Thank you so much to the publisher, the author, and netgalley for sending me an e-ARC to read. I gave this book 3 stars.

I unfortunately couldn't get into this book on my initial try. It's been some time so I may revisit at some point in the future with fresh eyes!

Sadly I just couldn’t get into this and have decided to stop at the 40% mark. I would recommend it for fans of YA fantasy, I think this was a case of it’s just not for me.

I gave this book a quick try, and ultimately decided to DNF -- my tastes have changed since I requested this. Many thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book!

This book surprised me by being far better than I expected, after reading another of the authors books a while ago and not really enjoying it I was hesitant to start this one. It ended up being a really fun and adventurous book full of Japanese folklore and demons. I would also say that it was a pretty dark and violent book considering it is YA. I did really enjoy how action packed it was and all the characters were interesting.

I enjoyed the plot although it was rather slow and I don't feel it got very far throughout the book. It was action packed though and there was plenty that happened and a lot of difficult and interesting fights. Most of these fights were part of the plot even if it was essentially the same thing a few times.

I found all of the characters really interesting and I liked watching their development and interactions. I did really enjoy the found family that was gathered throughout the book. All the characters were very different and added a lot to the book.

I'm definitely interested to see where the story goes in the next couple of books and seeing more of the characters especially the demons.

Going into this I was a little nervous. I had kept putting this off as an earlier attempt I struggled to even start it. But that was clearly a case of my mood ruining the book as this time I really enjoyed it. Especially the second half where I just couldn't put it down. If I'm willing to read during early hours of the morning I'm definitely captivated. I just was to binge read the whole trilogy now.

This felt a medium pace for me. It didn't feel too fast or dragging. Everything just slotted together. This had adventure after adventure while on a journey. Where they pick up strays. Each one so different from Tatsumi but with Yumeko they just all work together.

I enjoyed the messages of kindness, morality and generosity throughout the book. A lesson anyone can learn.

I'm glad the "romance" was slow burn. Insta love would have ruined this. Especially with Tatsumi character at the beginning. Instead we see a slow development of his character. How he was in denial because of what was drilled into his his whole life.

Although the plot could have been predictable but I found myself not knowing what could happen next, but needing to find out. The ending left me needing to instantly carry on the trilogy. The end was just abrupt that I can't wait.

This book was both completely what I expected and not at all.

I really loved the magic and the world in this book. It was so interesting to read a story based in mythology I’m not familiar with. I also liked the two main characters and how they interacted.

However, for me the plot dragged. I found the book quite slow. I found myself skipping pages to try and find the action. I would have liked a faster pace. It would have made the book a much more enjoyable read for me.

DNF'd at 18%

I LOVED the first chapter and this would have been an epic book had that story continued somehow. However, once we got into the main event, I felt like the book became quite juvenile and childlike and the multiple POVs were quite hard to distinguish between. (I genuinely thought Yumeko was like 10 years old or something). Unfortunately, this one fell a bit flat for me

I really struggled to get into this book and I ended up DNFing it. I just couldn't connect to the story or the characters that much, so I don't think this was the story for me.

A solid addition to the fantasy genre, and a truly fun read. I have not yet read any of Kagawa's other books, but after Shadow of the Fox I will definitely be looking for them!

On the one hand, I'm almost angry at myself for not picking up this book sooner! Shadow Of The Fox was absolutely delightful and exactly what I needed so as to get back into young adult fantasy, which has not always delivered for me lately.
On the other hand, now that the whole trilogy is out, I can definitely binge-read it! I already want to reread this book even though it's so fresh in my memory.

There were some tropes that one often encounters in YA, such as (vague premise following) the coincidental meeting of the protagonists turning into an almost meet-cute while said protagonists want the same thing but view eveything from different angles and withhold information from one another. But I felt like it was executed so well!
This book reminded me of Legend by Marie Lu, except it gave me all the feelings that I couldn't get from the latter.

I'm only deducting a star because in my yearning to prolong the story, I took more than a two weeks to finish it and, thus, grew slightly detached after the 65% mark. But I recognise that this is mostly my doing and not so much the book's fault.

I would definitely recommed the audiobook even if you're physically reading it. Listening to the accented Japanese "terminology" gave me life!

Read during the Asian Readathon.
*ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have to agree with the reviewers who say that this book hugely reminds them of a manga, but unfortunately, I think I would have enjoyed it a lot more if it had actually been one. For a prose book, I think that the episodic adventure style meant that I wasn't connected to the characters or the plot - were this a graphic novel, I could more easily be drawn into the action, but if I'm going to spend a lot of time in the head of a character, there has to be quite a bit more depth there, and I found that pretty lacking. Both Tatsumi and Yumeko, who have first person POV chapters, have very similar voices, and this makes it hard to differentiate between them when they're speaking, even though they are clearly very different characters. I would actually have preferred to stick with Yumeko's narration throughout, as I found Tatsumi very boring - but then an emotionless warrior has never been my cup of tea. Both characters feel quite young, and would probably appeal to the lower-end of YA more than the upper.

