Trigger Warning: This book features abuse, discussion of desire to rape.

I loved the sound of Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa when I first heard about it, but was a little wary as I hadn't enjoyed the other book by Kagawa I'd read in the past. However, Shadow of the Fox was a really facinating story, and one I thoroughly enjoyed!

Yumeko is half human, half Kitsune - a fox yōkai. She was abandoned on the doorstep of the Silent Winds Temple as a baby, and has been raised by months ever since. A natural mischievous prankster, she's spent the years being a nuisance to some of the less patient monks, doing chores, and learning from Master Isao about her magic and how to keep it hidden. But the turn of the new millenium is almost at hand, and Master Isao reveals to Yumeko the true purpose of the Silent Winds Temple; to keep a piece of an ancient scroll safe. It's a piece from the Scroll of a Thousand Prayer, and whoever has all the pieces will be able to call the Kami Dragon from his watery home at the turn of the millenium, and have one wish granted. When a horde of demons appear at the temple one evening, Master Isao forces Yumeko to run with the scroll piece with the instructions to seek out a Master Jiro at the Hayate shrine in Kin Heigen Toshi, the capital city if Iwagoto, and find out from him the secret location of the Steel Feather temple. It's the only place the scroll piece will be safe. The demons raze the temple to the ground, killing everyone in it, but not before the monks combine their forces together to hold the demons at bay in order for Yumeko to get away. But when she is discovered by some minor demons as she makes her escape, she is saved only by the appearance of Kage Tatsumi. A samurai assassin whose job it is to kill yōkai, the dark Shadow clan has sent him on a mission to the Silent Winds temple to retrieve the scroll, but he gets there too late. Using her natural kitsune instincts to trick and deceive, Yumeko convinces Tatsumi that the scroll piece had been sent on to the Steel Feather temple days before for safety, the monks doing danger was coming, and that is where she is heading, and persuades him to accompany her on her way there, to keep her safe. It's the only way to make sure she doesn't die, to complete her mission, and see that the scroll is safe. Even though she is in the company of one who would kill her without a thought if he knew she was kitsune, and especially if he knew she has the scroll.

I really loved Shadow of the Fox! It's such an awesome character driven story! It's dual narrated by Yumeko and Tatsumi, two characters who couldn't be more different. Despite being half kitsune, and therefore it being her nature to be deceptive, Yumeko is also innocent and filled with a child-like sense of wonder. She's never been anywhere except at the temple, and so their journey towards Kin Heigen Toshi gives Yumeko experiences she's never had before. She is excited and joyful about everything, and it's so beautiful to see someone so in awe of what most would take for granted. Even though she is quite a prankster, and finds tricking people amusing, she has been raised by monks, and so she is so good and so kind.

Tatsumi is the Kage's demonslayer and wields a sword named Kamigoroshi - The Godslayer - a sword inside which a violent, bloodthirsty demon full of rage, Hakaimono, is trapped. The sword helps Tatsumi to be practically unbeatable, but the demon is still conscious, and a bond between demonslayer and sword is always formed. Hakaimono can reach inside Tatsumi's head, and Tatsumi always has to fight to stay in control of the sword and of himself. He has been raised since he was very young to be emotionless, to withstand the harshest of treatment and feel nothing. For emotion is the way Hakaimono can slip inside him completely and take over. Any emotion is forbidden - the Shadow clan will kill him if there is any sign that Hakaimono might be able to take control. So he's never experienced kindness, or been touched with any kind of warmth or gentleness - at all, ever. Yumeko is unlike anyone Tatsumi has ever met before, because being in the company of anyone other than those in the Shadow clan for any length of time is forbidden, in case of emotion, but he has no choice this time. And Yumeko is so baffling to him, how she treats him like a human. Because, to the Shadow clan, he is not. He is a tool with a purpose, and must remain so, lest Hakaimono takes over and all hell breaks loose. But Tatsumi has his mission, he must retrieve the scroll or be executed, and Yumeko is the only person who can lead him to it's whereabouts, or so he believes. He is always walking on a knife's edge, but being in Yumeko's presence for days on end has made that knife all the more sharper, and staying free of emotion and keeping Hakaimono out of his head is becoming even more. As you can probably guess, there is a hint of romance. It's not the kind of romance we normally see, considering if Tatsumi knew the truth he would kill Yumeko, and so she is constantly trying to keep her true self and the scroll hidden. And considering Tatsumi is not allowed to feel anything. So it's the slowest of slow burns, jus the beginnings of the two coming to care for each other, but it was still so beautiful. I adored it!

