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daphx00's review against another edition
4.0
Zoë's best so far, IMHO. I cannot wait to dive back into this world again already -- the wait for book 2 will be torture..
Full review to come.
Full review to come.
tiny_tink94's review against another edition
5.0
yet another great book by an equally great author, Zoe never ceases to surprise and amaze me with her stories and I will be reading the next book as soon as I can get my hands on it
eyreguide's review against another edition
4.0
I loved Shadows on the Moon - a fantasy retelling of Cinderella by Zoe Marriott, so I was really looking forward to getting into this urban fantasy tale with Japanese mythology. I didn't enjoy this book as much as Shadows on the Moon but this was still a great read!
This book has excellent world-building - I love the interweaving of Japanese culture with modern London and the parallel world with the Kitsune. It's a bit dark and bloody, but it captured both cultures so well I think. And the mystery behind the blade - the katana - is so intriguing as well. There's still more of the blade's story to reveal, but I liked that the katana has it's own agenda that is very mysterious. I think that sets up the main conflict of the book very well - I really want to know more.
I was very disappointed by the romance - there's an instalove aspect of it that does have a good reason, but the level of devotion so soon was really too much at times and just not that believable to me. I wish Mio was more level-headed in this aspect even if the object of her affection is a very nice and supportive romance lead. The friendship between Mio and Jack made up for this though, because I loved their banter and camaraderie! They were so fun together and I was so happy that Mio didn't forget about Jack once the strange things started happening to her. There's not enough great friendships in the YA books I read and I really love it when I come across one that feels believable and gives the main character a great person to bounce ideas off of.
There are many interesting elements to this book - it felt like a whirlwind of a story often with all the things that were after Mio and the katana and I think this is a great start to the series. The ending was particularly exciting - well there was one part that didn't feel believable, but I really have high hopes for this series!
This book has excellent world-building - I love the interweaving of Japanese culture with modern London and the parallel world with the Kitsune. It's a bit dark and bloody, but it captured both cultures so well I think. And the mystery behind the blade - the katana - is so intriguing as well. There's still more of the blade's story to reveal, but I liked that the katana has it's own agenda that is very mysterious. I think that sets up the main conflict of the book very well - I really want to know more.
I was very disappointed by the romance - there's an instalove aspect of it that does have a good reason, but the level of devotion so soon was really too much at times and just not that believable to me. I wish Mio was more level-headed in this aspect even if the object of her affection is a very nice and supportive romance lead. The friendship between Mio and Jack made up for this though, because I loved their banter and camaraderie! They were so fun together and I was so happy that Mio didn't forget about Jack once the strange things started happening to her. There's not enough great friendships in the YA books I read and I really love it when I come across one that feels believable and gives the main character a great person to bounce ideas off of.
There are many interesting elements to this book - it felt like a whirlwind of a story often with all the things that were after Mio and the katana and I think this is a great start to the series. The ending was particularly exciting - well there was one part that didn't feel believable, but I really have high hopes for this series!
pewterwolf's review against another edition
5.0
I am very honoured that Walker Books (aka the UK publisher) gave me a VERY early and VERY exclusive ARC of Zoe's latest book. Thank you!
I can't talk about the book (been asked not to) but I was given the OK to say I have read it. NOTHING MORE!
Review will be up nearer the publication date (or when I'm told it's ok!)
EDIT: 3rd June 2013
I CAN TALK TO YOU GUYS ABOUT THIS BOOK NOW! (aka Particular Review Taken From The Pewter Wolf)
When Mio steals her late grandfather's katana - a priceless sword that is meant to be keep hidden at all times - all she was doing was livening up her fancy dress costume. Not unleash an ancient evil, determined to get it from her at all cost, onto modern day London! And now, not only has Mio started to be stalked from creatures from mythical Japanese myths, she somehow unleashed a mysterious warrior that wants to save her and keep her safe. But Mio has to figure it out. Figure out the katana's strange powers. But lives are on the line, and she seems to be only one worthy enough to save them...
Am going to get straight to the point on this: I ADORE THIS BOOK!
