"...you are balanced on a very thin edge right now, one of yokai and human. Whatever you choose, whatever path you wish to take, even if you attempt to traverse them both, you must decide for yourself, soon."

When I heard that Julie Kagawa was going to come out with a series featuring Japanese mythology, I basically dropped my phone on my face (it happens). Julie Kagawa has consistently been writing about Asian characters in imaginative settings, and for her to do so in a world rooted in Asian mythology basically meant that two of my favourite things were colliding into one book.

In other words: I was ready to sacrifice my firstborn child to read this book.

Luckily, I didn't have to: I was provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. So let's get started on it!

-- What this book is about:

Yumeko is a kitsune (a yokai that has both the ability to change into a fox and to cast illusions) that has been raised in a temple all of her life. Our other main character, Kage Tatsumi, is a demon slayer of the Kage (or Shadow) Clan whose task is to retrieve part of an ancient scroll that can be used to summon a powerful dragon with the ability to grant the wishes of its summoner. Guess where the scroll is?

Yup. At Yumeko's temple.

However, there are several players in this game: unfortunately, we don't know all of them. One of them has sent demons to Yumeko's temple in search of the scroll, leaving our main girl homeless (and with barely any street smarts). Yumeko, as per her fox-like nature, convinces Tatsumi to escort her to her next destination, which happens to be the Steel Feather temple. The problem? No one knows where it is.

-- My overall thoughts on the book:

I think this book suffers from first-book syndrome: it reads like the first book of a series, and if you don't mind that, then power to you. However, I feel that there were ways that Julie Kagawa could have avoided this and tried to establish an independent plotline for Shadow of The Fox. Unfortunately, despite its excellent world-building, Shadow of The Fox falls short when it comes to both its characters and its plot.

Shadow of The Fox starts off wonderfully: I loved seeing all the different yokai and getting to know Yumeko and Tatsumi. The different conflicts that each of the characters faced was understandable, and the first encounter between Yumeko and Tatsumi felt organic and full of tension.

As we progress through the book, however, there seems to be a noticeable pattern that occurs: Yumeko and Tatsumi will encounter a yokai, and Tatsumi's first instinct will be to kill it. Yumeko will stop him, brainstorm a solution, and both of them will collaborate to take down the yokai (Tatsumi with his sword, and Yumeko with her ingenuity or ability to communicate with yokai). This pattern occurs over and over again throughout the book, and while this results in an immersive experience with Japanese mythology, it creates...kind of a nonexistent plot.

We know that Yumeko and Tatsumi are searching for the Steel Feather Temple, we know that Yumeko has one of the scrolls, and we know that Tatsumi is unaware of Yumeko's kitsune nature or her possession of the scroll. But none of that information really develops into anything further.

Another aspect that served to make the book less intriguing is its use of alternating first-person perspectives between Yumeko and Tatsumi. I rarely enjoy books with alternating first-person perspectives; I usually find that books that do this end up detracting from characterisation and making the plot more confusing. Indeed, Yumeko and Tatsumi's point-of-views start meshing together; on multiple occasions, I found myself trying to remember whose POV I was reading. The individual personalities of the characters stopped showing through the text as much as it did in the beginning.

On another note, I also found that the romance between our Tatsumi and Yumeko felt underdeveloped. As the nature of his sword Hakaimono demands, Tatsumi is not allowed to feel any strong emotion. If he does so, then the demon that resides inside his sword can seize that as an opportunity to possess Tatsumi and his soul. Kagawa, for the most part, deals with this well: she portrays Takumi's inner conflict as a constant fight to remain emotionless, even when he yearns to care for others. However, when it comes to the added romance, the random "fluttering of the stomach" or "pangs of jealousy" seem too obviously romance-coded.

In other words, actual and gradual development of Yumeko and Tatsumi's relationsip was put aside for more obvious (and cliche) romance-coded phrasing. I honestly think that Yumeko and Tatsumi should have developed a deep friendship and trust throughout this book without any mention of attraction- instead, the combination of the alternating POVs and the insta-attraction serve to make Yumeko and Tatsumi's characters underdeveloped.

Apart from Yumeko and Tatsumi's characterizations, I loved the rest of the ensemble that developed: many Asian folktales/myths feature a growing ensemble that comes together, and I thought that Shadow of The Fox's ensemble represented that type of solidarity that I see in traditional Asian mythology.

