Soul of Shadow is a captivating blend of Norse mythology and modern-day mystery. Charlie Hudson, still grieving her twin sister’s death, gets drawn into a series of eerie disappearances in her small town. Enter Elias Everhart—a mysterious new student with secrets that pull Charlie into a hidden world of magic, gods, and monsters. Their chemistry is electric, and the world-building is rich and immersive. If you’re a fan of The Vampire Diaries or The Atlas Six, this darkly enchanting romantasy is a must-read.

the story u folded the pacing was inconsistent and the plot was disjointed and confusing. This book has a lot of potential but just left me disappointed and wanting more.

I love a retelling of a classic myth with a twist but this story fell flat for me. There was nothing wrong with the story but I couldn’t connect with the characters or the plot. I never cared about the romance which made the enemies to lovers to maybe enemies plotline not work for me. I think if other people will enjoy the story, but it just didn’t work for me.

Thank you to Negalley and Wednesday Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Soul Of Shadow was like reliving the early 2000's CW all over again.
I liked it, enjoyed it, but didn't LOVE it.
It starts out in the typical high school girl meets hot new kid-monster fashion.
I did really like that it took quite a turn away from the typical CW model into more of the Nordic lore.

I enjoyed the characters and their relationships and really was rooting for Elias.
However Henry definitely was the one who stole my heart.

For a YA story I think it's very fitting and fits the genre well.
I will want to read on to see where Charlie's adventures take her.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚Rating*ੈ✩‧₊˚
4.5/5 Stars

˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗Tropes˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗
🍇 Fake Dating
🖤 Norse Mythology
🍇Shadow Daddy
🖤 Morally Black Love Interest
🍇 Mystery That Needs To Be Solved
🖤 Small Town


𓂃🖊Notes and Highlights-

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･” Her first thought: We did it. We made it out alive.
Her second: We will never be safe again.”°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

💭 Thoughts-
This book was so much fun to read! I am not one to love a whole lot of murder mystery or missing people or anything of the such, but I totally loved it in this book! This book had so many fun twists and turns throughout it that made it so much fun and made me not able to put it down, and I almost ended up reading the whole thing in one sitting. Not only that but the morally black love interest that I definitely should no t have probably loved but totally did even though he totally was like so so bad, but they say bad I say hot so… I may not be the best judge of character with this mmc 😅. The only real reason it doesn’t have a 5-star rating is that well I do like the mmc Elias now it took me some time to warm up to him with him being like a mass murder, threatening her family if she didn't do what he said and stuff like that but if we move past that small part of him I def like him now. All in all a great book that keeps you hooked the whole time and is super fun to read, would totally recommend!

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(Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review)

3.5 rounded up — overall interesting, entertaining, and a different twist on fantasy due to the Norse mythology. I am really hoping for an Elias redemption arc in the future!

EMMA. EMMA. WHAT THE HECK. THAT ENDING. I NEED MORE STAT.

As a die-hard vampire diaries fan (I’ve re-watched it at least 20+ times) and damon girlie for life, I knew I was going to love this book and have been dying to read it ever since I saw the author’s first video about it over a year ago.

Was obviously immediately in love with Elias (and Charlie). I could picture every piece of this world so clearly and truly felt like I was immersed into a magical realm. I love the concept of magic hidden right in front of us, so I really enjoyed the way the magic system and world in Soul of Shadow worked.

I also really liked the Norse mythology, as this is something we don’t see a lot in fantasy books these days (although it seems to be making a resurgence). I appreciated that the author (and characters) made pop culture references, especially connecting the Nordic characters and gods to the ones most of us likely think of today - hellooooo tom hiddelston.

I absolutely did NOT see that ending coming. I had some theories around the sister’s “death” and Elias’s true motives, but was genuinely on the edge of my seat at “my children”.

I sped through this in less than 24 hours because I simply could not put it down. The ONLY thing I didn’t like was that we don’t get more about Elias or any inklings of redemption for him yet 😭 I need the sequel ASAP PLS AND THANKS!!!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest review!!

