Thank you to Julie Kagawa, Netgalley, and the publishers, HQ Young Adult, for a copy of Shadow of the Fox!

Shadow of the Fox is set in the Japanese-inspired fantasy land of Iwagoto. Having read other books set in similarly inspired settings - Jay Kristoff's Lotus War trilogy and Renée Ahdieh's Flame in the Mist duology - I was excited and hopeful to read a fresh take on the genre.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading Shadow of the Fox, which is the first in a trilogy (and which I absolutely cannot wait to read the rest of!). The nods to Japanese culture and mythology were well-integrated, and there is even a glossary at the back of the book for those confused by unfamiliar terms, which I thought was a nice touch.

This novel is told from two perspectives - Yumeko, a sixteen year old girl and half-kitsune (fox spirit). As such, she can perform magic, though it is mostly limited to tricks and illusions. Having been brought up by monks in a temple, and having never ventured far from it, Yumeko can be quite naïve at times - especially when it comes to sarcasm, which I found endearing and hilarious. As the novel progresses and she leaves the temple, we see her begin to grow up a little, and I'll be interested to see her character progress further in later novels.

We also have Tatsumi, a warrior of the infamous Kage clan. He has been trained (and beaten) to be emotionless so that he can wield a sword imbued with a demon. If he lets his barriers down, the demon will be able to take over - and he knows he must avoid this at all costs.

As Yumeko and Tatsumi venture out of the temple, their party grows to include a ronin (discgraced samurai), a noble, a reiko (temple maiden) and a temple guardian in the guise of a small dog, meeting demons along the way (including a giant centipede!) who want to get hold of the scroll for the nefarious Lady Satomi, who I found genuinely chilling.

Kagawa's writing throughout the novel was solid - it is clear that she has written many books before, and never did I feel encumbered by clunky or uncomfortable prose or dialogue. While it feels clear that a romance between Yumeko and Tatsumi is going to happen, nothing happened between the two characters, which felt natural; however they are beginning to have feelings for each other, which begins to create problems by the end of the novel... (revealing any more than that would be spoiling things, however!)

One small complaint I have is that the plot did take a little while to get going, however the payoff was well worth it, and while reading the fight scene at the end I could barely read fast enough; I just had to know what was going to happen!

The end of the novel and the epilogue leave many questions still open, and of course Yumeko still has to take the scroll to the temple. I am already eagerly awaiting the sequel, Soul of the Sword, which is due to be released in June next year.

In the end I gave Shadow of the Fox four very well-deserved stars!

Thank you again to Netgalley and the publishers, HQ Young Adult, for the copy. Shadow of the Fox is out now, so if you liked my review and want to know more, be sure to check it out!

This is such an amazing book that it made me wonder why I'd never read more Japanese inspired stories before.
I loved the MCs in this book, and most of all I loved Yumeko as you really felt like you were on the journey with her - discovering all the new things.
Definitely can't wait for the next book,

As some of you may know I do love a good, high YA fantasy and when I found out about Shadow of the Fox I was instantly intrigued - firstly by the cover (isn't it gorgeous!) and secondly by the fact that it was going to be based on Japanese Mythology. As someone who had never read any fantasy with this concept I knew I was going to be in for a treat. This was such a unique take on the YA fantasy genre.

First of all, lets talk about the Japanese Mythology within the book. I am someone who went into this blind, not know anything about the mythology and I'll admit I wish I'd done a little bit of research into it before picking up this book. There was a lot to take it with the names of different creatures and legends and this did cause confusion at times. Granted there was a glossary at the end of the book with details about everything, but if it had been at the front then I might not have become so confused. At times I found myself pausing what I was reading to look up the name of a certain creature. However, this may not be the case with someone who has knowledge of Japanese Mythology.

