When I first heard of Forest of Souls, I couldn’t wait to read it. The magic system sounded fantastic and the books was billed as perfect for fans of Naomi Novik and Susan Dennard. Unfortunately, Forest of Souls is more of a plot-driven story than the character-driven comparisons led me to believe. But once I shifted my expectations, I did up enjoying this one.

Sirscha was an intriguing protagonist and I liked seeing her growth throughout the novel. And the friendship between Saengo and Sirscha was definitely the highlight of the book for me! I did wish that we’d gotten to see more of their friendship before Saengo’s death. Because we didn’t, it made it hard to see how the characters changed after those events and how their friendship shifted. In general, I felt like I didn’t really know any of the characters that well, which made it hard to be emotionally invested in this story. I also found this world to be very intriguing but some additional explanations regarding how magic worked would have been helpful.

Overall, Forest of Souls was a fun, fast-paced YA fantasy that’s a relatively quick read. While I wish that we’d gotten to know the characters better, I am definitely intrigued enough to pick up the next book to see where this series goes next.

Forest of Souls, is a brand new release and the very first installment in the Shamanborn series by Lori M. Lee.
And, what a great beginning it is. Captivating, suspenseful, with a healthy dash of historical background.

Brief Synopsis

Forest of Souls is a beautifully written and riveting novel, which started with a bang and kept me on the edge of my seat in its entirety.
There were lots of plot twists, enemies and newly found allies, throughout our protagonist’s journey.

The Plot

In the beginning, we meet Sirscha, our heroine, training and aspiring to be the Queen’s next royal spy, her Shadow. Her life changes forever when she goes off in a mission which gets her best friend, Saengo, killed. Somehow, she manages to restore Saengo to life, discovering that she is a Shamanborn.
However, her power is so strong she is considered to be the second known Soulguide in the history of the kingdom.

The Characters

Sirscha, our main character, was amazing. Strong, powerful, skillful, modest and ambitious are just some of the adjectives which could be used in describing her. It was a delight following her along in her adventure.
Saengo, her best friend was exceptional, sweet, loyal, extremely supportive, although a little timid. She is the kind of person who would make an amazing best friend, even if it meant that she would end up sacrificing herself for the main heroine.
There was an abundance of more great characters, both evil and kind, but since their relationship with Sirscha was tumultuous and critical for the story, I wouldn’t want to spoil any details. I will only mention that the lack of romantic relationships only managed to transform this plot into a more epic story.

The World Building

The world building in Forest of Souls was exceptional. The author provided a glossary right in the beginning of the book and lots of historical details were gradually revealed, sometimes at the same time as the protagonist was finding out about them. The magic system was impeccable, extremely unique and detailed.

Plot twists left and right

Admittedly, one more reason that Forest of Souls swept me away was the fact that it kept surprising me. Right from the beginning our heroine would constantly discover new truths about her mysterious past, erasing past assumptions.
In addition, her friends and enemies were almost constantly changing, making us question everyone in her life and the role they were really playing. Except for the sweet and loyal Saengo. I sincerely hope the next books in the series will feature her more essentially.

Overall thoughts

This novel was an amazing reading experience and the series already seem highly promising. Forest of Souls ended on a major cliffhanger, which only managed to amplify my excitement for the sequel.

In many ways, “Forest of Souls” is refreshing YA Fantasy novel that steps away from the norm. This turned out to be a very enjoyable read.

The main thing which I really loved about the story is the friendship. The author beautifully highlights Sirscha’s friendship with Saengo and Phaut. In most Young adult novels, you expect a love interest of the main character and her male counterparts. However, I was happy to see no unnecessary romance between Sirscha and the men she encounters like Theyen and Prince Meilek.

Moreover, I also loved the author’s style of writing. There are so many twists and turns and adventures that Sirscha encounters. Most of the characters were written in an intriguing manner. I loved Theyen and his interactions with Sirscha. Also, I hated Jonyah to the core and thought he was one of the most despicable characters I have read recently. Moreover, I also loved how the author introduces snippets of Kendara and Queen Meilyr. Even though we don’t see them much, I am excited to read about them in the following books.

