Thank you to Harlequin Teen for the ark of this book.
My first time reading this author and it won’t be the last, I loved this book, Japanese folk lore has always fascinated me, and loved that it was in this book.

SHADOW OF THE FOX takes an unlikely heroine, a half-kitsune and half-human, teenage-girl who has been raised by monks and sets her on an epic quest that takes her across a magical landscape inspired by Japanese mythology.

There is so much to love in this first installment of the Shadow of the Fox series!

In a land riddled with danger, Yumeko will come across demons, shapeshifters, witches, and samurai. On her journey to keep part of the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers safe, she will come across a motley crew of unlikely allies in order to keep the great Kami Dragon from rising and plunging the land of Iwagoto into darkness.

Kagawa creates such a vivid world filled with beautiful imagery and populated by characters you'll come to adore and won't soon forget.

SHADOW OF THE FOX introduces readers to a Yumeko, a half-kitsune and half-human, teenage-girl and gives us a heroine to adore. Though she can wield a touch of magic, it is her innocent wisdom and unflinching loyalty which make her such a wonderful character to follow. I loved seeing through her eyes each new and unlikely ally, some once enemies, and how they invariably want to follow this young kitsune on her mission.

“One step at a time, little fox. The spider does not spin its web in a heartbeat, nor does the albatross fly across oceans with a few flaps of its wings. Many would consider what they do impossible, and yet, they still complete their tasks without fail, because they simply...start.”

This is very much a quest-style story.

It's all about the strange creatures, magic, and characters you come across. The pace is leisurely but builds as the quest gets close to its conclusion. I truly did not know what to expect as Yumeko encounters so many strange things. I never knew for sure if someone was going to remain friend or foe throughout, which made for a really interesting read.

The landscape of Iwagoto is brimming with magic.

Inspired by Asian mythology, Shadow of the Fox features some the most unforgettable creatures I've come across recently in YA literature. A jorōgumo, half-woman/half-spider with a deadly taste for the flesh of human men, weasels with sickle-wielding appendages, a giant-demon bear, and a deadly wind-witch are just a few Yumeko will come across on her quest. There's a demon bound sword, ghosts, the Shadow Clan, and of course, and an unlikely cast of side characters readers will find themselves completely invested in.

In the End

The quest to keep the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers safe is only the beginning of the story and I cannot wait for the next installment in this fantastic new Japanese inspired fantasy series. Once again, Julie Kagawa has created an exciting world to love, characters to adore, and villains that are truly worth their salt in badness.

Yumeko is half kitsune and likes to play pranks on the monks at the temple where she lives. But when an oni and horde of demons attack the temple, she is the only survivor that must take a sacred piece of scroll to another temple for protection. On her journey she meets many different type of people and encounters relentless dangers from those who seek the scroll.

The Story-
Having had studied Japanese and the culture, as well as having had grown up on anime, let's just say I was incredibly excited for this book. I have a genuine love for kitsune and have even started writing a mg/ya book with a kitsune (I doubt I'll ever finish). So I can say I thoroughly enjoyed the plot of this book.

It gave me an overall reminiscence of Inuyasha, and not only because of all that Japanese stuff. The structure of the story made me think, this could easily be broken up into short episodes. Something happens and is then resolved, all along the course of our long term journey. This made for excellent pacing for taking breaks as I progressed through the story.

One thing that sort of irked me was how much repetitiveness was written in. Some feelings/reactions/decisions were overly explained and brought up multiple times. This added unnecessary length to a decently long story.

The World Building-
This book is flush with Japanese culture, setting, and even language. For the common reader this should help immerse the them into the story, as after each instance an explanation or definition is given, providing full understanding. For me, with my already researched knowledge it made the story feel like it dragged a little bit. I think it was just because it was all stuff I already knew about.

Another thing I found odd was how much the act of seppuku was thrown out into the conversation so casually. The characters made it seem like the smallest shame would enact the ritual, including the mentioning it for the Emperor, who wouldn't necessarily follow bushido because he is in a different class than samarai.

The Characters-
I loved Yumeko. She was cute, naive, and hopeful. She was the type of endearing character that you want to root for. I really liked that Tatsumi was fighting with a literal inner demon and that he wasn't a jerk because he was a tough samarai, but because of the emotions that connecting with people could produce and therefore giving the demon access to him.

There was one particular character that was the type to always have a comment, usually sarcastic. This character drove me nuuuuttts. His constant yammering really didn't add anything to the story. I get developing himself as a sarcastic character. But whenever there was a conversation there was this added lightness that basically made a joke out of everything. It definitely took away from the solemnity of their situations.

