Good overall. Felt the characters were a little under developed but overall an entertaining debut. I would recommend to fans of Shadow and Bone.

To quote another favorite book of mine, "Why spiders? Why couldn't it be follow the butterflies?"

Sirscha, despite being an orphan, is proud of her ability to be a skilled fighter in the Queen's Company and in an apprenticeship to be the next Shadow, the queen's spy. She's worked hard every day of her life to become so close to earning the title of Shadow, even with people like Jonyah tearing her down every chance they get. When the rest of the wyverns, or the fourth years close to graduating from the Queen's Company, are tacked on with the hatchlings, or first years, from the Prince's Company, to travel to the Valley of Crones, they all begrudgingly go. During the journey, Jonyah antagonizes her yet again, but she manages to steal a piece of paper from his pockets, discovering Jonyah is also an apprentice to be a shadow and the message is from their mentor, for him to meet in a special spot. Sirscha is determined to beat him there, and sneaks out, her best friend Saengo following her. Little does she know that it's an elaborate trap that brings her into a revelation she doesn't expect and a future she's unsure how to handle.

Without revealing too much more, we hear about a major character named Ronin the Spider King and just...spiders??? So many spiders. And dead people. And the creepiness of both spiders and dead people kept me reading this book for larger periods of time until I got through the dead people and the spiders. Just imagine a place covered walled off in webs, and where people wear dresses made of spiderspilk. And somewhere, just somewhere, maybe in the spider web smothered dark maze, is Ronin's familiar, a spinner. I'm shuddering just recalling it.

There's a lot of lore built into this novel, meaning you don't necessarily need to read the author's glossary, but I can see all the places where worldbuilding was established for a much larger series. There is so much the author took time to plan to give us ease of reading, but also establish everything we need established for the pieces to flow and connect intricately. I'm excited for the continuation of the series and to see where she takes it. I loved LOVED Sirscha and Saengo's friendship. I've been loving this trend in YA of such powerful and passionate female friendships. It reminds me a lot of my best friend and I and it's such a joy to read about. I felt the all the other characters were well rounded and added much to the story and it's many layers. The magic system was well built and solidly introduced within this novel. I felt the difference between shaman and shadowblessed could have been a little more established, but there wasn't much need to do so within this novel. I do feel it will be explained further as the shadowblessed take on a much bigger role.

Finally, I really did enjoy this book and felt it is a nice addition to the fantasy book world. I've read some lackluster new books and this is definitely not one of them. I look forward to reading more of Sirscha and Saengo's story as it comes out.

When I first opened Forest of Souls, I was a little taken aback by the size of the glossary. My initial thoughts were that this book would be too complex and overwhelming. That I wouldn't be able to understand what was going on without the glossary glued to my side. However, that was not the case at all. Lori M. Lee does a wonderful job of introducing and getting readers comfortable with the world of Thiy. The author has created a rich and vibrant world. There was never a moment while reading this book, where I felt too much information was thrown on me. Instead, information is introduced at various stages and flows nicely with the story. The world-building doesn't only come alive in the places and their food but, also through their political hierarchy. I felt a deeper connection and understanding of the Evewynian people by understanding the role of the Queen and Prince Company. It is a society built on respect for hierarchies (age, year in school and status in society).

I enjoyed the strong friendship between Sirscha (the main character) and Saengo in the Forest of Souls. Their friendship and love for one another, really stood out throughout the novel. Sirscha is a strong female character with a determine personality. Once she has set her mind onto something there is no stopping her. She is especially motivated if it means protecting the ones she loves or making things right. For that, I find her a very admirable character. However, she isn't a black and white character. She has flaws just like any normal human being. She strives to be the best and prove herself to others, instead of accepting herself. We see this through Sirscha's character development which I won't lie felt a bit rushed towards the end.

