Shadow Wars has a really imaginative and intriguing premise, it felt like Avatar meets Cinderella in the best way. The world Kenyon created is full of potential, with vivid ideas and emotional depth woven into the plot.

That said, I did wish for a little more development in the world-building. There were so many interesting concepts introduced that I wanted more time and detail to fully understand the setting and stakes. The pacing also felt uneven at times, with some sections racing forward while others slowed the momentum.

Still, I really enjoyed the heart of the story. The fairytale feel mixed with fantasy elements made for a unique reading experience, and the characters had enough charm to keep me invested. Fans of Kenyon’s previous work and readers who love richly imaginative fantasy worlds will likely find a lot to enjoy here.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance reader's copy of the book. I enjoyed the Japanese mythology and lore of this story. I will admit that I am not the target audience for this book, however the story is well written and very engaging. It's definitely a first book of a series and introduces the characters and what's at stake very well. It'll be very interesting to read the rest of the series.

A great start to a new middle grade Japanese fantasy series! I loved the themes of found family and accepting every part of yourself. I do think this book could benefit from a glossary or some way to translate explain the Japanese words and characters from mythology that are not explained in the text.

Overall I though the book was really cute and perfect for the age range!

This was a cute middle grade fantasy set in Japan and based on Japanese mythology/folklore.

Although as an adult I am not the target audience for this, but I do think that this would be a great read for middle grade readers. There are some great themes of found family and learning to accept yourself as a whole, including the "bad." I did find that the narrative switched POV at random times, which made it a bit confusing at times. There are also a lot of Japanese words and mythology, which is great, but these were often not explained. For a younger audience who may not be familiar with Japanese, I think a glossary would be a great inclusion. Overall a fun start to a middle grade fantasy series that I hope finds its audience!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
2.5 stars rounded down

I was originally going to round this up, but the more I thought about it, the more my 2-star descriptor of okaaaaaaay just really matched my feelings for this book.

It had a lot of anime feels. The plot, the magic system, all that stuff. Which I liked. And there were a lot of sprinkled in ideas I liked, such as Koichi's character idea and the group he leads.

But the writing just felt so very distant, head hoppy, and exaggerated. Plus it felt so much like a modern non-Asian wrote this with the way that the characters in this historical Japanese fiction spoke.

The ideas were there, the execution wasn't. Rather sad because I was looking forward to the book after the blurb 😞

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!


Shadow Wars: The Secret Wars follows the misadventures of Ryuichi as he learns that he is not a nobody but in fact a very important person that could potentially doom the world.

While I enjoyed the Japanese culture-based approach, I feel that there were times where Japanese words or phrases were thrown in with little or no explanation as to what they mean. At a middle school grade level, this could potentially frustrate a reader who may have no idea of the Japanese concepts introduced within this book.

The world-building was alright and appropriate for the reading grade level, although things are quickly brought up that sometimes caused confusion. I am not sure if this is intentional to align with Ryuichi's lack of knowledge of what is occurring. I wish more time was dedicated to fleshing out the relationships to make them more meaningful as some characters appeared as important that were then banished to the background due to the brisk pace of the story.

Overall, it is a decent book that has a fair amount of action scenes, main character introspection (reading their thoughts), and Japanese mythology lore.

The “Shadow Wars: The Secret War” focuses on Ryuichi, an orphaned young boy of unknown power, hidden away in a samurai school. He has no friends and is mistreated for the majority of his early years. Suddenly, he is whisked away and thrust into a world of magic with no real training and learns that his father is alive. Decisions must be made on who to trust, and where allegiances lie.

I really appreciated a non-European fantasy setting. The mythology stands out as one of the best parts of this novel.

As an adult reader this was chaotic for me and I struggled to finish it but I’m not sure the middle grade readers will have that issue. I had a hard time understanding or believing Ryuichi’s motivations. Why is Ryuichi so kind hearted? He’s been abused all of his life, what value is he holding on to? Where did he learn it?

A lot of the book focused on his thought processes, especially the conflicts in his head and then which path he chooses to follow. While I didn’t always understand why he chose the path he did, I appreciated the way the authors laid it out. For a middle grade reader, I believe this is extremely valuable.

The world was amazing though I got lost a bit with so many characters and variations on characters. I appreciate a non-European fantasy setting and for that alone will recommend that the librarians in my district purchase a copy.

Pros: The world building/setting
The inner conflict of the main character

Cons: Chaotic
Unbelievable motivations

✨ARC Review✨

Shadow Wars: The Secret War
by Sherrilyn Kenyon, Hinako Hishinuma, Madaug Hishinuma

What an adventure! I loved how this book has the right combination of hope, action, adventure, found family, suspense, history, and betrayal. Even though I am not the target demographic of this book, I still enjoyed it.

Ryuichi and his found family were written well. I loved how his new family was there to strengthen him and reassure him whenever he doubted himself. Despite his tragic back story, Ryuichi found good people to support him.

The Ryukage was a complex character - turned into a villain because of the desire to avenge his family. We see his dynamic with his minions then with his son. It’s interesting to know why he did the things he did in the climax of the story.

The world building of this book is wonderful. I am not familiar with Japanese lore, but this book got me interested in researching it. The authors also did a masterful job tying real Japanese history with fiction.

If there is one thing that I wish would be improved, it’s the amount of times the main character’s doubts was narrated. We already know Ryuichi doubted himself because of his family background and upbringing. We don’t need a reminder of it every chapter.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I’ll definitely read the next one!

