Seven Deadly Shadows
This thrilling YA retelling of Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai features a girl tasked with saving the world from eternal darkness. Perfect for fans of Six of Crows and Marie Lu.
Seventeen-year-old Kira Fujikawa has never had it easy. She’s bullied by the popular girls in school. Her parents ignore her. And she’s also plagued with a secret: She can see yokai, the ghosts and demons that haunt the streets of Kyoto.
But things accelerate from bad to worse when she learns that Shuten-doji, the demon king, will rise at the next blood moon to hunt down an ancient relic and bring the world to a catastrophic end.
Not exactly skilled at fighting anything, much less the dead, Kira enlists the aid of seven powerful death gods to help her slay Shuten-doji. They include Shiro, a kitsune with boy-band looks who is more flirtatious than helpful, and O-bei, a regal demon courtier with reasons of her own for getting involved.
As the confrontation with Shuten-doji draws nearer, the fate of Japan hangs in the balance. Can Kira save humankind? Or will the demon king succeed in bringing eternal darkness upon the world?
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Community Reviews
What a fantastic novel. This novel shows an appreciation of Japanese culture and folklore, showcasing a strong sense of identity when it comes to bringing to life the fantasy aspect of the novel. It has a great imagination and the way it brings to life the demons and otherworldly beings is fun and captivating. There is such a range of characters, each one more different than the rest, and they create this perfect blend of culture through the ages.
The shinigami are such an interesting facet of this novel. Here are seven banded together to prevent the demon lord, Shuten-Doji, from coming into the world and destroying it. The authors brought some inspiration from the classic Seven Samurai. Kira is a priestess who has to enlist their help in finding a priceless artifact that would lead to the demise of the demon lord and if not, then their help in defeating him and sending him back.
It is such a captivating tale. Kira is a formidable character, not bland, but rather quiet as the story begins. She feels unloved by her parents, at home at the shrine with her grandfather, and at peace with her gift to see the otherworldly creatures, at peace with her place as a high priestess. However, there is much pressure for her to be the perfect daughter with the perfect grades, to keep quiet. However, after the attack, Kira begins to break out of her shell. Throughout the story, she grows stronger, both physically and mentally. Kira begins to believe in her place at the shrine and make peace with her parents. Kira begins to believe in herself and her place in the world and it makes for such a great journey because her change reflects the narrative in the tone of the story that changes alongside her.
The shinigami are also interesting characters because they are all different. They have different personalities and goals; some are somber, while others are humble and gentle, while others are snarky and entertaining. They provide a great balance in the story as it progresses to tell the story.
Seven Deadly Shadows is an excellent novel because the authors not only showcase appreciation for the culture they are writing about; they honor it with beautiful detail and compelling character development and dynamics. (★★★★☆)
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