Name: Soul of the Sword
ISBN: 9781488038860

Julie Kagawa

One thousand years ago, a wish was made and a sword of rage and lightning was forged. Kamigoroshi. The Godslayer. A weapon powerful enough to seal away the formidable demon Hakaimono. Now he has broken free. Kitsune shapeshifter Yumeko has one task: to take her piece of the ancient and powerful Scroll of a Thousand Prayers to the Steel Feather temple in order to prevent the summoning of the Harbinger of Change, the great Kami Dragon who will grant one wish to whomever holds the scroll. But she has a new enemy now, more dangerous than any she has yet faced. The demon Hakaimono is free at last, and he has possessed the very person Yumeko trusted to protect her from the evil at her heels, Kage Tatsumi of the Shadow Clan. Hakaimono has only one goal: to break the curse of the sword and set himself free to rain chaos and destruction over the land forevermore. To do so, he will need the scroll. And Yumeko is the only one standing in his way.

Soul of the Sword

Dee B. 

Livia

4.5 stars...

RTC I SWEAR THIS TIME I'LL DO IT

One thousand years ago, a wish was made to the Harbinger of Change and a sword of rage and lightning was forged. Kamigoroshi. The Godslayer. It had one task: to seal away the powerful demon Hakaimono. Now he has broken free. Kitsune shapeshifter Yumeko has one task: to take her piece of the ancient and powerful scroll to the Steel Feather temple in order to prevent the summoning of the Harbinger of Change, the great Kami Dragon who will grant one wish to whomever holds the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers. But she has a new enemy now. The demon Hakaimono, who for centuries was trapped in a cursed sword, has escaped and possessed the boy she thought would protect her, Kage Tatsumi of the Shadow Clan. Hakaimono has done the unthinkable and joined forces with the Master of Demons in order to break the curse of the sword and set himself free. To overthrow the empire and cover the land in darkness, they need one thing: the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers. As the paths of Yumeko and the possessed Tatsumi cross once again, the entire empire will be thrown into chaos.

Ashlee

This series really is incredible and so underrated. Just the way Julie Kagawa has woven this story together, with all of its twists and turns and the plot building as time progresses, has me in awe.

If you’re looking for an incredible Japanese inspired fantasy, this one should be near the top of your stack, because it’s simply that good.

What I especially enjoyed about this book was more mythology and even more fantastic character building! I adore Yumeko and Tatsumi, but this book gave the side characters even more page space and time. I loved getting more of them! 

So many of my questions from the previous book, that had me like 🤯 are answered and pieces are falling into place, and now there’s even more wild stuff happening to leave me like 🤯🤯🤯. 

Really though, try this one out, you won’t regret it.

Leah Patton

** spoiler alert **
           Biggest disappointment ever because I loved the first one so much. This one is well written but plot was nonexistent. Messy and boring and most of the pages were useless information.

Emma Sullivan

I didn't love it as much as the first book, but it was still so good! 
There was so much more character development in this book though, which really brings the whole thing to life. 
The relationship between Tatsumi & Hakimono just reminds me of the Comic book / movie Venom and I can't get that out of my head. 
Such a captivating storyline through, and I adore how Yumeko has grown from book 1. Strong, independent half-kitsune we stan! 

Book 3 is lined up ready to go 🙌🏼💃🏻

Sophia Lin

this was so good. i got into it way quicker than the first one and i couldn't put it away. something happened in here that i didn't see coming and yaaaasss!! can't wait to read the next book!

Tatiana Alvarez 

I’m usually long winded in my reviews, but for this one I’m going to keep it short and sweet. 

I have been a fan of Julie Kagawa since I read Blood of Eden years ago. She is one author where I know I will like the book as soon as I pick it up. She’s creative and a fun story teller. 

This book was fun from the beginning to the end. I’m really glad I listened to it because it deals a lot with Japanese folklore so I knew I would butcher names and words. The readers were excellent. 