There are other characters in the story who end up joining the two along the way, and the duo does become a band of people, do to Yumeko's kindness, and honour, and need to get the scroll to safety - despite Tatsumi wishing he could just get the damn scroll on his own, and be away from people who may cause him to feel anything. My favourite has got to be the ronin Okame, a former samurai who is without honour. He's straight talking and uncouth, and just completely hilarious. In a world where honour is everything, and you must be seen to doing and saying the right thing, Okame's lack of honour allows him to do and say as he pleases, and he's a breath of fresh air! He is so funny, but he's also loyal to those he decides matter, and is just brilliant. I don't want to say too much about the others because of spoilers, but they're such an interesting group, and it felt really familiar to the quest-style Western-inspired high fantasies I grew up on.

Speaking of Western-inspired, Shadow of the Fox is not. It's an #OwnVoices Japanese inspired high fantasy. We might not see much of the various yōkai, but the story was saturated with Japanese folklore as well as Japanese culture, and it's so immersive and gorgeous! It was just so fascinating! However, there were moments that felt slightly clunky, where information needed to be given to the reader about the various kami - gods - for example, but it was done so in conversation between people who would already know it. For example, they would all know that Tamafuku is a the God of Luck, but because we readers won't necessarily know that, they would say things like, "Tamafuku, the God of Luck, ..." It happened a few times that aspects of the culture or folklore were explained to the reader through conversation, when those characters would already know those things. It felt almost shoehorned in? And just a little clunky. But it's only a small thing.

The only other issue I had with the story is that, of the couple of people that we know of in this part of the series, we don't know what they want all the pieces of the scroll for. Obviously, it's to make a wish at the turn of the millenium, but what that wish is, we never know. It kind of makes sense that we don't know what the Daiyo - the leader - of the Shadow clan wants to wish for, because Tatsumi isn't important enough to know such things. He doesn't even know what the scroll does. He's just been sent to retrieve it. But, without spoilers, we do occassionally get to see what's happening with the other person who wants the scroll, away from Yumeko and Tatsumi, and so it would make sense there for us to know what wish this person would want to make? I mean, they are pretty desperate, considering all the things they throw at the two on their way to the capital. And towards the end we kind of find out something, but I do think we could have found that out earlier in the story, but still have known of the plans? Sorry to be cryptic, I don't want to give spoilers so I can't explain properly. I just would have liked to have known what people wanted to wish for. I think it might have added to the stakes a bit. These people cannot get hold of the scroll pieces, because if they do, X is going to happen. But we don't get that.

But again, that's just another small thing. On the whole, Shadow of the Fox is awesome. It's not quite as exciting, despite all the action that takes place - it feels more of a quieter high fantasy that's more about the people than it is about the action, but I loved that. And the ending, oh my god! Such a cliffhanger! I'm really excited to see where things will go in the sequel, Soul of the Sword, when it comes out in June next year!

Thank you to HQ Young Adult via NetGalley for the eproof.

I received a free ebook version of this book from Netgalley. Thankyou to both Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this! My review is still honest.

This was a really good one! It's not perfect, and I'm not wowed, but it had a lot of great aspects. I really enjoyed it.
Shadow of the Fox is set in a fantasy world based on Japanese mythology, centred around Kumeko, a half-kitsune (fox spirit) and Tatsumi, the bearer of a demon sword. It's difficult to summarise, but it was really cool!
The Japanese culture and mythology aspects were by far my favourite thing. I can't attest to the accuracy of the portrayal, but it was definitely more mesmerising and interesting than your typical YA fantasy setting. It also had a really enticing romance, and some very vivid characters. Tatsumi's struggles were very resonant, and I really liked some of the friends Tasumi and Kumeko picked up along the way. The demons and evil creatures were sufficiently scary, and the ending really makes you want the sequel now!
My issues were essentially with lost potential. For a mischievous kitsune spirit, Kumeko is very meek. She could have been so much more, but instead she's kind of like the all-kind, all-innocent maiden that the others have to protect. She has her badass moments, but I want to see more of them! I also felt like this could be a little repetitive and predictable, and in certain parts of the book, not much seemed to happen.
Nevertheless, this was a good one, and I'm excited for Soul of the Sword.

