I was a little wary of this book because of the mixed reviews it got when it first came out but when I got the book from Netgalley I picked it up and didn’t regret the decision to either, I thought this book was great.

This book is inspired by feudal Japan and the theme was definitely refreshing in YA fantasy as it was something new. The plot was very intriguing and it is a dual POV, sadly one let down is there was no indication when either character was speaking. I loved the characters nevertheless. The world building was great it developed greatly in the book along with characters.

I received this book in an Owlcrate subscription box last year, and although I loved the synopsis it has taken me months to finally dive into this book. Now that I have read Shadow of the Fox, I'm regretting not reading it much sooner!

This was a fascinating novel with a few different stories interwoven to create a bigger picture. It took a few chapters to get into the story as the first three are all written in different points of view! It was so interesting to learn of Japanese legends and folklore that were mentioned within the book, most I was very unfamiliar with so it was an educational read to say the least.

Yumeko was an unusual protagonist, usually I enjoy a fantasy novel with a more fierce and independent female character but Yumeko's innocence and naivety was refreshing. As she was raised in a temple she lacked understanding of the ways of the outside world, I thought the author portrayed this well without being patronising or blaming Yumeko for any indiscretions.

Julie Kagawa is a fairly well known author, by now she has written & published many books but Shadow Of The Fox is the first book I've read by this author. I'll definitely be looking into the authors other novels now.

One thing I can say for certain is, once I finished this book I was so glad I didn't have to wait for the second book in the trilogy to be published! I dove straight into Soul of the Sword without a moment's hesitation!

Honestly? This book was so much fun! I went into this a little wary because I'd seen mixed reviews and was a little worried that the writing would not live up to the amazing concept that had sold me on reading it in the first place. Mainly, a lot of people said that it read like an anime, and they were right! From the first few pages I couldn't imagine it in anything else but anime-style animation.

But you know what? I love anime! And I would absolutely 100% watch this one! It has so many of my favourite parts of Japanese culture and folklore (yokai, amanjaku, Kami) as well as some recognisable tropes in anime and manga (the sulky, brooding personality of Tatsumi vs. the naive, mischevious, optimistic Yumeko is one example) and I LIVED for it. I really liked the characters, the setting, and the pacing of the story too. I was certainly never bored!

The writing style won't be for everyone. It's written (purposefully I think) in a way that almost excessively brings to mind a Japanese-style cartoon but for me it was very nostalgic and like nothing I'd read before. I don't think it was detrimental to how likeable the characters were or how much research had gone into the story itself. This is certainly a great introduction to Kagawa's writing and I can't wait to read the next book!

Unfortunately this eARC has disappeared from my kindle and I am unable to download it again to read it so will be unable to offer a review. I have to leave a rating so will leave a three stars which I feel is fair as I am unable to offer a view on it.

Shadow of the Fox follows young Yumeko who is forced on the run when her temple is destroyed by demons in search of a piece of an ancient text which summons one wish once every thousand years. With nothing but her kitsune powers, she teams up with a samurai who wields a demon-possessed sword and is unaware the very thing he’s searching for is hidden within the folds of Yumeko’s clothes.
This book was quite fascinating. Inspired by feudal Japan, I found Shadow of the Fox quite refreshing in the first chapters. It’s a great mix of samurai fighting, demon magic and folklore. Every thousand years, a dragon returns to grant one wish to the bearer of its scroll. Fearful of its power, the scroll ripped and scatted across the lands. Yumeko is a kitsune who was taught to hide from her abilities, making her quite a naive little child in the beginning chapters. But once evil descends on her temple, she is thrown right out of her comfort zone and into the real world where foes are at her every step, and every village seems to be hiding a secret that can kill. Tatsumi is our brooding love interest, who fears that he’s unable to carry the sword he wields.
The rest of the group that ends up in Yumeko’s journey are the highlight of this series. Despite the dark theme, they’re quite cheeky and unique that provides a strange presence of entertainment that I hadn’t expected from the book.
Despite enjoying their group dynamic, their mini-adventure detracts from the main plot for a vast majority of this book that felt quite formulaic. Yumeko and Tatsumi are clearly on opposite ends of each other, and their journey was just one long love angst that I didn’t really have much interest in. While I really enjoyed Yumeko’s growth and it felt like it kept digressing a lot. There’s a lot of switching up: one minute she’s naïve, and the next page she’s cunning before returning to appearing like a common fool for the sake of the comedic moment. The inner struggle between Tatsumi and the sword deserved more than what we’re given.
Overall, despite my initial thoughts, I did enjoy this. Towards the end, we face a battle of epic proportions. There’s a lot of action and intrigue that makes this book worth it, but I just felt quite disappointed that the events didn’t read as well connected as I expected.