I enjoyed the Japanese folklore, though it's presented a little too simply, and I got the feeling that I was being lectured to rather than immersed, but that is probably because I came into this with more knowledge than the average YA reader. The author doesn't do anything terribly original with it either, so while I see the world-building being praised, I didn't think there was actually much! That being said, it would be a great introduction to Japanese folklore/mythology.

For a fast-paced, episodic adventure, this does a great job. I can see this stretching out across many, many volumes of manga. As a novel, it disappointed me a little, but it was still enjoyable - however, I'm not terribly interested in continuing the series. Three and a half stars.

This was such a great adventure of a book with shapeshifters and demons galore! It tells the story of Yumeko, a kitsune living with monks. When the temple is attacked by a demon and destroyed, Yumeko is tasked with protecting the Dragon Scroll and undertakes a journey to locate the remaining pieces, picking up some companions along the way.

The Positives: I loved the way this was structured. It read like a video game in many ways, with the characters facing trials to defeat as they try to reach their goal. This meant that the action is fast paced and the narrative has a slightly episodic feel, which I really enjoyed. I thought that Julie Kagawa did a fantastic job of explaining all of the different aspects of Japanese folklore at play here, without ever disrupting the narrative flow with too much exposition. She has included some fascinating elements in this world, which is very richly realised, while also leaving enough mystery to be able to expand things in the later books.

The Negatives: I did think that the characters were a little bit one-dimensional at times, particularly Tatsumi. This is definitely a plot-driven book, but it is important to connect to the characters too, which wasn't always easy.

Overall I thought this was a wonderfully enjoyable novel and I will be moving straight on to the sequel!

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Yumeko, a half kitsune, half human, was raised by monks in the Silent Winds temple. She is a mischievous little yokai who is thrown into the duty of guarding the temple's greatest treasure, part of an ancient scroll. She must carry the scroll to a hidden temple to keep it safe from the demons who seek to obtain the scroll. On the way, she meets Kage Tatsumi, a samurai of the Shadow Clan, who must obtain the scroll Yumeko has kept hidden. They form an unlikely alliance, Kage guiding Yumeko to the temple under false pretenses that the monks at the temple can help him.

This book grew on me. The first chapter hooked me and hooked me real good. But the following chapters, I wasn't so sure. It seemed a little slower paced than was set up in the first chapter, but oh does the ball get rolling and rolling quick. I was quickly immersed in the gorgeous world of fantastical, ancient Japan.

I loved how each character, including the side characters, grew and had a life of their own. I loved all the little side quests Yumeko and Kage faced while on their journey.

Themes of magic and friendship are constantly woven throughout the book. This is a story where the characters are there to forge their own paths, even though they are constrained and put under pressure due to their natures and assumptions. Each one grows and pushes back, trying to become who they think they should be.

I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who like a bit of anime, and even those who don't. It's a great fantasy and gives us a peek into myths we may not be familiar with ourselves. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series! I give this book a solid 5 stars!

I really enjoyed this story. It was a fun adventure and the plot was well-developed, and the book overall was very well-written. I did, however, struggle to distinguish the voices of the two main characters - they sounded too similar and it wasn't until something specific was mentioned that I would realise the narrator had changed.

The story felt like a fairytale adventure - I loved the quest-style plot and the idea that the underdogs were coming together in a rag-tag band to (potentially) save the world. I can't wait for the next instalment!

Those. Last. Few. Chapters!!! Oof! Talk about reeling you in and leaving you desperate for more. I won't even get into that epilogue. Eep!

I'm not usually focused on the characters, as I'm more interested in an the book having an engaging plot, but every character had me invested in their story. I especially loved the ronin.

Tatsumi and Yumeko's interactions, goodness if the burn could be any slower.

If you want an adventure where everything can all unravel with one wrong move, an underlying layer of deception and characters that you enjoy reading about, pick this up.

Off to read book 2!

The start was very slow and jumped about between different characters a lot so it took me a while to get going with it. I didn’t like Yumenko or Tatsumi at all at first and I felt like it was going to be another formulaic young adult fantasy book. There was also too much of the characters internal thoughts with not much action going on. But once I managed to get past the first few chapters and really got into it I actually liked this a lot!

I liked that there was a lot of little almost side quests thrown into the story along the way. Tatsumi and Yumeko fight a few demons, help some villages and pick up an assortment of fellow travellers that become part of the story. It reminded me of some of the manga series I’ve read and I thought it made what could have been a dry journey where all that happens is the two of them start falling for each other into something more interesting and unusual. Plus, the sidekicks they picked up were funny and all brought something to the team!

