Shadow Study by Maria V Snyder

Yelena, once so scared of magic grew dependent on her powers, and she realizes it when they are suddenly gone. A weird attack rendered her powerless and feeling oddly vulnerable. How did she live all those years so defenseless before she discovered her powers? She must keep it a secret though because many of her enemies would jump on this opportunity to put an end to her life.

I have been waiting for years for another Yelena & Valek book and I was so happy when Maria announced she's working on a new series featuring them. As much as I loved this novel, and I'll tell you all about it later, I'm afraid the years between the releases ( 7 since the last Study book, 5 since the last Glass book) played hell on my memory and I grew frustrated about all the details I had forgotten. To avoid this situation, I would suggest you reread the books before you get to Shadow Study, if it's something that would bother you too.

Yelena gained quite the reputation as the Soulfinder and liaison between Ixia and Sitia. She is almost bigger than life if you listen to all the gossip, so for her to be suddenly powerless and away from Valek was quite the challenge. I loved that even though giving in to despair was tempting, she never gave up and fought back with everything she had. This girl just doesn't have it in her to hide and wait it out. The mystery surrounding her magic's disappearance is quite thick, and I'm afraid we'll have to wait for the next novel to really know what actually happened. Thankfully, Snyder pointed us the culprit, which make the tension bearable, but barely. I really want to know how that person did it!

My favorite aspect of this novel, and by far, are all the visits to Valek's past. What happened in his youth, how he became an assassin, his struggles, meeting with the commander and finally, killing the king. I was completely mesmerized by those bit of tales speckled all over the book and I was craving the next one again and again. I admired his focus, determination and resourcefulness. Really, Ari & Janco can only dream of being that good, I was thoroughly impressed.

Fans will be happy to know many old friends -and foes- are featured in this novel. A peculiar new character is also introduced, and she is bound to leave you scratching your head in wonder.

The plot is of course filled with intrigue, battles and twist & turns. I never would have guessed the extend of the different betrayals taking place in this book, and I can't wait to see all the consequences in the next novel, Night Study, expected in 2016.

If I had one complaint to formulate, can we please have Yelena and Valek together?? They were apart the whole time! *pouts*

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by Tynga at Sunday, February 08, 2015

 Fantasy, Fantasy amp; Magic, Harlequin, Magic, Maria V Snyder, Maria V. Snyder, Mira, Netgalley, Review, Soulfinders, Study  5 People left their mark

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Daring You to Read... Jaran by Kate Elliott (author edition!)

It's been a while since we've done a Daring You To Read post and we've decided to bring it back with a bang! We will now host guest authors who will dar you to read THEIR favorite book! How awesome is that? I am super happy to welcome Maria V Snyder, author of the Study, Glass & Healer series. She's one of my favorite author and I hope you will welcome her warmly!

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Published in 2002, this novel is one part science fiction, one part epic fantasy, and one part romance. It’s one of my all time favorite books.

Tess Soerensen is accidently stranded on a planet that is off limits to her race and other alien races since the indigenous people are unaware of their existence. In this book humans are not in charge and have been conquered by the Chapalli. While on the planet, Tess discovers that Chapalli are on the surface illegally. The aliens paid a band of nomads to uncover ancient ruins which may contain vital information. In order to get home, Tess has to reach the city of Jeds where there is a way to get off world, but she also wants to find out what’s so important about the ruins.

Tess meets Ilya, the leader of the nomadic tribe the Chapalli have hired. She joins up with the excursion and discovers the tribe is a rich mixture of characters and traditions. I loved how the relationship developed between Tess and Ilya. He doesn’t know she’s from another planet and she is unfamiliar with his customs.

This book has political intrigue, deceptions, and a few swoon worthy moments. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

 

In the future, Earth is just one of the planets ruled by the vast Chapalii empire. The volatility of these alien overlords is something with which Tess Soerensen is all too familiar. Her brother, Charles, rebelled against them at one time and was rewarded by being elevated into their interstellar system—yet there is reason to believe they murdered his and Tess’s parents.

Struggling to find her place in the world and still mending a broken heart, Tess sneaks aboard a shuttle bound for Rhui, one of her brother’s planets. On the ground, she joins up with the native jaran people, becoming immersed in their nomadic society and customs while also attempting to get to the bottom of a smuggling scheme she encountered on her journey there. As she grows ever closer to the charismatic jaran ruler, Ilya—who is inflamed by an urgent mission of his own—Tess must choose between her feelings for him and her loyalty to her brother.

