In this YA urban romantasy, we are following a high school junior named Charlie, who is really just trying her best to be invisible and make it through the last few years of high school as she tries to deal with the loss of her twin sister. Things change quickly, however, when strange Nordic markings and teen disappearances start happening in her quiet little small town, and everything seems to coincide with the appearance of a new broody boy named Elias. How are all these strange things connected and what is Charlie going to do to get things back on track?

I have never watched Teen Wolf/Twilight/Vampire Diaries but just from reading this book, I definitely get a lot of the same vibes from those shows. There is a lot of Norse mythology, fake dating, mysterious creatures, and just this overall moody and gothic atmosphere that I enjoyed. However, I did feel like some of the character motivations were a little lacking in depth and Charlie was a bit too naive and trusting of everything that was going on, no matter how fantastical it seemed, which made it a little less believable for me. Overall, it was a very quick and easy read and if you enjoy your YA fantasy with a bit of romance and angst, then you should definitely check this one out!

Thank you to Netgalley, Wednesday Books, and St. Martin's Press for sending this eARC for review consideration - all opinions are my own!

I sometimes can get through YA but unfortunately I just could not with this one. It was just too YA for me and the characters were just not relatable being written so young. I think if I was closer in age to the characters I may have liked this better.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publishers for allowing me to read this advanced copy.

I really enjoyed reading this book! What pulled me in most were the characters. Charlie feels like such a real person. She's relatable in her grief and confusion, but also totally her own - funny, determined, and a little reckless. I especially loved the dynamics between her and her friends; the banter between Charlie, Lou, Abigail, and Mason gave the story such warmth and levity, even as the plot dipped into darker, more mysterious territory.

And Elias is the perfect morally gray love interest. Mysterious, frustrating, and totally intriguing. I found myself constantly wanting to know more about his past and secrets, and I really hope we get deeper insight in future installments. His chemistry with Charlie was a highlight for me. Their banter had just the right amount of bite without veering into cliché, and it often made me laugh out loud.

The hidden-in-plain-sight paranormal world was also a fun surprise. I loved how it crept in gradually and then exploded into something much bigger, layered with Norse mythology, gods, and monsters. It gave me The Vampire Diaries meets Percy Jackson vibes in the best way.

That said, one thing that didn’t sit quite right with me was how casually underage drinking, drug use, and hookups were presented. I get that this is often part of teen fiction and can reflect real teenage experiences, but it felt a bit too normalized here, almost like it was just a standard part of high school life. It didn’t ruin the story for me, but it did take me out of it a few times.

This is a fast-paced, fun, and surprisingly emotional story. If you're into stories with mythological twists, witty characters, and emotionally charged plotlines, I definitely recommend picking this one up. I’m excited to see where Charlie and Elias’s story goes next.

My copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and Wednesday Books for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Soul of Shadow was such a fun YA urban romantasy. If you loved The Vampire Diaries, this is the book for you. It has a broody, atmospheric small town, a close knit group of friends who have to work together to save the world from ancient evil forces, and the angstiest high school romance ever, filled with forbidden love and enemies to lovers vibes. To all of that, it added Norse mythology and a fierce heroine who loves magic tricks.

Charlie is fearless and strong and rushes into situations without thinking them through, but she has a good heart. She’s loyal, and will do anything to protect her friends and family. Elias is new to town and has secrets. He’s attractive, charismatic, and flirty, but there’s a darkness lurking underneath his surface. Their relationship had a great push and pull, and I need to know what happens next after that ending.

This book was narrated by Emily Pike Stewart, and she did an amazing job bringing this story and these characters to life. If you’re looking for a book with magic, gods, monsters, a hidden world of Norse mythology, and doomed love, this is the one for you.

Thank you to Wednesday Books, St. Martins Press, Macmillan, Macmillan audio, Emma Noyes, and NetGalley for the ARC and ALC.

📔Soul of Shadow
✏️ Emma Noyes
📆 July 29, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

READ IF YOU LIKE:
👤 Norse mythology
👤 urban romantasy
👤 high school drama
👤 magic tricks
👤 small town
👤 morally grey shadow daddy
👤 strong heroine
👤 enemies to lovers
👤 forbidden love

Sadly, I’m going to DNF this book at 40%. This is rare for me, maybe my first DNF for netgalley?! I really gave it a try, multiple times, but I could not finish this one.
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I was very excited and interested in the Norse mythology aspect but the book was very YA and the writing definitely reflected the juvenile characters.
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I was hoping for a Romantasy steeped in Norse mythology but the characters were definitely too young for me. I think there is the right audience out there for this book, but sadly, it wasn’t for me.
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Thank you to netgalley and Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you so much to Wednesday Books and St Martins Press for this ARC!!