Shadow of the Fox is told through multi perspectives and I do love this way of storytelling. There's just something about getting to know multiple characters in depth throughout this form. We follow the perspectives of Yumeko, Tatsumi and Suki (an ex-servant girl now ghost). Although for most of the story we mainly follow Yumeko and Tatsumi. In my opinion a multi perspective form of story telling was perfect for this book, as each character had different goals/came from different backgrounds and it just made their characters more fleshed out.

The world building was incredible I must say - everything was planned out perfectly and it created such an atmosphere when reading. The descriptions had me imagining this fantasy world perfectly and at times it just felt so vivid. The pacing of the plot, itself was rather slow at times - but as this is the first of a trilogy I was expecting that. Mind you, once the paced picked up so did the action and this was when I was hooked and the heart started racing. It also had this darkness to it that just added to the atmosphere. We didn't get much light heartedness in Shadow of the Fox but when we did it was a real treat.

Yumeko was a rather naive character but I put this down for her living in a temple for all her life and not knowing much about the outside world. Some moments with her were quite amusing and had me slightly chuckling. Her relationship with Okame, a Ronin (Rogue Samurai) added some comic relief to the story and I hope we get to see that relationship built upon in book two. Kage Tatsumi was a very complex character and I feel like there's more to know about him, which yet again, I hope is touched upon in book two. There were hints at a romance between him and Yumeko, but I didn't feel any chemistry there? This overall was a good thing as I feel like a romance would have distracted readers from the main plot line.

Shadow of the Fox was a good start to what I hope is going to be an interesting, action packed trilogy. I am really intrigued to see where the story will go from here, so, will be picking up the sequel when it is released.

Let me get this out now, I fucking loved this book. Based on the reviews I’d read on NetGalley, I shouldn’t have liked it nearly as much as I did, but I can tell you exactly why. 1) The mindset I had going into this. I read this in one sitting on a Friday night, after an incredibly stressful week, so my attitude going in was simply hoping for a good time. I wasn’t in the mood to be overly critical like I sometimes am. 2) This book is ANIME AS FUCK. And as the girl who was president of her high school’s anime club, I was here for it.

How is it like anime, you ask? Well let me tell you. We have our main female character Yumeko, a bubbly air-headed kitsune, who’s tasked finding a hidden shrine while keeping a secret map safe from bad guys. Then we’ve got Tatsumi, the edgy angsty main male character who’s half possessed by a demon sword. As the first book in the trilogy, this is the party building arc of the story. As our MCs journey, they encounter along the way: the drunken disgraced samurai who doubles as comic relief, the aloof nobleman swordsman (WHO HAS WHITE HAIR), and the angry shrine maiden and her shrine guardian familiars. Is this starting to sound familiar yet? There’s even the we’re not going to let you do this alone partly because we have our own reasons but also friendship speech right before they fight the Big Bed Evil Guy! This is probably the first book I’ve read where I managed to plot out an entire 13 episode season as I read.

Of course, this book giving me a massive nostalgia trip is not the only reason why I liked it. Kagawa’s writing has this magical atmosphere to it. In between the action and the angst, there are these moments of peace where the characters take a moment to rest and appreciate the beauty of their surroundings. Kagawa writes those moments in a way I can only describe as Ghibli-esque. There are scenes that have that beautiful, calming feel that seems straight out of a Studio Ghibli movie, like when Yumeko first goes to explore the forest around her, or when Yumeko and Tatsumi encounter the Kodoma.

Another aspect I loved about this book was how unapologetically Japanese it is. The setting really invokes a feeling of feudal Japan that simply sucked me into the world. Kagawa also uses a fair amount of Japanese in the book, between describing creatures and spirits, to phrases and exclamations, and even the honorifics. Personally, I really appreciated that as those words for used, she didn’t take the time to also define them. If the reader doesn’t know what they mean, I found them pretty easy to decipher with context clues. If they’re still lost, there’s a glossary included in the back of the book.

