I loved this book! I really enjoyed the Norse mythology influence and it wove together to create such a delicious YA story. I enjoyed the characters, Charlie and Elias. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

3.75-4✨

‘Soul of Shadow’ was such a cute yet layered read. At first, I wasn’t sure if it was going to be for me as it initially felt very YA, and I found myself almost counting it out. But I’m so glad I stuck with it, because once we really dove into the storyline, it revealed a lot of complexity and depth!

The mythology was intriguing and developed in a way that felt smooth and accessible. The world-building unraveled at a steady pace without being overwhelming, and I appreciated how naturally it integrated into the plot. The characters were sweet, determined, and full of heart — and while some of the plot twists were predictable, they were still so fun to experience and didn’t take away from the enjoyment.

There were plenty of little clues sprinkled throughout that helped piece together the larger story, which made it feel interactive and engaging as a reader. It had just the right amount of mystery and suspense to keep the momentum going without feeling too heavy.

If you’re in the mood for a YA fantasy with charm, heart, intriguing world-building, and a plot that keeps moving, this is a great one to pick up. I’m definitely curious to see how Emma Noyes expands this into a series because, I’m absolutely along for the ride!

Bonus! The narrators were a great fit to bring these characters to life. ☺️

A big thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Macmillan Audio for this ALC!

I was able to listen to this as an audiobook. The narrator did a fantastic job.
The is a Norse story / slight monster romance for young adults.
This story keeps you engaged throughout with the twist and turns and magic.
I can’t wait for the next book in this series.

Soul of Shadow is a dark, enchanting tale with a fierce heroine and a world that pulls you in. Emma Noyes weaves magic, danger, and slow-burning emotion into every chapter. Some pacing felt uneven, but the gripping twists and vivid writing kept me hooked. A hauntingly beautiful read.

Soul of Shadow is moody, atmospheric, and totally addictive—I devoured it in just a couple sittings. It gives big Twilight-meets-fae-realm energy, with a touch of dark academia and a dash of forbidden romance. Charlie’s voice feels raw and real, and the mystery around Elias had me flipping pages needing answers. The writing has this haunting, lyrical vibe that pulls you in, and while some plot elements felt familiar, I was fully along for the ride. If you love shadowy boys with secrets, slow-burning magic, and stories where the real world cracks open to reveal something mythic and dangerous underneath, this one hits the mark. 4 stars.

I received an audiobook copy from the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review.

This novel was very flat to me. I could never get fully invested in the characters, the whip lash relationship between Charlie and Elias was a bit exhausting and it feels like the author likely wrote this on the tail winds of Loki tv show on Disney....and then was published far too late. The story seemed cartoonish and a bit ridiculous. Who thinks, yes, let me put my children in circus training? That is beyond weird. The twin sister's death did not entirely make sense and felt like it was there more for shock value and then let's throw in some random reveals at the end to try to hook you to the next book! Sorry, didn't work for me. I was just happy the novel was finally done.

💙So I try not to read the blurbs of books before starting them and the only thing I knew about this was that it was compare to The vampire diaries so logically I was thinking that it was a about vampires. Well I was so far from the truth no vampires here.

I wanted to take the story seriously this book reads more like a middle grade book than a YA book the feels of the book were similar to the series of Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard. The book did have a combination of mystery and comedy. The romance was there too but very light. The second half was better since it is where the story picks up. But the first half was really slow.

I feel that n my teen years I would have love this story. Also I feel that by labeling this story as romantasy the book brings the wrong crowd. I will recommend this book to readers between 13-18.

The narrator did an amazing job in keeping me engaged in the story specially in the first half. All the different voices were well distinguished and no confusion as to who was who.

Wow, I really liked this! I thought it was going to be a vampire book, but nope, it was something a lot more unique and dark. I liked that it started off "tropey", like "oh this is enemies to lovers" and it felt so cliche and predictable, but then it just gave that plot twist and *bam*, "actually, this isn't that kind of story at all." I wanted to continue liking him, but then when he did that to that little creature... that was the nail in the coffin for me :( I'm also really glad that this is a duology. I can not wait for Heart of Mischief to come out! I will definitely buy the hard cover editions of these books to display on my bookshelf as well!

Some other things I liked:
- Norse mythology! And a new spin on it!
- I knew she was Loki's daughter, I just knew it!
- Please let them end up together some how! And why did he look sad, like he didn't really want to do all that, but he felt like his hands were tied? It must do something with his family, or sister, right?

4.25⭐️

This may be YA, but this 26 year old had so much fun reading it! It brought me back to 10 years ago when I had a blast with books like this one.

I felt like the themes discussed in this book landed it in the upper YA category rather as sex, drugs, alcohol, and grief are discussed. But even then, they weren't the primary focus of the narrative.

The characters were your typical teens. A little cringey and still trying to figure out who they are as people. Despite this, they all had clear motivations, and their actions made sense in context.

I'd say this is a good take on Norse mythology, and it was giving PJO a little bit, especially at the end. The plot was fast-paced and kept my attention the whole way through.

The writing style itself was easy to read and not so flowery that it made a big deal out of simple things. Does that make sense? Basically, it was straightforward and the style and told you exactly what the characters were seeing and doing without making you guess.

Will I be reading the sequel? I think yes. We were left on a cliffhanger that I'm interested to see resolved.

