I loved this book! Five stars worth of fantastic!
I can't wait to learn what happens next.
I loved the worldbuilding and the characters!

I read this book from netgalley and this is my honest review.

Probably a 3.5 to me, though I wanted SO BADLY for this to be another 5-star Kagawa story. In terms of personal preference, this story falls below The Immortal Rules but is still miles ahead of the Talon series. I am still in love with everything Iron Fey and I adore The Immortal Rules, but I snoozed at the Iron Fey spin off and the Talon books. This first book in a new trilogy is off to a good start. Kagawa has always mastered the taut story telling of deceit and warring goals - and doesn’t disappoint here! There is a compelling conflict with an array of likeable characters. But what kept me from loving this book was a tendency toward exposition (clunky side notes about every Japanese mythological creature) and the random insertion of italized Japanese words like “hai” and “ano”. I’m totally cool with honorifics but the small words got to me... maybe too reminiscent of anime fan fiction? Anyway, I feel like I’m on the path to rekindling my love of Kagawa’s writing with this book - because despite my bad luck with books from her current publishing house, I think Julie Kagawa has earned a bit of ”story cred” (after all she created the ever beautiful Ash), and I’m willing to see where she goes with this!

Normally I really enjoy Kagawa's books but for whatever reason I didn't like this one. It was kind of disjointed and all over the place. I'm sure others liked it but I for one did not care for it.

Richly imaginative. Kagawa weaves a creative tale with such in-depth world building that readers will feel fully immersed within the story. Great characters, action, adventure, and surprises that will leave readers eager for the upcoming sequels of the Shadow of the Fox series.

I have intensely mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, Kagawa is a highly respected author who writes great fantasy. On the other hand, I was... so bored. But I feel like others will love this book, and maybe the pacing/writing style just isn't for me.

I must say, I found this to be a very significant improvement over Kagawa's Iron King novels at the beginning. Those novels had their moments, but also came across a bit sickly-sweet and preachy (don't get me wrong, I enjoyed them immensely). Shadow of the Fox represents a more serious tone underlined by more competent craft and storytelling. This arc of improvement, which started at an already-high standard, makes me excited to see where Ms Kagawa will take her novels going forward.

I really wanted to like this. I really really did.
However, I just didn't
The first half was beyond boring, the second half got a bit better, however by then I kinda had given up already.
Add to that the very cliche everything and well, this is just simply a disappointment in a book, with a beautiful cover at least.
I love the idea, I love the whole setup, just not the execution. And here is the crux. I am giving this 2 Stars, even though I know that the storytelling is probably most important in a book. And Kagawa failed me there.
The sad thing: I know she could do better because she has done better before.
This feels sloppy and like Kagawa didn't spend long enough time planning and building the storyline and characters.
A pity.
This could have been so good.
Alas, it's not and I have no intention to read the next instalment.
But worst of all, this left me with doubts of Kagawa's ability to write more good books. I don't want to give up on her just yet, but I am close.
1.5 stars rounded up

This was a dark, creepy adventure of a book! It follows Japanese peasant Yumeko as she carries out a mission to save a precious scroll from evil with the help of a demon-possessed warrior named Tatsumi and a hodge-podge group of other unique individuals she picks up along her journey. Her group must fight off a host of evil, supernatural creatures along the way and guard the secrets that could turn the others in the group against them.

This is the second book in a row that had absolutely stunning world-building. The story is set in ancient Japanese and fully delves into the culture, including many terms, practices, and mythical beasts from the culture. At the beginning of the book, this was slightly confusing since there was so many new and foreign terms being thrown at the reader. There were a few times I had to stop to remember what the author was referring to with a term, but once a reader gets a handle on it, the book becomes a lot of fun. I have never read a book set in this time period or which incorporates this level of Japanese culture, so I found it fascinating, new, and a great learning experience.

