Shadow of the Fox by Julia Kagawa Blog Tour

Shadow of The Fox is the first book in a brand new series from New York Times Bestselling YA author Julia Kagawa. An amazing and compelling fantasy tale infused with Japanese Folktale and legend. Blending the tale of a demon hunting samuri; Tatsumi a member of the mysterious and secretive Shadow clan and a young kitsune girl raised by monks. I was enthralled by this page turning tale, with demons, ghosts, warriors and royalty all caught up in the search for an ancient scroll which is hunted down every thousand years, for the holder of the scroll will have the power to call the great Kami Dragon. It is a time of upheaval and change and Yumeko is thrust out of her ordinary life forced to take on a great challenge and to trust a boy she knows to be a killer. Tatsumi is forced to make an alliance with a girl he believes beneath him, but they both have a lot of living and learning to do. I highly recommend this wonderful story and can't wait for book two.

Julie was kind enough to answer some questions about her research and her inspiration




Q1 Shadow of the Fox is the first book in a new series. Did you have to do a huge amount of research into Japanese mythology and folktale before your started?


A bit, but much of my research in Japanese mythology comes from years of watching anime and reading manga. In anime, especially, you see a few special creatures pop up time and time again: kitsune, oni, kappa, tengu, tanuki. The beautiful, silver haired kitsune boy is such a popular figure nowadays, I can name at least five anime that features one.

Q2. You have used myth and folktale in your writing before, is it a constant draw for you? Do you have any favourites from around the world?


Yes, I love myth and legends. No matter where they're from, be it European fae, Norse gods, or Japanese yokai, I love all mythological creatures. Though my favorites would have to be dragons (any variety) and kitsune.


Q3. What is your writing process like do you outline and plan in detail? Any advice for beginner writers?


My daily goal is to write at least 1,000 words. I'm not a very heavy planner; most of my ideas come to me as I write, though I do have to have an ending in mind before I can get started. My advice for beginning writers is just to sit down and write. Think of it as a skill that you have to practice to get better at, and just keep writing.

Q4. Do you have a favourite character that you found more fun/ easier to write? Do you have a favourite character from all of your books?


Yumeko was quite fun to write, as she is very innocent and naive to the world, but also a bit of a prankster due to her kitsune nature. But I think my favorite character from all my works would be Ash, as he was my first broody bad boy love interest, he went through so much, and I still have a special place in my heart for him.


Q5. What are your biggest influences? TV/Movies and especially books. what stories do you revisit? or find solace in?


A lot of anime and video games were huge influences for me. Anime like Inuyasha, Princess Mononoke, Gundam Wing, and my favorite, Fushigi Yugi, had brilliant characters and beautiful storylines, and made me want to write like them. Video games are where a lot of my inspiration comes from, and a few that were hugely influential to my writing were the Final Fantasy series, Assassin's Creed, Elder Scrolls, Dragon Age and Kingdom Hearts, though the list goes on.

Thanks so much to Nina Douglas and HQ for a copy of the book and to Julie for answering my questions.