I love how Saengo is a very loyal best friend. My favourite character is probably Theyen. I love his personality and how it clashes with Sirscha's personality. I enjoyed reading any scenes that involved Theyen. Whereas, I felt differently when it came to Prince Meilek. I did not hate Prince Meilek but, at first, I felt kind of "meh" about him. I felt his and Sirscha's connection was lacking, in the beginning, despite them both knowing each other before the book events. This gets better as the novel progresses and I'm curious to see more of Prince Meilek in the sequel.

I won't say much about the antagonists, but I wish the readers could have seen more of them. The one antagonist places such a figurative role in this book. We never get to meet them (which I hope changes in book #2) but, we hear about them all the time. The second, main, antagonist isn't given as much screen time as I hoped. I feel this person's role, as an antagonist, isn't that shocking when you find out but I wish the main character interacted with this person more.

The magic system in this world gives off the vibes of Avatar the Last Airbender mixed with Harry Potter (minus the wizards and the magical school). Some of the Shaman's abilities reminded me of the Avatar the Last Airbender. Whereas, the dark feel of the Dead Wood, and the idea of creepy crawlies, reminded me of Harry Potter.

The Dead Wood, by the way, is terrifying!! I would never want to visit there!! The horrors of Dead Wood are described beautifully. Readers can easily imagine this haunting place. For some odd reason, I kept thinking about The Haunted Forest (from The Wizard of Oz) whenever I read about the Dead Wood in Forest of Souls. The two places have nothing in common but being scary places.

The cover is absolutely gorgeous, and I definitely consider it to be a cover buy. It is designed by Charlie Bowater.

I really enjoyed this story. I will certainly be reading book 2 when it comes out. The plot kept me entertained with its action and curiosity about what was going to happen next in the story. The first book will definitely leave readers with some unanswered questions.

It's been a long time since I read a YA fantasy that's truly blown me away. Lori M. Lee took everything I love about fantasy and put it into the masterpiece that is Forest of Souls. It's got the complex politics and world state, a painstakingly beautiful magic system, and characters that readers will fall in love with. The entire time I read this book, I was constantly thinking that this was the type of book I needed in middle school.

One of the best parts of this book was how relationship-driven it was. From the start, Sirscha and Saengo's bond captivates you; it's clear that the two of them would do anything to protect the other one. As a reader, I really enjoy books that focus on sisterly bonds and let the girls protect each other and kick butt. There was no romance at all and I found it incredibly refreshing! I loved that Sirscha's priorities were saving Saengo and then maybe saving the world. Now don't get me wrong, there are two male characters that are interesting in their own ways, but narratively they serve as Sirscha's allies. She calls both of them her friends by the end of it and I loved watching the friendships develop over the book. I'm hoping we don't have any love triangles because for once in my life I can't choose a favorite. Meilek and Theyen both had engaging personalities, it's a crime I have to wait so long before I get more content about them.

Next, I want to say that no one, absolutely NO ONE is doing world-building like Lori M. Lee. She put so much thought into how she wanted the politics of her world to play out. Each of the kingdoms has unique features and political motivations that make them stand out, making it easy for readers to follow along as politics are discussed throughout the book. Plus as the book nears the end, a lot of unexpected political moves come into play, and as suddenly all the history discussed in the books starts to make the political motivations more clear.

Another strength of this book was the magic system. Lee does a great job of creating this huge world with different kingdoms and then giving each kingdom unique magic types to set them apart. While we don't get scenes with ALL the magic systems in play, there's a lot of discussion about how the magic ties into the politics of each realm. Which then influences how the different realms interact with each other. I enjoyed that the magic and the politics of the world were so closely intertwined throughout the story, it made the setting more interesting.

