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Nine Tailed (Realm of Four Kingdoms Book 1) Kindle Edition


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.


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From the Publisher

UNLEASH THE FOX WITHIN

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Urban-fantasy readers will adore the smart-mouthed, sword-wielding fox spirit at the heart of this fast-paced tale full of magic, secrets, and romance.” Booklist, Starred Review

“An absolute thrill ride! Nine Tailed is brimming with action, humor, and smoldering tension. Lee spins a fantastically original tale filled with cool magic and swoony romance you don’t want to miss.” —Juliette Cross, bestselling author of the Stay a Spell series

“Fast paced, heartwarming, and heartbreaking—my new fave fantasy romance! Supernatural meets K-drama vibes, immigrant globe-trotting immortals, and an epic battle between destiny and fate. Nine Tailed stole my heart with an explosion of fireworks and a wonderfully compelling gumiho. A stellar start to what promises to be a swoon-worthy series. I cannot wait to get my hands on the next one!” —A. Y. Chao, the Sunday Times bestselling author of Shanghai Immortal

“Jayci Lee has gifted us with the best kind of romantasy—a wild ride with a sexy, protective hero, spunky protagonist, a fast-paced plot sprinkled with the perfect amount of sexual tension, and world building so layered and rich you can sink your teeth into it!” —#1 New York Times bestselling author Lexi Ryan

“Jayci Lee’s Nine Tailed gives Janet-Evanovich-meets-Buffy vibes in a vibrant fantasy setting full of Korean mythology. If you’re in the mood for some spicy, magical fun, this is the book for you.” —Megan Bannen, author of The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy

Nine Tailed is a wild, scorching, compulsively readable romantasy that delivers it all—characters who leap off the pages, fast-paced adventure, romance with all the feels, and a fascinating, magical world to die for. You won’t be able to put it down!” —Abigail Owen, award-winning author

“I have been dying for a Korean-inspired romantasy, and Jayci Lee has come through! Nine Tailed is a sexy, fantastical adventure that reminds me of mythical stories of my youth, while fulfilling the romance-loving heart of my adulthood. Finally a kickass Korean heroine who feels familiar and who has me fist-pumping ‘Yes!’ as she tackles the darkness that chases her all while fighting for her HEA. Sunny and Ethan are my new OTP, and I demand a K-drama adaption starring Go Youn-jung and Rowoon immediately!” —Susan Lee, author of Seoulmates

From the Publisher

If I were to create my own summer reading list to share with the world, Nine Tailed would, without question, take the No. 1 spot. But in lieu of that, I can give you my top three reasons why I highly recommend spending some of your summer with Sunny and Ethan in Jayci Lee’s epic romantasy, Nine Tailed:

  1. Though she’s a hundred-year old fox spirit, I have never wanted a literary character as a best friend more in my life. Our heroine, Sunny, comes to life on the page in such a vibrant way that I feel like in addition to following her story in the book, there’s a chance she might magically text me with the offer of an impromptu adventure. (Of course, I would immediately accept.)
  2. Nine Tailed got me completely interested in learning more about Korean folklore. Jayci Lee draws heavily on this influence, and Nine Tailed offers a modern take, featuring a contemporary Korean-American heroine straddling her identity of being both Korean and American—not to mention that she’s also part human and part fox spirit.
  3. For a romance editor, nothing says summer more than some steam! Fireworks have nothing on the sparks flying between Sunny and Ethan. They are a new OTP for me, and I can’t wait for you to swoon over them!


TL;DR?
Nine Tailed is everything I’m looking for in a summer read. Enjoy the adventure!