Fun, face paced, solid.

Sahi K

When I read Shadow of the Fox a few weeks ago, I was just going by my dear friend’s recommendation and wasn’t sure what to expect. But to my pleasant surprise, I completely fell in love with it and my excitement doubled when I got approved for the ARC of this sequel. Second books of beloved series can always be tricky but I’m so delighted that this book exceeded all my expectations. 

Just like in the first book, the world building in this one too is phenomenal. We get introduced to more creatures and monsters from the Japanese mythology, one more scarier than the other and it was such a joy to read. Some of them are so vividly described that imagining them really scared me and I think that’s a great testament for an author. As the group is on another journey through the story, we get introduced to more new settings and I loved how masterfully the author brought them to life - whether it be the eerie palace of the Shadow clan or the guardians of the Steel Temple. I can only say that the way the world was expanded and given more detail in this book was very interesting and we also get enough clues to realize that we are going to encounter more terrifying things in the next book, and I can’t wait for it all.

I didn’t expect to fall more in love with the characters but I did. Yumeko is not the same naive little girl from the first book - the fight at the end and the loss of Tatsumi have made her more determined. She is still trusting and doesn’t understand sarcasm yet (makes for a lot of hilarious conversations), but she also learns to accept her kitsune nature and develops her skills to have a fighting chance. She may not understand her feelings towards Tatsumi, but she still never wavers from her decisions and does whatever she can to protect her friends. 

I wasn’t expecting to get a POV of Hakaimono but it is definitely fascinating being in his head. We know he is one of the greatest and most powerful demons and he is very confident about his abilities, but he has also been a captive in a sword for centuries in the company of humans. This definitely seems to have had some affect on his personality, which makes for some very sarcastic comments from him that had me chuckling. However, it is also painful to read because he keeps taunting Tatsumi, who is struggling with whatever will he has left to hold on to his soul. 

Daisuke and Okame are a pair of contrasting characters but I just loved their interactions. One who totally believes in the samurai code and wants to live and die by honor, the other who revels in being dishonorable - the two of them are just such unlikely companions but the development of their friendship is wonderful to read. I just wish we had gotten atleast one of their POVs so that I could know more about what they are thinking in their hearts. Reika may look like she just wants to fulfill her duty but she does like Yumeko and will do anything to protect her. The whole group just bickers throughout the book but I could only smile at their interactions because they genuinely care about each other. I was also surprised to see Suki’s POV continue but she has some very crucial moments and I loved it. Seigetsu is still a mystery but I have a feeling he is gonna bring lots of troubles into the life of my favorite characters. 

While I loved the first book, it was mostly a slow paced journey with a bit of action in between and towards the end. In this book however, the author upped her game. We still have a journey but there are more dangers, the characters are more skilled and the monsters are more scary. There is a lot more action and some of those sequences are absolutely terrifying and exhilarating. The book also felt much more fast paced, probably because there was a lot more happening and the stakes also felt much higher this time. While most of the characters think Yumeko and Tatsumi love each other and we can guess that it’s where the story is going, I’m glad that the author still left it at a point where they are unsure of their own feelings and figuring everything out. The development of another romance came as a bit of a surprise but I am totally there for it, and I’m actually much more excited to see what lies in store for them in the future. The whole illusion part of Yumeko’s magic got a lot of page time in this book and the author showed a lot of imagination in these scenes, the one towards the end being absolutely mind blowing. I was also expecting the Tatsumi/ Hakaimono storyline to go in a predictable direction, but the twist the author gave towards the end was so surprising, I’m still recovering from it. The buildup towards the end was done amazingly well and I think the payoff was worth the wait. 

All I want to say is that if you loved the first book, you are gonna be very very happy with this one too. This sequel is darker and scarier, much more action packed and our characters have grown so much that we can’t help but root for them. This is the perfect second book where the stakes kept getting higher and higher - which ultimately gave us a thrilling and unpredictable but very satisfying ending, while also leaving us many exciting clues for the much anticipated third book. That wait is gonna be long and excruciating.

