I tried really hard to get into this book. The summary held such promise for me but try as I might, I couldn't get into the characters. While I admire and respect the correct Japanese usage of honorifics depending on the a person rank or status, I admit that it kept through off the pace of the book for me. Perhaps because I am not used to it in a literary setting outside of manga or anime. I felt like it was trying too much to be LIKE an anime or manga. The story's premise and world building are interesting enough that I think it would do good in those mediums but not quite for a novel. I do wish the author good luck in future writings and hope that maybe the next book I pick up by her I will enjoy it more. Overall, Shadow of the Fox is an okay book and if you're looking into reading something set in ancient Japan with Japanese mythology and monsters, this book might just be what you're looking for.

This is obviously an InuYasha OC fanfic, but was fun enough that I'll be able to use it to lure my manga lovers over to a bit of prose fiction. It is nice that it's #OwnVoices.

I’ll be doing my first Vlogg on this book in January!!! This book was so good!!! I will update this post as well as my Goodreads review with my link to the Vlogg!! I cannot wait for the next book!!

Kagawa is the reason I started reading again. I loved her Iron Fey series and fell just as much in love with this one.

Note: Netgalley provided me with an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. There are some light spoilers.

Shadow of the Fox is a book I have extreme mixed feelings about. I was basically irritated once the second chapter started and remained feeling that way for the rest of the book. And yet, I wonder if my young teenaged self—this, to me, screams young YA—would have loved it.

Here's the thing: Shadow of the Fox is basically an anime. The conflicts in the book feel like they're one-off episodes that don't connect to the larger story (looking at you, ghost town). Don't get me wrong, I love anime, but reading what feels like Inuyasha as a 27 year old is different from reading it when I was 12-14. Keeping in mind that this is, first and foremost, a book for young teens, I'm not sure what to do with it.

Perhaps I can start with the writing. I found it incredibly juvenile, using cliches such as "Yumeko looks in a mirror in order to tell the reader what she looks like" (granted, it shows her true form) to "let me use a ton of exposition to tell you the whole backstory of everything in this moment and, by the way, repeat over and over again that I, Tatsumi, am fighting a demon/am nothing/what is being human without actually engaging with any of that that might mean." The prose, while simple, made me roll my eyes half the time because of its repetition and constant exposition. Again, I remind myself that perhaps I needed that as a young teen and would find those reminders and explanations useful. Also: why don't the chapters tell the narrator at the top? It's extremely jarring to go from a third person first chapter to a first person chapter to another first person chapter that's extremely similar in voice (at first) but is a different character. Literally one word at the beginning of each chapter would have prevented that.

The plot is a typical fantasy, which is fine, and I am glad it was set in a Japanese-inspired world. If nothing else, it lets young Japanese teens to see a setting they may be familiar with. (It wasn't any of that that contributed to the anime feeling, incidentally; it was the structure of the book.) I think the mythology didn't need to be described so heavy-handedly, but again: audience. My main problem is that their mini-struggles along the journey—but *especially* during the ghost village scene—felt totally disconnected from the larger plot, and this is what made it feel like an anime to me. Yes, we learn that the main antagonists sends some of these people to battle with them, but in a way that Naraku did—look here, the evil villain is doing the thing! The characters never revisit what happens during those moments, never reflect back on what they might mean. They just happen, and everyone moves on from it.

I also have mixed feelings about the characters. Yumeko is young and naive with the excuse that she was raised in an isolated temple, but she is also unerringly kind. Towards the end, she shows her cleverness, too, which I think gives potential to her character in future books. Tatsumi was... fine. I usually love stoic "I've had the humanity beaten out of me" characters, but he was just whatever to for me. At least their budding romance is not over the top, except Tatsumi's "what is this" that happens over and over again made me be like "Bro. We got it the first time." The other characters are fine, too—a drunk, lecherous ronin with the heart of gold but probably a dark past, the honorable samurai-noble who is dissatisfied with court life, a no-nonsense priestess. Say it with me: I N U Y A S H A.