—Lauren Plude, Editor

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CMFDHXW4
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Montlake (August 1, 2024)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 1, 2024
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 9038 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 346 pages
  • Customer Reviews:

About the author

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Jayci Lee
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Jayci Lee writes poignant, sexy, and laugh-out-loud romance featuring Korean American main characters. Her books have been in O, The Oprah Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Entertainment Weekly, Hollywood Reporter, E! News, and Women’s World. Jayci is retired from her fifteen-year career as a litigator because of all the badass heroines and drool worthy heroes demanding to have their stories told. Food, wine and travel are her jam. She makes her home in sunny California with her tall-dark-and-handsome husband, two amazing boys, and a fluffy rescue.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
1,238 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book very well written and interesting on several levels. They also describe it as incredible, with a great fantasy series beginning. Readers love the characters and find the mythology gorgeous. They describe the humor as funny and moving. Customers also mention that the storyline is rich, delightful, and quirky.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

57 customers mention "Storyline"55 positive2 negative

Customers find the storyline rich, featuring a compelling narrative, adventure, and excellent use of magic. They say it captures their mind and heart, and is incredibly delightful. Readers also say the book does a masterful job explaining Korean mythology and world building. They mention the book has a good balance of romance and fantasy, with quirky, likeable characters.

"...A captivating fantasy novel rooted in Korean folklore, featuring a rich narrative and compelling characters...." Read more

"...The characters were engaging. There was a good balance of romance and fantasy." Read more

"...together a tragic love story, snort worthy sarcasm and wit, mystical Korean lore, and fantastical action packed thrill...." Read more

"...the character development needs some serious work, but the overall plot was good!" Read more

24 customers mention "Characters"24 positive0 negative

Customers adore the characters and are eager to visit with them again in future books.

"...rooted in Korean folklore, featuring a rich narrative and compelling characters...." Read more

"I enjoyed delving into a non western mythology. The characters were engaging. There was a good balance of romance and fantasy." Read more

"...It has the perfect blend of humor and heart! The fantasy elements and characters are fantastic. I cannot wait for the next entry!" Read more

"...The author created lovely intriguing worlds and great characters...." Read more

19 customers mention "Readability"14 positive5 negative

Customers find the book very well written, interesting on several levels, and relatable. They also appreciate the pronunciation primer and find the protagonist relatable and resilient. Customers also say the book is a true page turner and the story keeps going.

"...The protagonist, Sunny, is relatable and resilient, while Ethan adds a delightful romantic element...." Read more

"...Jayci Lee does a superb job of introducing Korean pronunciation to non-Korean speaking readers while ensuring important aspects of Korean lore are..." Read more

"...Korean folklore and the numerous Korean words and phrases were difficult to follow...." Read more

"...Once started this book is a true page turner and the story keeps going. It is fun how the plot is revealed to the reader before the characters...." Read more

13 customers mention "Recommendation"13 positive0 negative

Customers find the book incredible.

"...Overall, it's a highly recommended read for fans of culturally rich fantasy." Read more

"This book was amazing. Is amazing. I crave more like I need air to breathe...." Read more

"The first half of this book was great! I loved Sunny and Ethan, and I thought they had a great dynamic...." Read more

"This book is wonderful! The story is fast paced and leaves you wanting more. It has the perfect blend of humor and heart!..." Read more

9 customers mention "Sexual content"9 positive0 negative

Customers find the sexual content funny, moving, and steamy in equal parts. They also appreciate the rich imagery and vivid storytelling.

"This was such a fun book! I am happy to report that the beautiful glory of the cover DOES translate to the wonder of this book...." Read more

"...The world building using Korean folklore and mythology is unique and gorgeous. I loved Sunny and can't wait to see where her story goes...." Read more

"...So this story was right in my wheel house. This book is smart, sexy, and exciting with a gripping story...." Read more

"I am absolutely obsessed with the rich imagery and vivid storytelling...." Read more

7 customers mention "Fantasy elements"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the fantasy elements in the book great.

"...A captivating fantasy novel rooted in Korean folklore, featuring a rich narrative and compelling characters...." Read more

"...in 2 days, begrudging work and sleep for the time away from this fantastic story!" Read more

"Exciting start to this series. Can't wait for the next book so goood!!..." Read more

"Excellent series starter. Appreciated the pronunciation primer, which made the book easy to read...." Read more

6 customers mention "Humor"6 positive0 negative

Customers find the book funny.