Despite all my gushing, I recognize that this book isn’t perfect. For one, the main villain is very one-dimensional. We don’t get a lot of their motivation beyond attempting to find this map to do villainy things because villain. It’s implied that there’s other characters in the shadows that haven’t made an appearance, but so far the villain hasn’t been all that interesting. The characters themselves are relatively tropey. While that isn’t necessarily a bag thing, it’s very easy to give a five word description and the reader would more or less know how the character will act. There are a couple scenes that would probably imply a budding romance in any other book, but I honestly think Yumeko’s too much of an airhead to realize what’s going on.

Overall, I give this book a 5/5. Does it have its flaws? Yes. Do I love it regardless. Absolutely! It’s been a long long time since I’ve audibly cheered characters on as I read. I can’t wait for the sequel (and the anime adaption).

A fascinating start to a fantastical series. Thoroughly enjoyed this action packed series and excited to see what happens next.

Once in every millennium the person who holds the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers has the power to call upon the great Kami Dragon and make one wish. For the safety of the world the Scroll has been torn into pieces and each section is held by a different group of protectors. Yumeko is a young, half-kitsune, girl who has been raised by monks in the Silent Winds temple who secretly guard one of the pieces. When the temple comes under attack by demons she is tasked with the important job of taking the scroll piece to safety.

Tatsumi trained from birth as a samurai learning to control a powerful cursed sword so he could become the Kage Demonslayer. He has been tasked with tracking down the pieces of the scroll and told he must to whatever it takes to bring them home to the head of his family. When Tatsumi and Yumeko meet she tricks him into believing she can lead him to the first part of the scroll but what will happen if he realises that she has been carrying the piece with her all along?

I really enjoyed Shadow of the Fox, its the first instalment in Julie Kagawa's new series and I love how different each of the worlds she creates are. This is a magical world based on Japanese mythology full of all kinds of yokai & kami supernatural creatures, some I recognised and others that were completely new to me. Yumeko and Tatsumi are hunted by demons and monsters at every turn as they travel in search of the hidden temple and you never know quite what will be thrown at the reluctant allies next.

Yumeko has had a very sheltered upbringing so she is quite naive and sweet and often far more trusting than she should be but she also has an incredibly mischievous streak and some fun illusion abilities that are going to make her a force to be reckoned with as she grows into her powers. Tatsumi on the other hand is much harder, he's been raised to be a warrior and taught not to trust anyone or let anyone get too close so he's much more aloof and wary than Yumeko. He wields a cursed sword that is possessed by the demon Hakaimono and it takes a lot of willpower to use the sword without letting the demon get inside his own head. As they fight alongside each other during the search for the hidden temple they have to learn to trust each other and what I really enjoyed was that it wasn't always Tatsumi who saved the day, there were times when Yumeko's skills were just as important in keeping them both alive.

This is a slow build story with absolutely fantastic world building that takes readers on a journey across a beautifully described fantasy land. I was captivated with this book from the beginning and didn't want to put it down for a minute. I loved both Yumeko and Tatsumi but we also meet some fantastic side characters and I really enjoyed the occasional chapters we got from Sumi's point of view. I have a feeling this series is going to become a firm favourite so I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of Soul of the Sword next year!

This is a YA fantasy tale and is the first of a trilogy.

This is a world where the mythical creatures of Japanese legends are real and alive. So humans, demons and samurai walk the land with other wonderful beings.

There are two main characters, Yumeko, a young girl who has lived all her life at a temple, after being found in a basket at the temple, raised by monks, She is a very special individual, part Kitsune, part human.

Kage, a young man, a special kind of samurai, Who has a powerful and very dangerous weapon and is able to slay demons and monsters.

The two are thrown together by fate and travel together on their quests and the great Dragon is rising.

The language is beautifully poetic and the atmospheric world building is stunning and imaginative. I’m looking forward to the next in the series.

I would like to thank the Author/the Publishers/NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review

#ShadowOfTheFox #NetGalley

I really love the sudden influx of novels which are based around asian mythology. The stories are always full of detail and beautifully written.

