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.

I loved this book! It’s completely different from other supernatural romance books I’ve read and I love it for that. I feel like I learned about a whole new world and became insanely invested in where this story is going! I cannot wait for the next one to keep unraveling the mystery of these awesome characters! A must read!

I took me a little to get into this book, but am invested enough after the ending. I can see how this was inspired by the TVD. As always with books like this, I like the morally gray characters, and am rooting for Elias (and his romance with Charlie).

Omg the plot twist this was good kept me wondering if really like it definitely will be looking out for more of your books thanks 😊

I received this arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

*4.5⭐️*
This book was so fun! I’ve been reading a lot of fantasy or dark romance books recently, and this was like a breath of fresh air. As soon as I started, it gave off such fun, mysterious vibes, and kept me wanting more. At about the half way mark it truly started to pick up, and the little twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat.

I loved the relationship between Charlie and her friends as well as the banter between them all as well as between Lou, Abigail, and Mason. It cracked me up!

I also really enjoyed the banter and subtle little digs between Charlie and Elias. It didn’t feel too cheesy, and kept me giggling.

The plot twists got me, and I found myself pacing around my apartment during the last few chapters wondering what was going to happen! It very obviously left an opening for a second book, and I can’t wait to see where it goes from here.

When some of her high school classmates go missing under strange and mysterious circumstances, Charlie tries to snoop around the woods to do her own investigation. She finds way more than she bargained for. Teenage angst, homecoming, friendship, romance, and Norse mythology all rolled into a fun, quick read!

Thanks for the opportunity to read!

Seemed like dark and twisted Percy Jackson or maybe even house of nightish. It is a dark fantasy with tons of Norse mythology. Was a pretty cool read.

Magic meets folklore meets a hidden reality in a fast paced action, packed fantasy that never stops. Norse gods, evil Fenrir, missing kids, and homecoming, yep busy days. Fans of Maggie Stiefviter will love this, has a similar vibe.

Thank you to NetGalley, Emma Noyles, and St. Martin's Press for allowing access to the e-arc.

I want to start by saying that I loved the siblings and friendships in this book. The exploration of grief was well done. It felt important to see Charlie try to live without her twin sister. The enemies-to-lovers romance was a vibe. The Norse mythology embedded in a romantasy was unique. I enjoyed the first 100-150 pages of the book but it went downhill from there.

The story reminded me more of Twilight than The Vampire Diaries. I think this story could have benefited from having a Norse mythology story at the beginning of the book to introduce the reader to that element of the story. Instead, of repeating information throughout the book. I don’t want to spoil anything so I will be as vague as possible. I thought one of the reveals didn’t make sense to the story. I am disappointed that I didn’t love this book.

thank you for the arc! i think this book has a really cool premise but the pacing and time frame of this book is just too quick for me. i think 4 days is not enough time for the main characters to connect in a way that is convincing to the plot. otherwise, i really liked the main characters and the story!