I went into this book almost immediately after reading Soul of the Sword. That book ripped out my still-beating heart out of my chest. This book took it and just stomped all over it. Most of the book takes place during the final battle but before that, we finally find out who Yumeko's mother is. During the last half of the book we find out who Yumeko's actual father is. Which you can guess who it is from like a mile away. Also what was up with all the character death in this book? Like I get some of the deaths but some were just not necessary. But that epilogue... Why did it have to end like that? I need more. Even a novella would work.

I really do recommend reading this trilogy if you love reading books based in feudal Japan with romance, adventure and the supernatural.

This book… this series… these characters… this ending… were all epic. I’d love to ramble and wax poetic, but I’m afraid if I did, I’d give something away. There were so many twists and turns. There were sweet moments, horrific moments and more heartbreaking moments that I should have expected, but didn’t. There were surprising allies and a not so surprising growing list of enemies. Through it all, there was this “family” made up of Yumeko, Tatsumi, Reika, Okame and even Suki, who were there to support, love and honor each other. I loved them all… ❤

This mis-matched band of heroes gained an unexpected place in my heart that I didn’t see coming, even by the end of Shadow of the Fox, the first book in the series. I had no idea what I was in for when I started this series, but I’m so glad I picked it up. Julie Kagawa didn’t make it an easy series to read, especially this last book. I actually “yelled” at her more than once while reading and I’m not ashamed to admit that I could have read the last 20% of this book faster if I wasn’t slowed down by tears. I almost considered deducting at least a fraction of a star for the heartbreak that she put readers through, but I couldn’t. The ending just about broke me, but the epilogue helped me forgive her, maybe just a little.

Julie Kagawa impresses me yet again with the finale of this series, While it's not my favorite series by her (Blood of Eden will always be my favorite!), I really loved this series and its finale. It was nonstop action with so many twists and unexpected events, so not once was I bored. I definitely cried a lot while reading this book, but all in all, I'm satisfied with the way the series ended. It was a nice distraction from the current events of our world right now, and I was very grateful for that, and for Netgalley providing the ARC to me.

My thoughts about the setting and the writing have pretty much been the same all throughout the series; aka it's been phenomenal. Read this series if only for the rich and amazing Japanese culture and the really great writing!

Overall, the characters were also amazing. I GOT TATSUMI BACK, BLESS. I had missed him so much. I fell even more in love with both Okame and Daisuke (and both of them together), and even though Reika never got completely through to me I still really liked her. We didn't really get to know Suki that well, but I liked she got a bigger part of the story in this book.

This book was really action packed from beginning to end. You definitely never got bored!! But... that was also a little bit of a bad thing for me. On the one hand, it was great, but on the other, the climax of the book lasted for so. long. It just got a little tiring. I felt like the author dragged out some scenes that could have been shorter and cleaner.

Otherwise, I was about the throw my book (kindle) out the window at the end. Like seriously I was so angry. And then the prologue happened. This book was hovering between a 3.5 stars and 4 stars the entire time, but then the very end made me give it a solid 4 stars!!!

In the end, this series was a really great one and I really recommend it! While it might not have been (at least for me) a book you just can't put down – and I'm not really sure why that is? Once, I read it, it was fine, but I wouldn't necessarily be aching to pick it back up after I put it down – it is still sooo worth the read. I will definitely miss all of the characters a whole big lot!

Julie Kagawa is such a wonderful writer, I was so excited to get back to the characters and the world. I didn't love this one as much as the other two, but it was a great ending to the series! Thank you!

This series burned out for me. I only got to the 40-50% mark. I loved the first book and I’m so sad that I have enjoyed each subsequent book less.

Reading this book provides you an EXPERIENCE, a true and full experience. This series and book is so well written to the point that you are drawn in and invested from the first chapter. This one will keep you thinking long after you have finished reading the book - highly recommend this series!

I really love how enthralling Kagawa's worlds are. She doesn't rush a plot and I am thankful for that. Theres lots of times for feelings to develop naturally and not so much of an instant feeling for any one relationship. Which is why I was so happy to go into this story. Lots of colliding storylines to see smash together.

It didnt disappoint. There was a ton of satisfaction in how things came together. I dont want to spoil anything, but I had been concerned about how some stuff would work out and I think the threads wrapped up very nicely. A stellar addition to Kagawa's library and the library of any fan of fantady adventure in YA.

The first two books of the Shadow of the Fox trilogy are phenomenal. But to me, the third book fell short. I think a couple of things led to that. I honestly expected more "drama" with Tatsumi and Hakaimono. Maybe it was just supposed to show how in control Tatsumi was, but I thought there would be more "wrestling" for power. I admit, this feels unfair of me to say, because I often despise drawing out of conflict unnecessarily, but in this case, I thought Hakaimono and Tatsumi would war with each other. I think the pacing was off as well. Very fast at times, and dragging at others.

