I knew I would love this book before I ever picked it up, because 1) Julie is my second favorite author of all time, and 2) I LOOOVE Japanese culture. There are not enough Japanese books in YA! In fact, the only other one I know of off the top of my head is my fave series, The Lotus Wars (by Jay Kristoff who happens to be my favorite author). This book reminded me so much of that world, and it made me love it even more!

Which brings me to my third point: This book is basically Inuyasha in book form. I wasn’t expecting that going in, so it was a pleasant surprise! It felt SO much like Inuyasha, which is one of my all time fave animes, I enjoyed the shit out of it you guys! I had so much fun reading this book. The oni and yokai and the feudal era-esque world just screamed Inuyasha. It reads very much like an anime as well. It was awesome!!

I also want to say how thrilled I am that Julie is finally publishing a Japanese story. WINNING. And even better that it’s a kitsune story! The kitsune myth fascinates me, and when she teased it at a signing I went to a year or two ago I was beside myself! I’m so glad I got my hands on this book.

Now, on to the story. The world and culture were definitely my favorite part! I adored all of the colorful and imaginative Japanese culture and legends brought together. And the idea of a wish granting dragon that awakens only once in a thousand years – um, AMAZING?! It was such a unique and magical concept, and Julie’s beautiful storytelling brought it to life.

Full review at novelheartbeat.com

Although it took me a little bit to get into this story, I wound up loving it. Young Yumeko, a kitsune (half fox-half girl) winds up on a quest to take an important scroll, a scroll that will save her land, to a safe place. Her path intersects with Tatsumi, samurai and demon slayer, who has been charged with retrieving the scroll for his master. The two wind up travelling together with Tatsumi not knowing Yumeko actually has the scroll. The group of travelers grows as they progress and meet up with other people who decide to come along and help them. Loaded with Japanese mythology, fantasy and magic, this book is just a delight. Although Yumeko seems young and very naïve, she is actually very skilled at seeing alternate methods to handle confrontations and problems. I found parts to be quite charming, and all of it to be a fun, interesting story. I look forward to reading the final two books in this trilogy. Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Teen for the e-arc. 4+ stars for this wonderful YA novel!

I loved the use of alternating, narrating views. It adds to the characters and makes them all much more interesting, while not revealing too much. It is always refreshing to read a story set in a non-western setting. The juxtaposition between monsters and humans adds to the unique setting of the story. It seems that though yokai are considered monsters in this book, the true monsters are not always yokai, but humans.

I loved this book! I cannot stop thinking about the world, the characters. the story. The only thing I hate, is that I don't know when the next book is coming out.

The world building was luscious and happened across a few chapters so it didn't feel like an information dump. The myths and legends were based on Japanese folklore, and I just loved every bit of it. The pacing was great, I felt as if I was on an epic adventure the whole time. The ending was suspenseful and unexpected. I loved all the characters, main and supporting. Yumeko is naive to the world but so, so clever and believes the best in people and will figure out a way to help someone, even if they don't quite deserve it. Tatsumi has been brutally trained to be an assassin, where he has to suppress his feelings and complete whatever task is required of him.

I can barely create complete sentences because I want to thrust this into everyone's hands and make them read it right then and there.

(TW: abuse, allusion to sexual assault during confrontation)

I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.
I really enjoyed this book! While I felt some of the nuances were lost on me - not being a big reader of Asian stories - I loved the way the story progressed and the adventure of it. Yukemo is a total cinnamon roll and I loved her wide eyes naïveté and upbeat outlook. She’s the perfect foil to Katsume, and I loved seeing her soften his hard shell. I eagerly await the next book!

This is my first experience reading Kagawa and I’m sad to say it might be my last.

I liked this book, but I didn’t love it. I personally thought the story was a stellar idea but, for me, the author’s writing style didn’t deliver.

While it’s very obvious Kagawa put a lot of research into Japanese mythology, which being a lover of the Japanese culture, I appreciated, I just couldn’t connect with how she was telling the story. I can’t exactly pinpoint what it was that didn’t hit the mark for me. I just found myself getting easily distracted and I couldn’t get excited to continue.

The beginning chapters really hooked me in a lot and I felt like I was going to devour the book and completely fall in love with it, but the plot dwindled fast. The seemingly endless journey and the use of too many demons as obstacles started to feel a bit tedious.

I suppose my biggest negative was the plot because I really ended up liking the characters quite a lot. It’s possible that the next book will be better now that the world-building is more-or-less complete and the plot can hopefully be more prominent, but sadly I can’t see myself getting excited for it.

