Thank You Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.
This book is an urban fantasy murder mystery with elements of sci-fi and Asian mythology.
Sadly, I had to DNF this book purely because urban murder mysteries aren't a genre that I tend to enjoy, but I can understand why people would enjoy them.
This book feels like a K-drama with an interesting magic system.

As a K-drama fan, I thoroughly enjoyed this novella! Lately, I've been delving into mystery-centered books set in Korea, which is why this particular book caught my attention. Reading it was like watching a thriller/mystery K-drama.

The world-building and fantasy elements were well-executed and thoroughly explained. While the plot didn't grip me intensely, it was compelling enough to maintain my interest. I appreciated how Han-Gil's backstory, particularly the childhood memory of his mother's death, was intricately tied into the main narrative. Similarly, Yoonhae, his childhood friend, had a history and encounter with the worm spirit which left him without 4 of his 5 senses. The involvement of side characters like his sister Azuna and Yoonhae felt organic to the plot, rather than being randomly inserted.

Another aspect I found intriguing was Han-Gil's adoption by a Japanese family, which added a layer of complexity to his identity.

One unexpected but appreciated aspect was the book's exploration of transphobia, which, in an East Asian setting, can be particularly harsh. My heart truly went out to Junhee.

Overall, I found this book to be quite engaging! I can easily envision Lee Dong Wook portraying Han-Gil on screen!

This story has a fun mix of mystery and paranormal legends. I enjoyed getting to read and learn about Korean paranormal myth and how it all tied in to Kim Han-gil’s character. Thanks NetGalley got the arc

Small Gods of Calamity is a prime example of novella done well. Sam Kyung Yoo manages to tell a story which links events which are 16 years apart without ever losing the momentum of the story at hand.

The only complaint I had is that I would have loved to read an entire novel instead of a novella. The world was interesting and connected to Korean and Japanese spiritualism. I felt all characters were fully fleshed out despite the limited length of the story. Especially the dynamics between Azuna and Han-gil on the one hand and Han-gil and Yoonhae were believable and integral to the plot.
I loved the imagery of isolation and anger when worm possession happened, but also really loved the differences in how spirits are perceived by the different characters (smell, sounds, colours, feelings etc.). The calm both Han-gil and Yoonhae get from how they perceive each other's spirits despite the guilt and history between them was such a beautiful detail.

I also appreciated that while the story gets quite dark and gory, it never is done for mere shock value. It always means something.

I wish I could read more set in this world.

3.5 stars.

This is an urban fantasy murder mystery with a touch of sci-fi and Asian mythology.
Set in Seoul, it follows a special detective named Kim Hangil as he tries to solve a series of suicides that have more to them than people believe. In fact, he knows that the culprit is a parasitic soul-eating worm that causes people to commit suicide so that it can spread to the next host.
He knows because he has seen it before: this is how her mother died, and he is tracking down the other worms that came from her to end its life cycle once and for all.

The premise of this novella is very original. The world building is well thought out and clearly explained throughout the book.
I really enjoyed the writing, which was clean yet very vivid, clear and easy to follow. I liked the fact that the presence of the worms could be perceived through different senses, such as smell and hearing. How cool was it when Han-gil was sure that the person was infected by the smell of seawater in her apartment?
The plot was solid and moved at a steady, pleasant pace, leaving enough room for some introspection into Han-gil's past. Han-gil was a very sympathetic main character. I loved the flashback about his mother.
On the other side, I felt the other characters were not enough explored. I didn't relate to them at all.
Also, I kept confusing Shin Yoonhae and Lee Junhee due to their similarity in the name structure. I apologise and I am very sorry about that. I have noticed it happens to me frequently with Asian names, both in books and movies. Additionally, the relationships between the characters could have been explored a bit more to give a well round cast of characters.

Overall, it was a great story with a refreshing premise and the downsides of a novella. I will keep a look to the next release by this author.

Thanks to Netgalley and Interstellar Flight Press for providing me with this eARC.