Thank you Macmillan and NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book grabbed me and did not let go! A gripping story about magic, loss, a dark love Interest and friendship. Based on the hit show The Vampire Diaries, I found many similarities and Loved the blend of modern high school life with supernatural elements. Emma Noyes crafts a lush and Immersive world where magic meets mystery when local high schoolers go missing just as a new, handsome stranger arrives to town. If you love a fantasy read with a strong female lead, world building and magic I highly recommend Soul of Shadow.

Emily Pike Stewart did an amazing job at narrating this story, she made it that much more special with her incredible accents.

Soul Shadow was an absolutely haunting and beautiful read! The story had such a deep emotional pull, blending darkness, magic, and hope in a way that felt powerful and unforgettable. I was completely drawn into the characters’ struggles and the richly built world. Every twist kept me holding my breath, and the emotional moments stayed with me long after I finished. If you love stories that explore the light and darkness within the soul, Soul Shadow is 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

The new kid at school is hot but sketchy. Students start disappearing at the same time that Elias Everhart moves to town. Charlie must determine if the two are related and fight her growing attraction to Elias. Good narration and interesting characters. Good twist at the end.

Thank you Netgally for the ARC.
This book is everything you could ever want to read! It’s a grab you and hold you to it kind of book. Norse mythology, TVD, high school and drama all in one. I can’t wait to read the next book! I love Charlie!

This book is an amazing YA romantasy

1/5 🌶️


Thank you Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and the author Emma Noyes for the advanced audio of Soul of Shadow.

💜Norse Mythology
💜Magical Creatures
💜Morally Gray MMC
💜Fake Dating
💜Mysterious Deaths
💜Small Town

Synopsis:
💫Charlie’s just trying to make it through junior year unnoticed—until a classmate vanishes into the woods, leaving behind nothing but their shoes and creepy carvings in a tree.

Enter Elias Everhart: the mysterious new guy with too many secrets and eyes that seem to see right through her. As Charlie gets pulled into the mystery, she stumbles into a hidden world of magic, danger, and a love that might be doomed from the start.💫

My thoughts:
💫I’ll admit, I was a little hesitant at the start—mentions of sex and alcohol had me worried this might head into uncomfortable territory (as a 30-something, I’ve definitely put down books that got a bit too detailed with teen characters). Thankfully, that wasn’t the case here. While the storyline had potential and some intriguing elements, it didn’t quite pull me in the way I’d hoped. It leaned a bit too YA for my taste and didn’t fully capture my attention, but I think younger readers might enjoy it more.💫

The premise of Soul of Shadow was amazing and while I struggled in the beginning, the plot ultimately worked.
I enjoyed the way the author used the magical realism and made it work and the final twist was a good one.

While the FMC wasn't my necessarily my favorite, Elias is an intriguing MMC with shadows and secrets and I sure am curious to see how his story plays out in book 2! There is a lot that needs to happen for sure and I like how he was built up.

The world building itself also works and I do like a dive into norse mythology. Sadly, the latter was constantly trivialised for me with recurring references to pop culture and detailed google research. It pulled me out of the story. Honestly, the strong focus on norse mythology in this book comes with a lot of darkness and heaviness and the constant Marvel comparisons (as much as I love the movies) disrupted that for me in a way I didn't love.
Still, the creatures were fun and I liked the imagery the author created. And tbf that little guy stole my heart with his obsession with Henry Cavill.

Unfortunately, I feel like this might have been a case of misdirected marketing. While this is YA and the underage drinking wasn't unrealistic, the book felt more immature in certain aspects which caused a bit of a clash for me.
On top of that, I stumbled over inconsistencies, some thoughts just felt unpolished and I personally didn't love the pacing.

Overall, it was a quick, light, well narrated audiobook that, while aptly incorporating a mythological realm isn't too heavy on the world building. I think fans of TVD/Twilight looking for a light YA read with a dark and dangerous MMC might enjoy.

This was a fun one reminiscent of The Vampire Diaries and Twilight! If you’re older and want nostalgia, check it out! If you’re a high schooler and love dramatic teen fantasy books, this one is for you! I really love this author and I do hope this series does well as it has the making of being something big to the younger generation. I’m out of that genre by a mile, but I did enjoy it. Emma Noyes has grown so much as an author and I truly appreciate her talent. This includes Norse Mythology and it was really fun to have the characters compare what they are experiencing to Marvel movies.

Overall, not for me as it’s not my age group, BUT does have the strong workings of a great series for teens and nostalgia seekers.

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

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.

💥💥 Book Review 💥💥

Soul of Shadow
By Emma Noyes
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Stars

This was a promising novel at the beginning and had an intriguing premise but it just fell flat. As 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 want to thank NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

***I received a audio book from the publisher through Netgalley and chose to leave a voluntary review. Thank you!***




2★








I will have to say the narration of this book for the audio is great. It brought you right into their world. I really enjoyed that part of the book.





I wish I could say the same for the actual book and writing but sadly that was a miss.





It says for fans of the vampire diaries, which I count myself in, I watch the entire show more times than Ilike to admit 🙈. That being said, I didn't care for it, so much that I DNF'd the book at like 40 some percent. The is basically the first episode of the vampire diaries, except with different people and things. Also, the writing was style felt off.





The story telling was all over the place, like all over, we go from telling what happened last night to the shoes one wears, back to telling the story and then noticing the color of the curtains , back to the story as we see someone coming in and then back to finishing the story we telling about what happened last night.





So, it's really hard to stay focused on the actual story, So at like little less than halfway I quit.





I give it 2 and only because I had the audio and the narrator was really good.





2★