Soul of the Sword is everything I could have asked for and more. While Shadow of the Fox started off a little slow but built up into this magnificent story, Soul of the Sword started off strong and continued to build. I absolutely love the continued Japanese folklore - even though at times it is hard to follow (personally here, reader error, not author error). The magic system is unbelievable unique and i am here for anything Julie Kagawa produces!

Great work on the cover! Beautiful! Super adventurous title! Just a full on win for capturing attention! Love! Plus, it was truly a great read! Can't wait for another book!

While this book was good, it just wasn't quite as good as the first for me. I honestly didn't really get all that into it until around the last 20% or so. The world building was still great, and I still loved the characters. But I think the lack of Tatsumi was to blame. Not that Hakaimono wasn't interesting or anything. Because he definitely was. It's just that a good amount of the book was everybody talking and walking around. Hakaimono goes on to kill at will while delighting in making Tatsumi suffer by telling him what he's going to do. Yumeko and her group travel to Kage territory and then the Steel Feather Temple, all while talking about what they're going to do. I was okay with it all, but it wasn't all that exciting either. Though, traveling thru the land of the dead was a pretty cool way to drastically cut down on how long it took to get places. And the fights were still bloody, gory, awesomeness.

So as we know, Hakaimono has taken over Tatsumi's body. He kills any of the Kage sent after him but mostly refrains from killing others because he doesn't want to make it that easy for them to find him. He loves torturing Tatsumi with his plans for Yumeko and causes him to despair when we he makes his way to the master of demons. This guy may be a floating head at this point, but he is an evil man with an evil plan. He just sort of needs the dragon scroll to pull it off. And that's where Hakaimono makes his deal. He'll get him the last two pieces of the scroll in exchange for being freed from the sword. With the deal made, off to the temple Hakaimono goes.

At first, Yumeko is torn between following after Tatsumi and saving him or fulfilling her duty and taking her piece of the scroll to the Steel Feather Temple. But when she is summoned to meet with the Kage daimyo a new path opens for her to do both. The Kage leader wants Yumeko and her group to do what no other has ever been able to do before: force Hakaimono back into the sword and free the demonslayer. Of course Yumeko agrees. And as it turns out, Hakaimono is already on his way to the temple so she doesn't have to chose which one to go to first anymore. Though they are honored guests, the castle is a dangerous place for them because of those who want to see their daimyo fail. Even after leaving the castle (or maybe more so because they left) they're not safe and an ambush leaves them with one less comrade. But we also get a good preview of what Yumeko's fox magic can do with illusions.

Finally they make it to the temple. I really liked how the place was guarded by the Tengu. I wasn't expecting that. Together they all come up with a spectacular plan to trap Hakaimono and let Yumeko do her thing. See, this huge and powerful fox has been visiting Yumeko in her dreams to try and show her how she can save Tatsumi. One of the skills the kitsune have is a form of possession where they can take over a human's body. In order to drive Hakaimono back into the sword, she must battle him inside of Tatsumi's soul realm after taking possession of his physical body. It's incredibly dangerous on so many levels, but Yumeko is bound and determined to save Tatsumi. And it goes remarkably well for a time. But then something unexpected happens.

What Hakaimono never expected was the Master of Demons to betray him first and follow him to the temple. With his army. So while outside a fierce battle rages, inside the three of them need to come to a decision. Especially after Tatsumi is run thru. Decision made, Yumeko must find her own body. And when she does she awakens to a slaughter and new choice to be made. I have to say I was super pissed at what she does at the end. I mean seriously, REALLY?! Ugh, so mad. Now it's up to this little rag-tag team to save the world.

I am incredibly suspicious of Seigetsu. He acts like he's a player in a game and all the characters are his pieces to be moved at his will. But I can't tell if he's a bad guy or a good guy.

I just love the relationship between Tatsumi and Yumeko. They love each other and don't even know it. It's pure and sweet, and I can't help but hope they end up together somehow.

What I hate is when authors these days all have to be so fucking politically correct in their books. I was oh so very pissed when all of a sudden Okame and Daisuke were being forced into a relationship. And that's what it was forced. It made absolutely no sense because the two of them had no chemistry, barely got along, and it was just so completely unbelievable. How it was "stumbled upon" was a waste of page space and reading time. Then every reference after was super awkward. If that's your thing, more power to you. But I am so sick and tired of authors throwing it into their books when it clearly doesn't belong.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin TEEN (US & Canada) for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are exclusively my own.

I have so many, SO MANY mixed feelings about this sequel. Did I enjoy it? Did I not enjoy it? Honestly, I’m still kind of conflicted. There were parts I enjoyed, and the Japanese folklore fascinates me. However, there were many areas I was genuinely annoyed at. A lot of the events and planning of the entire book were thrown away in the last few pages.