Jaran is the first volume of the Novels of the Jaran, which continues with An Earthly Crown, His Conquering Sword,and The Law of Becoming.

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

 

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Thanks so much for visiting us, Maria!

For more Maria, check out her Website/Blog/Facebook/Goodreads!

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Here's the scoop on Taste of Darkness, Maria's latest release:

She’s fought death and won. But how can she fight her fears?

Avry knows hardship and trouble. She fought the plague and survived. She took on King Tohon and defeated him. But now her heart-mate, Kerrick, is missing, and Avry fears he’s gone forever.

But there’s a more immediate threat. The Skeleton King plots to claim the Fifteen Realms for his own. With armies in disarray and the dead not staying down, Avry’s healing powers are needed now more than ever.Torn between love and loyalty, Avry must choose her path carefully. For the future of her world depends on her decision.

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble

My review

And here's where it all began:

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Daring You To Read is a feature here on Tynga’s Reviews where our favorite authors dare you to read some of THEIR favorite older releases (at least 6 months old). All the books/series  featured are adored titles and we think you should give them a shot! We think it’s a super awesome way to discover that special book who might have slipped off your radar!
You’ve already read the book? Let’s us know what you thought!
You are accepting the dare? We’d love to know!
Have a dare of your own? Leave a comment ^^

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by Tynga at Tuesday, February 11, 2014

 Daring You to Read, Feature, Guest Post, Maria V Snyder  1 Person left their mark

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When I'm Not Writing with... Maria V Snyder (Taste of Darkness Tour)

I'm super happy to have Maria V Snyder on the blog today to celebrate the release of Taste of Darkness, the last book in the Healers series! Please welcome her warmly :)

When I’m not writing, I’m Mom.  I do all the typical Mom things - drive my daughter to flute lessons, attend soccer games, go to concerts, etc… I cook meals during the week (we eat out on weekends), do laundry, go to the grocery store, clean house.  All those boring chores.  I’m not a clean freak, but I do like the clutter put away (it gives the appearance of being clean).  When I’m not Mom, I’m playing volleyball.  I’m a setter for a church co-ed team and I set the ball since I’m not tall enough to spike it over a men’s net!  I also play pick up games once a week.  Nice thing about volleyball my son, husband, and daughter all play as well.

When I’m not playing volleyball, I’m skiing.  I love to ski and will go as much as I can from January to March.  When I’m not skiing, I’m traveling.  I love to travel and will use any excuse to go on a trip.  Since I can write anywhere, I frequently tag along with my husband when he’s traveling for business.  I’ve been to most of the European countries and Scandinavia, Russia, Dubai, Malaysia, China, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Mexico, and a bunch of other places.  Traveling feeds my imagination for my writing.  When I’m not traveling, I’m taking pictures.  I enjoy photography and try to have a camera with me at all times.  My favorite light is at dusk and I take a million sunset pictures.  I also like zooming in really close (like pores the size of dinner plates close ;).  My pictures have won some ribbons and been used to accompany my magazine articles (which makes me a photojournalist!  Wow – I didn’t realize that until now!).

When I’m not taking pictures, I’m handling the business part of writing like answering emails, posting on Facebook, writing blogs, and scheduling book events.  I also consider research for my stories in this category as I’ll take classes to get hands on experience or spend the time reading through books or interviewing a person of interest. When I’m not doing the biz, I’m working with my students at Seton Hill University.  I mentor students in the MFA program at Seton Hill (not Seton Hall ;).  Every month, they send me pages of their thesis novels, and I read and critique them. I also teach during the five day residency we have twice a year.  It’s a wonderful program and I love helping new writers.

When I’m not mentoring/teaching, I’m sleeping.  Gotta get my 7 hours or I’m very grumpy.  When I’m not sleeping, I’m writing.

More about Taste of Darkness:

She's fought death and won. But how can she fight her fears?

Avry knows hardship and trouble. She fought the plague and survived. She took on King Tohon and defeated him. But now her heart-mate, Kerrick, is missing, and Avry fears he's gone forever.

But there's a more immediate threat. The Skeleton King plots to claim the Fifteen Realms for his own. With armies in disarray and the dead not staying down, Avry's healing powers are needed now more than ever.Torn between love and loyalty, Avry must choose her path carefully. For the future of her world depends on her decision.

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble

My review

Lucky for you, there's a tour wide giveaway! Don't miss your chance!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Keep following the tour to learn more! Complete schedule can be found here.