What did I like/love:
I was so happy to see Tatsumi and Yumeko's relationship develop.
And also Okame and Daisuke -- heart melt. Those two.
Reika warming even more to...well, everyone.
Yumeko's powers...she really is BA in this.
And The Kirin. Dude, that guy was cool. And scary. But way cool.

I definitely feel like I need a book just on Japanese mythology, as I am even more fascinated with this area.

Kagawa is a brilliant writer and sign me up for whatever she writes next!

This is the third book in the Shadow of the Fox trilogy and is best read after books one and two.
After Yumeko and her friends give up the pieces of the Dragon Scroll to Genno in order to save lives, they have to quickly scramble to go after him and his minions before he summons the Great Dragon and makes the wish that will destroy the world. Kage Tatsumi and Hakaimono have agreed to a temporary truce so they can stop Genno before it's too late. As the friends gather allies to fight Genno's forces, they forced into a battle for their lives and the world as they know it. Unfortunately, there is another player in the game who has hidden in the shadows, until now...

I couldn't put down this book until I found out what the conclusion of the trilogy would be. The tension and suspense was real for me, and the story seemed to spring right from the pages because the writing was very descriptive. In my opinion, Julie Kagawa is a master at creating a fantasy world and memorable characters that are easy to get attached to. As a warning, just like the first two books, this book is very dark, violent, and gory in nature and can be hard to read at times for those with a weak stomach. I don't endorse the lifestyles of the characters personally, but I enjoyed learning more about Japanese culture. I won't give away any spoilers, but I have to admit that the ending was quite a downer for me personally. I guess I was expecting something more, but that hasn't influenced my star rating. I recommend this book and series to anyone who enjoys great fantasy.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. A positive review was not required, and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

As with all of the books in this series it is magical, original and a beautiful ending to a wonderful series. Highly recommend.

It’s rare to feel like a series finale ends the entire saga on the perfect note, but I truly felt that way about Night of the Dragon. I dove into this one immediately after finishing the second book, and man, it was a wild ride! There’s something magical that’s inherently present in Kagawa’s storytelling style for this series, as the setting, the lore, the plot and the characters all come together in a very complementary manner. Every single element was at its best! I flew through this one so, so quickly because I just had to know how it was all going to end, and I’m so very satisfied with how it did. I definitely give this finale (and this trilogy) my full approval, and it’s joining all the other series on my all-time favorite series shelf!

This was a lovely and fitting to this series. Kagawa is a stellar writer with such a talent for building depth of character and world-building.

I was so amped up to read this. I do this thing where I binge read series’ and Julie Kagawa’s Shadow of the fox trilogy happens to be the latest. I wasn’t sure after I finished the first book because it was a struggle to get through. I chopped that up to the fact that the whole world was very new to me, specifically the culture and the new terms. But then I went onto Soul of the Sword and I loved it!!! So I was beyond ready/nervous to start Night of the Dragon because I didn’t want the series to end haha. I finished Night of the dragon with severely mixed feelings.
There was a lot in here that I enjoyed but then there were major plot points that had me screaming at the book in anger. SPOILERS AHEAD!!!You’ve been warned!

I want to thank Harpercollins and Inkyard Press for including me in their Spring 2020 Blog tours featuring Night of the Dragon by Julie Kagawa.

I loved seeing Yumeko finally discovering her lineage and her ties to this reclusive Moon clan was definitely a cool way to intro another piece of this world. Her father being a nine-tailed kitsune was shocking and I was glad to see this mysterious Seigestu character finally come into the fold and get explained. I kept wondering who he was and it got infuriating because he kept poking into the plot and would talk about his grand “game”. That got super annoying as the book neared the end. That being said I loved how the amount of tails equalled how strong of a kitsune are. Great incorporation! Plus I liked the princess reveal for Yumeko, it seemed to fit.

However, Hakiamono was a letdown. At the end of Soul of the Sword he and Tatsumi had to essentially combine their souls into one body to save each other and that was a shocking twist because he was the villain for the majority of the book but then in this book he’s kinda not evil….no tormenting Tatsumi over his love for the fox girl, no threatening to kill anybody. He was a team player and likable which I think ruined his villainess character arc. I don’t think that’s the way it should have gone because it just undoes what happened in the sequel.

