I received an e-arc from Page Street in advance of the release of Calling of Light. I also listened to part of the book on audio.

This was one of the best fantasy reads I’ve had in a long time! There are so many things to love like the descriptions of the cities (Vos Gillies was my favourite), the depth of the worldbuilding and how Lee does not shy away from naming the persecution and prejudice the Shamanborn have faced. The prose is decadent and every sentence is beautifully crafted.

I loved the friendship and connection between Sirscha and Saengo the most, but I also interested and emotionally invested in all the other characters throughout the book.

Another thing that I appreciated is that there is no romance in this book. Given Sirscha’s position and the fight for survival that she’s always endured, it made sense that there was no romance subplot or clear love interest yet. It was more heartfelt to see Sirscha just make friends, honestly.

I know I’m going to reread this one again and can’t wait for the rest of the series.

Content warning: spiders (descriptive)

Such a great start to this fantasy series! I was so happy to get to read a fantasy book about Asian characters and I’m so glad that books with Asian representation are more readily accessible now than when I was growing up! Sirscha is an orphan who comes from nothing and through her training and hard work is in the running to compete to become the queen’s royal spy. When her best friend Saengo is killed by shamans, Sirscha somehow brings her back to life and realizes that she is a shaman herself. She is then summoned by the Spider king to help keep the Dead Wood at bay while attempting to master her craft. Little does she know that she will be entrenched in a fight to save her country from war.

Sirscha is such a powerful main character and I love that she is on a journey to determine not only who she is but also her own self worth. This is also a story of friendship and sisterhood which I always enjoy reading about. Like most fantasy novels there are numerous characters, places, and creatures and was happy that the author included a glossary at the beginning which was really helpful. I really do like the author’s writing and how detailed and descriptive the scenes are set up so that I can really picture it in my mind. My one critique is that I would have loved a bit more of the back story and relationship building between Sirscha and Saengo. I hope to see more of this in the next 2 books!

This was a fun, fast read. It's great if you're looking for a palate cleanser and want something quick and that you will love.

Thank you Netgalley, Lori M. Lee and the publisher for providing this copy for me to read!

I found myself reading through this fairly quickly, it was quite nice! The worldbuilding was interesting, I liked the plot, and the magic system was also intriguing and had me quite entertained all along. I also liked the way information was revealed - it wasn't all out of the blue, but also not immediately visible since page one. And I loved the friendship between our FMC and her best friend!

Think you'll like this if you like Young Adult/Fantasy and cool fight scenes!

Overall, enjoyed reading this, and will possibly read the second book too!

I devoured this book, because it was so much fun. I loved Sirscha's character and also her interactions with others that bring out all the different sides of her. The magic system and politics in this novel were also intriguing.

Sirscha is a fun protagonist and seeing her overcome both external and internal struggles was interesting to read and her growth was well done. The relationships she had with each character were also unique, though she is only really close with Saengo for the majority of the novel. While this wasn't the most exciting part of the novel, I would say, I hope that there are more complexities and layers revealed in the sequel. The other important side characters couldn't really shine much, but since it's the first book in this series, I didn't mind a lot, especially since the focus was so much on Sirscha and Saengo which was also quite important.

The world building was explained and shown gradually throughout the book and not all at once which made it more interesting to learn about and not too overwhelming. It made sense plot-wise as Sirscha was just discovering more information on the Shamans and Shadowblessed gradually with new experiences. In general, I thought the different abilities were great, since there were so many, but it didn't feel random as they were organised into groups (like the different callings of shamans). The Dead Wood was such a unique place in the novel as well. I liked both the idea and execution very much.

The plot also mostly moved at the right space, so it wasn't boring which constantly led me to continue reading the novel, although the beginning was sort of slow. The glossary was very helpful, especially in the beginning.

What I want more of though is just more depth to the important side characters and more of an exploration of Sirscha's powers in the sequel which I will definitely be reading.