Finally, (and this is my favorite part of the story) it's a recurring theme throughout the novel that Sirscha wants to belong somewhere. She desperately wants to be accepted for who she is and is constantly assessing her decisions to see if they would help her get credibility from her mentor and the other people around her. Since the target audience of this book is teenagers, I thought it was incredibly fitting that its main themes are ones of being accepted and finding a place to belong. While many teenagers aren't dealing with problems on the same level as Sirscha, it's easy to relate to her struggle of feeling left out or unwanted. The book doesn't end with a specific answer either; since its a trilogy, it leaves a lot more room to explore this specific theme in the next novels. However, Sirscha is constantly coming back to Saengo and doing things to help her survive, so I'd argue that the bonds of friendship are what truly helps Sirscha find belonging, wherever she's at. Finding someone, even just one person who understands your soul, is worth risking your life for. That's what makes this book so powerful. That is why I am ordering multiple copies of this book to sit on my classroom shelf.

I received this copy from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review! Thank you, Page Street Publishing, for this earc!

Sircha Ashwyn has no family, no name, abandoned in an orphanage when she was very little, but she's determined to find her own place in the world. Trained by the mysterious Kendara, hoping to become the queen's next Shadow, a royal spy, and training as a soldier, all Sircha's plan are ruined when she got involved into a shamans' attack and her best friend Saengo is killed. But, without even knowing how, Sircha manages to bring her soul back, discovering an ability and a power she knew nothing about.
Unveiled as soulguide, a rare and powerful kind of shaman, Sircha and Saengo are summoned to the Spider King, Ronin, whose power is vital in maintaining the peace between kingdoms and in controlling the dangerous Dead Wood, a forest possessed by trapped souls. But his powers seem to be weakening, since the trees are becoming more and more wild and spreading. Sircha finds herself involving into the dangerous task of taming the Dead wood, before the trees claim her friend's life and welcom a war between kingdoms.

Forest of souls is a lush, evocative and magical fantasy first book of the Shamanborn series, set in a world of political conflicts, mysterious powers, magic, intrigue, sisterhood and friendship. The world-building is spectacular and the author has the ability of grabbing's the reader's attention right away, thrusting her/him/them into a world skillfully written, with magic, drakes, plot twists, secrets, murders, giant spiders, ambigous and complex characters. The writing style is absolutely evocative and the characterization is brilliant.

Told by Sircha's POV, the main character, Sircha is determined, stubborn, loyal and strong. She came from nothing, in a world, a place where family's name can be very important, but she's determined to prove to everyone and to herself her worth, her abilities and her loyalty. When she discovers a new truth about hersef, changing her whole life and future and those of Saengo's, Sircha proves herself to be even more adaptable, strong and skilled, relying on her training and bond with Saengo, looking for answers, eager to do something to save her friend and her country, fighting for beliefs she believes in, her loyalties tested when she discovers the cruelty and intrigues of her queen.
Forest of souls is full of wonderful and intense characters. Besides Sircha, Saengo is brilliant, loyal, a true friend and their relationship and sisterhood is one of the things I loved the most in this book. How both of them would do anything for the other, how they are bonded, how they love and trust one other implicitly.
Theyen is another complex figure and I really liked his sarcasm and the way he and Sircha bicker and prince Meilik is a wonderful written character, whose loyalties and beliefs are constantly tested throughout the whole book, pushing him to chose and I liked his relationship with Sircha, how it changes from prince and subject, to commander and soldier to become allies and friends.
Intense and ambigous are the characters of Kendara and Ronin and I really need to know more about them and what will happen in the next book to this wonderful and skilled characters.

Overall, I really loved Forest of souls, the story was thrilling and captivating and the characters are impossible not to love and cheer on. I can't wait to have this book in my hands and I will wait devoutly for the sequel!

4.5 stars

I first heard about Forest of Souls when the first chapter and cover was revealed (and what a cover it is!), since then I’ve been eager to read it in its entirety so I was elated when I was sent an eARC. However, I ultimately ended up being on the fence about it. Because even though I loved more than a few elements of the story, after the first half I kind of slogged through it. So I think I’ll start by listing things I enjoyed about Forest of Souls, because I read some 2 and 3-star reviews that really get into where this books falls short and explained it better than I can. Here we go:

Saengo and Sirscha become close friends at school and Saengo is beside Sirscha’s side in whatever trouble she finds herself in. Later on, they form a much different bond in the form of shaman-familiar when Sirscha accidentally restores Saengo to life using her dormant shaman abilities. I always enjoy meaningful female friendships in books and Forest of Souls carries it to the forefront. However, I did wish Saengo played a more active role as the plot progressed and not just stay in the sidelines.

