Name: Forest of Souls
ISBN: 9781624149283

Lori M. Lee

Danger lurks within the roots of Forest of Souls, an epic, unrelenting tale of destiny and sisterhood, perfect for fans of Naomi Novik and Susan Dennard. "A tantalizing beginning to a rich new fantasy series.” —Traci Chee, NYT bestselling author of The Reader trilogy "Absolutely enchanting.” – Natalie C. Parker, author of Seafire "You won’t want to escape.” – Sarah Henning, author of the Sea Witch "Will leave you shouting sisters unite!” – Mindee Arnett, author of Onyx & Ivory and Avalon Sirscha Ashwyn comes from nothing, but she’s intent on becoming something. After years of training to become the queen’s next royal spy, her plans are derailed when shamans attack and kill her best friend Saengo. And then Sirscha, somehow, restores Saengo to life. Unveiled as the first soulguide in living memory, Sirscha is summoned to the domain of the Spider King. For centuries, he has used his influence over the Dead Wood—an ancient forest possessed by souls—to enforce peace between the kingdoms. Now, with the trees growing wild and untamed, only a soulguide can restrain them. As war looms, Sirscha must master her newly awakened abilities before the trees shatter the brittle peace, or worse, claim Saengo, the friend she would die for.

Forest of Souls

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.

Sophia Wolf

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.

Aditi

Trigger Warnings: body horror, gore, slavery, racism, death, violence

This book had a lot of promise but I found it lacking in almost every aspect. I liked Sirscha and her relationship with her best friend, Saengo but I feel like we barely got any interactions between them and so I found it hard to care about them as a pair. Other than Sirscha, I didn’t find any of the other characters all that interesting. The magic system was compelling but I wanted to see more of it actually coming in use and there’s almost none of that, be it in training or otherwise. This felt like a plot driven story rather than a character driven one, but again I felt like nothing happened until the last 20%. That last bit did intrigue me enough to read the next book and since this is only a duology I think if I lower my expectations I might enjoy it but its not a priority.

Lori Lee

Hannah Wall

Really amazing book over all. It took me a really long time to finish because of my life right now, so some details I have forgotten. It took a long time for me to get a grasp of places and people and even finishing the book I still don’t understand everything. Really well written, but I do feel as though the story could have progressed a little faster and had more of the plot to grip you quicker. I can’t wait to get the next book to read!

Kaitee Tredway

Take a duel-wielding “girl with a sword”…
Add a newly awakened ancient magic triggered by her best friend’s death…
Add a forest, haunted and malignant, tamed by the Spider King…
Sprinkle in a bit of the “orphan with unknown powers” but jumble it up and turn it on its head…
Simmer over a low flame of a fracturing truce and kingdoms on the brink of war…
Pour in a quest to save your best friend while the world is expecting you to be the solution, to save it…
And you get Forest of Souls.

Sirscha. I’ve never felt as seen as I do in her. I see myself in the battles she has with herself. In her insecurities, her determination. And then I see myself in her face. I say it over and over and I won’t stop: It means the world to me to have a character I love look like me on the inside and the outside.

The other thing I love about this book is that the sister-bond between Sirscha and Saengo (her best friend) rules the book. A deep, platonic love drives Sirscha and I so enjoyed seeing female friendship at the center of a book rather than a romance.

Jennifer

This is a rather decent debut fantasy novel. It has: diversity representation, interesting magic system with potential for further developments, as well as a relatively accessible writing style. The major standout is definitely the magic system with the different types of shamans and the magical abilities that they have. However, I felt that the worldbuilding is out of place and there's a lot of gaps which weren't properly explained. Because of this, I also found that the character development of Sircha quite abrupt - I would have wanted some more backstories to see how things actually clicked together and leads to the build-ups later in the novel.

For me, this novel felt top-heavy. It had a pretty solid start: easy to engage protagonist narrative and quite introductions to the magic systems - however the pacing started to get pretty uneven & unjustified as the novel progrssed and more stuff are still being introduced (which should had came sooner rather than later). So if there's a flaw in Forest of Souls, it's that more needs to be properly introduced and shown before the build-ups so that the character + plot developments would make more sense. It's a shame because the magic system is such a creative concept and what kept me engaged with the book. 

Despite these issues, I liked the novel and I might get around reading the sequel. Hopefully I'll see the magic system better fleshed out in the future.

Aimee Kitching 

A very dissapointing read!
This book had so much potential to be something great but instead fell totally flat.
Lack of plot, lack of world building, and lack of character building which made it impossible to connect with them and the story.
I'd say the last 190 pages or so were the best but the entire could book have been condensed into the half size.
I certainly won't be wasting my time on the second installment

laura

I thought this was a great read. I thought it was the prefect mix between creepy and eeiery but not scary. I also really loved the magic system and also really loved the focus on female friendship. I also really loved the pacing and plot of the world. It was s super fast pace read. This book was also not super heavy on the romance. I really loved the pace and the plot of the read!! I am super excited to see where book 2 goes!!

Paige Green

Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Forest of Souls

Author: Lori M. Lee

Book Series: Shamanborn Book 1

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: Southeast-Asian inspired characters and setting!