Charlie and Elias are the ultimate bad boy, good girl will they, won't they pairing! The folklore and magic in this story are unique and truly enhance the mystery and romance. A must read!

Look it's a DNF for me. It's just a little too ridiculous. I think it could be a little fun junk food or guilty pleasure kind of read but you lost me at referencing Marvel and the MCU that many times in a span of such a short time. Like, this could have been very neat, I loved the idea of bringing in Norse Mythology, but the way it was executed took away from the cool build up the author was laying out... because of that it just very silly. Though, take me with a grain of salt because it wasn't **bad** I just think I am not the right person for this.

Although I will say the narrator did an awesome job.

Thank you Netgalley, Wednesday Books, and Emma Noyes for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

2.5/5

3.75 stars

Soul Of Shadow has Twilight vibes steeped in Norse mythology instead of Vampire lore. Charlie is struggling with the loss of her twin sister and Junior year of High School. Kids are disappearing and Charlie wants to investigate. While researching the disappearances she meets Elias, a sexy new Senior at her school. There is interesting push and pull between the FMC and MMC. Really want to see where the Norse mythology aspects can take the story.

Thank you Emma Noyes and Wednesday Books for providing this ARC via NetGalley. Comments and opinions above are my own.

#SoulofShadow #NetGalley

Charlie Hudson just wants to make it through Junior year. Things haven't been easy since she lost her twin sister, Sophie, two years ago, and she feels like she's just going through the motions of life. But things take a mysterious turn when some of her classmates go missing, and strange symbols are found carved into the trees in the woods. Charlie knows she shouldn't get involved, but she can't resist the pull to investigate the disappearances. Her search ends up leading her to the new Senior, Elias Everhart, and Charlie discovers that there's magic, gods and monsters, and a world hidden in plain sight of her little town of Silver Shores.

I was definitely drawn to the premise of Norse mythology, mixed with modern day, in Soul of Shadow. The book really did give me a feel of The Vampire Diaries, with a small town having dangerous secrets. I actually felt like I could have been watching an episode of Legacies, while reading the book.

The book is a fun, easy read, and I enjoyed Charlie and her friends as the main characters. I loved the friend relationship between the three of them, and Lou and Abigail's constant bickering made me laugh. Elias was a great morally grey character, and he never seemed to do what I thought he would do.

There's a good bit of suspense with the missing students and how it ties into the Norse storyline. I really enjoyed the setting of a hidden world, and what it was like once Charlie had the ability to see it. The various creatures were a really great addition, and I just have to say that the Vatte that attaches itself to Charlie wins as one of my all-time favorite side characters!! The mythology of Odin and Loki really kept me interested in the conflict of the story, and I loved all of the Marvel movie references.

Soul of Shadow is definitely a fun, Young Adult fantasy read! The cliffhanger ending had me wanting more, and I can't wait to see where the story goes in the next book. If you enjoy shows/movies like TVD and Twilight, with high school drama, the supernatural, morally grey MMCs, secrets/lies, and small town vibes then I would highly recommend Soul of Shadow.

One part young adult murder mystery, one part norse mythos fantasy, and one part romance; Soul of Shadow is 110% the book I hoped it would be and I will certainly be snagging a book for my physical collection.

Soul of Shadow was an enjoyable YA read. Charlie and the other characters felt relatable and read like authentic teens. The Norse mythology was well done, I especially enjoyed the overlapping human/magical worlds, which sets Soul of Shadow apart from other stories I’ve read recently. While the story arc was often dark (it begins with a missing teen), there were lighter and quite adorable elements that made for a well-balanced read.

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc and an alc!

unfortunately, dnf’d @50% — as i get older (sob) i find a lot of YA does not appeal to me in the same way it did when i was a young adult myself, but now with so many different books under my belt, i find myself less and less impressed with YA books unless they are truly one of a kind - and there are many out there that are universal reads for everyone!

i feel that my disappointment is mainly due to many YA books attempting to tackle more adult themes rather than creating/addressing issues for the targeted audience.

also, i was just generally uninterested in this book as whole - murder mystery meshed with norse mythology sounded so interesting in theory, but it just fell so flat.

as for the narrator, she did a fine job!

i’m sure this book will find its audience but it’s not me.

