Martin Cahill
Tachyon Publications
16 September 2025
192
eBook - PDF
Fantasy
ARC via Edelweiss
To survive the challenge of a trickster god, a quick-witted acolyte rallies her ancestors with cunning subterfuge and outright rebellion.
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 loveable prankster. But despite their humor 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 ally with her besieged people and learn a trickster’s guile to snatch a fortress from the disgraced and exiled 100th Pillar: The Wolf of the Hunt.
I am always up for tales of trickster gods, so I had to request Audition for the Fox when I saw it on Edelweiss. The story idea was fun but also had hidden depths and deeper messages. Nesi was a character I was willing to get behind from the start, and the Fox stole the scene every time they showed up. The narrative was fast paced and witty, and a lot was packed into the 190 pages. While the main storyline was interesting, I particularly enjoyed the other tales of the Fox interacting with the other Pillars, which were interspersed throughout the book, as these added to the mythology of the setting and each gave a new perspective on the Fox. The ending was satisfying but also left me wondering if we would get more adventures with Nesi and the Fox in the future. I am giving this book 4 stars. Recommended for fans of quirky, short fantasy tales and trickster gods.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
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