I just fell for it, hook line and sinker. I kinda guess I would but I didn't expect I would so quickly and get so addictive over it till I did. There was one point I took this book out to my local coffee shop with my other half (he had his iPad). I got so sucked into the chapter I was reading, I didn't hear him ask me the same question several times before he had to poke me in the arm. That was how absorbed I was in this book and I don't think I've had that feeling with a book for quite a while. To vanish from the world.
As I read this back in April and several months have passed, I can't remember if I had any issues with this book, but OH! The Questions! I have questions which I hope will be answered in the next two books in the trilogy. And AT LAST, we see characters that the author didn't have to spell out the sexuality or skin ethnicity. She didn't have to use a sledgehammer and drum the point home! She treated her readers with respect and for that, Zoe, I thank you.
I thought while read it back in April (and still do now) that if you are a fan of [a:Cassandra Clare|150038|Cassandra Clare|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1270502031p2/150038.jpg]'s Mortal Instruments and/or Infernal Devices series, that you might want to check this book out. Just... trust me on this, ok?
PS - I'm sorry but whenever Mio thought of her katana as "Mine", I always imagined Gollum saying it in my head. Preciousssss....
I can't talk about the book (been asked not to) but I was given the OK to say I have read it. NOTHING MORE!
Review will be up nearer the publication date (or when I'm told it's ok!)
EDIT: 3rd June 2013
I CAN TALK TO YOU GUYS ABOUT THIS BOOK NOW! (aka Particular Review Taken From The Pewter Wolf)
When Mio steals her late grandfather's katana - a priceless sword that is meant to be keep hidden at all times - all she was doing was livening up her fancy dress costume. Not unleash an ancient evil, determined to get it from her at all cost, onto modern day London! And now, not only has Mio started to be stalked from creatures from mythical Japanese myths, she somehow unleashed a mysterious warrior that wants to save her and keep her safe. But Mio has to figure it out. Figure out the katana's strange powers. But lives are on the line, and she seems to be only one worthy enough to save them...
Am going to get straight to the point on this: I ADORE THIS BOOK!
I just fell for it, hook line and sinker. I kinda guess I would but I didn't expect I would so quickly and get so addictive over it till I did. There was one point I took this book out to my local coffee shop with my other half (he had his iPad). I got so sucked into the chapter I was reading, I didn't hear him ask me the same question several times before he had to poke me in the arm. That was how absorbed I was in this book and I don't think I've had that feeling with a book for quite a while. To vanish from the world.
As I read this back in April and several months have passed, I can't remember if I had any issues with this book, but OH! The Questions! I have questions which I hope will be answered in the next two books in the trilogy. And AT LAST, we see characters that the author didn't have to spell out the sexuality or skin ethnicity. She didn't have to use a sledgehammer and drum the point home! She treated her readers with respect and for that, Zoe, I thank you.
I thought while read it back in April (and still do now) that if you are a fan of [a:Cassandra Clare|150038|Cassandra Clare|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1270502031p2/150038.jpg]'s Mortal Instruments and/or Infernal Devices series, that you might want to check this book out. Just... trust me on this, ok?
PS - I'm sorry but whenever Mio thought of her katana as "Mine", I always imagined Gollum saying it in my head. Preciousssss....
heylancie's review against another edition
3.0
This review features spoilers!!
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ R E V I E W
< P O S I T I V E S > :
○ I did not dislike this book overall as much as I thought I would've, as I had got very bored at a certain point.
○ I liked the horror elements at the party and the café, and I think Jack and Shinobu's speech was easily differentiable from other characters.
○ I also liked the real world 'glitch' in the café scene, and Shinobu's 'invisible' dramatic irony scene.
< N E G A T I V E S > :
○ Medical conditions/disorders albinism and OCD are referred to in insulting or incorrect contexts. The usage of 'slanted' and 'almond' eye descriptions were iffy too.
○ A female character, Jacqueline, having the nickname 'Jack' was a bit confusing. Her being sapphic made this even more confusing.
○ A sapphic character was referred to as a 'perv' and 'traitor to feminism', presumably jokingly, by her best friend. I think, even if those things were said as a joke, they're still horrible things to say.
○ I felt like there was too many characters all of a sudden in the realm world. Additionally, I did not like the forced formality of the monarchy. Speaking of the monarchy, how did a character from England, the UK, written by an author also from England, the UK, make the very American mistake of saying 'Queen of England' when it's 'Queen of the United Kingdom'?
