Book Review: Dawn Study (Study Series) by Maria V. Snyder

This is a wonderful continuation and conclusion to a great series!

Dawn Study (Study Series)
by Maria V. Snyder

File Size: 2483 KB
Print Length: 480 pages
Publisher: MIRA (February 1, 2017)
ASIN: B01HB7N984
Genre: Fantasy
My Rating: 4.75 of 5.0

New York Times bestselling author Maria V. Snyder brings her Poison Study series to its exhilarating conclusion.
Despite the odds, Yelena and Valek have forged an irrevocable bond—and a family—that transcends borders. Now, when their two homelands stand on the brink of war, they must fight with magic and cunning to thwart an Ixian plot to invade Sitia.
Yelena seeks to break the hold of the insidious Theobroma that destroys a person's resistance to magical persuasion. But the Cartel is determined to keep influential citizens and Sitian diplomats in thrall—and Yelena at bay. With every bounty hunter after her, Yelena is forced to make a dangerous deal.
With might and magic, Valek peels back the layers of betrayal surrounding the Commander. At its rotten core lies a powerful magician…and his latest discovery. The fate of all rests upon two unlikely weapons. One may turn the tide. The other could spell the end of everything.

Review:
Pregnant Yelena and Valek are struggling to find allies to help fight the Cartel headed by Bane. The Cartel have drugged the masses of magicians and Sitians, even the Sitian army, so they believe Bane’s lies that the Commander from Ixia is planning to attack. As if that isn’t enough to worry about, Yelena needs to stay hidden as the Mosquito and other assassins have been sent to kill her. Valek sneaks out to try to remove the Mosquito only to face his own assassination attack from Onora, who has taken Valek's place as the Commander's top assassin.

Yelena and Valek have relied on help and sanctuary from Fisk and his ‘guild’ of street informers. But Fisk and his young people become targets for the enemy too. Meanwhile, Yelena’s brother Leif, his wife Mara, and Yelena’s and Leif’s father, Esau, are sure that there is a specialty plant that Bane is planning to use to further his plans for control. Before they can get to the city they are surrounded and Leif is the only one to escape.

Ari and Janco have been off on a separate mission and they have uncovered news that will be helpful if they can get it safely to Yelena and Valek. They are all too ready to jump back into the thick of things even as the allies face one dangerous situation after another. It seems almost everyone is going to risk a turn at capture and several clever rescues are required before the group can put the big rescue plan in action.

It was a joy to have all the characters, including Valek’s siblings, share in the grand scheme to save Sitia. I loved having Kiki and the other horses as active characters even if Yelena couldn’t talk to Kiki because the baby was blocking her magic. The interaction and banter among the friends – an extended family – is delightful. I liked that the love and chemistry between Yelena and Valek is clearly shared without the need for graphic scenes. I was very much impressed with how well all the details were carried forward from the earlier books and wrapped up nicely.

This has been a wonderful series and, although I was pleased with the skill of this final installment, I am sorry to see the series close. It almost makes me want to go back to the beginning and start again!

I received this through NetGalley. It qualifies for my 2017 NetGalley and TBR Challenges.

Book Review: Night Study (Study Series) by Maria V. Snyder

Great installment! Start at the beginning and enjoy lots of entertainment from this series.

Night Study (Study Series)
by Maria V. Snyder

• File Size: 978 KB
• Print Length: 448 pages
• Publisher: MIRA (February 1, 2016)
• Publication Date: January 26, 2016
• ASIN: B015CJXXSY

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal
My Rating: Worth a 5.0 in my book!

New York Times bestselling author Maria V. Snyder transports readers back to the realms of Sitia and Ixia in an exciting new Study novel full of magic, danger and intrigue.

Ever since being kidnapped from the Illiais Jungle as a child, Yelena Zaltana's life has been fraught with peril. But the recent loss of her Soulfinding abilities has endangered her more than ever before. As she desperately searches for a way to reclaim her magic, her enemies are closing in, and neither Ixia nor Sitia is safe for her anymore. Especially since the growing discord between the two countries and the possibility of a war threatens everything Yelena holds dear.

Valek is determined to protect Yelena, but he's quickly running out of options. The Commander suspects that his loyalties are divided, and he's been keeping secrets from Valek…secrets that put him, Yelena and all their friends in terrible danger. As they uncover the various layers of the Commander's mysterious plans, they realize it's far more sinister than they could have ever imagined.

Review:
I remembered how Shadow Study ended and was anxious to read this story. I was pleased that all my favorite characters were present and there was plenty of action. Tensions are growing between Sitia, the home of Yelena’s magical training and friends, and Ixia, Valek’s homeland where Yelena is serving as a liaison between the territories. Unfortunately, the Commander has selected a new training security chief and is challenging Valek’s loyalty.

Yelena is vulnerable due to the loss of her magical abilities and other issues. She is in danger from a criminal, Owen Moon, who has been trapped and escaped several times. Janco, Ari and Leaf are included in the team to investigate how Owen Moon escaped, what his secret project is and where he might have gone. Moon has powerful magic and powerful friends. Valek and Yelena discover that Moon is working with and as a guest of the Commander which puts Yelena and Valek in extreme danger. The Commander challenges Valek's loyalty and sends him off to investigate thefts at a far edge of Ixia.

