I was excited to read this book after reading the first one. I wished there had been a way to have more of Tatsumi. I liked the relationship building of the other characters. The foxes new skills were awesome.

After the events at the end of-of Shadow of the Fox, Yumeko has a choice: try to save Tatsumi, or do as she promised and deliver her piece of the scroll to the Steel Feather monastery in the mountains far away. This choice is made more complicated when they are drawn into the Shadow Clan’s potentially deadly politics. And far away, in a haunted forest, a demon army is rising to conquer the lands and destroy anyone and anything in their way. But Yumeko has hidden strengths– ones that even she doesn’t know about and that she must master in order to save Tatsumi and potentially the world.

In this second installment of the Shadow of the Fox trilogy, American author Julie Kagawa continues her tale of Yumeko, naïve, half-kitsune (fox spirit) girl and her eclectic group of friends as they travel with her to the mysterious Steel Feather monastery. Now that the reader has met them and knows their personalities, Soul of the Sword offers a deeper insight into their personalities and relationships, and their pasts and regrets. But it is primarily Yumeko’s story. During their journey, she continues to learn about love and life and her place in the world.

In a landscape of YA fantasies populated by snide, sword-wielding heroines whose romances often take over the story, sweet Yumeko with her mischievous spirit and illusory fox-magic is a surprising breath of fresh air, proving that a heroine need not wander around kicking ass to be strong. Moody teenagers who solve their problems by punching things need not apply here. Loyalty, trust, and respect are the qualities most valued by our intrepid heroes, and even if they don’t see these aspects within themselves, their friends see them. It’s what keeps them together in spite of the forces seeking to drive them apart and destroy them.

Ms. Kagawa takes us on a trip through time and cultures in this awesome series, Shadow of the Fox, and Soul of the Sword continues the journey. In this book the demon, Hakaimono, has been set free and Yumeko must protect her piece of the scroll of a Thousand Prayers from him and get it to the Steel Feather temple while also trying and send the demon back into the sword Kamigoroshi and releasing the boy she likes, Kage Tatsumi. Sounds easy, well it is not when it seems everyone is after you for your piece of the ancient scroll.

This was a great book the characters are full and the action and suspense is non stop. I don't know how Ms Kagawa kept up the level of suspense and cliff hangers from one book to the next and still had a few left over for the next book, which I am now eagerly awaiting, but she did. I really like the how this ragtag team of misfits has come together so spoil the big wigs at their own game over and over again, but can their luck hold out?

Hoo boy! I was not ready for how fantastic this book was going to be. Shadow of the Fox was a winner last year, and now Julie Kagawa has followed it up with a gem that brings this fantasy impossibly even further to life.

Where on earth do I begin? I admit, I had a hard time at the start. I last read the first book, Shadow of the Fox, back in September, so that's not as long a wait as most series. However, I struggled to remember who half the people were. By the end of about ... fifty pages I was back in it, with the events of the first book flooding back. Which is good. Please don't misread that. I like it when second books jog your memory, not shatter the fourth wall to basically spoon feed you every little minute detail of Previously on ... Although, I still don't remember where on earth Reika came into the story. Whoops. Guess a re-read is in order.

This gang of characters is truly one of the best. It's an eclectic mix but a group that I love. I adored Yumeko in Book one, and she glowed just as bright here. Half-kitsune, her fox powers were on full display this time, and they're growing stronger. I'm actually so proud of her. Naive she is no more, and fiercely loyal. Okame, the ronin, is absolutely one of my favourites. His humour is what often makes the chapters. Likewise to his relationship to Daisuke, the noble prince. They are polar opposites and yet their camaraderie is endearing to say the least. Reika is an all-serious-no-fun shrine maiden that I pity. Poor girl is trying to keep everyone from getting themselves killed and they are not having it.

And let us not forget Haikaimono, the god-awful demon who has hitched a ride inside the body of my precious Tatsumi. My biggest wish of Book one was his relationship with Yumeko would shift more romantic (which, obviously it did, but I'm not digging into that spoiler). I was not disappointed here. I think they're wonderful together, even though they're not really "together." What with Tatsumi being but a blip inside his own body that is now decked out in horns and fangs and Yumeko being a couple hundred miles away. ... Details.

