Soul Of The Sword

Written by Julie Kagawa and Emily Woo Zeller

Narrated by Brian Nishii and Joy Osmanksi

‘My new favourite series’
Ellen Oh, author of the Prophecy and Spirit Hunters series

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.

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. Readers love Julie Kagawa’s Soul of the Sword!

‘Julie’s writing is pure magic’

‘It’s breathtaking!’

‘This book was simply put epic!’

‘left me on the edge of my seat’

‘like watching an epic anime’

‘I cannot wait for the next book’

‘i love all the Japanese folklore and mythology intertwined within the plot’

‘I couldn’t resist this book’

‘exciting and atmospheric’

‘that ending!’

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Release date: Jun 18, 2019
• ISBN: 9780263267778

Julie Kagawa

Born in Sacramento, CA, Julie Kagawa moved to Hawaii at the age of nine. There she learned many things; how to bodyboard, that teachers scream when you put centipedes in their desks, and that writing stories in math class is a great way to kill time. Her teachers were glad to see her graduate. Julie now lives is Louisville, KY with her husband and furkids. She is the international and NYT bestselling author of The Iron Fey series. Visit her at juliekagawa.com.

Reviews for Soul Of The Sword

[Kahlan Lee · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I was surprised about the noble and the Ronin’s relationship but I love it. It would have been better if the lead male had more voice in book 2 though.

[Steve · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An absolutely beautiful series, Soul of the Sword was every bit as enchanting as the previous title. I can't wait to see what happens in the next installment.

[rrkreads · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Slightly disappointed with this 1. The 1st book wowed me like no other. I was eager to jump into this 1 & binge read the whole series. But, that was not to be. I liked the story. Though the bk was action packed & well paced throughout, it was nothing new, hence it was slightly boring in some places. I cudn't connect with the characters as well, which is surprising as this is the 2nd bk & we are sppsd to be invested. I especially thought the 2nd romantic pair was a distraction. Their romance felt forced & shallow. Now, am not sure abt the 3rd book in the series. 1st book was awsm, 2nd bk meh! Is the 3rd 1 worth the time?

[whatsmacksaid · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

More fun than the first, IMO. There’s a lot of gore and a bit of angst, but I’m still inclined to call this lighthearted. I enjoyed the ending, and the cleverness of the final battle.

[readingbifrost · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

“In the best stories, the heroes always give their lives, for honor, duty, sacrifice and the glory of the empire. Anything less and it is not much of a story at all.”Picking up where the last book left off, ‘Soul of the Sword’ continues the adventure of our odd little group: Yumeko, a half kitsune; Tatsumi, a ninja elite and demon slayer; Okame, a ronin, Daisuke, a lord; and a couple more added to the mix.What I have loved, loved! So far is the diversity and backgrounds of the characters. We are introduced to this strange band in the first book, and in this book you can start to see how their adventure and the people they are with are changing them, little by little.Yumeko is learning more about the world outside of the monastery she grew up in. Tatsumi, who was trained to be an emotionless warrior, is starting to see more in the kitsune he’s been following around and starts to question himself. A ronin ‘dog’ and a lord even start seeing each other in a new light. It is so satisfying watching how these characters are developing around each other.In this book we see less action than the first book, but there’s still plenty of it; the plot mostly focusing on character backstories and the journey. Really, we still have Kage assassins and a very angry demon in a sword, not to mention an army of youkai forming and blood mages. It’s more than enough to keep me sitting on the edge till the last page.Overall, Soul of the Sword is a yes. Just, YES. The Japanese lore, anime/manga style story, and all the lovable characters are a big YES.

[leslie398 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

3.5* rounded up for this audiobook edition due to the excellent narration.

This 2nd book in the Shadow of the Fox trilogy was engrossing but I didn't much care for the ending. I guess that I will have to read the final book to see how it all turns out!

[doyoudogear · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

Julie Kagawa never fails to surprise me! I was completely blown away by the events that unfold in Soul of the Sword, and was disappointed when the story reached its conclusion. Thankfully, there's going to be a third book! I cannot wait to see how this new group dynamic is going to work, and which souls will be triumphant in the end. ;)

I've had a feeling about Seigetsu from the beginning, and while nothing was confirmed, I do think my suspicions were correct. However, he's still an enigma, and I'm excited to see what his role is in all of this. He's clearly had a hand in everything that's happened, although we don't know why he's so invested in the events of this story. I enjoyed his companion, Taka, and would love to know more about how that partnership/friendship started.