Julie Kagawa is an author who I have always been meaning to read. I think I even have the Iron Fey books but just never got around to them. If Shadow of the Fox is an indication of what I've been missing....I know what my next binge series is going to be!

I loved everything about this book. It was a quick read, the characters were relatable and entertaining and it was so, so easy to get pulled in. I absolutely loved all the Japanese lore and mythology laced through this book. It was the perfect extra touch. Also...that cover! It definitely draws you in.

The next in this series can not come fast enough!

Until then, on to read more Julie Kagawa books!

I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book to read and provide my honest opinions.

*I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own*
I think my first thought after finishing this book is...WOW. I am always impressed when reading one of Julie’s books! They always leave me wanting more and that it was I am feeling right now. Even though I know this book was just released a couple days ago, I already need the second book.
The characters are likeable. There is definitely good character development. I feel that Yumeko could have developed a bit more, but there is still time in the next book. She definitely came out of her shell a bit at the end though (spoilers)! There was also some development with Tatsumi that just makes me want the next book even more! I just need to know what happens. He can’t be stuck forever this way...can he?
There are just so many things that I though could/should happen and this one thing just crushed all my hopes and dreams. (More spoilers!)
Overall, it was an amazing book! Not necessarily 5 stars for me just because I’m picky with my 5s. But I can tell you that the ending has me wanting more for sure!

Shadow of the Fox is my first read from this author, and while the blurb sounded intriguing, this book ended up being an unexpected gem for me. The story was action packed, and even had a bit of a dark anticipation to it. It kept me turning pages with the well written and flowing words. I’m not usually a big YA fantasy reader, but this book stole all my attention. A great well written story, and I can’t wait for the next book!

I am a fan of the Iron Fey series, so going into this book I had high hopes and I was not disappointed. Yumeko was the perfect combination of naive and cunning. Kage wasn’t brooding, he was introspective and because of the way the book was written we got to see what he was feeling and why. They were both well rounded characters, there was so much more than surface appearances both physically and mentally. Their companions were also well fleshed out characters. The world building was extremely well done, and I enjoyed the lead characters journey.

The only criticism that I have is that the villains could’ve been a bit more fleshed out. Because everyone is after the scroll and therefore the ultimate wish the villain’s motivations aside from the obvious were left out, and we got bad guys who were bad because they are bad. But there was a twist at the end that may not justify their lack of development, but it excuses it. The ending wasn’t a cliffhanger, because the first part of the journey is over. However there is so much mystery left for both the characters and the readers. I can not wait for the next book.

I absolutely loved this book! This was the first book I ever read by Julie Kagawa, and let me just say I will be reading more.
First, the writing was exquisite and the dialogue was even better. I loved the characters and how they all ended up coming together in a rag-tag sort of group: it was fantastic.
Secondly, the Japanese mythology was so well researched, thought out, and executed. I found myself having to look up a lot of the terms because I am not very familiar with anything Japanese, but I feel like I have learned so much after reading this book. The imagery used when describing creatures like the kamaitachi, gaki, and kodama was amazing and really set up the scene in my mind. This story was also surprisingly a little creepy, with run-ins with demons, spirits, and other creatures that I certainly wouldn't want to meet on the street, but I loved every scene and second of it! It is rare for me to love every part of a book, buy this book was phenomenal from beginning to end and I have no idea how I am to survive the rest of the year without the sequel; that ending killed me and I have to know more.
The characters in this book were probably my favorite part though (aside from the Japanese lore). I absolutely loved Yumeko and how she was equal parts naive, sweet, and compassionate while at the same time her kitsune nature (which is of course also super cool) made her mischievous, sly, and a little bit chaotic. Add to that this girl's awesome bravery, and this is one girl I'd love to be friends with! I really loved Tatsumi as well as the inner struggle he has, as well as the relationship between him and Yumeko. And let's not forget those that we picked up along they way. Each additional character was perfect and I enjoyed the group dynamic, I cannot wait to read more and see what happens to everyone.
Overall, this was one of my favorite reads of the year, and I eagerly await the next book.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book.

It started off a little iffy for me and I wasn't sure what direction it was going but by the end I couldn't wait to get my hands on the second book. I love the main character and look forward to learning about the world alongside her.

I admit I was part of the first wave of “All things Japanese” to happen in America. Now that I am older and read in a different way I still was drawn to this title. I have read some of Julie Kagawa’s other titles and I liked them enough to recommend them to other patrons. This title I will admit hit my heartstrings with its use of the Japanese language here and there. It really had me going back down memory lane. However, the book was slow to get into and if I was not reading this title to review it I will admit I would have put it down at my normal 30% if not hooked rule. I am glad I stayed with it because it was a great read with the characters and their different POV and the story itself.

Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa was pretty much your typical teen novel where you know from the start that the 2 main characters are going to get together at some point in the book. I wasn't fond of the alternating character perspectives. I do like the Japanese culture woven through the story though but other than that, I found it quite boring. I will most likely not read the sequel

3.5

Yumeko is a kitsune, a fox with magical powers. Well…sort of. She’s half-human as well, and has lived her entire life in a monastery with monks, getting into trouble and talking to other forest spirits in the surrounding forest. One day that comes to an end when the monastery is burned to the ground by a giant oni—an evil demon summoned from another plane. The monks are all killed, and Yumeko manages to escape with a piece of scroll and a task. And the only way she might have a chance of succeeding at that task is by tricking the samurai she ran into in the forest during her flight from the monastery. However, this is no ordinary samurai—he may be more danger to her than the oni chasing her for the scroll.

Shadow of the Fox is set in an older Japan, complete with legends, folklore, and magic. Samurai are commonplace, and each of the clans has their own territory, their own talents, and their own loyalties. The descriptions of the land, as well as of the people, buildings, and temples within, truly give the reader a sense of understanding a place they may never have seen.

Yumeko is just one of several characters that get added to the story as it progresses, though she remains the main focal point. I do appreciate the characterization that develops for each of the characters—even those who are supporting rather than part of the main cast. Honestly, this may have been my favorite part of the book—Kagawa has a talent for helping the reader learn the numerous personalities and feel connected to each one.

Here is where I struggled a bit: the story itself. Don’t get me wrong. Japanese folklore and mythology?! Really, it would be hard to go wrong. And Kagawa’s writing is quite good; this is the first of her books I have read, and I would certainly be interested in others. (Note from VBC’s Chelsea: OMG you need to read her Blood of Eden books!) The problem I had is that it started to seem repetitive. Now, I’m a spoiler-free reviewer—always—because I know how frustrating it can be when things are revealed before one has the pleasure of reading it for themselves. So what I will say is this: There are new people that end up traveling with Yumeko, and while circumstances were different, the end result was the same. After this had happened a couple of times, there was no longer any doubt when it started to happen again. That did take some of the pleasure out of the book, so that by the last couple of chapters, I was getting somewhat frustrated. Having said THAT…the ending introduced an unexpected twist.

Overall, I really did enjoy the book, I just wish that some of the redundancy I wrote about above had not been there. Even with that, I really liked the Japanese emphasis, the characters, and the story as a whole in Shadow of the Fox. I will certainly want to read book two when it comes out. There is a great tale to be told here. Hopefully now that things are set up, the story will continue to excel and the repetition will no longer be necessary.

Julie Kagawa’s enchanting Shadow of the Fox, set in medieval Japan, is a heady hero’s journey tale steeped in Japanese folklore tradition. Legend foretells that every thousand years, a powerful dragon, known as the God of Tides and Harbinger of Change, rises to a mortal who’s summoned him. If the summoner is pure in heart and intention and recites the thousand incantations written on the mystical Dragon Prayer scroll, the dragon will grant that individual his or her heart’s desire. However, in the past, the wish was misused for corrupt purposes, nearly destroying the land and its people. In order to prevent a second apocalypse, the prayer was split into three and its parts hidden. However, the thousand year cycle is once again at hand, the Dragon is rising, and several malevolent powers are hunting for the scroll of power.

As a baby, Yumeko, the novel’s protagonist, was placed on the steps of the Silent Winds temple, accompanied by a prophecy linking her to the Dragon Prayer scroll. Subsequently, the temple monks raised and trained the feisty, magical kitsune shapeshifter, keeping her safely secluded from the outside world. When enemy forces besiege the Silent Winds temple, Master Isao, the head monk, entrusts young Yumeko with a precious piece of the Dragon Prayer scroll. He commands the girl to safely convey the document to distant Steel Feather Temple, where she must inform its head monk, Master Jiro, of the impending danger. Kagawa’s tale recounts the adventures of Yumeko and her trio of friends: Tatsumi, brooding shinobi assassin for the Kage Shadow Clan; Okame, wisecracking, gruff ronin; and Daisuke, aristocratic swordsman, as they accompany Yumeko on her quest. Sure to appeal to lovers of fantasy, adventure, and Japanese culture, Kagawa’s young adult novel is sheer magic.

This is a story about a mischievous half-fox who promises to protect 1 part of a magic scroll that summons a dragon who will grant the summoner one wish, be it for good or evil.