Shadow of the Fox is a great novel with a very interesting story. I enjoyed reading this a lot!

This is an own voices Japanese inspired fantasy that I loved. The novel follows three characters from completely different backgrounds but each of their stories is woven together in ways they could not have imagined.

First we have Suki who has the smallest part in this novel but I have a feeling she will become more important in later books. Works in the Emperor’s place as a servant to Lady Satsumi, the Emperors favourite concubine and someone who you do not want to cross.
Next we have Yumeko who is half kitsune (fox) and has spent her whole life living at the Silent Winds temple where she was raised by the Monks after being abandon at their door step. When the temple is attacked by demons Yumeko is given a piece of the Dragon’s scroll and tasked with getting it to the safety of a lost temple and in order to get there she must travel to the capitol and find a priest who is the only one who can tell her the way to the temple.
Lastly we have Tatsumi who is the demon slayer of the shadow clan and has been tasked with collecting the pieces of the Dragon’s scroll for his clan leader. He finds Yumeko after the attack of her home and after she lies and tells him the scroll had already been sent on to the hidden temple he promises to get her there safely. However, the journey there will not be easy as Tatsumi is not the only one after the Dragons scroll.

The worldbuilding throughout this is phenomenal and I adored learning more about Japanese culture and mythology and really look forward to this being expanded on in the next novel.

This also ends on a cliff hanger that leaves you begging for more.

Overall, this was an amazing novel and if you are interested in learning more about Japanese culture then I highly recommend it. I gave this 4 out if 5 stars.

I loved the idea of a story set in Japan, with some mystic, some romance and a lot of amazing settings. While I got most of it, I had a hard time getting in to the story and also, liking the characters. Even so, it was a good read and I would encourage everyone to give it a try.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thanks to NetGalley and HQ!

4 Stars of 5
https://lynns-books.com/2018/11/08/shadow-of-the-fox-shadow-of-the-fox-1-by-julie-kagawa/
Shadow of the Fox is Japanese inspired fantasy that completely exceeded my expectations. It’s full of exciting action, cram packed with intriguing demons, myths and folklore, the characters are heart warming and on top of that it’s a quest style story which just really appeals to me.

The story is told through three characters. My favourite is Yumeko, a half human/kitsune whose love of mischief quite often results in her being in trouble with the Monks of the Silent Winds Temple where she has been raised since the day she was left at the entrance. The monks have told Yumeko that she must hide her true nature from people who would treat her differently if they knew of her Yukai (half demon) nature.

Kage Tatsumi is an assassin for the Shadow Clan. He bears a demon possessed sword and runs the constant risk of the demon taking over his own mind. Subsequently his clan have raised him to withstand pain without showing emotion. He’s had a fairly brutal and cold upbringing without any sort of affection as emotions are believed to weaken the resolve.

The final character is a young serving girl named Suki. Her story is so sad and in fact we read about Suki before we meet the other two characters. I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say that Suki meets a shockingly brutal end and returns as a ghost – a rather timid ghost if I might say so. She trails her mistress watching her actions from the shadows.

I loved having the three POVs.

Yumeko and Tatsumi cross paths fairly early in the story. Basically, and I’m not going to go overboard on the plot but there’s an ancient artefact – a scroll in fact. Every 1,000 years the bearer of the Scroll will be granted a wish by the Kami Dragon. The time is approaching and so you can imagine a number of different people are interested in it’s whereabouts. The Temple where Yumeko was raised is attacked by demons searching for the scroll and Yumeko is the only survivor. On the run she herself carries the scroll, her quest to take it to the Steel Feather Temple for protection. This is when she literally runs into Tatsumi – who was himself heading to the temple in search of the scroll on behalf of his master. The two make a tentative agreement, based on untruths if you will. Tatsumi needs Yumeko in order to find the location of the temple and Yumeko needs Tatsumi to help protect her on the journey.