○ I was disappointed the book did not go back to the real world before the book ended. There was a bit of hype at the start about Mio's parents going on holiday, and later Mio was worried she would have to clean up the mess in her house before they returned, just for the book to end before her parents came home! My sister and I said there could've been a big clean-up scene in this book like the one in the second Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie.
< N E U T R A L > :
○ I'd heard the names Hiro and Hikaru before I read this book! Hiro, a character in the movie 'Big Hero Six', and Hikaru (I figured the name is gender-neutral) in the musical group Kep1er.
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ D E T A I L S
○ WRITTEN ON: A220523
TRANSCRIBED ON: A190623
○ HOURS TAKEN TO READ: 9 hours, 18 minutes
RATING: ☆ ☆ ☆
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ R E V I E W
< P O S I T I V E S > :
○ I did not dislike this book overall as much as I thought I would've, as I had got very bored at a certain point.
○ I liked the horror elements at the party and the café, and I think Jack and Shinobu's speech was easily differentiable from other characters.
○ I also liked the real world 'glitch' in the café scene, and Shinobu's 'invisible' dramatic irony scene.
< N E G A T I V E S > :
○ Medical conditions/disorders albinism and OCD are referred to in insulting or incorrect contexts. The usage of 'slanted' and 'almond' eye descriptions were iffy too.
○ A female character, Jacqueline, having the nickname 'Jack' was a bit confusing. Her being sapphic made this even more confusing.
○ A sapphic character was referred to as a 'perv' and 'traitor to feminism', presumably jokingly, by her best friend. I think, even if those things were said as a joke, they're still horrible things to say.
○ I felt like there was too many characters all of a sudden in the realm world. Additionally, I did not like the forced formality of the monarchy. Speaking of the monarchy, how did a character from England, the UK, written by an author also from England, the UK, make the very American mistake of saying 'Queen of England' when it's 'Queen of the United Kingdom'?
○ I was disappointed the book did not go back to the real world before the book ended. There was a bit of hype at the start about Mio's parents going on holiday, and later Mio was worried she would have to clean up the mess in her house before they returned, just for the book to end before her parents came home! My sister and I said there could've been a big clean-up scene in this book like the one in the second Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie.
< N E U T R A L > :
○ I'd heard the names Hiro and Hikaru before I read this book! Hiro, a character in the movie 'Big Hero Six', and Hikaru (I figured the name is gender-neutral) in the musical group Kep1er.
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ D E T A I L S
○ WRITTEN ON: A220523
TRANSCRIBED ON: A190623
○ HOURS TAKEN TO READ: 9 hours, 18 minutes
RATING: ☆ ☆ ☆
dynamicdylan's review against another edition
5.0
*breathes in* OH MY GOD!
*Exhales*
This book was so amazing. I cried. A tear fell down my face like in an anime series.
The world Zoe has created was simple, but beautiful. The Kitsune's morals alone were intriguing and awesome.
I loved the last thirty pages. One word: Epic.
The main character, Mio, is one of the strongest female leads since Katniss Everdeen, and of course her very own Suzume.
Read this book. I wanted the sequel yesterday!! No. Joke.
*Exhales*
This book was so amazing. I cried. A tear fell down my face like in an anime series.
The world Zoe has created was simple, but beautiful. The Kitsune's morals alone were intriguing and awesome.
I loved the last thirty pages. One word: Epic.
The main character, Mio, is one of the strongest female leads since Katniss Everdeen, and of course her very own Suzume.