All of this is not to say that I did not enjoy Shadow of the Fox: I finished it in a few hours, even while attending class, taking the bus, studying, making dinner/lunch, and going to the gym. That's how much I liked it. I will be reading the next book as soon as I can get my hands on it. The comments I made serve as an explanation as to why I think Shadow of The Fox suffered from first-book syndrome; hopefully, these issues will be resolved in the upcoming novels.

Until then: I will be waiting.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a digital arc of “Shadow of the Fox” by Julie Kagawa. I have not read any of the author’s previous works but now I will. I really enjoyed the flow of the writing and the word choice. The main character was relatable and interesting. The world building was very well done and created a beautifully described fantasy escape. I will be purchasing this for the library and am excited to share it with the students.

LOVE THIS!!!!


I started with Julie's Iron Fey books and since then I have been hooked and never found a book I disliked from her.


Anyway.... The great Kami Dragon has the power to grant any one wish a person could desire. In order for that to happen, one must have the scroll of a Thousand Prayers. Luckily the scroll is not complete and the dragon can't be summoned. But someone is looking to complete the scroll and summon the dragon and will stop at nothing to get it.


Yumeko is a fun character who grows to be tougher than she thought. She likes to spend her time practicing her fox abilities, even though it doesn't really please those in the temple. When talk about binding her abilities away, Yumeko freaks out and runs to a woman who has been around a long time and also has fox abilities. The woman is a little odd, but she does try to help Yumeko and give her advice/opinion.


When a fire threatens all she knows things are going to move fast. She will have to take the piece of the scroll and go to another temple. Protect the scroll at any cost and never let it get into the wrong hands. Yumeko will set off on this mission and it won't be easy.


I couldn't finish this book fast enough! I loved this and can't wait for the next book to be released already!!!

THIS BOOK was a masterpiece and I don't know what I did to deserve an ARC but I thank the book Gods that I did. Julie Kagawa has this way of grabbing your attention and never letting go ...and the next thing you know, the book is over AND YOU HAVE TO WAIT 7 MILLION YEARS for the next one. Why oh why did I have to torture myself this way?
The worldbuilding was magnificent. I love how she weaved in Japanese lore and legends. I loved the morally grey moments the characters faced ...and ahhh the characters WERE EVERYTHING. I loved them so much ..it felt less like reading about them and more like I was accompanying them through these crazy adventures.

I received an early release copy of this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first read of Julie Kagawa and she blew it out of the park with building a story! The depth of the Japanese folklore she created made it a fantastic read.

The primary character is Yumeko whom I found myself with a somewhat relateable character which made reading her journey intreging. She is a half-human, half-kitsune girl raised among monks all her life, where she's given a task and she's thrust into protecting a sacred relic from forces that aim to misuse its power.

The secondary character is Tatsumi, a demon killing shinobi. His demon-possessed sword, Hakaimono, makes it a constant fight to not give into the sword or his emotions to avoid giving in to the demon taking over.

The story is fast paced and keeps you from wanting to put it down. I literally felt as if I was in this world and I truly didn't want it to end.

4.5 out of 5 stars.

I did not enjoy this as much as Mrs. Kagawa’s other titles but it was ok. I think it would have helped if I had more of a background knowledge of Japanese traditions and myths, however I did enjoy learning more through the story. I liked the main character Yumeko who is part fox the best and I wish we could have stayed with her as the narrator the whole time as I thought she had the most interesting story line and perspective. Honestly I got a little bored when we switched to the other narrators. I reccomend this title for readers who are already fans of jananese legends and anime as I think they will best enjoy it.

MIND BLOWN! Why...why did receive an ARC? Now I will be in AGONY till my life can continue with book 2. Fantastic world building, masterful storytelling, and characters to die for!

Julie Kagawa is best known for her Iron Fey series, but my introduction to her work was the Blood of Eden trilogy, a dystopian/vampire adventure that I really enjoyed.

The Shadow of the Fox is the first in this fantasy series with creative mythological elements.

from the description: "Every millennium, one age ends and another age dawns...and whoever holds the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers holds the power to call the great Kami Dragon from the sea and ask for any one wish. The time is near...and the missing pieces of the scroll will be sought throughout the land of Iwagoto. The holder of the first piece is a humble, unknown peasant girl with a dangerous secret."

