Shadow of the Fox was so unique.

You felt plunged into this completely different society - much different then any you've read about before. Not quite fantasy, not quite mythology, this book takes you on a quest along with an interesting rag-tag group of unlikely heroes to do what else? Save the world!

Thank you for the opportunity to review the ARC for Julie Kagawa's Shadow of the Fox! This was a fast paced read seeped in a beautifully developed world and intriguing characters. I have been interesting in Japanese culture since I was a kid and it is great to see more books sharing Japanese culture, mythology, and folklore. I cannot wait to read more from Julie Kagawa!

I don’t read very much young adult, it’s a genre that I struggle with and I don’t often find books I like. So why pick up Shadow of the Fox you ask? I have had some Julie Kagawa books on my shelf for years, but until now haven’t read anything of hers, so when I saw this gorgeous cover pop up I couldn’t resist. I am so pleased I grabbed it, I really enjoyed this young adult adventure.

What I enjoyed most about this book was the world Kagawa had crafted. The book is set in ancient feudal Japan and packed full of Japanese mythology come to life. I am completely unfamiliar with Japanese mythology or mysticism so I can’t account for the accuracy, but I found it fascinating and a refreshing change from the usual Greek or Norse mythology that usually populates the paranormal books I read. But, as well as the paranormal elements, we have more familiar figures, such as samurai, ronin and shinobi – more colloquially known as ninjas – populating the book.

Although the world itself was, for me, interesting and new, the journey itself follows a fairly standard and well-trodden format. But, just because it was familiar, that didn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it. As Yumeko and Tatsumi, our two main characters, journey through Japan they meet new companions and run into trouble as their enemy tries to stop the party reaching their destination. I enjoyed reading about their journey and I especially liked the budding relationship with the dark and sinister shinobi Tatsumi and the mischievous and innocent half-kitsune Yumeko.

If you are after a fantasy young adult adventure which has an emerging romance, then I highly recommend picking this book up. However, although it didn’t end a cliffhanger per se, it definitely left you desperate to pick up the next book and to see what happens next!

My husband is HUGE fan of anime and I just kept thinking he would love this book the entire time I was reading it. Somewhere along the way, I saw that in a review and it kept popping back up for me.

As a teacher-librarian, manga are major movers for us among students and great for getting reluctant readers to start reading. This could be a great title to bridge some of them into longer works from the manga because the pace is really strong and the characters are similar.

Personally, I'd rate the book somewhere between a 3 and 4 for me as a adult reader. For my students, I'd put this somewhere between a 4 and 5. So, splitting the difference at 4 for the review.

Thank you for the opportunity to review the ARC for Julie Kagawa's Shadow of the Fox! We selected this title to be featured in our October box for it's well developed world building, lovable characters and unique insight into Japanese culture, mythology, and folklore.

I understand now why people compared this to anime. I am not a huge watcher of anime but I did get that vibe from it. Even my sister was interested when I told her a little about it and she is the anime person. I enjoyed the scene at the beginning although I WAS NOT expecting it to go like that, it was really cool! This is much different than books I usually read and I enjoyed the experience!

A samurai, a ronin, and a spunky half-fox girl walk into a bar... This book is pretty awesome. A group of disparate characters cross a Feudal-Japan-esque land on a seemingly impossible quest, and along the way they battle monsters, ghosts, giant insects, a blood magic sorceress, and their own inner demons (literally and figuratively). It's all very The Fellowship of the Ring, but based on Japanese folklore and with a heaping dose of wit, sarcasm and funny moments. My one criticism is that the story didn't feel like it built up to the big battle at the end, because the journey there was filled with so many peaks and battles. That being said, the book did end on a pretty good cliffhanger and I can't wait to read the next one!

I really wanted to love this. I wanted to love this so badly. And look, I didn't hate it. But it was not nearly as incredible as I had hoped it would be.
The prologue was probably my favorite part of the whole book. It was so creepy and the setting was so evocative, and everything was so intense. So I was fooled into thinking that this would be original, that the asian mythology and setting would be a strong influence on the plot, that the characters would be well drawn. None of this turned out to be true.
A long journey book, predictable romance, the mythology and fantasy element actually quite confusing. Overall, a very slow read.
If you're looking for a romance heavy fantasy with some Asian-esque elements, have at this book. You'll probably have a good enough time. I was just hoping for something more.

