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hello_ned's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I definitely liked this book less than the first one, but I was stuck rating it between a 3.5 and a 3.75.
Dislikes
- this book was much much slower paced than the last one. Only 3 major things happened during this book, which contrasts starkly to the multidunious plot of SOTF.
- the first plot ofthe group being taken to Lady Hanshou seemed quite... pointless? It didn't change the trajectory of the story at all as they continued with their original plan. Perhaps you got more context of the politics within the world? But that could have been done in a different way. It was a very enjoyable description, though, especially when Kagawa describes Lady Hanshou looking like a mirage of a beautiful woman, interjected with flashes of her true, writhingly old self. The story did fall to the "middle book syndrome" we often see in trilogies. Although it feels like a good ending point for the middle story, it also feels a little underwhelming. It sets up for the third book well, but it lacks the spark it should.
- I dislike that the answer to how Yumeko must save Tatsumi comes in the form of a dream, and though her powers grow steadily, she never practices how she will use that never-before-mentioned skill. It seems to come easily to her. I can compare it to how Harry Potter must practise shielding his mind to Voldemort / being able to enter others' minds. We can see how long and difficult Harry must practise. But here, it comes too quickly.
- one major-ish character dies during this story, but it isn't that hard-hitting. I didn't get feel any connection to him, and you could tell he was bound to die from the beginning.
Loves
- I loved the development of the characters' relationships. I don't care what anyone says, I love Okame and Daisuke. Their relationship came slowly, and quite naturally. It isn't out of place at all-- gay people exist. I do have concerns, as it is often we see that female authors only write gay male relationships in a fetishist tone- it hasn't reached that yet.
- The resolution of the battle between Hakaimono's and Tatsumi's souls wasn't what I expected. I haven't read many fantasy books, or much of a fan of japanese media, so maybe it was predictable to some, but not for me. I'm excited to see where it takes us.
- I do think there was considerable growth with Yumeko, she is a lot less immature and care-free than the previous book, but not a total reform. Plenty of space to grow in the last book.
- The fighting was a LOT more graphic, especially with Hakaimono's POV. A lot of blood and gore. There were a couple death scenes where my mouth was agape. It was very shocking, but enjoyable to read.
Dislikes
- this book was much much slower paced than the last one. Only 3 major things happened during this book, which contrasts starkly to the multidunious plot of SOTF.
- the first plot of
- I dislike that the answer to how Yumeko must save Tatsumi comes in the form of a dream, and though her powers grow steadily, she never practices how she will use that never-before-mentioned skill. It seems to come easily to her. I can compare it to how Harry Potter must practise shielding his mind to Voldemort / being able to enter others' minds. We can see how long and difficult Harry must practise. But here, it comes too quickly.
- one
Loves
- I loved the development of the characters' relationships.
- The resolution of the battle between Hakaimono's and Tatsumi's souls wasn't what I expected. I haven't read many fantasy books, or much of a fan of japanese media, so maybe it was predictable to some, but not for me. I'm excited to see where it takes us.
- I do think there was considerable growth with Yumeko, she is a lot less immature and care-free than the previous book, but not a total reform. Plenty of space to grow in the last book.
- The fighting was a LOT more graphic, especially with Hakaimono's POV. A lot of blood and gore. There were a couple death scenes where my mouth was agape. It was very shocking, but enjoyable to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Violence
asipofcozy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
There isn't much to say besides I enjoyed Soul of the Sword. It started off quite slow with our characters just meandering across the vast land with a sort of goal in mind. However, the latter half of the book really picked up speed and was quite enjoyable.
I enjoyed the characters just as much as Shadow of the Fox and was really happy about a budding romance between certain characters.
That being said at times I felt like the plot was obvious or that our characters were a little too naive. There were points in the book where I questioned why the character's didn't see the very obvious signs or take certain actions that would have made the most common sense. Which would have helped with the slow pacing at the beginning.
I enjoyed the characters just as much as Shadow of the Fox and was really happy about a budding romance between certain characters.