I liked the idea of the story, but not the execution of it. The mischievous fox would have been such a wonderful and loveable character if she hadn't been so naive and intent on hiding her half-fox nature. I mean... who doesn't know what sarcasm is? Also the super secret spy samurai just did not feel real to me either. The only character I really liked was the “filthy ronin dog” from which all the sarcasm comes from.

Overall the story progression was meandering and yet it felt very predictable at times.

There were some redeeming qualities, though. The sarcastic ronin added some humor to the story. Also, the Japanese language, culture, and folk tales included in the story were fascinating. I've never read another book with all of those elements in it, and they were interesting even when part of the explanations started to feel like reading a text-book.

Finally, I was surprised by the ending and, despite being periodically distracted by staring off into space while reading book 1, I am curious about what will happen in book 2 and I will probably read it.

i loved how this was written and the characters and everything. it was amazing and a fun story.. it had action.. iron king will always be my favorite but this is a close next for this author.. the worlds she creates are just superb. very good story and i cannot wait for the next one.

4.5 stars!
I have only read Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series and now Shadow of the Fox and I'm just going to put it out there, that I think she may be one of the best fantasy writers. If you read the Iron Fey, you'll like this one too.
The book has a lot of Japanese mythology. It's about a half-kitsune girl, Yumeko, who has to travel to the Steel Feather temple with an ancient scroll in order to keep it safe. The scroll has a piece of a prayer that when it is said with the other two pieces that have been hidden around the land, it will awaken a dragon. The dragon will grant a wish to whomever wakes it, which could become deadly if the scrolls fall into the wrong hands. Yumeko meets Tatsumi, a samurai who has been sent to retrieve the scroll, and lies that the scroll is already at the temple and they need to get there to warn them of a demon attack. Together they go on an adventure fighting demons, ghosts, and a giant centipede, all while picking up a ronin and a noble along the way.

The chapters switch point of views between Yumeko and Tatsumi, which I liked because they see things differently and are both keeping secrets from each other. Julie's writing has a way of drawing you in and the imagery is like watching a movie inside of your head. I love a good "girl tricks boy into going on an adventure" story and there is always something happening like a real adventure novel. There are always different monsters showing up and conflict that keeps them from their path. The book has a great cast of characters with different personalities and motives. All of the characters have a reason to be there. There was one character who had a very small part and I thought that can't be it and of course they show up at the end and I'm sure will have a bigger part in the next book. Now the waiting begins...

I loved the Blood of Eden series by this author and while I haven't read it yet, I do have the Iron Fey series I look forward to reading. So when I saw that she's writing a series based in Japanese myth and culture? I was super excited. I'm kind of hugely into parts of that. I was not disappointed with this. While the fist 20% or so was pretty slow, it didn't take long to get me into it after that. While I knew almost all of the Japanese terms and words she used, I still think she did a good job giving people who wouldn't know their meaning without making it seem like it was just shoved into the story. The world building was done well and was believable. And each of the characters were well developed.

Yumeko and Tatsumi couldn't have been more different, but they went together perfect. Yumeko is half kitsune and has been raised in a temple her whole life. She has such an innocent naivety to her despite her penchant for mischief. Tatsumi has been raised as weapon. He plays host to a demon sealed within a sword he wields and any show of emotion gives the demon a chance to take over his body. So all feeling and emotion has been beaten and trained out of him. He even uses a manta of him being nothing to suppress any emotion he might be feeling because he actually believes it.

This story is based around a scroll that once put back together can summon a dragon who would then grant that person any wish they might have. Needless to say it's the bad guys after it. Yumeko didn't know until it was too late that her temple actually guarded a piece of it. When everyone there is slaughtered by an oni, she is the only one able to flee, taking the piece with her. It's when she's running that she encounters Tatsumi. He has been sent by his clan to obtain that piece but obviously got there just too late. Before he died, Yumeko's master tasked her with a vital mission that she must complete. Seeing how Tatsumi fights, she decides she needs his help. Because he is also after the scroll, she must be careful, but she spins a story that matches closely to reality in order to get him to help her get where she must go and they make a deal. Traveling together, Yumeko is constantly excited by what she sees and always so happy. Tatsumi, on the other hand, the more time he spends with Yumeko the more he finds his thoughts and emotions changing. I'm sure no male would approve of this description, but jealousy was adorable on Tatsumi. Along the way they encounter horrible creatures trying to stop them and various people. Much to Tatsumi's chagrin, an irreverent ronin decides to join them and eventually a noble as well. Despite the difficulties her mere presence gives him, Tatsumi would much rather it be just him and Yumeko.