However, my main problem with the story was in the world building. The world building is very complex and there are a lot of kingdoms with various types of groups, having their own powers. Although I am glad for the glossary, it was tedious going back and forth to recall the characteristics. On a side note, I also found Sirscha to be a bit annoying. At times, she randomly goes on missions to find answers, based on her own justifications. Half the time, she has no basis for her reasons, and doesn’t realize the danger she puts others in, until its too late.

However, apart from that, I liked Forest of Souls and looking forward to Book 2!

Forest of Souls is a good fantasy with some really good elements and story but I had mixed feelings for it. There were some things I really liked but then there were some things which just did not work for me!

The Story
Forest of Souls follows the story of Sirscha and her best friend Saengo who study in a military school. Sirscha is an orphan and hence has worked really hard to make her place and she is also training to be the queen’s spy. Due to an incident, Saengo dies and then is accidentally brought back to life by Sirscha. She then goes to the Spider King’s kingdom and has to learn her abilities to be able to control the Dead Wood, which is a forest full of souls of the dead. From there starts their journey in discovering about themselves and their stories and their place in the world. The story focuses on the narrative of destiny and accepting it. The story was intriguing and also tad bit predictable for me. I wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about the story since after a point since it was just not as interesting and and it did not have the intended impact.

There was no romance in this book which I really liked because no two characters were forced to be together just for the sake of it. This was the kind of story which did well without the romance aspect and it felt natural.

The Characters
Sirscha and Saengo are the two main characters of the book and they are best friends. When Saengo dies, it is Sirscha who brings her back. Sirscha is a character who is always trying to prove herself and her place in the world and throughout the book we read about her grappling with this part of herself and we can see as she changes into a person confident in her abilities. Even though Saengo was the best friend. her character doesn’t seem as important. She just exists and I wish we got to know more of her thoughts I guess. Their friendship is good but I did not think it has the feel it’s meant to have.

But both the characters seem very one-dimensional. It’s like the reading tone is consistent from the start to the end with no impact. I wanted to see more from both Sirscha and Saengo but somehow it just did not reach that peak I expected it too. This felt really flat for me and then I couldn’t really connect to either of them. The side characters were just okay although I really liked Theyen and his scenes were the ones I looked forward to the most. The book is more plot-driven and as such I couldn’t really enjoy it much as such books can be a hit or miss for me.

The World Building and Pacing
The world building was a positive part for me. It was interesting and well-done and it kept me wondering. The politics between the kingdoms were also good but we did not get to read more of it. The world building is inspired by Hmong shamanism and it was so good. I am not an ownvoices reviewer so I can’t speak much on the relatability part but I loved how the author weaved fantasy into this and made it so wonderful. The writing was also good but it did not particularly awe me.

The pacing of the book was okay. It felt off because the starting part was slow and then it picks up and then again slows and this definitely impacted my overall experience.The ending was good and I am intrigued by how this story will be taken forward.

I know I probably have more things I did not really like than the ones I liked but overall, Forest of Souls was good. It probably just wasn’t the book for me. So if you’re a fan of slow paced plot driven fantasy with no romance and focus on friendship, then Forest of Souls will be a great read for you!

Thank you to the publisher and author for providing me with an eARC through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

like the Dark Wood; it was creepy, and Lee made me feel like I did not want to find myself in there all alone. Please keep that place away from me – I want no part; god forbid I end up in there all alone with no food. 😂

Personally, I enjoyed the friendship between Sirscha and Saengo. The other characters, though…
Sirscha and Saengo have a close bond well before Sirscha accidentally restores her best friend to life, which I loved to see throughout the book as they try to navigate the challenges. I especially liked Prince Theyen, who, out of all the characters in the book, was the most enjoyable to read with his sassy remarks and comebacks when interacting with Sirscha. (I don’t know about anyone else, but I secretly hope his sass will continue in the next book.)

The other characters, however, just feels… flat? I would have loved to see some more exploration between Sirscha’s established relationship (friendship? acquaintance?) with Prince Meleik, and her developing friendship with Theyen. Based on the first book itself, I feel like I’ve either missed something or there needed to be more context because I didn’t care all too much. Maybe my opinion will change in future novels, but as of right now, I’m not exactly warming up with the characters.