Charlie Hudson is coasting through junior year under the weight of grief until a classmate vanishes, leaving strange symbols carved into a tree. Things only get stranger when she meets Elias, the mysterious new guy who’s clearly hiding something. Suddenly, she’s pulled into a hidden world full of magic, creatures, and Norse mythology. As secrets unravel, Charlie has to face her past—and decide who she can really trust.

Soul of Shadow was such a fun and vivid adventure— literally could see it as a movie playing in my head. The imagery was incredibly rich, and all the magical creatures brought the world to life in such a cinematic way.
There was humor, action, cuteness and betrayal—not a dull moment in this book. And Vatte!! so cute I could cry 🥹. The incorporation of Norse mythology added such a unique and fascinating layer to the story, and I found myself totally hooked on those mythological elements and the different creatures.
Charlie and her group of friends were another highlight. Their dynamic was heartwarming and hilarious, and I genuinely enjoyed following them on this journey. This is a YA book- so there is no spice and the writing tone is more that of a YA book- but it was definitely entertaining and I enjoyed it!!
I’m already counting down the days until I can dive into the next book!

DNF at 37%. This was just too YA for me, and I'm disappointed because I love the concept of a modern day Norse mythology romantic suspense. The FMC is 16 and a junior in high school, and the MMC is 18 and pretending to be a senior so that he can infiltrate the town and solve a mystery involving creatures of Aasgard.

The problem for me is that all of these teenagers talk and behave like middle schoolers, except they like to party and drive their own cars. The MMC spends chapters downloading the history of all kinds of mythological creatures, and the FMC's reaction is literally "ok, cool" and then "so you want me to eat this berry that you say will send me to Aasgard? Sure, why not?"

The doe-eyed childlike wonder, lack of self-preservation, and risk taking on the part of the FMC -- especially after the guy tells her he's an evil person who likes to kill and torture people, and threatens everyone she loves unless she agrees to help him -- was so over the top and unbelievable I couldn't keep going.

And finally, I didn't get this far but why are all the reviews/blurbs talking about romance? He's 18 and she is 16. Unless there's some kind of a time jump somewhere in there, how?

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read and review this novel prior to publication. I was not compensated in any way, and all opinions are my own.

[Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to review this ARC with honesty.]


Going into this I had little memory of the synopsis (which actually, I think worked out in my favor as some books just develop more organically going in blind) so the first few chapters I was left a little confused where the story was going and even more so when I thought it felt like those dark YA murder mystery types only for it to completely do an about face with Elias and (no spoilers) the explanations given.

I want to give this story credit and I do - it kept me engaged (there were moments where I started glossing over repetitive mentions of the mythology) and I had an near explosion of “Aww” at the vatte in love with the Witcher series “Aka Henry Cavill.” I think I saw others comment, some of the references almost became a handicap. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good reference to movies or pop scattered in a story but it felt like it was used as a means of explanation a little too much. Like not everyone has seen any Marvel movies (I know a lot have, I get it) but it causes confusion when there are vague references thrown around. Again, love references but sometimes it can be overkill.

And the ending - I’m still at a loss for that. I feel like I could go on and read the second - part of me really wants to see who becomes redeemed and who doesn’t. Overall, I did have a fun time with this book. The descriptions of the world were awesome and the ideology around it was intriguing. I would like to see more character development with Charlie and the others like Mason and Lou’s background. Abigail seems like a character that could use more fleshing out as well.

My Rating: 3.5 (rounded up)

I applied for this ARC because it sounded different and interesting, and it was (for the most part).

The Norse mythology basis was not just the usual gods, and it was refreshing and really cool. This story read easily, and I liked the characters. The conflict was intense, and the cliffhanger definitely left me wanting book 2.

At times, the writing felt a little simple and juvenile, even for being YA, but I was able to get by it because the story kept me hooked. I also found the inspiration for the story to be quite obvious, but I will leave it at that so as not to spoil things.

Overall, I thought this was an enjoyable start to a fantasy series with lots of cool lore, mysterious intrigue and a tense romance with fiery chemistry.