Overall I also really enjoyed the characters and thought they possessed different but realistic personalities. When the characters interact, the author is able to explore the themes of class, gender, honor, and morality in ancient Japanese society, which led to some really interesting dynamics. My favorite characters were actually the down-right terrifying monsters the author incorporated in the book. Usually I only find visual monsters scary, but the author's descriptions of the different evil creatures the characters face off with left me cringing. (In a good way!)

The book was fast-paced and had a great overall plot. The ending wrapped up a few loose ends but left many more hanging. I'm greatly looking forward to the next book in this series!

Yumeko the girl, a fox shapeshifter, has been given one task from the Master of the Silent Winds Temple: take one of the three scrolls that make up the Dragon's prayer and take it safely to the Steel Feather Temple to keep it safe from those who would use it for evil to summon the Dragon and make a wish (which can only be done once every thousand years). On the run from demons and incomprehensible evil, Yumeko joins forces with Tatsumi, a deadly shadow warrior. They both have to fight for their lives multiple times as they each try to fulfill the missions they were given, and in the process much will be lost. Will they escape with their lives, and can Yumeko keep the scroll safe?
I was hesitant to read this book at first because of some of the content, but once I started reading, the story completely sucked me in. I couldn't put the book down because the plot, the characters, and each situation were so well written and descriptive that I could see everything clearly playing out in my mind. I'm not familiar with Japanese culture or mythology, so it was interesting to read a book about a different culture. The relationship between Yumeko and Tatsumi is complicated and painfully sweet, and I really want to see everything work out for them in the end. The ronin was absolutely hilarious, and he provided some much needed comic relief in between intense and dangerous events. I literally can't wait for the next book because I NEED to find out what happens! Caution: I wouldn't give this book to young or very sensitive teens because many of the situations are not only pretty intense and scary, but very gory at times. I didn't like the profanity, and I don't agree with some of the views presented. That being said, this fantasy is excellent and I highly recommend it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. A positive review was not required, and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Shadow of the Fox is a wonderful traveling quest fantasy based on Japanese history and mythology. Great for fans of stories like The Lord of the Rings, but with a non-western setting. This is a book I would recommend for younger teens, but it's a fun read for older ages as well. It follows two main characters as they meet, travel together, and collect an unusual group of companions along the way. There are lots of monsters, demons, and ghosts rooted in Japanese mythology and while there is a larger plot arc, it is broken up by episodic adventures.

Yumeko has spent her life being raised by monks in a rural temple. She is half human and half kitsune (fox), but she must hide that fact from outsiders. The monks protect part of a scroll that would be dangerous if it fell into the wrong hands. When a horde of demons attack and destroy the monastery, Yumeko escapes with the scroll and must get it to another mysterious temple where it can be protected.

Kage Tatsumi is a samurai assassin who bears a demon possessed sword. It is a powerful weapon, but he has been trained to feel no emotion for fear of the demon taking over his mind and body. He has been assigned the task of collecting the scroll for his mistress when he meets Yumeko. Yumeko tells him that the scroll is already at the hidden temple and she must warn them of the demon attack. Not realizing that she has the scroll he seeks, Tatsumi agrees to travel with her for protection. Cue adventures, battles, a creepy blood witch, and plenty of secrets!

In general I enjoyed the story and the series of adventures. The characters weren't as multi-dimensional as I prefer, but I think it's partly that this reads a little on the younger end of YA. One of the best things about this was the in-depth introduction to Japanese mythology. I imagine that fans of manga might really appreciate this book. A solid start to a fun series! I received an advance review copy of this book via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I'm so delighted with this wondrous novel. I was blown away from the beginning to the end, especially the end. What cliffhanger! With an ending like that made me wanted to smack the author for leaving me hanging like that! Now, the torturous wait begins for the second book in the series. I truly thought it was a stand alone book.
This is story of an oriental fantasty. It's got all the yummy characters in it.
Half kitsune/half human
Dark samurai
Ghost
Witches
Ronin
Prince
Oni
Dragons
Demons
Legends
Myths
Dragons
Monks
Temples
and
much more.
This novel is packed with variety of action, drama, humor(yes, I actually laughed out loud at some of the comments.) characters, legends, and etc. It was woven cleverly where I wasn't even a bit bored at all.
If someone mentions animated, I'm going to slap that someone because it deserves to be imagained as realistic fantasy. This is one astonishing adventure I was glad to be part of and hope to do so in the second book. I thoroughly enjoyed the book even with that frustruating cliffhanger at the end!
This book deserves 4 stars.

