must say, I was shocked to learn that this one is told mostly from Junu and Somin's perspectives, though Miyoung does still have her own PoV. The storytelling bits are still present, too, which I find adds an extra layer to this series that makes it even more enjoyable. 

At the end of book one, Miyoung's mother, Yena, had just died and Miyoung sacrificed her fox bead in order to try to save her. Now, Miyoung is trying her best to function as a human, but she still feels connected to her fox bead and her mother, so she knows that things aren't over yet. The epilogue of book one alluded to the fact that Yena isn't truly gone and that ghosts seem to be lingering in the human realm, which is a big part of this book. 

It was really sweet seeing how Miyoung and Jihoon's relationship has come together. This book does actually focus on Somin and Junu's unlikely relationship, which I somehow wasn't expecting, but was totally here for. Somin and Junu's chemistry was much fierier and quicker than Miyoung and Jihoon's, which I feel added some great contrast between these two books. 

Learning more about Junu's past and how he became a dokkaebi was fascinating to me. He is such a charming lad, but one could tell that he possesses some dark secrets. Getting him to open up wasn't easy, but it made him a much more likable character in the end. 

Throughout this book, Miyoung, Jihoon, Somin, and Junu all learn to deal with their demons a little better. These four have honestly suffered so much in their lives, so it was nice to see them discover what it means to be truly happy and even get a little closure with some of the things that have long haunted them. 

Overall, I thought "Vicious Spirits" was a great follow-up for "Wicked Fox." This book did a great job of expanding on all four of our main characters and giving them all some much needed closure. I wasn't expecting the romance arc between Somin and Junu, but I was totally here for it. This duology definitely feels complete after this book, so that has me excited to check out some of Cho's other books in the future!