There are so many wonderful characters in this book! I've really enjoyed learning more about each of them, and seeing how their relationships have developed over time. They've all grown close as a group and as friends, but love is in the air... and it's an amazing, heartwarming romance. I swooned underneath that tree with them, and really wish Yumeko had stuck around longer! Haha!

I'm sad Tatsumi didn't have a larger role in Soul of the Sword (for obvious reasons if you've read the first book), but did enjoy learning more about his past and how he became the Kage demonslayer. His upbringing had been rigorous and challenging before being chosen to weild Kamigoroshi. Once he was selected for that...ugh. It was interesting to see what aspects of himself he'd chosen to lock away, and to understand how hard it had been for him to keep Hakaimono under control.

I adore Yumeko and her inability to understand most metaphors. She's determined and fiercely protective of her friends. She wouldn't risk their lives for anything, and frequently puts herself in danger to lend a helping hand. Reika is a maternal presence, and you can tell she really cares for the kitsune and the rest of their group. Chu is amazing even though he doesn't speak, and resembles a dog most of the time. Okame is hilarious and adds humor to the story. Everyone else is pretty serious, but he chooses to be obstinate on principal, even at the expense of others. However, he's a loyal friend that frequently puts himself down because he doesn't think he's worth very much. Daisuke is our noble, although he never acts like he's better than anyone else. He sees everyone as equals and looks forward to testing his skills against demons and humans alike. He wants to die with honor, which means on his feet and in the throes of battle (despite that being what he wants, I'd like for him to stay alive indefinitely).

Julie shows us more of the world she's created, and Iwagoto is a beautifully vivid and complex place. There are multiple clans and territories, but we've only traversed a few of them as the characters try to reach the Steel Feather Temple. The Shadow Clan's castle was both unique and fascinating, although I wish they'd encountered more issues within its walls during their visit (it's supposed to be impossible to navigate, but they didn't seem to have too much trouble). I hope we get to experience more of this world in the next book, although I'm worried the group is going to be too distracted to enjoy their surroundings.

I really liked the relationship between Tatsumi and Hakaimono. They're enemies, but it's so much more complicated than that. I can't really say more without spoiling what happens in this book, but I'm really curious about their situation and how it's going to play out. There are so many moving parts in this story! I have no idea how the author manages to keep track of all the different pieces. I briefly felt bad for Hakaimono, it was really a flicker of fear on his behalf, because the Oni has been suffering for centuries. It takes skill to make me feel concern for something that is wholly evil.

Suki has been with us from the beginning, although her story has been mostly sad. I'm not sure what happened to her at the end of this book, but I have a feeling she still has a role to play in the outcome of this story.

Shadow of the Fox was one of my favorite reads last year, and Soul of the Sword is already one of the best books I've read this year. Julie Kagawa is truly an artist, and she paints a rich and vibrant world with authentic and endearing characters. I want all of them to get a happy ending when this is over, but I don't know if Kagawa will be so kind...

[eyes92c · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Kitsune saga unfolds!Taking up from where Shadow of the Fox left off, the quest continues with Yumeko our heroine Kitsune shapeshifter having to take part of the ancient and mysterious scroll to a temple of the Thousand Prayers to the Steel Feather.Being chased by the released demon Hakaimono, and looking for protection from a compromised companion, Kage Tatsumi of the Shadow Clan, leaves a lot to be desired and the way is full of pitfalls.Another wonderful tale from Kagawa in this unusual and exciting series.A Harlequin TEEN ARC via NetGalley

[verkruissen · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Soul of the Sword by Julie Kagawa is the second book in the Shadow of the Fox series and in my opinion even better than the first book. Yumeko and her plucky band of hero's continue their journey to save the scrolls before the enemy can get them all. This story is beautifully written and so descriptive you easily loose yourself in this amazing story taken from Japanese mythology. I cannot wait to read the third book since this one leaves with a huge cliffhanger that truly leaves you on the edge of your seat. Definitely one of the most original series I've ever read.