Another thing that bothers me is we don’t get to meet Kendara, and it’s evident throughout the novel she’s played an essential part in Sirscha’s life, especially as a mentor. We just know of her based on what’s told to us from Sirscha’s experience, and there were quite a few opportunities in Forest of Souls that were missed. However, I do think Kendara plays a far more important role in subsequent novels, so it’s a possibility we’ll get more showing than telling or even better, meeting her on the page.

Forest of Souls is relatively slow-paced.
This is more than likely a personal preference, but I felt the book was slow for most of the novel, and then it only started picking up in the last 30-40%. It’s a very good possibility this was the case for me because Forest of Souls isn’t a character or world-driven novel, and others will feel differently based on their reading preferences. Despite that, I did enjoy the story and am interested in potentially picking up the sequel when it comes out, but it’s not a definite favorite.

Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4.5/5
Writing: 4/5
Overall: 4.5/5

Forest of Souls was a magical read about the strength of friendship and developing self worth. It was one of my most anticipated releases of the year and I really liked it!

The main character was Sirscha, a spy-in-training who discovers she is the first soulguide in living memory and the only one capable of restraining the vicious, dangerous Dead Wood. I loved her uncompromising fierceness, skill and strength- she was a force that you definitely would not want to be on the wrong side of!

No matter how hard Sirscha trained and how skilled she became most people never saw any value in her because of her low station. This resulted in a fear of never being enough and a desire to be worthy and seek external validation that drove her every action. These fears, of failure and disappointing those around us, are something I think that many people can relate to and it’s amazing seeing Sirscha start to realise that her worth isn’t tied to what others think of her.

Another key aspect of this novel was unconditional friendship. I’ve never seen a YA fantasy that puts a friendship front and centre instead of a romance and it was a beautiful thing to behold. Saengo was Sirscha’s best friend and despite their differences, especially in rank, they were inseparable and would do anything for each other. Through all the trials and tribulations their friendship stood firm where others would have wavered and it gave them the strength to keep fighting for each other. My only wish is that Saengo gets more of an active role in the next book because I really would have liked to see more of her in action.

I’ve always been intrigued by magic systems in books and the system in Forest of Souls was one of the most interesting I’ve ever seen. The author has said that it was inspired by Hmong shamanism and it had a heavy emphasis on spirits and souls as the source of magic. It also had an elemental aspect with the five Shamanic Callings being fire, water, earth, wind and light. Separate to this there were also the Shadowblessed who could manipulate shadows. I loved how well fleshed out the system was and the fact that spirit familiars were necessary to channel the magic was probably my favourite part of it.

I loved the Dead Wood, the chilling forest of souls referenced by the title, as it was so morbid and visceral while also serving as a symbol for how hatred can endure and power can corrupt even the most well intentioned person. A large chunk of the book was spent in the Dead Wood and its surroundings which was great but I hope too see much more of the world in the sequel. Overall, Forest of Souls was a brilliant YA fantasy novel that is beautiful both inside and out.

I L O V E D this book!! Seriously you guys, this book was amazing. This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and it did not disappoint. It was everything I wanted and more.

It was a gripping and thrilling story about strong female friendships, finding and embracing your inner strength, and letting no one but yourself define who you are.

Sirscha was a great protagonist, and totally kicked butt. I feel like books will sometimes say they have a tough female lead but never deliver... Sirscha delivers. She was tough, wasn't afraid to do what was necessary, and had the skills to back it all up. And on top of all that she's a compassionate person who fought for those who couldn't fight for themselves. I do wish we would have seen her use her magic more, because the magic system is super cool and intricate in this book, so hopefully we'll get more of that in the next one!

I loved all the side characters but Theyen was definitely my favorite. I will always have a thing for broody, snarky royalty! Banter between him and Sirscha was EVERYTHING. I loved their interactions so much and wish there were more! I'm excited to see the development of all the characters in the next book!!

Overall this was a great read! It has an amazing and detailed world with cool magic, realistic characters, secrets, and plenty of twists and turns! And that ending!!! Ahhhh I can't wait for the next book!

