A Black and Solemn Silence by Danielle Thompson is a debut novel that follows two kitsune, Kuro and Jaden, after one of them is caught on camera. The central conflict in the book arises as they disagree on how to deal with photographic evidence and find the journalists who seek to expose them. Kuro is wounded by a woman and her dog, whom he develops feelings for as she helps heal him.
Ultimately, this book wasn't for me. I struggled to connect with the characters and plot. Most of the conflict occurs between friends Kuro and Jaden; nothing comes to a head with a climax in the book. It ends on a good cliffhanger but is hard to enjoy when the highest tension point is in the last few pages.
I wish there had been more character development, a better plot structure, and more worldbuilding and lore around the kitsune, though I imagine this is coming in the planned sequels. Danielle Thompson did write this book well, and the prose is beautiful. I would certainly consider reading her future projects.

It was too dark for my liking, but I made it through. Unfortunately, it wasn’t my cup of tea.
That said, I have to admit that the writing style itself was very pleasant and enjoyable.

This book was not my vibe. That being said, it was captivating. This book is a bit too dark and twist for me, but if you're into that, give it a try!

Kuro and Caroline’s introduction in this book is absolutely

A Black and Solemn Silence is a supernatural romance with dark and suspenseful elements. Kuro is a kitsune- a shapeshifter that is like a large fox in his original form. I had to look kitsune up when I started reading this book because the creature was new to me.

Here is what I found out about kitsune, traditionally: Kitsune are fox spirits in Japanese folklore that shape shift. They are known as tricksters but can also be guardians. The more tails a kitsune has (they can have up to 9), the more powerful it is. There are two types of kitsune’s: the zenko, or Inari foxes, which are celestial and benevolent and the yako, who can be malicious. They gain a new tail for every century they’ve lived, and once they reach 1000 years, they turn white or gold. Kitsune don’t learn to take on human form (by duplication) until they are about 100 years old. I wasn’t able to find any information about colors being specific to certain things but they do come in a variety of colors.

Okay, so after that crash course on kitsune, I dove into the book. The authors take on kitsune is that Kuro and Jaden believe they are demons, and they feed off of souls. But while Jaden is ultimately a very bad kitsune, Kuro is something different. Something more.

He develops a friendship with a human female after (I can’t tell you because it’s a spoiler) and that friendship starts to develop into more. But there are things going on that put them both in danger. Jaden is trying to consume an entire soul, and murders are ramping up in their mountain town of a home.

This book ultimately ends on a cliffhanger and you will want to INHALE the remainder of the series. I am completely in love with Kuro and Caroline, and can’t wait to continue following their story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author, Danielle Thompson for the free copy. This review is my own.

I enjoyed it, but would I say I love it, no not really, the story was there, but I felt there where some things missing and I couldnt figure out what, from shape shifters, to paranormal things, I felt like this book had a lot going on, but with that being said, there where things I loved about the book, the romance and tension between the characters, the world the author created, and the dialog, it was there for a moment then it felt like it disappeared, it was easy to tear my attention away, and for me I dont like that in a book

Thankyou Netgalley for this ARC

I really wanted to enjoy this book, I loved the cover and I am a vibey girl so I thought it would be perfect for me. I think the flow of this book wasn't my vibe, the chapters were longer than expected and the characters seemed to do a 180 at times in how they acted towards eachother. There were some really good ideas but it wasn't for me.

thankyou!

Ultimately, I enjoyed A Black and Solemn Silence. The shape-shifting kitsune Kuro was a really interesting character and I enjoyed the various points of view. However, I think there may have been a lot of information crammed into this first installment in the Color by Numbers series, as the pacing fell off for me about 1/3 of the way through and didn't come back around until the last third of the story. I found the pacing distracting, which caused me to lose interest and put the story down in favor of other reads quite a few times over the course of months before finishing. 3 stars because of my struggles focusing on the story due to pacing, but I would recommend. I really like Kuro and hope to see more of his journey in the future. Thank you to Net Galley and the author Danielle Thompson for an advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers paranormal urban fantasy wasn’t exactly my cup of tea, so I’m giving it three stars. While the story itself didn’t fully click for me, I think many readers will really enjoy the cozy atmosphere and the gradual build of the romance between Kuro and Caroline. The shape-shifting kitsune lore was intriguing, and there are moments of suspense and adventure that kept the plot interesting. However, the slow-burn pacing was just a bit too drawn-out for my taste. That said, for those who love a slow build-up and tension between enemies-turned-lovers, this book could definitely be a hit.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

A Black and Solemn Silence is a fast paced paranormal urban fantasy with a bit of an enemies to lovers romance and a ton of action.

