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sophiawolf's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
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.
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.
novelbloglover's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
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.
clairbear1989's review against another edition
4.0
More accurately, 3.5 stars. Good plot and good potential, I just couldn’t really connect with characters. Still trying to decide if I want to continue with the next book.
bookishdamzel's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
> 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!
Disclaimer: I received Forest of Souls as an arc and I'm voluntarily leaving this review.
> 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!
Disclaimer: I received Forest of Souls as an arc and I'm voluntarily leaving this review.
sturmykins's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
gcjay1994's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
This one was just a meh for me. I didn’t actively dislike it, I just didn’t feel all that connected to the stories or characters. There were a lot of elements that I did like with the plot (spooky forest, creepy crawlies, soul magic), but I wasn’t vibing. It’s worth a shot if you have been interested.
rigel's review against another edition
3.5
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.
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.
someonetookit's review against another edition
3.0
I have no recollection of most of what happened so its an average rating for what was an average book
theangrystackrat's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0