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.

I'VE LOST MY SLEEP over this book. 😭

“Once, I’d been convinced that to be anything of worth, I needed to be the Queen’s Shadow.”
“I’m only a girl with no true name, and I have once lived up to anyone’s expectations, except in dissapointments.”

For the past four years Sirscha trains to be the Queens Shadow. It’s all she dreams about, since she is an orphan, with no heritage and no name. Trying to overcome her competitor she sneaks in the secretly arranged meeting, that turns her world upside down and destroys all her dreams and things she was looking for. She gets involved with Shamans that she was trained to hate and that were meant to be her enemies...
This book is brilliant from all the aspects of YA fantasy. The world is so beautiful, complex, based on old tales, and we all know, each tribe, nation, sees things only from their perspective. Sirscha makes friends, enemies, encounters loses, encounters challenges that she has to overcome. Discovers her powers, discovers that everything she knows, everything she was told is not like it seems.

This book is full of secrets, beautiful characters. Troll bones that contain magic power? Oh, and prince Theyen... He’s definitely my favourite character of this story.

People that loved “The cruel Prince” trilogy by Holly Black, and Sarah J Maas trilogy “The court of thorns and roses” will definitely fall in love with this story. Oh, by the way, author has announced that it will be trilogy...

I really enjoyed this book! I read it in one sitting. I liked the setting and magic system, and I really liked the mc. I was happy that things didn’t get tied up too neatly in the end. Looking forward to the next one!

*Spoiler free, 4.75 stars*

As someone who's not the biggest fan of spiders (I would say I don't like them but I want to respect them), I was very excited for a book with a spider plot in it. Ever since I saw the cover, I've wanted to read this book. I mostly knew that there was a Spider King and that's basically it. But that was enough to make me want to read it! Trigger warnings: gore, body horror

I don't know why, but I was surprised when I fell in love with this book. But it's SO GOOD. A lot about it surprised me and most of those things I was surprised that I was surprised. The point is, this book is incredible.

This book was so much more horrifying than I thought it was going to be. It was horror elements and wow, does it seriously lean into them. Lee's writing digs it's claws into your gut and twists. There were multiple times where I was just horrified at what happening, but in the best ways. There's a lot of gore and body horror sometimes, but I can't help but be in awe in how it was executed.

It's dark and it's  She's also a genius at creating a quiet air of uneasiness. The quite parts were some of the best. The parts where you know something is inherently wrong, the parts where something is right off in the corner of your eye, where something is scuttling past you. It was amazing. Seriously, there's a scene towards the end that leans on the quiet tension. The whispers and the tiredness. It doesn't have to be explosive to land an impact. It was just so incredibly well done.

I also really, really loved Sirscha. She's stubborn and she's proud and she wants to be seen. But she's also scared and doesn't quite know where she fits. She made for an incredible narrator.

Her emotional development kind of snuck up on me. It wasn't bad at all. Sure, I would have liked for it me to woven in more throughout, but it kind of works in how this book is laid out. There is so much happening that the little seeds being planted and blossoming later works well. Plus, it lands close to home for me and it was just something that made my heart glow a little bit.

There's also a top notch female friendship! Saengo might be kind of a minor character, but I sure did love her a whole lot. I also loved every single other character. They added so much depth and they were all incredibly unique.

This book doesn't hold back any punches. There's tons of sword fighting and it's brutal. Sometimes the things that happen feel like you yourself got punched. There were multiple times where my eyes just shot open and I had to just stare at the page for a bit.

The writing felt a bit weird at times. I had to fall into the rhythm to it before it stopped feeling a bit off. But once I did, everything flowed really well!

This book also doesn't have a romance, which is something I really liked. There were multiple times I thought something might come up, but it really did focus on the plot and everything that was happening.

I also really liked the world. I couldn't quite get my head around the politics and the makeup sometimes, but I feel like that's because Sirscha was kind of removed from it. This world was incredible, but Sirscha has her own things to worry about. I really liked how she couldn't do absolutely everything. She was fighting for what she could control and left the other things to other people. It allowed the world to grow in a really cool way.

The magic system, along with the Dead Wood, were seriously amazing. Just, I feel like this book just scratched the surface and I can't wait to know more. The Dead Wood is terrifying. The magic system holds tons of secrets related to the Dead Wood. AND IT'S JUST REALLY REALLY GOOD.

Just, this book surprised me. I love Sirscha and I love the magic and I love the world and darkness to it. It's a book that leaves you craving more. It's really, really good!