Synopsis: When a classmate disappears under mysterious circumstances, high school junior Charlie Hudson feels compelled to investigate. The disappearance coincides with the arrival of a strange new boy, Elias Everhart, to town. Charlie soon learns that Elias has bigger secrets than she ever anticipated as a whole world of magic is opened up to her.

Thoughts: YA fantasy can be hit or miss for me, but I thought this one offered a fun new spin on Norse mythology. Emma’s writing is really beautiful and atmospheric and pulled me in from the beginning. There are some darker themes, but I do think overall this book is definitely appropriate for YA readers - while the plot is dark and mysterious, the overall tone of this book doesn’t take itself too seriously. I would have liked to see a bit more of the angst and morally grey nature of the romance aspect, but there is room to expand on it in the next book. I actually wasn’t expecting the story to go where it did, and the ending took me by surprise and left me wanting book two asap! A note on the audio: I think the narrator did a good job at capturing the high school vibes of the characters. I’d recommend either format for this one!

Read this if you like:
🫐 Norse mythology
🫐 morally grey mmc
🫐 missing person
🫐 high school angst
🫐 small town
🫐 gnomes

Charlotte is a junior in high school, battling grief (her twin sister passed 2 yrs prior). Her light for life had dulled to barely a flicker. Then classmates start missing, and carvings are appearing in the trees. She starts investigating the situation, and can she trust the new guy in town Elias? Will the truth and darkness consume her?

moderately paced, plot driven, no spice YA. The cliff hanger twist though, not nice! I honestly really wanted to like Elias; but the more I read, the more my distaste for him grew. The Norse Mythology integrated into current times overlay was a nice refreshing touch. Our FMC, Charlotte, her growth and determination was so different. There wasn't a whiney "poor me" like typical young characters. The side characters became just as important. Yet my absolute favorite part of the story was the Vatte. I definietly wish we could have those in real life! 😍 This is the 1st book I had read by this author, though i found her writing style pleasing.

After trying a few times, I think it's finally time to DNF. I just couldn't get into it. I just wasn't a fan of the references.

This is a new to me author and it took me a few "tries" to get into this book. I would put it down, read something else and then come back. I'm glad I didn't 'DNF" this book. I wasn't expecting the plot twist and ended up enjoying the book.

Book Review: Soul of Shadow by Emma Noyes
🌘💔🗡️

Okay… this one hit me harder than I expected. Soul of Shadow is dark, emotional, and so beautifully written. It’s the kind of romantasy that creeps under your skin with its slow unraveling of secrets, betrayals, and that quiet, dangerous kind of love that builds when you’re not sure you can trust anyone—including yourself.

The world is gritty and brutal, but there’s something soft in the way the characters hold onto hope, even when it hurts. The main character is broken in so many ways, but still fights—still chooses to survive. And the love interest? Yeah… let’s just say if you’re into morally gray, dangerous, and completely magnetic, you’re in for it.

I loved the emotional depth, the tension, the magic, the messiness of it all. It’s not a light read, but it’s one that lingers. The kind of book where you finish and just sit there for a minute, letting it all settle.

✨ Read this if you’re into:
— dark romantasy
— slow burn with real stakes
— trauma, trust, and a touch of magic
— morally gray characters who feel
— vibes over answers (in the best way)

This one wasn’t quite what I expected. It’s on me for not reading the synopsis fully. I’m not one to usually get too deep into them beforehand. This just wasn’t the right fit for me personally…and there were no vampires…which was surprising

This is an excellent book for the YA crowd. If YA isn't your thing, then this might not be for you. However, I can definitely see a younger adult audience enjoying this.

The magic and found family were excellent. There were some pacing issues for me, but overall this was interesting. It's not too heavy on the romance. I would definitely recommend for YA fantasy lovers.

OKAY, THIS BOOK!! it’s so good, so cute, and somehow also absolutely devastating but in the most beautiful, satisfying way. huge thanks to the publisher for the ARC because i genuinely loved every second of this story. it’s the kind of book that feels effortless to read; fast paced and fluid, yet it’s packed with so much heart, adventure, and emotional weight that i found myself completely hooked from the first chapter.

the story sets off highlighting a recent disappearance of a student and allure of the woods they went missing in. if you love mythology, specifically Norse mythology, you will love this series especially with the modern-day twist!

charlie is such a compelling and well-developed protagonist. her voice feels authentic, and the way her grief from losing her twin sister (this is not a spoiler btw) is raw and relatable without ever being overdone. her inner world is so real and so grounded that you can't help but root for her every step of the way.