I was surprised to find that alongside Yumeko, we get to see Haikaimono's point of view. And man, is he ever sarcastic. Cocky too. Who knew that's what was living in that sword for centuries? I almost don't want him put back inside. Almost. We also get treated to a little slice of life with Suki, the little ghost who makes appearances at the most opportune moments. She is traveling with someone named Seigetsu. I don't know what his game is, but he is going to play a big part in the third book. And I can't say it'll be good.

In hindsight, it feels like not much really transpired. It really is a lot of travelling from one point to another in each POV. And yet not once in over four hundred pages was I bored or needing to take a break. What I enjoyed so much about both books in this series is just how much fun they are. The fate of their world is hanging in the balance, their tasks near impossible, and yet there is still the brevity written in to make me laugh and smile. The pacing is spot-on and the world-building a touch of perfect. Next time I'm going to have the glossary on hand because I feel I miss so much of the wonderful magic when I don't know what a certain term means.

No matter how much time passes, I will never forget the ending of the first book in this series. It was gut-wrenching. This one is no less emotional. And bloody. And shocking! What a twist lies in wait for you, should you choose to pick up this book. And you absolutely should. Like, now. I thought I knew how it would go, but good grief was I ever wrong. I can't wait to see what Book three has in store for this gang of misfits!

The Soul of the Sword is the 2nd installment in Kagawa’s Shadow of the Fox series. Following a Kitsune Yumeko and her band that she has collected in the first book in this series and Tatsumi, a shadow clan warrior now possessed by Hakaimono, a demon of the highest powers.

Yumeko and crew are trying to secure the piece of an ancient scroll, Scroll of a Thousand Prayers, away from the demons and people with nefarious intentions reach.

Hakaimono, in Tatsumi’s body, joins up with the Master of Demons to retrieve the scroll piece so he can use the wish to free himself from the cursed sword.

You will get multiple POVs, including both Yumeko’s and Hakaimono’s perspectives.

Entrenched in Japanese mythology, Soul of the Sword submerses the reader in an amazing world of Kawaga’s design. Exciting, pulse intensifying tensions and friendships that will touch your heart, this installment takes on a darker tone with demons and evil fighting for supremacy overall.

I received this ARC copy of Soul of the Sword from Harlequin TEEN (US & Canada) - Inkyard Press. This is my honest and voluntary review. Soul of the Sword is set for publication June 18, 2019.

My Rating: 4 stars
Written by: Julie Kagawa
Series: Shadow of the Fox
Sequence in Series: 2
Hardcover: 432 pages
Publisher: Inkyard Press; Original edition
Publication Date: June 18, 2019
ISBN-10: 1335184996
ISBN-13: 978-1335184993
Genre: Epic Fantasy | Teen

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Soul-Sword-Sha...
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The perfect continuation from Shadow of the Fox! Julie is an amazing writer. The imagery is always so vivid, I feel like I watching everything happen is an action anime as I read.

Yumeko is one of my absolute favorite characters. In this book we get to know her even better. It is hard to review a sequel without giving away too much. I highly recommend this series!

Soul of The Sword (bk.2)
By Julie Kagawa

Synopsis:

One thousand years ago, a wish was made and a sword of rage and lightning was forged. Kamigoroshi. The Godslayer. A weapon powerful enough to seal away the formidable demon Hakaimono.

Now he has broken free.

Return to Julie Kagawa’s beautiful and perilous land of shapeshifters, samurai and demons as Japanese mythology and magic swirl together in the New York Times bestselling author’s brand new adventure.

THE TIME OF THE WISH APPROACHES...
Yumeko the shapeshifter had one task: take her piece of the ancient and powerful scroll to the Steel Feather temple and prevent the summoning of the great Kami Dragon. But she has a new enemy now. The demon Hakaimono, has escaped and possessed the samurai she thought would protect her, Kage Tatsumi of the Shadow Clan.