I struggled with this book and I'm a huge fan of this author. For some reason it was hard for me to get in to the story and I have tried to pinpoint the issue. I felt like it was a good story, beautiful descriptive language and the Japanese mythology was captivating. I did like the characters but I think the shifting point of view in this one just held me back from fully loving the story. I will continue to read Kagawa's novels because she is a favorite of mine but this one just didn't hit the mark for me.

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC.

I think to really appreciate this book you need to know a bit about Japanese folklore:fantasy or manga. But if you are a manga enthusiast you might find this story to be lacking.

A naive half fox girl sets off on a quest to fulfill a dying promise. Meets and charms some dangerous characters who join her mission, each with secrets kept from one another. They get attacked by demons and various magic wielding entities, etc. pretty standard plot line.

My problem with the book, aside from them all being 17ish, is that the narrative is 1st person POV that changes with each chapter. And the tone of each POV is the same so it is easy to forget from whose perspective the reader is supposed to be following. My other problem with the book was that it read like a poorly subtitled anime. It was like I could visualize what was happening in each comic frame, but then got too much or a cheesy explanation of what was happening. Part of this might be from the overuse of Japanese words, which all got the English translation in some form shortly after. It seemed like I was reading a novelized manga. Finally, I hate the cover. It was very cool initially when I decided to read the book, but doesn’t actually match the story at all.

Despite these annoyances, the storyline was good and moved along quickly. It has appeal to a certain YA audience. I imagined the characters as characters from InuYasha.

Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a different read for me because I'm not usually into Asian culture/lore, but I'm a Kagawa fan so I figured I'd give it a shot. I'm glad I did! First off, if you haven't read it yet and you're planning to, you should know that there's a glossary at the end of the book. I would have loved to know that ahead of time because there were a bunch of unfamiliar terms that I had to use context clues for.

In a way, this story kind of reminded me of the goose that laid the golden egg because of how it started off with one person on the journey, then two, then they picked up a third, and so on. Yumeko is somehow both meek and strong as a main character. I think that's an accurate portrayal of a fox- they may seem weak in comparison to bigger and stronger animals, but they're quite cunning and resourceful. Yumeko is a likable main character because she's a lot of interesting qualities rolled into one: innocent, loyal, daring, clever, kind. She also keeps you guessing. There were more than a few times that I found myself thinking that she was just an ordinary "peasant" girl and I had to remind myself that she's actually a clever fox that orchestrated this whole journey.

I also liked Tatsumi and Okame for the same reasons- they were characters with layers. Tatsumi isn't just a samurai- he's also just a man who's discovering what it is to have friends. Okame isn't just a ronin- he's a man who made his own choices and secretly still yearns for friendship and honor worth fighting for. They're compelling characters and drove the story.

As for the plot itself, it was good but a little confusing. I know that everyone is after the scroll, but I still don't really know what it does. I'm assuming that, like any magical evil artifact in fairy tales, it will wreak havoc and destroy the land. That's why all the boogeymen want to get their hands on it and why the good guys want to hide it. Lord of the Rings, yes? Either way, I'm interested enough to keep reading more about it in the second book.

I feel sad writing this review. I absolutely loved Kagawa's The Immortal Rules trilogy and also enjoyed her The Iron King series, but after Talon and Shadow of The Fox, I think I have to admit that we're growing apart.

I'm not sure if Kagawa's style changed or if I did, but I do know that this book is a long, boring journey, fuelled by a weak plot that doesn't mask the fact everything is about the inevitable developing romance between Yumeko and Tatsumi. Though the setting and supernatural creatures are atypical of YA, the story and characters are formulaic.

We move between the two perspectives of Yumeko and Tatsumi. The beginning sees the destruction of the temple where half-kitsune Yumeko has lived her whole life. The dying request of the monk who raised her is that she deliver part of an important scroll to another temple, which also holds a part of the scroll.

Meanwhile, shadow clan samurai Kage Tatsumi receives a mission to retrieve the scroll himself. He and Yumeko make a pact-- he will offer her protection in exchange for her leading him to the other temple.

This all happens in the first few chapters and it will be almost 300 pages before the book gets back to the main plot of finding the scroll. In between, the two characters travel to the temple, having what feel like various mini adventures along the way. The characters from Japanese mythology are fascinating, but the story meanders, name-dropping creature after creature - such as oni or gaki - in order to prolong the weak plot.

And though the romance is left pretty tame in this book, the journey feels like nothing but a set-up for love angst. Because, of course, Tatsumi is injured and must remove his shirt so Yumeko can admire his muscles. I feel like I've read versions of the two of them hundreds of times: aloof warrior dude and a beautiful naive girl who requires protecting-- what could possibly happen?

