Although not my favorite read I really enjoyed reading about the Japanese scenery and culture. I love the feeling of being present in the moment and being able to practically see it with my own eyes.

I just finished reading one of my new all time favorite books EVER. Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa was amazing and EPIC. There are so many things I loved about this book, and to be honest I'm not even sure where to start, the book is so good I don't even know what to say.

This story is about Yumeko who is a Kitsune, a half Fox. She has been living her entire life at the Silent Wind Temple and knows nothing about the outside world. She has amazing abilities and loves to make pranks but everything changes when Master Isao tells her the story of the Kami Dragon and that she must protect a scroll, that if it ends in the wrong hands the world would change as she knows it now...for bad.

Shadow of The Fox is a story full of mythology, powerful demons, ghosts, spirits, samurais... It's a world that, while it was filled of powerful creatures and terrifying witches, I didn't want to abandon. I have never read a story like this one before, it was... so magical. AND THE ENDING WAS PERFECT.

I love books where the characters have to go on an epic quest, and this one didn't disappoint. Yumeko met Tatsumi, a boy who was looking for the scroll as wel,l and while she doesn't tell him that she has it, she lies to him and asks him for help. Tatsumi is a demonslayer - HOW COOL IS THAT?! - He never shows his emotions because if he does the demon inside his weapon could posses him! But I just loved to see how little by little he starts to change because of Yumeko. He starts to question everything he knows and... well he's amazing!

One of the things I absolutely loved and adored about this book are the characters. Yumeko, Tatsumi, Okame, Daisuke are so special to me, they made me laugh SO MANY TIMES and surprised me with their courage whenever they tried to save those they encountered on their way. Also, I loved the fact that the personalities of these characters are so different from each other! I really liked seeing how Okame annoyed Tatsumi non-stop, he's definitely a character you will love as soon as you meet him in the story.

Shadow of the Fox is a book you won't want to miss. It's definitely one of the best books I have read this year and I honestly can't wait to read the sequel. Julie's writing style made me feel part of a story I didn't want to leave❤️

I tried to enjoy this one, I swear I really did. But it just took far too long to get to the true meat of the story, and even then, it was lessened by very generic characters. I feel like this is a manga I've read, or an anime I've watched. Still wonderfully told, but...not my favorite.

Words….what are words? I don’t even know where to begin when it comes to writing about what I thought of Shadow of the Fox. My thoughts and my love for this book are everywhere right now. I was pretty hooked right from the start and by page 88 I was already feeling all the feels and even shed some tears. I knew from that point on this book was going to mean the world to me.

The world building was spot on and so detailed. I loved all the Japanese legends and culture so much. I was instantly filled with so much excitement while reading Shadow of the Fox. I thought it had a fairly fast pace and so much was going on. The cast of characters was amazing and I loved every single one of them. They all had their own little quirks and reasons why I loved them. I won’t go into too much detail about who they are, because they play parts in the bigger story and I don’t want to risk spoilers.

Yumeko is a Kitsune shapeshifter (half human, half fox) which is totally awesome! One of my favorite things about her is that she never left her temple before, so she knew nothing about the outside world, so she was curious about everything. She asked so many questions and it was funny at times, especially when she would fall for everyone’s sarcasm because she truly didn’t understand or know. Tatsumi and Yumeko are on this journey together and they meet some interesting people along the way (one of them becoming my favorite character) and run into so many crazy things and obstacles.

Overall, I loved everything about Shadow of the Fox. There’s lots of trickery, magic, secrets, and a few twists. There’s demons, witches, ghosts, spirits, samurai, and so many more things in this book. It’s quite the adventure and I had so much fun reading it. It had everything I need and love in a fantasy novel. Beautifully written and well executed to the end. The wait for the sequel is going to be so hard. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for everyone. There’s a couple characters that I feel are going to play an even bigger role in the coming books and I am curious to see if I’m right. I highly recommend reading!

Steeped in Japanese folklore, Shadow of the Fox is sure to please anyone who’s a fan of anime or manga or any reader who loves fantastical stories based on traditional lore. The book is dual-narrated: First we have Yumeko, who is half kitsune and is constantly trying to balance her human and yokai sides. Her yokai brethren encourage her to shed her humanity, something she is loathe to do, but she also fears how humans will react if they know about her kitsune heritage. Then there’s the mysterious samurai, Tatsumi. His powerful sword that is infused with an angry and bloodthirsty demon killer who constantly threatens to overcome Tatsumi and turn him into a senseless killing machine. When these two end up on a quest together, demons attack and chaos ensues.