I loved the world created here. It’s just so full of creativity that I couldn’t stop reading. Every new chapter brings something fascinating to the page and it was like a breath of fresh air. There are angry ghosts, blood magic, demons, curses, forest spirits, witches and Samurai – I don’t know how anybody could fail to be impressed to be honest. I just loved it.

The story is told as a quest. Basically, Yumeko is travelling across country in the hope of finding the location of a secret temple. Along the way she will meet with many side adventures and mishaps, usually of the quite deadly sort. Her naivety and simple goodness eventually starts to break down Tatsumi’s carefully constructed barriers and clearly the two begin to share a certain chemistry. However, there is no romance involved, at this stage anyway. Yes, the two are clearly becoming attached but they’re both keeping secrets and so neither one is keen to completely relinquish control. I loved jumping from one pov to the other. It helped to show how they both felt about each other, their frustrations along the way and just the way that they are so very opposite in nature, one very light and fun, one very dark and brooding. They almost balance each other out.

On route they gather a couple of other characters. In particular a rogue Samurai (ronin) and a member of the nobility to name but two.

In terms of criticisms. Well, obviously this is a set up for the two main characters to become attached. In fairness though, I really didn’t mind that aspect of the story. It’s a slow burn and even now nothing is guaranteed. This is also a quest style adventure – think Lord of the Rings style. So it’s really less about the scroll and more about the journey. I think my main criticism is the actual quest itself. Carrying a secret, highly sought after scroll across the country, involving the revealing of a secret Temple where another part of the scroll is also hidden – what could possibly go wrong? I can picture the ‘baddie’ stepping in at the end and thanking them for bringing the two scrolls together so perfectly. And Suki’s part of the story is a little weak and feels very much like an obvious way of getting us a pov perspective within the Imperial Palace. Maybe Suki will play more of a role in the next instalment though.

As it is, I thought this was wonderfully entertaining, the pace was perfect and I fell for Yumeko. She’s a wonderful lead character and one that just pulls you in with her innocent and trusting nature. I defy you not to like her.

I can’t wait to read more.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

Thank you to HQ and Netgalley for providing an eARC. All opinions are my own.

I requested this book because I had heard great things about it and it did not disappoint. I really enjoyed the book and I’m looking forward to continuing the series.

The book is set in feudal Japan and I adored the rich, detailed world building. We explore so much of the world with the characters travels and I loved every bit of it from the vast forests to the busy city. I did find the world a bit confusing at first but as I got into the story I quickly fell in love with the Japanese legends and lore and the way that Japan was run and there’s also samurai’s, ninjas and demons!

We are told the story from multiple points of view, mainly through Yumeko and Kage Tatsumi, but also sporadically through Suki’s who’s point of view we see first. It means we get a wider view of the world and through Suki (who is a maid in the emperor’s palace) we get to see some insight into the villain in the book.

Yumeko is a wonderfully fun and mischievous character. Being half-kitsune it comes naturally to her and we see her at the beginning as someone who hates responsibility and loves pulling pranks but she has great character development that happens naturally throughout the book. I loved how she’s not suddenly an invulnerable badass but she is still vulnerable but knows her strengths. She knows that she can wield illusions but she would not be able to fight demons on her own so she convinces Kage Tatsumi, a samurai, who is after what she has, to get her safely to her destination, all the while never letting him find out that she has what he wants.

I also loved the awe, and sometimes the naivety of her, when she sees the world beyond the walls of the temple. It was refreshing to see a character who loves experiencing the world and through her we get to experience it too. She is also brave and kind and stands up for what is right, much to the irritation of Kage Tatsumi, who wants to ignore everything and continue to the destination.

Kage Tatsumi is the opposite of Yumeko, he is as serious and unfeeling as she is fun and loves experiencing new things. It was so interesting to see how despite being complete opposites they seem to get along so well and work so well together. And we get a better understanding of why he is the way he is as we travel with them, and why having emotions could have dire consequences for him and for those around him. It makes him mysterious and makes me want to know more about him and despite being a character who I would tend to not like, I really liked him! He has an interesting character arc in the story, albeit a little predictable, but it was still well done enough that I didn’t mind.