The ending does pick up and an explosion of action awaits (with some surprises added too), but I still felt like I read maybe 100 pages of plot progression and 300 pages of filler. And it seems like the big bad at the end leaves the main characters alive for no other reason than to necessitate a sequel.

I was so excited for this book, especially after enjoying the author's short story in A Thousand Beginnings and Endings, but it was a really disappointing start to the series. I will check out reviews of the sequel before continuing.

Maybe I should start by telling you what I didn't like about Shadow of the Fox.

...

...

...

That's all I've got: Nothing.

There was nothing I didn't like about this book. This book is the reason I still read YA Fantasy at the ripe old age of--well, the actual number is unimportant, but the point is that YA Fantasy is as rich and moving and amazing as any other top fiction.

And it almost always has the advantage of coming of age stories, which I believe we still see ourselves in no matter how many years we've advanced in our lives.

Before reading this, I had little to no understanding of Japanese lore and mythos, but it was interwoven so seamlessly throughout the story that I had no problems figuring out who was who and what was what, and I feel like I've been given a glimpse into a beautiful world I never knew existed. Top notch world building.

The character work is equally impressive. Our first look at the protagonists are straight forward, so we see what the story wants us to see. In Tatsumi, we see a heartless demonslayer and in Yumeko we see a naive, mischievous kitsune. As the story goes on, their evolutions are subtle and surprising.

The story itself is epic. 

Literally. Our merry bad of misfits (who Tatsumi and Yumeko kind of pick up along the way) is on an epic quest to save this world full of magical gods, demi-gods, spirits, witches, demons, ghosts, and dragons from some real end of the world shit.

Often, I find myself just flying through books. I can't help myself. There are more books to be read! But I found myself purposefully slowing down and savoring this one because it was a pleasurable read.

I'm waiting for Shadow of the Fox #2 with as much anticipation as I am waiting for Kingdom of Ash, which is to say that if I could give this book more than five stars, I totally would.

Thanks to Harlequin Teen for the ARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Shadow of the Fox is expected to be published October 2, 2018.

This was really weird book for me. On one hand, the writing style and character's personalities are a lot younger than I expected (naive, and innocent, I guess), which doesn't mix well with all of the gory, graphic violence, strong language, and sexual innuendo that is tossed around throughout the book.

I kinda liked the characters, but the story meandered in a let's-go-questing! kind of style, without really ending up anywhere concrete. I didn't feel compelled (besides this review) to finish the story, and I'm not super motivated to keep up with the story when the sequel comes out.

While I thought the Japanese mythology was amazing, and really neat to read about, the plot just didn't hold up and all the negative content detracted from the story. Overall, I'm only rating this one 2 stars, for lack of coherent plot, and all the adult elements tossed in.

Language: Curses in English are given, along with insults in Japanese.
Violence: a LOT of graphic, gory violence, involving humans and monsters alike. I'd say I have a pretty strong stomach, but this was sickening in parts and I had to gloss over the story whenever it started getting violent.
Sexual content: talks about red light district, male genitals (on a statue), and one character is in danger of rape at one point. Sexual jokes and hints are thrown in, though not explained.

For more reviews, see gabriellenblog.wordpress.com

Ever since I joined bookstagram and started reviewing books more regularly, I have noticed that a fair amount of hyped books & I don’t get along. At all. Which honestly, devastates me. I go into these books with the highest expectations; I want to love them so incredibly much. But, *sigh* I don’t. Then, I start to question what is wrong with me since EVERY SINGLE PERSON in the world seems to adore the book except me.

Well, folks, I am here to tell you that another hyped book and I have had a falling out. This time it’s Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa. I was surprised that I didn’t enjoy this book. I have read other books by Kagawa in the past which is why I wanted to read an ARC of this one. I expected to love it with my whole heart and soul. In the end, this book just wasn’t for me. Quite frankly, it did absolutely nothing for me.

I hate writing reviews like this because I understand how much time, work, blood, sweat, and tears go into creating a novel. Alas, I can only tell my truth which is that I was kind of bored while reading this book. There. I said it. Let the pitchforks and rioting begin.

I could not for the life of me connect with these characters. I kept waiting and waiting for it to magically happen. I hoped that randomly I would begin to care about the characters and their respective journeys...I never did. My hope finally died out once I reached the 50% mark. That is when I realized that things were not going to start looking up for me.

Plot
Every 100 years, the Dragon rises for the mortal who summons him. If their soul is pure, intentions just, and heart deemed honorable the Dragon will grant him his heart’s desire. However, if the soul isn’t pure, the Dragon will rip the soul from its body. In order to summon the Dragon, you must utter the 1000 prayers the Lord did all of those years ago--verbatim. Not even a single word can be different. These prayers are kept in three different scrolls, one of which lives at the Silent Winds Temple under the protection of the monks.

