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A review by sophiawolf
Forest of Souls by Lori M. Lee
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.