About Maria:

Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Maria always had a fascination with big storms. Dreaming of chasing tornados, Maria earned a bachelors of science degree in meteorology at Penn State University. But she discovered, much to her chagrin, that forecasting the weather wasn't one of her skills. In order to chase tornados you had to predict where they might form. Creating fantasy worlds where she has complete control of the weather was more agreeable to her.

Maria lives with her husband, son, daughter and yellow lab, Hazelnut, in Pennsylvania where she is at work on more LUNA novels. She is also pursuing a master's degree in writing popular fiction from Seton Hill University.

Where to find her: Website/Blog/Facebook/Goodreads

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by Tynga at Tuesday, December 31, 2013

 giveaway, Guest Post, Harlequin, Maria V Snyder, When I'm not writing  16 People left their mark

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Taste of Darkness by Maria V Snyder

The war is still running full force and it seems like nothing will stop any of the leaders but death. Ryne is still running his operation, trying to give the kingdom back to its people, despite his questionable methods. Cellina, Sepp and Wynn are running havoc with Tohon's army now that he is in stasis, but where does their alliance lay? The Skeleton King, a cannibal more viscous even than Tohon can't be neglected either. Who will win the war? Who will survive and who will perish? That's what Taste of Darkness will reveal!

This third, and last, installment in the Healers series was just as amazing as the previous books and I have no choice but to bow down in front of Maria V Snyder's plotting skills. The complexity of all the simultaneous events happening in different places,  combined with the delay in which news reach each different party was very impressive and intricate. It's a wonder people got anything done back then when you have to count multiple days for a messenger to reach its target, a far cry from our instant text messaging. The slowness at which information traveled contributed to the unbearable suspense of the plot and the insecurity of each character's well-being.

I loved how the plot revolved not only around the war itself, but also its side plots. Their are multiple small missions along the way, such has trying to save Estrid to gain the help of her army, saving Mom's daughter from the monastery, rescuing Poppa Bear, Flea's quest to harness his new powers and finding a cure to the new plague, to name only these. I was engrossed in every details, working hard to keep up with all the subtleties, but I have to confess, Snyder lost me with her cure of the plague. Being a scientist I know how simply impossible her cure is. I don't want to go into details, but unless Avry has a certain blood type, her 'cure' would kill half (or more) of her patients.

As usual, I enjoyed the complex relationship between each characters, may they be friends, foe, or somewhere in between. Aside from the close-knit gang we love, interactions with others are often in shades of grey, enriching the story. Of course, I tremendously enjoyed rekindling with our beloved merry gang and was happy to see them evolute all together once more (after many struggles!).

Even though I am mostly satisfied with the conclusion, I thought that it felt rushed compared to the slow pace we grew used to. The characters had to play smart and make big sacrifices to succeed and not everybody survives the final battle. It is also a good way to end the series, but I really wished Snyder had grant us a peek into the after-war future. I would've loved to see the characters prosper after living so many difficult years.

The Healers series is definitely a must read for high fantasy lovers out there. Snyder is a stellar author and her writing won't disappoint you!

Read an Excerpt

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by Tynga at Friday, December 27, 2013

 Harlequin, Healer, High Fantasy, Magic, Maria V Snyder, Maria V. Snyder, Mira, Netgalley, Review  2 People left their mark

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Power Study by Maria V Snyder

I fell in love with Ari and Janco as soon as I met them in this series. They are a merry pair so different from each other, yet so similar, and despite their constant banter, have a kind of symbiotic relationship. The pair of them, along with Maven, are charged to weed-out worthy opponents for Valek, while he is away on an unknown mission, when trouble arises.

This story is very short, yet miss Snyder managed to put together a decent plot line. An enemy is amongst them and the boys have to investigate the matter while their leader is gone. The plot happens in Ixia, where magic is forbidden, and the boys find themselves a bit at lost when they stubble into a magical deception. I liked how they dealt with the issue, using cunning and original strategies and Janco got to show he also has brains to back his muscles.

The dialogues are of course a stellar point in the novella. Ari & Janco verbally, and mentally, jab at each other every opportunities they get, which makes for an entertaining read. I didn't laugh out loud like I did at times in the novels of this series, but smiles tugged my lips times and again.

Power Study is a side-story that is in no way necessary to the series' plot-line but it's a quick and free read, so why not take a moment to read it if you like the series? Maria is amongst my favorite authors, and I would definitely recommend this series to fantasy lovers!