5/5 stars

This book! Within the first few pages, I was swept away in the story of Sirscha Ashwyn, a talented swordswoman and Shadow-to-the-queen-in-training whose plans go awry when her best friend Saengo is killed...and somehow Sirscha brings her back to life.

I truly loved the friendship between Sirscha and Saengo, I love how they had each other's backs no matter what and yet were unafraid to be honest with each other and share when they were unhappy.

Sirscha is an interesting character and her journey was really cool to see.

The ending took me absolutely by surprise, there were two big twists that I fully didn't see coming. I'm still mulling them over, but I think they definitely set the stage for the next book pretty well and I'm so so excited to follow this story further!

If I had to pick three words to sum up this book it would be: Action, Magic, Friendship

I had heard a lot of buzz that this book was coming out but knew almost nothing about it when I started reading. I found this to be action packed and really unique, basically thrusting me right into the middle of everything when I first started. The story focuses on Sirscha as she tries to find her place in the world and competes for the prestigious and secret role of the Shadow. But nothing every goes the way she plans, and basically her whole live is unraveling around her- her best friend is now in danger, she is something unknown she never could have anticipated and she has no more set future.

Forest of Souls was non-stop danger, crazy battles, scary moments and heartbreak. Blink and you might miss something important, it was so quick paced and never a dull moment. This had a nice mix of sword fights, magical attacks and learning, sneaky assassination attempts, a crazy scary forest full of souls and death, evading capture in the shadows and the most dangerous aspect of the book- court politics and machinations. This was kind of a sink or swim scenario for Sirscha and her skills and it was exciting and stressful to see it unfold. This was also pretty dark when it came to the level of physical abuse she endured as well as the deaths that littered the story.

If you are looking for a romance, this may not be the right story for you. There was zero in the romantic nature in the story (even though my romance loving heart kept hoping for some and there were plenty of interesting possible characters laying around in my opinion). If you are looking for a story about friendship, then this is my number one recommendation! The main character and her best friend was the main relationship in the story, and it was wonderful and perfect, both willing to sacrifice and support the other in any way- even to death, if that is what it led to. They are relationship goals!

I found Forest of Souls to be exciting and stressful, as well as dark, unique and engaging. Keep in mind that this is the first book in a series so don't expect all your questions to be answered or a happy ending- but do expect needing the next book as soon as possible!

Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Forest of Souls

Author: Lori M. Lee

Book Series: Shamanborn Book 1

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: Southeast-Asian inspired characters and setting!

Recommended For...: fantasy, southeast Asian ownvoice, magic

Publication Date: June 23, 2020

Genre: YA Fantasy

Recommended Age: 16+ (spiders, violence, gore)

Publisher: Page Street Kids

Pages: 400

Synopsis: Sirscha Ashwyn comes from nothing, but she’s intent on becoming something. After years of training to become the queen’s next royal spy, her plans are derailed when shamans attack and kill her best friend Saengo.

And then Sirscha, somehow, restores Saengo to life.

Unveiled as the first soulguide in living memory, Sirscha is summoned to the domain of the Spider King. For centuries, he has used his influence over the Dead Wood—an ancient forest possessed by souls—to enforce peace between the kingdoms. Now, with the trees growing wild and untamed, only a soulguide can restrain them. As war looms, Sirscha must master her newly awakened abilities before the trees shatter the brittle peace, or worse, claim Saengo, the friend she would die for.

Review: Overall I thought this book was really well done! The characters were well developed and I adored Sirscha and Saengo’s relationship. I thought the writing was well done and the setting and world building was amazing. I also thought the plot, in particular the problem Sirscha encounters, was very unique in terms of what I’ve read before. It was action packed and easily one of my favorite YA high fantasy novels.

However, I did think that beginning was a little slow (but well crafted) and I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I didn’t want Saengo and Sirscha to be more than friends, but they’re very well suited to be sisters of heart in this novel.

Verdict: Highly recommend!

3.5 stars

This book has an interesting premise and I found the plot itself intriguing overall! In Forest of Souls, we follow Sirscha, an apprentice Shadow and member of the Queen's army. Everything changes one day when her best friend dies, and she finds out that she is a shaman. She soon flees her homeland to seek new allies and learn more about her powers.