There is no romance in Forest of Souls, although it sets the groundwork for a possible romantic arc in the coming books since it was announced that it will be a trilogy. I think, on top of all the strings the plot was trying to hold together, it would be hard to keep track of a fast-moving romantic subplot so I thought that worked well.

I think it would be more compelling if it didn’t attempt to cramp in all the world-building and go into the whole world and focused more on the Dead Wood and Spinner’s End, which I enjoyed much more. I found the section that takes place in Spinner’s End and the Dead Wood really interesting, with the Dead Wood’s restless souls appearing as sinister rotting trees that can coil all over around you.

Sirscha as a main character fell sort of flat, which is not a good sign for the secondary characters who were at times also similarly dull, except maybe Theyen who provided some very good one-liners with his dry humor.

All in all, I really wish I enjoyed this more. I felt reluctant to write this review because it incorporates all the things I love in a fantasy and in different circumstances it could really succeed in being, but whether it’s because it didn’t deliver on some personal expectations that I didn’t even realize or because I wasn’t in the right mood for it, ultimately it didn’t work.

Thank you to Page Street for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Such a wonderful book! I really enjoyed this and think it's the perfect book to help you escape with all the craziness going on. I can't wait to buy a copy when it's out!

3.5 Stars
This was fun, but wasn’t my favorite. I didn’t like how there were no clearly marked chapters (at least in my e-arc), and it got pretty confusing at times during some of the action scenes. I liked Sircha and everyone else well enough, but I wasn’t drawn in enough to fully care, or want to read the next book anytime soon. The story was strong, and if it had been developed a little better, I probably would have loved it, but it was tough to feel too engaged when I couldn’t always tell what was happening during action scenes.

Forest of Souls is the story about a girl named Sirscha, who has been secretly training to become the Queen's next spy. When her best friend Saengo is killed, Sirscha manages to bring her back to life and discovers that she is a soulguide.

The story has a well-developed world, but I found the magic system to be a little confusing. I enjoyed the plot, and cared about the characters, but when it came to the twists--especially those twists involving magic---I found myself confused despite re-reading the sections. At some point I lost interest and I feel that it didn't quite help my understanding of what was happening. Hopefully a re-read of this book and immediate follow-up with the sequel will change my opinion because I really wanted to like this book,.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Fantastic first half of what promises to be an exceptional duology! Lee captured me with her awesome world, characters, and lore. I loved the intrigue, and the twists interspersed throughout were fun to discover! Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable read. I'm looking forward to what is sure to be an action packed sequel as well!

Great for fans of Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse novels, as well as Naomi Novik's Uprooted.

This book takes place in Thiy, a continent with 3 different races and kingdoms - the humans, the shaman, and the shadowblessed. Sirscha is a human orphan, who has dealt with a lot of hardships and is training to become the next Queen's Shadow (trusted spy and assassin). After tragic and unforeseen events, Sirscha discovers her powers after reviving her best friend Saengo. With the new label of being a shaman and new amber eyes, she is sent to the Dead Wood, where restless souls reside and is the Spider King’s domain. Sirscha as a newly minted “soulguide” is tasked to help maintain the tenuous peace between increasingly powerful kingdoms. The Dead Wood is growing wild and only a soulguide can help tame it.

Sirscha is a character that is a bit brash and hot-headed, but also has a deep love for her best friend Saengo. The platontic female friendship was a huge focal point in the book and I thought their relationship grew and changed, given certain events that happened. Other characters we’re introduced to are Kendara (the current Queen’s Shadow & mentor to Sirscha) and 2 potential love interests (?): the human Prince Meilek of Evewyn and Hlau Theyen - Prince of Kazahyn (also a shadowblessed). I loved seeing how each of these characters had a role in impacting Sirscha’s character growth.