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by Tynga at Friday, November 01, 2013

 Fantasy, Free, Magic, Maria V Snyder, Maria V. Snyder, Novella November, Review, Self Published, Study, young adult  Leave your mark

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Outside In by Maria V Snyder

Outside In by Maria V. Snyder

Book stats:
Reading Level: Young Adult
Paperback: 328 pages
Genre: Sci-fi/Dystopia
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release date: March 1, 2011

Series: Insiders #2

Source: Library

Reviewed by: Lili

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Me?

A leader?

Okay, I did prove that there's more to Inside than we knew. That a whole world exists beyond this cube we live in. And finding that led to a major rebellion—between worker scrubs like me and the snobby uppers who rule our world. Make that ruled. Because of me, we're free. I thought that meant I was off the hook, and could go off on my own again—while still touching base with Riley, of course. He's the one upper I think I can trust. But then we learned that there's outside and then there is Outside.

And something from Outside wants In.

It’s hard for me to put my thoughts regarding this one into words. I enjoy its prequel so much, so I was very anxious to get my hands on it. But I have to admit that I don’t think it lived up to its amazing sequel. However, I still found this one enjoyable. It’s hard to describe. The best way that I can explain how I feel about this book is that book one is worthy of a very solid four stars, but this book can only garner three stars.

When it came to plot progression, this novel was by far the superior of the two. What I love about Snyder is that she is very much able to deliver realistic action sequences and suspenseful mysteries. The plot, like book one and every other novel I have read by Snyder, easily held my interest and my attention. I didn’t ever want to put it down and easily flew through it in a single sitting. The entire plot of this book centers around sabotage happening on the Inside and there’s a frenzy to uncover who is setting everything off before something terrible happens. The addition of newfound Outsiders wanting In added great suspense to the last third of the novel. It was pretty cool that this novel contained explosions and new types of weaponry as well, mostly from the hands of Logan, the amazing Tech-No that I love dearly.

Plot-wise though, the book was also slightly frustrating. More than once Trella eavesdropped or noticed people doing suspicious things. And every time (I can recount at least three times off of the top of my head) it was one of those instances where she recognized the individual’s voice, or body movement, or physical stature, but couldn’t pinpoint their identity though it was on the tip of her tongue. Then when the reveal of the person’s identity came, she would somehow slap herself mentally and pull out the classical, “I knew it!” Not literally, but that’s how she was consistently described emotionally when the revelations hit. These moments were clearly there to further the plot progression of the book because the entire scheme would have been spoiled if she recognized any of these people, but after the second instance of a near recognition happened I began to get slightly frustrated because Trella’s previous genius went completely out the window in this one for most of the novel.

When it came to characterization, I didn’t think there was anything new that could be described as marvelous. The new characters were interesting enough and older characters continued to grow, but no serious break-through’s occurred. Trella, in all honesty, seemed very immature in this one, though she did continue to have her moments of live-saving genius.

And don’t even get me started on Riley. One of the aspects of this novel that I believe pales in comparison to book one is the romance. It was cute and slow in book one, but this one it was too fast and rocky. In the blink of an eye, a sweet relationship turned into a physical one. And that’s it, it was purely physical. If they weren’t doing something physical, they were arguing. And whenever they fight or take a break, they reconcile after saying something along the lines of “if you do what I say, my body is completely yours” or something of the sort. I understand how it’s a way to instill trust. They trust each other so much that they’ll do whatever the other one wants, but it all relates back to the physical. I missed the emotion of it all. The declarations of love almost seemed forced.

All in all, this book was still enjoyable, but it can’t be compared to the first. While some plot reveals ended the story well, I felt as if the overall ending was lacking in the sense that I just wasn’t happy. Book one wowed me so much more than its companion novel in this series. The emotional connection that I had with Trella in book one despite her anti-hero ways were completely nonexistent in this one.

With that being said, I do encourage any sci-fi lovers to check out book one. This series will especially be enjoyable for those who like space novels that aren’t huge on aliens. I encourage you to create your own opinions regarding this series and I urge you to continue on to book two if you loved book one as much as I did. While this book isn’t as great, it delivers an enticing story that’s easy to read and ties up some very interesting plot points.

Read an Excerpt

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by Lili at Sunday, March 17, 2013

 Harlequin, Maria V Snyder, Review, Science-Fiction, young adult  Leave your mark

✎

Inside Out by Maria V Snyder

Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder

Book Stats:

Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 315 pages
Genre: Sci-fi/Dystopian/Post-Apocalyptic
Publisher: Harlequin
Release date: April 1, 2010

Series: Insiders #1

Reviewed by: Lili

Source: Trade

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Keep Your Head Down.