That being said at times I felt like the plot was obvious or that our characters were a little too naive. There were points in the book where I questioned why the character's didn't see the very obvious signs or take certain actions that would have made the most common sense. Which would have helped with the slow pacing at the beginning.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, and War
Moderate: Gore
themoodreader's review
adventurous
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Blood
Minor: Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
kassidyreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse
fullybookedlola's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This book was awesome, a better word doesn't come to my mind but it deserves all the prasing words. It just gets better with the minute. The ending was so ugh but so yes! Mixed feelings, but a satisfying read, definitly. Love this series. Directly gonna start with book 3!
4,75 stars just because I came across some really disturbing events for myself that really felt not easy to read. But that didn't take away the awesomeness of this book and it did set the tone it wanted to go for.
4,75 stars just because I came across some really disturbing events for myself that really felt not easy to read. But that didn't take away the awesomeness of this book and it did set the tone it wanted to go for.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Alcohol and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Vomit
booksthatburn's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
SOUL OF THE SWORD picks up where SHADOW OF THE FOX left off, with Yumeko and her remaining party traveling to the Steel Feather temple, and the demon Hakaimono taking Kage Tatsumi's body far away in pursuing its own aims.
The worldbuilding uses what was established in SHADOW OF THE FOX and builds on it, generally explaining things as they come up rather than trying to extemporize. Some things aren't explained but just implied because the other characters have social contexts that Yumeko doesn't, which allows some things to build undisturbed because Yumeko doesn't disrupt them by asking about them. There's one relationship in particular that Yumeko mostly discovers by accident and leaves to develop on its own once she gets an inkling that it exists. The relationships between the characters and the delicate balances of loyalties, promises, and honor-bound obligations which bind them together and propel their journey is just stunning. Each combination of characters has their own dynamic which shifts (usually subtly though sometimes dramatically) as things progress.
I'm so happy about the dynamic between Yumeko, Kage Tatsumi, and Hakaimono. It's not always great for the characters involved, but it's very well written and gains nuance here that wasn't available when Hakaimono was only a disruptive thought in Kage Tatsumi's head. Hakaimono gets to be a much fuller character while Kage Tatsumi fades mostly into the background, reversing their positions from the first book (but this time with the benefit of having experienced Kage Tatsumi's perspective). I'm excited for the novel possibilities opened up by their status at the end of this book, but I have no idea whether it'll actually turn out well for them.
As a sequel, this begins right where the first book left off, with some refreshers of who everyone is, but it continues the action almost straight away. It wraps up the question of what happened next to Hakaimono/Kage Tatsumi after the finale, and also gives more information on a relationship which had glimmers of something more intimate showing by the end of SHADOW OF THE FOX. The new main storyline revolves around rescuing the person who actually knows where the temple they need is, and journeying to the temple to bring together the first and second parts of the scroll. I'm not sure if anything major is introduced and resolved which wasn't present before, since this is part two of a quest they intended to complete in the first book but were unable to. Also, most things which appeared here for the first time clearly will have some continuation and resolution in the final book. This leaves several things for later, some relationships, some internal struggles, and several quest-related items. The main characters are the same, even the audiobook narrators for each character continued as before (one for Yumeko, one for Hakaimono/Kage Tatsumi, and one for Suki the ghost plus any other perspectives as needed).
I don't think this would make sense if someone tried to start here and hadn't read the first book. This is a very character-driven book, with the relationships (and occasional tensions) between the members of the group forming the heart of the story. A lot of their interpersonal dynamics play off of the history of why, how, and when they began traveling together. One very dramatic scene between the noble and the ronin (possibly my favorite) has a depth of emotion and tension which relies on the second half of the first book in addition to most of the second up to that point in order to have its full impact. The plot is a journey story, with the characters traveling to find out a particular location then going on a multi-stage quest to actually reach it, then their arrival prompts a series of conflicts as their pursuers catch up.
I love this series and I'm excited to get to the end, since this really is one giant story split into thirds and I need to know the conclusion.
