Thanks so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for giving me access to this book. Good young adult fantasy -Well written and interesting characters. This book checks every box for a fantasy . I will be recommending this book. Thanks again for letting have a chance to read it.

The first installment in a gripping trilogy follows Roan as she must accept the destiny of the scion of the fox and harness her power, after being saved from death by a fox spirit in order to defeat a snake monster who wants to flood the world.

This Canadian gem is a great first novel in a new compelling and unique fantasy series. I'm usually not one to love urban fantasy but this is like urban meets earth magic. S.M. Beiko takes us on a journey set in frigid cold Winnipeg. She sets up the novel as if it's present day Winnipeg and her characters are all average teens or adults. That is until they aren't.

Setting
One of my favourite things about this novel is that the setting of Winnipeg (affectionately called Winter-peg by many Canadians as it is bitterly cold there in the winter) is so ingrained into the story line. You couldn't just move this story to another city or location without losing a lot of the mythological lore that Beiko has woven into it. From statues and designs in the Parliamentary building to the city's history of flooding; Beiko has used important aspects of Winnipeg to be key moments or places in her lore.

Characters
I don't adore the main character. In fact very few of the characters were standouts for me (except maybe for our lead gal's poor Aunt who is so out of the loop), but all of the were solidly written. I especially liked the inclusion of the main boy as being in a wheelchair. The challenges that come from navigating any world in a wheelchair are often lost to those who don't deal with them; but Beiko makes sure that almost nothing is convenient or easy (just like the real world) for our main boy. My cousin is bound to a chair and I thought of him a lot during this read. I made me really think about how difficult it must be to do simple things like even get up the stairs to a shop that is in a historic building (and therefore not wheelchair friendly).

There are a number of adults in this book that play side roles. Most of them were fairly typical. I'll forgive Beiko for this as it was clear she wanted to focus on our teens more than anything. However I would have liked to know more about the Uncle and the Grandmother. I'm hoping perhaps more comes to light in the second book.

The Ending
Now, don't get me wrong, this book is really, really good as a whole. But the last 100 pages were stellar. Jam-packed action, conspiracies unraveled and lots of rogue magic. The best part, you'll never guess how it ends!
Obviously this is only the first book in a series and so there is a cliffhanger of an ending. That said the ending is not cheap, too quick nor does it detract from the main plot of the novel. There is a good solid foundation being set in Scion of the Fox that is likely to make the rest of this series stand-up well.

Overall
I can't tell you how much fun it is to read a book about a place you've been! Or even one that has a climate similar to your own. I am always looking for Canadian fiction set in Canada as the setting seems to change my entire perspective of some books. If this feeling is even 1% of how poorly represented minorities feel when they read books that really represent them well, then I may understand a tiny bit about why they are so desperate to read more books with characters like themselves!
I cannot wait for book 2 and I know Beiko is more or less done it as I had a passing-by conversation at my local Comic Expo (a couple months back) where she told me that for sure there is more of our lead gal in it! I was so excited I had her book (and I won't lie I was a bit giddy) that I totally flaked on bringing back my copy for her to sign the following day. Lol.
Irregardless I really recommend this unique, earth based but set in a city, fantasy story. I think you'll be surprised by it's depth and intricacies (even if you don't know much about cold weather or Winnipeg).

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

I found the mix of Japanese and Paranormal mythology to be the best part of Scion of the Fox. A YA book I wasn't quite too sure about but turned out to be a wonderful surprise. Definitely a creep book. Scion of the Fox was a fun and interesting read that I'm glad I read.

Kind of an odd one, this. Moments of greatness scattered through a sea of meh. I liked many of the characters as individuals, but some were more developed than others, and there was some very transparent author wish-fulfillment going on here too. The writing was average, the pacing was odd, and the plot and magic system were confusing and tedious. That last sentence sums up my main problems.

Objectively, I think many readers will love this book, especially those who enjoy "animal magic" stories of the non-shifter variety. I must admit that I am not one of those readers, but it is still kind of interesting to see that theme being used in a more mature YA novel rather than in Children's/Middle Grade works where it is much more common.

But my favorite parts ended up being the horror bits: the buggy eye, the pit of worms. The rest was disappointing.

