Wicked Fox

Kat Cho

Jun 2019 · Sold by Penguin

About this ebook

An addictive fantasy-romance set in modern-day Seoul.

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. When he finds her fox bead, he does not realize he holds her life in his hands.

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.

Ratings and reviews

The characters are amazing, the korean setting takes the experience that much further into making this a masterpiece. The story of the gumiho is explained well, what I would like to see more of is the story of the shamans and how their powers manifest and how they can utilise them. The writing style is superb, the interactions between the characters felt very real and plausible.

Wicked Fox by Kat Cho was an automatic five stars from me!!! Though I knew very little about the book going in, I couldn’t put it down once I began. The main storyline is a beautiful blend of Korean mythology and modernity. Its focus follows a young gumiho named Miyoung but shamans, ghosts, and even dokkaebi make appearances. Humans, however, play perhaps the second greatest role in the story considering that Miyoung is surrounded by them and even half of one herself. Her love interest, Jihoon, is also human. This love story acts as pretty much the main story line of the novel, and its safe to say that it was absolutely endearing. It was so heart-warming to see the two characters connect and grow together. However, as fun as Miyoung and Jihoon’s romance was, I think my favorite part of the book was the side-relationships. The various friendships Miyoung creates with Jihoon and his friends was developed very slowly and thoughtfully, which I really appreciated. Jihoon’s contrasting relationships with his grandma and his mother were probably the highlight of the book for me. They were so complex and intricate in their own ways that each had me in tears at one point or the other. I really appreciate the extra mile the author took to ensure that such relationships maintained significance in the story and for the characters. It’s far too often that such relationships are simply pushed aside in romances so seeing them so fully developed makes me so excited! I absolutely cannot wait for the sequel!!!

I gobbled this book up and didn't want it to end. I had to force myself to stop reading because sleep is not an option. From the beginning this world grabbed me and took me on a twisty, high-stakes ride. Along the way I met three dimensional characters that popped off the pages. I found a new book boyfriend in Jihoon and rooted for him as he had so much family issues to deal with. I also found family, friendship, self-acceptance, and a sweet romance. The characters had to learn how to trust others and learn who they could really trust. This made for lots of suspense and plot surprises. I loved the Korean culture, setting, and foods inside. The author tossed unseen twists and paced this debut book perfectly. I can't wait for book 2.

About the author

Kat Cho used to hide books under the bathroom sink and then sneak in there to read after bedtime. Her parents pretended not to know. This helped when she decided to write a dinosaur time-travel novel at the tender age of nine. Sadly, that book was not published. She currently lives and works in NYC and spends her free time trying to figure out what kind of puppy to adopt.