This book is very adventurous and exciting. There is a new obstacle at every turn. It's almost comical, actually. The pace of the book is fast, which makes this extra exciting. It is fantasy, based on Japanese traditions, so the main character is a kitsune. And she's adorable, frankly.

I would definitely read another book in this series and I would recommend this to fantasy readers for sure. It is also not terribly intense as far as world building and complexity, though a basic concept of Japanese folklore is helpful.

I did not finish this and at the time was not comfortable leaving a review. It has a lot of filler in the middle that seemed unnecessary where I had finally decided to stop reading. I wanted to really enjoy this book but unable to just get back into it.

This book started out so strong...and then just kept going from there. I enjoyed this story so much that I immediately went looking for the next book in the series (which also makes me kick myself for waiting to read it for so long, but slight bonus was the other books were out so I could read them all back to back to back). I absolutely loved the characters and couldn't wait to see how they all developed and changed over the course of the story, especially Okame. He was probably my hands-down favorite. What can I say? I love sarcasm and dirty jokes.
Really enjoyed this whole series. There were some tears at the end, but also an unusual happy ending. All the audio narrators were fantastic. Also I'm super going to miss hearing Okame's sarcastic jokes and Yumeko's complete lack of awareness re: sarcasm. To be fair, I'm really going to miss all of it. It's not often I immediately go to the second or third book in a series after reading the previous ones, but the ending of book 1 had me so hooked, I just had to see what happened next. And I'm glad I did. This was a really fun fantasy series with a lot of super cool Japanese mythology and I was a little sad to be done with this world.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me early access to this book in exchange for an honest review. I'm sorry it took me so long to get around to reading it but I will definitely be recommending it to others.

A riveting fantasy set in ancient Japan and chock full of fantasy, adventure, mythology, shapeshifters and demons. This was a book that i absolutely couldnt put down!

Thanks to NetGalley / Edelweiss and the publisher Edelweiss for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for a review.

I loved this book! Took me a little while to get into it but once I did I flew through the story. I enjoyed this book so much I looked into other books written by Julie Kagawa and I'm already falling in love with The Iron Fey Series too! Highly recommend picking up Shadow of the Fox! I'm already working on the second book in the series!

Unfortunately, I waited to long to read and review and was unable to really enjoy this story. In no way do I think my not liking it had anything to do with the author or the story itself, just that my own reading preferences have changed. Thank you for the opportunity.

This is one of those books that I wanted to love more than I actually did. I ended up DNFing the story around the 40% mark. The characters were fun but they weren't enough to keep me going when I wasn't connecting to the story. I might try this one again in a few more years but for now this one was a nope for me.

I love everything about this book! The writing, the character dynamic, the lore! It was a quick paced, fun adventure. Love Julie's writing style!

It took me a couple attempts to read this book and I honestly can’t explain why. The mythology is wonderful and described in so much detail. I am not too familiar with Japanese/East Asian mythology so it was enjoyable to be educated in it as I read along.

Loved it, loved it, loved it! I love the inclusion of Asian elements of culture, the strong female character, and the subtle but not sickening romance. I will totally suggest this to anyone at our library looking for similar books!

This is probably one of the best high fantasy books I've ever read, and it's going to be one of the only high fantasy series I will frequently reread. It had everything I could ever hope for: danger, magic, mystery, adventure, and a lot of character growth. Kagawa truly is a master at creating worlds and I cannot wait to see what her next project is going to be.

A fluid journey from the beginning to the end, this story takes us from the quaint life the protagonist leads in a temple on the outskirts of her fantasy realm and onto a quest to protect it all from imminent doom.

In Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa, we follow the story of two main characters Yumeko and Kage Tatsumi. Yumeko is a kitsune (a half human, half fox) girl who was orphaned as a baby and grew up at a monastery all of her life. When a demon attacks the monastery and kills the monks, she is forced to flee to escape with half of a dragon scroll that is said to grant a wish if combined with its counterpart. During her escape she runs into Kage Tatsumi of the Shadow Clan. On a mission for the scroll, he decides to help Yumeko reach the Steel Feather temple in order to find it. He doesn't know she is kitsune or that she already has half of the dragon scroll and is taking it to the temple for safe keeping. On their journey, they make new allies and fight all sorts of monsters and unholy creatures. Their journey is not only full of danger, but Kage Tatsumi is in possession of a possessed sword, and if the monster in the sword is unleashed, it can bring destruction to the whole world.