Tatsumi and Yumeko are finally together! It only took two full books haha! It was a really sweet, very slow burn romance which was fine because the plot took centre stage. One thing I didn’t like about it though was all of chapter 26. For those who aren’t familiar yet (and appreciate spoilers haha) the amount of times Tatsumi’s hand was on Yumeko’s waist was baffling. They’re in the middle of this huge battle and instead of fighting I had to read at least 5 maybe even 10 times where his hand was on her waist. Totally unnecessary! You can’t miss this either. Too obvious. It almost feels like this repetition was trying to compensate for the little romance Kagawa included in this trilogy and it just backfired.

“I would not ask just anyone to die with me, Okame-san,’ he whispered. ‘You are more than ronin. You have loyalty, courage, compassion, everything a warrior should strive for, and your honesty about the world is something most samurai are blind to. It would be an honor to meet that glorious death at your side.”

Oh man these two were just so adorable it hurt to see their ending play through. I was routing for them since book 2 (so pretty much as soon as Kagawa introduced the potential pairing) and I really thought they would make it out to the other side but I’m glad they were together in the end. Yes, very cheesy but I mean it. They were ADORABLE! Joking about a poem featuring a peacock and a dog was a sad but rather cute sentiment. They were always upbeat despite all the obstacles telling them they shouldn’t be and that’s an attitude I can get behind.

But the most annoying thing ever was the ending. OH MY GOD. Literally everyone died. Except for Yumeko. Ugh. I wasn’t expecting a happy ending persay because I knew that would be unlikely and completely unreasonable but this ending wasn’t that great. Even the epilogue didn’t fix it. Catching a glimpse of a reincarnated Tatsumi was too fleeting to satisfy this reader. Especially when it took SO LONG for them to admit their feelings. I’m just disappointed in how lot of things were handled in this book. I think I went into this with too many hopes so I wasn’t prepared when Kagawa squashed them. I should have been more prepared. I wasn’t happy with how things turned out and the second book is still my favourite in the series (I haven’t shunned this trilogy having now finished it) but all that being said, the writing was still excellent and the plot still had tons of creepy elements of supernatural folklore which I have loved throughout this series. I definitely recommend this book to those who love fantasy books more than romance readers because like I said there isn’t much here. But the plot and stories woven into this world were awesome. If you’re ok with an unhappy ending or what some might call “a realistic” one, then check this series out! It also didn’t feel like a YA novel which I know puts some people off but I preferred it. There’s a lot less teen angst which was great!

Overall I think this series is worth a read. The sheer amount of creepy, supernatural Japanese folklore made these a great, unique read. Her writing is well done too. I recommend checking out her other series too, especially the Iron Fey series!

“Never be where your enemy expects. Let them chase shadows, like reflections in a pond. Make it so they don’t know what is real and what is not.”

*We received an early copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are our own and do not reflect the thoughts or opinions of the publisher or author.

Quick Take: the final installment of Julie Kagawa’s Shadow of the Fox trilogy sees Yumeko and her band of misfit friends trying to stop anyone from using the Dragon Scroll to make a wish and save the world. If you loved the first two books in the trilogy you will love how Kagawa wraps up the story. Its a wild ride and Kagawa does a fantastic job of getting the end of the trilogy the time and attention it deserves.

What I Loved: Kagawa is so talented with her creation of characters. She makes you care about each and everyone of them and makes them feel important to the story even if they are a side character playing a minor role. There were a lot of things which happened that I did not expect and I really appreciated that Kagawa was unafraid of going where the story needed to go and giving us a bit of a bittersweet ending instead of tying all the loose ends up in a deep little bow.

What I Didn’t Love: Honestly, I loved everything about this book. If I had to complain about anything it would be that some of the aspect of the journey seemed a little repetitive and almost formulaic. For example, the friends arrive in the city ready to rest- but something seems off- then they are forced to battle their way through a bunch of possessed citizens and then they are rescued by some who managed to escape whatever is possessing the town. I am fairly certain it happened at least once and every book and while it might be petty it struck me in the third book as I felt like I had read the same scene already before.

As always, Julie Kagawa just guts me.
I knew this story would hurt me, there was no way around that which would still be true to the characters.

Spending the last 3 books with this group of unique and wacky, yet honorable people was so much fun. I have never read a story in this unique genre before. I wasn't familiar with the culture or naming practices or the lore that went with it. I appreciate that so much. I want to expand the kinds of tales I am reading and this was a great place to start.

Bit be prepared to have your heart stomped on a few times.

Such swoon! Kagawa has an amazing ability to weave romances that pull at your heart-strings, and she does it again with this book! I would still say that my favorite series of hers would still be Talon--I feel like I couldn't really get into the plot for this book and was prone to skipping through some sections. However, there were still many scenes I enjoyed and overall it was a good book.

[Note: This book contains graphic depictions of violence and character death.]

