Foxcraft: The Taken by Inbali Iserles is the first book of the Foxcraft trilogy. It is about a young fox named Isla, who has begun dabbling in the mysterious arts of Foxcraft- such as being able to turn invisible and shapeshift. Unlike most foxes in the city, Isla lives with her family, which consists of her grandma, parents, and beloved brother, Pirie. When disaster strikes one day and her home and family disappears, Isla must venture into the heart of the city, where she has never set foot. Isla encounters new allies (including a strange, shapeshifting fox), vicious threats, confusing pathways, and humans! I really enjoyed reading this story- Iserles did a great job with the description- it’s breathtaking, as it’s from a foxes point of view, not a human’s, and you can clearly tell! “The air in his wake had a gossamer sheen, like light bent through the wings of bees. The earth was a blur of grass and soil.” (Iserles, pg 3) This helped me imagine the scenes in the story much more clearly, all through Isla’s perspective. Along with this, Isla discovers that she possesses the magical powers of foxes- the namesake of the book, Foxcraft. Her new shapeshifting ally helps her master these powers, which become more and more important as she ventures deeper into the city.

Another thing I loved about this story is the rhymes and quotes foxes have among themselves, which shows their traits and community. “I am fearless. I am friendless. I am Fox.” Another rhyme that Isla and her brother like to joke with each other is “Mad fox, bad fox, just another dead fox!”. However, this rhyme takes a dark turn when Isla realizes the reality of this quote. One thing I would change about this book is how quickly it climaxes. Already, in the first chapter, Isla flees from her destroyed home. The author doesn’t give much introduction to Isla’s normal life before, thrusting the reader into a high stakes fight for survival. Of course, there are nice parts amid the action when Isla learns more about herself, her skills, and her mysterious ally, but it would be nice if the reader got more of a feel of Isla’s everyday life before everything was upended.

Another thing I like about this story is how the author wrote the origin story about the cubs of Canista: wolves, dogs, and foxes, and how they differentiated. It also provides a fascinating and good explanation of the characteristics and personalities of these canines- you’ll have to read the book to find out! It gave me more background and explanation about how the species act with each other, and the class differences. 

Foxcraft definitely isn’t the deepest or most outstanding book I’ve read, but it surely stands out  in the genre of fantasy with animals as the main character (Think Warriors and Odder). Foxes are some of my favorite animals, and Iserles does a great job characterizing them and their differences, along with how they are commonly persecuted by humans and their own. 

If someone asked me for fantasy book recommendations, I would recommend this, but this isn’t the best book out there, though it is a pretty great read. Overall, Foxcraft: The Taken, is a decent, sweet read probably for younger teens.Would I read again? Yup! I got it from the library bookstore. 🙂