Yumeko, half-human and half-kitsune, has an important role to play in keeping the forces of evil at bay, but she is half-kitsune and is inclined to pranks. Raised in a monastery, Yumeko is truly naive about the wider world, but she is good-hearted and aware of what she owes to the monks. When the temple is destroyed by demons, Yumkeo finds herself charged with a great responsibilty: she must deliver the fragment of the scroll entrusted to her to the Steel Feather Shrine. Her experiences have been limited to the sanctuary of the monastery, but now she must undertake a journey into a world she knows little about.

The second pov comes from Kage Tatsumi of the Shadow Clan, whose life has been circumscribed by his clan leaders. His current mission it to dispatch anyone who stands in his way of obtaining the fragment of the scroll that Yumeko carries. Unaware that she is carrying the fragment, Tatsumi believes Yumeko can help him locate it and aids her in her journey.

Villains, demons, samurai, ronin, shape-shifters, kami and more. A little slow at the start, the pacing increases with the destruction of the temple that sets Yumeko in her prophesied role.

Read in May; blog review scheduled for Sept. 13.

NetGalley/Harlequin Teen
YA/Fantasy/Folkore/Adventure. Oct. 2, 2018. Print length: 400 pages.

**ARC received in exchange for an honest review**

Look, I'm a sucker for folklore. Give me a hint of mythology in a book and I'm tripping over my feet to check the book out. Recently, we've been seeing a plethora of Euro-centric folklore-based books hitting the shelves in a variety of genres. Am I upset by this? N to the O! But I will say that it was wonderfully refreshing to delve deeper into Japanese folklore in this story, because if there is one thing my love of anime has taught me, it's that feudal Japan is no joke, and Shadow of the Fox has all of those feudal-feels right down to the shrines.

Shadow of the Fox has a swift moving plot and enjoyable characters that everyone can relate to. I highly recommend this book to anyone that loves a good tale.

16 year-old Yumeko is being protected in an isolated shrine, learning to suppress the fox inside (kitsune). It isn't until evil storms her safe haven that she learns the truth. She is forced to flee, her quest tied to the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers and the power to summon the great Kami Dragon. Of course she meets the strapping Tatsumi, fearsome demonslayer trained as "a weapon in the hands of the Kage."

When I read a book and students continually pop into my head... I know I've found a winner. My mind kept drifting back to those who loved Kagawa's Iron Fey series and the darkness of Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows... this is how I know they will devour this one. Japanese mythology twines its way through the plot and the intense world-building pulls you inside. Manga has been a very hot commodity in our school- kids are hungry for more... and this novel might be a nudge into the full colour world of samurais, yokai and some seriously creepy demons. "The entire cemetery glowed with a strange, sickly green light that illuminated the dozens of bodies shambling between graves. They were naked, emaciated creatures, with sticklike limbs and bloated, distended bellies. Vaguely human, they walked hunched over or crawled through the dirt like animals, their gaping mouths showing rows of jagged, broken teeth. Gaki."

A war is brewing, and I think we are in for an entertaining series.
Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC set for release on October 2, 2018. #ShadowofTheFox

Review based on a digital ARC provided via Netgalley.

May contain mild spoilers.

In this first book in the Shadow of the Fox trilogy, Kagawa draws on Japanese folklore to bring to life a well drawn cast of characters who band together to complete a quest. Yumeko, a girl who is half kitsune (fox in Japanese), finds herself in possession of a very important scroll fragment, one she must deliver to the Steel Feather temple in order to keep the forces of evil from resurrecting a dragon. Along the way, she meets Kage Tatsumi, a member of the Shadow Clan who was sent to retrieve the scroll by any means necessary. Like Yumeko, Tatsumi has a secret, he is shinobi and is carrying a sword called Kamigoroshi that enables the demon Hakaimono to infiltrate his soul. He is at constant war with this inner demon, keeping others at bay in order to control his emotions and keep himself in check. Along the way, they meet Okame, a rōnin (master-less samurai), who joins their little band on their way to the capital and eventually to the temple. Okame is a great character, and I wonder what the next book might hold for him. He seems like he might just have a secret of his own. The final member of their group is Daisuke Taiyo, a member of the royal family, who challenges Tatsumi to a duel, the outcome of which determines the course of their alliance. On the other side of this adventure, also in pursuit of the scroll, is Lady Satomi, the emperor’s favorite concubine and all around nasty lady. She is working to get her hands on the scroll in order to release the dragon for her own ends, which certainly aren’t good. She employs many supernatural creatures to do her bidding, sending oni and many others to do her dirty work. There are a few other great little side characters that figure into the story, but I won’t go into them here. You will want to pay special attention to Suki, with whom Kagawa begins the story.

