This series has always been about horror, the grotesque, the pitfalls of humanity; but it has also been about friendship, standing up for your beliefs, acceptance, overcoming adversity, and overcoming impossible odds. There is a lot of darkness, but as we journey with Yumeko we also experience small, but mighty, moments of hope. Yumeko has grown from a timid, self hating fox, to a powerful, confident yokai. She is no longer scared of herself, she embraces who she is and who she can become (being a kitsune does not mean she is bad). Her ability to love, to trust, to forgive and to find the good in everyone is why even an Oni demon can find himself gaining emotions. The complexity of Tatsumi and Hakaimono's connection was so intriguing. This sharing of souls helped drive the plot, but also created such a dynamic love triangle/story element. How could the reader forgive, and even grow to accept/like, this awful, murdering demon from the second novel? I cannot really say how, small moments and the changes Tatsumi's pure soul force onto Hakaimono make him somehow better, more palatable. Reika, Okame, Daisuke, and Suki are outstanding side characters, who you grow so fond of and love so much. The entire novel I was on the edge of my seat, because this is the kind of book that does not promise a happy ending (which makes the book so much more authentic and enjoyable, but also makes for some very emotional, heart-wrenching moments). The only issue I had was some of the repetitive lines and moments. There were some points where I was so frustrated, but I knew the story went beyond those couple annoyances, so I could sweep past them. This series was stellar. There were twists and turns I did not see coming. I learned so much about Japanese folk lore and spent a lot of time looking up and reading about different demons, Oni, Kami, etc. I loved learning about all of this, and I am going to look for more books that feature Japanese mythology. I especially loved how dark and ominous all three of the novels were. Highly recommend!
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