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julie kagawa

Blog Tour & Review with Extract: Shadow Of The Fox by Julie Kagawa

Title: Shadow Of The Fox

Author: Julie Kagawa

Published: November 1st, 2018 

Publisher: HQ Young Adult

Rating: ★★★★★

Find the Author: Goodreads 

Disclosure: I was sent this ARC by the publisher, reviewing it as an impartial review. This does not sway my opinion of the book. As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.

A single wish will spark a new dawn. Every millennium, one age ends and another age dawns…and whoever holds the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers holds the power to call the great Kami Dragon from the sea and ask for any one wish. The time is near and the missing pieces of the scroll will be sought throughout the land of Iwagoto. The holder of the first piece is a humble, unknown peasant girl with a dangerous secret. Demons have burned the temple Yumeko was raised in to the ground, killing everyone within, including the master who trained her to both use and hide her kitsune powers. Yumeko escapes with the temple’s greatest treasure – one part of the ancient scroll. Fate thrusts her into the path of a mysterious samurai, Kage Tatsumi of the Shadow Clan. Yumeko knows he seeks what she has and is under orders to kill anything and anyone who stands between him and the scroll.

First Thoughts…

I have always been a fan of Julie’s books, right from the Iron Fey days. I’ve always kept my little Kagawa collection of books close to my heart, because I always know I’m in for one heck of a story-telling ride whenever I pick up one of Julie’s books. So when I got the chance to be a part of Shadow of The Fox’s Blog Tour, I had to do it. It’s Julie Kagawa, YA masterpiece writer! For me, this is definitely a highlight.

My Review…

I’ve always been in love with Fantasy books. Actually, when I started out with my blog, it was the main genre that I focused on. There’s something about one of Julie’s books that totally transforms the atmosphere where I’m reading into the story’s landscape, this time into the world where a single wish has sparked a new dawn. 

The story is split into a few perspectives from different characters.  There’s Yumeko, who is a half-kitsune (anyone remember Kira from Teen Wolf? That’s the kind of way I was basing a Kitsune from, because that’s what she was). There’s Kage Tatsumi, who is a samurai. Only every time he uses his sword (that’s violently possessed by a demon) it hurts him whenever he uses it. On the other hand, Suki, another character, is entirely different from Yumeko and Kage. But giving away too much about the way Suki’s character plays a part in the novel might give away too many spoilers. Yumeko has lived in a temple her whole life, until now. Now she’s willed to protect a precious scroll. The way that Yumeko and Kage interact and their paths cross is unlike any other kind of character clash, but together, this kind of magic happens. They, along with some friends, get deep into a world of things that go bump in the night. There’s demonic danger, thrills and an underlying mystery that I’ll be careful not to tell too much about, because it’s one of those kinds of ones where it’s better unsaid (and you need to read it for yourselves ASAP because it’s a favourite of mine this year!).
Overall, I can’t fault Shadow of The Fox in any way. It was a flawless plot, sometimes uneven pacing, but that really wasn’t a concern of mine because the story itself made up for the pace of the tale. This was just so unbelievably enthralling and mythic-ally magical that I ate it up page by page. I’m really excited to see what comes next from Julie because she never, ever disappoints. Five stars!

 Julie Kagawa was born in Sacramento, California. But nothing exciting really happened to her there. So, at the age of nine she and her family moved to Hawaii, which she soon discovered was inhabited by large carnivorous insects, colonies of house geckos, and frequent hurricanes. She spent much of her time in the ocean, when she wasn’t getting chased out of it by reef sharks, jellyfish, and the odd eel.
When not swimming for her life, Julie immersed herself in books, often to the chagrin of her schoolteachers, who would find she hid novels behind her Math textbooks during class. Her love of reading led her to pen some very dark and gruesome stories, complete with colored illustrations, to shock her hapless teachers. The gory tales faded with time, but the passion for writing remained, long after she graduated and was supposed to get a real job.To pay the rent, Julie worked in different bookstores over the years, but discovered the managers frowned upon her reading the books she was supposed to be shelving. So she turned to her other passion: training animals. She worked as a professional dogtrainer for several years, dodging Chihuahua bites and overly enthusiastic Labradors, until her first book sold and she stopped training to write full-time.
Julie now lives in Louisville, Kentucky, where the frequency of shark attacks are at an all time low. She lives with her husband, two obnoxious cats, one Australian Shepherd who is too smart for his own good, and the latest addition, a hyper-active Papillon puppy.
Julie is the author of the bestselling Iron Fey series. The Iron Knight the fourth title in The Iron Fey series publishes in Jan 2012. The Immortal Rules, the first title in a brand new series publishes in May 2012.
Visit Julie’s website at http://www.juliekagawa.comVisit the Iron Fey website http://www.theironfey.com/Follow Julie on Twitter @jkagawa