Book Review
Title: Forest of Souls by Lori M. Lee (Shamanborn Book 1)
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4 Stars
Forest of Souls sounded really interesting from the synopsis so I couldn’t wait to get into it. We are introduced to Sirscha Ashwyn, who is currently a soldier in the Queen’s Company and training with the Queen’s Shadow, Kendara in the hopes of becoming her apprentice. The Shadow is essentially both a spy and assassin for the Queen and within a month Kendara will have to name her official apprentice. However, during a routine mission with the Queen’s Company, Sirscha finds out that she might not be named as apprentice, she knew Kendara had other apprentices but didn’t even consider the fact that she might not be picked which is weighing on her mind. The other apprentice in the company, Jonyah, hates Sirscha and he seems to be favoured by Kendara going on a real mission rather than the errands she has been sent on and decides to get there before him, thus proving herself to Kendara that she is worthy of the role of Shadow but I have a feeling things aren’t going to go according to plan. We know that the company is heading to the prison where those known as Shamanborn are being imprisoned but we don’t know why other than the ruler changed.
Sirscha doesn’t manage to beat Jonyah there but she instantly recognises that the men in the corner are Shaman and not escapees from the prison meaning they have come from the Shaman country. This sparks the questions of what they are doing in Evewyn when they are treated poorly there and Sirscha knows it was a trap meant for Kendara but she sent Jonyah instead. A fight breaks out between Sirscha, Jonyah and the Shaman although Jonyah can’t make up his mind about if he is fighting the Shaman or Sirscha. One Shaman sets fire to the teahouse severely injuring Jonyah but Sirscha escapes because of the bracelet Kendara gave her as it is resistant to magic. However, in fighting one of the Shaman, Saengo, Sirscha’s best friend, is caught in the crossfire and ends up dead. Somehow, Sirscha uses magic to bring Saengo back but it reveals her to be a Shaman and a unique one at that but she had no idea about it. She is of course brought to the prison until her fate can be determined but she and Saengo are eventually summoned by Ronin, the Spider King and Keeper of the peace treaty between the Kingdoms. He is also the protector of the Dead Wood, a place where souls are bound to trees, while both girls are anxious at passing through Sirscha knows Ronin might have the answers she wants if she can’t get back to Kendara.
Going through the Dead Wood gives them some problems as it attacks them but Sirscha uses her new power to get them through before Ronin himself appears to lead them to Spinner’s End. There he explains to Sirscha that she is a soul guide one of the rarest callings there is and it has become the stuff of legends, but she has also made Saengo into her familiar meaning without her she can’t perform magic at all. This is also a hinderance because familiar can’t be far away from the person they are bonded to for long without fading meaning if Saengo spends too much time away from Sirscha she will completely disappear in a way. This means that unconsciously in saving Saengo’s life, Sirscha has taken all autonomy from her best friend. Sirscha ends up striking a deal with Ronin for information about the attack in exchange for bringing the Dead Wood under control but she only has two weeks to learn control over her magic.
Soon after, she begins to train with Theyen, a Shadowblessed Prince but he realises that Sirscha doesn’t believe she is in danger the way she did when they were in the wood and can’t summon her craft. In the meantime, Sirscha has been trying to uncover the secrets of the Dead Wood believing that in order to fulfil her bargain with Ronin, the best thing is to deal with the source of the problem but he doesn’t even think on this for a moment. Things become more pressing when it turns out that Saengo has the rot, a disease caused by the Dead Wood that attacks the familiar of shaman and eventually kills them but they have caught it early. This drives Sirscha more to destroy the Dead Wood for good thinking it will cure the rot but she needs to learn her craft quickly so she seeks to visit the most knowledgeable person she knows, Kendara. She accompanies Ronin to his encampment where escaped shaman are looking for sanctuary he can’t offer because of his role as the peace keeper but he does direct them north. However, the shaman refers to Sirscha as the Little Sun God because of her rare calling but among them is one of the would be assassins. He is shot with an arrow but before he can die, he tells Sirscha that they were betrayed as they were promised sanctuary by the Queen which doesn’t make any sense to her.