The story itself was interesting and action packed and even though there is an overall story arc we have smaller arcs throughout the book, quests that the characters go on while trying to reach the temple that Yumeko needs to get to. I really loved the characters that they meet along the way and who join them on their quest. They had great banter and interaction with each other and I’m really looking forward to seeing more of them in the next book.

Both Yumeko and Kage Tatsumi have to deal with moral dilemmas throughout the book and it was interesting to see them deal with that and one of the things I really loved about the book was that there was very little romance, the main theme was friendships and how these group of strangers, ended up befriending each other and how this led to the loyalty and kindness towards each other and how they are willing to fight to the death for each other, it was refreshing to see.

Overall I really enjoyed the story, especially with that ending and cliffhanger, it left me wanting to know more! I’m really looking forward to continuing the series.

Shadow of the fox is my second Japanese fantasy read, and it has characters that are quite similar to my first read in the genre.

This book is about a scroll and the lengths everyone will go to protect it or acquire it. The story is told from multiple perspectives but mostly from Yumeko and Tatsumi's. I have read stories with various narrators before, but I do not like ones told from the first person. It is maddening! I could not keep track when I was reading about Yumeko or Tatsumi or Satomi. It would have been helpful if the name of the characters were mentioned at the beginning of each chapter.

Then, I lost all my bearings when I saw the barrage of supernatural characters and their names.

Besides all its misgivings, I liked the plot, but it wasn't executed well. I fumbled throughout the book hoping for it to surprise me but it failed.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC.

I really wanted to love this book as it sounded like something I would enjoy. Unfortunately for me, it didn’t quite work. It was very trope-y, and predictable. While the writing is good, and the premise interesting, I just couldn’t get into it. Disappointing as I had been eager to read this one!

A YA Japanese fantasy with ALL of the mythology! Reading this felt like watching an epic anime and I bloody loved it. Yumeko is half Kitsune and grew up in a temple, Tatsumi is a shinobi demonslayer. After Yumekos temple is burnt and her mentors slain, she is sworn to protect a part of the ancient scroll, Tatsumi is quested to obtain the ancient scroll. With Yumeko hiding her part of the scroll, Tatsumi swears to escort her safely to another temple where he plans on stealing the scroll parts. They make acquaintances along the way aswell as being tracked by an evil blood witch who summons demons to try to stop them and obtain the scroll for herself. The book is written from both perspectives which sometimes can be hard to tell apart. It has great humor and the fighting scenes are quite graphic. The second book in this trilogy releases next summer and I can’t wait!

I was really excited when I got this book as I heard great things about the writer and I loved the idea of a fantasy with Japanese setting.
Unfortunately this wasn't my cup of tea. Even if I liked the setting and the style of writing I didn't like the characters and wasn't able to root for them.
Many thanks to HQ and Netgalley for this ARC

I don't know how to feel about this book. I haven't read anything by this author previously, but I was really excited to get into it, particularly after I learnt that there was Japanese legend and lore involved, I was even more intrigued! The world-building and pacing of the story was great, but I would have wanted less filler chapters. Most of the time it felt like nothing was really going on, and things were just happening to the main characters, with no core development. I enjoyed it, but not as much as I would have liked to!

My thanks to HQ Young Adult and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel.

I have read and enjoyed a number of Julie Kagawa’s YA fantasies and was especially drawn to this one for its setting in a mythical feudal Japan and that one of its main characters is part Kitsune - a fox spirit. I have only read a little Asian fantasy and was keen to explore more of this rich mythology.

Yumeko, a half-kitsune, has been raised by monks yet her quiet life comes to an abrupt end when the temple is attacked by demons. She is charged with the task of carrying an important scroll to safety. She soon gains travelling companions and along the way they are beset by many trials.