Don't Get Noticed.

Or Else.

I'm Trella. I'm a scrub. A nobody. One of thousands who work the lower levels, keeping Inside clean for the Uppers. I've got one friend, do my job and try to avoid the Pop Cops. So what if I occasionally use the pipes to sneak around the Upper levels? The only neck at risk is my own…until I accidentally start a rebellion and become the go-to girl to lead a revolution.

Maria V. Snyder is such an amazing author! I never once felt rushed or underinformed while reading INSIDE OUT. For the most part, I just felt blown away by the sheer creativity of it all.

Trella is a scrub. But she's not just any Scrub, she's Queen of the Pipes. Then again, that's not anything to be proud of. Her small size meant that she was given the job of cleaning the pipes since all Scrubs must spend a great deal of their time working. She loves the solitude so much that she began to sleep in the pipes and avoid coming out aside from when it was meal time, when she had to shower, and when she wanted to meet up with her best friend, Cogon. Other scrubs often taunted her because her desire for solitude and lack of friends made it seem like she was too good to interact with other scrubs. Thus, when the Queen of the Pipes mixes with her "lowly followers" right after their most recent Prophet that predicts the existence of Gateway goes into hiding, people start to realize that the Queen of Pipes may just lead the scrubs in a rebellion.

The world-building in this one was phenomenal. Essentially, both the scrubs and the uppers make up a cube. The uppers have better living arrangements and live on the upper levels (like three and four) while the scrubs are their brown-hair and brown-eyed workers that are easily disposed of that live on levels one and two. If you do not listen to the uppers and the Pop Cops (people who patrol the scrubs and keep them in check) then you are fed to Chomper. The scrubs live with the hope that Gateway exists, though its location is unknown. Since they're all stuck inside, Gateway is their ticket to the unknown Outside. And let me tell you, when the location and purpose of Outside is revealed at the very end of the book, your mind will be blown twice over from Snyder's creativity. She even goes as far as to set up her own system of telling time and passing years. As great as this is, it did lead to some slight confusion for me at the very beginning of the novel, but the more the characters talked about it the quicker I was able to grasp the time management system as well.

The characterization in this novel was strong, though it cannot compare to the world-building. Trella is not your typical heroine because she's not liked by many and doesn't like many people in return. She doesn't do things for the good of everyone else, but for her own curiosity. Sure, she evolves throughout the book, but she's very unlikable in the beginning. Believe it or not, that's why I liked her so much. Despite her unlikability, she is that way because she didn't have many friends, which makes her stand out among YA heroines these days. And her beautiful friendship with Cog was a bright point in her life. Cog is the type of big-brother/friend you would kill for in the sense that he would take a beating for you and do everything in his power to protect you. He is adored by all. But I really enjoyed the concept of Logan and Anna-Jade. Twins, Logan and Anna-Jade are what are referred to as Tech No's. They can assemble amazing spy gadgets out of the weirdest little things, like zippers and old toys and buttons. Their creativity and intelligence was a great part of the novel that brought unique inventions to the table and their very existence was fascinating since they were the last two remaining Tech No's in all of Inside. The uppers fear them so much that they fed all other known Tech No's to Chomper.

There's also a slight romance in this one. The romance lover in me enjoyed the fact that it existed, though it barely existed. The overall plot of the story was amazing enough to hold my attention without the romance, but the small and slow-moving forbidden romance between Trella the scrub and Riley the upper never ceased to put a smile on my face. Riley has a big heart and despite his elevated status, he just wants to do what's right and help those who are in need of it, no matter what their social status is.

All in all, I highly recommend this book to anyone, especially sci-fi and dystopian lovers. It will not disappoint! It's a quick, easy read and the ending will leave you practically pining for book two!

Read an Excerpt

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by Lili at Wednesday, February 06, 2013

 Harlequin, Maria V Snyder, Review, young adult  5 People left their mark

✎

Scent of Magic by Maria V Snyder

Scent of Magic by Maria V Snyder

Book Stats:
Reading level: Adult
Genre: fantasy
Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA
Release date: December 18, 2012

Series: Healers #2

Source: NetGalley

Reviewed by: Tynga

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Hunted, Killed—Survived?

As the last Healer in the Fifteen Realms, Avery of Kazan is in a unique position: in the minds of her friends and foes alike, she no longer exists. Despite her need to prevent the megalomanical King Tohon from winning control of the Realms, Avery is also determined to find her sister and repair their estrangement. And she must do it alone, as Kerrick, her partner and sole confident, returns to Alga to summon his country into battle.