I am delighted to report that NIGHT OF THE DRAGON is a fantastic ending to The Shadow of the Fox trilogy. While some series falter at the finish line, author Julie Kagawa kept building on the things that made the previous installments in the series (Shadow of the Fox and Soul of the Sword) so much fun: a ragtag band of heroes putting everything they have on the line to save a magical world. And of course, their love for one another, whether it be platonic or romantic.

This was a hard-hitting book on a number of spoiler-y levels—I cried ten separate times while reading it, if you want some kind of scale—but the best spoiler-less comment I can make is that I will always love stories about characters who become heroes because they are committed to protecting others, even when the personal cost is high. Whether that’s holding the line against incredible odds or the insistence that the right thing must be done even if success is unlikely, Yumeko and the rest of her friends constantly make heroic choices even when the safer thing to do would be to run away.

I really loved Yumeko’s journey in this book, as she became stronger and more confident in her powers. I especially enjoyed her confidence when it came to Tatsuki/Hakaimono, and the reciprocation/development of their romance. But most of all, I loved how much everyone else in the group loved and believed in her—she truly was the heart and soul of the team, and a leader that could inspire others to face down gods and demons and evil ghosts with her.

The final book villain had solid twists and turns, but even though I was able to predict some of them, they were still satisfying developments. Once again, Kagawa did an excellent job of escalating the stakes, the fights, and the character arcs to the point where I plowed through the entire second half of the book in one go. I’m very sad that this series is over, but I am incredibly happy that I got to read it.

Recommendation: Buy it now. The Shadow of the Fox series is a fantastic addition to any fantasy collection, and the series wraps up wonderfully with NIGHT OF THE DRAGON. If you love action/adventure stories centered on heroes going on a quest to save the world, this series is the one for you.

I was beyond excited when I approved for an ARC of this book, so to start, big thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was a wonderful finale for this trilogy. I had a hard time getting into it at first, but that was my own issues with fantasy at the moment. I pushed through and once the gang made it about halfway through the book (to the location where the big battle was going down) I was hooked. Julie Kagawa has created such lovable and well developed characters. I just adored them all. Their relationship as a whole group was so heartwarming. They’ve been through so much together and it was absolutely devastating to see the end result for these characters. (Julie Kagawa takes “kill you’re babies” VERY seriously.) There is a wonderfully done male/male romance. And I would die for the both of them. I’m purposefully not naming and names because I cannot spell any of them to save my life and I’m writing this on my phone because this review will never get written otherwise.
Overall, I really thought this was an excellent ending to a great series. I really loved the ending even though parts totally broke my little heart. I love this world and there were so many little details that just made the story that much better. Sorry if this review is a big vague, but it’s the third and final book and I don’t want to spoil anything. But please read this series. It’s diverse and wonderful and everyone needs to love it.

I love anything written by Julie Kagawa. Her Iron Fey series was my introduction to the Fae and started me down the path of young adult fantasy. Her Blood of Eden series filled a vampire void I didn’t even know existed. Yet it is her Soul of the Sword series and its finale Night of the Dragon that made me an emotional wreck.

What makes her novels so good is the fact that Ms. Kagawa does not allow any of her characters to maintain easy paths. Her characters face death, destruction, and nearly impossible choices with very real and sometimes harsh consequences. No one is purely evil or purely good. Each character maintains the capacity for some level of each within him or herself. Similarly, much like in real life, the situations in which her characters find themselves are rarely simple. There are layers upon layers of past actions and consequences that lead up to the situations in which her characters now find themselves. For novels that are firmly in the fantasy realm of gods, demons, and magical beings, her stories are as realistic as one will read.

There is a lot to love within the entire Soul of the Sword series. Its messages of love and honor are ones that hit particularly hard after three years with an administration that has no honor and is incapable of love for their fellow citizens. Its lesson of size being inconsequential and unrelated to capabilities is another reminder that even the smallest person can institute change. Plus, it introduces most readers to Japanese folklore and myth in a way that is fascinating.

As for Night of the Dragon, I loved every word. I cringed. I feared. I worried. I laughed out loud. I cried. Seriously, I cried. After ten years of writing reviews, I can still count on two hands how often a book made me shed tears. Ms. Kagawa brought me to tears with her ending for Kumeko, a character I absolutely adore.

While I am sad that my time with Kumeko and her friends is at an end, I am happy that I got the chance to meet this remarkable girl. Her unwavering loyalty, as well as her strong belief in duty and honor, gave me hope that such traits are admirable and needed in our world. Her refusal to cave to her fears and others’ expectations of failure is pure inspiration. Fantastical but still applicable to reality, Night of the Dragon is the perfect ending to a truly spectacular series.