Diese Rezension ist auf Englisch, da ich es für Netgalley.com gelesen habe.

Thank you to Montlake for providing this free advanced reader copy through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.

Official Blurb:
An enemy on her tails, an innocent at her side, and a dangerous power within her that could destroy them all. Jayci Lee melds Korean folklore with modern Americana in this fiery new series.
Sunny Cho aspires to be the dullest, least interesting person in any given room, which can be challenging for a nine-tailed fox spirit. So she drifts from city to city—staying clear of any and all attachment—and keeps her fox buried deep inside her. It is better this way. She would rather live as half of herself than risk losing control of her terrible powers.
Ethan Lee, a friend she left behind eight years ago, is a brilliant and distractingly hot PI. When he tracks her down and asks her to help him find his brother’s murderer, Sunny knows her uneventful life is about to be turned upside down.
Traversing the mortal realm and the world of gods, Sunny and Ethan discover their quest is much more dire than mere vengeance, and their friendship might be…more. An ancient evil is stirring, and Sunny is faced with an impossible choice: save the worlds from annihilation or claim the love fated by the heavens.

Nine Tailed by Jayci Lee blends urban fantasy with Korean folklore. The mythos of the Gumiho (구미호) has always captivated me and this story offers us an interesting twist to this folklore. Sunny, our kind-hearted protagonist, has a special place for Ethan. They are investigating a murder but it turns out being so much more. Their banter and interactions are a delight – and yes, there is a small amount of spice. Why is this marketed as YA? That feels really wrong.

The worldbuilding felt a little off, to be honest. It felt rushed and overwhelming at times. The rapid introduction of the mythologies, while very interesting, felt overstuffed. I was very grateful for the glossary in the back. The writing felt a little chopped at first, but I grew used to it and appreciated it as the story progressed. The middle part, where they go off to another „realm“ felt odd – like another story, almost. It wasn’t delivered as smoothly.

Overall, this was enjoyable, especially for someone with an interest in Korean folklore like myself. While there is room for improvement, I’m eager to read Lee’s next book in this series. I’d rate it a solid 3.5 out of 5.

xx, Jana