*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.

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.

Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa was probably the most surprising 5 Star Read I’ve had this year.

The writing style was SPECTACULAR and easy to follow.

I cannot emphasize enough how descriptive the creatures of the fantasy realm were written. Among the various fantasy characters we see:
•Demons
•Spirtits
•Samurai
•Dynasty Nobility
•Witches
•Tree Spirits
•Ghosts
•Dragons
•Kitsune


The story is seen through three main characters: Yumeko, half kitsune/half human, Kage Tatsumi, the dark samurai, and a ghost who wanders in between. On the quest to find the dragon scroll and defeat the spreading army of demons and black magic -while battling their own darkness- the story weaves itself through the lands of dynasties and magic.


Bonus Points for:
•Nods to Japanese politeness and proper customs
•The correct use of foreign words and dialogue
•Studio Ghibli vibes
•THE REALISTIC ROMANCE ARC
•CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE DEPTH OF THESE CHARACTERS




This book was sent to me by NetGalley through Harlequin Teen publishers and does not reflect my opinions. Publication Date: October 2, 2018.