Note: The title of this book has been translated into English by me for the reading comprehension of this blog's viewers as the book itself isn't available in English (yet). The original title reads Foxfighter #1: Angriff des Schattens.
First book in this series? Sure, let's take a look. Spoilers ahead.
Finn is a recently rewilded fox who gets released into the forest. Here, he figures out he has special powers: his pelt can shimmer and he can talk to other species of animal, a skill no other fox seems to possess. He meets up with a vixen named Fabelfell and joins her skulk. Here, he will have to work hard for his approval and learn the meaning of his powers. When the skulk is attacked, it is up to Finn to save the skulk's chief.
Overall I'd say this is a solid first installment. Nothing fancy, but it does its job well enough and got me decently engaged into the story.
I will definitely praise it for some creative world-building and a good use of low fantasy in an otherwise pretty grounded world. This book is kinda on the same level as Warriors, but with maybe a tad more fantastical elements. But it also never goes all-out, you can still tell that this book is supposed to be set in our world with some slight magical elements.
I also like some of the characters. Finn is a neat protagonist, he has flaws but you do want to see him succeed and learn more about his roots. I also quite liked some of the side characters like Narbenpfote, Kralle (the villain) and Mondauge.
As for Fabelfell...with her I was kinda frustrated. Is she a terrible character? No, don't get me wrong, she's a decently likable character and does her job as deuteragonist who always backs up Finn well enough. But my main issue is that...that's kinda all she is. Finn's backup crew and best friend. The issue is that she's our only major female character of the entire book (there are a few others named but they're not relevant), yet pretty much her only job is to be an accessory to Finn. She just feels like a generic and bland nice best friend type of character. But she doesn't seem to have that much going on outside of being Finn's friend/Mondauge's daughter/Kralle's brother. Her only other trait and what sets her apart is that she tells stories. But I don't think we should have our only female character be this bland and have her be only defined by her relations to the male characters.
Again, I want to clarify, I don't dislike Fabelfell. She is nice, she is likable, she is a major character. But I feel that she's underutilized and should've stood on her own more, especially since she's our only female character of note. It feels a bit lame to see all these interesting and rounded male characters, and then Fabelfell is just kinda the "generic best friend" trope. So she could've been written better, and I think she deserved better. Especially since there's pretty much no other relevant female characters in this story. She's not the worst case of this I've ever seen in a xenofiction, don't get me wrong, but she also could've been better. Aside from her being a storyteller (which is only relevant a few times across the entire story) there's just not a lot to this character that isn't directly connected to the other male characters.
The book also uses the trope of animals talking to humans which I'm just usually not too fond of, it's a bit overutilized in xenofiction if you ask me. I didn't hate Finn's human friend, Robin, or anything, but similarly to Fabelfell he just felt a bit generic and didn't have a lot to him other than "is Finn's human friend".
I also think the plot didn't hook me as much as it could've. It was definitely interesting enough, don't get me wrong, I never really wanted to put the book down or anything. But I don't know, I couldn't get into the story quite as much as I'd have liked.
I also thought the pacing was a bit slow in the final third. Basically, during this part of the book Fabelfell's father (and chief of the skulk) Mondauge got bitten by the evil Shadow Wolf and is dying. And while the story keeps telling us that it's very important important he gets help as soon as possible or he'll die, the story really feels like it drags in this part. It basically becomes a quest for Finn and Fabelfell to find Robin (the human boy) so he can help Mondauge with his human knowledge, but at times with how the characters are acting I feel like there should've been a more rushed pace here.
Not that I want the book to be over quick or anything, but you have to consider that while Finn and Fabelfell are going on this quest and sometimes what feels like lingering a bit, Mondauge is getting worse and can die at any second. I'm not saying that there was no urgency during the last third or so, but there was still more dillydallying than I would've liked to see. At least not without consequences. Had the story ended with Robin being too late to save Mondauge, that would've at least been realistic. But now it feels like the story takes its time for Finn and Fabelfell to find Robin, and for the trio to return, yet Mondauge still somehow miraculously didn't die and makes a successful recovery.
Overall, I would call this a good book. But I do also have some issues with it, namely Fabelfell and Robin not being very deep characters (especially considering how important they are to the story), the plot not fully hooking me and the pace in the last third where urgency feels lacking. I do recommend one picks up this series if they like foxes, fantasy and/or xenofiction, though!
Rating: 3.5/5
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