Article contributed by Noura Khalid
You are a weapon; attachments will only slow you down and make you question your objective. Remember, your loyalty is to the Kage, nothing else.
My first ever read from Julie Kagawa, and let me tell you, I was not disappointed. The synopsis is beyond intriguing along with its setting, characters, and story line reminding me so much of an anime. The book has many references to Japanese mythology, including: Kitsune, Oni, Yoki, and much more. There were also some Japanese words here and there, and being familiar with what they meant really made the read 100% more enjoyable.
The story is told from alternating points of view. The first being from the point of view of Yumeko, a half-human half-kitsune girl. The other being Tatsumi a Shadow Clan Samurai. Yumeko is a bit of a naive character as she was raised in a temple and has no knowledge of the outside world. I didn’t feel set back by this since her naive moments were often funny. While Yumeko is sweet and open, aside from the secrets that she must keep, Tatsumi is dark and mysterious. I quite liked his character with him struggling with his emotions throughout the book by always trying to shove down his emotions in order to stay on track. However, I really wished we had gotten to know more of his backstory, but I assume we’ll be getting that in the next book. Okame always making jokes even in times of danger is hilarious and you’ll find yourself liking the characters in different ways because they all added a little something special.
While the pacing was a little slow at first, about a hundred pages into the book is when things really get going, which wasn’t frustrating at all. With action scenes and plenty of hurdles, the storyline will leave you hungry for the next book. I certainly have a feeling this won’t be my last read by the brilliant Julie Kagawa!
Shadow of the Fox is available as of October 2nd and it can be purchased from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.
Will you be checking out Shadow of the Fox? Have you read it already? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
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.
