My review for this book is long overdue. Soul of the Sword picked up right where Shadow of the Fox left off. Once I finally picked up this book, I didn't want to put it down. Yumeko is just as clever as in the first book, and I grew to love the characters even more than in the first book. I highly recommend this series to fans of fantasy who want something different.

I absolutely LOVED Shadow of the Fox when I read it, and loved it even more on audio. I mean, Asian fantasy is my fave, and I love Inuyasha (which Shadow in the Fox is basically a book form of), and I adore Julie and everything she’s ever written. Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite have the magic that the first book did.

I actually read this last year before it came out, and was disappointed in it. I think I gave it 3-3.5 stars originally. Which is totally weird, because I’ve always loved everything Julie has ever done! I was super bummed that I didn’t love it – so bummed that I didn’t have the heart to write a review. And I ended up forgetting almost everything about the book. So, I decided to do a re-read via audio to give it another chance!

I did enjoy it more the second time around, but it still wasn’t quite the same as the first book. I’m hoping it’s just a little second book syndrome going on (which is not normal for Julie like whaaaat??). I still enjoyed the characters and the world, but I felt like this one was lacking in plot and action. Things happened, sure, but overall I feel like nothing was really happening, if that makes sense. It’s just more traveling in search of the Steel Feather temple. There were a few fights, but there wasn’t really anything happening plot-wise.

The first time I read this, I felt like the romance between Okame and Daisuke was out of left field, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. It didn’t seem like there was any development from friendship to romance. However, I enjoyed their romance much more the second time around! Now that I knew it was there, I could see the signs, and didn’t find it quite as random and sudden. And their relationship is so sweet! I thought it was adorable that Okame called Daisuke ‘peacock’ all the time!

Other than their romance, there wasn’t really much going on as far as character development goes. With Tatsumi overtaken by Hakaimono, there was almost no interaction on his part other than being a mindless killing machine (he is a demon, after all). So no Yumeko/Tatsumi feels, womp womp. I will say that Yumeko grew into her magic in this one. Go Yumeko!

My feels for this book were sadly quite low, which also brought it down for me. The last quarter of the book was definitely the best. That’s where all the action finally happens! [spoilers removed, see original review on Novel Heartbeat] Even though this one wasn’t as magical as the first, it was still a fun read. I love the Japanese culture! I still love Julie’s writing and can’t wait to see how the trilogy ends!

I received this free eARC novel from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

This book was a bit slower than the first novel. Tatsumi and Yumeko were apart for most of the book, dealing with their own issues before clashing at the end of the novel.

I love how Yumeko is learning more about her fox side and realizing it's not a terrible thing like she was raised to think. And we don't see a lot of Tatsumi, but when we do, he's becoming a different person, for better or worse.

I'm very glad I have book 3 on hand, because that is an ending I wouldn't want to wait a year to ser how things end.

I'm glad I got an eARC of this series to explore this world Kagawa created!

Thesis book continues directly from book 1., which is a huge win for me. A super exciting quest story with just as many monsters. The authors fantasy world and characters are brought to life so vividly.

This is a great sequel! It will be a great addition to our classroom libraries and school library. Since it is a sequel, it does not lend itself to classroom study beyond choice reading.

Soul of the Sword was a great sequel to Shadow of the Fox! The writing and world building is absolutely stunning and really keeps you entranced with the book as you read. After reading this, I'm incredibly excited for the third book in the trilogy!

I am a member of the American Library Association Reading List Award Committee. This title was suggested for the 2020 list. It was not nominated for the award. The complete list of winners and shortlisted titles is at <a href="https://rusaupdate.org/2020/01/2020-reading-list-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/">

Unfortunately this book was not for me, I could not get into it and as a result I did not finish it.

A nice book with colorful characters and good vs evil plot. This book would be great for movie creation and fantasy lovers.

Soul of the Sword is the sequel to Shadow of the Fox in the series of the same name. The story picks up almost immediately after the events in the first book with Yumeko and her friends trying to reach the Steel Feather temple. They also are searching for a way to defeat the demon Hakaimono without having to kill the young man, Kage Tatsumi, that he has possessed.

In my review of Shadow of the Fox, I praised Kagawa in her world and character creation. My praises continue for in the second book she builds on what she established in the first one. Characters and places that we were introduced to in the first book come back and play a part in continuing the narrative. Characters with small parts in the first book are brought back to play a larger part and become more important.

Like in Shadow of the Fox, Kagawa peppers Japanese words and terms in her prose as well as in characters’ speech. It seems to be a bit more prevalent in this book and while I didn’t mind it, some readers could find it irritating. Thankfully, for those who are not familiar with the terms, a small dictionary was provided at the back of the book.

While the first book seemed to be aimed at all readers, Soul of the Sword had a darker feel. Considering some of the subject matter older, adult readers will likely enjoy it more. I am not saying that younger readers can’t or won’t enjoy it, I’m only saying that some readers (whether young or old) might have a difficult time.

As with Shadow of the Fox, I highly recommend Soul of the Sword to my readers. Especially my manga and anime loving readers. Hopefully they will enjoy this series as much as I have and will join me in awaiting the third and final installment.