"...while artfully weaving together a tragic love story, snort worthy sarcasm and wit, mystical Korean lore, and fantastical action packed thrill...." Read more

"...It has the perfect blend of humor and heart! The fantasy elements and characters are fantastic. I cannot wait for the next entry!" Read more

"...It made me laugh, was paced well with plenty of action, and even threatened to make me tear up a bit...." Read more

"...The story is beautiful, it manages to be funny and moving and sexy all in equal parts...." Read more

4 customers mention "Character resilience"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the main character strong-willed and not afraid to be herself.

"...The protagonist, Sunny, is relatable and resilient, while Ethan adds a delightful romantic element...." Read more

"...The author does a great job of portraying a strong, intelligent FMC without sacrificing some twists.There is some spice to this book!..." Read more

"...I loved the main character Sunny- she is so strong willed and not afraid to be herself...." Read more

"...She has attitude and is self-reliant. She’s tough. She lives and works in seedy Las Vegas. Then Ethan finds her, a man from her past...." Read more

Absolutely beautiful, delightful read
5 out of 5 stars
Absolutely beautiful, delightful read
Thank you author Jayci Lee and NetGalley for the gifted review copy!A captivating fantasy novel rooted in Korean folklore, featuring a rich narrative and compelling characters. The protagonist, Sunny, is relatable and resilient, while Ethan adds a delightful romantic element. The story's blend of romance, mythology, and mystery keeps readers engaged, though some sections feel slow. Overall, it's a highly recommended read for fans of culturally rich fantasy.
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Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2024
Thank you author Jayci Lee and NetGalley for the gifted review copy!

A captivating fantasy novel rooted in Korean folklore, featuring a rich narrative and compelling characters. The protagonist, Sunny, is relatable and resilient, while Ethan adds a delightful romantic element. The story's blend of romance, mythology, and mystery keeps readers engaged, though some sections feel slow. Overall, it's a highly recommended read for fans of culturally rich fantasy.
Customer image
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely beautiful, delightful read
Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2024
Thank you author Jayci Lee and NetGalley for the gifted review copy!

A captivating fantasy novel rooted in Korean folklore, featuring a rich narrative and compelling characters. The protagonist, Sunny, is relatable and resilient, while Ethan adds a delightful romantic element. The story's blend of romance, mythology, and mystery keeps readers engaged, though some sections feel slow. Overall, it's a highly recommended read for fans of culturally rich fantasy.
Images in this review
Customer image
Customer image
16 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2024
The story and the fantasy were enjoyable. The author created lovely intriguing worlds and great characters. But all the Korean folklore and the numerous Korean words and phrases were difficult to follow. Nonetheless, by mid-book I was invested and eager to keep reading until the end.
12 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2024
This book was amazing. Is amazing. I crave more like I need air to breathe. I first learned about Gumiho from the show “My Roommate is a Gumiho,” and fell in love with the mythology so having this book recommended on Kindle made me ridiculously excited. Jayci Lee does a superb job of introducing Korean pronunciation to non-Korean speaking readers while ensuring important aspects of Korean lore are explained through her story telling. She gives historical perspective to what’s going on through mini chapters to guide the reader through the mystery of who Ethan is and why Sunny is different while artfully weaving together a tragic love story, snort worthy sarcasm and wit, mystical Korean lore, and fantastical action packed thrill. As if I wasn’t already teetering on the edge of being a full blown Koreaboo.
2 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2024
The first half of this book was great! I loved Sunny and Ethan, and I thought they had a great dynamic. They both clearly cared about each other and were trying to keep the other as safe as possible in a series of difficult situations. Then about halfway through the book I felt like Sunny's maturity level dropped from that of an adult to that of a moody, whiny teenager. And somehow all the immortal beings around her also suddenly seemed to be at that same teenager maturity level. SPOILER** Part of it was the fact that she suddenly was interested in another guy as soon as Ethan wasn't around--which the author tried to explain away with a short paragraph later in the book, but it felt strange that a 132 year old would so dramatically fall in love for the first time, then immediately be interested in someone else. Not to mention that pretty much every guy Sunny interacted with fell in love with her (Ben, Ethan, Ford, Jihun). That seemed really unnecessary, and also detracted from the characters feeling like real people to me. And her decision making process at the end just felt like it was adding drama for the sake of drama. So overall, I feel like the character development needs some serious work, but the overall plot was good!
80 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2024
Loved the characters, especially the heroine, she’s quite bada**. I hope tons of people go out and get this book, because I’m invested in the story and want the series to go on! There’s definitely at least one more story’s worth, if not a longer series, and I want to find out how destiny plays out for Sunny and Ethan and their friends.

