I received a free copy from Tachyon Publications via Netgalley in exchange for a fair review. Publish date 16 September.

I requested a copy of this book based on the interesting folklore premise and the striking cover. In Audition for the Fox, young godsblood Nesi must dedicate herself to one of the gods in order to leave the temple, but she's failed the trials for ninety-six of the ninety-nine gods. Out of desperation, she auditions to serve the trickster fox god--but their test is to fling her back in history, tasking her with taking part in the revolution against the brutal invasion of the Wolf devotees.

This book is novella length, although it felt shorter due to the fact that nearly half of the book is comprised of interludes containing stories about the fox god's exploits. The background setting is absolutely fascinating: Nesi seems to live in a modernish world, although perhaps it's the omniscient Fox who knows about movies and smartphones, not Nesi. Here, children descended from the gods are sent to monasteries to either dedicate themselves to a god or live out their lives in a comfortable prison. There are dark mentions of people using godsblood for power or as a drug. I would have happily read a full novel in this setting--but we get hardly more than a few paragraphs before being plunged into the brutal and spare world of a labor camp.

Nesi's growth from anxious self-doubt and a deep sense of rejection to a confident disciple of the Fox is satisfying to watch. But her character arc felt a little underbaked, especially with the remote style of the narration. The charismatic and tricksy Fox is fascinating, but I think Nesi deserved more development and pagespace than she got. The Fox is also far more gentle and actively helpful with Nesi than seems to be consistent with their character in the folktales.

As a frequent novella disliker, I'd say Audition for the Fox falls into the would have been better as a full novel category. Still, it has a fascinating premise and setting, and I'm interested to see what Cahill writes next. Particularly if it's set in this world.

Thank you to NetGalley for this e-ARC.

Nesi, a cloistered acolyte with divinity in her veins, is thrown into the past by T'sidaan, the vulpine trickster deity. Nesi must learn to accept the unexpected in this sudden adventure. She must acknowledge that her every action will influence the future and ensure/endanger her survival.

Past failures haunt Nesi, prompting her to audition for T'sidaan's patronage. Her previous attempts ended with humiliation, eroding her mental health and leaving her with little support. Nesi's only friend is Ren, an authoritative (a guide/teacher) at the temple.

I could relate to Nesi's pain, especially as a recent college graduate. The job application/hiring process is completely broken. The amount of stress I was under increased with every rejection. Thankfully, like Nesi, I found hope.

i don’t think i’ll stop thinking about this novella for a while :”) this was such an incredible read; rich in its lore, vast in its worldbuilding, and whimsical in its storytelling.

my favorite parts were the bits and pieces of the world’s history and mythology, often told to us through the various tales of the fox and their siblings. i adored this pantheon of pillars that martin cahill has created, and especially loved t’sidaan and the depth of complexity they carried as a character. from trickery to compassion, seeing them guide nesi in her audition to become an acolyte was nothing short of humorous and inspiring.

although short, audition for the fox was a breath of fresh air and is now a newfound favorite! i can only hope that the author provides another opportunity to return to this world in a future story, for i will surely miss it!

4.75 stars! thank you to netgalley and tachyon publications for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

In Audition for the Fox, our Protagonist is a young acolyte named Nesi, a girl who has a Reputation among her fellow demi-hemi-semi "god blooded" priests-in-training. In this setting those descended from one of the hundred Pillars can only leave the temple they were raised in if they have the sponsorship of one of the hundred animal gods. (Who are referred to as Pillars and are believed to hold up the world.)They need these divine babysitters because the "god blooded" are in danger of being used as spell components if they are unattended.

The reason for our Protagonist's reputation? Nesi has managed to fail every audition she has gone to. Our girl has intense anxiety and little ability to focus. After repeated failures and rejections, Our Protagonist is desperate to be chosen by one of the gods. (Not it should clear, because of devotion. Nesi just wants the freedom associated with having a chaperone at first. Nesi is down to three choices, and picks the one she thinks will be the easiest and safest.)

Spoiler: It is not the easiest. It is so much not the easiest.

The Fox sends Nesi three hundred years in the past, to a time when her country was under the occupation of the Wolfhounds of Zemin. (Who are horrible fascist thugs, and devotees of the Wolf, a disgraced and exiled Pillar who has a particular beef with the Fox.) She is given the task of setting off a rebellion in the work camp where she is confined. (Note: the Fox is very clear that she isn't fore-destined to be what sets off the entire resistance. She just needs to spark a flame.) The Fox is there to mentor her the entire time, but Nesi has a bad time of it.

Interspersed with Our Protagonists story, are various myths featuring the Fox. From these stories, it's clear why Nesi at first completely misunderstood the character of the Fox. She thought of him as a frivolous silly prankster and her decision to audition reflected this. Since she had not understood the serious lessons within the silly jokes, the Fox decides to forgo the pan, and drops her directly into the fire--which makes for some fun, if occasionally extremely intense moments of extreme second hand embarrassment--and in some cases, absolute panic for the situation she's in.