3.5 star

I fell in love with this book from the moment I picked it. Han-gil was an interesting protagonist who flowed perfectly with the stores quick pace. For a novella of its size I do think that this is a great start to an authors budding career. Though that is where the problem lies. Now for it’s sleek 150(?) pg count, the author used they’re time with the reader in great ways. There are many questions left open, many plot points and characters left behind due to this. Which is very unfortunate. I will be looking forward to this authors career! Especially if anything is added to this world!

Thank you net gallery for the advanced copy of this book. This is a story of a man that sees spirits and deals with toxic ones. He experienced great trauma as a child which influences the way he sees the world. This is also a story of healing and attachment and working through grief. I definitely recommend.

Sam Kyung Yoo’s debut novella Small Gods of Calamity is a an intriguing urban fantasy that shows flashes of creativity, but is held back by its lack of ambition. While it doesn’t fully capitalise on its potential (yet!), there’s enough here to suggest Yoo is a writer to watch.

The story follows Kim Han-gil, a Seoul detective with the rare ability to sense and interact with spirits. When a spate of apparent suicides hits the city, Han-gil realises something more sinister is at play – a parasitic, soul-devouring spirit is on the loose. To stop it, Han-gil must team up with Shin Yoonhae, a man he blames for a traumatic past incident. This central conflict and uneasy partnership drives much of the narrative.

Yoo’s writing is strong, with vivid, unsettling descriptions of the malicious spirits that haunt the city. The way all the characters perceive these entities differently is a clever approach that adds tactile, sensory elements to the fantasy. For example, Han-gil perceives spirit energy as scents, leading to some memorable vivid literary motifs like the smell of the ocean. The use of senses, and occasionally sense-deprivation, is refreshing and elevates the reader’s experience significantly. There are also some genuinely creepy, atmospheric moments that showcase Yoo’s talent for horror, reminiscent of Junji Ito’s goosebump-inducing tales and illustrations.

The characters, Han-gil and Yoonhae in particular, are pleasingly believable. It’s easy to veer into trope territory, but Yoo gives them interesting and realistic idiosyncrasies, and unique flaws, that make them almost a bit too recognisable. Yoo does a good job making them feel human, even if the dialogue between them can occasionally feel slightly stilted.

Unfortunately, the overall story feels a bit watered down. At just 144 pages, Small Gods of Calamity reads almost like an extended short story. The plot moves along at a brisk clip, with the climactic confrontation happening perhaps a bit too easily. I would have liked to see the narrative have more room to breathe and explore the rich mythology and worldbuilding Yoo has constructed.

Overall, Small Gods of Calamity is a promising and enjoyable debut, but doesn’t fully capitalise on its intriguing premise. Yoo’s talent for vivid, atmospheric horror writing is clear, and the main characters are compelling. But the story ultimately feels a bit undercooked, lacking the narrative depth and expansiveness to truly elevate it.

For fans of dark urban fantasy looking for a quick, creepy read, it’s worth checking out. But those seeking a more epic, immersive experience may find it leaves them wanting more. Still, Yoo demonstrates enough potential here to warrant a close eye on future endeavours. I, personally, would love to see a 400 page sequel to Small Gods , complete with other interesting malicious spirits, more complex struggles against them, and a more detailed explanation of where these spirits came from and their purpose.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Ah I really loved the end scence of this story. It was so satisfying while also making me question what's next for the characters. I know this is a novella, but hopefully there are other stories in this universe in the works.

Small Gods of Calamity is a quick read focusing on spiritual elements, death/grief/guilt and new beginnings. I was amazed that Sam Kyung Yoo managed to add in so many details without the story feeling overwhelming or uunderdeveloped. I also appreciated the queer representation in the story. Reading about a queer, non-white and non-US born character will never get boring.

While short, Small God's of Calamity touched on many topics while setting the scene of this paranormal world. I have so many questions about the detective going back to work, if his partner will transfer and if he'll have a new budding romance and how that works with him being ace.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC of this title. I can't wait to read more from this author.

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this advanced reader copy (arc) in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️ 3.7 stars
I loved the combination of paranormal mystery with a detective element. I liked how the plot unfolded, focusing on how the main characters solved the mystery that connected with their past. Even though it's short, I thoroughly enjoyed everything especially how this book made me feel like I'm watching my fav kdrama.