As a person who loves stories about other cultures and learning about other languages, I loved all of the Korean words and culture infused in the story. I am fluent in Chinese, and spent many years there, but also have had the privilege to spend some time in Korea and get to know a number of people there as well. I found it interesting to see elements of shared Asian mythology along with Korean specific cultural elements throughout this novel. Very interesting on this level in addition to the amazing story.

I would say that some of the described scenes in the story might be a little racy for some, especially younger readers, so parents may want to check it out before buying for their young adult readers in the family, but if you’re ok with that, then this is a great read!
10 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2024
I liked it but… The story line was interesting. Learning about Korean culture and mythology was good. The characters were developed nicely, a little bit at a time. Lots of action. One problem was with Sunny and Ethan. Just get the relationship going, enough of back and forth. I think it should have happened sooner rather than later. The major problem is the ending. While some things were resolved, there is still a cliffhanger. And no idea when Book 2 is coming out. ☹️
16 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2024
I am personally fascinated by Korean history and culture ...( opps...my BTS is showing!) I love a good K Drama and some of my favorites are about the Nine tailed foxes, and Habeck the Water God. So this story was right in my wheel house. This book is smart, sexy, and exciting with a gripping story. Very well written by an author that knows how to bring you into the story. I highly recommend this book and I will be following this author to read her work and finish this story.
* on a side note do hate the serialized book form used so often on Amazon to get you to buy more books. It's OK as long as the books are long enough to justify it as a "book" and not just a short story.
11 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2024
Sunny, who seems to be a pretty woman in her early twenties, is actually a one hundred thirty-two-year-old nine-tailed fox, a gumiho. She is hiding from evil forces chasing her, suppressing her magic and trying to be inconspicuous. She was living in Los Angeles with two brothers, but left them to keep them safe from the bad guys. But she has to act when Ethan, the younger brother, tells her that Ben, his brother older brother has been murdered. Sunny is sure it’s because of danger she brought to their door, which was the reason she ran away from their home, hoping that would take the evildoers’ focus away from them. Since that didn’t work, she decides to go for revenge, and she and Ethan go to Korea in search of the evil beings. Lots of mystic and magical things ensue, with a fascinating exploration of aspects of Korean folklore and legend. Action-packed, with some romance and a touch of noble idiocy, this is a very entertaining story. I look forward to the sequels I trust will come!
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Katryne
5.0 out of 5 stars Pure magic!!!
Reviewed in Canada on July 31, 2024
I love it! Beautifully written, the world building is magical and really drew me in right from the start even as the book is a little slow to begin. I love Sunny, she's prickly but so easy to love and her sense of humor, her sarcasm just made me like her more. And I like the other characters too, I really want more of this story!
Spyder
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful piece of Korean magic
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 29, 2024
I absolutely loved this book. I couldn't put it down. The characters are written beautifully, and the places make you want to jump on a plane. I will be anxiously awaiting the next in the series.
One person found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
3.0 out of 5 stars A good story but…
Reviewed in Australia on July 13, 2024
The premise was great and the magic system was really interesting but the writing felt so juvenile. I felt like the “spice” was thrown in as an afterthought. The characters were also shallow for the plot.
Beverly Brown
4.0 out of 5 stars A great read
Reviewed in Canada on July 25, 2024
I really liked the book...fast paced lots of stuff happening. A great read
Tracey Wells
3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting but juvenile
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 29, 2024
I really want to like this more than I do. The Korean folklore parts are fascinating and I kept going off to Google bits to understand more. The main problem is that the MFC is supposed to be over a century old, yet behaves like a teenager despite having been fending for herself since she was 18.

It’s so frustrating because it has massive potential, but falls short. I’m going to persevere and finish it, but I won’t be getting the rest of the series.

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