Recommended For...: fantasy, southeast Asian ownvoice, magic

Publication Date: June 23, 2020

Genre: YA Fantasy

Recommended Age: 16+ (spiders, violence, gore)

Publisher: Page Street Kids

Pages: 400

Synopsis: Sirscha Ashwyn comes from nothing, but she’s intent on becoming something. After years of training to become the queen’s next royal spy, her plans are derailed when shamans attack and kill her best friend Saengo.

And then Sirscha, somehow, restores Saengo to life.

Unveiled as the first soulguide in living memory, Sirscha is summoned to the domain of the Spider King. For centuries, he has used his influence over the Dead Wood—an ancient forest possessed by souls—to enforce peace between the kingdoms. Now, with the trees growing wild and untamed, only a soulguide can restrain them. As war looms, Sirscha must master her newly awakened abilities before the trees shatter the brittle peace, or worse, claim Saengo, the friend she would die for.

Review: Overall I thought this book was really well done! The characters were well developed and I adored Sirscha and Saengo’s relationship. I thought the writing was well done and the setting and world building was amazing. I also thought the plot, in particular the problem Sirscha encounters, was very unique in terms of what I’ve read before. It was action packed and easily one of my favorite YA high fantasy novels.

However, I did think that beginning was a little slow (but well crafted) and I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I didn’t want Saengo and Sirscha to be more than friends, but they’re very well suited to be sisters of heart in this novel.

Verdict: Highly recommend!

Samantha Bass

Leelynn Brady

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Hear Our Voices Book Tours, Netgalley, and Page Street Kids for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.

Clearly I am completely full of emotions all around because this book really just had me feeling all kinds of things. This is the first Lori M. Lee novel that I had the pleasure of reading – I did end up buying her first duology because I had been wanting to read it for a while now – and I am so glad to see that she is one of my newest favorite authors!

We start this novel with Sirscha trying to secure her position as the official apprentice to the current Queen’s Shadow, Kendara. The position of Shadow acts as the Queen’s spy and assassin, someone who does not have to abide by any sort of rules or regulations except from the Queen herself. Any kind of information the Queen needs to know, the Shadow will get it by any means necessary. Some of the tasks that Kendara has Sirscha do… well even if they don’t always have an end goal, they always have some sort of lesson involved. In hindsight, it may have given Sirscha the edge to handle everything that she had to endure in her life during the events of this novel.

One of the tasks that Kendara has Sirscha do is enlist in the Queen’s Company (think of it as a royal army), which leads her and her best friend Saengo on the adventure of their lives. Not only are there shamans involved and the world as they know it may wind up in a war between the surrounding empires, but the Dead Wood – home to countless souls that seems to be growing without provocation – is determined to be more than they bargained for, and Ronin, the Dead Wood’s Spider King is shrouded in mystery for our two best friends.

The distinctions of the shamanic crafts that Lee created was really unique, and including her glossary in the front of the book really helped me keep track of all of the ones that weren’t as easy to remember. Having five main shamanic crafts rather than just the four main elements was really interesting, and the fifth one is the most interesting and most intriguing if I do say so myself. The worldbuilding is absolutely stellar, and I was so enamored with everything in this novel that I’m pretty sure I forgot about my real life duties for a while there. I know a book is going to be amazing when that happens, and Lee did not disappoint whatsoever.

The dynamic between Sirscha and Saengo definitely changed after *the incident* and I really like how Lee explored that in this novel. I could only imagine how Sirscha must have felt harboring that much guilt for something that she didn’t realize that she did but couldn’t change, not to mention Saengo having to deal with the unexpected consequences that she didn’t ask for in the first place. If they weren’t close before, they were bonded for life now, and the kind of relationship that they had to have in order to stay alive and protect one another was flushed out really well. I could feel the angst between the two girls in the beginning after they had to come to terms with what happened, and I could feel them trying to pull the pieces back together to make it seem like things were back to normal, even if they couldn’t be. Lee mentioned in an interview that sometimes friendships can be stronger than other kinds of relationships, and the friendship between Sirscha and Saengo really defined their survival and strength in this novel. I almost felt like in a way, they were almost like soulmates. I don’t think soulmates always have to be romantic – I feel like my best friend is my soulmate – and my relationship with my best friend is reminiscent of Sircha and Saengo… well without the life or death situation. It was a beautiful friendship and felt so real, and it was just wonderful to read about.

The politics in this world were also interesting, and I like that there were moments where Sirscha’s narration would give some background on what happened in the past for the benefit of the reader. It made me feel more up to speed on what was happening, and why certain situations were the way they were. Of course, she wasn’t omniscient, so she didn’t know everything, but at least knowing everything that she knew helped to be informed and see things from her perspective. I really enjoyed seeing this world through Sirscha’s eyes – oh her beautiful, beautiful eyes – and watching her grow from a potential spy and assassin to something else entirely. Her interactions with Ronin (The Spider King) and Theyen were great as well, and I like that there was no unnecessary romance that didn’t come out of nowhere or seemed to move too fast or anything like that. I also liked how Sirscha described Theyen as insufferable to his face because he was being a know-it-all.