Though she should be in hiding, Avery will do whatever she can to support Tohon’s opponents. Including infiltrating a holy army, evading magic sniffers, teaching forest skills to soldiers and figuring out how to stop Tohon’s most horrible creations yet; an army of the walking dead—human and animal alike and nearly impossible to defeat.

War is coming and Avery is alone. Unless she figures out how to do the impossible ... again.

Avry might have saved Ryne in Touch of Power, but the war is only beginning. Tohon is as strong as ever with his army of Dead and Estrid’s army is in training, hoping to defeat the tyrant. Avry will fully exploit her death, keeping her resurrection a secret from even her friends, and try to increase Estrid’s chance of winning the war by training her army while undercover. But will it be enough?

Scent of Magic was a completely different journey for Avry because she is now alone in not-so-friendly territory, left to wonder if her friends and lover are still alive, and she has to fend for herself, with no back-up. She’s used to being alone, being on the run for so long, but with the war brewing, and so many enemies after her, it’s a new challenge. I loved that she was innovative and resourceful, helping everyone as best she could while keeping her identity a secret.

The plot, was a roller-coaster of emotions and the anxiety kept getting higher and higher as the story progressed. As much as I loved every second of the story, I have to say I missed the whole gang being together, and it was hard to see each of them suffer while they were mourning their still-alive friends. Thankfully, there was a couple of happy and magical moments to keep our spirits up and I have to confess I got teary-eyed.

Tohon’s war strategies really amazed me and I have to tip my hat off to Avry’s quick mind. I really think Miss Snyder did a great job plotting the battle aspect because I honestly couldn’t predict any of the outcomes.

Where’s Kerrick you’ll ask me? He is present, though apart from Avry 90% of the book. I honestly really missed him even though he was part of the book, because he wasn’t part of the main story line. I’m sure his actions will have a huge impact on the next novel though, and I’m looking forward to it. Kerrick and Avry being apart really imparted the romance and I hope Maria will make it up to us in the next book, Taste of Death!

All-in-all, Scent of Magic is an highly addictive, tension-filled and breath-taking read. This is the kind of fantasy novel that sucks you in and that you can’t put down even if your life depended on it. To top it all, Maria included her signature scream-and-pull-your-hair-out cliff-hanger, cruelly leaving us to wait for the next instalment. Really, it’s a must read.

Read an Excerpt

Please note… Trailer is pretty awesome! Must view!

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by Tynga at Friday, December 14, 2012

 Fantasy, Harlequin, Maria V Snyder, Review  4 People left their mark

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Daring You to Read… Touch of Power by Maria V Snyder

Daring You To Read is a weekly feature here on Tynga’s Reviews where we dare you to read some of our favorite older releases (at least 6 months old). All the books/series we choose to feature are titles we adored and think you should give them a shot! We think it’s a super awesome way to discover that special book who might have slipped off your radar!

You’ve already read the book? Let’s us know what you thought!
You are accepting the dare? We’d love to know!
Have a dare of your own? Leave a comment ^^

This week I am daring you to read the first book in a series from an author I adored: Touch of Power by Maria V Snyder

Touch of Power is set in a world with medieval ways and a select few people with Magical skills, Maria laid the table for an epic adventure. I was completely engrossed by the dangerous atmosphere, with its characters trying to avoid ambushes from powerful enemies to reach a very specific goal. In fact, I was so compelled I read the whole book in one sitting, which is a rare feat for me.

The whole concept is amazing and every character is unique. You will enjoy loving or hating each one of them and if you’re like me, you’ll die for the next book to come out!

More about Touch of Power:

Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan absorbs their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Fifteen Realms, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.

Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her life...

Read my review

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

So, will you take the dare?

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by Tynga at Thursday, July 26, 2012

 Daring You to Read, Harlequin, Maria V Snyder  10 People left their mark

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Touch of Power by Maria V Snyder

Touch of Power by Maria V Snyder

Book Stats:
Paperback: 400 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Reading level: YA & Adult alike
Publisher: Mira
Release date: December 20, 2011

Series: Healer #1

Source: ARC from Net Galley

Reviewed by: Tynga

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan absorbs their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Fifteen Realms, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.

Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her life...

