Fox Snare

4.5 stars It's been a long ride, but it's been worth it! The first book followed Min, a fox spirit who keeps herself hidden as she ventures out to try clearing her brother's name. Foxes are looked upon with suspicion because they are shapeshifters, and there have been some notorious ones in the past that means people automatically think they're untrustworthy. Thus, her family have always kept a low profile and most outsiders have no idea that a fox family lives in their midst. The second book focused on Sebin, although Min was definitely part of the story. Sebin is a tiger for whom honor is more important than anything else. The only thing he has ever wanted was to become a ship's captain, just like his hero uncle. When his uncle is declared a traitor for going after the Dragon Pearl, he joins the Space Forces to try clearing his name. Min is in this story as the assistant to the lead investigator and eventually they have to work together to figure out what's really going on. In this book, Min is now officially recognized as the bearer of the Dragon Pearl, and Sebin is part of the Thousand Worlds space forces. The story begins with a diplomatic mission between the Thousand Worlds and the Sun Clans at a much-disputed planet, not because of its resources (it is a wild and dangerous planet), but because of its strategic position. They are hoping that if Min uses the Dragon Pearl to terraform this most inhospitable planet into a place of paradise, the two worlds can work together to forge a peace that will benefit everyone. As you can imagine, things do not go according to plan and it's up to Min and her friends to save the universe. This story did a great job of pulling together all the pieces from the first two books and adding additional plotlines. I thought the author did a great job of introducing conflict amongst the friends as they haven't seen each other since the events of the second book, and they never had a chance to talk about what happened together. Each has gone down their own path, and they now have to decide whether they still trust each other. Of course, there are external forces, but that's what makes it all so interesting. Overall, this was a wonderful conclusion to the trilogy. I didn't have the audiobook for this one, but I'm kind of glad I didn't--the chapters alternated between Sebin and Min, so it was helpful for me to have the chapter headings and figure out whose point of view I was in. In any case, I found it helpful to have those chapter headings. I highly recommend this trilogy and love how the author incorporated Korean mythology into futuristic science fiction. Overall, very well done! I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Fox Snare is the third book in the Thousand Worlds series, which puts traditional Korean mythology in a futuristic setting. Fox Snare picks up where the previous volume, Tige Honor, leaves off, but shifts much of the focus from Juhwang Sebin, tiger shifter, back to Min, the primary character of the first volume, Dragon Pearl, who is a fox shifter. Min and Sebin are both cadets on a military vessel, with all the formality and tradition of any Asian culture. They have been parted by their various duties, but are brought back together when they once again serve on the same vessel, as part of a diplomatic mission to attempt peace with their enemies, the Sun Culture. But a saboteur explodes the space station the peace talks are taking place on, and their mission of peace becomes a frantic attempt to survive. As with the previous volume, I greatly enjoy this novel with a basis in the mythology of various cultures, and this was no exception; the intertwining of Korean mythology with a futuristic space adventure was very well done. While there are non-binary characters in this story (Sebin is one), there are not, as there were in the previous volume, so many that the constant use of "they" as a pronoun is confusing; rather, the non-binary usage is done in so matter-of-fact a manner that it could go unnoticed; having been confused by the proliferation of "they" in the previous novel, this change was welcome, and made the book more readable. Recommended for readers ages middle school to adults. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A Fox Snare book review was bound to be bittersweet because we must say goodbye to Min, Sebin, Haneul, and Jun now that the Thousand Worlds series by Yoon Ha Lee has concluded. The book gives us POV chapters from both Min, star of Dragon Pearl, and Sebin, star of Tiger Honor, building off of the events of both stories. Fox Snare follows this trio (plus Min’s ghostly brother Jun) as they become part of the peace talks between the Thousand Worlds and the Sun Clans, who have been at odds for generations. Yoon Ha Lee manages to boil complicated dichotomies down into their simplest parts without losing the nuance found on both sides. Not only do these characters have to contend with a conflict that's been going on for generations, but they must navigate the political implications of their involvement, as well as difficult conversations about who most "deserves" to receive the magic of the Dragon Council. After everything these characters have been through, I feel as though they got the conclusion they deserved, which was both satisfactory and open-ended. It’s my sincere hope that we’ll get more stories set in the Thousand Worlds universe, as I still have so many questions, but if Fox Snare is truly the end, it’s one that managed to find exactly the right note to finish on. From start to finish, the Thousand Worlds series has been a unique blend of Korean mythology and science-fiction, set in a vast and colorful world that’s approachable for both kids and adults.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. This was a good sequel to the first book. The story did get a tad confusing trying to figure out who was speaking in each chapter. I sometimes had to go back to the start of the chapter to figure out which character was talking. I like than Min realizes that there are both good and bad people in the world; even if both characters have the same traits.