I actually really really enjoyed this book!!! It might be one of my new favourites of the year! :) And I am so mad at myself for only reading it just now! I loved the main characters, their interactions and adventures they had together. It was just so fun to read about!! And the ending was great, definitely makes me want to pick up the second book soon! Thank you for providing me with an e-arc, and I'm sorry for reading this so late!!

I enjoyed this book so much that I was actually annoyed at myself for finishing it in one day instead of savouring it. I was just so eager to keep reading and find out what would happen to Yumeko and Tastumi that the whole thing flew by. I was really impressed with the world-building and also how Kagawa managed to maintain a really interesting underlying plot (with a handful of great twists) while still making the book feel very character-driven. Overall, I would highly recommend this book to fantasy fans and I look forward to reading the sequel!

I am not entirely convinced by this book and I am not sure why. There are both fantastic elements and then others that just fell flat.

First, this is told from duel perspective but there is NO marker as to when the perspectives change within the written text. The voices of the two characters are not different enough to easily deduce which character was which. The only way I was able to finish the text was to switch to the audiobook which has a two different narrators and therefore made it possible to tell the perspectives apart.

Secondly the plot was somewhat slow. I think it was because I was not expecting this to be a buddy road trip plot line. It just feels like the plot just went blandly from action scene to action scene and that was disappointed. The action scenes were fast-paced but apart from the opening and final scenes the middle just seemed like filler. And then just as the storyline is really taking on legs of its own, it cliffhangers. Luckily I held of completing this so long I don’t need to wait long if i decide to continue.

The saving grace is the characters, I really enjoyed them. I really enjoyed that Yumeko, one of out MCs, was a young and precocious 16 year old instead of the wise beyond her years. She was brought up sheltered and I love that when forced to leave her home she was naive to the outside world and that that didn’t suddenly change a few pages after she set out on her journey. I liked that she was playful and questioning it worked well with her being kitsune and the traits that lent to her. This also contrasted nicely with our other perspective Tatsumi, who was brought up to be a ruthless killer. He is wise before his time, doesn’t know what it is like to be young and they balance each other out nicely while also leading to some fun comedic moments, especially with the additions to some of their travelling companions along the way.

We have all the troupes of the unlikely pair road trip scenario but that is not necessarily a bad thing and set against the rich cultural and mythological aspects woven into the story it does lend some interest along the way. I have however yet to make up my mind if I wish to continue. The cliffhanger did get me and I was just warming to the overall plot when it ended. I just don’t think i will be rushing to purchase the second in the series.

Unfortunately, I could not get into this story or care for the characters. The writing isn't bad and the characters are interesting, however, I just do not connect with them. Not for me, unfortunately, but others I know have loved it.

Shadow of the Fox is the first book in a Japanese-inspired fantasy series.
I loved the atmosphere, but Julie Kagawa didn't manage to make me invested in the protagonists and I soon found myself wanting the stories of other non-PoV characters instead of the one she was telling. I still think it could be a great novel to introduce someone to the YA fantasy genre, especially to its non-eurocentric side, but it's not working for me.