Thank you to Julie Kagawa, Netgalley, and the publishers, HQ Young Adult, for a copy of Shadow of the Fox!

Shadow of the Fox is set in the Japanese-inspired fantasy land of Iwagoto. Having read other books set in similarly inspired settings - Jay Kristoff's Lotus War trilogy and Renée Ahdieh's Flame in the Mist duology - I was excited and hopeful to read a fresh take on the genre.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading Shadow of the Fox, which is the first in a trilogy (and which I absolutely cannot wait to read the rest of!). The nods to Japanese culture and mythology were well-integrated, and there is even a glossary at the back of the book for those confused by unfamiliar terms, which I thought was a nice touch.

This novel is told from two perspectives - Yumeko, a sixteen year old girl and half-kitsune (fox spirit). As such, she can perform magic, though it is mostly limited to tricks and illusions. Having been brought up by monks in a temple, and having never ventured far from it, Yumeko can be quite naïve at times - especially when it comes to sarcasm, which I found endearing and hilarious. As the novel progresses and she leaves the temple, we see her begin to grow up a little, and I'll be interested to see her character progress further in later novels.

We also have Tatsumi, a warrior of the infamous Kage clan. He has been trained (and beaten) to be emotionless so that he can wield a sword imbued with a demon. If he lets his barriers down, the demon will be able to take over - and he knows he must avoid this at all costs.

As Yumeko and Tatsumi venture out of the temple, their party grows to include a ronin (discgraced samurai), a noble, a reiko (temple maiden) and a temple guardian in the guise of a small dog, meeting demons along the way (including a giant centipede!) who want to get hold of the scroll for the nefarious Lady Satomi, who I found genuinely chilling.

Kagawa's writing throughout the novel was solid - it is clear that she has written many books before, and never did I feel encumbered by clunky or uncomfortable prose or dialogue. While it feels clear that a romance between Yumeko and Tatsumi is going to happen, nothing happened between the two characters, which felt natural; however they are beginning to have feelings for each other, which begins to create problems by the end of the novel... (revealing any more than that would be spoiling things, however!)

One small complaint I have is that the plot did take a little while to get going, however the payoff was well worth it, and while reading the fight scene at the end I could barely read fast enough; I just had to know what was going to happen!

The end of the novel and the epilogue leave many questions still open, and of course Yumeko still has to take the scroll to the temple. I am already eagerly awaiting the sequel, Soul of the Sword, which is due to be released in June next year.

In the end I gave Shadow of the Fox four very well-deserved stars!

Thank you again to Netgalley and the publishers, HQ Young Adult, for the copy. Shadow of the Fox is out now, so if you liked my review and want to know more, be sure to check it out!

This is such an amazing book that it made me wonder why I'd never read more Japanese inspired stories before.
I loved the MCs in this book, and most of all I loved Yumeko as you really felt like you were on the journey with her - discovering all the new things.
Definitely can't wait for the next book,

As some of you may know I do love a good, high YA fantasy and when I found out about Shadow of the Fox I was instantly intrigued - firstly by the cover (isn't it gorgeous!) and secondly by the fact that it was going to be based on Japanese Mythology. As someone who had never read any fantasy with this concept I knew I was going to be in for a treat. This was such a unique take on the YA fantasy genre.

First of all, lets talk about the Japanese Mythology within the book. I am someone who went into this blind, not know anything about the mythology and I'll admit I wish I'd done a little bit of research into it before picking up this book. There was a lot to take it with the names of different creatures and legends and this did cause confusion at times. Granted there was a glossary at the end of the book with details about everything, but if it had been at the front then I might not have become so confused. At times I found myself pausing what I was reading to look up the name of a certain creature. However, this may not be the case with someone who has knowledge of Japanese Mythology.

