Well, this book wasn’t easy on my heart or mind. Julie Kagawa delivered yet again with this perfect little gem. There were so many twists and turns that I didn’t see coming; it really made this an enjoyable read.

Yumeko grew before the reader’s very eyes into a confident young woman who is not afraid of her powers. Tatsumi also changed, although it is uncertain if it is for the better. There were definitely some strong vibes between the two of them, and it will be interesting if there are further developments to their relationship in the final book. There was a gay couple in this story, which was nice to see.

The book was lovely, even if I was disappointed in Yumeko’s action in the final scene. The decision she made was very unlike her. I understand it was necessary to make the story flow, but it went against everything she had done throughout the first and second book. Not to mention it made for one heck of a cliffhanger!

It will be nice to gain some closure for the way things turned out in the final book, which I will definitely be requesting when it is released a year or so from now. I loved the first book in this series so much that I bought a hard copy and will likely do the same for this one. I am confident that those who read it will not be disappointed.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. I was in no way compensated for this review.

Julie Kagawa returns to the Shadow of the Fox trilogy with Soul of the Sword as Yumeko’s journey to deliver the final piece of the Dragon’s Prayer to the temple where it can be kept safe from demons and other evil entities that are wanting to call forth the dragon for the wish. Except now Yumeko has a new mission, one that will take her slightly off course and that is to save Tatsumi from the demon that once possessed his sword, Hakaimono, who is now possessing him.

Wow. Firstly, it’s been a very long time since I read Shadow of the Fox and even with my notes, it was hard to really remember everything that happened. But the general gist of the story remained clear to me. I feel like what’s so challenging about this series are all the names and vocabulary. I am not familiar with Japanese culture so a lot of the names and the words that came after names confused me. Of course after I finished reading I discovered there was a glossary in the back, so note to self, next time read the real book instead of the ebook!

We do still get the multiple points of view in this one and what was really interesting was getting Hakaimono’s point of view since he’s technically our villain. We get glimpses of poor Tatsumi, but those chapters were fleeting.

There was still a decent amount of action in this book as the demons are all over the place and all are gunning to find the pieces of the prayer meant to call forth the Dragon. Time is of the essence since the time to recite the prayers is drawing closer and closer.

Again, I will admit, that despite adoring Julie’s books, this one was tough for me. A lot had to do with the vocabulary that was unfamiliar to me and not knowing there was a glossary in back—cursed be the ebook—I think if I had known it was there and how to easily access that with the kindle, I might have done a lot better in reading comprehension with this one. But alas, you live and learn…then get the real book! Lol.

I still enjoyed this one despite the struggles I had. I really enjoyed the characters. Julie is phenomenal when it comes to characters. I feel like there’s a little bit of Puck in Okame and maybe even a little bit of Ash in Tatsumi. That’s just my impression of course; it’s int eh little things that they do and their mannerisms. Okame is a riot! I love that dude! These characters continued to grow and develop along their journey and I was taken by surprise more than once with them. I’ll be eager to see what challenges they will face in the final stage of this series.

All in all, despite my own struggles with Soul of the Sword, it was still a pretty enjoyable one. I think next time I will be sure to wait for the final copy to come out so that way, I can easily refer to the glossary in back and ease the confusing parts that occasionally pop up. I am also eager to see what will happen after that earth-shattering conclusion! Let it be said that Julie knows how to delight and agonize her readers!


Overall Rating 3.5/5 stars


Soul of the Sword releases June 18, 2019

Shadow of The Fox wasn’t my favorite book I read this year, it was an overwhelming amount of world building and characters in such a short amount of time.

This however, is very different. I’m already aware of a lot of the secrets of this world, the places, the people, and I was able to immediately dive in and be hooked on the story.

We jump in immediately after Kage Tatsumi is trapped back into the sword and our group is deciding what to do next.

This time around we have POV chapters from Yumeko, Tatsumi, Suki, and Hakaimono.