There's a lot of good stuff in this book, and so to save me from writing an essay I'll stick to a couple of sentences about the things that I enjoyed.

Purpose/duty - this is one of the main themes of the story, with each character having their own motives and beliefs based on their background and past experiences. It's likely to be explored further in the next book as there's still a lot to learn.

Atmospheric - from the lavish Imperial Palace to a travelers' rest-stop in the middle of the forest, the two main characters visit many places on their journey. Each setting is described in great detail, writing about all the senses so that it's easy for the reader to imagine being there. Be it a ghost town or a bustling city, each location has it's own unique feel.

Asian roots - some books based on a specific culture only utilise a few elements, whereas this one makes it the heart of the story. Food, religion, architecture, clothing, language... it's got it all.

Worldbuilding - in addition to the strong sense of atmosphere and culture, other elements that contribute to the worldbuilding (magic, history etc) are explained as the story progresses. As the main female character has spent her life in a monastery and only has limited knowledge that she was taught by her elders, the reader learns about new concepts at the same time.

Characters - there's a great mix of personalities in the main group of characters. Okame's sarcasm is lost on Yumeko's innocence, and in turn Yumeko's kindness is foreign to Tatsumi who has been taught to suppress his emotions in addition to never having received kindness from his peers.

This was a solid 4 star read and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel very soon.

I am so grateful to NetGalley and the Publishers, HQ for providing me with a copy of Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa

"It is very hard to be human, little fox. Even the humans themselves don't do a great job of it."

Shadow of the Fox is mostly told from the two main characters POV's. Yumeko is a kitsune - half girl and half demon fox, who was raised by monks in a temple. Until the day demons come looking for a scroll which will help them release The Dragon into the world. The monks send her, along with the scroll, searching for the Stone Feather Temple to help protect life as they know it. Along the way she meets Tatsumi who is a shinobi - ninja in Japanese - of the Shadow Clan, however most believe he is just a samurai warrior. He is the demonslayer and bearer of the cursed sword, Kamigoroshi, the demon sealed inside the sword frequently tries to take over Tatsumi's mind when the latter loses control of his emotions.

My copy did have a glossary at the back which I didn't see until I finished the book, but having read Japanese inspired books before I recognized several words, suffixes, and that family names come before first names. For example Tatsumi, is actually Kage Tatsumi.

I did love the atmosphere in the book, the world building was incredible as it usually is with Julie Kagawa's books. When the book started the first few chapters all had a different POV and I did find this a little confusing and hard to get into at first. However once I built a connect to the main characters I did find that flew through this book.

The characters all developed over the course of the book, when they faced not only minor obstacles but the big bad towards the end. I also love that there was no love triangle, it is incredibly refreshing that YA novels don't always feel they have to add in love triangles to make the plot interesting.

Overall I did really enjoy this book, the ending did leave me wanting more, so I will be looking out for Soul of the Sword.

My thoughts : This is a book i could never of imaged finding more gripping than anything i have ever read before , the first chapter was a amazing way to start a story but also left me puzzled...This story is so fresh and new i think that's why i became so gripped and engrossed in it with one of the main characters being a Kitsuni is something that got me most of all i fell in love with the mythical creature due to watching Teen wolf and this is the first story i have ever come across with one in it , along with the other main character being a dark samurai with a dark secret that he cant bring him self to admit to Yumeko , to say this is bringing a lot of issues to him is a understatement due to the fact he cant help the way hes starting to feel something towards her .
The introduction to the other new characters along the way just adds to this amazing story add the amazing world building and this is one of the most amazing storys iv read this year

I was really excited to read this book, since I thought the Japanese mythology would be super interesting and a story around a half fox spirit or demon (I don't even remember what she was wow) seemed right up my alley. But turned out I was completely disappointed with he execution of the story, even though the premise at the heart of it was good.