Jennifer

A thrilling and emotional YA fantasy with a very lush Japanese mythology inspired worldbuilding. This book is an improvement from Shadow of the Fox (book 1). The worldbuilding is explored more completely and there's also the the character development that didn't really took off in the previous book (since they were being damped by the romance). This book focuses much less on the romance and more on the action. It also focuses on what Yumeko is willing to lose to win back her friend. It's no longer just some Kitsune trickery but it's also an act of sacrifice and being able to accept uncertainties with a lot of unknowns. It also sets up a wonderful cliffhanger for the final book of the trilogy which I'd love to get around reading later this year!

Kareema A Godhrawala

3.6* I loved the development with what happened to Tatsumi and Hakaimono’s bodies.

Paige Green

Disclaimer: I bought this book at an indie store! Support your authors and your indie stores!

Book: Soul of the Sword

Author: Julie Kagawa

Book Series: Shadow of the Fox series

Rating: 4/5

Publication Date: June 25, 2019

Genre: YA Fantasy

Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, gore, murder, curses, demons, and overthrowing a government)

Publisher: Inkyard Press

Pages: 304

Amazon Link

Synopsis: One thousand years ago, a wish was made to the Harbinger of Change and a sword of rage and lightning was forged. Kamigoroshi. The Godslayer. It had one task: to seal away the powerful demon Hakaimono.

Now he has broken free.

Kitsune shapeshifter Yumeko has one task: to take her piece of the ancient and powerful scroll to the Steel Feather temple in order to prevent the summoning of the Harbinger of Change, the great Kami Dragon who will grant one wish to whomever holds the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers. But she has a new enemy now. The demon Hakaimono, who for centuries was trapped in a cursed sword, has escaped and possessed the boy she thought would protect her, Kage Tatsumi of the Shadow Clan.

Hakaimono has done the unthinkable and joined forces with the Master of Demons in order to break the curse of the sword and set himself free. To overthrow the empire and cover the land in darkness, they need one thing: the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers. As the paths of Yumeko and the possessed Tatsumi cross once again, the entire empire will be thrown into chaos.

Review: I thought this book did so well! Usually the second book in a series will not do as well as the first, but this one actually surpassed it! The characters were more lively and better developed, the writing was well done and fast paced as well. The book had me totally invested in the world!

The only issue I had was that sometimes I got lost in the world. I feel like it could have been better developed and built.

Verdict: An amazing series!

B. K.

This had a slow start but decent payoff. Interested to see how everything wraps up in Night of the Dragon.

THE TIME OF THE WISH APPROACHES... Yumeko the shapeshifter had one task: take her piece of the ancient and powerful scroll to the Steel Feather temple and prevent the summoning of the great Kami Dragon. But she has a new enemy now. The demon Hakaimono, has escaped and possessed the samurai she thought would protect her, Kage Tatsumi of the Shadow Clan. Hakaimono has done the unthinkable and joined forces with Genno, the Master of Demons, to break his curse and set himself free. But Genno wishes to overthrow the empire and cover the land in darkness. To do that he needs only one thing, the scroll Yumeko is hiding. As the paths of Yumeko and the possessed Tatsumi cross again the entire empire will be thrown into chaos. AND CHAOS WILL DARKEN AN EMPIRE. Return to Julie Kagawa's beautiful and perilous land of shapeshifters, samurai and demons as Japanese mythology and magic swirl together in the New York Times bestselling author's brand new adventure.

Soul Of The Sword

Anita Rut Kristjansdottir

Heather Harrington

**I received a copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

I really enjoy this whole story. The characters mesh and work so well together. The relationship between the group is by far my favorite thing, especially Okame and Daisuke, their banter is everything. I also really liked how you got to see a little bit more of Tatsumi's background and upbringing in the Shadow Clan. You really understand how he became the person he is and the true weight of the burden he carries. All the Japanese folklore influence is again very interesting. My only issue with this one was the same as the first, the pacing just seemed a little off. It took a bit of time before it really hit its stride, but once it did, I was fully hooked into the story. I can't wait to continue the journey and see where else the story goes from here.