I didn't love this one as much as I wanted to. It suffered the middle book slump with the characters traveling from battle to battle on their way to the goal. The characters are active, but due to the construct of their journey, they were often forced to be reactive. The first twist at the end flopped for me because it was expected and too easy, I didn't believe it, so when it turned out to be a trick, I wasn't surprised. The very end, however, I didn't see coming and was strong enough that I am excited for the third book. I was torn on the amount of gore throughout the book because while fitting, it also started to lose significance because I became desensitized to it and I am not sure if that is intentional or not. The use of lore and environment was very immersive and well-done. Overall, I did enjoy it, I just wanted more from it.

Now, this is a sequel. I loved the ongoing character development, the unsolvable mystery, the action, the dialogue, and the chance to learn about other cultures and their myths. There is nothing about this sequel that is disappointing, and I am more than a little anxious for the next book.

This was really good! I enjoyed myself, and while it was a bit slow I did like the direction it went. I was a bit frustrated with Yumeko because she just at times made me want to throttle her! Mainly at the end. But I liked seeing where her magic went, how it grew so much compared to before. And I liked seeing Tatsumi battle himself and the angst that was going on with him! Overall I’m super excited to see where the series goes, and I cannot wait for the next book!

Julie Kagawa has created a world unlike any other in this series and her second novel further solidified how amazing of a writer she truly is. I began reading Soul of the Sword and I didn’t want her story telling to end. It is lush and descriptive with characters that you cannot forget. A must read for Ya fantasy fans.

So, I am not going to lie, I was a little bit slow to read this book. Mainly because I was not a fan of the first one despite being a big fan of the author.
But, stubborn me decided to give the second book a try just in case it is one of those cases where the sequal did it better... It has happened before trust me.
*cough* Throne of Glass series * Cough*

I loved the character building in this series, that has carried over from the first book. There is such a variety that even if one was missing there would be a part of the story along with it. It is alot like an anime brought to life. But for me it was just not my cup of tea.

I think it is a very good book but I struggled to finish it and probably wont continue reading the series, however for ya fantasy and anime lovers it is a series I will definitly be recomending.

Seeing as I was highly anticipating Nd this sequel, I can’t say I was disappointed. It did suffer a bit from second book syndrome” but there was so much keeping me reading: the main character being a major facet. Overall, I’m even MORE interested in how the finale will play out, this book definitely set up for an action packed, but clenching finale.

This was a fun sequel!
The only thing I didn't really enjoy was how often foreign words are used. I listened to the audiobook, but I think if I had read the physical book, I would have seriously struggled and I think it would have taken away from the story. With the audiobook, they say it correctly and it just keeps going, although sometimes I was a little confused because of how often the foreign words are used.
I enjoyed the different POVs, although it did take some getting used to that Kage Tatsumi wasn't actually himself in this book, he was Hakaimono (yes, I did copy and paste the names since I listened to the audibook!). I really loved the group of characters this book has. They are all so different and easy to remember who is who even with the less familiar names.
The ending was such a whirlwind and I had no guesses as to what was going to happen. It leads perfectly into the third book which I can't wait to read!

everything that made the first installment so magically phenomenal is present in this sequel, making for such a consistently compelling story. and i have no doubt that the next book, the conclusion, will be just as amazing.

things that make this book great:

the characters - the array of characters is so diverse, each bringing something different to the story; but they work so harmoniously that, if one of them was missing, i think the story would greatly suffer. and i think that is such a feat to accomplish for a writer.

the world building - the japanese mythology and folklore is the heart of this. and the story is set up in a really clever way where you know you are encountering really old tales of magic and wonder, but it has such a modern and lively feel to it. its so exciting.

the storytelling - there is such an immersive quality to kagawas writing. its been such a long time since i could so vividly imagine the story, with scenes so descriptive its as if a film was playing inside my mind. its just makes the entire reading experience go above and beyond.

and although the journey taken throughout this book was extremely enjoyable, my anxiety levels are through the roof because of how this ended. ‘night of the dragon’ seriously cant come soon enough!

Even better than the first installment of this trilogy, this book continues the quest to protect the portions of the scrolls and return the Kage Demon Slayer. Many pieces of the puzzle fall into place and new questions arise, making this sequel a fast-moving and action-packed nail-biter. I loved the relationships that begin forming in this book and the more complex character development. The end was unexpected and an interesting twist.

I know I say this a lot, but Kagawa's book is a competent work of fantasy. My reading experience ended up being colored by my inexperience; I had thought this was a standalone or the start to a series, and was surprised to discover after about half of the first chapter that it was neither. I went ahead and finished this book, but ... I messed up, and that's on me, not Kagawa. Her prose is clean and the plot moves along apace, and she has inflected her universe with some historical notes that will be familiar to many lovers of anime and manga. I am not well-positioned to comment on her usage of these, although I found myself happy to see a lovely queer relationship develop over the course of the novel, and this makes me hopeful that Kagawa is working on solid representation on other fronts I'm less familiar with. I think there's a lot still left to do in this series, both in respect to developing that LGBT relationship into something more nuanced and well-rounded as well as regards the book's overall plot. I'll need to go back and read the first book before I continue on, however ... I would not recommend starting as I did with this one.