The villain chapters felt pointless to me. Suki, the character we meet in chapter one, was 10000000% a device for us to see what the villain was doing. (Incidentally, I *liked* Suki. But it was very confusing as to when that first chapter happened in comparison to the rest of the book.) But it did absolutely nothing for the story—we didn't learn anything (except at the very end) that we didn't already realize. The villain was also uninteresting to me and not at all compelling. (By the way: I have zero problem with adult-centric chapters in YA novels. My issue was that they didn't add anything to our understanding of the world/etc, except at the very, very end.)

I wanted *so badly* to like this book, but I came away ultimately feeling deeply "meh" about it. The writing was mediocre, the plot was typical, and the only thing I liked about it was how steeped in Japanese lore it was. (I did like that a lot.) I wonder if part of it is that the stakes didn't feel high enough for me. We knew the worldwide stakes, but for the characters, those were meaningless.

This is a book, however, that young anime fans might really enjoy. I think adults who read YA, however, will be disappointed. (Again! YA is not for adults! So my review is geared towards those of us who do read and enjoy YA, always keeping in mind that this book was not written for me.)

I love Julie Kagawa because she always delivers the most exciting stories that are unique. A novel based upon the kitsune with touches of Japanese mythology - it was absolutely exciting.

I liked this book enough that I would continue to read the series and would recommend it to YA fantasy fans but it wasn't the best. I did like that the setting is different than so many other YA books.

I took my time reading Julie Kagawa’s latest series because it was SO amazing. She mentions in her notes that she drew upon various Japanese myths and legends while formulating her story, and I loved that. In fact, I loved everything about Shadow of the Fox and wanted to savor it as much as possible, which I did by reading it slowly and carefully. The story occurs in a fictional land with an obvious connection to Japanese traditions, social and political structure, and geography. Yumeko is the sweetest character, naive and trusting; usually, I would detest characters like this as having no basis in reality, but it works for her because she has a way of cutting through all pretense and getting to the heart of an issue that I admire. Plus, she may be naive, but she is not completely innocent and brings with her excellent instincts and a fantastic upbringing that serves her well on the road. Tatsumi is dangerous, but he has a rather tragic backstory. I adored watching him struggle with his humanity for the first time as he spends more time with Yumeko. The band of travelers they collect on their way to the capital is equally charming and highly entertaining. The story is not without its darker elements, which is what I expect from Ms. Kagawa, but she expertly blends the good with the evil, showing that other than a few exceptions, the world exists in shades of gray. Shadow of the Fox reminds me how much I adored Ms. Kagawa’s previous novels and makes me excited for the rest of the series.

SHADOW OF THE FOX is a magical and lush novel, set in a fantasy feudal Japan—and it’s #ownvoices!

The first chapter and last chapter were among my favorites. They were so exciting and unexpected. The story started with a character who seemed like a Typical YA Heroine, but by the end of the chapter, my jaw was hanging open and I couldn’t turn the page fast enough. The ending was also stunning, though I won’t give away spoilers.

I will say that the ending didn’t leave much resolved; there’s no closure of the main story arc, so you’ll have to read the sequel(s) if you want a conclusion. I personally prefer Book 1 novels that close the first story arc and open a second arc at the end, but you might be different.

I am highly impressed by the magic system, which was complex but also clear. There were a lot of rules, exceptions, different types of magical beings, etc., yet Kagawa explained them so well within the narrative that I never had any trouble following along. The magic system was one of my favorite aspects of the entire novel.

Speaking of magic, I specifically loved the main character’s magical abilities—she could do some amazing things, but she wasn’t an all-powerful Chosen One. It was a nice balance and leaves room for the reader to be genuinely worried about her well-being. Also, I LOVE kitsune characters in general. Her powers were wonderfully utilized toward the end of the novel, both in a sly way and an all-out fighting way.

Reading the book felt like watching an anime series, largely due to the episodic story structure. For me, that was both positive and negative. It gave me the charmed, nostalgic feeling of shōjo manga/anime, and I could easily imagine the characters, their voices, the setting, etc. But it was also TOO episodic for me, in that the journey narrative involved a slew of separate obstacles, one after the other, none of which were too consequential. Each obstacle was somewhat interesting, but it also kind of felt like filler, and the characters never even completed their initial journey. It took the tension out of the story.

