Author: Julie Kagawa
Series: Shadow of the Fox #3
Publisher: HQ Young Adult
Released: March 31^st, 2020
Received: Review Request
Warnings: Graphic injuries, character death
Rating:

I received a copy of Night of the Dragon in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Night of the Dragon is the third, and final, novel in Julie Kagawa’s Shadow of the Fox Trilogy. That means that everything is about to come to a head in the most dramatic and emotional of ways possible.

Last we saw, Yumeko was forced to give up the part of the sacred scroll she was protecting. A scroll that she had successfully kept safe for two entire novels. Now, she, alongside the rest of her companions, is determined to get it back. More than that, they’re going to stop the Master of Demons from summoning the Great Kami dragon – something that would surely alter the world they all know for the worse.

“’I trust you,’ Yumeko said very quietly. ‘Even if you’re not the same, I saw your soul that night. I know you won’t betray us.’”

Oh my goodness, is this really the end of the Shadow of the Fox Trilogy? Say it isn’t so. I’ll admit that I got into this series rather late in the game, but I fell in love with it from that very first moment I started reading. Now, it’s all over. I’m sad to see it go, even while I feel extremely satisfied to know how it concludes.

Night of the Dragon is the emotional and powerful finale to an epic series. Yumeko’s journey (alongside her friends and allies) is harrowing, beautiful, and intensely fascinating. That holds true for the final novel as well.

Honestly, this is one of those novels that you’re going to want to set aside a block of time to read. You’re not going to want to put it down. At least, I didn’t want to. I read it all in one go, and I have no regrets about it. It was that much of a whirlwind.

The events flow smoothly, one leading to the next so that there is no room for downtime or slowing down. Alongside that, it felt like the ante was consistently being upped, to the most dramatic of levels. It increased the scale significantly, which is impressive, given that the fate of the world already felt at stake.

Night of the Dragon was, at its core, a deeply personal tale. Yumeko, Kage Tatsumi, and all of their friends were human (well, yokai in Yumeko’s case) first. They had hopes, dreams, flaws, and reasons for being involved in this quest. It added so much impact to the tale, especially at the ending of it. I’m not ashamed to admit that I cried (a lot) when this book was over. And I have a feeling I’m not the only one.

This entire series has demanded emotional investment from the start, so I’m not exactly surprised by how moving the conclusion itself was. At the same time, I was still blown away by how it made me feel. This is an ending that made complete sense for the story, even while it hit me straight to the heart (as all good endings do).

While I’m sad to see this series end, I have no regrets. I’m glad I took the time to read them all, and am thrilled to have followed Julie Kagawa’s adventures. I’ll miss Yumeko and the rest, while looking forward to seeing what comes out next.