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.

I need to take a breath after that! Following on from the events in Shadow of the Fox, we pick back up with Master Jiro’s tale of the origin of the sword Kamigoroshi.

I love this little group! I think the relationship between Okame and Daisuke is my favourite, they are an unlikely but refreshing duo and I loved seeing their relationship grow as the story progresses.

Julie’s writing is pure magic, the world building and story telling makes you feel like you are there with the characters, the detail is astonishing. Reading it makes you feel like you’re watching a film and you are so engrossed in the story. I blasted through this book and I am desperate to have the third book and to see how this story ends. I enjoyed the sequel more so than the first as I was already in Iwagoto and was able thanks to getting this book from Netgalley to dive right back in.

Not only is the story great but the characterisation too, they are multi-dimensional and almost leap off the pages. Yumeko, Daisuke, Okame, Reika and of course Tatsumi are constantly developing throughout the story and it’s an absolute pleasure to read it.

I even found myself quite intrigued by Hakaimono and to see how (without spoilers) the end of the book plays out.

Overall, if you’re a fan of the first book (Shadow of the Fox), Japanese fantasy or even just wanting to read something that will transport you away, get onto this series. It’s breathtaking!

I cannot wait for book three! Thank you Netgalley for this one!