Both Tatsumi and Yumenko grew on me along the way and I liked the way they were together. Tatsumi particularly has to try and fight his attraction and it’s cute how confused and frustrated he gets – he’s had very little positive interaction with other humans so it’s like he is seeing the world for the first time, Yumenko is bringing him slowly to life.

Yumenko I liked a lot more when we were seeing her from Tatsumi’s point of view. In his eyes, she seems a little odd, a bit daft but super funny and sweet. From Yumenko’s own viewpoint though she comes across a lot more serious and thoughtful. It’s a difference I found hard to reconcile to get a real feel for her character and left me feeling strangely disconnected from her. I’m hoping in the next book her personality becomes clearer, I also hope she gets to use more of her magic! I suspect she could be fierce if she wanted to be.

I do think it suffers from the characters and the plot being stereotypical of young adult fantasy at the moment but where this really stands out is in the world it is set in and the atmosphere that is created. The Japanese setting gives this something special and the author has done a great job of making the journey of the characters feel real and full of vibrant life. It feels like there is a lot of Japanese folklore and mythology weaved into the story but it never becomes confusing – it always just felt real to me.

Give this a chance, get past the first few chapters and it’s an exciting story with enough of its own personality to stand out in a sea of young adult fantasies with similar plots. I enjoyed reading this one and I’m looking forward to getting my hands on the sequel.

Thank you to netgalley for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited about this book because fantasy in general is my absolute favorite genre and recently I truly adored getting into fantasies inspired by non-western-cultures. I do not mind the stereotypical "save the world" "travel through the world on a quest" trope, as it is a fun trope I cannot seem to get enough off - but what sold me was that this one is inspired by Japanese legends and lore.
I absolutely adored the world building. I am the type of reader that typically needs 50-80 pages to get into a fantasy world and struggles with the world building part. So if a book is able to sweep me off my feet and transport me into a rather foreign world from page one, it already has earned a star or two.
I truly enjoyed everything about this book - the world, the plot, and the characters. Kagawa was able to give them a fun personality based on a mythical background that made them enjoyable even though they filled very cliche rolls (The soldier/guy with no feelings, the naive/trusting/friendly/young girl, sarcastic comments and an "I don't care" attitude). I do enjoy cliche and steretypical tropes when they are done well, which is the case here.
I really am looking forward to getting into the sequel and will definitely check out more books from this author.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy!

I loved this book and oh, how I long after a good Japanese fantasy!
This is just a bright, brilliant book, full of colour and feel. I was enchanted by the first chapter and I remained like that throughout the whole book! I absolutely loved it! I totally recommend!

I just liked this book. It was good, but honestly that’s it for me. I thought I would find myself unable to put it down, it ticks every box for me, but something just didn’t work. I had read so many rave reviews before picking this up, and maybe this set me up for failure, but I really thought I would love this one. Anyway, let’s try and puzzle out why this book ended up being distinctly average for me.

Firstly, let's talk worldbuilding because oh boy is it done well. Kagawa has created such an intricate world full of magic and mythology, and I loved reading about the subtly woven in Japanese Folklore. The incorporation of many fantastical creatures from Japanese lore, often in their full violent and grotesque glory, painted a vivid picture. This was definitely one of the biggest positives with me, I loved reading about all the creatures Yumeko and Tatsumi came across!

The story is told from Yumeko and Tatsumi’s perspectives, despite them both embarking on this journey together. This gives extra depth to the two characters and their journey, but I’m not sure if it was my cup of tea. Reading the same event twice doesn’t really float my boat.
I loved Yumeko’s unshakable optimism and Tatsumi’s brooding pessimism, They really complimented each other. I wasn’t massively invested in either of them though, nor in any of the characters that joined their journey. I think this is likely due, in part, to the way I read it, but if I’m honest no one had a massive impact on me.

As I’ve already said this book to me a long time to get through. I’ve been reading it since February, and as a person that usually devours books in one sitting, this was not how I usually read. I think it’s probably because the prose is written like a journey, jumping from one event to the next without much padding in between, and so when I put it down I wasn’t desperate to pick it again. At times this way of writing felt like a compilation of filler episodes while I waited to get down to the nitty-gritty plotline. I’m glad I did finish it though, as once I made it to that finale I found myself much more excited about the next book. It’s rare for me to say this about a book that was so mediocre for me, but I think I’ll be picking up the next one when it turns up in my local library.

Recommend: If you’re looking for a travelling band type scenario filled to the brim with Japanese mythology, then you’ll probably enjoy this one.

Stars
★★★