I absolutely adore Yumeko and loved seeing how her Kitsune side is explored a lot more in this book now that she’s not hiding it quite as much. We get to see more illusions, dream traveling, and a few mischievous tricks that are all absolutely incredible. The fact that her magic isn’t appreciated in this world is truly a shame because it is truly a miraculous gift.
I also really loved seeing more of Yumeko’s complete obliviousness to most human interactions. Her confusion at metaphors, expressions, and human subtly are adorable and hilarious. There’s also quite a few instances of sexual innuendos and Yumeko just sits there wondering “why is everyone’s faces turning red” and it’s brilliant. I can’t imagine there were any moments like that in he childhood surrounded by monks…

Our hero’s journey continues as they travel to the home of the Shadow Clan and to the Steel Feather temple, and of course, encountering quite a few obstacles along the way.

On the other end, we have the adorable ghost Suki. I just really adore Suki, she’s so innocent and wonderful. She’s now traveling with a mysterious old man and a one eyed Oni boy who has visions. They’re very much interested in the trials of Yumeko and the gang as they themselves travel to a few new places. We slowly learn a bit more about these new companions of Suki’s but there are still SO MANY unanswered questions. Whoever that old man is, he has some seriously powerful and terrifying connections that will leave you thinking there’s worse things out there than Hakaimono…

There’s also a new villain, one that shakes up the story in ways that I never could have dreamed up, and an adorable precious romance. (I won’t go into further detail because I don’t want to give away spoilers, but both storylines are incredible)

This book was a lot more action packed than the first one, partially do to Yumeko awakening more of her power, and also because the villains are a little more tangible than they previously were. The last third of this book was pretty much non-stop action and doing, with a whole bunch of twists that I didn’t expect.
There was one part in particular where I got REALLY angry at the direction the book had turned, so much so that I put it down, only to discover later that everything I believed was wrong and another huge twist took the story in a completely different direction.

And of course, we’re once again left on a HUGE CLIFFHANGER, with the events unfolding into near impossible circumstances, and a big secret finally revealed (partially anyway).

This book was everything missing from Shadow of The Fox. It was a true but original hero’s quest, and I loved all the new villains, species, and moments.

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love how this story incorporates many elements of Japenese folklore. It's a story about a Kitsune shapeshifter who has to take a powerful scroll to a temple in order to protect the summoning of the Harbinger of Change.

The characters are really well developed. There is internal conflict as well as external conflict. The writing does everything justice, the world building, characters, and conflicts were all well written.

There were so many elements incorporated into this and yet everything works together to create a wonderful fantasy world. There's action and adventure in this book as well as romance. There's sword fighting and magic. There's demons and monsters and of course, our heroic protagonist to defeat them. This book has everything a YA book should have. The characters were amazing and the world was too, featuring both fantasy and adventure.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Net Galley for this ARC.

This was another great installment of Kagawa magic. The development of characters is well woven into the world Empire of Iwagoto. Yumeko and her band of ill fated friends make this adventure so easy to fall into and cheer aloud. At first I thought that this book would suffer from “second book syndrome” and only be the bridge to a hopefully great ending. After a slow start to recollect all the players and get the action moving the story does not disappoint. I cannot wait for the next book.

#SouloftheSword
If you havent read Julie Kagawa by now, I truly don't know what' wrong with you. Her writing and imagery are excellent! The plots and characters are completely unforgettable. Shadow of the Fox series is an amazingly captivating mythology tale that takes you deep into the Japanese culture. This is the second book in a trilogy. Read the first one before reading this one.

Omg! I could not wait to get this new book by Julie Kawaga. I have been a fan since her Iron Fey series. I love this new story because of the Japanese myth/ folklore in it. I have always been a fan of retellings of myths, so a plus on this new series. I also could not believed that I like this sequel more than the first book, usually sequels leave me wanting more from them. In this book the heroine Yumeko begins her search for Hakaimono the sword demon who has possess Tatsumi. This is just the beginning of all the tribulations that our heroes must deal with throughout the story. I love that Yukemo strength grows so much throughout this book, without being limited by others beliefs. We also learned more about Tatsumi, which just made me love him more!

Soul of the Sword was everything I wanted it to be. When I come into a Harlequin Teen (now Inkyard Press) book, I am looking for romantic tension.

I love recommending their books to readers who like angsty, rife with tension, romance, whether it is the whole plot or a subplot. In typical fashion, they delivered.

