Because of that, he also has a lot of trust issues and tends to keep his tight-knit group of friends as tight as possible. He also has complicated family relations, notably with his mother who created her fairytale life without him. He’s a bit silly, apathetic about school but empathetic towards his closest friends and his Halmeoni (grandmother).

Jihoon was a delightful character to read from. I love these types of character arcs because you really see the nuances when it comes to good and evil. Throughout the story, we also see her self-reflections on whether she’s a monster, even though the men she’s killing are bad men. Miyoung also experiences a lot of trust issues, especially from men, because her father left her when she was just one year old. She endures a lot of pressure from her mother, Yena, who wants her to overcome her weaknesses and urges her to keep feeding off men. Miyoung is a strong-willed character who has a shell that’s difficult to break. I also appreciated that she does make the Korean culture heavy but also explains everything in an accessible way without making it seem to “teach-y.” Cho devises such an atmospheric world and does a stellar job and pulling the reader into the story. Love blooms while evil lurks and it’s a story that you can’t help but be enticed by. However, after saving Jihoon’s life one night, she loses her fox bead (basically what fuels her) and both characters spend the rest of the story how to reunite with her bead. Miyoung feeds off evil men in order to maintain her immorality. The story centers around two characters, Miyoung–a gumiho (nine-tailed fox)– and Jihoon–you’re average teenager. I have never heard of any Korean mythical stories so it was fascinating to finally read about the Gumiho tales and also learning more about Korean culture.

As someone who has never watched a K-Drama, I still found myself enjoying the story immensely and I’m excited to see where Cho takes us in future books. I heard if you love K-Dramas, you’ll love this story. The Wicked Fox is an immersive magical story that takes place in modern-day Seoul that pivots around Korean Mythology. TW/CW: Graphic Violence, Bullying, Depictions of Seizures, Death “Foolish man didn’t know beauty was the best camouflage for a monster”

Wicked fox