Shadow of the Fox is told through multi perspectives and I do love this way of storytelling. There's just something about getting to know multiple characters in depth throughout this form. We follow the perspectives of Yumeko, Tatsumi and Suki (an ex-servant girl now ghost). Although for most of the story we mainly follow Yumeko and Tatsumi. In my opinion a multi perspective form of story telling was perfect for this book, as each character had different goals/came from different backgrounds and it just made their characters more fleshed out.

The world building was incredible I must say - everything was planned out perfectly and it created such an atmosphere when reading. The descriptions had me imagining this fantasy world perfectly and at times it just felt so vivid. The pacing of the plot, itself was rather slow at times - but as this is the first of a trilogy I was expecting that. Mind you, once the paced picked up so did the action and this was when I was hooked and the heart started racing. It also had this darkness to it that just added to the atmosphere. We didn't get much light heartedness in Shadow of the Fox but when we did it was a real treat.

Yumeko was a rather naive character but I put this down for her living in a temple for all her life and not knowing much about the outside world. Some moments with her were quite amusing and had me slightly chuckling. Her relationship with Okame, a Ronin (Rogue Samurai) added some comic relief to the story and I hope we get to see that relationship built upon in book two. Kage Tatsumi was a very complex character and I feel like there's more to know about him, which yet again, I hope is touched upon in book two. There were hints at a romance between him and Yumeko, but I didn't feel any chemistry there? This overall was a good thing as I feel like a romance would have distracted readers from the main plot line.

Shadow of the Fox was a good start to what I hope is going to be an interesting, action packed trilogy. I am really intrigued to see where the story will go from here, so, will be picking up the sequel when it is released.

Let me get this out now, I fucking loved this book. Based on the reviews I’d read on NetGalley, I shouldn’t have liked it nearly as much as I did, but I can tell you exactly why. 1) The mindset I had going into this. I read this in one sitting on a Friday night, after an incredibly stressful week, so my attitude going in was simply hoping for a good time. I wasn’t in the mood to be overly critical like I sometimes am. 2) This book is ANIME AS FUCK. And as the girl who was president of her high school’s anime club, I was here for it.

How is it like anime, you ask? Well let me tell you. We have our main female character Yumeko, a bubbly air-headed kitsune, who’s tasked finding a hidden shrine while keeping a secret map safe from bad guys. Then we’ve got Tatsumi, the edgy angsty main male character who’s half possessed by a demon sword. As the first book in the trilogy, this is the party building arc of the story. As our MCs journey, they encounter along the way: the drunken disgraced samurai who doubles as comic relief, the aloof nobleman swordsman (WHO HAS WHITE HAIR), and the angry shrine maiden and her shrine guardian familiars. Is this starting to sound familiar yet? There’s even the we’re not going to let you do this alone partly because we have our own reasons but also friendship speech right before they fight the Big Bed Evil Guy! This is probably the first book I’ve read where I managed to plot out an entire 13 episode season as I read.

Of course, this book giving me a massive nostalgia trip is not the only reason why I liked it. Kagawa’s writing has this magical atmosphere to it. In between the action and the angst, there are these moments of peace where the characters take a moment to rest and appreciate the beauty of their surroundings. Kagawa writes those moments in a way I can only describe as Ghibli-esque. There are scenes that have that beautiful, calming feel that seems straight out of a Studio Ghibli movie, like when Yumeko first goes to explore the forest around her, or when Yumeko and Tatsumi encounter the Kodoma.

Another aspect I loved about this book was how unapologetically Japanese it is. The setting really invokes a feeling of feudal Japan that simply sucked me into the world. Kagawa also uses a fair amount of Japanese in the book, between describing creatures and spirits, to phrases and exclamations, and even the honorifics. Personally, I really appreciated that as those words for used, she didn’t take the time to also define them. If the reader doesn’t know what they mean, I found them pretty easy to decipher with context clues. If they’re still lost, there’s a glossary included in the back of the book.

Despite all my gushing, I recognize that this book isn’t perfect. For one, the main villain is very one-dimensional. We don’t get a lot of their motivation beyond attempting to find this map to do villainy things because villain. It’s implied that there’s other characters in the shadows that haven’t made an appearance, but so far the villain hasn’t been all that interesting. The characters themselves are relatively tropey. While that isn’t necessarily a bag thing, it’s very easy to give a five word description and the reader would more or less know how the character will act. There are a couple scenes that would probably imply a budding romance in any other book, but I honestly think Yumeko’s too much of an airhead to realize what’s going on.