I've read and loved all of Sherrilyn Kenyon's adult series, so I picked up this one and wasn't disappointed. The story is action-packed and suspenseful. Wonderful, deep characters and the storyline kept me glued to the pages. I love that she's aiming some of her excellent work at a younger audience. I'm looking forward to the next installment in this series!

I've read and loved all of Sherrilyn Kenyon's adult series, so I picked up this one and wasn't disappointed. The story is action-packed and suspenseful. Wonderful, deep characters and the storyline kept me glued to the pages. I love that she's aiming some of her excellent work at a younger audience. I'm looking forward to the next installment in this series!

Shadow Wars: The Secret War is a middle grade book with fantasy, folklore and a bit of history. I found the pacing really good, and easy to follow. This book takes place in Japan. Ryuichi's journey focuses on family and self discovery. And I am a bit biased, but one of my favorite themes in any storyline is found family vs blood family. This is a world of samurais, magick, loyalty/betrayal, yokai, overcoming and discovering. I did enjoy this book overall, as I am a fan of Japanese culture. I read this voluntarily as an ARC thanks to Netgalley in exchange for a review.

This was a much different read than I’m used to! I’ve never read fantasy that’s mixed with some Japanese folklore. Because of this, my only critique is MORE world building! Understandably, this is a middle grade book, so too much world building and history may be overwhelming, but, to me, it felt like all of a sudden these different magical elements and beings popped up that I had no idea about, but didn’t surprise the main character as much. (Or perhaps these are common in Japanese folklore and I don’t know much about them!)

Regardless, it was a fun and interesting novel and I really liked all the characters, as well as the setting! It was an enjoyable and easy read that focuses on overcoming obstacles and finding your own family, as well as yourself. Like I’ve said, this is much different than many of the books I’ve read, but it was one I couldn’t put down.

This was an interesting book. I've never read anything like it. The twist of finding out who Ryuichi is the child of. The demons and gods fighting and the samurai children learning to defend people. There is a lot of action and drama which adds to the story.

My wife keeps telling me I need to read more Sherrilyn Kenyon. So I try one every so often.
I tried Shadow War because of the Japanese setting. I was not disappointed in that aspect.
Shadow Wars is a middle grade book that tells the story of Ryuichi, a young boy who doesn’t really know who he is.
I don’t often read middle grade books, but this one wasn’t bad. The story moved well and kept my interest fairly well.
I highly doubt that this book would make someone a Kenyon fan for life, but it was an enjoyable read.

I really enjoyed reading this as a start to the Shadow Wars series, it was everything that I wanted and enjoyed from the concept. It had that element that I was looking for and was invested in what was going on. The characters felt like they were real people in this universe and was glad everything worked together. I enjoyed the way the authors wrote this and am excited for more in this world.

In "Shadow Wars: The Secret War," we follow the journey of Ryuichi, a young boy marked for death since birth, as he navigates a world steeped in Japanese lore and strives to fulfill his destiny. This middle-grade novel beautifully intertwines elements of mythology and adventure, making it an engaging read for younger audiences.

One of the highlights of the book is its rich incorporation of Japanese culture and folklore, which adds depth and authenticity to Ryuichi's journey. The author does an excellent job of creating a vivid world that captures the imagination and introduces readers to fascinating aspects of Japanese traditions.

While this may not be a book I would typically choose for myself, it's definitely one I would recommend for my oldest child. The themes of courage and destiny resonate well, making it a great read for young readers looking for adventure and inspiration. Overall, "Shadow Wars: The Secret War" is a captivating tale that successfully blends mythology with a coming-of-age story.

Shadow Wars is trademark Sherrilyn Kenyon writing, but with a Japanese twist. Enjoyed the world building in this novel, good versus evil, and interesting view into samurai. I loved the frequent references to family and that family is not only by blood but those that support and stand by you. The book ended in a way that it was obvious there was more to come, but it did not leave a cliffhanger which I appreciated. Looking forward to Ryuichi's next step in his adventure!

DNF at 30%. Unfortunately not a particularly well-told story, although the writing itself was decent. Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

We follow Yorukaze Ryuichi, marked for death since birth, in pursuit to fulfill his destiny.
A YA fantastical chosen one story following our underdog as he navigates new lands, friend and foe. Steeped in Japanese lore the world felt surreal.
I loved this! The story flowed perfectly and I do hope we get to see more Ryuichi and his crew. Thank you to NetGally for an ARC, this is a must read for the adventure loving folk.

Ryuichi is a young boy, hidden away to protect him from the dark forces of the Ryukage. He grows up an orphan, alone without knowing who his parents are. However, Ryuichi is more special than he ever thought possible. He has a hidden power, sealed for his own protection. But as he's thrust into the world of samurai and magic, he is faced with this power he cannot yet control. Ryuichi must discover who he truly is and who he can trust if he wants to survive.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Shadow Wars is a middle grade book that blends fantasy and folklore with a little historical twist. This book takes place in a Japan where chaos reigns as the Ryukage's forces ravage the land. Oda Nobunaga gets several mentions, and Hattori Hanzo himself is a semi-prominent character. The main focus is on Ryuichi's journey, with finding out who his parents truly were and finding what he so desperately craves--family. I loved the message that family doesn't have to be tied by blood, that you can choose who becomes your family. Found family is always so good, I don't care if it gets overdone because I will eat it up every time. I also really enjoyed a lot of the character interactions here. My favorites were disgruntled and exasperated Koichi who serves as a somewhat reluctant mentor, and Masaru, who I was delighted to find was a hardened bad boy with a secret heart of gold buried deep deep down. It won't be for everyone, but I did enjoy my time with it. I feel like it could make a good anime or movie one day.