Avry has a very unique talent and a group of man are ready to do anything to keep her alive. See, she is the last of Healers, a group able to assume other people’s injuries and heal themselves – or die trying. There used to be many of them, but after the plague hit the Fifteen Realms, the Healers were accused of spreading it, leading to a witch hunt of uncontrollable proportions. Kerrick and his rogue band will break her out of prison and save her from the pier, protect her from mercenaries, all the while dragging her to heal a King, victim of the plague. But healing this man will cost her own life, is she willing to make the sacrifice?

Touch of Power is another amazing fantasy novel by Maria. Set in a world with medieval ways and a select few people with Magical skills, Maria laid the table for an epic adventure. I was completely engrossed by the dangerous atmosphere, with its characters trying to avoid ambushes from powerful enemies to reach a very specific goal. In fact, I was so compelled I read the whole book in one sitting, which is a rare feat for me.

Miss Snyder paid extra attention to details and it paid off. She painted a very realistic world and the magical abilities she blessed her characters with – and their precise description- made the story that much more brilliant. The plot was also quite interesting. It starts in a slow and linear manner but at some point the routine the characters established will shatter and provide a very exciting and nerve-wracking second half of the book.

Maria’s characters were endearing and to following their success and defeats proved to be quite a rollercoaster ride. Avry is a strong, pig-headed, compassionate woman with a strong motherly instinct. She always wants to do what’s right, even putting her own life in danger to do so. Kerrick is a very enigmatic character and trying to figure him out along the journey was one of the highlights for me. I also have to mention Belen, the Poppa Bear, for whom I had a very sweet spot.

The end proved to be a very emotional one for me. I wept (snuff and all) through the end, so bad that I couldn’t see the words anymore ‘cause they were too blurry. Touch of Power really met my expectations and I truly can’t wait to get my hands on the second book in the series! Fantasy fans, make sure you don’t miss that precious piece of fiction!

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by Tynga at Friday, December 23, 2011

 Harlequin, Magic, Maria V Snyder, Review  3 People left their mark

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A Christmas With… Maria V Snyder

I’m a huge huge fan of Maria’s work and I was really pleased that she accepted to stop by the blog to celebrate the release of Touch of Power, the first book in her latest series!

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1- I'm a huge fan of your Study and Glass series, and with the debut of your new series, Touch of Power, I can't help but wonder how different this new magical world will be?

A) One difference is the world is recovering from a deadly plague, which killed over two-thirds of the population.  The survivors are trying to pull together, but without police and government and with the criminal element running wild, it’s a struggle.  Also the world had Fifteen Realms, but after the plague, two leaders who had survived, Tohon of Sogra Realm and Estrid of Ozero Realm wish to conquer the others and form just one Realm.  The magic system is different as well as magic is a gift from certain elements like fire, water, earth, the sun, etc…

2- Avry, your main character has the power to heal yet it comes with a price, how did you decide what would be the cost of such power?

A) I dabbled with that type of healing power in my first book, Poison Study.  Yelena also has the power to heal by assuming the person’s injury or illness and then healing herself.  This was just a part of her magic, so I wanted to explore this in more depth. The ability to heal with magic is very appealing to me.  As a mother, I hate to see my children sick or injured and always wish I could make it all go away.  I also have to give credit to an old Star Trek episode titled The Empath about a race of healers/empaths who would can take on the injury or illness of another.  The empath eventually takes on Dr. McCoy’s injuries and then dies.  I watched all the Star Trek episodes, but this one just stayed with me.

3- I'm a romantic at heart, is there a love story developing in this first encounter?

A) You know me, it wouldn’t be any fun without a little romance J

4- How many books are planned in the Healer series? Scent of Magic will release in January 2013, do you have tentative titles of the following books?

A) There will be three books for now.  The third is called, Taste of Death, due out January 2014.

5- As mentioned before, I love the study series, and I'm wondering if you are thinking of revisiting those characters? I'd love a story from one of the man's perspective!

A) I do plan to write another Study book with Valek and Yelena.  However, it will probably be more from Valek’s point of view than Yelena’s and it will include some flashbacks about Valek’s early years.  Don’t get too excited.  There are no definite plans as to when this will be published – I haven’t discussed this with my editor yet. J  I’d also like to follow Reema and Teegan from Spy Glass.

Now onto some Christmas-y questions!

6- What's a typical Christmas like in the Snyder family?

A)  I decorate the house in early December and we get a live x-mas tree around mid-December.  We have my husband’s family over at our house on x-mas eve, and my parents come up for x-mas dinner.  I always cook a tenderloin, mashed potatoes, and corn.  We open presents in the morning.  I always make sure the kids have at least five boxes to open.  It’s pretty standard type stuff.