The worldbuilding uses what was established in SHADOW OF THE FOX and builds on it, generally explaining things as they come up rather than trying to extemporize. Some things aren't explained but just implied because the other characters have social contexts that Yumeko doesn't, which allows some things to build undisturbed because Yumeko doesn't disrupt them by asking about them. There's one relationship in particular that Yumeko mostly discovers by accident and leaves to develop on its own once she gets an inkling that it exists. The relationships between the characters and the delicate balances of loyalties, promises, and honor-bound obligations which bind them together and propel their journey is just stunning. Each combination of characters has their own dynamic which shifts (usually subtly though sometimes dramatically) as things progress.
I'm so happy about the dynamic between Yumeko, Kage Tatsumi, and Hakaimono. It's not always great for the characters involved, but it's very well written and gains nuance here that wasn't available when Hakaimono was only a disruptive thought in Kage Tatsumi's head. Hakaimono gets to be a much fuller character while Kage Tatsumi fades mostly into the background, reversing their positions from the first book (but this time with the benefit of having experienced Kage Tatsumi's perspective). I'm excited for the novel possibilities opened up by their status at the end of this book, but I have no idea whether it'll actually turn out well for them.
As a sequel, this begins right where the first book left off, with some refreshers of who everyone is, but it continues the action almost straight away. It wraps up the question of what happened next to Hakaimono/Kage Tatsumi after the finale, and also gives more information on a relationship which had glimmers of something more intimate showing by the end of SHADOW OF THE FOX. The new main storyline revolves around rescuing the person who actually knows where the temple they need is, and journeying to the temple to bring together the first and second parts of the scroll. I'm not sure if anything major is introduced and resolved which wasn't present before, since this is part two of a quest they intended to complete in the first book but were unable to. Also, most things which appeared here for the first time clearly will have some continuation and resolution in the final book. This leaves several things for later, some relationships, some internal struggles, and several quest-related items. The main characters are the same, even the audiobook narrators for each character continued as before (one for Yumeko, one for Hakaimono/Kage Tatsumi, and one for Suki the ghost plus any other perspectives as needed).
I don't think this would make sense if someone tried to start here and hadn't read the first book. This is a very character-driven book, with the relationships (and occasional tensions) between the members of the group forming the heart of the story. A lot of their interpersonal dynamics play off of the history of why, how, and when they began traveling together. One very dramatic scene between the noble and the ronin (possibly my favorite) has a depth of emotion and tension which relies on the second half of the first book in addition to most of the second up to that point in order to have its full impact. The plot is a journey story, with the characters traveling to find out a particular location then going on a multi-stage quest to actually reach it, then their arrival prompts a series of conflicts as their pursuers catch up.
I love this series and I'm excited to get to the end, since this really is one giant story split into thirds and I need to know the conclusion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Xenophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Torture
sophiesmallhands's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Minor: Animal death and Torture
queergoth_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I found this a little slow to start of and I was worried this would suffer from middle book syndrome where it's necessary for the plot but not necessarily the most interesting but about a third of the way in it picked up dramatically and I loved it. I think mostly I just prefered Yumeko's perspective over the others and it became more prominent as the book proceeded.
I loved how the other characters developed. I just was totally in love with them all by the end. I'm super excited to read the last book.
I loved how the other characters developed. I just was totally in love with them all by the end. I'm super excited to read the last book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, and Violence
emily_mh's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
4.5. For the most part, this was a fantastic instalment in the Shadow of the Fox trilogy - it's ending sequence in particular was phenomenal and a huge step-up from the first book. Also, Kagawa writes really good romances, ESPECIALLY pining, which I LOVE. However, at first I really wasn't enjoying it, and I think that was because in the beginning so much of the story was told from Hakaimono's perspective. I simply wasn't interested in him, and thought his POV should have been told in Tastumi's voice, or at least there should have been less chapters from him. Also, I lost a lot of respect for Yumeko in the end for making the incredibly selfish decision to give the scroll to Genno. I also felt like it was lazy writing for Genno to be able to come into command of all three pieces of the scroll, when this could have been engineered in some other way to avoid Yumeko having to make a selfish and illogical decision. Despite this, I am definitely looking forward to reading Night of the Dragon!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Gore, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Physical abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and War
Minor: Ableism, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Infidelity, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, and Sexual harassment
amcswede15's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore and Violence