Scan barcode
enter_the_phantom's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
davinci10038's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
agatha_hopkins's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
marleythehobbit's review against another edition
5.0
EVEN BETTER THAN THE FIRST!!!!!!!!!!ANYONE AND EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS ( anyone and everyone between the ages of nine and thirteen ) !!!
frost_booksnbeatles's review against another edition
1.0
I literally have less than an hour left of the audiobook, but I couldn't take it anymore lol. So DNFing at about 85%. I remember enjoying the first book quite a lot, so I'm sad to say that this sequel was a disappointment.
aotora's review
1.0
I loved the first book. In fact, it was one of my favourite books I've read this year. I loved the characters, loved the magic and I loved the story. But then... this one came along.
As much as I loved the first one I hated this one. There were a few moments that I enjoyed- but they were few and far between and they couldn't redeem the book for me.
In the first book we meet Isla. Her family was killed off by a skulk of Mage's foxes (the Taken) - it was an interesting backstory, it gave her the motivation for fighting The mage - but then in this book - we have 3 more main characters... with the exact same backstory and it just became boring and repetitive and uninteresting really fast.
This book also introduced a lot of new characters that had the potential to be interesting and different... only for them to either disappear for the rest of the book soon after they were introduced or be killed off pages after they were introduced. And I feel like Mox was the worst one in my opinion. Mox was born prematurely and he looked like a cub even though he was an adult. He couldn't fight, he couldn't hunt but he was really smart- so I really thought that okay maybe Isla will either find a way to teach him foxcraft despite of his weaker state - especially because he really, really wants to go with them and learn - but then his aunts make him stay behind and he is killed off whilst Isla goes away with his siblings to teach them foxcraft. I was kind of expecting him to go with them and at least watch - it would be an interesting dynamic if they went to the journey to the Elders with him - like how would they keep him alive? If he died on the journey it would be so much better than him being killed off off screen when his entire skulk is either killed off either taken by the army - maybe the Elders could find a way to heal him, maybe the group could use his brains - I don't know, something would've been better than what we got.
Haiki's betrayal - nah I didn't feel this one. He gave no indication of ever being evil and him suddenly turning on Isla and the group revealing that he was evil all along and that he tricked them just felt so unearned and stupid, especially because he runs away never to be seen again in this book right after he leads the army to the rock. I know that he redeems himself in the last book - but I would more expect Siffrin to turn out to be the traitor than him because he gave no indication whatsoever that he was one until he suddenly was. I don't buy it and I hate the fact that they ruined his character this badly.
Foxcraft- I loved foxcraft in the first book but here.. Isla can just learn it super fast, break all the rules and not have any consequences. Like, the Elders specifically tell her that she shouldn't shape shift into a bird, she does anyways, she flies, falls down from pretty high up into the icy river but she somehow still gets out unharmed - yeah sure, of course she does. And she basically wastes all the maa the Elders gave her right away. She is also showing over and over throughout the entire book that she is immature and reckless and not ready so I am not sure why they decided to trust her with this magic at all.
All in all- I loved the first book, hated this one and I hope that the third book redeems the series for me because I love the idea and the lore so I am really looking forward to the third book and the wolves and the dynamic between wolves and foxes.
As much as I loved the first one I hated this one. There were a few moments that I enjoyed- but they were few and far between and they couldn't redeem the book for me.
In the first book we meet Isla. Her family was killed off by a skulk of Mage's foxes (the Taken) - it was an interesting backstory, it gave her the motivation for fighting The mage - but then in this book - we have 3 more main characters... with the exact same backstory and it just became boring and repetitive and uninteresting really fast.
This book also introduced a lot of new characters that had the potential to be interesting and different... only for them to either disappear for the rest of the book soon after they were introduced or be killed off pages after they were introduced. And I feel like Mox was the worst one in my opinion. Mox was born prematurely and he looked like a cub even though he was an adult. He couldn't fight, he couldn't hunt but he was really smart- so I really thought that okay maybe Isla will either find a way to teach him foxcraft despite of his weaker state - especially because he really, really wants to go with them and learn - but then his aunts make him stay behind and he is killed off whilst Isla goes away with his siblings to teach them foxcraft. I was kind of expecting him to go with them and at least watch - it would be an interesting dynamic if they went to the journey to the Elders with him - like how would they keep him alive? If he died on the journey it would be so much better than him being killed off off screen when his entire skulk is either killed off either taken by the army - maybe the Elders could find a way to heal him, maybe the group could use his brains - I don't know, something would've been better than what we got.