7- What's your favorite Christmas song?

A) The Little Drummer Boy by Bing Crosby

8 - What's your best Christmas memory?

A) My son’s first x-mas.  My husband and I had been trying to decide where to go – his parent’s or my parent’s house and I was stressed about doing all the things we used to do when I was a kid.  When my husband said, “We’re a family now, we’ll make our own traditions, ”  it just took all the stress away and made the holiday fun again.

9- What's the best Christmas gift we could offer Avry?

A) 9 lives!  LOL

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If it got you curious, here’s a bit more about Touch of Power

Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan absorbs their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Fifteen Realms, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.

Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her life….

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Maria is offering 2 copies of Touch of Power (1 INT – 1 US & Canada only)

Open Internationally

Giveaway Ends January 4th, 2012.

All you have to do is fill the Rafflecopter form below.

The only mandatory entry is to provide your name and email addy =)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Maria lives with her family and a black cat name Valek (a.k.a. the bug assassin!) in Pennsylvania where she is at work on another book and/or a short story (yes this is purposely vague - as you can see, Maria is very busy and updating her website takes time that she just doesn't have. Oh, all right, but if this information is out of date, don't blame Maria :). Actually, Maria is hard at work...well not at this very second...on a new fantasy series featuring a healer in a world recovering from a horrible plague.TOUCH OF POWER the first book is expected to be published in January 2012, and she's working on the second book, SCENT OF MAGIC, well...that's what she told her editor ;>

You can visit Maria here.

 

More of Maria V Snyder‘s books:

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by Tynga at Friday, December 23, 2011

 A Christmas With, giveaway, Harlequin, Maria V Snyder  97 People left their mark

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Poison Study by Maria V Snyder

Poison Study by Maria V Snyder

Book Stats:
Genre: Fantasy / YA
Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Mira
Release date: December 1, 2008

Series: Study #1

Source: Personal Shelf

Reviewed by: Tynga

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace—and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.

And so Yelena chooses to become a good taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dust—and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison.

As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can't control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren't so clear…

Yelena never had it easy. She grew up in an orphanage and ended-up locked in the Commander’s dungeon after she killed the son of the man who took her in at age 6. Under the Commander’s rule, murder (premeditated or accidental) is punishable by death. On the day she was to meet with the noose, she was offered another option. She could taste the Commander’s food and risk death by poisoning any day, or meet her fate right away. Hoping for escape, she chose to become the food taster, but after escaping multiple murder attempts, she realizes poisoning might be the least of her worries.

I’ve had the Study series books on my bookshelves since 2009 and I can’t believe it took me so long the read them. I’ve read the entire series and the spin-off series (the Glass series) in about two weeks and they were all so good I couldn’t pause to write my reviews.

Right after reading the first page of Poison Study I was hooked and knew I was in for an epic ride. Set in a medieval setting with a government led by military, Poison Study is engrossing, heart-thumbing and dangerous. All the elements for an exceptional book,  including a love interest (!), were present and I couldn’t find an aspect I didn’t like. While reading, I was reminded of the atmosphere present in Graceling by Kristin Cashore (another book I’m nuts for) and I was in Heaven!

The plot is intricate and surprising. All the event are flowing even though they don’t seem related at first. Maria kept just the good amount of intrigue knitted with an expert dose of answers, to keep you on your toes and have you craving for more.

The characters are also a big part of the appeal. Yelena is stunning. She grows from unsteady girl to a strong woman in front of our eyes and it’s a delight to witness. It wouldn’t  have been possible without the help of a couple of friends though. Valek works as an assassin for the Commander and he is Yelena’s immediate superior. He’s a sneaky bastard made of awesome and I love him to pieces! Ari and Janco, two soldiers in the Commander’s army will also befriend with Yelena and they bicker all the time like an old married couple. They always put a spark of hope and humor in certain-death situation, making the tension bearable.

The conclusion was surprising and exciting, and as you can guess, I was extremely glad to have the second book awaiting for me, which I picked up right away! And I can tell you, after reading the trilogy, that even though all the books were great, Poison Study was my favorite. Mostly because the action is in Ixia vs Sitia.

My Verdict:

Poison Study is a work of genius by Maria V Snyder. Everything from the plot, the pace, the characters, is perfectly set-up for this novel to be unforgettable. If you love fantasy books, this is one of the best you’ll be able to find!

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by Tynga at Friday, October 14, 2011

 Harlequin, Magic, Maria V Snyder, Review, young adult  15 People left their mark

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