***Series Review*** Study Series by Maria V. Snyder

On The Backs of the Books

Poison Study

Choose:

A quick death

Or slow poison...

Yelena has a choice – be executed for murder, or become food taster to the Commander of Ixia. She leaps at the chance for survival, but her relief may be short-lived.

Life in the palace is full of hazards and secrets. Wily and smart, Yelena must learn to identify poisons before they kill her, recognise whom she can trust and how to spy on those she can’t. And who is the mysterious Southern sorceress who can reach into her head?

When Yelena realises she has extraordinary powers of her own, she faces a whole new problem, for using magic in Ixia is punishable by death...

Magic Study

Controlling the past

Controlling the future

With an execution order on her head, Yelena has no choice but to escape to Sitia, the land of her birth. With only a year to master her magic – or face death – Yelena must begin her apprenticeship and travels to the Four Towers of the Magician’s Keep.

But nothing in Sitia is familiar. Not the family to whom she is a stranger. Not the unsettling new facet of her magic. Not the brother who resents her return. As she struggles to understand where she belongs and how to control her rare powers, a rogue magician emerges – and Yelena catches his eye.

Suddenly she is embroiled in battle against good and evil. And once again it will be her magical abilities that will either save her life... or be her downfall.

Fire Study

The apprenticeship is over

Now the real test has begun

When word that Yelena is a Soulfinder – able to capture and release souls – spreads like wildfire, people grow uneasy. Already Yelena’s unusual abilities and past have set her apart. As the Council debates Yelena’s fate, she receives a disturbing message: a plot is rising against her homeland, led by a murderous sorcerer she has defeated before.

Honour sets Yelena on a path that will test the limits of her skills, and the hope of reuniting with her beloved spurs her onward. Her journey is fraught with allies and enemies. Yelena will have but one chance to prove herself – and save the land she holds dear.

Pros

·         Well written

·         Strong opening

·         Some good characters

·         Interesting ideas and back story

·         Lovely covers that draw you into the books

Cons

·         Obvious in places

·         The quality of the books went down

·         Characters went from strong to weak.

·         Sometimes difficult to get into

·         Book three is a bit sappy

Best Book: Poison Study

Worst Book: Fire Study

Overall Rating

3 stars – This is a series that starts well and ends well. Unfortunately, it has a bit of a crisis in the middle and goes from mediocre to absolutely dire then ends on a nice note. I’d recommend the whole series to you don’t care about the middle and just want to read a story that isn’t completely overloaded with romance. 

Review*** Magic Study (Study #2) by Maria V. Snyder

On the Back of the Book

Controlling the past

Controlling the future

With an execution order on her head, Yelena has no choice but to escape to Sitia, the land of her birth. With only a year to master her magic – or face death – Yelena must begin her apprenticeship and travels to the Four Towers of the Magician’s Keep.

But nothing in Sitia is familiar. Not the family to whom she is a stranger. Not the unsettling new facet of her magic. Not the brother who resents her return. As she struggles to understand where she belongs and how to control her rare powers, a rogue magician emerges – and Yelena catches his eye.

Suddenly she is embroiled in battle against good and evil. And once again it will be her magical abilities that will either save her life... or be her downfall.

Pre Read Thoughts

I loved book one, Poison Study, and I know that if I hadn’t already had Magic Study in my house I would’ve gone out and bought it. I’ve heard mixed things about the rest of the series but I’ve never been one for listening to opinions when I have the chance to make my own. As I said during my Poison Study review I bought the whole trilogy for £5 at The Works. Once again the only thing ruining the cover for me is the girl. She just looks Photoshopped and it ruins the feel of the cover. The synopsis makes me want to dive into the book and continue Yelena’s journey with her. I really do hope this is as good as book one.

Post Read Thoughts

As much as I liked this, I can’t help but feel that this isn’t as good as its predecessor. While I could sit and read it for long periods of time, I didn’t feel that I was flying through it. I don’t know why that is , it  may  be that I found some of the plot to be quite obvious (again) and I never really fel t that Yelena was in any danger. I think it’s a matter of not believing what the author has written. I’m not entirely convinced that she believed some of it herself. Saying that I still found the story to be enjoyable and not too taxing on my brain.

A lot of the characters we met in Poison Study aren’t really featured in this story as this takes place in Sitia and those characters are in Ixia. However, we do meet some awesome new characters that I can’t wait to introduce you to.

Perl & Esau – Yelena’s parents and they’re actually really lovely. They’re intelligent people and have come up with some excellent to make life in the treetops of the jungle awesome. I loved all their parts in the story and Perl may have just become one of my favourite characters in the series.

Leif – Yelena’s only sibling and he spends the majority of this book being a bit of a pain (I think it may be the job of older brothers everywhere). However, he has had to spend 14 years trying to outdo Yelena’s ghost so I can see why he feels like he does. I did enjoy seeing his heart open up to his sister throughout the book though, it was nice to see a man showing his emotions.

Irys – She was actually in Poison Study but she has a more prominent role in this story as she becomes Yelena’s teacher. I wasn’t a huge fan of her as she expected Yelena to be something that she isn’t. Some of her actions could have led to complete disaster and she’s lucky that they didn’t.

Overall this is a good book that helped to pass the time when I wasn’t well enough to do anything but read. Although I did prefer the first book this still managed to carry me away to another world. I do wish that it hadn't been as predictable as it was but I figure I may just be excellent at working out plot lines (If I don't talk myself up who will?). Either way, I'm not gonna let it get me down.

My Rating

3 stars - It's good and that's the problem. Book one was excellent and I adored it. I feel slightly let down by that. I do recommend this if you've read Poison Study and enjoyed it but don't expect it to be the same level of awesomeness.