I wish it would have kept the same level of excitement and intrigue throughout the entire book. The first half was incredibly dull for me, and it was a struggle to push myself through it. It started to pick up some toward the middle, and my interest was at an all time high probably the last 10-15% of the book. I think my interest should have been piqued throughout the whole book, so I am a little disappointed at that.

I was very excited to get back into this world. The Japanese folklore and mythology aspects are still very much present, which I absolutely love. I am completely fascinated by it, and Julie Kagawa’s descriptions bring the book to life in my head.

Be aware that because Hakaimono is more present in this book, there are a lot of gory scenes. G O R Y G O R Y! Limbs cut off, blood spewing, gaping holes where organs have been ripped out, etc. I didn’t mind them at all, but others may not want to read about blood and guts.

The story is still told through different points of view, which I minded less in this book than the first. Since the characters are in different parts of the region, going through their own motions it made more sense with the alternating POVs.

Out of all three or four POVs, I definitely enjoyed Hakaimono’s because there was a lot more action and things going on. I liked reading from Suki’s POV as well, because we seemed to get a little more information from her regarding the plot.

In book 1, I wasn’t able to really connect with any of the characters and I did feel very similar in this second book. Admittedly, I did find myself more invested in a few characters, but definitely not with the main characters. Honestly, I would be perfectly content just reading about Okame, Daisuke, and Reika.

We finally get a little more background into Tatsumi, and how we came to be the bearer of the Sword. I don’t really have a problem with Tatsumi, I just thought he was a little plain, but this glimpses in this book helped me sympathize with him.
We also got to see more of Yumeko’s kitsune side, which was fascinating. I liked to finally see her abilities more in depth and see what she was capable of. However, even her kitsune abilities could not help me get over her personality.

Throughout the book, I could not connect or even bring myself to “like” Yumeko. She was extremely reckless and naive. She would put herself in dangerous situations without really thinking it through, and sometimes it wasn’t even necessary.

For example, (i’ll be very vague to avoid spoilers) when Taiyo and Okame go missing, Reika asks Yumeko to stay in her room while she goes out to look. Of course, Yumeko doesn’t listen and ventures out of their shelter to look for answers. She’s given information about their location, and even though they were not in immediate danger, she leaves their shelter to go into town to find them. Why? She was the one in danger, who’s life was being threatened. If anything, she put their mission and her friends more in danger by walking out by herself.

She just made me want to pull my hair out. As we entered the climax of the book, I finally thought “okay, she’s not that bad. She’s trying,” I was starting to at least sympathize with her. Then the last few pages ruined what little progress Yumeko had made in my mind.

I was truly enjoying the ending, like I said, I was totally invested and finally in that mood where I could not put the book down. Then I completely lost it, mouth gaped, (which I guess could have been the author’s intention) when Yumeko did that stupid thing and trusted the bad guy. I mean, duh, did you really expect him to keep his word? I’m surprised Reika didn’t beat her right then and there, I know I would have. It just seemed like such a stupid move! All their hard work thrown away. GIVEN AWAY. WILLINGLY.

The second point that just really grinded my gears; we spend the majority of the book building Hakaimono up to be the biggest, baddest, bloodthirsty, demon with no regards for ANY life, but then it’s like “oh no wait we might need him” Are you kidding me? The entire build-up in this book, the preparation to seal away the demon general, and it’s all for nothing?

I found myself extremely frustrated at these two points. It just felt like it was all a waste of time. What was the point then? I get it, it sets up for book 3, but it just makes book 2 feel like a complete waste of time. Mostly everything gets undone in the last 3% of the book.

There were a few things that I really enjoyed, and if I do continue the series, it will be mostly just for these few elements.

I am super super thrilled about the m/m romance blossoming between two of the supporting characters!! I am swooning and squealing over the angsty romance. The little looks, the soft touches, the side comments, oh gosh it’s just truly great and I smile like an idiot every time I read about them.

Their romance made a lot more sense than Yumeko and Tatsumi’s, to be honest. I noticed all the little signs and it progressed really well I think, whereas with Yumeko and Tatsumi, I really felt it came out of nowhere.

There was a lot I didn’t enjoy, clearly, so I am not sure if I will continue the series or not. The Japanese mythology is so fascinating and interesting to me, and there are a few character interactions that I want to see play out until the end, but I don’t know if I can do it again. I was willing to overlook the slow beginning and disconnect w/ the characters, but that ending was the last straw. I was disappointed.