Oh my gosh this book was sooooo good!!! I loved the characters and the storyline. Absolutely cannot wait for the next book. All of Julie Kagawa's books are amazing and never disappoint.

I tried really hard to get into this book. The summary held such promise for me but try as I might, I couldn't get into the characters. While I admire and respect the correct Japanese usage of honorifics depending on the a person rank or status, I admit that it kept through off the pace of the book for me. Perhaps because I am not used to it in a literary setting outside of manga or anime. I felt like it was trying too much to be LIKE an anime or manga. The story's premise and world building are interesting enough that I think it would do good in those mediums but not quite for a novel. I do wish the author good luck in future writings and hope that maybe the next book I pick up by her I will enjoy it more. Overall, Shadow of the Fox is an okay book and if you're looking into reading something set in ancient Japan with Japanese mythology and monsters, this book might just be what you're looking for.

This is obviously an InuYasha OC fanfic, but was fun enough that I'll be able to use it to lure my manga lovers over to a bit of prose fiction. It is nice that it's #OwnVoices.

I’ll be doing my first Vlogg on this book in January!!! This book was so good!!! I will update this post as well as my Goodreads review with my link to the Vlogg!! I cannot wait for the next book!!

Kagawa is the reason I started reading again. I loved her Iron Fey series and fell just as much in love with this one.

Note: Netgalley provided me with an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. There are some light spoilers.

Shadow of the Fox is a book I have extreme mixed feelings about. I was basically irritated once the second chapter started and remained feeling that way for the rest of the book. And yet, I wonder if my young teenaged self—this, to me, screams young YA—would have loved it.

Here's the thing: Shadow of the Fox is basically an anime. The conflicts in the book feel like they're one-off episodes that don't connect to the larger story (looking at you, ghost town). Don't get me wrong, I love anime, but reading what feels like Inuyasha as a 27 year old is different from reading it when I was 12-14. Keeping in mind that this is, first and foremost, a book for young teens, I'm not sure what to do with it.

Perhaps I can start with the writing. I found it incredibly juvenile, using cliches such as "Yumeko looks in a mirror in order to tell the reader what she looks like" (granted, it shows her true form) to "let me use a ton of exposition to tell you the whole backstory of everything in this moment and, by the way, repeat over and over again that I, Tatsumi, am fighting a demon/am nothing/what is being human without actually engaging with any of that that might mean." The prose, while simple, made me roll my eyes half the time because of its repetition and constant exposition. Again, I remind myself that perhaps I needed that as a young teen and would find those reminders and explanations useful. Also: why don't the chapters tell the narrator at the top? It's extremely jarring to go from a third person first chapter to a first person chapter to another first person chapter that's extremely similar in voice (at first) but is a different character. Literally one word at the beginning of each chapter would have prevented that.

The plot is a typical fantasy, which is fine, and I am glad it was set in a Japanese-inspired world. If nothing else, it lets young Japanese teens to see a setting they may be familiar with. (It wasn't any of that that contributed to the anime feeling, incidentally; it was the structure of the book.) I think the mythology didn't need to be described so heavy-handedly, but again: audience. My main problem is that their mini-struggles along the journey—but *especially* during the ghost village scene—felt totally disconnected from the larger plot, and this is what made it feel like an anime to me. Yes, we learn that the main antagonists sends some of these people to battle with them, but in a way that Naraku did—look here, the evil villain is doing the thing! The characters never revisit what happens during those moments, never reflect back on what they might mean. They just happen, and everyone moves on from it.

I also have mixed feelings about the characters. Yumeko is young and naive with the excuse that she was raised in an isolated temple, but she is also unerringly kind. Towards the end, she shows her cleverness, too, which I think gives potential to her character in future books. Tatsumi was... fine. I usually love stoic "I've had the humanity beaten out of me" characters, but he was just whatever to for me. At least their budding romance is not over the top, except Tatsumi's "what is this" that happens over and over again made me be like "Bro. We got it the first time." The other characters are fine, too—a drunk, lecherous ronin with the heart of gold but probably a dark past, the honorable samurai-noble who is dissatisfied with court life, a no-nonsense priestess. Say it with me: I N U Y A S H A.

