This little myth-inspired fantasy is unlike anything I’ve read before. In Nesi’s world, there are ninety-nine animal totem gods, called Pillars of Heaven. She must earn her spot as an acolyte with one of the gods or be sequestered away in the temple for life. When we meet her, she has failed ninety-six out of ninety-nine auditions. So, she turns to the Pillar T’sidaan, the Fox of Tricks. Instead of a typical test, this audition sends her back three hundred years into the past–during a time in history when her homeland was occupied by the Wolfhounds. It’s gets wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey, since Nesi becomes an actor in the history she has learned about in school.
While Audition for the Fox is certainly rooted in fantasy, it’s also a coming of age story which ponders some heavy issues like colonization and occupation and the different ways courage can manifest. If you enjoy cozy fantasy but would like there to be some stakes, this would be a fun pick. It’s also a good book for anyone who appreciates stories about mythical creatures, especially Trickster stories.