I really loved the characters in this book. Yumeko is confident and can often trick her way out of a bind, but she also struggles with vulnerabilities based on fear of being discovered as a kitsune. Tatsumi has been trained his whole life to be unfeeling so that his emotions will never get in the way and allow him to be overcome by the spirit within his sword. Both of them have to learn to come into their own throughout their journey. I did find the beginning of the story a little confusing, with the switching between POVs (there was a third POV at the beginning as well—I sort of wish that one had been left out), and it took me a few weeks to read the book, Even though I was enjoying it, I wasn’t feeling compelled to keep reading.

I think things really picked up once Yumeko and Tatsumi met their traveling partner, Okami, the honorless ex-samurai, and then Daisuke. These two added a levity to the book that gave us needed lightness. I was more invested in the story once Okami was added and I think the story got more fun at that point!

Overall, this was a fantastic representation of Japanese folklore, and I’m excited to see where Kagawa goes with the story next!

***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***

This was honestly a lot of fun. I won't lie, the first third of the book, I was confused. Of course, after that initial beginning, everything snaps in place, setting becomes more vivid, character motivation become clearer, things are looking up. Yumeko was someone who exceeded my expectations. She managed to be naive yet capable, making smart decisions yet having a curious nature to her. And I liked her. A lot. Which made her camaraderie with the rest of the group she’s travelling with so much fun to read. There is a start of a very slow burn romance, one that even now isn’t really making it’s head, but I’m here for the future development. I didn’t really understand Suki’s purpose. Her POV’s are so sporadic and rare, I didn’t understand her inclusion in the story; she didn’t really do much; her lack of character just had me rushing to get to the main cast. the ending had my heart racing. The villains were some that I actually feared, there were quite a few twist and turns with that ending and I’m excited. Despite the fact that I sped through this, the story started to drag closer towards the end. And maybe it was because I was anticipating an action packed climax and maybe even a cliffhanger, but I was wanting the story to speed up, just so I could see what would happen next. This might be my first Kagawa novel, but it definitely won’t be my last.

I requested this book from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

History, magic, assassins, demons, and a nice slow burn really made this book a delight to read. The rich Japanese History that is interlaced throughout this story is beautiful and fun to learn about. The characters are so well written and their development as the book goes on is amazing. Yumeko, our main character who is half kitsune, is so innocent in her adventures and it's fun to read about the new experiences she has along her journey. Right as her journey begins, we meet Kage Tatsumi of the Shadow Clan a well-known assassin with a demon in his sword, who helps Yumeko along her journey. Tatsumi and Yumeko's unlikely alliance brings out new feelings in both of them that they did not expect to feel about one another.

Julie Kagawa does such a wonderful job with this story, the history and the magic that it had me enthralled and sometimes laughing out loud.

"It is very hard to be human, little fox. Even the humans themselves don't do a great job of it."

One thousand years ago, the great Kami Dragon was summoned to grant a single terrible wish—and the land of Iwagoto was plunged into an age of darkness and chaos. Now, for whoever holds the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers, a new wish will be granted. A new age is about to dawn. Raised by monks in the isolated Silent Winds temple, Yumeko has trained all her life to hide her yokai nature. Half kitsune, half human, her skill with illusion is matched only by her penchant for mischief. Until the day her home is burned to the ground, her adoptive family is brutally slain and she is forced to flee for her life with the temple’s greatest treasure—one part of the ancient scroll.

I requested this book from Netgalley back in May, in exchange for an honest review. The summary of the book, and particularly, the title intrigued me. At the time I received the book, the cover art wasnt’ available, but when I went to write my review, I thought it was a unique cover as well. Overall, the book seemed so different from the other Young Adult books I’ve read this year. I was excited to see exactly what it was about.

The setting of this book was a complete treat. It seems to be set in a Japan-esque, fuedal world, although it’s not clear if we’re supposed to know that it’s actual set in fuedal Japan or not. The use of demons, clans, samurai, dragons and more help create a setting that is aggressively non-Western. It was so fun to explore the magic in this world and learn more about the religion and mythology it holds.