Yumeko, our main character, also lives at the Silent Winds Temple. Yumeko is a 16-year-old half kitsune. She is half human and half fox. The monks have raised her whole entire life at the temple; Yumeko has never wandered or strayed far from the temple. Therefore, she has lived a very sheltered life. The monks have also tried to help her control her kitsune side and her fox magic. However, at the end of the day, she is only 16 years old...and fox magic is all about trickery and illusion. Of course, she uses her magic to play tricks. Honestly, who wouldn’t?

Yumeko’s life is soon turned upside down when a horde of demons attack the temple in search of the scroll. The monks instruct Yumeko to protect the scroll at all costs. They also tell her to travel to another temple where another scroll is kept hidden. Enter Kage Tatsumi, our other main character. Tatsumi is a shinobi, a shadow warrior, for his clan. In other words, he is an utter badass. He’s been raised to be a soldier his entire life. He operates differently than the rest of the world. He feels nothing, shows no emotion, and is no stranger to pain. His purpose is to follow orders, nothing else.

On the night of the attack at the temple, Yumeko stumbles upon Kage Tatsumi. She coerces him into taking her to the next temple--where she leads him to believe the scroll will be. And this my dear friends, is where the adventure and journey begins.

Overall
The plot is intriguing, don’t get me wrong; the execution is where Kagawa lost me. There were scenes that did not feel necessary or needed--but maybe that is just me. Ugh, this book had so much potential, but it fell short. When I reached the 50% mark of the book I was stunned. I couldn’t believe I was halfway through the book yet it felt as if nothing major or interesting had occurred. I didn’t find the characters relatable nor did they seem fully fleshed out to me. Yumeko seemed to be an immature, annoying teenage girl. Kage Tatsumi, on the other hand, was much more interesting to me! Sadly, even he could not save this story for me.

In conclusion, I do believe that you should give this book a chance. This could be your next 5-star read or it could be your next DNF. Sometimes you need to read a book and form your own opinion. I know a lot of people adore this book, so I hope that you will enjoy it too. However, if you don’t enjoy this book then feel free to message me and we can talk about it.

This had a Mulan & Memoirs of a Geisha kinds feel to it. For me anyway..The writing itself, was great. I just think it was a bit too slow for my liking. Perhaps it was the kind of mood I was in too. I wanted something more action packed and fast-paced. Overall, it wasn't a bad read and still manages to hold the reader's attention.

Ooh this is why I don't like starting a series until it's finished. How do people wait so long for sequels?!

Shadow of the Fox is a very fun Japanese folklore-inspired fantasy. Expect all sorts of spirits, monsters, demons, and plenty of swordfighting along the way. It does nothing groundbreaking but the tropes are well done so it doesn't feel like "just another YA fantasy". The writing errs towards younger YA yet some of the content is a bit violent, which can create something of a dissonance. Still, the characters are charming (if not entirely unique) and I can see a lot of potential for growth and complexity. The female protagonist is refreshingly balanced in terms of her abilities and while her naivety is a bit grating at times, she's also funny and impish. I'm crossing my fingers that she doesn't turn out to be a secret princess or inherit ~super special powers~ because those are the two YA tropes I'm allergic to.

Overall, it's good. Solid, without being great. I think what makes this stand out among the many "good, not great" YA fantasy novels out there is that it's written by an author of Japanese descent who has unapologetically been influenced by her culture. That takes it over the edge for me because there's nothing here that a sensitivity reader would object to, which has sometimes not been the case when authors write fantasy inspired by cultures not their own. East Asian inspired sci-fi and fantasy seems to be on an upward trend and long may it continue.

There's a lot here that feels familiar: an orphan is somewhat different from others, and is raised in a secluded environment; a boy is trained to be an assassin who has no feelings or emotions. They meet, etc.. What makes this special is the setting (a vaguely medieval Japan-like country), the mythology and the writing. The action set pieces are separated nicely, giving readers an opportunity to get to know the characters and the place rather than jumping from action to action to more action. I can't wait for Book 2.

eARC provided by publisher.

Julie Kagawa is a reference in the YA literature and I had high hopes around this book, but sadly I have mixed feelings.

The universe of the novel is Asian, I will even say Japanese. There is the presence of samurai, demons, kitsune and I loved immersing myself in it. I don't read a lot of books with this kind of universe so it's always a pleasure for me. The magical system is for me close to the ancient beliefs of this country and I like it. The book is mostly built around a great myth arround a dragon which wakes up every thousand years to fulfill the wish of the person who woke it up and let me tell you that everyone wants to wake it up.