This story is a classic Japanese style adventure quest, with the characters overcoming both personal obstacles and mythological enemies on their journey to their final destination. As I mentioned at the outset, the characters are well written, drawing the reader into their stories. I love Yumeko, left on the steps of a temple with a mysterious note as an infant. Hers is the main voice in this story, although the story is told in alternating chapters, with Tatsumi relating the others. Yumeko has a strong voice and I am looking forward to seeing her develop her kitsune powers more in the next two books in this series.

Those not familiar with Japanese folklore will find this story exciting and new, with intriguing mythological beings popping up throughout the narrative. Those familiar with Japanese folklore will find much to like in the storyline, as it follows a similar quest storyline to many I have read, adding a fresh twist.

I was excited to read this book, as I am a huge fan of Kagawa’s Talon saga. Her writing is good and the characters are appealing. I always find myself falling in love with her characters, especially the ones who are complex and flawed, as they are so true to life. I look forward to reading the next two books in this series.

2.5/5 stars

I personally did not enjoy this book. I felt like I was dragging myhself through mud just to get to the end. There were time where it picked up pace and I felt remotely interested, but it just fell flat. I was excited for this as I read the Blood of Eden series and loved those books. I felt completely uninterested in the characters and the plot in Shadow of the Fox . I found Suki to be alright boring. At the beginning I felt something , but that just went away as the book went on. The first few chapters felt so rushed but yet so slow at the same time, if that makes any sense. I can't imagine myself picking this up at a later time. I was so disappointed as I really wanted to like this, because it's Julie Kagawa! This just felt lackluster to me. I can't even imagine giving it another shot in the future. That just shows how much I didn't like it. I may come back to this again, but it's very unlikely at the moment. I don't recommend this book if you loved the pacing and the characters from the Blood of Eden series. This is definitely for a different type of audience, and I just so happen to not be a part of it.

SHADOW OF THE FOX alternates POV between a half-kitsune named Yumeko and a samurai named Kage Tatsumi. After watching a demon attack and destroy her home, Yumeko must travel to the Steel Feather Shrine to pass on a piece of the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers. It's the only place it'll be safe because someone is trying restore the scroll and call forth the Kami Dragon.

Kage Tatsumi's mission is to find the piece of the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers when he runs into Yumeko. She claims that the piece has already been sent to the Steel Feather Shrine and enlists his help to get her there safely. Along the way, they meet a few new faces who are amazed by Yumeko's innocence and kindness.

I absolutely love the Japanese folklore in here and it reminded me of an anime like Inuyasha. I love all of the characters and think Julie did an amazing job with this book. I'm dying for the second already and am so thankful to have had the chance to read a book as original as this one. It's full of innocent love, action, demons, Japanese mythology, and so much more.


Final Verdict: I would recommend this to fans of Japanese myths, action, adventure, and Japanese anime. I look forward to more book like this one.

Julie Kagawa’s Shadow of the Fox was everything I hoped for from this author—and then some. The quickly-moving plot, enjoyable characters, and captivating mythology were highlights of the book for me.

The plot, as I said, was fast-paced. I was never bored, as Kagawa hurtled us through the adventure. My only complaint is that there was so much STUFF happening, that the deeper insights into characters and the world were skimmed over. I felt like it was a Saturday morning cartoon at points: looks cool and the characters are good enough, but the real appeal is the action that hurtles from one fight to the next to entertain the viewers. That being said, I did like the two narrators—Tatsumi and Yumeko were both likeable and interesting narrators, with layers of secrets and histories. However, they were both so immature and what feels like hastily written to serve the plot, that I was disappointed at the lack of characterization—Kagawa’s writing of Yumeko was especially a let down since her voice started off SO strong and so unique, but by the end, she was pushed along with the plot and I could hardly remember if I was reading a chapter from her POV or Tatsumi’s.

My last point: I really liked the setting and mythology of Shadow of the Fox. I haven’t read any of Kagawa’s other works, so I was coming into this by her reputation only, and I wasn’t disappointed. I easily understood the mythology she built and, while the word didn’t always feel tangible, I was never sucked out of it.