This is a highly original book that I really enjoyed. My only complaint is that it is just too short! I would have loved to spend more time with these characters!! And I really hope that this debut will be followed by some sequels, possibly a tad longer than this one! Mind me, the length of it is not really a problem, it’s just me being whiny here.
The thing is that I enjoyed the characters and their relationships, and I wanted more. I wanted more time to get to know them better, I wanted to see them interacting more and all that.

As you can see, this is a short book, and it is also quite fast-paced. It’s not that we have actions and twists at every turn, it is more that, on the whole, all is happening quite quickly and you are carried around by the characters, trying to stop a supernatural killer. The plot is engaging, and it is original. I loved that we get to see more spirits and Korean (or at least Asian inspired) folklore and culture. It was interesting, and it was a nice change of scenery.
And it was also captivating. Basically, the paranormal exists but humans are not aware of it. Or at least, the majority of humans are oblivious, the ones who can see and understand that there is more to this world are few (even if they have a net, and this part was quite interesting. It was not really central to the story, so we caught glimpses of it, but it is intriguing and it could be developed into something really good!) and they have to deal with the magic and the spirits trying to not involve the normal people. And this is not easy. Not easy at all. Especially because our MC has chosen a really hard path: he is a policeman but he can’t talk to his coworker about this other reality, he has to try to do his best to solve the cases without mentioning the supernatural parts of them.
This would have been quite difficult, and it is not conducive to a nice and pleasant place of work, but our MC and his sister are hunting a particular kind of supernatural creature, who nobody else has ever seen, so even the other people who are in the net, as to say, are quite skeptical toward Kim Han-Gil, our detective and MC, and they are not so ready to help him out.
In all this, he and his sister are trying to stop a person who is possessed by this spirit and who is going on a killing spree. There is the mystery part because they don’t know who the person is, there is the hunting and the fight, once they discover who this person is, and there are also some intimate moments in there, too. So, even if the book is quite short, there is a lot packed in here!

And then we have the characters! Kim Han-Gil is on the verge of becoming your typical noir detective. The cynic one who is trying his best to do the right thing (and that may be haunted by an old case that he didn’t solve but that he is constantly on his mind) but who is also cynical, looked on with suspicion by his peers, while he tries his best to keep his distance from anyone. It is not there, but he doesn’t have a lot of miles to do. And, to be honest, I enjoyed him, a lot, but my favorite characters were his sister, who I wanted to get to know better because she seemed amazing, and Shin Yoonhae, an older acquaintance with whom Han-Gil has not the best relationship. But I loved how they managed to work together and to start to build a new beginning for them both. Their relationship was really well developed, and I am not talking about romance here, it’s just that seeing them starting to overcome the past (especially Kim Han-Gil) was heartwarming!
There is only one thing that could have been developed a tad better, but it is pretty minor, and it is the relationship between Kim Han-Gil and his new partner at work. It is almost like, from time to time, the author forgets about him, but it is understandable in a book so short. It could have been done better? Sure! But it is not bad, it is really a minor thing (and maybe it will get more space, if we ever get a second book! In any event, I am keeping my fingers crossed!).

All in all, this was a really pleasant book, original, pretty hard to put down, and quite short. So if you want to take a break, and read something that will keep your attention engaged and with some original points in there, you should try this one out!

Rating: 4.5
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Thank you Interstellar Flight Press for providing an e-copy through NetGalley.

Summary: Kim Han-gil is the only spirit detective in the Jong-ro Police department. When everyone else sees the aftermath violent suicides, Kim sees deadly spirits and supernatural forces at work. He will do whatever it takes to stop another tragedy from happening, even if it means partnering with the one man responsible for his mother’s disastrous exorcism.

What I Liked: Small Gods of Calamity is an intriguing, terrifying, and unique blend of mystery, fantasy, and horror, as well as Korean folklore with crime stories. The spirits and monsters were terrifying yet fascinating to learn about, Han’s complicated backstory and family dynamics will immerse you in his character, and the overall mystery/suspense will keep readers hooked all the way to the end. The dynamic between Kim and Shin Yoohae keeps the tension high as well, as it grows into a more understanding relationship. Overall, this was a great quick read with high stakes, crime solving sleuthing, supernatural action, and overall compelling plot.

