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dontfalter's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
It was pretty fun and alright, the characters are pretty lovely. It reads like a manga story to be honest, in a good way. It's just that there's nothing really interesting happens, I kinda know how the story will go, just like any other journey stories, encountering something, some conflict and actions, and getting through it. Maybe it'll get more interesting in the next books, but I don't plan on continuing the series.
It was pretty fun and alright, the characters are pretty lovely. It reads like a manga story to be honest, in a good way. It's just that there's nothing really interesting happens, I kinda know how the story will go, just like any other journey stories, encountering something, some conflict and actions, and getting through it. Maybe it'll get more interesting in the next books, but I don't plan on continuing the series.
chelseaface's review against another edition
5.0
I have always had struggles when it comes to fantasy. This was a risk that I took based on a review I saw on YouTube months ago. I am very pleasantly surprised! It appears to not be adult, so maybe I should stick to this age range in fantasy.
I flew through this book! It went by so fast because it felt like I was bingeing an anime that I was really into. I am eager to pick up the 2nd book in the series now that I'm into it. I hope others will give this book a chance. It isn't as popular as I think it should be, but I will definitely be telling others about the series. My favorite scene was when Yumeko was about to tell the fortune. The tension in that scene was so great, I loved it! I am so hyped about this series now. I feel like it has opened the doors of fantasy for me!
I flew through this book! It went by so fast because it felt like I was bingeing an anime that I was really into. I am eager to pick up the 2nd book in the series now that I'm into it. I hope others will give this book a chance. It isn't as popular as I think it should be, but I will definitely be telling others about the series. My favorite scene was when Yumeko was about to tell the fortune. The tension in that scene was so great, I loved it! I am so hyped about this series now. I feel like it has opened the doors of fantasy for me!
alexangelas's review against another edition
3.0
The MC was a tad to oblivious to life for me. The story was good but I think her naïveté distracted me and made it less enjoyable. Solid story and great world-building though. She was just annoying.
becca_is_reading's review against another edition
5.0
Wow, I enjoyed this. I wasn't expecting it to be as a good as it was. This book was a page-turner. We get three POV's: Suki, a ghost, Yumeko, a half-kitsune who was raised by monks in an isolated temple, and Tatsumi, a samurai of the Shadow Clan, wielder of a mystical sword, and infamous Demon Slayer.
The story follows Yumeko and Tatsumi the most with occasional chapters from Suki's POV. Yumeko is tasked by the monks who raised her to protect an ancient scroll and bring it to a hidden temple. Tatsumi is tasked by his clan to find the scroll and bring it back with him to the Shadow Clan Territory. He is unaware that Yumeko is in possession of the scroll. Yumeko uses half-truths to convince Tatsumi to help her find the monk.
Throughout the story, we meet several more characters that each of distinct personalities. None of the characters are thrown in for no reason. Every single character serves a greater purpose. The plot is intriguing, and the Japanese folklore is complex and fun to learn slowly. The glossary in the back of the books is extremely helpful if you are not familiar with Japanese folklore.
I look forward to the sequel.
The story follows Yumeko and Tatsumi the most with occasional chapters from Suki's POV. Yumeko is tasked by the monks who raised her to protect an ancient scroll and bring it to a hidden temple. Tatsumi is tasked by his clan to find the scroll and bring it back with him to the Shadow Clan Territory. He is unaware that Yumeko is in possession of the scroll. Yumeko uses half-truths to convince Tatsumi to help her find the monk.
Throughout the story, we meet several more characters that each of distinct personalities. None of the characters are thrown in for no reason. Every single character serves a greater purpose. The plot is intriguing, and the Japanese folklore is complex and fun to learn slowly. The glossary in the back of the books is extremely helpful if you are not familiar with Japanese folklore.
I look forward to the sequel.
sj_elli's review against another edition
5.0
I was gifted an ebook via Netgalley. I voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts are my own.