Yumeko is a likable character with her innocence, loyalty, and her desire to help others no matter the danger. Kage Tatsumi is the complete opposite. He trusts no one and only makes decisions that help himself to achieve his mission to find the dragon scroll. Slowly, Tatsumi starts to trust Yumeko and even starts to care about her. That goes against everything he has been taught and fights his emotions as they progress on their mission together. There are lots of action scenes and violence, and it reads like you are watching an anime film. The story is told in three perspectives: Yumeko, Tatsumi, and a servant girl named Suki who is killed at the beginning of the story. Another aspect of the story is that Tatsumi's sword is possessed by a demon or Oni. His voice is heard in Tatsumi's head. There is a lot of Japanese mythology in this story.

Kagawa’s writing style is that of a seasoned storyteller. Filled with action, adventure, humor, and the beginnings of a slow burn romance, Shadow of the Fox is something anime fans of Rurouni Kenshin or Inuyasha will enjoy. If you don’t like manga/anime type stories with demons and heavy Japanese mythology then this may not be for you.

There was so much to love about this book. The vast detailed world building, the Japanese legends and lore, the moral dilemmas that were faced...it was so fully fleshed out and enjoyable. The characters were what truly sold me though. I loved each of them so much for so many different reasons. I can’t wait to read the next book because I need to know what happens to them!

The book was alright, but the plot and characterization were lacking. The introduction of so many kami and yokai, and the action scenes in the middle of this novel were very unnecessary and added nothing to the entire plot. The story was very episodic, and the book felt to me written like a manga or an anime, which would have made the experience better, but the platform was not that. The characters were also unlikeable since they were not driven by a purpose, and I felt like the quest for the scroll were overshadowed by the multitude of action scenes, it felt to me it was dusted to the side for a very long time

Yumeko is a half kitsune raised by monks who guard a piece of a priceless prayer that will summon the great Kami Dragon for a single wish. With the time of the dragon's return arising, multiple dangerous parties are after the prayer, including Kage Tatsumi, a shinobi working on behalf of the Shadow Clan. When he is sent to retrieve the prayer from the temple, he finds it in flames with everyone, except Yumeko, dead. The monks' last command to Yumeko was for her to guard the scroll and bring it to another temple where another piece of the prayer is located. Unaware that Yumeko has the scroll (and that's she's half kitsune), the two journey to find the other temple together in a tentative, temporary alliance, fighting demons, witches, and more along the way.

What I love most about any Julie Kagawa series is how compulsively readable it is. From the first chapter of SHADOW OF THE FOX, I was hooked. We get a glimpse of Suki, a maid turned ghost, who stumbles into a plot at the palace before we move to Yumeko and Tatsumi, and I love how we later see how Suki and her story ties into theirs.

Yumeko and Tatsumi are a fun grumpy x sunshine pairing with forbidden romance and secret identities sprinkled on top. Tatsumi, wielder of a demon blade, comes from a cold, cruel world, and he has a beautiful arc learning to lower his guard and feel his feelings. Yumeko is torn between her kitsune and human sides and judged harshly on both by the people and yokai who understand what she is. She has to learn to accept herself as is, even if others won't.

With high action, a horror edge, and banter-filled character chemistry, SHADOW OF THE FOX is the first in an exciting series about discovering and accepting yourself and letting others see you, all while battling demons and trying to prevent the bad guys from getting access to a powerful wish of their choosing.

Purchased this YA/middle grade novel for my middle school library. Superb character development, elegant world building, and compelling plotting,.

Amazing world building and description on every page. A wonderful array of characters. I really enjoyed that this story was rooted in Japanese folklore. This was a very fresh and fun read! A great start to a promising series.

Having loved Julie Kagawa's first series I was excited for this, especially as it drew on her culture. And I think it had good things going on inside it thought it didn't unfortunately capture my attention like the other one.