Hakaimono has done the unthinkable and joined forces with Genno, the Master of Demons, to break his curse and set himself free. But Genno wishes to overthrow the empire and cover the land in darkness. To do that he needs only one thing, the scroll Yumeko is hiding. As the paths of Yumeko and the possessed Tatsumi cross again the entire empire will be thrown into chaos.

AND CHAOS WILL DARKEN AN EMPIRE.

"The board is set. The last play is about to begin.”

OMG!! I was already in love with the Inuyasha vibes from Book 1 - Shadow of the Fox... Now I'm completely enveloped in this tale of magical intrigue, political wars with demons, and so much more!! Yumeko is an awesome character, as are they all, Okamesan is my second fave!! I really loved this sequel and neeed book 3 soon!!

First off, HUGE thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin Teen for providing me an eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. The following opinions are mine alone. This was my first time having the opportunity to read and review a book that has yet to be officially released, and I will be forever grateful.

Now, onto the review. My babies Yumeko, Daisuke, and Okame are back and still getting into trouble. Now, they are tasked with saving Tatsumi from Hakaimono and ya know, saving the empire from the Master of Demons.

I enjoyed Soul a lot more than I did Shadow. I think I got more comfortable with the Japanese terms and language – along with what it means for the story line. On the flip side, the author added even more terms to this book than Shadow, which was a lot. She added at like 10 more types of demons/ghosts/undead spirits. My head was spinning trying to keep them straight.

Soul went the usual path I feel trilogies take, much of the plot line was spent setting up the third book. This can generally lead to a more boring book, but I felt that Soul traversed this ground well and never felt boring. She managed to set up the final book while also providing enough action and drama to keep you hooked through the book.

It crushed my heart that Tatsumi was so sad during this book! He just wanted to save Yumeko after she managed to elicit emotions in him for the first time in years – but he was powerless to help her through 99% of the book! And poor Yumeko had no concept that he had feelings for her (or that she had feelings for him) because she had no experience with this.

My favorite part? We have an LGBTQIA relationship sighting!! It took me COMPLETELY by surprise but I absolutely love it. Especially in a culture that is traditionally non supportive of such relationships and when one half of the couple is part of the noble, ruling family. But Daisuke was very forward thinking in pursuing the relationship and going for what he wants – regardless of their culture and the expectations of him. The romance melted my heart and I will ship Daisuke and Okame forever.

The few tiny aspects that took Soul below a 5 star read for me was the final fight scene, cliffhanger at the end, and the mysteriousness of Seigetsu. The final fight scene was very anticlimactic (though props to Yumeko for that fake out) and had me wanting more. I am just not too happy with how the book ended, and am hopeful that it is all sorted out in the final book. And who is this Seigetsu person acting like the puppet master? It’s starting to irritate me, because I can’t tell if he is a “good” or “bad” character. For these reasons, I couldn’t give it a whole 5 stars.

Soul of the Sword will be released tomorrow, June 18th so if you loved Shadow of the Fox, you should definitely go check it out!

Thanks for reading, friends 🙂

I really enjoyed this book! I read Shadow of the Fox earlier this year and I had some mixed feelings about it, but the end made me really interested in continuing the series, and I am very glad that I did because I definitely think this book is better than the 1st! It picks up right where the first leaves off and the characters continue their journey to protect the scroll. I felt like the stakes were higher in this book, and I enjoyed seeing the growth in Yumeko. There are still so many questions I have that I hope get answered in the next book, but I am very excited for that one as well, and I am really glad I decided to continue with the series. If you enjoyed the first book, or if you were intrigued enough to want to know how the story goes, I highly recommend reading this one as well!

4.5 stars rounded up to 5
I loved the Japanese folklore, episodic- anime feel, and the amazing world building. The story picks up after Shadow and the Fox but with a darker tone (some of the fight scenes with Hakaimono were extremely graphic and gory). Overall it was brilliantly written. Yumeko and friends' adventure was a up-all night fun read and can't wait for the next book!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Loved, again! Julie Kagawa writes books that you just cannot put down! I adored Shadow of the Fox and have been eagerly awaiting Soul of the Sword. This book was action packed and everything I wanted in a sequel! I love these characters and this world! It's like anime or manga sans visuals. I love how authentically Japanese this book reads. I've always been obsessed with everything Japan, so this series is my kryptonite.