The villain chapters felt pointless to me. Suki, the character we meet in chapter one, was 10000000% a device for us to see what the villain was doing. (Incidentally, I *liked* Suki. But it was very confusing as to when that first chapter happened in comparison to the rest of the book.) But it did absolutely nothing for the story—we didn't learn anything (except at the very end) that we didn't already realize. The villain was also uninteresting to me and not at all compelling. (By the way: I have zero problem with adult-centric chapters in YA novels. My issue was that they didn't add anything to our understanding of the world/etc, except at the very, very end.)

I wanted *so badly* to like this book, but I came away ultimately feeling deeply "meh" about it. The writing was mediocre, the plot was typical, and the only thing I liked about it was how steeped in Japanese lore it was. (I did like that a lot.) I wonder if part of it is that the stakes didn't feel high enough for me. We knew the worldwide stakes, but for the characters, those were meaningless.

This is a book, however, that young anime fans might really enjoy. I think adults who read YA, however, will be disappointed. (Again! YA is not for adults! So my review is geared towards those of us who do read and enjoy YA, always keeping in mind that this book was not written for me.)

I love Julie Kagawa because she always delivers the most exciting stories that are unique. A novel based upon the kitsune with touches of Japanese mythology - it was absolutely exciting.

I liked this book enough that I would continue to read the series and would recommend it to YA fantasy fans but it wasn't the best. I did like that the setting is different than so many other YA books.

I took my time reading Julie Kagawa’s latest series because it was SO amazing. She mentions in her notes that she drew upon various Japanese myths and legends while formulating her story, and I loved that. In fact, I loved everything about Shadow of the Fox and wanted to savor it as much as possible, which I did by reading it slowly and carefully. The story occurs in a fictional land with an obvious connection to Japanese traditions, social and political structure, and geography. Yumeko is the sweetest character, naive and trusting; usually, I would detest characters like this as having no basis in reality, but it works for her because she has a way of cutting through all pretense and getting to the heart of an issue that I admire. Plus, she may be naive, but she is not completely innocent and brings with her excellent instincts and a fantastic upbringing that serves her well on the road. Tatsumi is dangerous, but he has a rather tragic backstory. I adored watching him struggle with his humanity for the first time as he spends more time with Yumeko. The band of travelers they collect on their way to the capital is equally charming and highly entertaining. The story is not without its darker elements, which is what I expect from Ms. Kagawa, but she expertly blends the good with the evil, showing that other than a few exceptions, the world exists in shades of gray. Shadow of the Fox reminds me how much I adored Ms. Kagawa’s previous novels and makes me excited for the rest of the series.

SHADOW OF THE FOX is a magical and lush novel, set in a fantasy feudal Japan—and it’s #ownvoices!

The first chapter and last chapter were among my favorites. They were so exciting and unexpected. The story started with a character who seemed like a Typical YA Heroine, but by the end of the chapter, my jaw was hanging open and I couldn’t turn the page fast enough. The ending was also stunning, though I won’t give away spoilers.

I will say that the ending didn’t leave much resolved; there’s no closure of the main story arc, so you’ll have to read the sequel(s) if you want a conclusion. I personally prefer Book 1 novels that close the first story arc and open a second arc at the end, but you might be different.

I am highly impressed by the magic system, which was complex but also clear. There were a lot of rules, exceptions, different types of magical beings, etc., yet Kagawa explained them so well within the narrative that I never had any trouble following along. The magic system was one of my favorite aspects of the entire novel.

Speaking of magic, I specifically loved the main character’s magical abilities—she could do some amazing things, but she wasn’t an all-powerful Chosen One. It was a nice balance and leaves room for the reader to be genuinely worried about her well-being. Also, I LOVE kitsune characters in general. Her powers were wonderfully utilized toward the end of the novel, both in a sly way and an all-out fighting way.