So, I will happily buy the book when it is released, and will definitely go back to look at the author’s earlier writing, but I am hoping that the next book in the series is less of lots of action scenes strung together and more thoughtful.

I received my ebook copy of Shadow of the Fox from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

5 STARS



TW: blood, violence

This book was STUNNING. I mean, I had high hopes going in just from that gorgeous (and slightly sinister) cover, and Shadow of the Fox delivered, no bones about it. It's a richly developed fantasy with high stakes, a wonderful world, and a main character who absolutely stole my heart. I was so engrossed in reading it that it was almost 2:30 in the morning before I put it down!

I think Yumeko was the main draw for me, though. From the start, I really loved her. A half-human, half-kitsune girl raised among monks all her life, she's thrust headlong into protecting a sacred relic from forces that aim to misuse its power. By all means, she should be terrified and overwhelmed, totally out of her depth. And sometimes she really is. But she remains compassionate and clever and my heart was just SO FULL with love for her. I adore heroines who can be clever and caring without seeming like pushovers, and the fact that Yumeko was also just a bit of a trickster (by virtue of her kitsune illusion magic especially) really appealed to me. Usually, if a character is making harmless trouble and pulling pranks in a book, it's a male character, but here, Yumeko gets to tease and be playfully obnoxious without being irritating. She was honestly a joy to read about, and, I think I'll be a huge fan of her for years to come. She's rocketed up into my list of favorite characters.

I enjoyed Tatsumi's POV as well, though not as much as Yumeko's. Because of his tie to his demon-possessed sword, he can't show emotion without risking the demon's release, and that made for phenomenal internal tension as the story progressed. Still, I didn't enjoy his chapters nearly as much because he couldn't be as emotional as Yumeko, and he was so careful and controlled that I kept wanting more of Yumeko's quick thinking and slightly impulsive actions.

And the pacing! Oh boy, I was worried when this started to shape up as a traveling quest sort of book, because those are so often DAYS OF TRAVEL, followed by TRAINING MONTAGE, followed by UNRESOLVED ROMANTIC TENSION, followed by MORE TRAVEL, and so on. Pretty standard formula, and pretty boring. But this was anything BUT boring. The obstacles as the characters traveled were vibrant and dangerous and clever (and the fight scenes! beautifully written), and there were no chapters that just felt like endless traveling with nothing exciting going on. Every scene contributed to moving the story forward in a dynamic way, and I was hooked. I kept telling myself "one more chapter, then go to bed," but then I JUST KEPT READING until I was done. Again, I finished at 2:30 am, so that should tell you something about how much I enjoyed it.

Another thing I loved was the world, especially the use of Japanese folklore. There were yokai everywhere, of all varieties, and their integration with the human components of the story was seamless. It gave the world a magical cast (as did the actual magic, of course), and since I love reading about mythology and folklore, I was excited to recognize some of the yokai and to be introduced to others. As the series goes forward, I'm sure other yokai will be introduced, whether as plot points or key characters, and I'm looking forward to it immensely.

My single issue with the book comes down to a plot problem. The whole book revolves around Yumeko keeping her relic away from harm and delivering it to safety, because it could bring about terrible things if it falls into the wrong hands. No one seems to want to use it for good, though, or have a reason why it should be preserved, so...why not just destroy it? It's one of three pieces, and I get the sense the other two are useless without it, and the end of the world would be a lot farther away if one of the pieces were destroyed.

But other than that, I was completely and totally enamored with Shadow of the Fox, and I'd highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a stunning, exciting fantasy adventure. Make sure to catch it when it arrives on October 2 this year, and once you've read it, keep an eye out for the sequel, The Demon of the Blade!

This book was okay. I love other books written by Julie Kagawa. Kagawa does a great job of immersing readers into the worlds she creates, but for Shadow of the Fox I had trouble connecting with the characters and understanding what was going on for the first several chapters. This threw me off and made it difficult for me to want to continue reading. I would have quit reading it altogether if I hadn't received a copy from NetGalley to review the book. Luckily the book did pick up speed and I really enjoyed the picked up story line and learning more about Japanese mythologies. Overall it was a decent book if you push yourself through the tough beginning.