I read an excerpt of this book and requested it via Netgalley. I received the galley and meant to get around to reading it asap. Then I received a signed finished copy from Owlcrate and started it finally in October of 2018 (in the month it was released). However, I have found I cannot read heavily atmospheric fantasy books at night anymore because my tired brain cannot keep up. It took me a long while to get about 40% through the book. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy it, it's just that I couldn't concentrate enough to read it. I decided to request the audiobook from my local library to see if I could digest it better - although I was a little nervous because I sometimes struggle to listen to fantasy audiobooks - they can be so detailed. Especially new worlds and magic systems can be hard for me to grasp in audiobook format.
However, after all is said and done, Kagawa delivered once again. I am not sure any book will be able to top it this year. It was incredible and it was easy to listen to with my somewhat alright knowledge on some things Japanese because of Naruto. I wasn't questioning what everything was and was able to immerse myself fully into this world.
I absolutely adored the cast of characters - I love Yumeko, who is one of the POVs, who is half kitsune (fox yokai) half human. I am obsessed with Okame, the ronin, that Yumeko and Tatsumi run into on their travels. I was sucked into the plot and I don't think I'll have any trouble recalling everything when it comes time to pick up the second book. It was such a rich story. I felt I was with Yumeko and her travel companions. I had many moments of giggling and jaw dropping. Kagawa is a master storyteller. No one can tell me any different.
I read an excerpt of this book and requested it via Netgalley. I received the galley and meant to get around to reading it asap. Then I received a signed finished copy from Owlcrate and started it finally in October of 2018 (in the month it was released). However, I have found I cannot read heavily atmospheric fantasy books at night anymore because my tired brain cannot keep up. It took me a long while to get about 40% through the book. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy it, it's just that I couldn't concentrate enough to read it. I decided to request the audiobook from my local library to see if I could digest it better - although I was a little nervous because I sometimes struggle to listen to fantasy audiobooks - they can be so detailed. Especially new worlds and magic systems can be hard for me to grasp in audiobook format.
However, after all is said and done, Kagawa delivered once again. I am not sure any book will be able to top it this year. It was incredible and it was easy to listen to with my somewhat alright knowledge on some things Japanese because of Naruto. I wasn't questioning what everything was and was able to immerse myself fully into this world.
I absolutely adored the cast of characters - I love Yumeko, who is one of the POVs, who is half kitsune (fox yokai) half human. I am obsessed with Okame, the ronin, that Yumeko and Tatsumi run into on their travels. I was sucked into the plot and I don't think I'll have any trouble recalling everything when it comes time to pick up the second book. It was such a rich story. I felt I was with Yumeko and her travel companions. I had many moments of giggling and jaw dropping. Kagawa is a master storyteller. No one can tell me any different.
treeandme's review against another edition
4.0
Blog Post: https://museofnyxmares.wordpress.com/2018/10/28/review-shadow-of-the-fox-shadow-of-the-fox-1-by-julie-kagawa/
*I was provided with an ARC of this book through Netgalley, in exchange for my honest opinion. All quotes used may be subject to change upon publication.
How am I even going to be able to explain my experience with this book, it was like nothing I’ve read before. I don’t think I’ve read an Asian inspired fantasy before and so I had no idea how I’d fare with this, but I really enjoyed it. Some of my favourite things about it being Asian inspired, was trying to imagine all of the beautiful things that the characters were wearing, the Asian folklore was amazing and the descriptions of the scenery was lovely. There was a very clear plot throughout the book and a story that I enjoyed immensely, but the characters are what stole the show for me.
We are given three perspectives that we follow: Suki, Yumeko and Kage Tatsumi. All three of these characters are very dear to me and each of their chapters were great. Although I do have to say that Suki’s chapters stood out to me, I cared about her so much and was heavily invested in her story, the writing here was also exquisite, very melancholy, but exquisite. I just wished that there’d been more of her, as her chapters were very sparse. Kage Tatsumi’s viewpoint was the most interesting to me though, as we saw him battle with his duty to his clan and the mission he had been tasked with. He is repeatedly told, and believes, that he is nothing “a weapon in the hands of the Kage. My life exists only to be the bearer of Kamigoroshi and to obey the orders of the shadow clan”, he is used to being alone, as showing any emotion and therefore, caring for others is weakness. But the dangerous consequences that could arise if his emotions get the better of him are very much real, as he’s wielding a sword that has a demon trapped inside of it. Tatsumi and the sword are connected and if his emotions get the better of him, the demon could overpower him and gain control of his body and mind. It was fascinating to see him have to interact with all the people that him and Yumeko pick up on their journey.