Now having left Saengo behind at Spinner’s End to receive treatment, she needs to seek out Kendara and find out what is going on in order to summon her craft, fulfil her bargain with the Spider King and save her best friend and familiar. Sirscha is desperately trying to learn her craft but even going back into the Dead Wood, the only place she has summoned it outside of saving Saengo doesn’t work. She decides to ask Ronin about getting rid of the wood altogether but he immediately shuts her down and tells her not to pursue this line of thinking any more making her more curious about what he is hiding. She does some more investigating and feels something in Spinner’s End calling out to her and assumes it is Ronin’s familiar. Things definitely aren’t adding up and Sirscha wants to know why so she tries to seek out Kendara in the port city only to be arrested as faced with Prince Meilek once more. The Prince ends up telling her that Kendara is missing and left her a note which seems to be guiding her to a book in Spinner’s End. She uses this time to help some shamanborn escape but it does lead to her battling the Prince before he allows them to escape. She ends up realising the one helping the Shamanborn wasn’t Kendara but the Prince all along.
Upon returning to Spinner’s End, Sirscha seeks out Theyen for help in figuring out what is happening. The pair try to get into the part of Spinner’s End the magic is coming from but end up being caught by Ronin and warned not to enter there again. Sirscha is now sure Ronin is hiding something there but more pressing matters concern her since Saengo’s rot has progressed to a point where healers can no longer help and they are heading North to meet with the other leaders the following morning. Sirscha is convinced that destroying the Dead Wood will save Saengo and decides to head back to Spinner’s End when everyone is North to find out what Ronin is hiding and to try and destroy the wood. In the North, there is an assassination attempt on Sirscha and Prince during the meeting at the grasslands since they have discovered a plot created by Queen Meilyr to create war between the nations and Ronin is helping her. They end up confronting Jonyah who confirms this before Sirscha kills him but she also comes to realisation that she is a soulrender not a soulguide. Sirscha sends the Prince to warn the others, as well as protect saengo and stop the Queen if he can while Yandor and sirscha head back to Spinner’s End to find out the truth while Ronin is occupied.
Getting through the Dead Wood seems to be a problem but Theyen appears and uses his shadow gate to get them safely to Spinner’s End while Sirscha goes after the magic summoning her. She is frantic during this as she can feel Saengo dying with each passing hour and knows if she doesn’t succeed her another friend will be taken from her. What she finds Ronin hiding the something no one would have ever considered and it is more deadly than anything Sirscha imagined. Ronin then makes an appearance knowing that their plan for an ambush has been rumbled and knowing Sirscha would head back. A battle takes place between the pair and Sirscha ends up using her craft in order to kill him before setting fire to the abomination there and thinking she has succeeded in destroying the Dead Wood. Upon returning back north there is chaos but she finds Prince Meilek and Saengo but she is still dying. Sirscha calls upon her craft again to save her friend and while she pushes the infection back it doesn’t appear to have vanished. This turns the tide of the battle especially since the Prince has now turned himself against the Queen and Sirscha seems to leaning towards the Sun Warriors since that was the crest of her mother and Kendara. However, in the final pages Sirscha realises she has made a grave mistake in killing Ronin since his power was the only thing containing the evil within Spinner’s End and now it is awake and claiming back the souls of the Dead Wood. Going forward into book two, I think Sirscha is going to learn about her mother, Kendara and her own personal history while working on her craft to stop the evil she unleashed and the big battle will take place in book three.

