Shadow of the Fox

I'm going to keep this short, but the book "Shadow of the Fox" is incredible. It is told fluently and beautifuly and to this day remains my second most favorite book I have ever read, the other being "The Starlight Crystal" by Christopher Pike. Buy this book!

It is easy on the eyes and kids will like stories about magic and animals. Kids understand the moral better when it involves a hairy animal.

Shadow of the Fox is a good story about a samurai named, Shino. Shino whom did not want to obey the lords orders, which were to kill the people and raid their homes. He met a beautiful lady who helped him gain back his strength after he suffered a cut to the arm, he quickly fell in love with her and soon enough they got married. He recievied a wedding gift from her, it was a red robe with a dragon that had a vauable stone for the eye; he overhears the village people talking one day about how the king had lost a red robe with a dragon on it that had a vauable stone for the eye, they think a fox did it. He then gets very suspicious. This book was like no other that I have read. It was actually good, it was simple to read and had a good plot. It was not at all a story that would put you to sleep. I thought it was a great book and worth buying for a child perhaps but probably not any one older or who does not like to read books that are rather short and easy to read, but I do recomend checking this book out. A favorite quote of mine form out of the book has got to be one found on page: 80. "I don't know," I admitted. "I think she is killing me. But I don't want to harm her. She once saved my life. I'm in her debt." I like this quote because he truly does love her even if she does have these powers. When she is a fox she is a white fox, which means that she is probably connected to the rice god, Inari. And goes on to tell about how they plan to talk her into praying to Inari for help to try and turn her into a normal woman, if the spell works she will become his beautiful loving wife, and nothing more; but if it fails she will die. Although i thought this was a great book it does have a drawback of being a quite predictable. I do think that this is a book for most people but is more focused toward young children who like action, fiction, and small bit of fantasy.

I read this one because I loved "Fangs of Evil" -- and I wasn't disappointed. If anything, it's even better. Ms. Steiber retells old Japanese "fox-wife" legends beautifully and captures the flavor of old Japan equally beautifully. Kids love her work for its spooky suspence, adults like me love her work for its gorgeous use of folk lore. Apparently she has published magical stories for adults in the anthologies RUBY SLIPPERS GOLDEN TEARS and THE ARMLESS MAIDEN -- I'm going to try those next. I wish this writer was writing more folk lore stories and fewer X-file books -- but I guess maybe you have to pay the rent somehow.