What an amazing sequel to shadow of the fox. I love Julie's writing and her world building. The characters were really interesting and I couldn't put this book down. I look forward to reading more from Julie and I don't know if I want this series to end.

Hello lovely people, I hope you are all having an amazing and wonderful day!😊

A couple of days ago I received an email from Netgalley telling me that I could start reading Soul of the Sword by Julie Kagawa and I literally jumped out of emotion! I immediately downloaded the book and dived in.

As I started to read Soul of the Sword, I was immediately immersed in the story that has become one of my new all time favorite books. As soon as I read the first line I started to remember the things that happened in Shadow of the fox. It’s been a while since I last read the book and while I did remember some things that happened in the story, I was grateful that there where things mentioned in the book that helped me remember.

While I was reading the book I found myself eager to read about my favorite characters: Yumeko, Tatsumi, Okame and Daisuke! The ending of Shadow of the Fox was amazing and so, I couldn’t wait to know what was happening in their lives.

Soul of the Sword did n0t disappoint me at all. The characters are special to me and so I cheered for them on their journey. Lots of things happened, there was a lot action, there were times when I cried ( but that’s totally ok because it means that I love the story) and laughed! Seriously, Yumeko and Okame are some of the characters that have made me laugh the most, even Daisuke made me laugh in this one!

This book was everything I wanted it to be and more. Julie kept surprising me and guessing till the very last chapter. I honestly can’t wait to get my physical copy, the cover is absolutely beautiful!

I highly recommend you to read these books, they are absolutely incredible!

Its great to be back!

I have been looking forward to Soul of the Sword since the cliffhanger ending of Shadow of the Fox. Luckily, Soul of the Sword picks up with immediately after the events of the first installment. We get to learn from Master Jiro how and why the demon Hakaimono was sealed into the sword and became the Kamigoroshi. Hearing the tale makes Yumeko determined to save Kage Tatsumi from the demon who has possessed his body. However, deep down, Yumeko knows she first travel to the Steel Feather temple to protect part of the scroll she was entrusted with. The problem is Hakaimono has decided to work with Genno, the Master of Demons, to get the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers in order to break the curse and be set free.

Overall, Soul of the Sword was fantastic! Julie Kagawa did an excellent job because this installment was great followup to Shadow of the Fox. We finally return to these wonderful characters who are each unique in their own way and bring that into the story. We get to see more of Yumeko’s kitsune side which she is no longer afraid of hiding which means she uses her powers a lot more. Yes, although she still has her innocent moments, we are starting to see a mature Yumeko. Also, even though we do not get to see much of Tatsumi, the times we do see him show us that he has also changed and grown from the Tatsumi we met in the first installment. That being said, I cannot wait to see what Julie Kagawa has planned for Tatsumi and Hakaimono in the next installment because that was something I did not see coming. So fans, if you loved the first installment then you will love this one as well.

Shadow of the Fox was my favorite book of 2018. So I was so excited to for Soul of the Sword to come out and I was not disappointed. My girl, Yumeko is really turning out to be one of my favorite female characters. What I really loved about Soul of the Sword was the character development. Little things from the first book were expanded into something truly wonderful in the second. Where Yumeko was naive and at times childish in the first book, she really grew emotionally in this fantastic sequel. I loved the increase in Japanese Mythology and really felt like we were learning so much about Japanese folklore. A wonderful sequel that kept me on the edge of my seat. I can't wait for Soul of the Sword to come out and I'm even more excited for the next book to come out as well!!!