Overall, I give this book a 5/5. Does it have its flaws? Yes. Do I love it regardless. Absolutely! It’s been a long long time since I’ve audibly cheered characters on as I read. I can’t wait for the sequel (and the anime adaption).

A fascinating start to a fantastical series. Thoroughly enjoyed this action packed series and excited to see what happens next.

Once in every millennium the person who holds the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers has the power to call upon the great Kami Dragon and make one wish. For the safety of the world the Scroll has been torn into pieces and each section is held by a different group of protectors. Yumeko is a young, half-kitsune, girl who has been raised by monks in the Silent Winds temple who secretly guard one of the pieces. When the temple comes under attack by demons she is tasked with the important job of taking the scroll piece to safety.

Tatsumi trained from birth as a samurai learning to control a powerful cursed sword so he could become the Kage Demonslayer. He has been tasked with tracking down the pieces of the scroll and told he must to whatever it takes to bring them home to the head of his family. When Tatsumi and Yumeko meet she tricks him into believing she can lead him to the first part of the scroll but what will happen if he realises that she has been carrying the piece with her all along?

I really enjoyed Shadow of the Fox, its the first instalment in Julie Kagawa's new series and I love how different each of the worlds she creates are. This is a magical world based on Japanese mythology full of all kinds of yokai & kami supernatural creatures, some I recognised and others that were completely new to me. Yumeko and Tatsumi are hunted by demons and monsters at every turn as they travel in search of the hidden temple and you never know quite what will be thrown at the reluctant allies next.

Yumeko has had a very sheltered upbringing so she is quite naive and sweet and often far more trusting than she should be but she also has an incredibly mischievous streak and some fun illusion abilities that are going to make her a force to be reckoned with as she grows into her powers. Tatsumi on the other hand is much harder, he's been raised to be a warrior and taught not to trust anyone or let anyone get too close so he's much more aloof and wary than Yumeko. He wields a cursed sword that is possessed by the demon Hakaimono and it takes a lot of willpower to use the sword without letting the demon get inside his own head. As they fight alongside each other during the search for the hidden temple they have to learn to trust each other and what I really enjoyed was that it wasn't always Tatsumi who saved the day, there were times when Yumeko's skills were just as important in keeping them both alive.

This is a slow build story with absolutely fantastic world building that takes readers on a journey across a beautifully described fantasy land. I was captivated with this book from the beginning and didn't want to put it down for a minute. I loved both Yumeko and Tatsumi but we also meet some fantastic side characters and I really enjoyed the occasional chapters we got from Sumi's point of view. I have a feeling this series is going to become a firm favourite so I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of Soul of the Sword next year!

This is a YA fantasy tale and is the first of a trilogy.

This is a world where the mythical creatures of Japanese legends are real and alive. So humans, demons and samurai walk the land with other wonderful beings.

There are two main characters, Yumeko, a young girl who has lived all her life at a temple, after being found in a basket at the temple, raised by monks, She is a very special individual, part Kitsune, part human.

Kage, a young man, a special kind of samurai, Who has a powerful and very dangerous weapon and is able to slay demons and monsters.

The two are thrown together by fate and travel together on their quests and the great Dragon is rising.

The language is beautifully poetic and the atmospheric world building is stunning and imaginative. I’m looking forward to the next in the series.

I would like to thank the Author/the Publishers/NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review

#ShadowOfTheFox #NetGalley

I really love the sudden influx of novels which are based around asian mythology. The stories are always full of detail and beautifully written.

Shadow of the Fox is a great novel with a very interesting story. I enjoyed reading this a lot!

Shadow of the Fox is a rich Japanese inspired fantasy filled with rich culture and illuminating scenery.
This book was beautifully written the pacing was wonderful the writing was simple but also flowery and eloquent which aided in portraying such a culturally and visually rich backdrop.
The authentic Japanese world building and use of authentic names and references to Japanese culture was an important injection that the YA Fantasy genre really needed.

The incorporation of Japanese mythology and lore in particular my favourite character Yumeko the half human/Kitsune was genius.
Yumeko has this mischievous side that drives her into all sorts of trouble and mayhem typical of the "kitsune" according to Japanese lore and it was thoroughly enjoyable reading about this characters pursuits with this in mind.

