Scan barcode
A review by queer_bookwyrm
Forest of Souls by Lori M. Lee
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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? No
4.0
4 ⭐ CW: Violence, descriptions of blood and gore, bullying, abuse/child abuse mention, giant spider, descriptions of spiders
Forest of Souls by Lori M. Lee is book one in the Shamanborn series. This is something I picked specifically because it's my friend Kaitee's favorite book, so I have some complicated feelings. This was a fascinating and great fantasy read; however, it was chock full of spider descriptions. One thing you need to know about me is my intense (and probably irrational) fear of spiders, so this was a tough read for me. *Shudders*
We follow Sirscha Ashwyn, a lowborn orphan in the Queen's Company who is training to become the Queen's Shadow (spymaster). Sirscha has been no one her entire life, constantly being bullied by her cohorts while her instructors look the other way. The only person who doesn't treat Sirscha like dirt is her best friend Saengo. When Sirscha and Saengo try to sabotage Sirscha's rival, Saengo dies, and Sirscha learns she's a Shamanborn (a person born with elemental abilities). The problem with this is that in Evewyn, Shamanborn are oppressed and locked away, because of the Queen's prejudice.
This puts Sirscha and Saengo on a journey to Spinner's End to meet Ronin the Spider King. But as usual, things don't go according to plan, and Sirscha needs to fight to save her friend's life while also figuring out what to do about the Dead Wood. I really loved how much of a survivor Sirscha is. She's pragmatic and can outfight almost anyone. Her friendship with Saengo was my favorite. Instead of focusing on romance, this story focuses on the intensity of friendship. The magic system was fascinating, I love the idea of lightwenders.
We get some themes on prejudice, oppression, and genocide; along with a message about finding your worth and value from yourself instead of others. I did not like how prominent spiders were in this book (why is it always giant spiders?!), and I definitely yelled at Kaitee about it the whole time. The Dead Wood was creepy af and I loved the Drakes. I want my own Drake to ride around. That cliffhanger though. Here's hoping for fewer spider descriptions next book!
Forest of Souls by Lori M. Lee is book one in the Shamanborn series. This is something I picked specifically because it's my friend Kaitee's favorite book, so I have some complicated feelings. This was a fascinating and great fantasy read; however, it was chock full of spider descriptions. One thing you need to know about me is my intense (and probably irrational) fear of spiders, so this was a tough read for me. *Shudders*
We follow Sirscha Ashwyn, a lowborn orphan in the Queen's Company who is training to become the Queen's Shadow (spymaster). Sirscha has been no one her entire life, constantly being bullied by her cohorts while her instructors look the other way. The only person who doesn't treat Sirscha like dirt is her best friend Saengo. When Sirscha and Saengo try to sabotage Sirscha's rival, Saengo dies, and Sirscha learns she's a Shamanborn (a person born with elemental abilities). The problem with this is that in Evewyn, Shamanborn are oppressed and locked away, because of the Queen's prejudice.
This puts Sirscha and Saengo on a journey to Spinner's End to meet Ronin the Spider King. But as usual, things don't go according to plan, and Sirscha needs to fight to save her friend's life while also figuring out what to do about the Dead Wood. I really loved how much of a survivor Sirscha is. She's pragmatic and can outfight almost anyone. Her friendship with Saengo was my favorite. Instead of focusing on romance, this story focuses on the intensity of friendship. The magic system was fascinating, I love the idea of lightwenders.
We get some themes on prejudice, oppression, and genocide; along with a message about finding your worth and value from yourself instead of others. I did not like how prominent spiders were in this book (why is it always giant spiders?!), and I definitely yelled at Kaitee about it the whole time. The Dead Wood was creepy af and I loved the Drakes. I want my own Drake to ride around. That cliffhanger though. Here's hoping for fewer spider descriptions next book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Bullying and Blood
Minor: Child abuse