Although I liked the writing and characters, it felt slow pace to me. Sometimes that's okay but it didn't keep my attention unfortunately. I may come back to it in the future.

This is a high quality story amongst so much new YA fantasy/adventure. The plot is not reduced to tropes and there are really serious and important themes for growing adults.

This story follows a young girl - Sirscha Ashwyn, an orphan with nothing to her name as she works as an apprentice to the Queen's spymaster - the Shadow, and if everything goes her way she'll soon take her place (it would be a short book if it did).

When out on a military assignment, Sirscha sneaks off and is ambushed by a pair of shamans intent on killing her. Sirscha soon finds out she is also a shaman and must flee the kingdom to the Dead Wood to prove to the Queen her place and loyalty.


This book has a great atmosphere, it would be a great autumn/Halloween read

I can’t believe I took so long to finally read this! I got the ARC when it was a relevant time to read the ARC, but sat on it, and that was silly of me! Sirscha is such a badass! She is training to be the Queen’s Shadow aka a super spy and is being mentored by a grumpy old lady who will kick your ass if you look at her wrong! On a mission with her fellow Wyverns (aka fellow dragon riders. Yes, DRAGON RIDERS) she and her bestie Saengo sneak off to intercept a meeting that her rival mentee is going to. The tea house is ambushed by Shaman (folks with magic in this world) and Saengo gets a knife to the damn heart. Fuck. Sirscha is so distraught that she somehow wakes up to find her bestie alive again. And she can feel her feelings. And, oh yeah, she accidentally made her dead friend her familiar and unlocked her unknown Shaman power! This gets wild. She has to get out of the kingdom because they execute Shaman constantly, and the Prince freaking helps her escape off to the neutral party in the area, but she has to go thru the GOSHDANG DEADWOOD! A forest full of souls reaching out to grab you and absorb you into its being! Anyways, it gets wild! They meet new people, learn about Sirscha’s rare power and get into more and more trouble and politics! I cannot wait to read the next!

DNF @ 21% - I honestly wish i enjoyed this, but it was a miss for me. This is definitely something for fans of Naomi Novik and ATLA, but the main character wasn't engaging. I do love the cover, it definitely drew me in.

DNF. I struggled getting in to the book. It really did not grab my attention in the way i hoped it would. I might try to read again and hope for a better experience

I feel like this is such a beautiful start to an underrated series and I feel as though it should a lot more hype especially because I’ll see it in the stories but people don’t really talk about it.

Unfortunately, I did not finish this book because the beginning was too slow. I thought with a high fantasy set up including a glossary would give some intense world building but it couldn't just live up to it. Just bored.

Forest of Souls is an epic and lush magical fantasy tied together by female friendships and found family, encouraging the discovery of power and confidence within yourself and your own strength and ability. I love when writers are able to capture storng relationships while writing detailed characters and never compromising on rich and robust worldbuilding. Forest of Souls was so beautifully written and it was an enchanting tale inspired by Asian shamanism. It is a fantastic read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Forest of Souls is an older YA that first released in 2020. Because of the release of the third book in the series this year, it has appeared back on netgalley. Because I had always been interested in this book I decided to give it a go.

The story starts with Sircha and showing us what her life is like. She tries to become the next royal spy in secret while trudging along amongst soldiers in her day to day life. When it is revealed she is not going to be the next royal spy by accident, her need to show she can do this makes her step into a much bigger situation.

Forest of Souls has some great ideas but it fell incredibly flat on execution. Nothing about this book came truly alive for me.

Sirscha is a very fierce character and that is great. She wants to prove herself and seems very loyal to her friends. However I missed the actual emotions when it came to what was happening to her. She constantly shoots into some kind of idea or action without truly standing still. There is no room for any emotions. This does not at all feel deliberate unfortunately. It created a lack of depth.

The other side characters are very much the same. As much as I instantly fell for Theyen for instance, it is clear he just has a role to play. The same goes for her best friend Saengo. They are a role, a tool to propel Sirscha further.

Adding on to that I found that some of the conclusions that Sirscha was taking when it came to her powers and what was really going on, were a bit far-fetched. She just waltzes in with her new powers that she has no control over and thinks she knows how to fix everything. It was annoying to follow to be honest.

I did truly appreciate that there was no romance or very few hints at any romance for the future.

Would I read on with this series? I'm not sure.

This was an e-ARC I checked for formatting errors, and now I am clearing out my shelf on here. Formatting looks great! Love you, Page Street YA :)

I regret to say I couldn't finish the book, although I am very thankful to have received this as an arc from NetGalley . The premise held so much promise with its intricate magic system, but I found myself wanting more from the world-building, which felt underdeveloped. Additionally, the characters didn't quite come alive for me, though I suspect others might connect with them differently. While this book has potential appeal, it ultimately didn't keep me hooked.

Sircha has been training to be a Shadow for most of her life, hoping that Kendara will appoint her to the position if she proves herself. And try as she might, there is doubt in that decision now that she discovers another pupil within her ranks.