I recieved this beautifully written ARC from Harlequin Teen through Net Galley in exhanged for my unbiased and honest review. Thank you!

Could Not Finish. Got around 50% but the book could not keep my attention and it was a bit confusing.

First of all, let me thank Netgalley and Harlequin Teen for the chance to read and review this book: Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa
As always, these thoughts are my own.
I give this story 2.5 stars.



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.



So, so confused.
Okay, so to be fair totally up front, I often struggle with names (in this case, Japanese-inspired) that are pretty foreign to me. I am slightly dyslexic, and I have to read carefully. This book tested my patience and reading skills. The first three chapters are all first person and it's not clear immediately to someone unfamiliar with Japanese culture that each one is from the POV of a different character. Three chapters, three characters, all first person.

I remained confused because, while I was excited about a Japanese inpsired fantasy, I have had very little exposure to Japenese mythology and language and so it was difficult to keep up.

Formulaic Characters
Both of the main characters, Kage Tatsumi and Yumeko basically exist to fall in love. Yumeko is young and mischievous (or so she says) and sweet and naive and Tatsumi is the quintessential tough warrior dude. They, while slightly unique by concession of their setting, are cookie-cutter characters that we've seen too many times.

The Story Wanders
We discover right away that there's a magical scroll that grants wishes (presumably when joined together with all the scattered pieces of itself), and some things happen that send Yumeko on her journey. But then it takes another several hundred pages to actually pursue the scroll. It's a little like the story wants to be a bunch of small adventure stories about the same characters.

Not a Whole Story, just a Piece
Shadow of the Fox is not a complete story. It doesn't have a clear beginning, middle, and ending. I've noticed this happening a lot in series recently. There's no conclusion, it just drops off in the middle of a storyline with a cliffhanger and a plea to buy another book. Not a single arc concludes and I'm left with a sour taste in my mouth.

Shadow of the Fox Kindle Book made it Impossible to Refer Back
Maybe it was just my copy of this book, or maybe my Kindle was on the fritz but I know I could have been less confused if I could have just looked back to see " what was that name again" or "what was that again" or "wow I've lost the entire thread of whats happening, lets back up a few hundred pages" but I couldn't.

I'm confident that a reader familiar with Japanese myth and language would enjoy this story. I'm also of the belief that a hard copy would be much less confusing. In any case, I give this book 2.5 stars because it was at least interesting and felt very fresh and unique. I just wish I had understood what was going on.

What about you? Have you read Shadow of the Fox? Did you like it?

Fantastic fantasy read. Fans of Julie Kagawa will greatly enjoy her beautiful writing style and attention to details. I have a feeling this will be one of those books that is even better on a second read. It is based on Japanese folklore, which might be a little hard to follow at first, but it is worth it.

Sad to say I didn’t love this book. I really wanted to. It was good but not great. The first chapter had me cringing and made me leery of continuing, but I pushed through.

I love Julie’s writing but I think part of me misses the feel of the Iron Fey series so this was a bit of a letdown. I do think teens will love it but the world building and all names were just too much for me to fully enjoy. Maybe I’ll try a reread before book two and hope that it clicks then.

3.75🌟

I had a hard time getting into this story. Part of it was probably because I am not too familiar with Japanese folklore and culture. The other problem I had was that the main portion of the narrative was more of a travelogue, similar to Lord of the Rings. There was a lot of wandering the countryside, encountering enemies they had to fight and then more wandering.

However, the characters were all quite interesting. There were mainly two POV’s that I read from, Yumeko and Tatsumi. They were each unique and had very different upbringings and world views. I favorite character was actually the Ronin, Okame, as he brought some fun comic relief to the story.