Her first companion, Tatsumi, is quite handily a demon-slayer and he provides another narrative viewpoint throughout. I found their relationship interesting and more complex than expected.

This is the first in the Shadow of the Fox trilogy and I felt it was a strong beginning and am keen to find out how their journey continues. It’s a powerful and enchanting world filled with yokai of various natures alongside the humans characters. I applaud Kagawa for her world building.

I was glad my Kindle allowed me to use its dictionary function for the Japanese terms unknown to me. I would hope the final versions, especially print edition, would contain a glossary.

I would give a warning for the level of violence in the novel. It was quite graphic in places though was in keeping with the story and did not feel gratuitous.

Though marketed as Teen/YA I did feel its appeal was not limited to these age groups and was very caught up in its story and characters. I can hardly wait for the next in the series, Soul of the Sword, due in June 2019.

I’ve read one Julia Kagawa book in the past, Legion, which was the start of a long train of me reading books in a series in the wrong order. I was, therefore, very excited to start this series from the beginning and OH BOY is it a great start. As I say, this book has a lot of elements that I absolutely adore.

Hidden magic? It’s got it. By coincidence, I recently read Empress of all Seasons which also draws inspiration from the idea of Yōkai, supernatural creatures from Japanese folklore. Shamefully, I knew very little about the Yōkai before reading both of these books but I’m certainly interested to find out more. In Shadow of the Fox, the main character Yumeko is one such Yōkai, as she is half Kitsune. One thing I enjoy in fantasy is when characters have to hide their own magic, especially when they have to hide it while on some kind of quest. In this case, it’s especially well done as at no point do you feel like Yumeko’s life would just be easier if she confessed her magical nature (I’m looking at you, BBC Merlin). Instead, the subterfuge feels very natural and makes sense within the story and it builds.

This is in part because Yumeko isn’t reduced to just being magical. She is a rounded character who happens to have magic. There are a number of well-written characters in this story and Yumeko’s varied character is a great example of how to create a character who is multifaceted.

But the product of that hidden magic is another one of my favourite aspects of this book, Yumeko can’t just magic her way out of every situation, she has to talk her way out and think her way out. I love creative problem solving, particularly in quest-based fantasy and this book does not disappoint.

The romance? I adored it. There’s something so profoundly classic about two characters gradually falling for each other as they make their way through a series of dangers. Some might say it is predictable, I say it’s more that it’s comforting in a way? I thought that the dramatic irony of knowing what Yumeko is hiding made it even more powerful. I also appreciated that the romance took its time. This is around a 400-page book, so middling in length, and the romance feels perfectly placed within the story to not feel too fast, but also it doesn’t feel crammed in at the end.

This is also helped by the fact that this book is dual POV, so you get both sides of the story, as it were. I thought that both characters were voiced well and I actually enjoyed both stories equally, which almost never happens.

I thought that the setting was done well. It’s not a book heavy in worldbuilding in the same way as some epic fantasy books are, it’s more that you learn elements of the world as and when you need to. In a story being told largely from the perspective of a character who grew up in an isolated temple, it’s not surprising that you learn this way, and I think it helps to keep the pace of the book up.

I don’t rate many books with five stars, at least I haven’t done this year, because often for me five stars is more of a gut feeling. It’s that feeling of being unable to put the book down, of letting the bath water go cold. It’s where you finish a book and you want to talk about it for the next few days, even to people who haven’t read it yet. This was absolutely one of those books.

My rating: 5/5 stars

I received a free digital advanced review copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This is the first book in a YA fantasy series set in a Japanese inspired world. I thought it was a solid introduction to this new series, but I definitely had a few issues with it. Although the setting is unique, the character and story are quite formulaic in terms of the YA fantasy genre. The plot lacked a little cohesion - the middle just felt like filler. While I liked the characters, they lacked development. Despite all this, I did enjoy this book. If you love YA fantasy then I would recommend checking this out.