REVIEW: Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa

Genre: Fantasy/Young Adult/Mythology


Publisher: Harlequin Teen

ISBN: 1488097224

Format: Hardback, Paperback, E-Book,
Audio-Book

Release Date: 2nd Octoer 2018


Links: Goodreads, Amazon.com, Indigo,
B&N, Book Depository


Rating: 9/10


Synopsis:

One thousand years ago, the great Kami Dragon was summoned to grant a single terrible wish—and the land of Iwagoto was plunged into an age of darkness and chaos.

Now, for whoever holds the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers, a new wish will be granted. A new age is about to dawn.

Raised by monks in the isolated Silent Winds temple, Yumeko has trained all her life to hide her yokai nature. Half kitsune, half human, her skill with illusion is matched only by her penchant for mischief. Until the day her home is burned to the ground, her adoptive family is brutally slain and she is forced to flee for her life with the temple’s greatest treasure—one part of the ancient scroll.

There are many who would claim the dragon’s wish for their own. Kage Tatsumi, a mysterious samurai of the Shadow Clan, is one such hunter, under orders to retrieve the scroll…at any cost. Fate brings Kage and Yumeko together. With a promise to lead him to the scroll, an uneasy alliance is formed, offering Yumeko her best hope for survival. But he seeks what she has hidden away, and her deception could ultimately tear them both apart.

With an army of demons at her heels and the unlikeliest of allies at her side, Yumeko’s secrets are more than a matter of life or death. They are the key to the fate of the world itself.

Review:

*I received a copy of this book from Indigo Books & Music Inc. 

in exchange for an honest review*

I was very excited to learn that this book was going to be the October Teen #IndigoStaffPick and I was even more excited to receive it in the mail. Shadow of the Fox was one of my most anticipated books of the year and I'm glad to say that it didn't disappoint.

Shadow of the Fox is a multi-perspective book that delves into Japanese mythology and legends. 

One of the main characters is Yumeko, a kitsune – half-girl, half-demon fox – who was raised in a temple by monks. She can be a little naive but she fights for what she thinks right. The amount of effort she puts into helping people and admirable. Yumeko makes a few mistakes along the way but her pure determination and effort earns a lot of respect.

Tatsumi is a shinobi of the Shadow Clan. He keeps it a secret and instead lets everyone believe that he is just a samurai warrior. Tatsumi is quiet and broody, but he is fantastic with a sword. He has kept to himself due to his strict upbringing and is the keeper of the cursed sword, Kamigoroshi. Tatsumi is trying his best to fight the demon hidden within the sword from taking over his mind; so naturally keeps to himself. He is an extremely strong character and a perfect fighter. I could really sense his strength and felt that he could take anyone on that came against him. 

My favourite character was definitely Tatsumi. The characters go through a lot- facing the dangers around them and fighting demons. I could really feel the tension in the book and was rooting for the characters throughout the book. The supporting characters played just as an important role as the main characters and I never felt like any of them were out of place.

I loved that the romance in the book wasn't insta-love. Instead it slowly builds and isn't forced as a main point of the story. It was a natural progression- from allies to friends and slowly deeper feelings develop.

The world building in this book was beautiful. Iwagoto really felt like a fantasy Japan from the samurai period. I also loved the inclusion of Japanese language. I already knew what a couple of the words meant but the glossary at the back of the book was a big help.

This book is the first in a series so not everything is resolved in this first book. However, the plot was fantastic and the journey that the characters go on throughout the book really is captivating. I did find the beginning of the book a little slow but in the end I didn't put the book down until I had finished.

Julie Kagawa is a beautiful writer and Shadow of the Fox was everything I was hoping for and more. It's a whimsical story and I can't wait to see where the series goes.