The pairing of Kage Tatsumi and Yumeko was especially humorous and endearing, as Yumeko has such a childlike air about her, she’s so innocent, caring and really doesn’t take much seriously. Tatsumi doesn’t know how to react to her as she is the first person to treat him with kindness and the first to make him believe someone might be worth trusting, but of course he needs to keep his emotions in check or risk freeing the demon, he also has a mission he needs to complete. But he can’t help but feel equally puzzled by and protective of this unusual girl. Yumeko is such a joy, she’s so kindhearted and sweet, but also has a mischievous side and isn’t afraid to do what she thinks is right, even if that means bossing the infamous demonslayer around. I was a bit disappointed though because once Yumeko left the temple, her mischievous side didn’t seem as present. She was portrayed as quite naive and a bit too childish and it made me view her as much younger than she was, and because Kage Tatsumi had to grow up way before his time, I pictured him as much older, and I had to keep reminding myself of their ages.
I have to talk about some of the side characters, because they were just as good as the main characters. Okame was a “Ronin,one of the masterless Samurai that, through shame, dishonor, or the death of their lord, had been stripped of all wealth and titles and wandered the country in disgrace”. He was my comic relief for sure, he always had some comment to make about everything, and I loved him for it. He had banter unlike anyone else and what was most comical about him, is that he knew exactly who and what he was and didn’t really care for anyone else’s opinion. Although, he’s taken aback when Yumeko shows him compassion and respect. We didn’t really get to see a lot of the character Taiyo Daisuke, as he made a brief appearance at the start of the book and then became more involved nearer the end. But I’m still very fond of him, especially how he treated Suki, he just seemed generally light hearted and very honourable. I would welcome more of him in the next book as I think he has a lot more to offer.
Normally I’m not a fan of a lot of travelling in books, because I think it really slows the pace down. But I genuinely didn’t mind it this time, the characters were so strong, that they were enough to keep things interesting. All of the obstacles and people/creatures that they encountered along the way were also fascinating and added a lot to the story, in particular the wind witch and her familiars. These characters were a great way to break the travelling up, the pace was still on the slower side, but not necessarily because of this. There was a lot of Asian terminology in the book, mainly for their different deities, and for the Samuari and Asian society in general. I really enjoyed learning about all of this, but it took me a while to get through these bits, because there was a lot of information and so I inevitably got jumbled up and ended up skimming these bits. I read this as an ebook and so I didn’t realise that there was a glossary of terms at the end, therefore I don’t think I would of had such an issue with this and would of probably enjoyed looking them up, if I’d read a physical copy.
This was my first time reading anything by this author and a fantasy of this kind. I’m so grateful that I picked this up, because I’m a huge fan of Julie Kagawa’s world building and her characters are beautifully developed and therefore very unforgettable. Being in this world that she has created was wonderful and I’m so obsessed with this story, and after that ending, I’m even more desperate to get my hands on Book two. I completely recommend it, but I think you should be prepared that this isn’t a fast paced fantasy and with all the terminology used, it may take some effort on your part to get through it, but I truly believe that it’s worth it.
*I was provided with an ARC of this book through Netgalley, in exchange for my honest opinion. All quotes used may be subject to change upon publication.
How am I even going to be able to explain my experience with this book, it was like nothing I’ve read before. I don’t think I’ve read an Asian inspired fantasy before and so I had no idea how I’d fare with this, but I really enjoyed it. Some of my favourite things about it being Asian inspired, was trying to imagine all of the beautiful things that the characters were wearing, the Asian folklore was amazing and the descriptions of the scenery was lovely. There was a very clear plot throughout the book and a story that I enjoyed immensely, but the characters are what stole the show for me.