There is much going on behind the scenes that this group doesn't know about and soon enough they find themselves facing a blood witch. Well, facing her trap I guess is more accurate. That goes horribly, horribly badly for them. In the end one of Yumeko's secrets is out, and she loses Tatsumi. She knows she has to complete her mission, but now she is also determined to get him back. At least she's not alone in this world that she doesn't understand.

That ending killed me. I just loved Tatsumi, the tortured boy he is, and to see what happens to him was just brutal. I was so frustrated with that ending because I want more NOW and I don't want to wait months to find out what happens next.

Thanks to Harlequin Teen and Netgalley for a copy of the eARC in exchange for a fair review.



Yumeko has been taught her whole life how to suppress her kitsune side. But it also makes her well versed in keeping secrets. When she finds the Silent Winds temple under attack and her mentor who gives her a scroll and orders to find the Steel Feather Temple, Yumeko knows that keeping secrets are now life and death.



Kage Tatsumi is a member of the Shadow Clan and swordsman with no equal. But he is hiding secrets of his own, and he has been sent to get the scroll. Yumeko knows that she can't trust him, when he is seeking the very thing she is hiding, but she also knows that the road to Steel Feather Temple will long and fraught with danger and she will need all the help she can get.



The Dragon is rising, and many players want that wish for themselves. Can Yumeko stay one step ahead of her many enemies?



So let me start by saying that I am fairly certain that if Julie Kagawa published a book about her grocery lists I would read it. I have read every single one of her books and I love them. So it pains me to say this wasn't my favorite. It is good and full of the normal action and adventure and a whole lot of danger that Julie is famous for. But I just didn't connect with the characters. More than one of her books has brought me to tears. It may be a me thing, and it is Julie so I still heartily recommend reading it.


Plus I loved learning Japanese mythology. It was utterly fascinating. I don't know a ton of things about Japanese myths, but I find the culture and myths compelling.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Teen, and Julie Kagawa for the opportunity of reading this book in exchange for an honest review.

Love the book, but at first it was a bit hard to follow. The first three chapters each have a different narrator, and I didn't quite realize that until reading a bit further in. I think a more definite/obvious narrator change would be very helpful. Chapter one feels more like a prologue, and chapters two and three establish the two main perspective characters for the rest of the novel. Once I figured out the perspectives and got to know Yumeko (a fox [kitsune] half-demon) and Tatsumi (a samurai member of the Shadow [Kage] Clan), it really picked up and was enjoyable to see how the two story lines would intertwine.

It's a good thing I have seen the anime Inu-Yasha in its entirety, because many of the things I learned about feudal Japanese culture come from watching that anime. This book has a number of references to different types of demons, historical terms (like daimyo), and a heavy use of the Japanese language in general. Having studied Japanese language and culture, this was pretty easy for me to pick up on and made the story interesting based on my own personal interest in Japan. For many readers, though, I find that this could get very confusing is not elaborated on. Some words are elaborated on once, such as Kamigoroshi, Godslayer. Some people might not remember that name on the first go, so a sprinkled reminder here or there for Japanese words would help the reading audience that is not so versed in anime and Japanese culture. The focus of this novel actually feels like the audience would be much more limited to those who do know some Japanese or invest themselves in learning about the culture, and it's not a book I would recommend to those who don't know much about Japan.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I liked the quest feel to Yumeko's plot, and I enjoyed the characters that continued to be added to her party. While the end wasn't quite what I was hoping for, or what I expected, I feel like this trilogy has a lot of potential and I am definitely interested in investing myself further into the series. I also enjoyed some of the (extremely) subtle romantic aspects between Tatsumi and Yumeko, and I wasn't to see how that might develop. Nothing physical happened, but each has had at least brief, fleeting thoughts about the other.

Definitely a series I would recommend to anime fans, lovers of Japanese culture, and a book I might just have for students to choose on my classroom bookshelf. 

You can see this and other YA book reviews on my site: https://teresacrider.wordpress.com/

Review originally published October 2, 2018

Overall this was a fun and engaging fantasy story that felt very unique with using elements from Japanese mythology and the hero's journey with a few twists here and there. It hooked me from the first chapter! I was immediately invested in the rich, folklore-filled plot and the likeable and complex characters, especially the main character Yumeko.

The world-building and magic system was one of the best parts of the story for me. Unique, wonderfully executed without being info-dumped on, I was sold onto this story.

This was such a great book and I can't wait to continue reading this story in the sequel and find out what other adventures that awaits this ragtag group of misfits.