Audition for the Fox manages to pack intriguing worldbuilding and a surprisingly hard hitting plot into one short novella. It's a very fast read in that the narrative just pulls you along, and suddenly you're about fifty percent of the way through. Nesi's character arc from disaffected and extremely anxious acolyte, to a seditious rebel is an engaging experience. I liked her immediately, and found her to be extremely relatable. (In the sense that she's trying so hard, has no real idea of what she wants to do in life, and keeps running into walls between her and a life. Same, Nesi, same.)

Too long; didn't read: Tricksters are for funny pranks and also for organized resistance against oppressive regimes.

I enjoyed the book. I kind of wish it had been longer. It's an earnest book that manages to get its ideas across without preaching. (Except in the sense that Fox goes into mentor lecture mode about philosophy, history and causality in regards to time travel.) I will settle for a long series featuring the temporal adventures of Nesi and the Fox. Ten or twelve books would be fine!

This review is based on a galley received from Net Galley.

This isn't something I would normally read but I found this intriguing. I am mythology and folklore being incorporated in to stories. I struggled a bit in the beginning with all unfamiliar names and places. The short stories in between each part seemed unnecessary in an already shorter story but I enjoyed the artwork. I really liked the Fox. They were a trickster but also a teacher. While they were silly they also came off as patient and kind. Overall, I really enjoyed this and am glad I got the chance to read it.

It’s OK. I’ve read similar books and short stories. I don’t think there’s enough reflection on how the Wolfhounds got to this place. It also reads like the author got inspiration from Indigenous societities— if he did, they deserve explicit credit. The lack of exploration kind of killed the mystery for me.

A fun read, something I need more of. A lot of deus ex machina, which is part of the story and funny and appropriate. I liked Cahill's prose, gets to the point and lets the characters carry the plot.

Audition for the Fox was a novella done right - enough world building and detail to keep readers engaged, but also leaving room to want more.

Nesi has trained to be an acolyte of one of the 99 gods of The Pillars, failing all but 3 of the gods’ auditions. In a moment of snap judgment — likely in her frustration and doubt — she decides to audition for T’sidaan, the trickster fox god. They send Nesi to 300 hundred years in the past, asking her to kickstart a revolution for an oppressed people.

Cahill has built a world that highlights the importance of resistance (both the strength and resilience it takes) as well as the importance of stories and how they are shared. These points are illuminated at times separately, but also beautifully interwoven through backstory of T’sidaan’s lore.

In a time where both resistance and joy are needed, Audition for the Fox reminds us that both are necessary to one another. He’s built a world that is only of the beginning; I truly hope we get more of Nesi and T’sidaan showing us how to resist through trickery and stories.

Martin Cahill does a great job in writing this book, it had that magical element that I was looking for and enjoyed the overall feel of this book. The characters had that element that I wanted and enjoyed the overall feel of this world. I enjoyed the trickster's element and how it was used in this short story. I'm glad it was so well done and worked in this universe.

Thank you NetGalley and Tachyon Publications for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I'll be fully honest this might be a 3 star book, but it just felt so right when I was reading it. Nothing it is doing is that exceptional, in fact I feel like a lot of it is overly trope-y, and leans more YA than i normally prefer. But there is just something about Nesi's mission of overthrowing this camp that I found utterly enchanting. I also loved everything with the 99 pillars, especially my boy the Worm of Dreams.

Can't say I recommend it, but for me it was a really, really great novella.

DNF'd, couldn’t get past the first chapter

I was immediately drawn to the premise: myths, divine creatures, and especially the idea of a fox deity, which I’ve always found fascinating across cultures. The blurb promised something rich and layered, but from the very beginning, I struggled to stay afloat. The first chapter throws a barrage of unfamiliar names, lore, and terminology at the reader without much grounding. I couldn’t tell if the references were fictional or drawn from real myths and honestly, the writing didn’t make me want to dig deeper to find out. It felt dense and inaccessible, and I found myself re-reading sentences without gaining clarity.

This one wasn’t for me, but perhaps readers already familiar with the mythological influences, or those who enjoy being thrown into complex worldbuilding without a gentle entry point, might have better luck.

I really struggled with this one. The characters are the focal point of the story, and I found it very difficult to care about any of them, but particularly the protagonist. I tried a few times and never got into it; I found her super immature and annoying, and possibly more frustrating was that in those instances when she acted her age, others treated her as a child, which really just made me dislike the entire cast.

This was a lovely surprise.

Nesi is an acolyte in need of a patron God, and out of ninety-nine Pillars of Heaven, she’s already been rejected by ninety-six.
On a whim, she chooses the Fox, the mischievous, trickster among the deities. Her audition test is wild - she must go back 300 years in time and be the spark of revolution for a community that has been subjugated by control and fear.
Will Nesi be able to deliver?

This a novella that I think will resonate a lot with a younger audience, and it explores themes of self acceptance, exploration of self, resilience and mental health. Myth and adventure are blended well together, and I really enjoyed the overall product

The only thing I did not like much was that we have some very short stories placed within the novella, almost as interludes. They were actually nice, a "Tales/Parables of the Fox" sort of stories, but in a book this short, they disconnected me from the plot .

