Seven Deadly Shadows by Courtney Alameda, Valynne E. Maetani

Seven Deadly Shadows

by Courtney Alameda and Valynne E. Maetani

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?

Reviewed by Veronica 🦦 on

4 of 5 stars

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B+ | Simply put? This book is a fun, immersive, and easy read. Kira is a believable teenage protagonist who struggles with school, bullies, and family drama along with the supernatural drama she’s entangled in. The plot is interesting, but predictable. There is romance, but it doesn’t overpower the plot or Kira’s struggles which I am absolutely thankful to see. Still, while I enjoyed this book, I don’t believe it reached its fullest potential which was disappointing. I would definitely give this book a shot, especially if you were once super into manga/anime, too.

Read my full review on my blog, moon & coffee.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 30 December, 2019: Finished reading
  • 30 December, 2019: Reviewed