Two shape shifters, Kuro and Jaden, are alone in the forest when someone from Kuro’s past takes a picture of him in his demon fox form. They begin a journey to find him before he’s able to post the picture. Kuro becomes injured after someone shoots him and he has to make a very difficult decision that will challenge his morals. This book was such a fun an unexpecting read! I devoured the story and the strongly likeable characters.
Mystery and Romance go hand and hand with this quick, devouring read.

Looking forward to reading further works in the future.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. This was a very different read from my usual genre. The story was a bit of a slow burn but wonderfully written. The multiple character POVS helped the story move forward rather quickly.

So I'm a huge lover of mythology retellings or for myth to be incorporated into a story, and this is such a cozy read. It tackles some difficult subjects and the characters are so multi-faceted. It was so well-written and I really enjoyed the flow of the prose.

I've tried a few times to get into this book, but unfortunately, it doesn't seem to suit me. The cover is beautiful and the writing isn't terrible, it just isn't holding my interest. I wish the author the best of luck with her upcoming books! From what I have seen, this has been well-received.

The perfect combination of cozy and spooky, A Black and Solemn Silence is captivating in every way. It is extremely well written which makes the story easy to follow. It gives two huge tropes their spot to shine: slow burn and enemies-to-lovers. I loved each perspective of the four POVs throughout the book, learning more about the characters as time went on. This book also combined everything I love about fantasy, romance, and mystery! I will be patiently waiting for the next installment!

Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy of this book!

I loved how different this book is, and I regret not reading it sooner. I'm a huge myth - culture lore - legends person, and this book is unique. I love how the author took the concept of kitsune, yet made it their own. The character development is great - the fact that the two main kitsune we meet are polar opposites and that they drive that home is fantastic.

There's uncertainty, willingness, and betrayal (through lying and believing in someone that's not true), but there's also hope, curiosity, and the want for something new. It's a great read if you want something to mull over and think about how others exist.

It's a fairly quick read, so you could binge it in a day if you so wish.

I'm super excited for book two later in the year.

The writing was pretty good, and the story flowed nicely. So, over all, this was a solid read. The story constantly leaves you with this curious feeling of wanting to know more about these characters. Hence, the story is easy to read and get through.

This was a bit of a mixed read for me.

The positives were that I quite like the writing style of the author. I liked the characters and the dichotomy between the two main kitsune characters. I also like how the book tackled some tricky concepts like trauma and mental health.

However, this was a slow burn book that just didn't really have a climax and never seemed to go anywhere and then ended on a cliffhanger. There was never a resolution to any of the issues raised in the book, which left me very frustrated.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for permitting this book to be a Read Now to help members develop their Feedback Ratio in exchange for an honest review.

Review Summary:
This story follows two demons, Jaden and Kuro, as they navigate the human world. They are kitsune, fox demons who can shapeshift to appear as humans. As kitsune they can only survive by ‘feeding’ on the souls and emotions of humans… with a twist. They can only feed on the negative such as fear, anxiety and sadness. We follow our characters as they try to evade discovery of their true form following a widely publicised incident, while also trying to learn more about their kitsune abilities and their ancestry. All the while Kuro and Jaden learn more about each other and their seemingly unbreakable bond, and how this has influenced their interactions with others. Simultaneously we follow Kenneth, a human involved in their near-discovery, who becomes determined to find the pair and solve the mysterious incidences occurring since their arrival. I would definitely advise looking up the content warnings for this novel.
Positives are that this novel has a truly engaging plot, mixing fantasy with romance and thriller mystery. I finished this story within two days, I was so enthralled. The book also deals with some really complex emotional and psychological phenomena such as trauma bonding, depression and grief. This added some real depth to the story. I adored the slow burn pacing as it allowed me to feel so much more invested. The romances depicted in the novel are pretty controversial, but I still really enjoyed them.
Negatives were mostly related to the Kenneth POV, which I felt needed a little more development to match the quality of Kuro’s. There were some occasional inconsistencies with the lore and prose.