Personally, I feel like a two star book, but I do have to give credit where credit is due. Even if it was just at the end, I did have audible genuine strong reactions to what was going on.

If you loved the first book, you might really love the sequel. It just wasn’t what I was expecting, but it wasn’t a terrible book. Let me know your thoughts.

Soul of the Sword picks up directly at the end of the events of the first book in the series, Shadow of the Fox. If you haven’t read Shadow of the Fox, and you like Japanese mythology, what are you waiting for? Pick it up now! Also, skip this review, because spoilers.

If you liked the first book, you’ll like this one too. I did not remember the first book that well as I read it last summer, but Kagawa writes this in such a way that it’s easy for the reader to jump right back in. Most of our characters (save Tatsumi, because he’s mostly a demon now) get further development, and Yumeko in particular really seems to grown a lot throughout the course of the book. My favorite character, the ronin Okame, has an exceptionally fun development. The worldbuilding, which was fantastic in the first book, continues to be alluring as Kagawa continues to flesh out what was already a well-drawn world. The plot, like the first book, is fast-paced and while this is definitely something of a bridge book, it’s a bridge book that is really fun to read.

Readers of Rick Riordan who are looking for something a little more grown-up, or folks who like their fantasy to be steeped in mythology, you won’t go wrong with this series. I’m excited for the next one to come out. 4 stars – I really liked it!

Thanks to Harlequin Teen & Netgalley for the advance copy which I received in exchange for an unbiased review. Soul of the Sword will be available for purchase on 18 June or you can put your copy on hold today!

Kagawa has an amazing ability to bring her fantasy worlds and characters to life. So much so that they seem to breath off the very pages you are reading. You get completely immersed into her stories, into their lives, and into the danger that always seems to lurk in the dark and magical realms she is so good at creating.

I fell in love with Shadow of the Fox and couldn't have been more anxious or eager to get my hands on Soul of the Sword.

It didn't take me long to once again fall seamlessly into the very heart, the very center of the world that is this series. Totally invested in all that had happened last book and more than excited to find out where the story would take all of my beloved characters next.

With ore action, more danger, more risks, and more tension around every corner, not to mention bad guys, myths, legends, and lore and Soul of the Sword not only lived up the Shadow of the Fox, but I think it surpassed it.

I loved this title so much. I die hard loved everything about Shadow of the Fox and this one I devoured within one day. I could not put it down and I think that its Kagawa's best yet!! I can not wait to get my hands on the next title. All the story and characters came together in this sequel and it was SO GOOD!! I don't want to say to much about it because I don't want to give anything away but man if you love anime as much as I do. Make sure to check this one out!! Kagawa blends anime and her wonderful storytelling together for one killer story!

I felt like this was a great continuation of the story from Shadow of the Fox. The characters were interesting, the plot well paced and intriguing, and the world was well built. The ending was interesting and left you in wonder of what will happen to these characters in the next book. I can't wait to find out!

As per usual Julie Kagawa is incredible! I loved the first book and the sequel is just as intriguing!

My first question is where is the next book!?! Shadow of the Fox was amazing and I didn't think it would be possible for Julie Kagawa to write a sequel that was just as good - if not better - than the first book in the series. I did appreciate that this book contained more action then the first one and less of the traveling interludes. The fight scenes were well done and I like that Kagawa did not shy away from blood and gore. I would love to see her write more of this sort of gothic-horror genre - I think she has a real talent for it. With all of that said, I am excited for the next book in the series to see where the characters go from here and more of their development.

This was an interesting follow up to Shadow of the Fox. The main plot remains, Yumeko must take her piece of the ancient and powerful Scroll of a Thousand Prayers to the Steel Feather temple in order to prevent the summoning of the Harbinger of Change, the great Kami Dragon who will grant one wish to whomever holds the scroll. However, she has a new problem: her once protector, Kage Tatsumi of the Shadow Clan, is now her enemy since he has been possessed by a fearsome demon. Yumeko must test her Kitsune powers to try and save Tatsumi.

I always enjoy Kagawa's detailed, imaginative and action packed writing.

Kitsune is still on her quest to take a piece of an ancient scroll to the Steel Feather temple to stop the summoning of the great Kami Dragon. If she fails in her quest, the Harbinger of Change will grant a wish to the bearer of the scroll. Unfortunately, Hakaimono has escaped the sword Kamigoroshi and taken possession of Kage. Hakaimono is working with the Master of Demons to try and break the curse to completely set him free. He wants to take over the land and plunge it into darkness, but he can’t complete this goal without the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers. Will Kitsune be able to free Kage from Hakaimono’s possession? What difficult choices will she need to make along the way?