As she searches for information, she is forced into her powers, which she didn't know she had, and discovers an entire other world within her own, filled with dark magic and malice. Struggling to save her familiar from the rot of the Dark Wood, Sircha pairs with some unlikely friends to help save her.

The prince himself ends up being a decent ally, but the enemies they're up against are fierce and strong. Will they be able to save everyone in time?

There were a lot of unanswered questions here, but there is a second book I think. Too many loose ends for me though, even with that.

1st POV, 1 POV / ARC / TW below

After years of training, Sirscha wants to be acknowledged for her hard work to prove to everyone (including herself) that she is worthy of becoming the Queen's Shadow. However, as she tries to beat her competitors, she starts to uncover her origins and realizes that her true journey leads through deadly forests and poisonous politics. Is she going to discover who stands behind the slow decay of the empire and the truth behind her power? Read and find out! 🖤

🕷️ high fantasy with glossary
🕷️ badass warrior FMC trained to be a royal spy
🕷️ different types and subtypes of magic – not everyone has powers
🕷️ beasts, spirits, and souls
🕷️ self-discovery, personal growth
🕷️ close friendships, bullies, cute friends, and snarky allies

The world-building is very complex, but I didn't get lost, and usually knew what was going on. There is a long glossary at the beginning, which helps a lot. I wish there were a map as well, though. I feel like there's gonna be loads more information in the sequels. 😮‍💨

I loved Sirscha and her determination and confidence. She is extremely skillful; however, I love that she got injured frequently and acknowledged the pain (even for a few days). It made it much more realistic without being annoying.
✨ Dual swords, knives, climbing walls, and merciless bone-breaking are definitely my cup of tea. ✨

I was also very fond of the other characters, and I hope to see more of Theyen and the Prince in the sequels!

Trigger warnings: spiders, death of a loved one, blood/gore/violence, terminal illness

I love this book. Looking back, there actually didn't happen all that much, yet it felt like a lot, never a boring page. There aren't that many surprises to keep you on edge but there's still a certain thrill that made want to read more. The characters are all strong - in spirit and skills - only to be admired.

"Forest of Souls" by Lori M. Lee delves into a captivating world of shadow-born and shaman powers, offering readers a rich tapestry of fantasy elements to explore. The intricate world-building sets the stage for a compelling narrative that unfolds gradually, drawing readers into a realm filled with unexpected twists and turns. Though the world building seems to be very heavy at the start of the novel which did slow down the reading process, but towards mid to end I was invested in the story.

The FMC of the book, Sirscha, a strong and independent protagonist but i believe there was a lot of potential for further character development. While her fierceness is evident from the start, delving deeper into her background and training as a spy could have added layers to her character arc that myself would have loved to been involved in. The absence of a romantic subplot provides a unique angle in the fantasy genre, allowing the focus to remain on Sirscha's journey and the fantastical world she navigates.

Lee's writing style is immersive, gradually enveloping readers in the intricacies of the plot and the dynamics between the characters. The representation of a Strong Asian female protagonist adds a diverse perspective to the narrative, paving the way for a more inclusive storytelling experience which I love and want to continue to see in the reading industry. People need more representation in books and I love the authors that give this.

Moreover, the stunning cover art of the book serves as an enticing introduction to the world within its pages, beckoning readers to embark on an adventure filled with magic and mystery. As the first installment in a series, "Forest of Souls" lays a solid foundation for future developments and relationships between characters, hinting at a promising continuation of the story, its a massive promise at the end that I hope is delivered.

A massive thankyou to Netgalley for allowing me to receive a copy of this amazing book in return for an honest review. I will be continuing this story because I want so much more of it and I hope its hidden in the next books. A massive thank-you to the author for gifting this book to the world, its very creative and beautiful.

Touted for fans of Naomi Novik, this missed the mark for me. While the worldbuilding had some potential, the magic system came across as an ALTA knock-off, and the politics were not developed enough to be interesting or make me care about the players.

Sirscha was not an engaging character to follow - which is extremely unfortunate, considering the first-person perspective! I found her too stoic throughout - her friend dies? Barely a reaction. Her friend is suddenly alive in the next scene? Again, barely a reaction. She finds out she is a shaman? Well, it doesn't seem like she cares.

I did enjoy the depiction of the Dead Wood and Ronin, so some credit there.

This book has such an enticing cover! I enjoyed my time with the story and thought the ending was done well.

This was okay. A cute and fun YA Reading but It did not impress me. Forgettable. Not going to continue the series

I received an ARC copy of this book from the publisher in order to give a honest review.
The author’s representation of sisterhood is truly inspiring, although I would have like to hear a bit more about Saengo and the duo’s past. This book has a great storyline and is a quick and easy read.
I’m definitely looking forward to reading books 2 and 3 in the series to go on another adventure! And hopefully follow along with most of my favourite characters!