Typically a multiple point of view read can get confused with off pacing however Julie delivered the three POV cohesively and they flowed into each transition with ease.
The characters were rich, balanced and complex with individual traits desires, conflicts, feelings which made them relatable and easy to connect too.
At times in particular the core of the story felt alot like filler and lacked that fantasy spice and speed along with this the tropes that appeared took away from the richness of this story and gave it a bit too much predictably.

In all I did enjoy this fun fantasy read filled with authentic Japanese mythology and would recommend giving it a read as it was an enjoyable story.
Many thanks to HQ and Netgalley for an ARC in return for an honest unbiased review.

This is an own voices Japanese inspired fantasy that I loved. The novel follows three characters from completely different backgrounds but each of their stories is woven together in ways they could not have imagined.

First we have Suki who has the smallest part in this novel but I have a feeling she will become more important in later books. Works in the Emperor’s place as a servant to Lady Satsumi, the Emperors favourite concubine and someone who you do not want to cross.
Next we have Yumeko who is half kitsune (fox) and has spent her whole life living at the Silent Winds temple where she was raised by the Monks after being abandon at their door step. When the temple is attacked by demons Yumeko is given a piece of the Dragon’s scroll and tasked with getting it to the safety of a lost temple and in order to get there she must travel to the capitol and find a priest who is the only one who can tell her the way to the temple.
Lastly we have Tatsumi who is the demon slayer of the shadow clan and has been tasked with collecting the pieces of the Dragon’s scroll for his clan leader. He finds Yumeko after the attack of her home and after she lies and tells him the scroll had already been sent on to the hidden temple he promises to get her there safely. However, the journey there will not be easy as Tatsumi is not the only one after the Dragons scroll.

The worldbuilding throughout this is phenomenal and I adored learning more about Japanese culture and mythology and really look forward to this being expanded on in the next novel.

This also ends on a cliff hanger that leaves you begging for more.

Overall, this was an amazing novel and if you are interested in learning more about Japanese culture then I highly recommend it. I gave this 4 out if 5 stars.

I loved the idea of a story set in Japan, with some mystic, some romance and a lot of amazing settings. While I got most of it, I had a hard time getting in to the story and also, liking the characters. Even so, it was a good read and I would encourage everyone to give it a try.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thanks to NetGalley and HQ!

4 Stars of 5
https://lynns-books.com/2018/11/08/shadow-of-the-fox-shadow-of-the-fox-1-by-julie-kagawa/
Shadow of the Fox is Japanese inspired fantasy that completely exceeded my expectations. It’s full of exciting action, cram packed with intriguing demons, myths and folklore, the characters are heart warming and on top of that it’s a quest style story which just really appeals to me.

The story is told through three characters. My favourite is Yumeko, a half human/kitsune whose love of mischief quite often results in her being in trouble with the Monks of the Silent Winds Temple where she has been raised since the day she was left at the entrance. The monks have told Yumeko that she must hide her true nature from people who would treat her differently if they knew of her Yukai (half demon) nature.

Kage Tatsumi is an assassin for the Shadow Clan. He bears a demon possessed sword and runs the constant risk of the demon taking over his own mind. Subsequently his clan have raised him to withstand pain without showing emotion. He’s had a fairly brutal and cold upbringing without any sort of affection as emotions are believed to weaken the resolve.

The final character is a young serving girl named Suki. Her story is so sad and in fact we read about Suki before we meet the other two characters. I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say that Suki meets a shockingly brutal end and returns as a ghost – a rather timid ghost if I might say so. She trails her mistress watching her actions from the shadows.

I loved having the three POVs.

Yumeko and Tatsumi cross paths fairly early in the story. Basically, and I’m not going to go overboard on the plot but there’s an ancient artefact – a scroll in fact. Every 1,000 years the bearer of the Scroll will be granted a wish by the Kami Dragon. The time is approaching and so you can imagine a number of different people are interested in it’s whereabouts. The Temple where Yumeko was raised is attacked by demons searching for the scroll and Yumeko is the only survivor. On the run she herself carries the scroll, her quest to take it to the Steel Feather Temple for protection. This is when she literally runs into Tatsumi – who was himself heading to the temple in search of the scroll on behalf of his master. The two make a tentative agreement, based on untruths if you will. Tatsumi needs Yumeko in order to find the location of the temple and Yumeko needs Tatsumi to help protect her on the journey.