Another element that made it feel like anime was the archetypal characters, but I didn’t mind that. I found it to be fun, and the surly-yet-lovable rōnin was one of my favorites. Whenever he was on the page, it was a delight.

I liked that the story wasn’t heavy on romance (just a personal preference), though right from the beginning it was obvious where the romance was going. That might’ve been fine if the male love interest had more depth to him, but there was something missing from his character that made him feel lifeless to me. Part of that might’ve been intentional on the author’s part, due to the character’s harsh upbringing, but I was still hoping for more from him. I’m guessing that in the sequel, he’ll have more of an opportunity to grow and open up.

The prose was decent—nothing fancy, but it flowed well enough. That cover, though—GORGEOUS.

SHADOW OF THE FOX is full of magic, adventures, cool creatures and characters, plus some history and mythology. I absolutely recommend it!

ARC provided by Harlequin Teen via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

As Shadow of the Fox, which involves Japanese folklore, opens, the time has come in Iwagoto when a dragon god will grant a millennial wish to anyone who possesses an ancient scroll. The last wish brought such destruction that the scroll was divided into three pieces and hidden. Now both the emperor's concubine Lady Satomi and the head of the Shadow Clan Lady Hanshou are determined to find the pieces so that they can be granted a wish. Tatsumi, demon slayer of the Shadow Clan, who is bound to the sword Kamigoroshi and the demon imprisoned within it, is tasked with finding the pieces. Yumeko, a Kitsune (half fox/half human spirit), who was raised in the Silent Winds temple, manages to escape with a part of the scroll when Lady Satomi sends demons to destroy the temple. She meets Tatsumi and convinces him to head off on a quest to the Steel Feather Temple to find the rest of the scroll. The cliffhanger ending will leave readers anxious for the sequel.

I had high expectations for Shadow of the Fox. I enjoyed Kagawa's Iron Fey series and really loved Blood of Eden (Jackal yassss!). I was excited to discover that Kagawa was going to write a Japanese based story. The problem is this story didn't feel like a Kagawa book. It felt like a mashup of anime tropes mashed together.

I was explaining the plot of this book to my husband and the first thing he said was that it sounded exactly like Naruto. I told him it read a bit like Inu-Yasha without the annoying mess that is Kagome (and without the amazing Sesshomaru). At certain point it even reminded me of Avatar the Last Airbender. Honestly, that's my main problem with this story. Because it was borrowing from so many anime tropes it's own voice was lost in the shuffle. I wanted to read something original and this wasn't.

First, we have the half-kitsune, Yumeko, who has grown up in a hidden temple far away from the world. She is naive and previously wasn't allowed to use her powers. When her temple is attacked by Oni (demons) she sets off on a quest to deliver Scroll of a Thousand Prayers to yet another remote temple.

Next there is Tatsumi, a kage from the Shadow Clan who is completely devoid of emotion and only cares about retrieving the scroll for his clan. That is until he travels with Yumeko and maybe his heart starts to melt a little? I got some serious Ash from Iron Fey vibes from Tatsumi which I actually enjoyed because I was a huge fan of Ash throughout the Iron Fey series.

Finally, there was a former samurai who was drunk a lot of the time. He lent some comic relief to the story but didn't really do much else. I don't care for this stereotype so I didn't really like his character. Also, I felt that one of his main plot functions was to keep Tatsumi and Yumeko's relationship from progressing too quickly.

I did enjoy the main villain who is the Emperor's concubine. I found her to be completely evil and I like a good villain to root against sometimes. That being said, because she was just evil for the sake of being evil, I struggled with her characters motivations. I hope to see those fleshed out further in future books.

Despite my qualms with Shadow of the Fox it honestly was a fun ride. It kept my attention from start to finish and while I had personal issues with how the characters felt more like caricatures the plot itself moved at a good pace and I enjoyed the story.

Overall, this was a solid three-star read. I wouldn't expect to be wowed by the first installment in the series but because I'm a Kagawa fan I'm going to read the next book. I hope it does a better job of fleshing out the characters and injecting some originality into the plot.

