Review: Shadow of The Fox (Shadow of the Fox #1) by Julie Kagawa

Shadow of The Fox (Shadow of the Fox #1) by Julie Kagawa

Expected Publication: October 2nd 2018 by Harlequin Teen

Genre: Young Adult | Fantasy

Recommended to: fans of anime or Japanese culture

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About Shadow of the Fox

One thousand years ago, the great Kami Dragon was summoned to grant a single terrible wish—and the land of Iwagoto was plunged into an age of darkness and chaos.

Now, for whoever holds the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers, a new wish will be granted. A new age is about to dawn.

Raised by monks in the isolated Silent Winds temple, Yumeko has trained all her life to hide her yokai nature. Half kitsune, half human, her skill with illusion is matched only by her penchant for mischief. Until the day her home is burned to the ground, her adoptive family is brutally slain and she is forced to flee for her life with the temple’s greatest treasure—one part of the ancient scroll.

There are many who would claim the dragon’s wish for their own. Kage Tatsumi, a mysterious samurai of the Shadow Clan, is one such hunter, under orders to retrieve the scroll…at any cost. Fate brings Kage and Yumeko together. With a promise to lead him to the scroll, an uneasy alliance is formed, offering Yumeko her best hope for survival. But he seeks what she has hidden away, and her deception could ultimately tear them both apart.

With an army of demons at her heels and the unlikeliest of allies at her side, Yumeko’s secrets are more than a matter of life or death. They are the key to the fate of the world itself.

A copy was given to me via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

RATING: ★★★★★

This book requires a great deal of imagination and Google search.

That is if you are unfamiliar with Japanese folklore. Granted, things and creatures mentioned in this book are described. There’s even a glossary at the end of the book (which I found out too late). But sometimes, our imagination cannot measure up to the real thing. So if you ever read this book and you have no idea what different types of yokai and demons are supposed to look like, I encourage you to look things up.

You might get surprised by cute creatures like this.

The Kodama 2 by Allison Reimold

Or maybe, this is more your thing.

Kamaitachi by Brandon Chang

I swear it will make reading this book ten times better. By the end, you will have a whole anime in your head.

Seriously.

If you’re not familiar with Japanese folklore, this book can get pretty confusing. But fear not! Once you get the hang of things, you won’t be able to stop.

This book had everything I wanted. Interesting characters, great world-building, intriguing plot, and engaging writing.  Kitsune, shinobi, yokai, legends about magic scrolls, what more could you ask for?

If you’re a fan of anime or Japanese culture, this book is definitely for you.

Original art by sXeven. Shared by Julie Kagawa on Facebook.

The pacing was slow at first but surprisingly, I wasn’t bored. To me, this book is like an introduction — a way for us to get invested in the story and get to know the characters. I feel that it has barely skimmed the surface and there are more secrets and surprises in store. Even when it’s only been a few hours since I finished the first book, I am eagerly anticipating the next one. Because… seriously, just read the book and you will know why. 😭

This is my first Julie Kagawa book and it definitely won’t be my last. BRB, I’m buying more.

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If you are interested in a signed copy of the book, you can pre-order it here. Offer ends on September 18th.