We are following Yumeko, she is a kitsune and she grew up in a temple cut off from the world. She is in possession of the scrolls allowing the awakening of the dragon and must protect them. She is very naive, but also very brave. Not knowing the outside world she only sees the good side of things and tends to see the good in everyone which will play tricks on her, but she is smart enough to protect herself and she does surround herself well . We also follow Kage who is a samurai without emotions, he cross her road and help Yumeko in her task. He is a complex character who has been programmed to be bloodthirsty and he is very very different from Yumeko. I enjoyed the duo they formed, they are quite complementary.

Let's go to the plot which is my big flat. I find that the narrative pattern is very repeated throughout the book. There is the road, a demon who comes on the road to stop them, a fight and the road again. And it goes round and round. After reading this process 4 or 5 times I got a little fed up and it's sad, because the universe is great and the characters are interesting, but I got bored at some point. I sincerely wanted to love this book especially since I had seen only good things around it, but I have not managed to go into the story and overall I am disappointed with my reading.

A japanese fairytale esque book and lore too? Yes please. The world-building was amazing and i just flew through the pages. I really enjoyed this book and will be recommending it.

I liked this book more than I thought I initially would. The world building was good, and helped you along with some unfamiliar terms, but it took a bit to get into. The book ends on a cliff hanger for the next in the series, which was a bit disappointing, since I was enjoying the story only for it to abruptly end. The sequel is something I'd be interested in reading, but I hope it wraps up a bit more before hitting pause on the story. I knew what a kitsune was, but not a lot of other spirits, and I was really impressed at how the book took time to explain what each one was without sounding too expositional. I hope the sequel continues this, as I will likely need a refresher. The characters are interesting, and each one tags along in a believable way. An enjoyable read for fans of folklore and magic.

Amazing! Shadow of the Fox is just the sort of fantasy that I enjoy devouring with adventure, danger, and demons. What a thrilling ride this was! I'm only sad that I now have to wait for the sequel to release.

Set in historical Japan in a world where fearsome mythical creatures roam the Earth, Shadow of the Fox is the tale of Yumeko, a kitsune - a half-fox half-human - and Tatsumi, a samurai and demon slayer for the mysterious Shadow Clan. The book is told in both of their voices allowing readers to become intimately acquainted with their characters. Raised by monks until the day she witnesses the temple and the monks being attacked by demons, Yumeko has never seen the outside world. When she is tasked with protecting an important scroll that has the potential to change the world if it falls into the wrong hands, Yumeko is taken on a dangerous and enlightening quest. She started off the book as being an innocent and naive young woman, but someone who was endowed with courage that we slowly see emerging. Everything about Yumeko was endearing. I especially liked how adorable her prankster fox side could be. She was also an emotive character whose feelings about this new world she was discovering were a strong part of Shadow of the Fox.

Alongside Yumeko on this journey is Tatsumi, a samurai shrouded in layers and layers of mystery. Tatsumi wasn't the easiest character to gauge and he remained an intriguing protector to Yumeko throughout the book. With the soul of the demon battling his humanity for his mind, he was absolutely fascinating. For most of the book, he was a stoic, intense and gruff character, but a softer side slowly started to materialize as he began to trust and care for Yumeko. With the way this book ended, I'm quite keen to figure out how his character will grow and how his dynamic with Yumeko will be challenged. In this book, they were only just beginning to trust each other and had grown what I would call a friendship. I'm not sure if the romantic in me was looking at their relationship through rose-colored lenses, but there is a potential here for an epic and swoony romance and I really really really hope I am right.

Shadow of the Fox was written in a quest/adventure style, which is one of my favorite types of books to read. Yumeko and Tatsumi face monsters, make new discoveries and meet new people, good and bad, along the way. While the pacing of the book was slow-moving as the two travel to a faraway temple that many believe is just a myth for the safekeeping of the scroll, the book itself was far from monotonous. There were plenty of exciting battles that kept me on the edge of my seat, with twists and turns that I couldn't foresee. Not to mention, we also get a few scenes told through the POV of the villain, who was compelling, power-thirsty and left no stone unturned to trouble our heroes. The book was just so entertaining, it's something you have to read for yourself to understand because it's difficult to capture that in a review. Shadow of the Fox was also rich in its culture, mythology, and lore. The world-building here was just beyond stellar. I've read many books by Julie Kagawa and her writing only seems to get stronger with every new book.

Shadow of the Fox was a legendary story for me! The ending of the book had me crying in a corner because the wait for the sequel is going to be ardous and I NEED IT RIGHT NOW.