Reading the book felt like watching an anime series, largely due to the episodic story structure. For me, that was both positive and negative. It gave me the charmed, nostalgic feeling of shōjo manga/anime, and I could easily imagine the characters, their voices, the setting, etc. But it was also TOO episodic for me, in that the journey narrative involved a slew of separate obstacles, one after the other, none of which were too consequential. Each obstacle was somewhat interesting, but it also kind of felt like filler, and the characters never even completed their initial journey. It took the tension out of the story.

Another element that made it feel like anime was the archetypal characters, but I didn’t mind that. I found it to be fun, and the surly-yet-lovable rōnin was one of my favorites. Whenever he was on the page, it was a delight.

I liked that the story wasn’t heavy on romance (just a personal preference), though right from the beginning it was obvious where the romance was going. That might’ve been fine if the male love interest had more depth to him, but there was something missing from his character that made him feel lifeless to me. Part of that might’ve been intentional on the author’s part, due to the character’s harsh upbringing, but I was still hoping for more from him. I’m guessing that in the sequel, he’ll have more of an opportunity to grow and open up.

The prose was decent—nothing fancy, but it flowed well enough. That cover, though—GORGEOUS.

SHADOW OF THE FOX is full of magic, adventures, cool creatures and characters, plus some history and mythology. I absolutely recommend it!

ARC provided by Harlequin Teen via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

As Shadow of the Fox, which involves Japanese folklore, opens, the time has come in Iwagoto when a dragon god will grant a millennial wish to anyone who possesses an ancient scroll. The last wish brought such destruction that the scroll was divided into three pieces and hidden. Now both the emperor's concubine Lady Satomi and the head of the Shadow Clan Lady Hanshou are determined to find the pieces so that they can be granted a wish. Tatsumi, demon slayer of the Shadow Clan, who is bound to the sword Kamigoroshi and the demon imprisoned within it, is tasked with finding the pieces. Yumeko, a Kitsune (half fox/half human spirit), who was raised in the Silent Winds temple, manages to escape with a part of the scroll when Lady Satomi sends demons to destroy the temple. She meets Tatsumi and convinces him to head off on a quest to the Steel Feather Temple to find the rest of the scroll. The cliffhanger ending will leave readers anxious for the sequel.

I've never read YA fantasist Julie Kagawa previously, but when I saw that she had written an Own Voices fantasy taking place in Japan, I couldn't resist. I was very grateful to be approved by the publisher for an ARC via Net Galley.


I've actually read some fantasies based on Japanese legends, but none were Own Voices books. They were all by Caucasians, and they were mainly martial arts oriented fantasies grounded in samurai films. Shadow of the Fox has a number of similarities to those books, but the biggest difference is that Julie Kagawa gave us a character who poked fun at the samurai and their values. The reviews I've seen don't even mention this character, but he was the one who stood out for me.


The protagonists also don't fit the formula I've seen in Japanese background fantasies. I've seen kitsune (fox woman) characters. They're usually destructive villains, not protagonists. Yumeko was trained to suppress her kitsune persona and powers at a temple where she was brought up. Then there's the samurai protagonist, Tatsumi. Samurai tradition contends that the soul of the samurai is in his sword. This is a metaphor for the samurai's total commitment to the way of the warrior. It isn't intended to be literal. In Shadow of the Fox, there really is a spirit in Tatsumi's sword, but it's a demon. This is a significant challenge for a protagonist. He had to fight that demon in order to maintain self-mastery. So both these protagonists had divided natures. They weren't entirely trustworthy.


My favorite character was essentially a sidekick. His name was Okame, and he's a ronin which means masterless samurai. Every ronin I've ever read about before is continually trying to find a master. They're never happy unless they've sworn fealty to a lord, and can be proper samurai. At first, I thought of Okame as a drunken fool who lacked ambition, but as time went on I realized that he was a subversive who had some really good dialogue.


I liked the fact that Julie Kagawa claimed the freedom to play with the standard figures of Japanese fantasy and move beyond formula. I am looking forward to finding out what she does in future volumes.