I think the plot overall was very interesting. The setting and fantasy elements were well explained without seeming to info dumpy. I also enjoyed Sirscha's character, she was strong, independent, and was a pretty fantastic warrior. I also enjoyed the Prince character. I think he will be a main focus in the future books, and I look forward to seeing the internal struggle between doing what is right or what is expected. A character I thought I would get more from was Saengo. Even though they were the best friend character, they really were just a damsel in distress the entire time, and I didn't feel like I got to know her.

My main issue with this book was the pacing. It took me a while to get into the book, and I felt that the ending wrapped up way too quickly. A lot of problems Sirscha faced in the book were wrapped in the last 5% of the book. The ending does make you want to read the next book, though, as it does leave on a cliffhanger.

Overall, this was a solid beginning to a new fantasy series, and I am interested in seeing where this series goes.

Sirscha Ashwyn comes from nothing, but is bent on becoming someone. After years of training to become the queen’s royal spy, all plans go awry when shamans attack and kill her best friend Saengo.

And then Sirscha, somehow, restores Saengo to life.

You need to read FOREST OF SOULS! It’s written by an #OwnVoices author, and I love seeing BIPOC representation in fantasy novels.

Despite the initial glossary that scared me off a bit, the world-building in this novel is easy to follow and so unique. I loved learning about the different kingdoms and the magic unique to their people. The novel was definitely plot-driven, so if you love a fast-paced novel, pick this one up.

The last thing that I so appreciated about FOREST OF SOULS is that there was no romantic relationship. I see potential in future books, but it was refreshing to focus only on the mystery. And that cliffhanger?! I can’t wait to find out what’s next! Read this one!

Thank you to Netgalley and Page Street YA for the gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

This review is not the review I will publish on my personal website. This is more of an overall review as far as what I think from a bookselling point of view after thinking it over for a couple of days.

Forest of Souls definitely has a place and an audience. The world-building, sisterly bond, and creepy, atmospheric build that Lee creates will build a loyal following for the series.

The lack of romantic interest is a refreshing addition to the Young Adult category, as well. Going forward, more robust character development and a more clearly written plot would be to the series benefit.

Again, I don't believe these pieces are weak enough to hold back the novel's allure with the audience that is attracted to it

I will post my full review across the platforms in my bio today, 6/27.

I DNF'd ~35%.

I had a hard time getting into Forest of Souls. However, Sirscha has great potential and I like that her character arc is about relying less on external validation for her sense of worth. The lore and history of the world is rather interesting, but its introduction comes in the form of infodumps that make the first third of the book especially difficult to get through. Altogether, the story feels disjointed and the writing didn't fully convey why I should be invested in the main conflict and how Sirscha and co. are connected to it.

Sirscha's narration was straightforward, which is not a problem in itself. I prefer more subtle narration, but that's a matter of taste. My problem was that it was tedious and lacked a certain oomph behind it. I found myself skimming most of her descriptions and jumping straight to the dialogue. The action scenes were either confusing or lacked purpose. I quite disliked when Sirscha had to fight nameless enemies near the beginning because there seemed to be no additional purpose to the fight than for it to be there.

Forest of Souls has a story of politics and magic with a protagonist who had one idea of how her life would go forth and is suddenly having to take another path. Sirscha had been aiming to be the next Shadow of her country, which is essentially a position of being spymaster/assassin, and her mentor, the current Shadow is a tough taskmaster who also has other apprentices. When she tries to snatch up her rival apprentice's task, the mission goes awry and instead she ends up awakening her (unknown to her) shaman powers, while also raising her best friend from the end. Now, considering her Queen despises shaman-born and has them caged in camps, it is not an ideal place for Sirscha's powers to awaken, and when invited by Ronin, a neutral party who has been ruling over the Dead Wood (a cursed region) and using that as a leverage to keep the three countries in check, she takes up on his offer to try to control the Dead Wood. However, with her emergence as a soul guide, and the three countries are once again on the brink of conflict, the politics of the Thiy are going to be involved in her life, the fate of her best friend, and a threat that will arise.

