Book Series Review: Shadow of the Fox (+ Anime Recommendations)

I'm so excited to be on the blog tour for Night of the Dragon! I'm particularly pleased, as the Shadow of the Fox trilogy by Julie Kagawa has cemented itself as one of my all-time favorites. I'd already read and loved Shadow of the Fox two years ago, but finally read Soul of the Sword this year and immediately dove into Night of the Dragon (with many thanks to the lovely team at Inkyard Press for the e-galley). And friends, this series is phenomenal.

Before we move on to the gush portion of this post, here's a brief summary of Shadow of the Fox. (I pulled this directly from my original review, so it may sound familiar to you!) Yumeko, a half-human/half-kitsune teen girl, has been raised all her life at the Silent Winds temple. But her life is upended completely when her home is destroyed, the monks she calls family are slain and she is charged with the mission of protecting one part of an ancient scroll that has the power to summon the Kami Dragon in order to get the wielder's wish granted. She must now journey to safety, and fate ensures her path crosses with Kage Tatsumi, who is a mysterious samurai of the Shadow Clan that has been tasked with seeking the scroll she conceals. As they journey together, these two encounter demons and allies and find themselves sorely tested in more ways than one. 

The Shadow of the Fox trilogy is absolutely my newest book series obsession! Julie Kagawa has successfully crafted a story just filled to the brim with things I personally love, including a rich world informed by Japanese lore and culture, a plot filled with twists and turns that kept me entertained and on the edge of my seat, and characters that I fell in love with (and whose relationship dynamics I was living for, honestly). It was so fun reading this trilogy, especially since I had the chance to read all three books back to back (which I highly recommend, as the experience is exquisite in terms of the journey and character development). Truly, if there was ever a book series that was the perfect match for me, it would be this one. And I am 100% ready to shove it in all your faces going forward because I love it so much!

Shadow of the Fox was published on October 2, 2018.

Soul of the Sword was published on June 25, 2019.

Night of the Dragon will be published on March 31, 2020.

I received all three titles from the publisher via Netgalley for review.

All opinions stated here are my own.

One of the reasons that this series is right up my alley? The entire trilogy reads like an anime, and my otaku heart is so here for that. It is, by far, my favorite traditionally written YA story that captures the spirit of my favorite anime shows. Since I couldn't stop finding similarities to anime I love, I thought it'd be fun to share a list of anime recommendations that you might enjoy if you loved this trilogy too!

This shonen anime is set in the Meiji era of Japan and centers around Kenshin Himura, a ronin (a samurai with no master) who wanders the Japanese countryside offering aid to those in need in an effort to atone for the murders he committed as a former assassin. He comes to the aid of Kaoru Kamiya, a young woman who runs a dojo, and she winds up offering him a place to stay. The series follows Kenshin as he forms lifelong relationships with friends old and new, faces down old enemies, and eventually finds himself involved in a large government conspiracy that threatens everyone and everything he loves.

This shonen anime centers around Ichigo Kurosaki, who finds himself dragged into the world (and subsequently, the conflicts) of shinigami on the night he agrees to take on the powers of a badly injured soul reaper named Rukia Kuchiki. Not only are there consequences for Rukia giving her powers to a human, but there is a bigger conflict afoot that might shift the world of humans and shinigami entirely and it's up to Ichigo and company to figure out how to prevent that from happening.

This shonen anime centers around Naruto Uzumaki, a young kid ostracized by his home village because everyone only knows him as the 'demon container' that holds a nine-tailed fox within him. Despite the way he's treated, Naruto is determined to become a great shinobi (ninja) and aspires to be the Hokage (their village leader) one day. The series follows his journey to become a shinobi, including his efforts to fight to make and preserve his important relationships, the political and social conflicts between all the hidden shinobi villages and an unexpected foe that will need to be defeated in order to save the world.

This shojo anime is about an ordinary high school girl named Nanami Momozono, who loses her home because of her father's accumulated gambling debts and who gains a shrine as a home after helping a strange man named Mikage that she encounters randomly in a park. The series follows Nanami navigating her new life as the land god of the shrine, figuring out her relationships with the shrine spirits Onikiri and Kotetsu among many others, and working out her feelings for her familiar Tomoe (who is a kitsune, a wild fox).

This shojo anime has three heroines - Hikaru Shidou, Umi Ryuuzaki and Fuu Hououji - who are whisked away from their respective school trips to Tokyo Tower and into the world of Cephiro. The girls learn that they were called to rescue the current Pillar of Cephiro (Princess Emeraude) from her abductor, high priest Zagato, and once their mission is complete, they can return home to Tokyo. The series follows the trio as they learn about their element-based magic, awaken the three Rune-Gods, form strong bonds and work together to complete their mission.

This shojo anime is centered on Yona, a pampered princess sheltered from the world outside her palace. But on the day she turns sixteen, her life changes when her father, the emperor, is assassinated and she is forced to go on the run. Accompanied only by her bodyguard and childhood friend Hak, the pair journey together in order to find the four legendary dragons and ask for their assistance in recovering Yona's kingdom. 

This shojo anime (my favorite!) is the story of Miaka Yuki, a teen who is sucked into the world of a strange book called The Universe of the Four Gods and is declared to be the Priestess of the local god Suzaku. The series follows Miaka's journey to recover the seven Celestial Warriors order to summon Suzaku and earn three wishes, including the adverse circumstances and persistent enemies that threaten to derail her mission.

If you're an anime fan like myself, and if you've watched any (or all) of the ones I've suggested, flail with me in the comments! If you haven't watched any of these shows (or any anime at all), I highly recommend checking them out. And don't forget to order your copy of Night of the Dragon, which is out next week!