I loved how immediately the tension was built up in the first chapter of the book. I immediately knew what the threat to this world was and what the objective of the protagonist would be, even though I hadn’t met them yet. The story is fast paced, and while dark and sometimes a bit gory, still enjoyable for a squimish reader like me. I felt easily pulled along by the plot and could clearly see the author raising the stakes for the characters and the world with every chapter. This book will be a quick read for you, especially if you already love demon-based plot lines.

The first three chapters of the book are each from the perspective of different characters: a maid in the palace, the protagonist and half-demon Yumeko, and a mysterious demon-hunter. I enjoyed each character individually and appreciated the tension between Yumeko and the demon-hunter. Since the chapters alternate perspectives, though, and, at least, in the galley that I read, it didn’t have any clear indication at the beginning of each chapter whose Point of View I was in, I spent a lot of time wondering whose mind I was in and had to use context clues that often didn’t present themselves until a page or two later. While I like the characters and the unique plot elements an alternating perspective allows, I wish the author had just picked one for me to follow.

The Shadow of the Fox is a unique and interesting book from Julie Kawaga. I absolutely loved the setting and had more fun reading the book since it took place in a world I wasn’t used to seeing before. The book was fast paced and full of action, but can be dark and explicit in its descriptions. The characters and their interactions were fun, but I wasn’t a huge fan of the changing point of views.

"Absolute power can corrupt even the purest of hearts. Such is the folly of men."


Shadow of the Fox is the first installment in a stunning and diverse new trilogy crafted by a master storyteller and fantasy veteran Julie Kagawa. It is an epic, richly populated world that awaits readers. Filled with kitsune, oni, and kami, this book digs its roots deep in the history and legends of Japan. The characters are delightfully subversive - a naive trickster, an emotionless young man, a drunken warrior. This is a stunning adventure that you won't want to put down!

Kagawa sets the stage for what's to come right out of the gate. The opening chapter itself focuses on a young girl named Suki, the only child of a celebrated flute maker. One could honestly say that Suki's only crime in this entire story is being in the wrong place at the wrong time and meeting one of the main villains when this person is trying to conjure up forces to track down pieces of the legendary dragon scrolls. What a way to begin a story.

"The dragon is rising. The harbinger of change approaches. The night of the wish is nearly upon us."


Readers next meet 16-year old Yumeko who lives among the monks at Silent Winds Temple. Yumeko is a half kitsune trickster fox with powers over illusion. Yumeko has spent her entire life being raised by monks hoping to teach her patience in dealing with her Kitsune side and the ability to control her powers to an extent. As the tranquility of the temple is broken by demons (amanjaku) lead by a fearsome Oni General Yaburama, Yumeko learns not only that the temple protects a piece of a dragon scroll, but a prophecy which she is apparently legendary dragon scroll, but Yumeko herself may be one of the center pieces to game to come.

Tatsumi is the next character you will meet. Tatsumi is a kage warrior from the Shadow Clan. Tatsumi is special as he is the wielder of the Kamigoroshi, a sword possessed by a powerful demon named Hakaimono. Tatsumi fights with the demon for total control over his emotions and constantly fighting for domination. He is sent by the Leader of the Shadow Clan, Lady Hanshou to retrieve the scroll from the monks by any means and to cut down any obstacles in his way.

As Tatsumi is making is way to the Silent Winds Temple to retrieve the piece of the dragon scroll, he encounter demons in the midst of destroying the temple. Tatsumi and Yumeko's paths cross at the end of the destruction of the temple while she is running for her life. She makes a deal with him. He will lead her to Steel Feather Temple which has been lost or hidden away by possible paranormal elements, and she will tell him where the dragon scroll is. Along the way, they pick up a drunken former samurai, Okame, and Taiyo Daisuke, a member of the royal family who is called The Demon Prince.

While Yumeko and Tatsumi are traveling across Iwagoto having adventures, there are many powerful key players behind the scene manipulating and scheming towards a favorable endgame. Let's keep the villains a secret for now, especially since the author uses a shocking twist to end this first installment. So, while the overall story is a game of power, and death, Tatsumi and Yumeko are going to have to learn how to trust each other while hiding secrets from each other. She is hiding the actual scroll, he is hiding the fact that at any time he can lose control to Hakaimono

The wide array of supernatural characters is another thing I loved about this story. I am a fan of Japanese culture and mythology. The author really digs deep in order to make this story a complete story, and not one with many head scratching moment. Wouldn't be much of a story were the author to leave out the twisted climax to the story itself. To create the newly imagined world of Shadow of the Fox, Kagawa draws on the same gorgeous and magical style employed in the creation of the Nevernever, the beloved and incredibly popular setting of The Iron Fey.