The setting of the Dead Wood was so atmospheric and creepy! The descriptions of the twisted and gnarled forest full of undead souls with people being trapped in the trees were super terrifying. The different cultures as well of the kingdoms were fun to learn about and Thiy as a continent is a tough place to live. I enjoyed the pacing of the book as well, it kept me reading and wanting to find out more why the Dead Wood was growing and why Sirscha was a hidden shaman. I recommend you to pick this one up!

I have complicated feelings for this book and not all them are the books fault. Here we go: the premise and idea of this book is so interesting and sounds so cool. I love the mythos for it. Sirscha is a strong heroine who suffers from discrimination yet is still humble and good. Her story is heartfelt and she's so brave and good. The story itself is something I feel I got lost in. The first half was promising , but either I just lost interest or focus once Sirscha ends up in Spider's End. The book tries to weave a spider's web in terms of story--since it has to give the feel of finding out who is the real villain and find out the truth about Sirscha. I felt the story go flat in trying to be complex and reveal more in the story. Some characters still shine throughout the story but I felt the story be too boring in the second half before the ending.

Forest of Souls is a unique fantasy novel set in a mythical world which is divided and complex. The story follows Sirscha as she trains at the rigorous academy, her biggest goal in life to become the Queen’s shadow, the chief spy and protector against any threats. However, after an unexpected altercation and a botched mission, Sirscha discovers she has abilities beyond her imagining which alters her course irrevocably…

The most enjoyable element of this novel for me was undoubtedly the focus on female friendship. I loved that the bond between Sirscha and Saengo was the central point and was such a huge motivator for the main character as well as furthering the plot. The whole reason why Sirscha discovers her abilities is tied to her intense grief at the prospect of losing Saengo and throughout the novel it’s made clear how far she is willing to go for her best friend. In a society where romantic love is highlighted so much and often deemed to be the most important, I really appreciate books which also emphasise the value of loving platonic relationships as well.

I also liked the whole concept of the Dead Wood and Ronin as the Spider king. Given that I’m not the biggest fan of spiders anyway, this just added to the creepiness factor for me! I thought the parts where Sirscha and her companions have to navigate the malevolent forest were so fraught with tension and I definitely felt the fear and unease the characters were experiencing in such a visceral way.

There were some secondary characters introduced, but the only one that really stood out to me was Theyen, a member of the aristocracy from another land who unexpectedly becomes an ally. I thought he was intriguing and I have some theories on how he’ll fit into the plot in the next two books for sure.

My biggest issue with this novel was the lack of connection I felt to the characters and the story itself. While there were elements I appreciated and could see were well done, it was like I was reading from a distance, and not really immersed or emotionally affected by what was happening, other than the dread in the forest sections. I feel like there needed to be way more work done on the characters themselves to give them more of a draw or something deeper than their surface level motivations. The saving grace like I mentioned before, was the friendship element and the lore to some extent. I believe this is going to be a trilogy and it definitely felt like this was just the periphery introduction and set up rather than a first instalment which hooks you in to the series and makes you want to read further.

Overall, this was a book which I was very excited for and while I don’t think it completely lived up to my expectations, I would consider reading the sequel to see where things go from here as I think and hope (!) that the characters and world building is more firmly established.

I really wanted to like this book; the premise sounded interesting and I was excited about the idea of the magic system. Ultimately, this book was pretty flat and after 30% I found myself not caring to continue reading. The characters all seemed pretty flat. After 30% I know hardly anything about the main character besides she was an orphan and wants to become the next Shadow (which is very poorly explained or elaborated on outside of being some sort of spy). I also was pretty disappointed in the stated cause of the execution and outlawing of the shamans. Apparently one magic user accidentally started a fire that killed some people and himself and the newly queened teenage daughter decided that shamans were all dangerous and executes them? This just didn't sit very well with me.  There was also a lot of info-dumping and telling the reader things instead of letting the reader experience what was actually happening. The world building and magic system felt very vague and not fleshed out. I wish there was more development in the story because it has potential, but wasn't all that enjoyable for me.

