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Night of the Dragon: Shadow of the Fox, Book 3
By Carrie R. Wheadon,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Overstuffed finale has lots of blood, sacrifice, and heart.
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What's the Story?
In NIGHT OF THE DRAGON: SHADOW OF THE FOX, BOOK 3, all the pieces of the summoning scroll are gone, taken by Genno to the islands of the Moon Clan Territory for the ceremony. Yumeko, Tatsumi, Reika, Taiyo Daisuke, and Okame must stop the summoning of the dragon-god in a week or Genno will destroy the world with his one granted wish. They travel to the coast to find a ship outside villages and in darkness because of Tatsumi. He shares not just his sword but his body as well with the demon Hakaimono -- his horns and glowing eyes would cause a panic. But they find that panic has arrived at the coast before them. A village is beset by an army of the dead controlled by powerful blood magic meant to stop them from ever reaching the Moon Clan territory.
Is It Any Good?
This trilogy finale is overstuffed with epic battles, demons, bloody beheadings, more demons, nearly unstoppable magical villains, and drawn-out painful and honorable deaths. And don't forget the gigantic dragon-god. It's a lot. Plus the one day to save everything starts midway through the book, not in the last third when you would expect the climactic action to ramp up. Still, it's a nail-biter and it's full of the kind of magical misdirection the half-fox main character is known for.
There's real heart in Night of the Dragon, too, with Yumeko and Tatsumi's romance, the noble and ronin's relationship, and Yumeko's discovery of her lost family. Get the tissues handy because there are some sad goodbyes mixed in with all the fighting. The story's connection to the spirit world makes them even more poignant. There's lots to love about this whole series and fans will enjoy this epic finish.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about all the violence in Night of the Dragon. After so many demon heads roll, do you feel desensitized to the battle scenes? Is it ever too much?
There are demons in a lot of fantasy books (the Mortal Instruments series and the Summoner series for starters). How are the demons from Jigoku different from demons you read about in other stories?
Would you read more from the world of Shadow of the Fox? What character would you like to follow?
Book Details
- Author: Julie Kagawa
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy , Princesses, Fairies, Mermaids, and More , Adventures , Friendship , Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires , Ocean Creatures
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Inkyard Press
- Publication date: March 31, 2020
- Number of pages: 368
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: September 25, 2020
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Where to Read
Our Editors Recommend
Romantic Fantasy Books for Teens
Books with Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander Characters
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