The Exciting Adventure in Julie Kagawa’s Shadow of the Fox

 

The Exciting Adventure in Julie Kagawa’s Shadow of the Fox

By Felix Lee

 

            Shadow of the Fox is a fantasy novel by Julie Kagawa and brings the reader into a world in Japan full of samurai, spirits, demons, and magic. The story follows a sixteen-year-old girl named Yumeko whose been living in a temple for her whole life and has had no exposure to the outside world. Not only is Yumeko a human though, but she is also half kitsune, a species of fox known for mischief and trickery. Her life changes when she discovers her temple has been protecting a piece of a scroll; a scroll which can be used to make any wish of the user come true. When her temple is under attack by demons and she is suddenly tasked with protecting this scroll and delivering it to another temple, Yumeko meets Tatsumi, a dangerous samurai from the Shadow Clan, who also came to in search for the piece of the scroll for his clan’s uses and will kill anyone who gets in his way. Realizing that he can be of help to her, she tells him that her master foresaw the attack and sent the scroll to the other temple, convincing him that they can help each other. What Tatsumi doesn’t realize is that Yumeko has possession of the scroll, and she is lying to him. And so, Tatsumi and Yumeko go on a grand adventure across the terrains of Japan, forming bondages, meeting new companions, and fighting demons and monsters, who also desire the scroll. Will Yumeko be able to keep up the lie and safely deliver the piece of the scroll, or will Tatsumi discover the lie and kill her for the purposes of his clan?

 

            I absolutely loved this experience of reading this book. It was like watching an anime but the in the form of a novel. The backgrounds and scenery the character is experiencing is well described; it’s as if I, the reader, is experiencing it myself. In addition to the setting, the unique characters, along with the monsters and villains, are also vivid in the reader’s mind. I also appreciate the constant switch between the characters’ perspectives after each chapter. It gives a greater sense of what the main characters thought about each situation at any given time. The constant references to the Japanese language is also unique in this book, and although it is a Japanese based book, it’s still entertaining to read. Finally, what stood out to me the most out of all the features in this book is the action that is featured throughout the book. The fighting scenes brings excitement to the novel and encourages me to continue reading. Overall, I found this book to be one of the best I’ve read so far and can’t wait to read the other two books in the trilogy. I give it a 10/10 rating.