Three and a half stars: An exciting sci-fi tale with lots of twists, turns and action but beware of the cliffhanger.

Siblings Sofi and Shilo are preparing for their latest gaming battle in the Fighting arena. The stakes feel higher and more dangerous this time, but no matter how hard they work, the two of them still can’t seem to please their powerful mother. Things take a horrifying tune when a bomb goes off in the arena, killing numerous participants and injuring many others. Sofi awakens to find Shilo missing, and she is supposedly dead to the outside world. Sofi knows that Shilo is alive because she is having vivid dreams of Shilo on the ice planet of the Delonese. Sofi is desperate to get her brother back, even if that means exposing dangerous secrets and recruiting help from someone she never wanted to see again. Will Sofi find her brother?
What I Liked:
*The Evaporation of Sofi Snow is an exciting, fast paced book with a futuristic gaming version of the Hunger Games. This one is packed full of action, danger, treachery and betrayals. If you are looking for a thrilling YA read, this is a good one to try.
*I loved the bond between Sofi and Shilo. The strength of the bond between the siblings is the driving force of the story. Sofi will do anything to get her brother back including betraying her own mother and resorting to a dangerous mission. It isn’t often that you have a familial bond as the main focus in the story.
*I enjoyed the futuristic world and the sci-fi themes. This one is set in the future, when Earth has crumbled from war, and now it is run by powerful, greedy corporations. There is lots of computer hacking, and sci-fi gadgets and gizmos, black mail and espionage.
*This one is non stop action. From the get go, Sofi is placed in one dangerous situation after another. I liked that the pace was quick fire and that it didn’t slow down. Be prepared for lots of stunning twists and turns and shocking reveals.
*Surprisingly, there isn’t much of a romance. Sofi and Gabriel have a past, and they spend the majority of the book tip toeing around one another. The ground work has been laid for a romance, but as of yet, one hasn’t transpired, which I actually liked. I enjoy a book every once in awhile that isn’t romance driven.
*I appreciated that this book is told via dual narratives. You get both Sofi and Gabriel’s points of view. Sofi is sharp, intelligent, quick and very brash. She is also damaged and desperate for affection. I liked her fierce attitude and her damaged personality. Gabriel is the complete opposite. He is cool, calculating and cunning. He is playing all angles, and he is never boring. The two narratives switching back and forth make for an interesting read.
And The Not So Much:
*The biggest disappointment for me was that nothing is resolved in this one. There are layers of story lines and plenty going on, but the book ends with a big, fat cliffhanger, which I found totally frustrating. I hate when I spend time with a book for no payout at the end.
*This is a multilayered story and there is so much to keep track of, which is fine but then again irritating as you don’t get anywhere with most of the story lines. Too many loose ends.
*The Delonese, the aliens, were fascinating, but I found myself wishing for more detail and information on them.

The Evaporation of Sofi Snow was a fast paced read with plenty of exciting story lines and lots of danger. My hesitation with this one stems from the fact that the book builds and builds only to end with a dramatic cliffhanger, leaving all the major story lines undone. So frustrating. If you are drawn to this one, I would suggest waiting to read it closer to the release date of the next book.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.

Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.

This was definitely an interesting read no doubt. It was a little bit of a roller coaster ride in terms of how I felt about it at times while reading, but overall it was a pretty fun read! With an added bonus that it’s set in Canada!
I enjoyed going on this journey with the Chosen One, Roan. She was spunky and a little stubborn, but definitely a fun character to follow! She has a great cast of characters to go along with her, including a wise fox familiar that is very, very sassy!
The magical elements of the book were really interesting, and I like how the author connected each element to an animal! My favourite thing was definitely the setting and how it contrasts with Roan's personality and power!
I would say that the book is slightly predictive and full of some old tropes that are everywhere in YA. It didn't completely flatten the story, but it did take away from the experience.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and think it would work well with younger YA readers!

I gave this book 4 stars. Scion of the Fox was unexpected. after trying to read the eARC and having an impossible time doing so, I didn’t have very high hopes for the rest of it. However, the author completely turned that around. I loved this book. It was full of complex characters and the thickest of plots, and a relationship that I’m not sure will ever even happen, but I’m really excited for.