Yumeko, a half-human/half-kitsune teen girl, has been raised all her life at the Silent Winds temple. But her life is upended completely when her home is destroyed, the monks she calls family are slain and she is charged with the mission of protecting one part of an ancient scroll that has the power to summon the Kami Dragon in order to get the wielder's wish granted. She must now journey to safety, and fate ensures her path crosses with Kage Tatsumi, who is a mysterious samurai of the Shadow Clan that has been tasked with seeking the scroll she conceals. As they journey together, these two encounter demons and allies and find themselves sorely tested in more ways than one.



If you love anime, particularly anime in the vein of Fushigi Yuugi or Yona of the Dawn or Naruto, I certainly think that Shadow of the Fox would be a book for you! It's also a great book for YA fantasy fans in general, especially if you're intrigued by Japanese lore and culture. I immediately was invested in the two main characters (and also immediately wanted them to end up together, but that's just the otaku in me, I'd say). I also really enjoyed the journey bits, including all the action scenes, the encounters with demons and unexpected allies (who are such a delightful bunch and I need more of them) and all these great cultural references. I definitely thought Shadow of the Fox was so entertaining, fast-paced and fun, and I cannot wait to read the next book in the series to find out what happens next to Yumeko, Tatsumi and the rest of the gang.

I. Am. In. Love. With. This. Series!

I was extremely fortunate to get an e-ARC of this novel by Harlequin Teen through NetGalley as this was my MOST anticipated novel of 2018.

We follow Yumeko, who is half kitsune (fox), who finds that her existence is much more important than she thought. Living with monks, one day she discovers that they are guarding a piece of a legendary scroll, which when complete will summon a dragon which will grant you a wish. However, because of this huge amount of power, there are clans, demons, emperors and warriors with evil intentions who will stop at nothing to get their hands on every piece of this scroll. Yumeko is charged with protecting her piece of the scroll at all costs when an attack happens at her temple which forces her to flee and, coincidentally, meets one of the most infamous shinobi of the Shadow Clan, Tatsumi who was sent to retrieve the piece of scroll. Feared for his sword, named Godslayer, which is inhabited by a demon and his reputation for being a killer, Yumeko and Tatsumi make an unlikely duo as they both come to an understanding to help each other as they are looking for the same thing: the pieces of the scroll. All the while Yumeko hides her fox powers, and the fact that she physically holds a piece of the scroll which Tatsumi was ordered to retrieve. We follow their journey as they face demons, warriors, and mages who will do anything to get their hands on Yumeko's piece of the scroll, and the allies they make along the way as well.

This novel is jam packed with japanese folklore, action, and incredible settings. I could feel myself in the forest and I could see all of the kami that surrounded the beauty of nature. Julie Kagawa's writing is extremely atmospheric and her ability to keep me glued to the page was phenomenal. The action scenes were fantastic, as well as her ability to really build up her characters. They all developed throughout the story in such a great way, and I was really able to grasp what motivated them, including our antagonist (who I deeply despised).
My emotions were at an all time high throughout this book, especially with the tension between Yumeko and Tatsumi. They're relationship is cultivated as they are dealing with stressful and dangerous situations, and you really get a sense of how different these two people are. One has not had to suffer hardship, as the other's whole life revolves around it. The dichotomy between our main characters is what really helps this story work and, inevitably, made me sob as I read the ending of book one.

I am so heartbroken that the first novel is over, and I have to wait for the Demon of the Blade to be released next year. This was a phenomenal beginning to a fantastical series.
Lovers of Inuyasha, Fushigi Yuugi, Yona of the Dawn, and Rurouni Kenshin will absolutely love this novel. Lovers of fantasy and japanese folklore will fall in love with this series.

Ahoy there me mateys!  I received this young adult fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  So here be me honest musings . . .

shadow of the fox (Julie Kagawa)

Title: shadow of the fox

Author: Julie Kagawa

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Publication Date: TODAY! (hardback/e-book)

ISBN: 978-1335145161

Source: NetGalley

Many blue moons ago, I read book one of the author's Talon Saga.  I thought it was just okay and as it appeared a love triangle was on the horizon, I never read any further into that series.  But I liked the author's writing style enough that I wanted to give her work another chance.  So when this came along I gave it a shot and I am so very glad I did.