I loved the world created here. It’s just so full of creativity that I couldn’t stop reading. Every new chapter brings something fascinating to the page and it was like a breath of fresh air. There are angry ghosts, blood magic, demons, curses, forest spirits, witches and Samurai – I don’t know how anybody could fail to be impressed to be honest. I just loved it.

The story is told as a quest. Basically, Yumeko is travelling across country in the hope of finding the location of a secret temple. Along the way she will meet with many side adventures and mishaps, usually of the quite deadly sort. Her naivety and simple goodness eventually starts to break down Tatsumi’s carefully constructed barriers and clearly the two begin to share a certain chemistry. However, there is no romance involved, at this stage anyway. Yes, the two are clearly becoming attached but they’re both keeping secrets and so neither one is keen to completely relinquish control. I loved jumping from one pov to the other. It helped to show how they both felt about each other, their frustrations along the way and just the way that they are so very opposite in nature, one very light and fun, one very dark and brooding. They almost balance each other out.

On route they gather a couple of other characters. In particular a rogue Samurai (ronin) and a member of the nobility to name but two.

In terms of criticisms. Well, obviously this is a set up for the two main characters to become attached. In fairness though, I really didn’t mind that aspect of the story. It’s a slow burn and even now nothing is guaranteed. This is also a quest style adventure – think Lord of the Rings style. So it’s really less about the scroll and more about the journey. I think my main criticism is the actual quest itself. Carrying a secret, highly sought after scroll across the country, involving the revealing of a secret Temple where another part of the scroll is also hidden – what could possibly go wrong? I can picture the ‘baddie’ stepping in at the end and thanking them for bringing the two scrolls together so perfectly. And Suki’s part of the story is a little weak and feels very much like an obvious way of getting us a pov perspective within the Imperial Palace. Maybe Suki will play more of a role in the next instalment though.

As it is, I thought this was wonderfully entertaining, the pace was perfect and I fell for Yumeko. She’s a wonderful lead character and one that just pulls you in with her innocent and trusting nature. I defy you not to like her.

I can’t wait to read more.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

Thank you to HQ and Netgalley for providing an eARC. All opinions are my own.

I requested this book because I had heard great things about it and it did not disappoint. I really enjoyed the book and I’m looking forward to continuing the series.

The book is set in feudal Japan and I adored the rich, detailed world building. We explore so much of the world with the characters travels and I loved every bit of it from the vast forests to the busy city. I did find the world a bit confusing at first but as I got into the story I quickly fell in love with the Japanese legends and lore and the way that Japan was run and there’s also samurai’s, ninjas and demons!

We are told the story from multiple points of view, mainly through Yumeko and Kage Tatsumi, but also sporadically through Suki’s who’s point of view we see first. It means we get a wider view of the world and through Suki (who is a maid in the emperor’s palace) we get to see some insight into the villain in the book.

Yumeko is a wonderfully fun and mischievous character. Being half-kitsune it comes naturally to her and we see her at the beginning as someone who hates responsibility and loves pulling pranks but she has great character development that happens naturally throughout the book. I loved how she’s not suddenly an invulnerable badass but she is still vulnerable but knows her strengths. She knows that she can wield illusions but she would not be able to fight demons on her own so she convinces Kage Tatsumi, a samurai, who is after what she has, to get her safely to her destination, all the while never letting him find out that she has what he wants.

I also loved the awe, and sometimes the naivety of her, when she sees the world beyond the walls of the temple. It was refreshing to see a character who loves experiencing the world and through her we get to experience it too. She is also brave and kind and stands up for what is right, much to the irritation of Kage Tatsumi, who wants to ignore everything and continue to the destination.

Kage Tatsumi is the opposite of Yumeko, he is as serious and unfeeling as she is fun and loves experiencing new things. It was so interesting to see how despite being complete opposites they seem to get along so well and work so well together. And we get a better understanding of why he is the way he is as we travel with them, and why having emotions could have dire consequences for him and for those around him. It makes him mysterious and makes me want to know more about him and despite being a character who I would tend to not like, I really liked him! He has an interesting character arc in the story, albeit a little predictable, but it was still well done enough that I didn’t mind.