Leelynn Brady

You know how in some trilogies, the second book is mostly used as a way to get to the events of the third book, and it just seems like it’s really unnecessary? Well, that didn’t happen in this case. Every single thing about this story was great to me, and I loved that we got to see more of the world that Kagawa blessed us with. Not to mention, it seems like there is so much more to the characters than we believed in the first one… and I cannot wait to come back full circle to the third novel when I read it again with the second book in context. Kagawa is one of my favorite authors to date with both her Talon series and this, and I hope to read more from her in the future. This is definitely a great sequel and I love how the characters were able to develop more in this story. It was just so great.

Jawahir M

Review to come but Tatsumi better come out of this series unscathed or I’ll RIOT

Dorianne Vervoort

I liked the story of this book even better than the first one! 
It was exciting, there was always something happening and the story went a lot “faster” than in the first one. 
I’m looking forward to the next book. 
(Prediction for the next book: I think that Seigetsu-guy is going to turn out as the super-villain or something)

Shannon Jade

Read my full review on the Shannon A. Jade Books blog!

My Soul of the Sword Top 3:
- Japanese-inspired fantasy world
- Plot twists!
- Character development arcs

Kaylee Z

Why did I not read this book immediately??

That is the question I asked myself the moment I started reading Soul of the Sword. I was lucky enough to receive and ARC of the first book in the series and absolutely loved it, then purchased the sequel when it released and it just sat on my shelf up until a short while ago… when I absolutely devoured it.

The brilliant thing that this book does, as a sequel, is that it keeps the stakes high, it elevates the characters and brings you right back into the action where you just cannot wait to see where this adventure will go next. I am not sure how Julie Kagawa does it, but she continues to place these characters into new situations and keeps the story fresh. I said this when I read Shadow of the Fox and it still proves true in the fact that while I read this series, I am able to imagine the story play out in my mind and it is pure Anime goodness. 

This book essentially picks up shortly after where we left off with the crazy ending of book one. Battle scars are still fresh and emotions are high to figure out which task should take precedent: 1) Keep up their journey to get their piece of the scroll to the temple or 2) Save Tatsumi. It’s a real struggle that Yumeko in particular has to deal with and I think it was done very well.

Additionally, the book continues to be split up into different POVs which includes a new one: Hakaimono. This POV was particularly interesting to me because it allowed the reader to really learn the motivation and thought process of the Big Bad while still giving us insight into Tatsumi’s struggle. The only chapters that fell a bit flat for me were Suki’s but I understand the purpose behind them and they were short and did not make up many of the chapters.

Kagawa was also able to add new aspects to the world in a very cool way that I hope we get to see more of but I don’t want to delve into for fear of being too spoilery. There is a character that we get to see a little bit more of as well and I am fairly certain I know his purpose and have a feeling I won’t be overly surprised when it - most likely - will be uncovered in the next book but that doesn’t really deter me. I know, it’s shocking that I won’t be disappointed by knowing a twist before it’s discovered by the characters but I don’t even care in this case because I have SO much fun with this series.

If you are looking for a unique adventure series that is inspired by the history and lore of Japan, particularly if you are a fan of Anime, then I could not recommend this more. I cannot wait to see how everything comes together in the final book of this trilogy, Night of the Dragon.

Lauren James

Full review on my blog, Storied Adventures

3.5 Stars!

Aaaaaarrrghhh I LOVED the first book. But this one fell flat for me. It just didn't have as much magical pull that the first one had. I actually got irritated a few times by some decisions Yumeko made and some of the other characters made. My favorite POV was Hakaimono! His snark was hilarious. I still love this series and can't wait for the next one!