Title: Night of the Dragon
Author: Julie Kagawa
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Pages: 368
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Release Date: March 31st, 2020
Where to Buy: Barnes and Noble |Amazon| IndieBound |Books-A-Million
*Thank you Inkyard Press for the opportunity to be a part of this blog tour and for the review copy. The thoughts written are my own and have not been influenced by anyone*
Synopsis
All is lost.
To save everyone she loves from imminent death, kitsune shapeshifter Yumeko gave up the final piece of the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers. Now she and her ragtag band of companions must make one desperate final effort to stop the Master of Demons from using the scroll to call the Great Kami Dragon and make the wish that will plunge the empire into chaos.
Shadow clan assassin Kage Tatsumi has regained control of his body and agreed to a true deal with the devil—the demon inside him, Hakaimono. They will share his body and work with Yumeko to stop a madman, and to separate Hakaimono from Tatsumi and the cursed sword that trapped the demon for nearly a millennium.
But even with their combined skills and powers, this unlikely team of heroes knows the forces of evil may be impossible to overcome. And there is another player in the battle for the scroll, a player who has been watching, waiting for the right moment to pull strings that no one even realized existed…until now.
Review
Quick note: This is the third book in the series. I will try to make my review spoiler free for book 3, but may have some spoilers form book 1 & 2.
When you read a good series, you just know it. Julie Kagawa has left my heart and soul shattered in so many good ways with night of the Dragon. But I wasn’t surprised by my reactions, because Julie has been doing a spectacular job since book one. The writing in Night of the Dragon continued to blow my mind. Julie continues the story with vivid descriptions, magical scenes, and heartbreaking moments.
Night of the Dragon, like the two before it, captivated me form the very first chapter. I wanted to know what happened after Yumeko made a sacrifice [not of her life] to save those she loves. Night of the Dragon continues the story where we meet our Yumeko and her crew preparing to stop the Master of Demons from using the scroll and unleashing an evil that will put the entire empire in chaos. Night of the Dragon is a great conclusion of Fox shifting Yumeko and her companion’s epic journey.
In regards to the characters, I really enjoyed seeing Yumeko’s character through each story, especially in this last book. Yumeko began as a naive girl, and developing into a powerful warrior. She learned so much in her journey and used that to grow better and stronger. Julie Kagawa showed this transformation so masterfully. It didn’t feel rushed, or half baked. I truly enjoyed seeing that development happen gradually rather than happen all at once. Yumekop’s character development was also not something she did on her own. Julie also created such great supporting characters that not only added to Yumeko’s development but also developed drastically in their own skin. Overall, character development was on point and you couldn’t help but root for Yumeko and her companions.
The plot was amazing, powerful and full of action. Julie made a page turning adventure with Night of the Dragon. I was fully invested in ending this series form the first chapter. Was it hard to see Yumeko’s journey end? Of course! But the plot was created in a way where the ending felt okay. It was an impossible task Yumeko and her companions were given [prevent a world where their lives would be forever in danger], but by the end you didn’t doubt the story or the characters. You rooted and cried for them. You held onto the ending feel a piece of your heart missing but knowing that the entirely story was phenomenal at every interaction and every scene of action. You yelled in joy when Yumeko was finally able to accept herself fully. Did I get a book hangover? Of course! Even the best written endings can leave your heart torn and feeling like you need a vacation from reading. It was worth it though.
The Shadow of the Fox trilogy is a trilogy you should pick up. Julie Kagawa continues to amaze me with her masterful storytelling. Night of the Dragon has action, romance, friendship and heart-tugging moments all wrapped into a beautiful story. I highly recommend it!
About the Author
Julie Kagawa, the New York Times bestselling author of the Iron Fey, Blood of Eden, Talon, and Shadow of the Fox series 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 school teachers, 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.
Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads
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