I loved this Japanese ownvoices story.  This tale is told from the perspective of three characters whose stories eventually intertwine.:

Yumeko - a half kitsune who loves to play pranks on the monks who raised her, she is open-hearted and kind and just a bit naive; only now she has been tasked with saving the world.
Kage - an assassin who welds a demon-infused sword that is trying to take over his mind and spirit; because of his training, he is aloof and solitary and must obey his masters in the Shadow Clan no matter what the cost.
Suki - the daughter of a flute-maker, she is sent to the imperial palace to make a new life for herself; with a love of music and an ache for the family left behind, she is determined to bring honor to her family but her new master has other plans.
The chapters go back and forth between these point-of-views.  I thought this was particularly well done even when I didn't necessarily want to switch.

I also loved the Japanese spirits and folklore elements - the kami, oni, samuri, and other beings are fantastically woven into the story.  I especially loved the ronin.  One of the best parts is how these creatures and people traditionally are assigned certain roles and the author has the characters embody those fundamentals.  Then she proceeds to play with the tropes due to the circumstances the characters find themselves in.  Lost honor can be regained.  Kindness can have a ripple effect.  Nobles can care about peasants.

Fun stuff.  I don't want to get too much into the plot because this one is so wonderful to experience firsthand.  Don’t just take me word on it (though yer Captain’s word should be enough!).  Check out these other reviews by me crew.  Then go get a copy.  That’s an order.  Arrr!

Aimal @ bookshelves&paperbacks’ review – “GAHHH THIS WAS ONE HELL OF A RIDE!”

Melanie @ meltotheany’s review – “Shadow of the Fox is a bright, shining light in 2018 fantasy! Friends, I loved this from the very first chapter, and was more captivated than I have been reading any other book this year. Like, go into any bookstore, read the first chapters of this book, and I dare you not to want to immediately buy it. Goosebumps. Tears. Perfection. Those are the three words that come to mind, and I just continued to fall even more in love with this story as it progressed.”

So lastly . . .

Thank you Harlequin Teen!

Goodreads' website has this to say about the book:

One thousand years ago, the great Kami Dragon was summoned to grant a single terrible wish—and the land of Iwagoto was plunged into an age of darkness and chaos.

Now, for whoever holds the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers, a new wish will be granted. A new age is about to dawn.

Raised by monks in the isolated Silent Winds temple, Yumeko has trained all her life to hide her yokai nature. Half kitsune, half human, her skill with illusion is matched only by her penchant for mischief. Until the day her home is burned to the ground, her adoptive family is brutally slain and she is forced to flee for her life with the temple’s greatest treasure—one part of the ancient scroll.

There are many who would claim the dragon’s wish for their own. Kage Tatsumi, a mysterious samurai of the Shadow Clan, is one such hunter, under orders to retrieve the scroll…at any cost. Fate brings Kage and Yumeko together. With a promise to lead him to the scroll, an uneasy alliance is formed, offering Yumeko her best hope for survival. But he seeks what she has hidden away, and her deception could ultimately tear them both apart.

With an army of demons at her heels and the unlikeliest of allies at her side, Yumeko’s secrets are more than a matter of life or death. They are the key to the fate of the world itself.

To visit the author’s website go to:

Julie Kagawa - Author

To buy the book go to:

shadow of the fox - Book

To add to Goodreads go to:

Yer Ports for Plunder List

Book Info
Hardcover, 400 pages
Expected publication: October 2nd 2018 by Harlequin Teen
Original Title Shadow of the Fox
ISBN 1335145168 (ISBN13: 9781335145161)
Series Untitled #1
Other Editions (4)
Source:Netgalley EARC

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BOOK BLURB


Once Every Thousand Years...

Every millennium, one age ends and another age dawns...and whoever holds the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers holds the power to call the great Kami Dragon from the sea and ask for any one wish. The time is near...and the missing pieces of the scroll will be sought throughout the land of Iwagoto. The holder of the first piece is a humble, unknown peasant girl with a dangerous secret.

Demons have burned the temple Yumeko was raised in to the ground, killing everyone within, including the master who trained her to both use and hide her kitsune shapeshifting powers. Yumeko escapes with the temple’s greatest treasure—one part of the ancient scroll. Fate thrusts her into the path of a mysterious samurai, Kage Tatsumi of the Shadow Clan. Yumeko knows he seeks what she has...and is under orders to kill anything and anyone who stands between him and the scroll.

