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A review by booksbythewindow
Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
You can read my full review here: https://booksbythewindow.wordpress.com/2023/05/03/shadow-of-the-fox/
Summary: The first novel in a trilogy, Shadow of the Fox follows the two perspectives of Yumeko, a kitsune who has been brought up in a temple by monks protecting a piece of an ancient, powerful scroll, and Tatsumi, an assassin with a powerful, demon-possessed sword sent to retrieve the scroll by any means possible. After the temple where Yumeko lives is destroyed, the two find themselves unexpectedly embarking on a journey together to find answers as a dark magic begins to be unleashed in the very heart of the empire.
Overall Thoughts: This first instalment of the trilogy has been an engaging introduction to the story and I am looking forward to reading the rest of the trilogy. Kagawa has created a fascinating world filled with interesting magic and creatures which the reader sees through the sheltered Yumeko’s eyes; the journey narrative allows Kagawa to introduce the reader to different places and creatures that fill out the world and show that there is so much more to discover in the rest of the narrative. However, the draw for most readers to this series will be the characters and their interactions together. I found it particularly engaging that both Yumeko and Tatsumi are keeping very real secrets from each other that are more than just plot devices: there would be dangerous repercussions for both of them if they were to be honest about their motivations. Overall, Shadow of the Fox was a fun, engaging novel that was a great piece of escapism to read on my lunchbreaks.
Summary: The first novel in a trilogy, Shadow of the Fox follows the two perspectives of Yumeko, a kitsune who has been brought up in a temple by monks protecting a piece of an ancient, powerful scroll, and Tatsumi, an assassin with a powerful, demon-possessed sword sent to retrieve the scroll by any means possible. After the temple where Yumeko lives is destroyed, the two find themselves unexpectedly embarking on a journey together to find answers as a dark magic begins to be unleashed in the very heart of the empire.
Overall Thoughts: This first instalment of the trilogy has been an engaging introduction to the story and I am looking forward to reading the rest of the trilogy. Kagawa has created a fascinating world filled with interesting magic and creatures which the reader sees through the sheltered Yumeko’s eyes; the journey narrative allows Kagawa to introduce the reader to different places and creatures that fill out the world and show that there is so much more to discover in the rest of the narrative. However, the draw for most readers to this series will be the characters and their interactions together. I found it particularly engaging that both Yumeko and Tatsumi are keeping very real secrets from each other that are more than just plot devices: there would be dangerous repercussions for both of them if they were to be honest about their motivations. Overall, Shadow of the Fox was a fun, engaging novel that was a great piece of escapism to read on my lunchbreaks.