Soul of the Sword is the second book in the Shadow of the Fox series. In a world full of magic and adventure, readers will easily recall the basics of the first book in order to become fully invested in this second installment. Kagawa has taken the world building that has already been completed and woven deeper characters and more diverse plot twists. Although this book has a satisfactory ending, it is not a duology and readers will be anticipating the next book when it is released.

A great sequel with all my favorite characters returning to fight the new challenges that come their way. Her storytelling completely sucks me in and I don't want to put the book down. I missed some of the action that filled the first book but the character development in this one was great. This series is like nothing I've read before with its unique storytelling style and rich mythological details, plus the adventure, whit, mythology, and suspense in vivid settings completely blow me away. It feels like reading a fun action filled anime show. That cliff hanger ending has me eagerly awaiting the final book in this trilogy.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review. This was better than book 1. When a book has an amazing storyline, awesome mythology, as well as great characters then you have the complete package for an epic book.

<u> <b>Review for <i>Soul of the Sword</i> by Julie Kagawa </u> </b>


ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!
Thanks for the opportunity to review this book!


<u>All opinions are my own.</u>

<b>Trigger Warnings (TW):</b> For violence, murder, gore, brutality, and some very graphic scenes. To me, this is almost on the same level as The Poppy War in brutality and gore. Stay safe, friends!

<u> <b>Summary: </u> </b>

<b>”One thousand years ago, a wish was made to the Harbinger of Change and a sword of rage and lightning was forged. Kamigoroshi. The Godslayer. It had one task: to seal away the powerful demon Hakaimono.

Now he has broken free.”</b>

In <i> Soul of the Sword </i> we pick up where the crew left off at the end of <i>Shadow of the Fox.</i> I will say, we hit the ground running here. We follow Yumeko as she tries to both save Tatsumi and condemn Hakaimono at the same time. Meanwhile Hakaimono has plans of his own, and they don’t exactly make Yumeko’s job any easier.


<u> <b>My Thoughts </u> </b>

I absolutely adored this sequel. I love all of the characters and will hint that there may be a budding romance, but not the one that we are expecting. I’m excited to see how this romance will grow throughout the next book! The characters have all grown so much since they were introduced in book one, and I can’t wait to see where they end up at the finale.

<b><i>“It is how you use you powers that determines the intent.”</b></i>
<i> Quote taken from an ARC and is subject to change upon publication. </i>


This book is vastly more graphic than the last one, to the point where I would be careful about recommending it to a younger audience, but maybe that is just me being sensitive about it. To me, the gore and brutality was almost on par with<i> The Poppy War</i>, though that dealt with some much darker themes as well.

I love when a book is based on a quest or a journey, and there was plenty of travelling in this book, but it never felt overbearing. Getting multiple perspectives really helped to strength my feelings for those characters, including Hakaimono. It was interesting to get inside his head and to understand his motives, which I feel is not something we get very often with our villains.
I was very happy with the ending of this book, but I’m curious how some of the loose ends will end up being dealt with in the next book.

<b> <u>Overall (TLDR)</b> </u>
This is a thoroughly action packed story, with really awesome mythology interwoven, as well as a great group of characters, and a unique magic system.
If you were a fan of the first book, I cannot tell you enough to continue on with the series. If you haven’t read <i>Shadow of the Fox </i> yet, I recommend you to do so.

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Soul of the Sword by Julie Kagawa is the second book in the Shadow of the Fox series and in my opinion even better than the first book. Yumeko and her plucky band of hero's continue their journey to save the scrolls before the enemy can get them all. This story is beautifully written and so descriptive you easily loose yourself in this amazing story taken from Japanese mythology. I cannot wait to read the third book since this one leaves with a huge cliffhanger that truly leaves you on the edge of your seat. Definitely one of the most original series I've ever read.

Kagawa continues the atmospheric story of Yumeko and Kage Tatsumi with a new journey filled with adventure, action, and all the feels!

Soul of the Sword starts off not long after the events of Shadow of the Fox. Half-kitsune, Yumeko, and her rag tag group of companions have escaped the battle with Yaburama, but they are one party member short: Tatsumi has been possessed by Hakaimono, who has separated from the group to pursue his own nefarious plans. With their portion of the powerful dragon scroll still in danger, Yumeko and crew must decide between bringing the scroll to the Steel Feather temple as planned or attempting to rescue Tatsumi.

Kagawa once again crafts an exquisite story, filled with Japanese mythology and beautifully described settings (though some settings are a bit terrifying!). As in the Shadow of the Fox, we are introduced to numerous mythological creatures, all of which bring a layer of dark whimsy to the story. This is one of my favorite elements to the story because just around every corner there is something new, and sometimes frightening, to discover.