A wish will be granted and a new age will dawn.

My Thoughts


As the reader moves between the dual perspectives of Yumeko and Tatsumi they follow along in a world of evil, fantastical, magical, mythological wonders. A world that is both dangerous and exciting in turns with characters to match.

This story is a road trip which takes it's main characters on a very dangerous, very long and ultimately very twisted path where the end goal becomes even more imperative to be achieved.

What started out as a mission like every other for Kage Tatsumi of the Shadow Clan instead becomes entwined with that of Yumeko.

As readers journey along with the pair they are joined by others who were once enemies now turned allies. Allies who help the pair in battle time and again as the Demon hordes unleashed against them try their best to stop good from winning over evil.

On this perilous path there are many deaths, both those our heroes are instrumental in as well as those perpetrated by the afore mentioned Demons.

With many different types of creatures both for and against them what happens along the way for Yumeko and Tatsumi becomes hard to follow at times.

However, as this reader knew all along, author Julie Kagawa had a plan in mind. A rather diabolical plan to draw one in, get them invested in how the final outcome played out and then leave one hanging with a shocking twist.

Luckily, as a longtime fan/reader of the authors work, the cliffhanger was not totally unexpected but it is certainly not my favorite way to lead into the second book to come.

Despite the many questions this ending left one with there were just as many answers. Answers which cleared up a few threads of the tale while leaving others still dangling in the wind.

[EArc from Netgalley]

On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.

The wonderful storytelling of Julie Kagawa once again shines brilliantly, this time in the beautiful tale of Shadow of the Fox. Japanese folktales are enchanting in itself, however they are seamlessly weaved throughout the story while creating a unique one. Yumeko’s internal conflict with who and what she is and who she yearns to become was a well executed part of the story, and I couldn’t help but want to root for her. The enigmatic Tatsumi and his internal struggle of his own had me on edge as well, but it also had me turning page after page. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and its beautiful take on Japanese tales and culture.

*I received an advanced readers copy via NetGalley, and all my opinions are my own.*

I was so so excited to take this book on! Julie Kagawa was a low-key favorite author of mine a few years back. I loved her Iron Fey series as well as the Talon series. They had excited characters and fun stories and they always gave me all the feels.

Here is the synopsis that sums it up quite nicely:

"One thousand years ago, the great Kami Dragon was summoned to grant a single terrible wish—and the land of Iwagoto was plunged into an age of darkness and chaos.

Now, for whoever holds the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers, a new wish will be granted. A new age is about to dawn.

Raised by monks in the isolated Silent Winds temple, Yumeko has trained all her life to hide her yokai nature. Half kitsune, half human, her skill with illusion is matched only by her penchant for mischief. Until the day her home is burned to the ground, her adoptive family is brutally slain and she is forced to flee for her life with the temple’s greatest treasure—one part of the ancient scroll.

There are many who would claim the dragon’s wish for their own. Kage Tatsumi, a mysterious samurai of the Shadow Clan, is one such hunter, under orders to retrieve the scroll…at any cost. Fate brings Kage and Yumeko together. With a promise to lead him to the scroll, an uneasy alliance is formed, offering Yumeko her best hope for survival. But he seeks what she has hidden away, and her deception could ultimately tear them both apart.

With an army of demons at her heels and the unlikeliest of allies at her side, Yumeko’s secrets are more than a matter of life or death. They are the key to the fate of the world itself."

I want to share a few things I loved and a few things that were challenging for me.

The first thing I loved was the main character Yumeko. She is so naïve, but in a beautiful way. The way where she gives everyone a chance and isn't distrustful of the ways of the world yet. She has an impossible task to take on and I had a great time seeing her resourcefulness and the way she wins people to her side with kindness.

Kage was frustrating to me, but I enjoyed getting to know him. I really can't go into too much about him, because, spoilers, but he was a fun time too. That demon sword, is a real anvil around his neck.

My main dislike was how it jumped from thing to thing so quickly, I would just be getting my bearings and the characters would be falling into a new trap or terror. It didn't feel like plot, it felt like chance and too much of it.