Shadow of the Fox
From Chapter 13: Song of the Kodama
There was a shimmer in the darkness, and the hairs on the back of my neck rose. Looking up, I saw a tiny, pale green figure, no larger than my thumb, watching me from atop a root a few feet away. It wore a round mushroom cap on its head, and its eyes were like black pits under the brim.
Tatsumi saw what I was looking at, and his hand went to his sword. “Tatsumi, no,” I warned, holding out a hand. “It’s a kodama, a tree kami. It won’t hurt us.” He relaxed, dropping his hand from the hilt, and I offered the kodama a smile.
“Hello,” I greeted softly, as the tiny kami tilted its head, watching me. “Please excuse us, we’re just passing through. We’re not disturbing your tree, I hope?”
The kodama didn’t blink. It watched me a moment more, then padded forward and hopped onto a stone, staring at me with pupilless black eyes. A faint sound rose into the air, like the rustle of leaves stirred by the wind. I nodded.
“I understand. We will stay to the path, and we’ll be careful not to tread on any new plants or trees. You have my promise.”
“You can speak to the kami.” Tatsumi’s tone didn’t question, though it sounded faintly surprised. “How?”
“The monks taught me,” I replied. Not the whole truth of course; I’d been able to see the spirit world—kami, yokai, yurei and the rest of the unnatural—for as long I could remember. One of the perks—or curses—of being half kitsune. Though the monks did teach me the differences between the myriad spirits in Iwagoto. There were the nine greater Kami, the named deities who were worshipped throughout Iwagoto; Jinkei, god of Mercy, Doroshin, god of Roads, and so on. The lesser kami were minor gods, spirits of nature and the elements; they existed everywhere, in the earth, the sky and all places in between. No one knew how many kami existed in the world; when people spoke of them as a whole, it was common to say “the eight million gods,” and leave it at that.
But besides the kami, many other strange, magical creatures roamed the land. Yokai were creatures of the supernatural; sometimes called monsters or bakemono, they could change their forms or had some amount of magic power, tanuki, kamaitachi and, of course, kitsune being prime examples. Yurei described the many restless ghosts that wandered the mortal realm, zashiki warashi, onryo, ubume and more. There were even some monstrous plants that preyed on humans and a handful of creatures that didn’t fit into any category, so the list of gods, ghosts and monsters was endless. But, even though some yokai were dangerous and some yurei had malicious intent, all were residents of Ningen-do, the mortal realm, and were to be respected.
Unlike the demons—the amanjaku, and terrible oni like Yaburama. They hailed from Jigoku, the realm of evil and corruption, and did not belong in the mortal world at all.
“Master Isao and the others revered the kami,” I went on. “They strove to exist in harmony with all forms of life. The most spiritual among them could see and even speak to the kami on occasion. I sort of had the talent for it, I suppose.”
“Is that why the kamaitachi listened to you?”
“Well…not really. I listened to them.”
From Julie –
I love this passage because it feels very much like a scene from an anime, reminiscent of Princess Mononoke or Spirited Away, two of my favorites.  It’s strange, surreal, and just the tiniest bit creepy, and it also marks the beginning of Tatsumi and Yumeko’s friendship.  
You can buy SHADOW OF THE FOX here:

Amazon | Waterstones | Book Depository 

Have you read Shadow of The Fox? If you have, who was your favourite character?


Let me know in the comments or on twitter @LittleMemoirs!


happy reading!

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Book Review: “The Forever Song (Blood of Eden #3)” by Julie Kagawa *Spoiler-free*

* Spoiler-free Review! *

Title: The Forever Song (Blood of Eden #3)

Author: Julie Kagawa
Genre: Young Adult – Paranormal
Release Date: May 2nd, 2014 
Published by: Mira Ink


Thanks to Mira INK for the review copy of this book. As always, my reviews are fair and non-bias.

Vengeance will be hers.


Allison Sekemoto once struggled with the question: human or monster? With the death of her love, Zeke, she has her answer.
Monster.
Allie will embrace her cold vampire side to hunt down and end Sarren, the psychopathic vampire who murdered Zeke. But the trail is bloody and long, and Sarren has left many surprises for Allie and her companions – her creator Kanin, and her blood brother, Jackal. The trail is leading straight to the one place they must protect at any cost – the last vampire-free zone on Earth, Eden. And Sarren has one final, brutal shock in store for Allie.

In a ruined world where no life is sacred and former allies can turn on you in one heartbeat, Allie will face her darkest days. And if she succeeds, her triumph will be short-lived in the face of surviving forever alone.


THE FINAL HUNT IS ON.

Julie Kagawa is probably one of the best Fantasy writers out there. Never does she not write something brilliant and enthralling, and so when I started the Blood of Eden novels way back, I knew this series was going to be one of my favourites, and it really has been. And I was super lucky to get a copy and even though the series was ending and bittersweet, I was dying to find out The Forever Song‘s last words.