I was kind of stupid and I read someone else’s review before finishing this book. I know, that’s the number 1 no-no for book reviewing, but I was looking for something specific (I didn’t find it), but I am happy to report that I didn’t actually agree with this other review of the book. That review was a bit negative, especially about the ending of the book. I, however, think it ended on a good note. It was left a bit open-ended because this is going to be a series and the epilogue was there to get you even more excited for the next book in the series.

Roan was a character that I needed a bit of getting used to, but once that was all said and done with I grew to love her as a character. She wasn’t annoying or overly rude. She had no sense of entitlement or whiny at all. I genuinely liked her as a character. Reading the first chapter snippet of the second book at the end of this book, it doesn’t seem like she’ll be in it, or she may come in later. It really isn’t clear as of yet, but I really hope she is in the next one because I don’t think I’m done with her quite yet.

I like the dynamic going on between Roan and Eli. They spent most of the book hating each other and fighting, not just in the “I like you so I’m going to pick on you” kind of way, I mean the “I’m going to actively try to murder you” kind of way. They have something going on and I am here for it. I could see something possibly happening. Possibly. I would really like it if it did.

What I loved was that it was set in Canada. I find that most books are set in the U.S. and reference a lot of things only Americans are very familiar with such as historical events that are smaller than full-blown wars. It was nice to actually understand what was being referenced for once, such as Red River. Not enough books are set in Canada and usually if they are they take place in Toronto or just Ontario in general. It’s a bit annoying, so this book was very refreshing.

Roan is an orphan that lives with her odd uncle and her loving aunt. After moving into her comatose grandmother's house she has a crazy interaction due to her infect eyeball and meets a powerful fox spirit named Sil. Marked to be sacrificed to the snake-monster Zabor Roan must gather friends from each of the families before it's too late and the flood waters unleash devastation on the world...

I too struggled with my ARC copy (lines every couple paragraphs were cut off and missing) but I contacted the publisher's marketing department and they sent me a beautiful correctly copy - THANK YOU!! I enjoyed the book!

The cover was decent and I didn't hate the title, its serviceable... what totally drew me in was the blurb! I'm a total fangirl for animals and fantasy mixed... plus toss in an orphan and this book spoke to me!

What I Liked!

Beiko has a talent for creating worlds!!
I was totally captured by the beginning with Roan's infected eye and meeting Sil... then we learn about the world that Roan didn't know was such a MAJOR part of her parent's lives. AND WHAT A WORLD! It's supernatural, it's all around Roan, hidden in plain sight and foxes are only the beginning!!

Diversity rocked the races!!
The world has 5 races and is connected to a set of garden statues that her grandmother gave to her mother... I love when a world within our own is developed and races for that hidden world are created. I loved the odd choice of animals to be those races and each character that represented one of the five was a great embodiment of their race. PLUS Barton was born with a birth defect and is in a wheelchair (loved him!) AND Natti is a large, boned (i.e. fat) girl (loved her!)

Think world killing monsters and supernatural beings!!
This is a subgenre that I enjoy... it verges on being gods and demons but in a more natural and approachable way. The premise of the world incorporates a sort of creation story that explains the mega monsters Roan will have to fight but allows the story to be set in contemporary times. It's a neat back story and supported the plot well.

Family ups and downs!!
So yeah Roan's mom and dad are dead but her grandmother is still alive albeit in a coma. Yet Roan still gets to know what her grandmother through some letters she found... and I actually found this part one if the shining moments in the book!! It was worked in so beautifully I only wish they had been spread through the entire book and no contained in that one spot. And there is some resolution with her grandmother which is surprising! Also there is some heart pounding plot with her aunt by marriage and her dad's brother.

A relatable writing style that I could read again!!
When I realized my ARC was messed up I thought about just DNFing the book and not worrying about getting a new copy... but the WRITING totally caught my attention. It contained a lyrical bent that is the perfect balance of relatable and pretty words for me. When another POV came into the story it felt totally separate from Roans and that is a HARD thing to do! I really need more multiple POVs from Beiko!

Where I Struggled!!