Now, I couldn't help but notice the similarities between the Grisha trilogy and this book - a cursed region that is deemed impossible to enter or eradicate from the land, and a special summoner/shaman born with a rare power who could solve the problem of the cursed region - but that is like a fraction of the plot, so not a direct comparison but yeah, there are elements. There are various other things going on with the plot here - like the freedom of the shamanborn in Evewyn, and Sirscha's desire to rely on her ample martial skills rather than the magic that is new to her, the tense relations between the three countries, Ronin who is sitting controlling the peace but also hiding something from Sirscha, and the lore which defined the history of the countries. There's also the conflict in her, about what she thought her life would be, and this new heavy burden on her shoulders, and also about the love for her country against the fact that her sovereign will never allow her to live peacefully in it. I loved the relationship between Sirscha and Saengo, and how much that drives Sirscha's choices. I also liked Sirscha's banter with the Kazahyn Prince, especially in the light of her being 'IDGAF about nobels and their etiquette anymore'. Finally, the scenes in the Dead Wood are so creepy! I loved the way the horror of that place was rendered in the story - you could feel Sirscha's fear and dread, and I could practically visualize the grim atmosphere of the place.

Overall, it was a good start to a series, and has amazing writing, a sisterhood to die for, and some interesting twists in the ending.

Sirscha Ashwyn grew up as nothing without knowing who her parents were. She has fought and trained in order to get herself to the top and become the queens shadow. A position as the queens spy, assassin and right hand. Just as the day nears that the may be appointed the next shadow, Sirscha comes across some shadowblessed who attach. in the wake of this attack her best friend dies, and then is resurrected by sirscha. Sirscha has been awakened and is shadowblessed herself. In a kingdom where being shadowblessed is a curse what will happen to Sircha and her friend Saengo?

This book was very interesting and had me compelled to keep reading. I loved the story and the twists and turns that come with the story. I was also very impressed with the combat writing. I felt like I was there and trading blows in the fight alongside Sircha.

I really love books that make you think and I know that as the sequels come out, and more is revealed, that I will have to re read this book again. I love when things all come together to all make since in the end. This story left me with many questions that I hope to get answers to in the sequels.

One of the only drawbacks to this book was that I got a little overwhelmed and confused with all the new vocab within the world. I am sure that after another read I may become more immersed in the world of the shadowblessed and the kingdom.

Forest of Souls is a dark, SE Asian inspired fantasy following Sirscha, an assassin in training who discovers that she wields forbidden magical powers. Sirscha finds herself in the center of political upheaval as she is summoned to the court of the Spider King, the political power keeping neighboring kingdoms from collapsing into war. Forest of Souls finds its footing in creepy, dark descriptions of the titular forest and keeping a strong female friendship as the central relationship of the story. It languished in a slow, meandering, and often boring first and second act but ended on a strong note with an explosive ending that will leave even ambivalent readers curious about what comes next.

I LOVE me some Asian Fantasy, so I was really excited to read this one!

It started off with a really strong start. It started off with Sirscha getting back from a mission and talking with her mentor about being this really cool shadow assassin then meeting up with her best friend then you come to find out they ride drakes. So freaking cool. I was so invested from the beginning! Sirscha has a mysterious past, she’s has crazy fighting skills, and she’s sassy. I liked her.

However, the story just didn’t get really far after that. It felt like being on a roller coaster and anticipating the drop but it never comes. She had plenty of adventure but they were all short trips where nothing actually happened. Until the very end. Like the last 5% of the book. Then it ends on a cliffhanger. I liked that part but the majority of the book was a bit lackluster. The beginning and the end were intense but the whole middle was just not.

Things I liked. There is no romance in this book. And that’s totally fine! It stands completely on it’s own! However, I am totally shipping Sirscha and Theyen. Theyen was my favorite. He is mysterious and brooding and sassy. More of him please! I also really liked the magic system. It was very Avatar-y except add in shadow magic and soul magic. It was so cool!

I do want to read book 2. I think this series has a lot of promise so I am excited about that. I also liked the authors writing!

This book is a classic YA fantasy--the genre at its best! Lush and enchanting and fierce, the world Lee builds is captivating and I found myself unable to put the book down. A definite must read!

This is one of those Young Adult fantasies that reminded me of why I fell in love with the genre in the first place. I absolutely love this book and I can already tell you that this author is going to be an author I highly anticipate new books from!