Magic Study
By: Maria V. Snyder
Synopsis (From Goodreads): Yelena is a survivor. Kidnapped as a child, held prisoner as a teen, then released to act as a poison taster, she is now a student of magic. But these magic skills place her in imminent danger, and with an execution order on her head, she has no choice but to escape to Sitia, the land of her birth.
But nothing in Sitia is familiar. As she struggles to understand where she belongs and how to control her powers, a rogue magician emerges and Yelena catches his eye. Suddenly she is embroiled in a situation not of her making. And once again her magical abilities will either save her life or be her downfall.
With her greatest enemy dead, and on her way to be reunited with the family she'd been stolen from long ago, Yelena should be pleased. But though she has gained her freedom, she can't help feeling isolated in Sitia. Her Ixian background has changed her in many ways and her new-found friends and relatives don't think it's for the better.
Despite the turmoil, she's eager to start her magic training especially as she's been given one year to harness her power or be put to death. But her plans take a radical turn when she becomes involved with a plot to reclaim Ixia's throne for a lost prince and gets entangled in powerful rivalries with her fellow magicians.
If that wasn't bad enough, it appears her brother would love to see her dead. Luckily, Yelena has some old friends to help her with all her new enemies.
But nothing in Sitia is familiar. As she struggles to understand where she belongs and how to control her powers, a rogue magician emerges and Yelena catches his eye. Suddenly she is embroiled in a situation not of her making. And once again her magical abilities will either save her life or be her downfall.
With her greatest enemy dead, and on her way to be reunited with the family she'd been stolen from long ago, Yelena should be pleased. But though she has gained her freedom, she can't help feeling isolated in Sitia. Her Ixian background has changed her in many ways and her new-found friends and relatives don't think it's for the better.
Despite the turmoil, she's eager to start her magic training especially as she's been given one year to harness her power or be put to death. But her plans take a radical turn when she becomes involved with a plot to reclaim Ixia's throne for a lost prince and gets entangled in powerful rivalries with her fellow magicians.
If that wasn't bad enough, it appears her brother would love to see her dead. Luckily, Yelena has some old friends to help her with all her new enemies.
My Review:
This book connects flawlessly with Poison Study. I thought that the reunion between Yelena and her parents was handled beautifully. Her mother never wants Yelena to leave her sight for fear of losing her again. However, Yelena has grown up without parents. Frankly, without any type of family unit, so the concept is foreign to her and she fights against it. Yelena's brother is an absolute jerk. But, it's not so surprising, given the circumstances. As his story unfolds, I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. The emotions he's been dealing with alone were far beyond his years.
Yelena proves herself to be resourceful in this sequel. Despite being caught between two worlds, she doesn't spend a lot of time whining about returning to the North to be with Valek. Yes, she does pine for him occasionally, but it's not often enough to be annoying. Frankly, if I were in her situation, I'd want him around. Considering what she's dealing with, a trained assassin would be so bad to have around.
I was happy that Janco and Ari made an appearance in this book. They are my favorite characters in the story. It's not just the bantering that adds a light-heartedness to an otherwise pretty dark book, but their loyalty is unwavering. They are exactly the kind of friends I'd want around.
One thing I love about Snyder's writing is the way that her characters almost never live up to their first impressions. The bad guys aren't always bad. Sometimes they are just misguided. Or, sometimes they have very good reasons for their actions. The good guys can be hardened jerks. It keeps you on your toes.
This book didn't captivate me as much as Poison Study. I think I wanted to see more of Yelena working with Irys rather than trying to do everything on her own. It just seemed like a step backwards from all the progress she made in Poison Study. But, it continued the story very well, and I'm anxious to read Fire Study
next.
My Rating:
I gave this book 4 stars
Book-a-likes:
I honestly couldn't think of any. Suggestions anyone?
Profanity: Mild
Drugs and Alcohol: Not much, if any
Sexuality: Moderate. It's never graphic, but Valek and Yelena's relationship is mentioned a lot more. Then there is the sexual abuse aspect.
Violence: Moderate. Anytime you're dealing with a trained assassin, there's bound to be blood
This book connects flawlessly with Poison Study. I thought that the reunion between Yelena and her parents was handled beautifully. Her mother never wants Yelena to leave her sight for fear of losing her again. However, Yelena has grown up without parents. Frankly, without any type of family unit, so the concept is foreign to her and she fights against it. Yelena's brother is an absolute jerk. But, it's not so surprising, given the circumstances. As his story unfolds, I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. The emotions he's been dealing with alone were far beyond his years.
Yelena proves herself to be resourceful in this sequel. Despite being caught between two worlds, she doesn't spend a lot of time whining about returning to the North to be with Valek. Yes, she does pine for him occasionally, but it's not often enough to be annoying. Frankly, if I were in her situation, I'd want him around. Considering what she's dealing with, a trained assassin would be so bad to have around.
I was happy that Janco and Ari made an appearance in this book. They are my favorite characters in the story. It's not just the bantering that adds a light-heartedness to an otherwise pretty dark book, but their loyalty is unwavering. They are exactly the kind of friends I'd want around.
One thing I love about Snyder's writing is the way that her characters almost never live up to their first impressions. The bad guys aren't always bad. Sometimes they are just misguided. Or, sometimes they have very good reasons for their actions. The good guys can be hardened jerks. It keeps you on your toes.
This book didn't captivate me as much as Poison Study. I think I wanted to see more of Yelena working with Irys rather than trying to do everything on her own. It just seemed like a step backwards from all the progress she made in Poison Study. But, it continued the story very well, and I'm anxious to read Fire Study
next.My Rating:
I gave this book 4 stars
Book-a-likes:
I honestly couldn't think of any. Suggestions anyone?
Profanity: Mild
Drugs and Alcohol: Not much, if any
Sexuality: Moderate. It's never graphic, but Valek and Yelena's relationship is mentioned a lot more. Then there is the sexual abuse aspect.
Violence: Moderate. Anytime you're dealing with a trained assassin, there's bound to be blood
by Lisa Mangum. If you want to read my review of this, you'll have to head over to my 
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