All in all, there was a fun Wizard of Oz vibe going on, but you will have to read it to see what I am talking about. I loved how it drew me into the culture, without scaring me away. There were a lot of terms I was unfamiliar with, and since I had to read this as a Kindle book, I didn't know their was an appendix until I was already finished.

Final thoughts. I give it 4 stars and I cannot wait for the next novel! The cliff hanger was off the walls. I need more!

Shadow of the Fox is an adventurous fantasy that draws from Japanese folklore. Laced throughout are figures and stories from Japanese mythology. There is kitsune, demons, and other spirits I hadn't yet heard of. The plot is fast-paced with the most fascinating characters. The world-building is detailed certainly setting things up to come. Filled with secrets and twists, you'll be dying to read the sequel by the time you reach the last page. Highly recommended to those looking for a YA fantasy drawing from Japanese culture.

(I received an electronic ARC of book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)


Before I get too into the review, I want to definitely recommend _Shadow of the Fox_, the first book in a new trilogy by Julie Kagawa. The settings and characters of all kinds are wonderful to imagine.
That being said, I have three major problems with this book (besides the formatting of the e-book...I'm not sure what happened to the formatting between NetGalley and my Kindle app):


1.) The book seemed to be having a hard time deciding which age group it was targeted toward. I believe it was meant for teens, given the dark subject matter and some cursing. However, nearly anytime Yumeko, the main female character, was involved (except when she was kitsune), her manner of speech made me think the book was for younger readers. I don't mind her naïveté, especially because she was so guarded, but even so, someone who has played as many tricks and escaped as many times as Yumeko should know a little more and not seem like a small child. That being said, her questions allowed me to learn more about Japanese culture and stories, one of the main reasons I wanted to pick this book up, so there's that.


2.) This isn't such a big problem, but I felt like the book was too busy, that too many characters ended up in the travelling party. Again, though, the busyness of the story allowed me to learn more about the culture of my ancestors, so it wasn't such a big deal.


3.) It has two sequels! I wish this had been a stand-alone, but since its not, I don't want to wait!


Overall, even with the "problems" and the editing issues, I would definitely recommend this book. I loved learning more about where part of my family came from, and that's always a win.


Link listed below; partial reviews available on Litsy and Goodreads.

This was one heck of an exciting read! I couldn’t put it down! So much mystery and intrigue. I love, love, loved it!!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Shadow of the Fox was an exciting adventure featuring a cast of fascinating and provocative characters. The folklore added a gorgeous richness to the world creating by Julie Kagawa.

For whatever reason, this particular book took me more than a month to read through. To regard the reason why that is; I have no idea. I kept telling everyone who asked that this wasn't a bad or boring book by any means, and was in fact very interesting. And I could chalk it up to my schedule being busier than I was used to, which is true. I have less time for reading now, but I wasn't aching to read this in my spare time, and while I wasn't bored with the story, I was almost never excited to read more about it either. Frankly, reading this book was like trudging through molasses, I was ever so excited when I was finally able to finish.
I really enjoyed this book when I first started it. Obviously, I picked this book to read because I love Japanese culture and lore, and I adored the subjects mentioned in this book because of my interest in the culture. I think it was very captivating in this sense, and I learned a lot more about Japanese culture than I had known before. But I think one of the problems I had while reading was how much time passes within the story where nothing happens. There are little conflicts here and there to keep it entertaining, but there's a constant threat in place for most of the characters and something for them to lose should any part of their journey end badly. However, I just don't think these things were brought up enough or were very present, we are left waiting for a big climactic event at the end of the story, and although it delivered in that respect, from when Yumeko leaves her shrine, things only get less exciting from there.
The characters meet a lot of other characters throughout their journey. I liked the aspect of the story that everywhere they go they are somehow picking up more people who insist on joining them on their journey. I think this will be very interesting to see developed more in later books in this series. These side characters made the story more fleshed out and interesting, and Okame seems to be the comedic relief of the story.
I also liked how the first chapter of the book actually ties into the rest of the story. At first, it seems like something that happened a few years before we meet our new character, but as it turns out it's directly tied to the present day story. I liked that this kept you guessing for a good while but eventually explains itself much later. But I didn't like how important Lady Satomi is in the story only for her to be cast aside as a character so easily at the end. I am still confused about the master of the kami that visited the campsite earlier in the story. But I think that may the point since the story did leave off on a pretty giant cliffhanger.
Speaking of the cliffhanger, I must say that I found this book captivating enough to read future instalments in the series.