I've seen Soul of Shadow appear on several "Most Anticipated 2025 Releases" lists lately, so I was really excited to get an ARC for review.

Unfortunately, this one didn't live up to the hype for me, and I thought that it was just okay. It started out strong, and I was sucked into the mystery, but as soon as Charlie's world gets flipped upside down, the story went downhill for me. When it came to the inclusion of Norse mythology, there was a lot of telling vs showing, which was a bummer because it made things harder to connect with. I think it would have been more effective if some of the mythology and lore had been introduced and woven into the beginning of the story (maybe even as a class assignment or something?) instead of just given to us in spurts of info dumps.

I was also really disappointed that there wasn't more to the mystery of the missing classmates. The synopsis of the book makes it sound like a major plot point, but it was definitely more of a side tangent that helps bring characters together versus an actual mystery to be solved.

I read a lot of YA, and sometimes the lines between YA and adult fiction blur, but Soul of Shadow sits FIRMLY in the YA camp here and the characters definitely read as their junior-year high school ages. I do love a morally grey MMC or villain, though, and I thought Elias played the part well. I also appreciated the female friendships as well as Charlie's relationship with her older brother, Mason. Also, the vätte was adorable.

I had to DNF this book unfortunately because it was not for me. I did not feel a hook or connection to the characters. I wasn't a fan of the Norse Mythology. It felt too juvenile for me. The writing in general just wasn't my taste.

Thank you to Netgalley for letting me have access to this book! Personally I tore through the first 75% of this book but after that the book slowed down and I didn’t enjoy it as much. I realized that Elias and Charlotte together drove the story and when they weren’t together it was boring and lacking tension and suspense. Overall a solid read and is not bad at all. It’s like a 3.5/5

This is for the vampire girlies! What a fun read. This was definitely purely YA but I absolutely loved it

This was a really good book! I didn't expect the YA tone, but I also don't mind YA, so still enjoyed it. I loved the mix of fantasy and mystery and enjoyed the writing style! Would definitely recommend.

This book was like vampire diaries and twilight mixed into one and I loved it so much. I felt so much nostalgia and I was immersed.

This is my first time reading a book by Emma Noyes and won’t be my last! Soul of Shadow is a YA fantasy with Vampire Diaries/ Twilight vibes with a Norse mythology twist. The book captured my attention right away and I flew through the story. I look forward to reading the next book as well as reading other books by Emma Noyes.

Thank you to St. Martins Press/ Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

°magical creatures
°fake relationship
°power of friendship

Thank you NetGally and St. Martin Press for allowing me to read and review this book.

This is a YA Norse Mythology story. The way Emma Boyes describes the magical world was just beautiful. I could imaging in my head was she was describing.

Charlie is the lead FMC and at the beginning of the book you can really feel her grief over losing her twin. It's like she has no interest in anything except a hobby her and her twin shared. Now she has a new interest trying to figure out what's happening with kids going missing in their small town.

Elias who is a "senior" at the hight school shows up around the same time teens are missing. Elias is not what he seems. Elias was interesting to me and hope to see more of his back story in the next book.

Charlie gets introduced to magic soon after Elias shows up, and this is where the book really gets into the norse mythology. There is just so much that goes on I don't want to give anything away. My favorite side character was our little valte.

Overall this was a great book. This is part of a series and ends on a cliff hanger.

Thank you NetGalley for the early read.
YA romantasy. This book took me to a world beyond my imagination. Loved all the characters but I think the Vatte was my favorite. Highly recommend.

Completely my fault for not realizing this is about high school kids. That said, I still really enjoyed it. The writing and pacing were both very well done and the descriptive detail was simply stunning!
My daughter will absolutely love Soul of Shadow! She can’t get enough of mythology/romantasy reads and I just preordered the gorgeous deluxe limited edition version to surprise her!

Huge thanks to St. Martin's Press & NetGalley for this arc in exchange for review.

Pub Date Jul 29 2025.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

SOUL OF SHADOW by Emma Noyes
Thank you Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the earc (Jul 29)

The shoes were found in a tree...
All Charlie Hudson wants to do is make it through junior year, no spark for anything since her twin sister's death. When her classmates begin disappearing, she is drawn to the investigation, the forest where they went missing. Until she finds herself investigating with Elias Everhart, the newcomer full of secrets.
SOUL OF SHADOW is a fantasy novel with mysterious disappearances at its core. From page one, I was hooked. First the mystery drew me in, then the mysterious boy in the woods, down to the worlds and realms in between.
I ended up loving this book. It flowed really easily, and I loved how it wasn't so long that it grew boring (for me, some fantasy-esque novels end up that way).
SOUL OF SHADOW was a thrilling novel that never once lost its intriguing ways. It's full of drama---oh-so much drama---secrets, lies, and betrayal. This book...I can't wait for book two or three.