First off, thank you so much to St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for supplying me with this e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

This was such a fun and unique read! I've never read a book with Norse mythology and want to read more after reading this one! I loved the mythical creatures and felt the portrayal of grief was done so well. I loved watching Charlie grow as a character from the beginning of the story to the end and loved her friends and the relationship they had with each other and their loyalty. The twists in the story were also nicely done and there was so much happening throughout the book that it definitely kept me hooked and wondering what would happen next. With that being said, I did struggle to connect with the romantic side of this romantasy just because of the way I felt Elias treated Charlie at times, I am curious as to what will happen from here though!

Recently finished Soul of Shadow by Emma Noyes* and if you’re a fan of The Vampire Diaries or Twilight, add this book to your TBR immediately. It's got that same addictive, emotional vibe, but with a fresh twist that makes it stand out. Brooding supernatural drama. High school angst. Ancient secrets. What’s not to obsess over?

But, instead of vampires and werewolves, we get deep into Norse mythology. As a Marvel girly, this was fun—more Odin, Thor, and Loki please!

The FMC? Complete Elena-meets-Bella energy at first—torn, uncertain, and carrying some major emotional baggage. But her journey toward self-acceptance is what really hit home—watching her evolve from doubting her place in the world to embracing her true power and identity.

But the MMC? He’s alluring, magnetic, and vulnerable—the picture-perfect morally grey character. Every moment we spend with him is full of tension and mystery… who is he really and where did he come from? And the chemistry between him and our FMC is chef’s kiss!

It’s dark, dangerous, a little romantic, and binge-worthy. Oh, and you’ll absolutely fall in love with the most adorable little gnome/vätte!

*Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy!

So this book has some good points, the norse mythology is different, and I never really knew what the main male character was going to do which can be fun. I definitely didnt get his devotion to the fmc.

With that being said it started with missing kids, then turned into alice in wonderland creatures, to marvel heroes maybe. It just had way to much in it. It was like a little of everything. The author compares the mmc to damon from tvd and this just isn't true. This absolutely has no tvd vibes, plots anything from tvd except high school students. Maybe more like legacies. It had potential but it failed the mark.

Good riddance, I did not see that ending coming!! I need more or Charlie and Elias ASAP!

10/10 plot
10/10 drama
8/10 emotional damage

If you believe in magic and mystery, this is a great one for you!

———
After Charlie and Mason lose their sister, their entire worlds shift. Charlie forgets to live, and Mason breaks out of his shell completely. When local teenagers start to go missing, Charlie and her friends start to investigate outside of the police investigations.

Throughout the book, Charlie is introduced to Elias who she feels some kind of connection with that seems unexplainable. Through him, she learns of Asgard and all about magical beings.

Even though Elias is the obvious bad boy, Charlie agrees to help him. But bad boys always betray in the end. After Elias kidnaps one of Charlie’s good friends, Lou, she teams up with her brother and some others to get Lou back.

And then she learns who her father is, before he is sent back to Helheim.

It was giving flashbacks to my teen years! I loved the writing and all the different mythical creatures and Of course Loki is my favourite Villian 😏 That ending definitely threw me off a cliff and I was not expecting that!

First and foremost this book is giving all the drama of a CW teen angst show that I live and breathe for. Our FMC Charlie is a very reluctant heroine who is battling both grief and the very tumultuous path of finding herself as a teenager before she gets thrust into a world of mythology and magic that she never asked for. If you love a morally gray MMC, a bit of norse mythology, and all the fun tropes of high school, this is for you! I did find the plot a little hard to keep up with towards the end but I think the author did an excellent job wrapping things up in preparation for what I presume is another book! overall i’d give this book: 3.5 stars!