I've never read YA fantasist Julie Kagawa previously, but when I saw that she had written an Own Voices fantasy taking place in Japan, I couldn't resist. I was very grateful to be approved by the publisher for an ARC via Net Galley.


I've actually read some fantasies based on Japanese legends, but none were Own Voices books. They were all by Caucasians, and they were mainly martial arts oriented fantasies grounded in samurai films. Shadow of the Fox has a number of similarities to those books, but the biggest difference is that Julie Kagawa gave us a character who poked fun at the samurai and their values. The reviews I've seen don't even mention this character, but he was the one who stood out for me.


The protagonists also don't fit the formula I've seen in Japanese background fantasies. I've seen kitsune (fox woman) characters. They're usually destructive villains, not protagonists. Yumeko was trained to suppress her kitsune persona and powers at a temple where she was brought up. Then there's the samurai protagonist, Tatsumi. Samurai tradition contends that the soul of the samurai is in his sword. This is a metaphor for the samurai's total commitment to the way of the warrior. It isn't intended to be literal. In Shadow of the Fox, there really is a spirit in Tatsumi's sword, but it's a demon. This is a significant challenge for a protagonist. He had to fight that demon in order to maintain self-mastery. So both these protagonists had divided natures. They weren't entirely trustworthy.


My favorite character was essentially a sidekick. His name was Okame, and he's a ronin which means masterless samurai. Every ronin I've ever read about before is continually trying to find a master. They're never happy unless they've sworn fealty to a lord, and can be proper samurai. At first, I thought of Okame as a drunken fool who lacked ambition, but as time went on I realized that he was a subversive who had some really good dialogue.


I liked the fact that Julie Kagawa claimed the freedom to play with the standard figures of Japanese fantasy and move beyond formula. I am looking forward to finding out what she does in future volumes.

Wow, I enjoyed this. I wasn't expecting it to be as a good as it was. This book was a page-turner. We get three POV's: Suki, a ghost, Yumeko, a half-kitsune who was raised by monks in an isolated temple, and Tatsumi, a samurai of the Shadow Clan, wielder of a mystical sword, and infamous Demon Slayer.

The story follows Yumeko and Tatsumi the most with occasional chapters from Suki's POV. Yumeko is tasked by the monks who raised her to protect an ancient scroll and bring it to a hidden temple. Tatsumi is tasked by his clan to find the scroll and bring it back with him to the Shadow Clan Territory. He is unaware that Yumeko is in possession of the scroll. Yumeko uses half-truths to convince Tatsumi to help her find the monk.

Throughout the story, we meet several more characters that each of distinct personalities. None of the characters are thrown in for no reason. Every single character serves a greater purpose. The plot is intriguing, and the Japanese folklore is complex and fun to learn slowly. The glossary in the back of the books is extremely helpful if you are not familiar with Japanese folklore.

I look forward to the sequel.

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 book was one of my first introductions to Japanese folklore and I was fascinated the entire time. I love Kagawa's books and this one was no exception! I learned about new and terrifying creatures of nightmares, clever foxes and brave (albeit dangerous) warriors. This book, took me to the mystical world of Japan's past. Although I stumbled some over the new terminology, I found myself hooked and hanging on every word. I enjoyed the relationships and the message that kindness and helpfulness can turn the tides more in one's favor than isolation, vengeance and single mindedness. Overall, this book took me to a world I had yet to experience and left me desperate to find out what happens next in this world of demons and dragons.


*** Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin TEEN (US & Canada) for gifting me with a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review ***

(Content warning for graphic violence/gore and rape threats.)

There is so much to enjoy about Shadow of the Fox that I’m not quite sure where to begin. One of my favorite fantasy tropes/plot setups is the hero(ine) embarking on a grand quest and picking up a ragtag group of companions along the way, so the moment that I realized that’s what this book would be, I was delighted. Quest stories have a number of strengths, such as exploring wildly different settings or allowing in-depth looks at the menacing side of the world building, which author Julie Kagawa definitely took advantage of.