Thank you to NetGalley and to Tachyon Publications for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I wasn't actually planning to request another ARC so soon after finishing my post-holidays backlog, but the cover of this book was too good for me to ignore. I'm so glad I got the chance to read this! I think it's been one of my favorite books I've read so far this year.

The story was original and fun. The characters were spare, but well-utilized. The familiar archetype of the trickster was delightful. I enjoyed the decision to alternate chapters between the main story and trickster myths of the world. I thought that was a creative way to give the reader some worldbuilding and context without weighing the story down with exposition.

My only complaint is that I wish it was longer in some ways. I think at 192 pages it's actually a really solid length for the story being told, but I just wonder how the character development might have been impacted by a little more space for them to breath. Nesi was great, but I felt like we didn't really get to see her growth as fully as we could have.

I'm looking forward to the official publication of this one in September, and will be keeping an eye out for any other Martin Cahill works moving forward. I think he'll be one to watch.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tachyon Publications for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you Tachyon Publications, Martin Cahill, and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

While NetGalley doesn't allow half stars, Audition for the Fox is a clear 3.5 debut. Strong narrative really begins about 15% in and took me awhile to warm up. Then all in. Both Fox and Nesi experienced character growth and solid arcs.

Through the eyes of an audience listening to a fable, readers are invited to a robust world. I do think this would have benefited from about another 40.pages or magic directory. There's a lot of clever time jumps and standard fantasy tropes.

Not a bad debut. Definitely willing to read more from the author. Audition for the Fox is a relevant novella in currently upturned nations.

What a charming novella! I loved Nesi’s story and how her character developed across her audition – being thrown back in time and being tasked with helping stage a famous rebellion in her country’s history is no mean feat. The tone of the story was serious, but also had a lot of humour and heart to it. I loved how this story appeared to be inspired by a mixture Asian mythology and Aesop’s fables, with animals having specific attributes or professions that they were in charge of and the fables that were interspersed between chapters, ‘The Fox and the Turtle’ and ‘The Fox and the Stallion’, telling tales of how T’sidaan tricked his siblings, often to teach them a meaningful lesson. And in a way, Nesi’s audition comes across as another fable, a lesson that the Fox wants her to learn in order to become their acolyte. T’sidaan also gave me strong Reynard the Fox vibes as well, although a slightly friendlier version. The world-building and all the different pillars seemed amazing – obviously with ninety-nine pillars, there are not all included in the story, but if the author ever wanted to do a sequel or longer novel (which he hints in the afterword he might) I would absolutely love to read more adventures set in this world. And the illustrations were absolutely stunning!

I struggled a bit to connect with this story but may need to return to it another time! Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

I was drawn in by the cover and premise, and this novella really delivered. Nesi’s story was compelling and well paced, and provided a very thoughtful view on history and hostile occupation.

The fox was a real highlight of the story, and I very much enjoyed the worldbuilding of the pillars and their role in the story. The addition of in-world mythology told in a very personal way also enhanced the themes of the main story, and the importance of these stories to the characters.

All round, highly recommend this one!

Thank you NetGalley and Tachyon for the eARC.

Audition for the Fox is a standout novella. The intricate balance between mythic storytelling and a deeply grounded exploration of resistance and identity. I especially appreciated your point about the Fox being a symbol not just of trickery, but of subversive wisdom — how cunning, when wielded with purpose, can become a revolutionary force. That nuance is one of the things that lingered with me long after reading.

The structure, too — with its interwoven fables — felt like a kind of storytelling within storytelling, like oral history filtered through divine mischief. It gives the world a living texture, as if the stories themselves are part of the rebellion. And Nesi’s journey, with all its emotional stakes, was a compelling lens through which to explore the cost and courage of defiance.

"Start thinking of how small a cog you are and how big the machine is and nothing will work."


Audition for the Fox is a tale of humility in many forms; a mortal descendant of gods that has never passed a test, and the gods who are forever being humbled by the Fox, local ego-checker. Nesi, our flop demi(quadri?)god time travels to a wartime labor camp in what could be her last attempt to prove herself to a god, and schemes are hatched to fuel an uprising that history is waiting for.

For a novella, I did not expect the world-building for the pantheon of gods to be this good, it was very fascinating to read about them in both the main story and the vignettes in between chapters. Loved the structure too, I think it was a great decision to have records of oral storytelling about the gods in between the events of the main story, really packs a lot of insights into the characters and the world as a whole even with a small page count. Little bits of wisdom are also interspersed within the narrative, giving it a very folktale vibe. The way it was written makes it feel like the beginning of many adventures, and I could definitely see this as a series, or in an anthology of loosely connected tales.

Despite the grim setting (and certain events…), the tone of the book never gets too dark, focusing more on the light at the end of the tunnel and the journey towards that. Due to its length, there wasn't much space to delineate the past and the present, since the book spend most of its time in the past and the few times we see the present, it's in a temple- which is, well, a temple- one of the institutions most immune to the ravages of time. The light bits of humor was also middle-grade leaning, but that doesn’t take away from the quality of the story.

A thought-provoking tale with the right blend of whimsy and gravitas.

Thank you to Tachyon Publications and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.