Read this book. I wanted the sequel yesterday!! No. Joke.
papalbina's review against another edition
3.0
lately it appears i'm reading books i find difficult to rate after finished because i feel conflicted about what i liked about it and what i didn't like.
so let's try to find an average...
plot: 3 stars (because it's kind of cliché)
main female character: 3 stars (because she thought like a damsel in distress but acted like She-Ra)
main male character: 3 stars (because they always are hot and big and tall and nice and attentive and... blah blah blah)
love story: 2 stars (for insta-love, even if she tried to make sense of it)
mythology: 4 stars (because it's japanese and made sense —no like others cofcofInkcofcof—, i would have give 5 stars, if the bad guy wasn't an evil cat monster)
plot development: 4 stars (until they go to visit the kitsune) and 2 stars (afterwards, because it got toooooo weird) = 3 stars
character development: 2 stars ()
hikaru: 4 stars (♥ him, although he didn't make much sense xD)
total: 3 stars
at the end of this book i was left with a lot of unanswered questions, but i don't think i feel like looking for the answers in future books, much less after the cover redesign...
so let's try to find an average...
plot: 3 stars (because it's kind of cliché)
main female character: 3 stars (because she thought like a damsel in distress but acted like She-Ra)
main male character: 3 stars (because they always are hot and big and tall and nice and attentive and... blah blah blah)
love story: 2 stars (for insta-love, even if she tried to make sense of it)
mythology: 4 stars (because it's japanese and made sense —no like others cofcofInkcofcof—, i would have give 5 stars, if the bad guy wasn't an evil cat monster)
plot development: 4 stars (until they go to visit the kitsune) and 2 stars (afterwards, because it got toooooo weird) = 3 stars
character development: 2 stars (
Spoiler
WTF was that with Mio growing and becoming a japanese Wonder Woman because of the sword? Excuse me?hikaru: 4 stars (♥ him, although he didn't make much sense xD)
total: 3 stars
at the end of this book i was left with a lot of unanswered questions, but i don't think i feel like looking for the answers in future books, much less after the cover redesign...
saidtheraina's review against another edition
3.0
Written for another review source:
She thought she was just borrowing the katana from her parents’ attic for a costume. Little did she realize what she would awaken. Mio finds herself running from and then hunting down a Nekomata, or cat monster. Along the way, she is accompanied by her fishnets-wearing best friend, a swoony ancient guy, and a skulk of Kitsune. This quest has all the markers of a juicy romantic action movie. Mio and her friends battle mystical forces, climb magic and architectural wonders, and feel destined for each other in all the appropriate places. Anyone who enjoys the idea of Japanese mythology mashed with urban London will likely enjoy this pulpy adventure. Recommended for middle school and high school audiences.
:::
While I still raise my eyebrows at white writers making heavy use of topics not from their culture-of-origin, I appreciated the way Marriott addressed the one misstep I caught within this text (a description of the eyes of one of the characters).
I booktalked this to middle schoolers in my district in 2016, and used the scene in a coffee shop where a bunch of cats stalk our protagonist.
I took personal pleasure in the depiction of creepy cats. ;)
I also took personal pleasure in the epic climactic scene in a fantastic (real) building in London.
Like Like Like.
She thought she was just borrowing the katana from her parents’ attic for a costume. Little did she realize what she would awaken. Mio finds herself running from and then hunting down a Nekomata, or cat monster. Along the way, she is accompanied by her fishnets-wearing best friend, a swoony ancient guy, and a skulk of Kitsune. This quest has all the markers of a juicy romantic action movie. Mio and her friends battle mystical forces, climb magic and architectural wonders, and feel destined for each other in all the appropriate places. Anyone who enjoys the idea of Japanese mythology mashed with urban London will likely enjoy this pulpy adventure. Recommended for middle school and high school audiences.
:::
While I still raise my eyebrows at white writers making heavy use of topics not from their culture-of-origin, I appreciated the way Marriott addressed the one misstep I caught within this text (a description of the eyes of one of the characters).
I booktalked this to middle schoolers in my district in 2016, and used the scene in a coffee shop where a bunch of cats stalk our protagonist.
I took personal pleasure in the depiction of creepy cats. ;)
I also took personal pleasure in the epic climactic scene in a fantastic (real) building in London.
Like Like Like.
bungleboo's review against another edition
4.0
3.5*
I loved the Japanese mythology & that's what kept me reading & why I'll read the next book. The thing I love is that the 'swoon-worthy romance' isn't in your face & we learn it's a love story that has technically developed over years! Rather enjoyed the story & now passing on to a friend :)
I loved the Japanese mythology & that's what kept me reading & why I'll read the next book. The thing I love is that the 'swoon-worthy romance' isn't in your face & we learn it's a love story that has technically developed over years! Rather enjoyed the story & now passing on to a friend :)