SYNOPSIS

Seokga is still searching for those wine brown eyes, when a red string appears thirty years later. Knowing it connects him to her, he follows the thread with no success. He is recommend he take a break and go on a cruise on the river of the dead. Once boarded, he realizes she’s not only on board, but she’s dead.

What could happen?

RECAP AND REVIEW

Thank you to NetGalley, Del Rey Books and Random House, and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Read now!

This is the second book in a romance and fantasy series told from both Seokaga’s and Kisa’s perspective. Though you don’t have to read it in order, some context for this one will be missing if you don’t.

My review for the first book is here.

I loved the first book and the end made me cry. Already knowing Seokga’s personality and how deep his love ran for Hani made this book feel familiar.

Seokga is the same witty, uninterested (unless it’s her), unbothered (on the surface), questionable (not that good) detective that he was in the first book. Only in this one, he has a therapist and we learn more about his inner child and where the feud with his brother began. I enjoyed seeing a more vulnerable and serious side of Seokga.

Kisa is the polar opposite of Hani: neat, organized, a rule follower, less experienced, less spontaneous, and more analytical.

I loved their story (maybe slightly more). Seokga has to reconcile his old feelings and his memories of who Kisa was in her past life, with who she is now. Points were made and the philosophical question that hovered over them was my favorite. This plus an invisible thread connecting them that can deliver their emotions or thoughts had me not wanting the story to end.

There’s a mystery that needs to be solved, but you’ll have to read to find out more about it 😉.

I will say that with this book, I connected more to the romance and familial aspects than the mystery part, though I was happy to be back in the world and be along for the ride.

Read for:

🧵 Murder mystery

🧵 Soulmates

🧵 Reincarnation and past life discussions

🧵 Korean folklore/mythology (loose interpretation)

🧵 Threaded by Fate (literally)

🧵 Dual POVs

OVERALL

Overall, I give this a 5 out of 5 stars. Though the answer to the mysteries were there all along and not surprising, the use of returning characters, the concept of reincarnation and fate, and seeing Seokga’s relationship with his family made the story for me.