Haiki's betrayal - nah I didn't feel this one. He gave no indication of ever being evil and him suddenly turning on Isla and the group revealing that he was evil all along and that he tricked them just felt so unearned and stupid, especially because he runs away never to be seen again in this book right after he leads the army to the rock. I know that he redeems himself in the last book - but I would more expect Siffrin to turn out to be the traitor than him because he gave no indication whatsoever that he was one until he suddenly was. I don't buy it and I hate the fact that they ruined his character this badly.
Foxcraft- I loved foxcraft in the first book but here.. Isla can just learn it super fast, break all the rules and not have any consequences. Like, the Elders specifically tell her that she shouldn't shape shift into a bird, she does anyways, she flies, falls down from pretty high up into the icy river but she somehow still gets out unharmed - yeah sure, of course she does. And she basically wastes all the maa the Elders gave her right away. She is also showing over and over throughout the entire book that she is immature and reckless and not ready so I am not sure why they decided to trust her with this magic at all.
All in all- I loved the first book, hated this one and I hope that the third book redeems the series for me because I love the idea and the lore so I am really looking forward to the third book and the wolves and the dynamic between wolves and foxes.
katrina_ingram's review against another edition
3.5
Book 2 of this cute magical middle grade series. It tells the story of a fox who is looking for her brother and all the adventures she is having along the way. It has magic, new friendships and a few twists. I will be reading the last book soon to see what happens at the end
erebus53's review against another edition
4.0
The second book in the Foxcraft series finds our clever friend hooking up with a new travelling companion who has also lost family. As they voyage together to find the Elders, the keepers of the lore and masters of Foxcraft, the vicious forces of the Mage's Taken are continually nipping at their heels.
Recovering from a sense of betrayal, Isla chooses not to listen to the lessons of her Greatma or her own experience, instead wanting to get close to her new companion, Haiki. Sooner or later we may learn that foxes DO sometimes have friends after all (or maybe those are the ones that Become our Family). Is trusting no-one the safe plan, or does it just mean that you have no support network?
This book introduces the main character to various ways that groups survive. There is a discussion in this novel about the treatment of a disabled runt fox, and how his family supports him unreservedly.
Finding out about special fox powers, and engaging in de-escalation rather than open aggression are recurrent throughout all three books of the series. I'm glad that there is less fighting and more evading capture, as fight and battle scenes bore me to tears.
I was prepared to a twist at the end of this book and was not disappointed.
Recovering from a sense of betrayal, Isla chooses not to listen to the lessons of her Greatma or her own experience, instead wanting to get close to her new companion, Haiki. Sooner or later we may learn that foxes DO sometimes have friends after all (or maybe those are the ones that Become our Family). Is trusting no-one the safe plan, or does it just mean that you have no support network?
This book introduces the main character to various ways that groups survive. There is a discussion in this novel about the treatment of a disabled runt fox, and how his family supports him unreservedly.
Finding out about special fox powers, and engaging in de-escalation rather than open aggression are recurrent throughout all three books of the series. I'm glad that there is less fighting and more evading capture, as fight and battle scenes bore me to tears.
I was prepared to a twist at the end of this book and was not disappointed.
lilacwhisker's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This is my favorite triolgy of all time!! I love how the fantasy world is fromed and loved meeting The Elders finally.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, and Blood
critter's review against another edition
3.0
I love the covers of the Foxcraft books. They were done so beautifully. However, I found the content of this book to be kind of average in comparison to the first book. I love the magic and society that is built in this series, but we never get to see much of it. I would have loved this book if more time had been invested in developing and learning about foxcraft and the ways that the foxes live. Instead, this book felt very rushed, and I couldn't get invested in any of the characters or the world. The characters are also lacking in development and there just wasn't enough time invested in getting to know them in order for me to feel for what happened to them. I still enjoyed this book, but I just wanted more out of it. The concepts, magic, and characters are great, they just needed some more time for development and exploration.