The character development is fantastic in this story. We see Yumeko struggle with guilt over Tatsumi and her continued acceptance of her half-kitsune side. Though it is something we’ve before, the internal battle between Tatsumi and Hakaimono is particularly intriguing. There are some other developments within the group that I was extremely pleased with, but I don’t want to go into detail since it was a very pleasant surprise.

Soul of the Sword is a prime example of a sequel done right. The world gets deeper, the stakes are higher, and the characters continue to grow. I didn’t think I would love this book more than its predecessor, but I do. If you loved Shadow of the Fox, you will love Soul of the Sword. And if you haven’t read Shadow of the Fox, then I highly suggest you go pick it up.

I loved this book! Just a warning, this is the second book in Julie Kagawa's Shadow of the Fox series and could contain spoilers for the first book.

Yumeko and Tatsumi have parted ways... for now. Yumeko still has to protect the scroll and get to the Steel Feather Temple, while Tatsumi's body has been possessed by a demon and his soul is stuffed inside the demon's. What a mess! Will Yumeko be able to save Tatsumi? Will she, along with her friends that she's gathered together in Shadow of the Fox, be able to save the scroll? You'll have to (and you'll want to) read this book to find out.

I loved this book as much as I loved Shadow of the Fox. Yumeko is still the sweet kitsune that she was in the first book, although you can see that she's grown as a person in this book. She's willing to put herself in danger in order to save her friends. You get to see more of this great world in this book, as well as learn more about its history. There are new secrets that unfold as well.

There is a surprising twist at the end, and although I won't give away what happens here, I will say that I'm looking forward to seeing how this story concludes in the third book. I highly recommend this series for anybody that's interested in a sweet fantasy story with demons and mythological creatures set in a medieval-like Japanese setting.

A year ago, I received "Shadow of the Fox" where I fell in love with the mischevious Yumeko, the tortured demon slayer, Tatsumi, the various side characters, and the cliffhanger that left me on the edge of my seat. However, the sequel left me dissatisfied. I finally understood the critique that the first book was a constant journey from one location to another without anything happening. That's exactly what happened in this book.

The first book ended on a cliffhanger. Tatsumi finally gave into the demon, Hakaimono, who was trapped in his sword known as Kamigoroshi, to save his friends. This book starts soon after and Yumeko wrestles with her feelings and her companions about saving Tatsumi from this possession. Everyone tells her it is impossible to drive Hakaimono back into the sword without killing Tatsumi. (I kid you not this probably takes up a third of the book). Eventually in a dream, a mysterious white fox appears to Yumeko and tells her if she embraces her kitsune magic, she can save Tatsumi. After the group decides to save Tatsumi, they are taken to the Shadow Clan, where Yumeko has an audience with Lady Hanshou, who gives her blessing and tells Yumeko to save Tatsumi. At this point, it is also revealed that half of the Shadow Clan lead by Lord Iesada would like to unseat Lady Hanshou and put an end to training demon slayers to wield Kamigoroshi because they believe it will be the undoing of the clan.

Meanwhile, the book delves into the shared perspective of Tatsumi/Hakaimono, who seeks the Masters of Demons known as Genno. Genno wants the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers so he can overthrow the empire and unleash darkness/demons over the entire land. However, he needs to find all three pieces first. Hakaimono, who wants to break his curse and be free of the sword, promises to give Genno a body since at the moment he's a floating head and in return, Genno promises to help him. Once, this deal is made all the characters head towards the Steel Feather Temple, where a piece of the scroll and resides and Yumeko and Hakaimono finally face-off.

My main problem with this sequel is that nothing really happened. Sure, evil plans are now in progress but the journey to arrive at that point was completely forgettable. The group traveled around, got sidetracked at a gambling den, Hakaimono killed demons, demons attacked and eventually everyone found their way to the Steel Feather Temple, where Yumeko finally did what she'd been talking about doing the entire book. However, I didn't feel like there was any character development, especially concerning Yumeko, who was suddenly made out to have extremely powerful magic. I honestly did not feel like Yumeko was powerful enough to take on Hakaimono (several training sequences in a dream with a mysterious fox does not count) and her choice at the end felt forced/obvious. I'm hoping the next book will explore the characters more and their relationships with each other as everyone deals with Hakaimono/Tatsumi, as well as, the new romance between Daisuke and Okame.

I loved the first book but for some reason this book wasn’t hooking me like the first did. I love the world and I love the characters. But I just couldn’t get into this story. I got to 36% and ultimately had to DNF this book. I will likely try reading again in the future but right now it is just not happening for me.