Shadow of the Fox

Scattered across Iwagoto are three pieces of an ancient scroll that, once per millennium, can be used to summon a wish-granting dragon. When prophets predict the creature’s imminent return, Lady Satomi and her rival, Shadow Clan ruler Lady Hanshou, decide to attempt the document’s reassembly. Lady Satomi sends an army of demons to steal the first scrap from the monks at the Silent Winds temple, but their ward—a 16-year-old kitsune (human-fox hybrid) named Yumeko—manages to secure the treasure and flee. While searching for the temple that houses the second fragment, Yumeko encounters 17-year-old Tatsumi, a sword-toting Shadow Clan warrior dispatched by Lady Hanshou. Yumeko tricks Tatsumi into joining her quest, certain she’ll need protection but unsure what she’ll do when they reach their destination. Japanese folklore features heavily in this imaginative but uneven series opener from Kagawa (Inferno). A complicated setup slows the start, and although abundant action ensues, characters more closely resemble archetypes than flesh-and-blood beings. Ages 12–up. Agent: Laurie McLean, Fuse Literary. [em](Oct.) [/em]