We are given three perspectives that we follow: Suki, Yumeko and Kage Tatsumi. All three of these characters are very dear to me and each of their chapters were great. Although I do have to say that Suki’s chapters stood out to me, I cared about her so much and was heavily invested in her story, the writing here was also exquisite, very melancholy, but exquisite. I just wished that there’d been more of her, as her chapters were very sparse. Kage Tatsumi’s viewpoint was the most interesting to me though, as we saw him battle with his duty to his clan and the mission he had been tasked with. He is repeatedly told, and believes, that he is nothing “a weapon in the hands of the Kage. My life exists only to be the bearer of Kamigoroshi and to obey the orders of the shadow clan”, he is used to being alone, as showing any emotion and therefore, caring for others is weakness. But the dangerous consequences that could arise if his emotions get the better of him are very much real, as he’s wielding a sword that has a demon trapped inside of it. Tatsumi and the sword are connected and if his emotions get the better of him, the demon could overpower him and gain control of his body and mind. It was fascinating to see him have to interact with all the people that him and Yumeko pick up on their journey.
The pairing of Kage Tatsumi and Yumeko was especially humorous and endearing, as Yumeko has such a childlike air about her, she’s so innocent, caring and really doesn’t take much seriously. Tatsumi doesn’t know how to react to her as she is the first person to treat him with kindness and the first to make him believe someone might be worth trusting, but of course he needs to keep his emotions in check or risk freeing the demon, he also has a mission he needs to complete. But he can’t help but feel equally puzzled by and protective of this unusual girl. Yumeko is such a joy, she’s so kindhearted and sweet, but also has a mischievous side and isn’t afraid to do what she thinks is right, even if that means bossing the infamous demonslayer around. I was a bit disappointed though because once Yumeko left the temple, her mischievous side didn’t seem as present. She was portrayed as quite naive and a bit too childish and it made me view her as much younger than she was, and because Kage Tatsumi had to grow up way before his time, I pictured him as much older, and I had to keep reminding myself of their ages.
I have to talk about some of the side characters, because they were just as good as the main characters. Okame was a “Ronin,one of the masterless Samurai that, through shame, dishonor, or the death of their lord, had been stripped of all wealth and titles and wandered the country in disgrace”. He was my comic relief for sure, he always had some comment to make about everything, and I loved him for it. He had banter unlike anyone else and what was most comical about him, is that he knew exactly who and what he was and didn’t really care for anyone else’s opinion. Although, he’s taken aback when Yumeko shows him compassion and respect. We didn’t really get to see a lot of the character Taiyo Daisuke, as he made a brief appearance at the start of the book and then became more involved nearer the end. But I’m still very fond of him, especially how he treated Suki, he just seemed generally light hearted and very honourable. I would welcome more of him in the next book as I think he has a lot more to offer.
Normally I’m not a fan of a lot of travelling in books, because I think it really slows the pace down. But I genuinely didn’t mind it this time, the characters were so strong, that they were enough to keep things interesting. All of the obstacles and people/creatures that they encountered along the way were also fascinating and added a lot to the story, in particular the wind witch and her familiars. These characters were a great way to break the travelling up, the pace was still on the slower side, but not necessarily because of this. There was a lot of Asian terminology in the book, mainly for their different deities, and for the Samuari and Asian society in general. I really enjoyed learning about all of this, but it took me a while to get through these bits, because there was a lot of information and so I inevitably got jumbled up and ended up skimming these bits. I read this as an ebook and so I didn’t realise that there was a glossary of terms at the end, therefore I don’t think I would of had such an issue with this and would of probably enjoyed looking them up, if I’d read a physical copy.
This was my first time reading anything by this author and a fantasy of this kind. I’m so grateful that I picked this up, because I’m a huge fan of Julie Kagawa’s world building and her characters are beautifully developed and therefore very unforgettable. Being in this world that she has created was wonderful and I’m so obsessed with this story, and after that ending, I’m even more desperate to get my hands on Book two. I completely recommend it, but I think you should be prepared that this isn’t a fast paced fantasy and with all the terminology used, it may take some effort on your part to get through it, but I truly believe that it’s worth it.
sweetbliss's review against another edition
2.0
I was actually surprised. I became bored with this very early on.
echohart's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely loved this book. I finished it in about a week. It explains things to people as yo not dumbing it down but casually. Loved all the characters and the plot. Cannot wait for the second book!
tears2's review against another edition
4.0
It has a slow start in my opinion but once it gets going it's a fantastic read.
lydsmad's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
hopeful
mysterious
fast-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
5.0