This book picks up where the last one left off, Tatsumi has fallen to Hakaimono, the first Oni, the demon who had been trapped in the sword Kamigoroshi for hundred of years, and he is ready to experiment with his freedom.

Yumeko still has a piece of the dragon scroll and there are many forces out there who plan on retrieving them and asking the dragon for their wish to be granted. She is still denying her feelings for Tatsumi, but now she is struggling with guilt over the fact his last thoughts before falling were of her.

THIS IS THE EXACTLY THE TYPE OF MELODRAMA I ENJOY.

I found myself racing through the story. At times it can feel very commercial and cheesy. With dialogue and scene blocking that can feel right out of a soap opera, but I dont think it takes away from the charm. The tension still lands, the need to know what happens next never disappears.

The company travelling with Yumeko sort of fell to the wayside for me in this one, only a few had some plot of their own going down, and it didnt seem to have nearly the chemistry and tension of Yumeko/Tatsumi. Honestly, outside of those two I didnt find much interesting with her friends. I enjoyed seeing more of Hakaimono and his history of relationships with other characters. I like two bad guys fighting over who gets to be the most bad. It was appealing in the race to the end.

Ultimately I was very satisfied with the ending. I liked what ended up happening and it has made me very anxious for the next one. This is a great read for those who enjoy fantasy Asian dramas, those who like the dangerous vampire tension of will they wont they kill me, and anyone who enjoys some angsty romance.

I enjoyed this next installment—but didn’t love it the way I loved the first book. Let me elaborate: in between the amazing plot points were moments of slow pacing, lots of information shared (sometimes more than once! This happened when a character would recount learned info to another character who wasn’t present the first time the info was revealed). I confess that I sped read to get to the amazing parts, which truly made the book shine! I LOVE the romance between our main character and the brooding warrior, now possessed by a demon. I loved the found family trope in this story, and each character has so many rich details and they all have distinct voices.

I’ll very happily read the next installment because I’m desperate for more time with Okame, sassy ronin.

This was a toss us between a three and four star rating but it played into one of my biggest pet peeves which sealed its fate with a lesser rating.

“Soul of the Sword” finds our group dealing with the fallout of book 1 where the demon was released from the sword and possessing Tatsumi. Swearing to rescue him at whatever cost, Yumeko vows to follow Hakaimono to the ends of the Earth all the while learning to embrace her Kitsune magic in a showdown that promises to see more than a few of our heroes meet a tragic end.

I really love all of the Japanese folklore and mythology that were woven into this to create a story that has the push and pull between those fantasy elements magic and the power of faith and religion when it comes demon lore. It was also a lot of fun to see the world expand as the group traveled to save one of their own and the inner journey Yumeko took to truly discover what all she could accomplish without the limitations that were drilled into her during her time at the temple.

We also learn a lot more of what went into breaking and reshaping Tatsumi into someone who could wield the sword and how his bond with Yumeko affected that responsibility as the two try to find their way back to each other without suffering at the hand of a demon hellbent on reclaiming his own identity.

My biggest issue with this book belongs to the dialogue. Each character fits perfectly within the narrative except the thousand year old demon who talks like I do for a good portion of the book. It always takes me out of the story when a mythological character is described as being the oldest or the most terrifying and in this case both of these things and yet they talk like a regular person.

Overall this is a good read and it sets up an exciting dynamic and additional conflict for the final book in the series and it will be interesting to see how our favorites navigate these new challenges and if they were right in warning that no heroes get a happy ending.

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**

I received a copy of Soul of the Sword from Harlequin TEEN (US & Canada) through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was superb. It has everything! Ghosts, demons, and forbidden romance.
I really enjoyed the mythology and the characters.
It's the second book in the series but I had no problem following what was going on.
I am Really looking forward to the third book!

I love this series so much and this book is no exception!!! I feel like I’m cast into a manga world with all the best elements. There’s not enough Japanese inspired books out there and this series does not disappoint.

I just love this fantasy story! Ever since I got a physical arc of this last year I have been addicted! Cannot wait for the next book :) 4.5*

Wow! I think I like this one even more than the first.

