After hearing about how similar Shadow of the Fox was to Inuyasha by Rumiko Takahashi by a friend, I immediately ordered the audiobook and gave it a listen. I'm so glad I did because I have a new favourite, and it's Shadow of the Fox. Let's dive right in:
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This book is awesome. The representation of feudal Japan and its folklore is stunning. The characters had amazing arcs and their development was handled phenomenally. I cared about all the main characters. I'm super excited to see how everyone will progress in the other two novels. The writing itself was really good! I did listen to the audiobook which had three narrators so the multiple POVs were very easy to distinguish and understand. It didn't distract me at all. I suggest listening to the audiobook if you are not a fan of reading multiple POVs, it will make it much easier.
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So the story itself is really good. It's very manga-esque: the main plot being established while the character's go through experiences for necessary development that is unrelated to the plot while also following it. It's episodic and saga-like all at once. If you're not a fan of that formula, you probably won't like it. But I still say give it the benefit of the doubt, it's a perfect blend of plot driven and character driven storylines. And you never know, it might surprise you.
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The formula is not original having read it in so many manga series before, but I'm okay with that. Julie Kagawa took everything that I love to read in manga and put it all in Shadow of the Fox creating a new story that I absolutely adore. This was my first time reading one of her books and I'm so happy I started with this trilogy. It's fun, it's dark, it's full of adventure; I highly recommend picking it up and reading it or giving the audiobook a listen. It was fantastic.
5/5⭐️