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

adventurous dark medium-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? Yes

4.0

A solid start to a trilogy! The vibes here are Shadow and Bone, but make it diverse and get rid of the problematic romance. I loved seeing a half-Asian protagonist show off her skills in some epic fight scenes! We do start the series at an interesting point in time, with Sirscha having already finished the bulk of her training to be the queen's Shadow. Her royal spy training sequences and the formation of her relationship with key characters like Saengo and the prince are all shows as flashbacks. This may be why it takes longer than usual to feel a connection with the characters and to really understand the complex world. But since I'm writing this review after I finished reading the full trilogy, I do appreciate the groundwork that Lee has laid out and how the political and magic systems are so well thought-out even in this initial book.
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