There were quite a few battle sequences that were very bloody. Especially the ones with the demon. It was really intense. I loved it.

I really like this world. It's interesting and fun to read about. The character building was pretty good as well! The story is well told and despite a bit of a slow start for me, the end was worth it.

However, Yumeko is supposed to be clever, and the book lets you know that quite a few times. To the point of where it could almost be a teeny bit annoying. But in the end, I still like her character. It did sometimes seems like things worked out very conveniently. These things did not detract too much from my overall enjoyment.

There are mysteries still left for us to pick up on. I have a lot of questions that are waiting to be answered!

I really love this series so i was so excited to be able to read the sequel early. This book did not disappoint and i would encourage everyone to read this series and other books by this author!

I love the poetic story telling, the world building, the characters, and was so pleased to receive an ARC to find out what Yumeko is up to next.

This novel was a great sequel and continues the journey Yumeko and her companions are taking. There are many forces at play and not everyone's motive is clearly visible. There were plot twists that I did not see coming, which make me look forward to the next novel in the series. Yumeko is a half-kitsune who is taking a piece of the scroll that can summon the dragon,the Harbinger of Change, to the Steel Feather temple. She is joined by her companions, who are protecting the scroll. However, there are those who do not want them to reach their destination. Yumeko will need to discover more of her foxfire abilities if she want to protect others and save Kage Tatsumi of the Shadow Clan, whose body has fallen under the control of the demon Hakaimono. Hakaimono has his own agenda now that he is in control of Tatsumi. He seeks revenge and destruction, even making a deal with the Master of Demons, Genno, who want the scroll for disastrous purposes. Time grows short to be able to summon the Harbinger of Change. The remainder of the scroll must be kept safe, otherwise the empire will be thrown into complete turmoil.

The second book in the Shadow of the Fox series picks up right after the end of the first book with Yumeko traveling to the Temple of the Silent Winds to deliver her piece of an ancient scroll. In addition Yumeko is determined to save her friend Kage Tatsumi who ended up being possessed by a demon that lived within his sword. What follows is an action packed adventure.

I love Yumeko and er group of friends and seeing their adventure unfold. Yumeko was a strong character and I loved her loyalty to her friends. The book alternates perspectives between Yumeko and a couple other characters. There is a lot of drama and twists along the way.

While there were some slow parts for me, overall, this was a good sequel that kept me entertained and leaves you on an interesting cliffhanger.

I voluntarily received an advanced copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved Soul of the Sword! It was just as amazing as Shadow of the Fox and I can't wait for the third book to come out! The story switches perspectives between Yumeko, Hakaimono and a few other characters, though mostly those two. Yumeko remains strong in her beliefs and is supported by her group of friends throughout their journey to save Tatsumi. There was also a great twist at the end!

I was fortunate enough to receive a ARC of this book from NetGalley.com. I recently finished the first book and loved it, so I was really excited to have my request granted to read this!

Soul of the Sword picks up right where the Shadow of the Fox leaves off. Yumeko, a half-kitsune (a girl who has trickster magic and can shape-shift into a fox), is tasked with delivering 1/3 of a magical scroll to the Temple of the Silent Winds. She continues her epic journey with her band of misfits, minus one. Her friend and protector, Kage Tatsumi, let his guard down for just a moment and the demon living in his sword was able to possess him. Now Yumeko is determined not only to complete her mission, but to free Tatsumi from his possession - something that has never been done before. Among all of that, there is a mysterious figure who has been pulling strings for his own purposes, whether they are good or bad remains to be seen.

This book was amazing! I adore the characters and their distinct personalities. Yumeko has grown wiser since the first book, but she still has an air of innocence and naivety that reminds me of Rapunzel from Tangled. She is lovable and charming and it is not hard to believe that she inspires such loyalty from her motley band of friends. I also love the Japanese lore that is pulled into the story as well as common Japanese words and honorifics that give the setting a realness even though Yumeko's journey goes beyond this world at times.
I also like that there is just a touch of romance. Nothing rushed or over the top, but the slow burn is just right.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a fun, trickster tale, but that hints at a deeper mystery and plot.