Overall a good book. The mfc is dealing with the death of her twin sister and now teens are coming up missing in her home town. Elias the new guy seems to hold many secrets and Charlie the mfc is ready to get to the bottom of it even if she has to risk her heart to do so. This book is definitely for ya but it was a good read for me and my daughter

It was reading something focusing on Norse Mythology, something I didn't know much about. Plenty of realistic aspects and how the new knowledge that magic is real, changes everything around you

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
# Pages: 352
Publication Date: 07.29.25

“Charlie had always loved magic. She loved everything about it. The weight of the cards. The swish of the cups as she switched the ball, unseen by the audience. She loved the complexity of it, the web of lies and misdirection. The wonder in the other person’s eyes when the cards did something impossible, or the handkerchief appeared somewhere it couldn’t be. The subtle dexterity, the sleight of hand.”

* YA Romantasy
* Norse Mythology Inspired
* Magic
* Fake Dating
* Shadow Daddy
* Grief
* Supernatural Mystery
* Small Town
* Morally Grey MMC
* Enemies To Lovers

**Love, magic, gods, and monsters collide in this thrilling Norse mythology inspired romantic fantasy for fans of The Vampire Diaries and Atlas Six.**

“Soul Of Shadow” by Emma Noyes was an amazing read! I loved the world building and character development with the Norse mythology! I loved her magical system and how everything flowed together. The build up to the plot twist keeps you guessing. I think she did an amazing job covering some harder topics for teens, like grief.

The book starts out with a missing teen from the local high school. Then a new guy shows up in town, Elias, our MMC. He is full of secrets and someone our FMC (Charlie) is drawn to.

Charlie, lost her twin sister a few years before the book began. We go through her grief but also faces the normal teen life. She is a junior in high school. She is a very strong character. I really enjoyed watching her character grow.

Overall, I highly recommend this read. From the Norse mythology, adventure, darker fantasy themes, storytelling and the originality. I’m excited to see the this trilogy goes.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.

I absolutely LOVED this book! Supernatural romance book that kept me HOOKED. the world building and plot kept me interested I finished this in one day!
Now I NEED the beautiful special edition to add to my shelf as my shelf trophy. A must read!!
Thank you for letting me ARC!!

Soul of Shadows has a strong female lead, Charlie, who discovers there is more than meets the eye when it comes to her world. Charlie is handling a lot of change: A student from her school goes missing, a mysterious student enrolls, and is battling grief. This book takes you on a journey where secrets are discovered, friendships are tested, and reveals what it means to be brave and have courage. This books leaves you off with a twist that you don’t see coming. If you enjoy a little mystery, mythology, romance, and adventure, this book is for you. If you like Percy Jackson (Rick Riordan) or the Fablehaven books (Brandon Mull), you will enjoy this. I can’t wait for the second one!

Wow—this book completely hooked me! Soul of Shadow was my first dive into this genre, and I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did. Emma Noyes weaves an irresistible mix of mystery, magic, and romance that had me flipping pages late into the night.

Charlie Hudson is such a relatable protagonist, just trying to get through high school when everything takes a wild, supernatural turn. And then there’s Elias Everhart—brooding, mysterious, and full of secrets. The chemistry between them had me totally invested, and the way the story unfolds kept me on edge in the best way.

I went into this book thinking it would be a fun read, but I walked away a full-fledged fan of the genre. If you love an addictive, atmospheric story with twists, danger, and swoon-worthy romance, this is the one to pick up!

I absolutely loved the blend of Norse mythology mixed into this story. As being a person who enjoys all kinds of mythology this one was fun. The book remained entertaining and kept you in thralled into it, and it did it so well for a YA. The characters were all interesting and some even mysteries. I hope these mysteries will be answered in the next book because I feel there is so much more to the fmc and mmc. Overall I highly recommend this to all YA readers. It will not disappoint.

Soul of Shadow is a contemporary fantasy about a girl named Charlie who is a junior in high school who lost her twin sister a few years before the book began. Then classmates start to go missing and there is a new guy in town. The author other shows Charlies processing her grief really well, especially when it was the female main character's identical twin. The new guy Elias is someone with secrets and someone who Charlie is drawn to.

What I liked was Charlie's grief, as a twin I don't think I would be able to function without my twin, so I understand that so well. She was such a strong character, not necessarily physically but with her bravery and emotions. I loved the mystery with her energy, what was happening with Elias, and what was happening with the missing classmates. The Norse Mythology in the book, and Mason's relationship.

What I didn't like, was first I felt like I was lied to because when there is "A Novel" on a book cover I would assume it would be a standalone, and I say this as someone who loves series, I feel like I got tricked. I don't like when there is no fight when someone comes back to live, it made the death feel cheap. Mason in the end. Elias being called morally gray when that would mean that he isn't completely good or evil, but we don't know if he is actually good. Any "good" he did in the book was only for is benefit and no one else's. When the author said The Vampire Diaries meets Atlas Six, I was hoping they meant the books for VD, and not the TV.

I liked it enough, but I don't know if I would want to continue reading on to be honest.

Such a fun read. Think vampire diaries minus vampires add Norse mythology. There is a hint of mystery as a kid goes missing and the only trace of him is his shoes hanging from a tree with mysterious markings on it. Our main character Charlotte (Charlie) is drawn to the case. Enter Elias the mysterious new guy at school.

This is young adult and the characters are teenagers planning for homecoming and going to beach parties etc. As an adult reading it, it feels like I am too old to read this but once the plot picks up you can get past that.