Shadow of the Fox - by Julie Kagawa

About the Book

"One thousand years ago, the great Kami Dragon was summoned to grant a single terrible wish--and the land of Iwagoto was plunged into an age of darkness and chaos. Now, for whoever holds the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers, a new wish will be granted. A new age is about to dawn. Raised by monks in the isolated Silent Winds temple, Yumeko has trained all her life to hide her yokai nature. Half kitsune, half human, her skill with illusion is matched only by her penchant for mischief. Until the day her home is burned to the ground, her adoptive family is brutally slain and she is forced to flee for her life with the temple's greatest treasure--one part of the ancient scroll. There are are many who would claim the dragon's wish for their own. Kage Tatsumi, a mysterious samurai of the Shadow Clan, is one such hunter, under orders to retrieve the scroll, at any cost. Fate brings Kage and Yumeko together. With a promise to lead him to the scroll, an uneasy alliance is formed, offering Yumeko her best hope for survival. But he seeks what she has hidden away, and her deception could ultimately tear them both apart. With an army of demons at her heels and the unlikeliest of allies at her side, Yumeko's secrets are more than a matter of life or death. They are the key to the fate of the world itself."--

Book Synopsis

In this first book of her Japanese mythology-inspired Shadow of the Fox trilogy, bestselling author Julie Kagawa weaves a stunning, high-stakes tale of alliances and deceptions, characters who aren't what they seem, and secrets that could change the fate of the world.

Every millennium, whoever holds the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers has the power to call the great Kami Dragon from the sea and ask for one wish. The time is near...and the missing pieces of the scroll will be sought throughout the land of Iwagoto.

When demons kill half-kitsune Yumeko's adoptive family, she's forced to flee her home with one part of the ancient scroll. Fate thrusts her into the path of mysterious samurai Kage Tatsumi, who is Yumeko's best hope for survival. But he's under orders to retrieve the scroll. An uneasy alliance forms, and Yumeko begins the deception of a lifetime, knowing her secrets are more than a matter of life or death--they're the key to the fate of the world.

Books in the Shadow of the Fox trilogy:

• Shadow of the Fox
• Soul of the Sword
• Night of the Dragon

Review Quotes

"Shadow of the Fox has just become one of my all time favorite fantasy novels! I'm in love with this book, its characters, its worldbuilding! Oni, giant centipedes, flesh eating ghosts, and terrifying half women/half spider things that will give me nightmares for weeks to come, this book is filled with terrifying Asian mythological creatures that make Medusa look like a mean grandma with a bad wig. Not to mention a lovable kitsune, a sexy demonslayer, and quite a few side characters that are larger than life and have completely wormed their way into my heart. I'm so invested in their lives and their quest and I cannot wait for the next installment of my new favorite series. In the meantime, I plan to re-read Shadow of the Fox again and again until I can be reunited with Yumeko and Tatsumi soon. So dear Julie, please write faster!" -Ellen Oh, author of the Prophecy and Spirit Hunters series

"Kagawa uses elements of Japanese mythology and folklore to spin an epic yarn...readers will be drawn into the world of Kagawa's first Japan-based fantasy; with its engaging action scenes and the cliffhanger ending, they will look forward to the next volume. Action-packed adventure." -Kirkus Reviews

"Kagawa's series starter never disappoints; she's a vet at putting realistic characters within believable worlds, here doused in Japanese folklore. Fans will be right at home and anticipate the next chapter." -Booklist

"[E]xcellent writing and skillful plotting... [A] fresh and imaginative thrill-ride."-Publishers Weekly on The Immortal Rules, starred review

"The Iron Daughter is a book that will keep its readers glued to the pages until the very end."-New York Journal of Books on The Iron Daughter