A Black and Solemn Silence (Color by Numbers, #1)

by Danielle Thompson

[bamxo]

I received an ARC of this book through booksprout.

I absolutely adored this book. I've been searching for an animal based fantasy book for a while. I just so happen to LOVE kitsune and foxes. So this ticked those boxes perfectly.

The initial build up of the story had me binge reading through the night, I was hooked from the moment a farm girl had a gun and shot a demon fox.

I love the complexity of the characters, Jaden feels like what I've always read a kitsune to be, dark mischievous, bad. He spends the entirety of the story living up to my perceived notions.
But Kuro, was sweet and innocent, but guilty by association thanks to his bond with Jaden. He reminded me a little personality wise of a more sophisticated, yet demonically troubled Todd from the fox and the hound.

Throughout the book, it was a balance of the 2 spiritfoxes, as one became more detached and off the rails, drawn to the chaos of harming humans, the other became more stable and in control of himself, and finding himself drawn to a human for a better purpose. Caring. Feeling.

It was such a beautiful thing to see develop, the uncertainty, the confusion and doubts within a soul displayed, transforming to want, desire and trust.
I look forward to seeing what comes next for the characters.

The story was beautifully written, and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series, hoping for book 2's release soon, I'm not sure if MY soul can take a long wait.

Plus.. that cliffhanger, Its going to eat me alive not knowing what's happening next.

Gonna recommend this one, it's got some mysterious, intriguing, fantasy, shifty serial killery, murdery, villainy, slow burn romancey stuff going on.
What more could a girl ask for?

5* solid shiftery stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