& then there’s elias, the literal night mare (yes, a broody, magical creature boy with serious layers). he’s charming in that tortured kind of way, and there's clearly so much more to him than meets the eye. the hints at his past and pain are done so well in such an intriguing way and i can't wait to see his story unfold further. the tension between him and Charlie is just chef’s kiss.

the side characters are another highlight. their banter is snappy, fun, and genuinely made me laugh out loud more than once. there’s also a lovely side romance that’s slowly blooming in the background, and it gives the story a cozy, warm balance against the heavier emotional moments.

also, the setting deserves some love. SHOUTOUT TO MICHIGAN!! as a fellow Michigander, i love to see our state get some love.

in short, this book is magical, emotional, and totally immersive. whether you're in it for the adventure, the romance/betrayal or the emotional depth, there’s something here for everyone. highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read Soul of Shadow by Emma Noyes’ in exchange for my honest review.

Emma Noyes’ Soul of Shadow sets out to blend Norse mythology, supernatural intrigue, and young love into a dark, magical coming-of-age tale—but unfortunately, this one didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

The story follows Charlie Hudson, a high school junior trying to fade into the background after a tragic loss. Her quiet life is upended when a classmate vanishes under eerie circumstances, drawing Charlie into a web of secrets, shadows, and mythic creatures—led by the enigmatic Elias Everhart. Elias, of course, is mysterious, brooding, and very much not of this world. While the premise has a lot of potential, I struggled to connect with the execution.

Let’s start with what did work. The imagery is vivid and often beautiful, and I appreciated the attempt to incorporate Norse mythology into a contemporary setting. Some of the magical creatures were a highlight, especially one little character who was unexpectedly endearing in his love for Henry Cavill (that detail alone almost earned a star). Noyes clearly has an imaginative mind, and the potential for a rich fantasy world is there.

But ultimately, the book felt uneven. The worldbuilding leaned heavily on pop culture references and overly simplistic explanations, which undercut the darker, heavier tone that Norse mythology often carries. Elias’ powers as a “Nightmare” were cool in concept, but didn’t always feel cohesive—speed, possession, walking through walls? These abilities felt more like a grab bag of shadowy traits than a consistent magical system.

Charlie’s grief over her twin sister’s death should have added emotional depth, but her flatness and lack of fight made it hard for me to invest in her character. Her dynamic with Elias had flickers of chemistry, but not enough to make the central romance convincing. I wanted to root for them, but their hot-and-cold relationship just left me feeling whiplashed.

The pacing also dragged. Despite the book’s short length, the story moved slowly, bogged down by immature dialogue and narrative choices that felt better suited to a younger audience. For a book marketed as YA, it often read more like upper middle grade with moments of underage partying thrown in, which made the tone feel inconsistent.

In the end, Soul of Shadow had flashes of charm and intriguing ideas but was undercut by weak character development, unclear mythology, and pacing issues. Readers newer to YA fantasy or looking for a light introduction to Norse-inspired magic might enjoy this, but it wasn’t the right fit for me.
⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was pleasantly surprised with this one! Definitely inspired by the Vampire Diaries, but throw in some Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick and then give it a Norse mythology twist. I see and appreciate how old tropes/plot points have been reimagined and reworked; despite the common features of a lot of other YA supernatural stories, this book surprised me and kept me VERY invested throughout the entire book. The characters are complex in their backstories and motivations, and even after the end of the book I am still wondering about people and what their TRUE DEAL is. All in all a REALLY good YA novel!! I NEED BOOK 2 ALREADY BECAUSE THAT ENDING??? WOW.

Charlie Hudson is just floating through life. After the death of her twin sister, Charlie has lost her spark. But when teens from her school start to go missing and strange carvings are found on the trees of the forest, Charlie begins to come to life again as she investigates. A mysterious boy comes into town at the same time the kids disappear, and she finds herself teaming up with him. What follows is a mix of mystery, magic, and mythology…all leading to a much deeper secret that could put the world in jeopardy.

I was very surprised throughout this book…in a great way! There were charming mythical creatures, terrifying villains, and integration of Norse mythology throughout. The relationships between Charlie and her best friends were endearing, and the juxtaposition of the world as we know it and Asgard was well written and magical. A wonderful YA fantasy novel with beautiful world building and an intricate plot!