I had never read anything by Julie Kagawa but decided to request a copy from NetGalley on a whim. I am so glad I did! The things I disliked was that it was very confusing for the first 5 chapters or so. You really have to pay attention to the synopsis or you can really easily get lost those first few chapters and the beginning 6-7 chapters were slow, but the book picked up quickly after that. The Kitsune and different Japanese mythologies were really interesting. It was nice to have a book written in a heavily Japanese influenced fantasy world rather than the usual European influence. Sometimes authors lose me when the characters or objects in the books have strange names, but that didn't deter me with this book. I really liked the characters and thought the plot was compelling throughout. I was looking for something a little different from what I've been reading, and this fit the bill nicely.

The one and only Julie Kagawa brings us to a whole new and intricate world of Shadow of the Fox! I highly recommend this for fans of Julie Kagawa and her previous works, as well as those wanting to read a fantasy novel set and inspired by the folklore of Japan. I can, however, recommend this to any fantasy readers out there looking the next addictive series to read.

The story mainly revolves around Yumeko, a half-kitsune (which makes her a half-Yokai) and Kage Tatsumi, a samurai from the Shadow Clan. Fate made them meet each other and go to an adventure together. They were joined by other characters that helped them (or antagonized them). I adore these characters so much, even those I've met them only for a few pages.

Shadow of the Fox contains the right amount of humor and action and intrigue that makes me want to keep turning the page. Knowing more. Wanting more. It does not bore anyone with the details of every single thing and yet the worldbuilding came out intricate and well-thought.

It also has multiple POVs (usually dominated by two) and they are distinguishable so no worries! I can easily know who's eyes I'm seeing through even though I've stopped in the middle of a chapter.

Overall, this book kept me all night thinking about the details. Thinking about theories. The whys and hows and what ifs. It kept me all night nursing my heart bursting with feelings!

Wow! This is the best YA Fantasy I've read in years! There's so much to love about this book.

The worldbuilding is superb, and the way the information is revealed to the reader is so skillful; there were so many new terms and monsters and places, but I didn't notice I was absorbing all of it until around the middle of the story, when I realized I was automatically translating some of the little Japanese words in my head as they came up.

And the characters! Yumeko is so easy to love; her ingenuity, mischievousness, and cheerful resilience were some of the best parts of the story. I also loved Tatsumi, and watching him slowly--and unwillingly--fall under her spell like everyone else. Even the side characters--Okame, Daisuke, and Reika--were amazing. I relished every second I got to spend with this brave little group.

Kagawa blends fantasy, humor, and horror elements seamlessly to create an epic that you'll be unable to put down--I think I finished in about four hours--and the story will have you desperately waiting for the sequel. Anyway, I'll stop gushing about this and simply say: BUY THIS BOOK. You will not regret it.

I loved this book.

Kagawa takes us on an adventure in a land entrenched with Japanese mythology and lush world building. We follow Yumeko, a half-Kitsune (a half human half magical fox), as she is entrusted with an ancient piece of a scroll that she must protect. With the temple that she was raised and the people that raised her gone (destroyed by a bloodthirsty demon) she must find her way to the temple alone and protect the scroll from falling into the wrong hands. The story alternates between her perspective and that of Tatsumi, a fearsome warrior from the Shadow clan, who was sent to retrieve the said piece of the scroll. Through some interesting circumstances they end up traveling together to the temple and end up collecting more people on the way and they have quite a few situations they have to work their way out of while both navigating lies and feeling of their own.

I was hooked to this story! I wasn’t a huge fan of Kagawa’s Talon series, but this story was so well written and fun that I couldn’t put it down. The adventure was fun and fast paced; I enjoyed it immensely.

I adored Yumeko; she was funny, kind and witty. She reminded me a lot of Rapunzel from Tangled or Cress from The Lunar Chronicles, the same wide-eyed sheltered girl yearning to explore the world. But unlike them she wasn’t afraid to get into some mischief. Tatsumi was her opposite. Brooding, dark, shadow warrior that has no time for fun and games. As the story progressed, I enjoyed reading about his cold exterior thawing and their interactions together were entertaining.

The other characters in this book were a delight as well. Suki, Daisuke, Omake, and even Reika: each brought their own flavor to the story and Kagawa did a great job bringing this ragtag group together!

The ending wasn’t exactly a cliffhanger but it also leaves SO much to desire that there is no question that this was the first story of a series. And if the rest of the books are like this one, a series I am very much looking forward to!

If you are looking an adventure with mythological creatures from Japan, sinister villains, beautiful scenery, strong friendships, and lots of fun surprises- this won’t disappoint.

Honestly the only thing left to say is that I need the next book!!

4.5 stars