Welcome friend! I didn’t realize until I picked up this book how much I had been craving animal gods after The Raven Scholar. Completely different, Audition for the Fox took me to a world of gods that I will be returning to as soon as my pre-ordered copy of the book arrives. Publication Day is today! Check out the synopsis below and read on for my review:
Martin Cahill | Goodreads
In this stellar debut fantasy, a trickster Fox god challenges an underachieving acolyte to save herself by saving her own ancestors. But are Nesi and her new friends from the past prepared to defeat the ferocious Wolfhounds of Zemin?
Nesi is desperate to earn the patronage of one of the Ninety-Nine Pillars of Heaven. As a child with godly blood in her, if she cannot earn a divine chaperone, she will never be allowed to leave her temple home. But with ninety-six failed auditions and few options left, Nesi makes a risky prayer to T’sidaan, the Fox of Tricks.
In folk tales, the Fox is a lovable prankster. But despite their humour and charm, T’sidaan, and their audition, is no joke. They throw Nesi back in time three hundred years, when her homeland is occupied by the brutal Wolfhounds of Zemin.
Now, Nesi must learn a trickster’s guile to snatch a fortress from the disgraced and exiled 100th Pillar: The Wolf of the Hunt.
Audition for the Fox – Book Review
The Ninety-Nine Pillars of Heaven are animal/bird gods who created and maintain the world. Audition for the Fox is the story of Nesi who has to be accepted as an acolyte by one of the Pillars and begin life anew. I came to love Nesi, her perseverance, and courage. She is not deterred by not being accepted by a Pillar. She believes she will find a place for herself, and that is what leads her to audition for T’sidaan, the Fox of Tricks. The Fox plunges her into history— three hundred years before her time— and asks her to make sure that there is a revolution.
At first, Nesi thinks it’s all a dream. How could she possibly be in the past? She knows how the occupation of her people by the Wolfhounds of Zemin ends. But her people are not yet who she knows them to be. Through suppression, brutal beatings, and recklessness, Nesi finally comes to accept her present and start working towards the task she has been given. She has the Fox on her side, and through this audition, she comes to understand the Pillar and their relationship with other Pillars well.
I loved her thinking and efforts. Though originally she wanted to go back to her own time, Nesi eventually makes peace with the task at hand and immerses herself in living where she is. The Fox may have sent her back in time, but survival is still her responsibility. They cannot resurrect the dead. Her naivety makes her known to the people, and eventually, she creates a seamless spy network.
Between Nesi’s story, there are folklores about the Pillars. They enriched my reading experience and helped me understand the Fox and the Pillars better. Through these stories, I got to know the origins of the Pillars and the things that have happened between them, their disagreements and personalities. The more I read, the longer I wanted to stay in this world. I already mentioned I am returning…
I enjoyed how the Pillars function together, their banter and jabs at each other, the adventures the Fox takes them on against their will sometimes (sorry, not sorry, Turtle), and the lessons the Fox teaches their family members (thank you, Stallion). The Fox may not have many followers, but it doesn’t need them. The Fox cares about people in general, and I loved seeing the many aspects of the Trickster god. Nesi’s visit back in time is no coincidence. The Fox and the Wolf share a brutal history, and the Fox has taken it upon themselves to oppose the Wolf every time he rises in power.
Audition for the Fox is a book unlike any I’ve read—it blends folklore, revolution, and the wit of a Trickster god into a story that is both moving and profound. I loved every moment in this world and can’t wait to return. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s interview, where Martin Cahill and I will be diving deeper into the Pillars. Many thanks to Kasey at Tachyon Publications for the review copy and interview opportunity!
Add this book to Goodreads or locate it at your local library, Libby, or bookstore.
Also check out: The Raven Scholar.
Thank you for reading my thoughts. 🙂
See you tomorrow!
Be First to Comment