Incarnate by Jodie Meadows is the story of eighteen year-old Ana who has lived her entire life with her mother, Li, in the Purple Cottage which is located in the middle of a forest setting. Li is a cruel and abusive mother and Ana's life has been joyless. Ana is a spirited young woman who can't wait to escape from her mother and her isolated life in the forest. She wants to find out what her purpose in life is and learn about her father who abandoned her when she was born. Ana is different than literally everyone else in the land.

Although she has been isolated by her mother and not allowed to have friends or even talk with anyone else, everyone knows of her. In a world that is five-thousand years old, Ana is the only "new soul" ever to be born. Everyone else has lived multiple lives before and has been reincarnated to live again and again. Li has characterized her daughter's status as a "no soul," someone without feeling or substance. She has been a disgrace to her mother and was apparently abandoned by a father who was humiliated by her birth. Ana plans to travel to the large city of Heart and visit the Grand Library and find out about her parents and maybe learn why she was born.

Li is cruel to the end by giving her daughter a broken compass. Ana gets lost in the forest and is attacked by deadly sylph which are huge shadow-like beings that burn their victims to death. She is singed on the cheek by one of them and winds up between approaching sylph and the edge of a cliff. Ana makes the snap decision and decides she'd rather fall to her death than have a terrifying and fiery death. She winds up in the dark swirling waters of a river and is close to drowning when she is grabbed by someone who pulls her to the surface.

On land, she comes around to see a young man looking down on her. He tells her his name is Sam and that he is camping in the area. They stay in his cabin for several weeks until Ana is ready to travel on to Heart. In their time together, they learn that they both like books and love music. Sam is aware of Ana's "new soul" status and encourages Ana to think more of herself and not call herself a "no soul." He tells her she is a "new soul" and counts as much as anyone and that she has the right to have emotions and opinions. It's a dangerous trip to Heart so Sam decides to escort Ana there. On the way, sylph attack and this time Ana is able to save Sam although she sustains serious burns to her hands.

Once reaching Heart, Sam talks the city's Council into allowing Ana to enter the city. In return, they declare he must take responsibility for her because she is a "new soul" and therefore not eligible for citizenship. Part of the agreement is that Ana agrees to learn and take lessons while she stays in Heart. Ana who has always been fascinated by music especially that of Dossam, learns that Sam is actually the composer and pianist Dossam. Sam writes a sonata that he dedicates to Ana. Sam teaches Ana to play the piano, another friend teaches her to dance, Sam's father teachers her to bake.

At a masquerade party, Sam and Ana both realize that they are matched souls and finally confess their love for each other. Shortly after, they are attacked by unknown assailants who try to kill them. Li convinces the Council that Sam was behind the attempted murder of her daughter. Sam is arrested and Ana's guardianship is returned to Li. Needless to say, Ana is not happy with the new arrangement. She escapes Li's house and plans to help Sam escape so they can be together. But she runs into many obstacles including being trapped in a temple that has no exits and being attacked by dragons.

In the end, Ana is able to survive all her challenges. She learns that her father wasn't the ogre that her mother had made him out to be. She meets her father and has some of her questions answered although not all of them. She and Sam are together but they do not know whether Ana, as a new soul, will be reincarnated. But she does know that even in a thousand years people will know of her. Her love for Sam and the music he wrote for her will make her immortal - she will be known as Incarnate Ana.