Alternating languishing and hurried pacing...
I enjoyed the book all the way up until 75% and then the book took a left turn into a ditch. I suddenly felt as a writer that the book needed to be rewritten with the new ideas presented after that 75%. And that end was SOOO RUSHED! When a book spends the majority of its pages at a certain pace and then suddenly amps it up to 100 times faster it makes every challenge from that point feel like it a building block easily kicked over. So it was HARD to enjoy Roan's successes. And you suddenly realize that not much relationship was developed with the other characters in that first 75% with all the changes and wins during the last 25%!!

Sudden romantic hints with a questionable character?!
I thought this was going to be a totally romance free book! AND I WAS SO EXCITED!! Then suddenly in the last 25% there it is... crammed into a cranny with the freakiest choice of love interests!! I just couldn't buy it... not so quickly after that battle. The whole relationship felt obligatory because of the role she played in "freeing" him...

An epilogue that steals the ends thunder *facepalm*
So yeah, obviously I WAS NOT a fan of the final 25%... I wanted to like it as much as I loved the rest of the book! I thought it was okay and then I turned to the last couple of pages and we got another sudden and random POV and were told a TWIST! The said twist negates all of the events of the book... UMM WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?! Why would you do all that after spending your blood, sweat and tears writing this action packed story with a beautiful, compelling world?!?!?!?!

As a reader, I enjoyed this book until the end! I don't object to the love interest happening and I would LOVE to see the return of Roan's circle of friends... I ADORE books where family is a mega part of the story. Dun, dun, dun... so I WOULD MOST DEFINITELY read the next book in this series... BEST 3 star book I've read!

BOTTOM LINE: Animal centered world fighting some world crushing monsters!

"The world was dreamed into being and kept by the collective consciousness of all those who passed before. We call this consciousness Ancient, for it is the spirit of the universe, and it is older than all of us."

Let me start out with saying that this book was good, but it was also very strange. The first quarter of it, I had little to no idea what was going on. In fact, I almost DNF'd it, as it was rather grotesque. When the incident happened when a moth popping out of Roan's eye, my stomach did more turning than the pages in that moment.

I've been putting off writing this review for a little while, trying to process what all this book as to offer, or not offer. I must say that it has a bit of both. While its originality is stunning, it almost made it difficult to relate to.

"Ancient is the ember from which life sparks, and as each life ends, so it returns to Ancient. And the cycle continues. Ancient exists in all of us, from the smallest stone to the eldest mountain. And there are those of us whom Ancient has touched and allowed to see beyond the physical world and into the spiritual, into the realm of Ancient called the Veil. It is from the Veil that my power comes, and that yours will, too, in time."

Things I liked:

#1 Their is no doubt that Beiko is masterful when it comes to creating creative worlds. Mixing theology, mysticism, animals, crazy creatures, and people, enabled complex history, depth to characters, unique beliefs, and multiple plot lines to emerge.

#2 There's not an official romance! There may have been a hint of one towards the end of the book, but I didn't pay it much mind because nothing came of it--at least, nothing up until this point.

#3 The diversity among the characters is broad, refreshing, and empowering. The main character Roan has her eye ailment, while another prominent character is wheelchair bound due to having no legs.

#4 If you like complex plots, which I tend to lean towards, this definitely has that.

Things I didn't like:

#1 The beginning fifteen to twenty percent of the book, I was utterly lost. There isn't an easy intro for the main character into this world; she's more-so thrust into it in a rather unpleasant way. So, her confusion as to what was going on, added to my confusion--which didn't help me as the reader at all. Yes, eventually things were explained, but it was perhaps too much in the beginning.

#2 The pacing couldn't figure out which speed it wanted to settle at. Actually, it never really found a rhythm that worked well. The transitions from monotonous to speeding bullet were unexpected and not always welcome.

#3 For how much I liked the creative world, I felt that it could use some more explanation. There is a lot of information to take in while reading this book and sometimes made it difficult to keep up with everything else happening around those vital details.

Overall, I enjoyed this real a lot but also had some issues with it, more so with the pacing variances than anything. It was a solid three-star read, and I'm looking forward to the sequel.

Vulgarity: I'm pretty sure there was some...Ahh! Now I can't remember for sure!
Sexual content: None.
Violence: Quite a bit, but it wasn't gory.

3 stars.

A big thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!