> Western Fantasy w/ Asian Rep
> Elemental Magic w/ a mixture western/pagan inspired magic
> Creepy & Dangerous Forest
> Tyrannical Government & fractured kingdoms
> Single POV

This was a fun & easy read! I enjoyed the dark atmosphere and the magic that Sirscha gains. I think Sirscha can be a little repetitive, but ultimately she's really unsure of herself from the jump. She's dealt with being an orphan, lower on the hierarchical scale, always put down for her appearance and status. She gains a power that goes beyond herself and I'm wondering how she'll handle it in the next two books! Her love for Sango is the main reason she keeps going and along the way she learns new things about the government she was once meant to serve, & about herself.

I'd definitely recommend if you want a dark ya fantasy (inspired by traditional western fantasy) written by a bipoc author!

A solid start to a series filled with magic, politics and a tinge of horror in the form of trapped, restless souls and extremely creepy larger-than-life spider imageries.
While I enjoyed this book and absolutely breezed through it, there are a couple downfalls that left it at a 3 stars.

Things I loved:
Our protagonist, Sirscha has a lot of agency which we love in YA female protagonists. The curveball that really got me though, is when she was hit by an intense twist and reality check that led to emotional turmoil as she questions her self-worth and purpose. I loved how this is managed, I loved seeing her embrace a mindset change while battling lingering emotional spirals.

There is a lot of focus on friendship, especially between girlies. There is also no romance sub-plot, which I am relieved by. Don't get me wrong, I'd happily welcome a slow burn later in the series as these characters grow, but I am glad there isn't one this early when there isn't any real chemistry between characters yet.

The shamanic magic system is unique and bound by elements, my favourite! I blame this particular quirk on growing up with Avatar the Last Airbender. This book introduces a light-type, a rare and seemingly overpowered archetype and therefore, the type that Sirscha gains and has to manage.

The additional political complexity of having shamans banned by the queen of Sirscha's home country adds intrigue to the story.

Nitpicks:
As unique as the magic system is, it feels like the author was struggling to decide between a hard or a soft system, resulting in a magic system that is there just to move a plot along. There are hard limitations to the magic system, conveniently circumvented when the protagonist needs it to progress with her plans, and as mentioned earlier, the light-type magic feels overpowered.

Building on that, this is a plot-driven book, where the worldbuilding feels moulded around a linear plot, and the characters are quite cookie cutter. This includes Sirscha; there was little space for character development and introspective monologue in amongst all the action, something that I felt was absolutely necessary considering Sirscha went through whole mindset and priority changes, and had to face some pretty intense morality dilemmas. There was a lot of telling instead of showing: "I am an orphan with zero political status" sentiments repeated over and over again, and what feels like author self-insert sentiments such as "the scholar in me rejoices..." without any real backing by Sirscha's personality.

Nevertheless, I liked this enough to want to continue with the series.

I've been loving Asian-inspired fantasy worlds lately, and this one is no exception.

While I was entertained and enjoyed the reading experience, I feel like depth was lacking in both characters and world. With how the plot is going and Lee's overall writing style, I believe that that depth I'm searching for will be achieved in following books (which I intend to read).

Sirscha was an entertaining character to follow as she discovers things about herself and readjusts her worldview. The internal conflict she faced when she had to adjust her beliefs was compelling and kept me reading.

There was no romance, which I'm fine with. It wasn't needed and Lee didn't try to force it as many YA authors tend to do. It seems like she's set up a few romantic interests that may emerge I'm future installments, but it's by no means the focus of the story... I wouldn't even call it a subplot. So, if you're looking for YA fantasy romance, this may not be the book for you.

3.5⭐️

3.5⭐️ I really liked this. I was given a Netgalley e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Don’ get me wrong, it is a typical YA girl-saves-the-world trope. But I eat that up every time. It was fun and exciting and I’m intrigued enough to get into the others!

I do wish we’d been given a bit more background on our MC, but hopefully we’ll get more as the series goes on.

Although I enjoyed Forest Of Souls, I found the storyline rather repetitive with no real progression or history of her training, just that "she'd always been a natural" when it came to fighting. I liked the main character despite her flaws, namely her impulsiveness with no real forethought of consequences. What endeared me to her was her loyalty and devotion to her best friend. I think what could have made this a better read would have been a closer look into the relationships between the characters closest to the protagonist.