Once they actually got to the final battle of this story it did finally start to pick-up and near the end we meet some new characters that will continue on in the journey during book two.

I would say, overall, for me personally, this is not something I will need to own. I am slightly more interested now to see how this story will continue so I will likely get the sequel from the library when it comes out.

If you like Japanese folklore and travel adventures (like LotR) than you will likely enjoy this story.

I received an eARC from Netgalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

When I requested this book, I thought that the concept sounded intriguing and I was genuinely looking forward to reading it. However, I felt like this book was just too confusing. I tried so hard to read it, but nothing quite made sense in my head and I couldn’t connect to a single character. The book was interesting and the plot works well, but I just couldn’t enjoy reading it. Maybe someone else would like this story better than I did. I am glad to see, though, that there are more diverse fantasy books coming out. It’s about time.

I saw the blurb for Shadow of the Fox on Goodreads, and my first question was: "How much like Inuyasha is this book?" Another reader answered that it had similarities but otherwise not at all...

First thing first, I loved this book and I want more, now. Secondly, it is incredibly like Inuyasha, except maybe written by someone who saw an episode once and then gender swapped all of the characters. No time travel, but the main character is a half yokai (nature spirit/demon) who is on a journey with their cursed budding love interest to find ancient artifact pieces, which, when reassembled, will grant the bearer a wish. Sound familiar?

Read the rest of my review on my blog: http://erikagill.com/2018/10/review-shadow-of-the-fox-by-julie-kagawa

I'm just going to come out and say that I enjoyed this story. To me, it isn't the BEST book. The writing was pretty basic in areas (Though I read an ARC of it, so maybe the final version is better). I also found the characters were sometimes kind of cheesy...

BUT despite those minor-for-me flaws, it had an east Asian feel, with fantasy elements that made it feel kind of like my favorite dramas (Korean and Chinese dramas) while also still being awesomely different since it was Japanese inspired. Seriously LOVE the world of this book. Can I just go there right now? Please?

The plot was fascinating. I wanted to know what happens next, and was surprised by more than one unexpexted turn of events.

As for the characters, I say they are fictional friend worthy. The heroine was sweet yet imperfect, which I found a unique combination. Also, she is a Kitsune, so... (Not biased at all, y'all. 😉). The hero's struggle to overcome his many pains was fascinating. He definitely is a complicated dude. Felt bad for the poor guy. I mean, someone PLEASE love this poor abused cookie.

There's also quite a few side characters, most of which were neat individuals. (EXCEPT THE VILLAUNOUS, WHO IS CREEEEEEEPY!)

I did have a few things that I did not care for in this book, despite it being a mostly for me book. To me, the book was a bit slow in spots. I wanted them to hurry, but villains kept attacking them. #why???

It also had a few more bad words than I care to read, plus some crude humor. 😛

Okay, enough negative. Anything else... Ah, yes. Before I wrap this review, I have to say I have found another EMPRESS of Epic Ending in the author.. Did not see it coming... It's awesome because I love to be surprised in books, but also aggravating because I need book two asap. A-S-A-P.

I give "Shadow if the Fox" by Julie Kagawa a rating of four. Hurry, book two.

*Thanks to publisher through Netgalley for a complimentary e-ARC of this book in exchange for honest review. I was not required to write a positive review.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I was taken by all of the Japanese folklore that's woven throughout the book, if you're not familiar with Japanese culture or their folklore it's a lot to take in. There is a glossary in the back which I found helpful when I wasn't certain of a phrase, but I loved that it was a learning experience as well! I found the book opening to be a bit confusing and the introduction of so many characters a little much. I had to go back a few times to remind myself why that name sounded familiar. The plot is super intriguing and Yumeko is such a lovable character! I enjoyed the inner struggle she has and how she interacts with the many different characters. I also really love Tatsumi, it was interesting to read about his struggle as a samurai and his role in his clan while trying to figure out his role with Yumeko. Overall an enjoyable read that I would recommend.


I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.