Book Review: Night of the Dragon by Julie Kagawa

Master storyteller Julie Kagawa concludes the enthralling journey into the heart of the fantastical Empire of Iwagoto in the third book of the Shadow of the Fox trilogy. As darkness rises and chaos reigns, a fierce kitsune and her shadowy protector will face down the greatest evil of all. A captivating fantasy for fans of Sabaa Tahir, Sarah J. Maas and Marie Lu.

Kitsune shapeshifter Yumeko has given up the final piece of the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers in order to save everyone she loves from imminent death. Now she and her ragtag band of companions must journey to the wild sea cliffs of Iwagoto in a desperate last-chance effort to stop the Master of Demons from calling upon the Great Kami dragon and making the wish that will plunge the empire into destruction and darkness.
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 and their companions to stop a madman and separate Hakaimono from Tatsumi and the cursed sword that had trapped the demon for nearly a millennium.
But even with their combined skills and powers, this most 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

Title: Night of The Dragon
Author: Julie Kagawa
Publisher: HQ Young Adult
Format: Digital
Publication Date: March 31st, 2020
Goodreads//Amazon
Rating: 4.7//5

Sequels and endings to books are always iffy – but Kagawa’s Shadow of The Fox has an amazing way of getting better and better with each book.

Night of the Dragon has Yumeko and the gang traveling to the Moon Islands to stop Genno once and for all.

This is a very fast paced book, our band of unlikely hero’s is constantly in danger, and it’s exciting, almost non stop action until the very end.

Y’all know I like to talk characters first, so lets get into it.

Yumeko and Tatsumi – I LOVE these two. Between their feelings for each other (and that super slow burn romance), their belief in each other, and how much they grow together, they are just amazing. I love how Tatsumi finds the courage to still believe in himself, even though he’s now half demon. And Yumeko finds strength and power through her kitsune magic, proving herself to be awesome and badass despite fox magic being known for just trickery.

Okame and Daisuke – the ronin and the noble, these guys are GOALS. Both badass warriors in their own right, and their love for one another is everything. I love how unconditionally they are there for each other, despite the fact that they come from completely different backgrounds. They’re so perfect up until the very end, and I love them.

Reika – Reika doesn’t stand out as much as some of the other characters, but she’s just as important. I really like Reika’s form of magic – the words written on scrolls, and what she’s capable of. She’s amazing.

Suki – SUKI. I adore her, I feel bad for her, I grieve for her. Suki goes through so much in this book, her ghost life is more traumatic than her human life, and I was here for it.

Now, the plot of this book could only go one way – the gang gets to the Moon Islands in time, and defeats Genno.

BUT there’s so much more going on. There’s death, and excitement on the Moon Islands. There’s unexpected reunions, more deaths, unexpected villains, more demons, and just a bunch of “holy shit” moments.

And with those “holy shit” moments BOY WAS THERE A LOT OF THEM. I kept thinking the story was coming to an end, everything was getting wrapped up and then BAM, there’s more danger, or the previous danger wasn’t over yet, or there’s an unexpected giant twist. There were so many times that I was just blown away by how well the twists were written into the plot, and how nothing actually went the way I thought it was going too.

There were also plenty of times that I teared up – I love when author’s aren’t afraid to kill of some characters or have horrible tragedy befall them – and I think when Kagawa wrote these sorts of moments, she did it really really well. Every sacrifice that a character had to make, no matter how minor the moment or the character was, was absolutely crucial to the plot and made you really feel how strenuous this journey was for everyone involved. It was magical, thought provoking, and just amazingly well written.

Then there’s the ending. I love how this book wraps up. There were so many emotions going through my head just in the last five pages, and I don’t think I could’ve asked for a more perfect ending for Yumeko’s story. The little naive fox girl changes in so many ways throughout this journey, and I loved every moment of watching that growth.

Night of the Dragon is truly a spectacular book, as is the Shadow of The Fox series as a whole. And I cannot wait for what Julie Kagawa writes next.

Night of The Dragon is on sale TOMORROW. And in my opinion, you should definitely go get a copy. (or stay safe indoors and order a copy for delivery/curbside pickup from your local indie store)

Thank you NetGalley for the Digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.