What can I say about this book?! I give it a solid 6/5 ⭐️. The characters, plot, flow, and ending were AMAZING!!!!! Lori Lee did an amazing job!!!! I was sad when the novel ended. I need more of this world. Where’s book 2??? I can’t wait!

Sirscha wasn’t a heroine who became REAL to me. I learned nothing about HER as a person. Her personality was so shallow and surface-level that the only think she thought about was the plot and her friend Saengo. I wanted her to have a sense of presence, I wanted her to exist. I craved the moment when she would feel real to me, but she didn’t. That kept me very detached from novel, and I found myself just reading the words rather than actually soaking in the story.

The secondary characters didn’t really aid in this issue. Theyen was the only redeeming entity of this book besides the conclusion—which we will get to. Continuing on though, love a sassy boy wit pointed ears, and Theyen was that boy in every way. Unfortunately Lori didn’t utilize him time the best of her ability, because I think he could have been much more involved in the story, and he could have lent a hand to the rest of bland characters with his wit. Meilik and Saengo were also just mediocre. I felt nothing towards them.

Saengo is supposed to be this best friend we mourn for, but Lori doesn’t make me care about her death. And she doesn’t paint the necromantic moment that occurs right after that exciting enough to where I was intrigued by it.

The magical system fell flat to me. Sirscha barely even tapped into her powers. All but three times with no training or growth to show for it when she used them at the end. There was no struggle, no fight for her strength, it was just there when it needed to be. It was convenient.

I wished I understood the plot. I really do. I read some reviews where they said that it was messy and all over the place, sadly I’m inclined to agree. There were about three different things—whether that be goals or events—that were happening and none of them felt like they connected. They were all separate entities and it felt like Lori was trying to messily balance them all, but never weave them together.

It’s really sad to have to say I didn’t very much enjoy this book. Not until those last 2 pages when things FINALLY started to click. Finally. And even then I was still confused.

Needless to say Lori hooked me enough to read the next book because I need to know more about the thing that occurs at the end.

Other than that, Forest of Souls sadly wasn’t enjoyable.

It is so hard to write something completely new and original, and yet Lori M. Lee has done it.
In an incredibly written world that feels completely real, the soldier Sirscha Ashwyn trains to become the Queen's Shadow, hoping to be chosen by her bristly master. But before she can claim her spot, her best friend Saengo dies in an ambush meant to kill Sirscha. Only somehow, Sirscha brings her back to life. In a country that hunts and ostracises shamans, she is unveiled as the first soulguide in living memory and summoned to the illusive and dangerous Spider King who is struggling to keep the peace between the rivaling countries in the midst of the dangerous Dead Forest. But when Sirscha and Saengo arrive, they discover that everything is much more complex as it seems, and even the ones they trust the most may come to betray them in the end.

Wonderfully written and full of twists and turns, this book introduces strong and multi-layered characters and a fascinating magic system, in a world that feels as real as ours. If you liked Naomi Novak's "Uprooted", R.F. Kuang's "Poppy War" or are looking for a completely original fantasy novel to lose yourself in, I can really recommend picking up this book!

DNF

I'm really struggling with the writing style and some plotholes/quibbles with the worldbuilding. I may come back to this closer to the release date, but the beginning did now wow me enough to continue for now.

I am surprised by how much I liked this book. The atmosphere was such a cool setting. It was very visual and enticing. It was full of action and adventure. It was magical and the type of fantasy I really enjoy. I enjoyed most of the characters which is usually a tough thing for me. Really recommend it.

This exciting new YA fantasy by Lori M. Lee will ensnare your mind and keep you reading. Put this book in the hands of fans of Cashore's Graceling and Lu's Young Elites. They will love the new world, kick-butt female protagonist, excellent characters, and blur between good and evil. Two thumbs up for Forest of Souls, and I can't wait for the next book.