The world of Iwagoto is overflowing with demons and kami and yokai and witches and ghosts, controlled by an imperial family and powerful clans, and filled with cursed villages and mysterious swordsmen who challenge travelers to duels. Due to Yumeko’s sheltered upbringing at the temple, the reader gets to experience this wider, dangerous world with her for the first time. And it is a very dangerous world—Kagawa did a great job of making the many fight scenes in this book unique and interesting, and I especially appreciated that Yumeko contributed to them despite her lack of training. She may be naïve about social norms, but she is clever and compassionate and determined to help whenever things get dangerous. (And help she does! Often crucially.)

It makes her a sharp contrast to Tatsumi, the other narrator of the book, who has been raised to view himself as a weapon, a tool, and who has to tightly control his emotions lest the demon he’s carrying overtake him or his handlers think he’s too great a liability and put him down. Tatsumi’s emotional arc is, understandably, glacially slow, but it is still fun to watch unfold, especially as he starts to realize what’s happening to him.

While Yumeko, Tatsumi, and their other companions are interesting, I was left a little disappointed in the villains. The villains are excellent at being menacing and horrifying, but they were otherwise uniformly flat to me. They served as great obstacles and gruesome set pieces, but their antics started to get repetitive toward the end, and I wished they had been more interesting. Then again, considering this is a trilogy, the first book villains were obviously not designed to make it to the end and probably were meant to show off how awful demons and blood magic are. To that end, they succeeded.

Recommendation: Get it soon. If you want a fun take on Japanese folklore and mythology, Shadow of the Fox will be a great addition to your bookself. The quest elements in this first book are well done, and the two narrators are a contrasting but complementary pair. This first book left me excited to read the rest of the trilogy, so that’s definitely a success.

*I received this book via Netgalley. My opinions are my own*

I visualized this book as a movie the whole time! The group of characters were so great and they kicked some serious butt!The main character was funny and genuinely well written! The Japanese mythology is something that is not explored often but Julie Kagawa does an amazing job! I am going to recommend this book to anyone and everyone who will listen!

Title: Shadow of the Fox
Author: Julie Kagawa
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Rating: 4 out of 5

Yumeko has been raised by monks in the Silent Winds temple. The isolation helps hide her half-kitsune nature—along with the training of the monks who want to suppress her mischievous personality. The temple exists to protect part of an ancient scroll fated to summon the great Kami Dragon. The last time the dragon was summoned, a thousand years of darkness followed. When the temple is destroyed, and the monks slain, Yumeko is left with the scroll fragment—and instructions to find a hidden temple.

But Yumeko isn’t the only one interested in the scroll. Kage Tatsumi, a samurai of the mysterious shadow clan, has been charged to find the scroll—and let no one stand in his way. Yumeko has no idea how to survive outside the temple and promises to take Kage to the scroll if he helps her find the temple. Kage has no idea she’s holding a piece of the scroll, and her deception could tear them apart—if his dark secret doesn’t destroy them both first.

I am fascinated by Japanese culture and mythology, and I really loved the Iron Fey series, so I was excited to read this. However, I found it pretty slow going until the last third of the book. The setting is fantastic and fascinating, but the plot seemed a bit predictable. Yumeko was very naïve—to be expected from her upbringing—and I actually liked that about her, although I think she needed some more common sense at times to counteract her lack of experience. A solid read.

Julie Kagawa is a New York Times-bestselling author. Shadow of the Fox is her newest novel.

(Galley provided by Harlequin Teen in exchange for an honest review.)

I love Julie Kagawa and once again she makes sure to leave me in awe. Her world building is exquisite and the book keeps throwing a new twist at the reader every time you think it is done. I really love Asian culture and was pleased to finally read a book that incorporated kitsune. I was overjoyed and fell in love with this book from the beginning.

I was so excited for this book! Everyone I know has been chatting it up, so I was SURE I'd love it. Not the case. I didn't hate it, but it definitely isn't top 10 material for me. I found the plot to be extremely slow and a bit tiresome. Tatsumi was extremely boring, even though he was the demonslayer. There just didn't seem to be much to him in regards to character development or personality... I did love Yumeko. She was wildly hilarious and just someone you'd love to be friends with. Yumeko and the ragtag crew she collects along her journey are totally what redeemed this for me.