A review by keepcalmblogon
Soul of Shadow by Emma Noyes

mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Soul of Shadow was a Macmillan Audio pick and I was intrigued by the comp to The Vampire Diaries with Norse mythology. Ultimately, I think it had like early 2000s supernatural YA vibes, think Twilight and TVD, but it didn’t hit the way those did, with their addicting forbidden romance allure. I was excited by the Norse mythology, but ultimately felt there were mechanics of the magic system that didn’t make sense. The two major twists could be seen a mile off. The bad guy’s motives were not clear enough in book one—it definitely seems like they’ll come up in book two, but I think book one at least needed more hints to convince me. My favorite part of the story was the gnome-like creature, a supernatural sidekick is always the best, and he’s an adorable, ferocious little thing!  

While in the end I did think this book was four stars, after sitting with it, and how I discovered my feelings through this review, I think for me this book was three stars. But, I do want to say that Noyes did a great job capturing the YA aspects of friendship, high school, and family relationships.

I did enjoy the narration by Emily Pike Stewart.