KPOP DEMON HUNTERS

A trio of pop stars protects the world from evil spirits in this novel based on the popular Netflix film.

Since time immemorial, humanity has spun stories of heroes who vanquish evil and free us from our greatest fears. The heroes of this tale are three members of fictional Korean pop group HUNTR/X: Rumi, the lead singer with a big secret; Mira, the black sheep; and Zoey, the high-energy young optimist. Offstage, they moonlight as demon hunters, vanquishing underworld threats sent by fiery pink demon lord Gwi-Ma and strengthening the Honmoon, the world’s invisible anti-demon shield. The conflict between good and evil rises to a fever pitch when Gwi-Ma sends the Saja Boys, a swoonworthy K-pop quintet who threaten HUNTR/X’s success on the pop charts as well as in the spiritual realm. This novelization competently recounts the film’s suspenseful, action-packed plot, though it reads more like a lightly embellished script than a fully realized prose narrative. The story could have benefitted from the deeper character analysis a novel allows, especially when it comes to Rumi’s internal struggles—a missed opportunity. Furthermore, Korean cultural terms, easily understood in a visual context, are frequently employed here with insufficient explanation. Still, lovers of the film will find many moments of happy recognition, both silly and jaw-droppingly dramatic (an airplane being split in two, for instance).

A solid retelling of the movie that fans are sure to savor.