Soul of the Sword starts almost immediately where Shadow of the Fox ends. Yumeko and her group of heroes are now down a person, and it's getting closer to the day when the Great Kami Dragon can be summoned, and a wish uttered.
Yumeko still has her own portion of the Dragon Scroll, and she's at a crossroads. Deliver the scroll to the Steel Feather Temple, or try and save the one person she thought she could trust.
Hakaimono can't use the scroll to wish himself to full strength, but he can strike a deal, He too is headed to the Steel Feather Temple to claim the pieces of the scroll for himself and help a dark power rise in Iwagoto once more.
Soul of the Sword acts like every middle book in a planned high fantasy Trilogy. There's lots of traveling, and plans are put into motion, but it's obvious we aren't going to have any sweeping conclusions. While this can have a tendency to feel like you're making a story longer than it needs to be, that isn't the case for Soul of the Sword. Soul of the Sword actually takes this time to grow it's characters and develop more of the overall setting that is Iwagoto.
There's lot of focus on actions and intent, what makes someone pure or not, which means that our finale is going to have some really great conflicts and crises of the heart, but this is the book to really see what Yumeko is actually capable. Now that she's out as a half kitsune, she can use her fox magic, and that means we really, truly get to explore that side of her character. Previously, all we got was silly little tricks, so it was great to see what a really powerful illusion could do, and even better to see that Yumeko wasn't fighting her yokai side.
I was pleased with the book overall, and I'm anxiously looking forward to the last book in the trilogy.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with the ARC. I got to say I love Julie Kagawa's writing style, her characters, world building, etc! I think this series is nothing short of great

This is the second book in the Shadow of The Fox series penned by the amazing author Julie Kagawa. The world building for this series is phenomenal we are introduced to various creatures from Japanese mythology each one more intense and scarier than the last. The story centers around the legend of the dragon scroll that was separated into 3 pieces and is be protected at various temples. Kitsune shapeshifter Yumeko is protecting one piece and in this book, she is on her way to ancient steel feather temple and she is determined to save Kate Tasumi who been possessed by an evil spirit who been released from a sword.

I thoroughly enjoyed that in this one there is a lot more action and riddles that have to be hashed out along the way. Also my favorite character Yumeko really comes into her fox magic. It becomes so much more then what she thought it was and the description of how awesome it is breathtaking. Their a few heart-wrenching deaths in this book which is to be expected with the task that has been laid at the group’s feet.

This second book does not suffer from being boring at all is darker, scarier, and much more action-packed than the first. The characters really grow into their own and you really want to see them succeed. The stakes are higher than ever before which makes for a compelling ending that will propel us into the 3 books of the series. I thoroughly have enjoyed this series.

Title: Soul of the Sword (Shadow of the Fox #2)
Author: Julie Kagawa
Format: kindle epub
Tissue warning: maybe
Narrative: 1st person, multiple points of view
My reviewer rating: 3.5 of 5
Published: June 18, 2019
Preorder link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HCGS5W3/...

Thank you, a million times over, Netgalley, for the opportunity to read and review this ARC in exchange for my honest-to-goodness review.

Ms. Kagawa has the innate ability to transport her audience to places that are just unimaginable and beautiful and full of magic. The Japanese culture reads easily into the stories, so even those who are unfamiliar with the culture can easily adapt in their minds what is going on. Ms. Kagawa works magic, I say.

I did not read Shadow of the Fox, but that did not deter me from reading book 2. I know I missed a few steps in the story line but it smooths out and I didn't feel lost. I may have only lost a little backstory, but I don't feel that way.

There is a lot of violence in this particular story; by Kagawa standards they were slightly gruesome, but nothing cringe-worthy. The action scenes were written very well. I like to know what's going on and not feel as though the characters fight and there are no realistic injuries.

I highly recommend this book and will definitely be reading the first novel in the series myself.

In the sequel to shadow of the fox, Julie Kawaga shows off her incredible talent of imagery and gore once again. Each scene has me perfectly visualizing a dark and mystical ancient Japan. My knowledge of Japanese lore is very small so I often found myself confused as to the references of characters and mystical beings but Julie does such a good job of describing them, you almost don’t need any previous knowledge at all. (Although im sure it would
Be better if you did)

The miss for me was in the repetition. The majority of the book consists of the characters rehashing their plans amongst themselves. It got a little tiring and made me want to jump ahead to the next action scene.