First of all, the characters were very bland and cookie-cutter and I just couldn't connect to them and didn't care. There is the main character Yumeko, who throughout the story get surrounded by more and more men who are all beautiful and I feel a love triangle coming up for the next book. She is supposed to be this cunning kitsune, but all the ever does is talk and ask for others to protect her. She is always nice and sweet and of course she us unaware of her own beauty and amazed whenever a man mentions it. The other pov character is the shadow samurai Tatsumi. He wields a demon possessed sword and that's why he was trained to have no emotions. But he still has great abs and scars she can find interesting. They quickly get into each other, without ever having a positive interaction that explains why they trust and like each other.

The story itself resolves around a bunch of scrolls that need to be collected to summon a dragon and there are bad people after it, so they need to protect it. This story happens in the beginning of the story and the end. In between there is plain filler with monster of the week type adventures, that mostly bored me.

This is probably a very personal issue I have with this book, it has gotten amazing reviews everywhere else, but It just wasn't for me. Younger readers and some who are really informed about the folklore in here might enjoy it more, especially if they like these archetypes of characters.

Well to begin with , this book was so different from the usual Young Adult Fantasy . This was an altogether a whirlwind ride of a story that was heavily inspired from the Japanese Mythology . Huge amount of Japanese words are used in chunks to maintain the authenticity of the book ..But a small problem arises here that it takes a while for the reader to actually grasp the story . Since I was reading on a Kindle , I had to highlight some paragraphs to grasp the storyline. The protagonist, Yumeko is a half human & half kitsune, (Kitsune refers to a Fox ) As I was reading the book I came across the fact that Fox is creature of great importance in the Japanese Culture and mythology. So Yumeko is the possessor of the scroll and she needs to reach the temple before the scroll falls in wrong hands . Enter Kage Tatsumi, a mysterious samurai who has been ordered to bring the scroll . Both of them make an unlikely pact and travel towards the temple in the kingdom’s capital. When they travel , they have encounters with demons , wind witches , blood magic , ghosts and what not . Demons are fought and alliance are made on the way .


So basically the story is that our two protagonist are in a journey from one place to another and that’s in huge portions in the book . The adventures that occur on the way helps in unveiling Yumeko and Tatsumi ‘personality slowly and as they are the key to the fate of the world itself. (which is half filled with demons and Oni). Some sparks fly between them as well (but no as such romance elements). The ending was such that had a lasting impression on me and I was shocked for a while . A highly conceptualized Young Adult Fantasy with a bunch of elements , developed characters and a intriguing story . I personally enjoyed this read and can’t wait for the next book!!

I wanted to read this because it is a fantasy inspired by Japanese folklore, featuring a half-kitsune (fox spirit) as the main character. I like all the different youkai, but found that the episodic nature of each chapter became a bit repetitive and interfered with me connecting with the characters. Overall, I enjoyed it so will be reading the next book.
Full review to come on my blog.

Masterful worldbuilding, terrifying monsters and an enchanting demonslayer all add up to a new favourite! Full of fascinating Asian mythology and Japanese culture this makes a refreshing change from tired, overused Western narratives, The excitement and drama are palpable; I read it in one indulgent sitting and can't wait for book two. Highly recommended.

A Japanese inspired fantasy, Yumeko has been educated by monks. She discovers she is half kitsune but one day the monastery she lives at is attacked and she flees. The plot was incredible and I can't wait to see what happens in the next book

I really enjoyed this fantasy book, the first in a series. And I will definitely pick up the sequel. I found it interesting with the historical, Japanese inspired content, which made it original. I think Kagawa's writing is approachable, enjoyable and addictive.
If you like historical fantasies, set in different geographies, this is a very good option.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had read one of Julie Kagawa's books before and I didn't really like the writing but I wanted to try again. A Japanese inspired fantasy with reference to yokai sounded very interesting and I was hoping to enjoy this book. Unfortunately I found again that the writing was long-winded, it seemed to take a long time for anything to even happen. Perhaps Kagawa's writing is just not for me.