Yelena chooses to return to Sitia to try to convince the Counsel of the danger posed by Moon and his connection to the Commander. Leaf, with the help of his father, Esau, learns information that sends him back to Sitia with important discoveries about Moon’s project which threatens the safety of Sitia.  They find a new enemy upon their return and they won't find help from the magicians this time.

I loved the intrigue and usual antics involved in the team work of Yelena, Valek, Janco, Ari, Leaf and even Kiki, Yelena’s wonderful Sandseed horse. Fisk and his crew of street smart, child spies play an important role together with a few new characters who come as a surprise, especially to Valek. This story has lots of betrayal and action with some added emotions and charming romance.

I devoured this pretty quickly pursing the excitement. I was holding my breath at points of crisis as I rooted for the heroes. This isn't totally perfect but it is worth a 5.0 in my book. I recommend the whole series but do suggest a new reader start with the original Study trilogy before this set. It will be well worth the reading enjoyment.

I am very glad I received this through NetGalley for an honest review. This qualifies for my NetGalley Challenge, N for Alphabet Soup Challenge and TBR Triple Dog Dare.

On January 26, 2016 the day of NIGHT STUDY's US release, Maria V. Snyder is doing a LIVE online Ask Me Anything segment at 6:00 p.m. PST and you're invited! Here's the link: http://www.inkitt.com/ama/mariavsnyder
MVS says "Be kind! ;)"

For details on the tour and giveaway links go here.

Book Review: Shadow Study (Soulfinders) by Maria V. Snyder

This is a wonderful revisit with great characters and a worthy addition to the series!
Shadow Study (Soulfinders)
by Maria V. Snyder

• File Size: 1120 KB
• Print Length: 413 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0778317404
• Publisher: MIRA (March 1, 2015)
• Sold by: Harlequin Digital Sales Corp.
• ASIN: B00OYBW5FY

Genre: Fantasy
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0

Book Description
Publication Date: March 1, 2015
New York Times bestselling author Maria V. Snyder wowed readers with Poison Study, the unforgettable story of poison taster Yelena. Now she's back with a new tale of intrigue.
Once, only her own life hung in the balance…
Oddly enough, when Yelena was a poison taster, her life was simpler. But she'd survived to become a vital part of the balance of power between rival countries Ixia and Sitia. Now she uses her magic to keep the peace in both lands—and protect her relationship with Valek.
Suddenly, though, they are beset on all sides by those vying for power through politics and intrigue. Valek's job and his life are in danger. As Yelena tries to uncover the scope of these plots, she faces a new challenge: her magic is blocked. She must keep that a secret—or her enemies will discover just how vulnerable she really is—while searching for who or what is responsible for neutralizing her powers.
Yes, the days of tasting poisons were much simpler. And certainly not as dangerous…

Review:
Yelena is a Sitian with magic abilities - in fact, she is a Soulfinder which is rare and dangerous. She delivers souls to their rightful destination - peace or hell. Yelena didn’t know about her own talents until she began working as the poison taster as a prisoner under Valek’s authority. Yelena has faced many dangers and survived through the help of magic, her own wits and sometimes Valek and friends.

Valek is an Ixian assassin. He has the unusual trait of being immune to magic which helped make him extremely successful and dangerous. Initially Valek and Yelena were worlds apart. Presumably his position in Ixia, where his Commander forbids magic, kept them apart. Then Yelena was assigned as a liaison between the communities and a personal relationship developed.

They both have made many enemies but for the most part, those who are not afraid of Yelena’s powers are afraid of her ‘mate’ Valek’s abilities. Yet there are those who want to hinder her even at the risk of angering him.

While visiting with Valek for a brief private rendezvous Yelena is shot with an unknown poison. She is able to remove the toxin with her healing skills and Valek thinks she is all right as he returns to Ixiaa at the call of his commander. But Yelena suffers an extreme fever and chills. When she awakens she discovers her magic is completely gone. One of the immediate loses she feels is the inability to communicate telepathically with her Sandseed horse, Kiki. Fortunately Kiki is a brilliant animal and understands Yelena’s needs.

Yelena and Kiki return to Sitia where she can seek aid from the master magicians and her brother. They try to protect her secret as they research the nature of the poison and how to cure her. They proceed on to seek the help of Opal and Devlin, two other friends who experienced the loss of the their magic in the past (Glass Series).

Meanwhile Valek finds a young assassin sneaking into his commander’s quarters and challenging for his position. Rather than imprison her they end up placing her on Valek's team for training and assignment. Valek and his new recruit are assigned to work with Janco and Ari to uncover and stop a smuggler’s ring.

The wonderful thing about Ms. Snyder’s writing is she manages to create a vested interest in her characters. The author portrays events from alternating characters to help the forward motion of the plot that ultimately brings them together to face their enemies. I enjoyed how the author also follows Valek’s memories filling in his childhood background that led him to become an assassin. There was a very short time of slower pacing in the middle of the book but it picked up quickly.

It has been a number of years since I read and loved the Study trilogy - now dubbed the Soulfinders series as it continues. Yelena and Valek appeared as secondary characters in the Glass series but it is great to have them back with their own issues again. In a world of conflicting interests and power hungry leaders there are plenty of issues regarding betrayal and who can be trusted. The ending of this book may come as a surprise to readers (I guessed it early on) but issues are left open thereby promising more stories to come!

This can be read alone but I highly recommend reading the books in order. Not only will you get to know the characters but you will get to enjoy their dangerous adventures.

I selected this at NetGalley for an honest review. It qualifies for NetGalley Challenge.