4 stars. Dark, controversial but so beautifully written. With a couple of issues ironed out this could have been a perfect 5 stars for me.

FULL REVIEW BELOW. AVAILABLE WITH THE ADDITION OF HIDDEN SPOILERS ON GOODREADS.

World-building:
The novel is based in the United States, in a forested rural area where Kuro feels most comfortable to hide in his Kitsune form and avoid excessive mingling with humans. The vast, expansive and often isolating environment was very well written with the underlying fear and anxiety of being in the middle of nowhere, and nowhere near any form of aid, being captured well. The lore and the history of the kitsune is largely a mystery even to the two kitsune themselves which added to the fear of the unknown. Watching Kuro and Jaden wield the powers they do know about was fascinating, and even being such a complex and unquantifiable ability as to search through souls the writing made it feel truly palpable. Later on as we start to pick up on more potential knowledge of the kitsune it lends itself beautifully to the characters own development.

Characterisation:
This book didn’t shy away from the darker aspects of the human mind, with almost all of the relationships explored in the novel being toxic in some way.
Kuro is a fascinating main character. His emotionally abusive kinship founded on trauma bonding with Jaden has left him with no true sense of self, whether that be worth or belief. He has always felt he is totally reliant on Jaden, and so to watch him start to develop his own agency and sense of morality was incredible. Jaden himself is a frightening antagonist. Frightening in how realistic it felt with his abuse of a power dynamic and watching him lose himself to his obsessions of knowledge and self discovery. I truly hated him and in many ways it was frustrating yet heartbreaking to watch Kuro feel so helpless against him while also holding such a strong sense of duty and obligation towards him, leading him to protect him even while vehemently condoning his actions. Kuro and Caroline’s story is a controversial one as their relationship is essentially built on fear, mistrust and violent intent. But what a beautiful slow burn it was. It was in many ways heartbreaking especially knowing that the characters are very much still hiding things and telling mistruths. Kenneth is an interesting but potentially underdeveloped character, along with his friends Jacqueline and Eric. Kenneth was an opportunity to explore chronic depression and the consequences of it, but I still felt I didn’t really know his personality outside of his depression and his feelings of inadequacy and unworthiness. It made me feel a little less invested in his relationships with his friend and with Jacqueline. Jacqueline suffered the same fate in which I felt I didn’t really know her personality outside of her dealing with her grief of the lost closeness with Kenneth. I’m hoping her involvement in solving the mysteries in the novel will help develop her character. While it kept being said that Kenneth and Eric had been best friends it didn’t really come across in their interactions past and present. Eric was probably the most interesting of the three, even though he was written as the levelheaded realistic friend. Hints of his deeper feelings were shown through his dialogue and facial expressions which made him mysterious.

Story:
This story had a little bit of everything and I loved it. Mystery, crime thriller, fantasy and romance. Some may have felt it was slow paced but I personally felt it made the story feel more realistic and immersive.
The aspect I didn’t like so much was the storylines involving Kenneth and his photojournalism. It felt a little corny in some aspects with the writers and the journalists trying to get their ‘big scoop’.

Prose:
Stunning. This is a truly talented author. There were one or two typos and a couple of scenes where the wrong character was reacting or speaking, or looking up when they should have been looking down. This did not detract from the beautiful flow of language and poetic vocabulary. The dialogue was believable aside from the cheesy journalists. Caroline and Kuro in particular had some achingly beautiful interactions.

This book presented a unique form of magical realism. The character interactions were realistic and honest. As a local to the area in which the story takes place, I appreciated references to locations and beauty along the parkway.

A Black and Solemn Silence is a fast paced paranormal urban fantasy with a bit of an enemies to lovers romance and a ton of action.

Two shape shifters, Kuro and Jaden, are alone in the forest when someone from Kuro’s past takes a picture of him in his demon fox form. They begin a journey to find him before he’s able to post the picture. Kuro becomes injured after someone shoots him and he has to make a very difficult decision that will challenge his morals. This book was so fun to read! I got absolutely lost in the story and loved the characters. There was also an aspect of mystery that I loved alongside the romance. It had a little of everything and I thought it was great.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Danielle Thompson for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This published today!

I have posted my review on Goodreads, in my Facebook book club, and will rave about this on TikTok the day after publishing day!