Read Along – Soul of the Sword by Julie Kagawa Part I

**Disclaimer: There are spoilers ahead if you have not read the first book in this series, Shadow of the Fox.**

Title Soul of the Sword

Author Julie Kagawa

Section Covered Part I (Chapters 1-12)

Description

One thousand years ago, a wish was made and a sword of rage and lightning was forged. Kamigoroshi. The Godslayer. A weapon powerful enough to seal away the formidable demon Hakaimono.

Now he has broken free.

Kitsune shapeshifter Yumeko has one task: to take her piece of the ancient and powerful Scroll of a Thousand Prayers 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. But she has a new enemy now, more dangerous than any she has yet faced. The demon Hakaimono is free at last, and he has possessed the very person Yumeko trusted to protect her from the evil at her heels, Kage Tatsumi of the Shadow Clan.

Hakaimono has only one goal: to break the curse of the sword and set himself free to rain chaos and destruction over the land forevermore. To do so, he will need the scroll. And Yumeko is the only one standing in his way.

Initial Thoughts

I was so excited to read this book.  I preordered it basically the minute I finished Shadow of the Fox because I loved the story so much.  And, since that book ended on a cliffhanger, I was pretty desperate to see where Julie Kagawa was going to take the story.

Luckily, I was chosen on NetGalley a few weeks before this book was published so I started before my physical copy arrived at my house.

Favorite Character

Is it totally crazy that I actually like the chapters narrated by Hakaimono??  While I miss Tatsumi’s narration (and his character in general), I don’t hate his replacement.  Although he’s a villain, it’s like watching a child having a tantrum when he doesn’t get what he wants and I find it quite entertaining.  He also adds a lot of humor to the story through his arrogance and his issues with being a demon trapped in a human sized body.

Honorable mention goes to my original favorite, Okame.  His story just gets better and better.  I am a huge fan of his bromance with Daisuke and whose dream was that right at the end of Part I??

Writing Style

I love the alternating POV style that Julie Kagawa uses for this series.  In Shadow of the Fox, the main narrators were Yumeko and Tatsumi.  So, I like the change of pace for Soul of the Sword.  In this book, we have more chapters told from random POVs from minor characters as well as Hakaimono’s viewpoint has replaced Tatsumi’s (for now, I assume).  Yes, I want to believe the team will sucessfully rescue Tatsumi.

Hopes for Part II

More from the White Fox.  I want full back story, more dreamwalking, and I want him to reveal who he is to Yumeko.  He can’t just be another random Kitsune.

THE DREAM!  I need to know who’s dream that was and I want to see more of whatever is going on with Okame and Daisuke.

Yumeko needs to make a few realizations.  She says she doesn’t love Tatsumi and then she basically goes on to describe love.  She says she’d do anything, including giving her own life, to save him.  If that’s not love, I don’t know what is.  She needs to connect some dots in her own head and realize why she wants to save him so badly.