A beautifully written book that drew me into the world instantly!

The characters are really fascinating and engaging and the world building was interesting and I really enjoyed being a part of it. There is incredible contrast in this world of the general beauty of this world on the page compared with the truly creepy and terrifying forest! It gave me chills.

This is a wonderful character driven novel focused on friendship and the adventure it can take you on (into a terrifying forest).

Shamanborn does a fantastic job of scratching that YA itch. I’ve seen it compared to Shadow and Bone, and while there are similar tropes/situations at times, I already like these books way better than S&B (but the Crows are still my ride or dies). We get more culture, more creatures and none of the cringey love triangle (rectangle?) nonsense. Sirscha is driven by her desire to save her best friend, an ovaries before brovaries sentiment I can really get behind.
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The book trots along at a great pace and had me continually turning those pages, eager to see what happened next. Highly recommend!!

I loved this epic tale about friendship, personal growth and badass fight scenes! The plot is gripping and consists of several plot twists!

Apart from humans there are two other races, the shamanborn and shadowblessed, each with their own intricate magic system.

The worldbuilding in this story is very well done. There are three countries and each has their own customs, traditions and history. I personally love the Asian/Hmong influences that pop up throughout the story.

Another thing I love are the characters. Sirscha's an ass-whopping badass who has to fight for practically everything in her life. The bond between Sirscha and Saengo is strong but both characters each have their own story and stuff to deal with.

The writing style is excellent. Lee's descriptions are vivid without overdoing it. The combat is perfectly described and I would strongly recommend reading her book if you're looking on writing combat scenes yourself (swordfighting)

While this book is one of the best ones I've read in the past few months, there's one minor thing I'd like to mention. The beginning of the story was relatively slow and it took a while for the story to truly start. Personally, I don't mind that much because the author took her time showing the wonderful world she created (and I love worldbuilding😻)

In conclusion, I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves YA Fantasy!

Shared on GR and IG on 9 August 2020 (#writiciousreviews)

This book was not for me. To be honest, I didn't even finish it because I was having such a hard time getting into this book.

"Forest of Souls" by Lori M. Lee is a YA fantasy novel that follows the story of Sirscha, a young orphan girl who discovers she has magical abilities and must use them to protect her kingdom from an enemy threat.

Sirscha is a strong and likable protagonist who goes on a journey of self-discovery and empowerment. The action scenes are also exciting and well-written, and the plot twists keep you engaged. However, the world-building could have been stronger, as the political and magical systems of the world are not fully explained. Additionally, some of the supporting characters could have been better developed as I couldn't find myself getting fully invested in their journey.

Overall, "Forest of Souls" is a fun read that will appeal to fans of YA fantasy. While it may not be an instant favorite, it's still worth a read if you're looking for an entertaining adventure story.

I read this in a single sitting because I was so engrossed in the story and the characters (Theyen, in particular, is one of my favorites). In particular, I like the emphasis placed on female friendship and solidarity. At the conclusion of the book, I couldn't tear myself away from the fast-paced action. The creation of the world is decadent. Eagerly awaiting the next installment!

Forest of Souls was one of my most anticipated reads of 2020. I liked how it was set in an Asian fictional setting and learn many of its history and culture. While I did get what I wished, I could not connect to its story. It was very slow moving and the plot was very thin. Still, I recommend this for fans of The Flame and the Mist, Shadow of the Fox, and Descendants of the Crane!

A lush Asian inspired fantasy that has a wonderful friendship at the core of it. I loved the magic used in this novel, and the twists I didn't always see coming.

I thought this book was good. I would not say it is my favorite book but it is somewhere in the middle. I liked the characters and the storyline but there just wasn't enough detail for me. I thought the book lacked on worldbuilding and character development. Again, I still thought it was a good book, it was just a little to YA for me.