What I Didn’t Like: Nothing!

Recommend to: Adults who want fantasy/horror novellas by BIPOC authors and who like Korean folklore.

Review Date: April 2, 2024

This book was good and had an interesting concept, I did enjoy the characters and the found family troupe. The ending felt a little flat to me, It felt very rushed in the sense that all this crazy buildup is happening and you get to the final pages and it’s like oh that’s it?

I received this DRC from NetGalley.

This was a nice little story. There are some interesting concepts. And the ending was nice. I think it incorporated the past story well and added depth to the characters and story. I guess it just didn't leave a big impression on me, though.

This ended up being a lovely quick novella. If you're looking for spirit detectives chasing down a lead, complicated family dynamics, and some weird spiritual parasites, man, have I got the novella for you here. This just came out at the start of the month, and if you're looking for a quick chase through Seoul and the spirits who haunt it, you've got a great read here.

This is a story of a young Korean detective Kim Han-gil who sees spirits. His coworkers think he's crazy and when he gets a new partner they take bets on how quickly the new partner will bail. When Han-gil and his partner investigate a death at a high rise apartment it looks like a normal suicide. But Han-gin knows it isn't but rather is due to a parasitic spirit that feeds on the souls of its victims. So he tries to investigate these murders while also trying to keep his partner in the dark.

There is a lot in this novella! We get Han-gin's tragic backstop and it made me want to learn more about him. I really felt a lot of sympathy for him trying to navigate in his world when no one takes him seriously except a few people in the spiritualist society, most of whom want nothing to do with him. He has a lot of history with one on particular, Shin Yoonhae and that provided for an interesting dynamic when Yoonhae helps Han-gin investigate a growing number of deaths.

I think this would make for a very interesting series esp since I want to know more about Han-gin and his partner (which was left a bit open-ended), and Han-gin and his adopted family and his place among the spiritualists, esp Yoonhae. There is a lot of world building done in a pretty tight 180 pages.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for early access to this title in exchange for my honest thoughts!

This was such a well written story and I enjoyed it immensely! Reading a detective story was new for me and with the supernatural touches I found it to be quite captivating. I’m curious about the other works by this author because I throughly enjoyed his way of capturing the characters and the overall atmosphere of the story!

The premise of this book really caught my attention but the execution fell a little flat for me. I liked the characters and the world/spiritual elements had a lot of potential. I can't exactly put my finger on what wasn't connecting for me but I would still recommend giving this book a try.

this was very well written for a 151 page book so if you're looking for a short, quick read you should definitely go for it! i loved the representation in this book and how it dealt with certain topics and i also loved the mystery element and i love love loved kim han-gil

"He remembers thinking Shin Yoonhae looked like someone who was just quietly waiting to die. He guesses that hasn't really changed, even after all this time."

tw: transphobia, gore, body horror

Since my discovery that I do, in fact, enjoy ghost stories a couple years back, I haven't actually picked up that many. "Small gods of calamity" turned out to be a ghostly delight. Despite its relatively small page count, it's enthralling and had me invested in the story pretty quickly. The slice-of-life view of Kim Han-gil's life as a detective-slash-ghost-hunter had pretty solid worldbuilding, introducing a range of paranormal phenomena and spiritualists. I did not expect the POV to shift halfway through yet I loved the contrast between Han-gil and Yoonhae's voices and experiences.

The thing is, I was left wanting more - the small thing keeping it from being a five-star read for me. Give me two hundred more pages, give me a webtoon, a series (I saw a few reviews mentioning it felt like a k-drama structure but I'm not sure there's enough to fill 20 90-minute episodes), anything – I would love to stay in Han-gil's bubble for longer. The biggest let-down is that in such a fast-paced story, the secondary characters are left unexplored, feeling almost like an afterthought at the very end.

Nevertheless, this made for a wonderful buddy read with my best friend and I plan to keep an eye on what Sam Kyung Yoo has in store next as their debut novella left me impressed.