It’s hard to stay spoiler-free for this review because of all the things I just want to write here and fan-girl over, but for all those who haven’t started the Blood of Eden novels or are on the first or second book in the series, I’m going to keep this spoiler-free and just display my adoration in another way!
The Immortal Rules will always be my favourite in the trilogy, even after reading all of the series – and it’s not because they don’t match up to it – but because the first book really just captured my attention to make me feel like this series was going to be a favourite. Whereas The Immortal Rules was a beginning of a story to come, The Eternity Cure was more action-packed and less story building, so with The Forever Song, we get the best of both worlds. 
Allie’s character really grew in the last book, alike Jackal. Where Allie had been fighting who she truly was for so long, and believing that she was a monster, Jackal’s character was almost awakened with potential to be the character of the book. 
The twists in TFS were tightly wound around the aftermath of TEC, and when the action built up, the whole story-world was just catapulted into a race against time and darkness, startling events and new unveilings. Allie was just a breathtaking character throughout the series and Zeke alike, but in this last book, even though it was bittersweet to see this series that I loved so dearly, disappear, it was one amazement of a read. The Forever Song was nothing if not the most gripping of the series, and an absolute must-read. The roller-coaster twists and turns were brought to beginnings and ends throughout the novel, and eventually brought the novel to a heart-warming ending that my eyes didn’t quite want to be true, that it was the end, but when the book was closed, there isn’t a single page that I regretted building to it. 
I seriously can’t recommend this series highly enough! If you’re a Fantasy book lover, whether your preference is YA or Adult, this series will satisfy your thirst. 

Without spoiling anything, I’m definitely going to say the final page and dialogue of the book. I think it was just *the* perfect ending. 

Fans of Julie’s other novels, Fantasy/Paranormal fans for YA and Adult readers alike. The Blood of Eden series is also out now, so it’s the perfect series to get stuck into right now. 

Did you love this as much as I did? 


Don’t forget to tell me in the comments or on twitter; @LittleMemoirs. You can also use #TheForeverSong on twitter if you’re reading it! 


happy reading!

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Review: “The Iron Traitor {Call of the Forgotten #2}” by Julie Kagawa

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Title: The Iron Traitor  {Call of the Forgotten #2}
Author: Julie Kagawa
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Release Date: November 1st 2013
Published by: Harlequin Teen / Mira Ink


Many
thanks to Mira Ink for the copy
of this novel! My opinions are all non-bias and I received this from
the publishers in exchange for an honest review.


 
 
 
 
 
 

 IN THE REAL WORLD, WHEN YOU VANISH INTO THIN AIR FOR A WEEK, PEOPLE TEND TO NOTICE

After
his unexpected journey into the lands of the fey, Ethan Chase just
wants to get back to normal. Well, as “normal” as you can be when you
see faeries every day of your life. Suddenly the former loner with the
bad reputation has someone to try for-his girlfriend, Kenzie. Never mind
that he’s forbidden to see her again.

But when your name is
Ethan Chase and your sister is one of the most powerful faeries in the
Nevernever, “normal” simply isn’t to be. For Ethan’s nephew, Keirran, is
missing, and may be on the verge of doing something unthinkable in the
name of saving his own love. Something that will fracture the human and
faery worlds forever, and give rise to the dangerous fey known as the
Forgotten. As Ethan’s and Keirran’s fates entwine and Keirran slips
further into darkness, Ethan’s next choice may decide the fate of them
all.

 
 

 I will literally read anything Julie Kagawa writes. I have ALL the Iron Fey series and the Immortal Rules, and can never get enough of the perfect picture of a storyworld that Julie paints in all our minds. When I received this ARC from Mira Ink, I was so happy that I got to read the latest copy earlier than I thought! *Happy Dance* Of course I knew it was going to be amazing…
 
 After finishing The Lost Prince (Call of the Forgotten, book one) it left off with such a huge cliffhanger that left me speechless! I wanted to know what happened so badly, but at the same time, it was the surprise of what awaited in The Iron Traitor that kept me hanging onto the words. 
This blew The Lost Prince out of the water! It was a thousand times more addictive (if that was possible?!) and I was fixated on the pages for hours, something that hasn’t happened since I read Divergent a few weeks back, so this definitely gave me my next dose of bookish addiction! Ethan really came into his own, I thought, in this book. He was such a good character already from previous, but in this one he gave me an image of how unique and interesting his narrative was. He had a really amazing storyline and even though he’s that bad-boy image, I definitely saw a different side to him in moments. 
 Speaking of seeing a different side to characters, I saw a huge difference in Kenzie. Before, she was one of those characters that I wasn’t sure where her loyalty and personality led, but she also was so great in The Iron Traitor. Her narrative was a lot more mature and lingeringly interesting, too. Kieirran was already such a complex and unique character, and in this book Julie gave him more depth to his character and storyline. He was the most interesting character, but my favourite was definitely Kenzie in this one! Her and Ethan were also so incredible to read about with their relationship. He’s just trying to be normal and there’s this whole other thrilling side to their world–one I didn’t want to leave.
There is so much I could praise about Julie Kagawa’s writing style and perfection that she weaved into The Iron Traitor, but that would go on for days. If I wasn’t a fan already, this would make me one forever, possibly even a number one fan. The cliffhanger was heart-stoppingly epic! I can’t wait to dive back into the world that Julie created, because it’s a place you’ll never tire of reading about, and I certainly won’t. Bring on more books, Julie!
Five star worthy all around!
 
 Another incredible addition to a series that any Fantasy YA reader will love, with it’s plot twists and rollercoaster-rides of cliffhangers, prepare to make Julie Kagawa your new favourite author!
 
 

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Happy reading!

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