The story itself was interesting and action packed and even though there is an overall story arc we have smaller arcs throughout the book, quests that the characters go on while trying to reach the temple that Yumeko needs to get to. I really loved the characters that they meet along the way and who join them on their quest. They had great banter and interaction with each other and I’m really looking forward to seeing more of them in the next book.

Both Yumeko and Kage Tatsumi have to deal with moral dilemmas throughout the book and it was interesting to see them deal with that and one of the things I really loved about the book was that there was very little romance, the main theme was friendships and how these group of strangers, ended up befriending each other and how this led to the loyalty and kindness towards each other and how they are willing to fight to the death for each other, it was refreshing to see.

Overall I really enjoyed the story, especially with that ending and cliffhanger, it left me wanting to know more! I’m really looking forward to continuing the series.

Shadow of the fox is my second Japanese fantasy read, and it has characters that are quite similar to my first read in the genre.

This book is about a scroll and the lengths everyone will go to protect it or acquire it. The story is told from multiple perspectives but mostly from Yumeko and Tatsumi's. I have read stories with various narrators before, but I do not like ones told from the first person. It is maddening! I could not keep track when I was reading about Yumeko or Tatsumi or Satomi. It would have been helpful if the name of the characters were mentioned at the beginning of each chapter.

Then, I lost all my bearings when I saw the barrage of supernatural characters and their names.

Besides all its misgivings, I liked the plot, but it wasn't executed well. I fumbled throughout the book hoping for it to surprise me but it failed.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC.

I really wanted to love this book as it sounded like something I would enjoy. Unfortunately for me, it didn’t quite work. It was very trope-y, and predictable. While the writing is good, and the premise interesting, I just couldn’t get into it. Disappointing as I had been eager to read this one!

A YA Japanese fantasy with ALL of the mythology! Reading this felt like watching an epic anime and I bloody loved it. Yumeko is half Kitsune and grew up in a temple, Tatsumi is a shinobi demonslayer. After Yumekos temple is burnt and her mentors slain, she is sworn to protect a part of the ancient scroll, Tatsumi is quested to obtain the ancient scroll. With Yumeko hiding her part of the scroll, Tatsumi swears to escort her safely to another temple where he plans on stealing the scroll parts. They make acquaintances along the way aswell as being tracked by an evil blood witch who summons demons to try to stop them and obtain the scroll for herself. The book is written from both perspectives which sometimes can be hard to tell apart. It has great humor and the fighting scenes are quite graphic. The second book in this trilogy releases next summer and I can’t wait!

I was really excited when I got this book as I heard great things about the writer and I loved the idea of a fantasy with Japanese setting.
Unfortunately this wasn't my cup of tea. Even if I liked the setting and the style of writing I didn't like the characters and wasn't able to root for them.
Many thanks to HQ and Netgalley for this ARC

hadow of the Fox is the first book in a trilogy with Japanese mythological elements, strong characters and incredible world building, it is no small thing how blown away I was while reading.

Shadow of the Fox is narrated in the voice of 2 very different characters, Yumeko and Kage. Yumeko is a positive half-fox who has spent all her life in a temple never before seeing the outside world until her temple is completely destroyed. Kage is a samurai demon hunter who has been taught that he should be a weapon with no emotions or connections to humans. They make for an unlikely pairing in an adventure but it just simply works. The side characters in the book are also fantastic particularly a sarcastic ronin who teaches both Yumeko and Kage a few things about life.

The demons and other mythological creatures completely make the book, Kawawa's descriptions of them and their power particularly the Oni is both enthralling and terrifying. As this is my first encounter with Japanese mythological creatures I found it mesmerising to read about and I was always looking forward to the next introduction of the creatures.

The world building is absorbing and we are on Yumeko and Kage's journey across the lands to the Shadow Feather temple. It is the perfect balance of both world building and fast paced action with there always being something happening in the book.

I would highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a fantasy inspired by a different culture and as this is the first book of Kawawa's I have read, I will definitely be checking out the rest of her work.

*ARC received from publisher via netgalley , all opinions voiced are my own*