Overall, it was a great sequel! The only reason I gave it four stars was the pacing, parts of the book moved very slowly and made it hard for me to make it to the end. However, I am so glad I made it there because the ending was awesome! Very excited for the next book!!

The second book in the Shadow of the Fox series picks up right after the end of the first book with Yumeko traveling to the Temple of the Silent Winds to deliver her piece of an ancient scroll. In addition Yumeko is determined to save her friend Kage Tatsumi who ended up being possessed by a demon that lived within his sword. What follows is an action packed adventure.

I love Yumeko and er group of friends and seeing their adventure unfold. Yumeko was a strong character and I loved her loyalty to her friends. The book alternates perspectives between Yumeko and a couple other characters. There is a lot of drama and twists along the way.

While there were some slow parts for me, overall, this was a good sequel that kept me entertained and leaves you on an interesting cliffhanger.

I voluntarily received an advanced copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved Soul of the Sword! It was just as amazing as Shadow of the Fox and I can't wait for the third book to come out! The story switches perspectives between Yumeko, Hakaimono and a few other characters, though mostly those two. Yumeko remains strong in her beliefs and is supported by her group of friends throughout their journey to save Tatsumi. There was also a great twist at the end!

I was fortunate enough to receive a ARC of this book from NetGalley.com. I recently finished the first book and loved it, so I was really excited to have my request granted to read this!

Soul of the Sword picks up right where the Shadow of the Fox leaves off. Yumeko, a half-kitsune (a girl who has trickster magic and can shape-shift into a fox), is tasked with delivering 1/3 of a magical scroll to the Temple of the Silent Winds. She continues her epic journey with her band of misfits, minus one. Her friend and protector, Kage Tatsumi, let his guard down for just a moment and the demon living in his sword was able to possess him. Now Yumeko is determined not only to complete her mission, but to free Tatsumi from his possession - something that has never been done before. Among all of that, there is a mysterious figure who has been pulling strings for his own purposes, whether they are good or bad remains to be seen.

This book was amazing! I adore the characters and their distinct personalities. Yumeko has grown wiser since the first book, but she still has an air of innocence and naivety that reminds me of Rapunzel from Tangled. She is lovable and charming and it is not hard to believe that she inspires such loyalty from her motley band of friends. I also love the Japanese lore that is pulled into the story as well as common Japanese words and honorifics that give the setting a realness even though Yumeko's journey goes beyond this world at times.
I also like that there is just a touch of romance. Nothing rushed or over the top, but the slow burn is just right.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a fun, trickster tale, but that hints at a deeper mystery and plot.

This book was received as an ARC from Harlequin TEEN (US & Canada) - Inkyard Press in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I have read the first installment of this series Shadow of the Fox and was very intrigued by the legend of the shadow warrior and the trials and tribulations they had to ensue. Now in Soul of the Sword there was sword created to kill the demon Hakaimono but was kept in a sacred place until the demon was awaken and it is up to Yumeko, the Kitsune shapeshifter to find this sword and kill Hakaimono once and for all. This book had suspense, drama, and action through and through. I especially loved this book so much because it had similarities to the Wonder Woman plot which made it easier to grasp the concept and enjoy the story more. Our community did enjoy Shadow of the Fox and I know they are bound to love this one.

We will consider adding this book to our YFantasy collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

I am so thankful I got an advanced readers copy of this book to read and review. I really enjoyed this book and I think it was just as amazing as the first book! The characters and the world were so rich and vivid! I adore the friendship that Yumeko has with the other characters.
Reading this book had me holding my breath and wondering what would happen next!
I highly recommend this book!

This book is making my dnf list though I'm going to retry reading it before the end of the year due to it possibly being because of my work schedual that is making the book seem as slow as the first. This book has everything that I liked about the first Anime like blocking, Yokai -which I always find fascinating- and great description. But the pacing is just too slow for me at the moment. Like I said I plan on re picking this book back up just not at the moment.