Long story short – since this review is super long! – and as you can tell, I really loved this book, and I am absolutely dying to read the sequel. I imagine that Lee is going to blow it out of the water yet again, and I am officially a huge fan. I look forward to reading everything that Lee has to offer, both past, present and future.

Aubrey Erskine

*Full review to come*

I’m honestly so upset that I have to give this book two stars. It was one of my most anticipated releases and read like a rough draft that needs some major reworks.

Hayley 📖🌈💜🌸

OH MY GOSH THAT ENDING.

I really enjoyed this, it took me a while to get into, but i think that was entirely my inability to read more than one chapter at a time up until ~40% of the way through. 

I loved all the boys in this, the Prince - literally so charming, and Theyen, that snarky little shit, and I loved Sirscha, Saengo, and Phaut, and I honestly did not see half of the twists coming. 

Can’t wait for the sequel.

Thank you to Page Street Publishing and Netgalley for the eARC.

Manon van Heumen

I was actually a bit disappointed. Even though it was a lovely fantasy, it was nothing special to me. It all felt a bit flat, and I'm not sure whether it was because I'm a little out of fantasy, or whether I just didn't enjoy it as much.

Rowan Jones

(spoiler-free)

This is kind of hard to rate for me as I flew through it and really really enjoyed, but the ending JUST missed the mark for me. So I'm sitting around a 4.5* at the moment, as it's not really a 5 star but not really a 4 star.

Our main character Sirscha is one of the most badass female warrior characters ever, and not in a 'trying too hard' kinda way. I really enjoyed her development and learning to use her powers, as well as her loyalty to her friends and dedication to her country/cause.

The book started really quick and kept pace the whole way, I found I couldn't put it down (I read it in 3 sittings).

The only thing that missed the mark for me was I felt the ending was a bit rushed, and the villain, as well as the final battle, a bit comical. I didn't really believe or get the reasoning behind the villain's motivations, which was why throughout the book I was never sure who was the bad guy. 

I also do prefer to have some romance in my books, and although I thought there may have been chemistry between characters, it definitely wasn't obvious or I think intentional in a romantic way. I will say that there is probably 0% of romance, chemistry or feelings in the book between any of the characters. (Again, this isn't necessarily a bad thing, just my personal preference).

I would highly recommend this as it's really well written and the last few sentences had me really shocked and wanting to read the next book immediately!

Lisa Beasley

I did enjoy this but felt like it took a long time to really get going. The characters were good though and I'm hoping book 2 will be a bit faster paced.

3.5 stars

Lauren James

Full review on my blog, Storied Adventures!

This was a hard one for me because it started off really strong and finished really strong but the middle... it just dragged. Nothing really happens in the middle. I kept feeling like I was anticipating something every time Sirscha went somewhere but nothing actually happened. 

I really like Srischa and Theyen! They were my favorites! Sirscha is sassy and can kick some booty! Theyen is the mysterious prince who has shadow powers! So cool! I totally ship them!

I also really liked the strong sisterly friendship that Saengo and Sirscha had! 

For all you NON- romance lovers, this book has no romance. I personally like some romance in my reads but it's not a must! It was good without one!

Danger lurks within the roots of Forest of Souls, an epic, unrelenting tale of destiny and sisterhood, perfect for fans of Naomi Novik, Susan Dennard, and Netflix's The Witcher! "A tantalizing beginning to a rich new fantasy series.” —Traci Chee, NYT bestselling author of The Reader trilogy "Absolutely enchanting.” – Natalie C. Parker, author of Seafire "You won’t want to escape.” – Sarah Henning, author of the Sea Witch "Will leave you shouting sisters unite!” – Mindee Arnett, author of Onyx & Ivory and Avalon Sirscha Ashwyn comes from nothing, but she’s intent on becoming something. After years of training to become the queen’s next royal spy, her plans are derailed when shamans attack and kill her best friend Saengo. And then Sirscha, somehow, restores Saengo to life. Unveiled as the first soulguide in living memory, Sirscha is summoned to the domain of the Spider King. For centuries, he has used his influence over the Dead Wood—an ancient forest possessed by souls—to enforce peace between the kingdoms. Now, with the trees growing wild and untamed, only a soulguide can restrain them. As war looms, Sirscha must master her newly awakened abilities before the trees shatter the brittle peace, or worse, claim Saengo, the friend she would die for.

Liz Griffin

A splendid YA fantasy with a few twists on recognizable tropes. Great for fans of the Grishaverse or Avatar the Last Airbender. Cinematic and visceral in turn, Lee paints a harsh world full of obstacles for Sirscha and forces her to be stronger for it.

Also... *belts this from the rooftops* THERE ISN’T A ROMANCE SUBPLOT AND I LOVE THIS BOOK FOR IT! I could see multiple contenders if there ends up being a romance subplot in book 2 but honestly carry on, sweetie, you’re doing great!

My only complaint was that the last 20% felt rushed, so that the “big cliffhanger” lost some of the punch that it could otherwise have had. But I’ll absolutely be picking up book 2 when it releases.