Once I read the description comparing this book to a combination of American Gods and Princess Mononoke, I knew I had to read it! Much to my surprise, when I reached out to ECW Press via Twitter playfully asking a signed arc make its way to me, they sent me a DM saying they couldn’t send a signed copy but would be happy to send an arc my way. I was super ecstatic by the news and eagerly awaited its arrival.
Turns out that I wasn’t able to fit it into my review cycle until October, but that was absolutely perfect. It definitely has some eerie, spooky parts and the spirits are monstrous in their descriptions. When I wasn’t reading this book (ie at work), then I was distractedly thinking about what would happen next or picturing what some of the characters look like.
Although the book had a bit of a pacing issue, I greatly enjoyed this novel for multiple reasons. Great diversity of cast is high on that list. The main character is a redhead! And her friends aren’t cookie cutters, they have thoughts and emotions and distinct voices. One of them was born without legs and another is plus size. I really liked that each character did have a distinct voice because this book is multiple POV and we could have gotten lost easily but the author handled it very well.
Last thought: the writing in the this book really spoke to something inside me. I can’t quite describe why but I think it comes down to word choices. They appealed to my fantasy reader/book nerd self. Like I said, hard to explain. Hope you all can give this one a chance! I am eagerly awaiting the sequel!!
SUMMARY:

As the winter ice begins to thaw, the fury of a demon builds — all because one girl couldn’t stay dead . . .

Roan Harken considers herself a typical high school student — dead parents, an infected eyeball, and living in the house of her estranged, currently comatose grandmother (well, maybe not sotypical) — but she’s uncovering the depth of the secrets her family left behind. Saved from the grasp of Death itself by a powerful fox spirit named Sil, Roan must harness mysterious ancient power . . . and quickly. A snake-monster called Zabor lies in wait in the bed of the frozen Assiniboine River, hungry for the sacrifice of spirit-blood in exchange for keeping the flood waters at bay. Thrust onto an ancient battlefield, Roan soon realizes that to maintain the balance of the world, she will have to sacrifice more than her life in order to take her place as Scion of the Fox.

American Gods meets Princess Mononoke in this powerful first installment of a trilogy sure to capture readers’ imaginations everywhere.

I liked what little I read of it but the version I read was missing a lot of text. Probably my own fault since I didn't see the email that there was a better version till it was archived.

I absolutely enjoyed this book. The characters were engaging. I loved the heroine, I was torn by the leader of Owls, and definitely despised the villains of the story. The cliff hanger at the end definitely makes me nervous.

I appreciate that the major conflict was resolved by the end of the book and not carried over into the sequel. The cliff hanger left no doubt that a sequel could come, but it would be something different.

This was a clean read and lovers of fantasy are sure to enjoy this unique story.

Roan is one of the most relatable characters I've seen in the YA world.

The author has built an entire world that we humans can't see, but is full of magic,symbolism, and ancient powers and struggles. And Roan has a big role to play in this parallel world.

The characters developed very well during the story and I was glad to see this teenaged girl without some romance involved, fighting her own battles. 

I think this is what good YA Fiction/Fantasy is all about!

Well Done!

Netgalley/ECWPress  Release is October 17, 2017

This book was such a fun read! Creepy and mysterious with the perfect amount of magical. I adored this book so much!

There is so much happening in this book. I was excited to find out it's set in Canada! It's really well written and the storyline is amazing.

So, I received this book from NetGalley for free in exchange for my honest opinions, but I could barely read the version I was given since there were missing chunks of text and lines. Unfortunately, I missed the downloading period & was unable to ask for a new copy.

From what I did read, it was intriguing. The author creates a nearly parallel universe of ours with a twist. What we think of fantasy to these humans is reality.

I'd be interested in reading more, so maybe one day it will be completed & I will be able to read full paragraphs.

I didn't expect to like this novel as much as I did! But it was both a bit weird but still fun to read!

This deeply imaginative fantasy was an action-packed, witty, and highly colorful page-turner. I really enjoyed the blend of mythology, symbolism, and magic. The descriptive language was on point and I found that I could easily visualize all the fantastical creatures and events that were prevalent throughout the story. I was satisfied with the conclusion of this first part of the story, that left me content yet excited to read the next installment.

Thank you for letting me review this book - I absolutely loved it!