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.
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I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review
My Rating: 4 Stars
This was SUCH an anticipated read of mine! While Shadow of the Fox was a bit slow for my taste, the world Kagawa created was rich, inviting and certainly intriguing. I hoped that the first book was a great set up for the second book, and I was right!
Soul of the Sword picks up right where the first book left off and the knot in the pit of my gut never really disappeared. This book was stressful! It was also incredibly well done. While I missed a lot of Yumeko and Tatsumi time, the overall group dynamic that developed became one of my favorite things about the series overall. Fortunately, there is also a new romance introduced. While it seemed a bit out of nowhere for me at first, the couple grew on me over time. Honestly, it has gotten to the point where I am so attached to all of the characters that I don’t know how I’ll react if anything happens to them in the end.
The plot, while still a bit slow, was much faster paced than Shadow of the Fox and this was a much quicker read for me overall. Things are well set up for the next and final book and I can’t wait to see what happens! If you’re looking for an Asian inspired fantasy with relatable characters, a unique plot, and beautiful world building, this is absolutely one to pick up!
As The Book Ends 