Dawn Study by Maria V. Snyder

Dawn Study by Maria V. Snyder

Book Stats:  

Reading level: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
eBook: 478 pages
Publisher: MIRA
Release date: January 31st, 2017

Series:  Soulfinder #3 & Study #6

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Order: Amazon | Book Depository

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. 

I have been a big fan of this series since it's debut with Poison Study, and have read all 9 books since. I am deeply in love with each character and I'm super sad this is the last installment. I must confess, and I'm really hoping there will be another spin off series, maybe taking place in a few years when the younger characters are growing up? Owning their powers? Valek's siblings, or Reema and Teegan? Ok ok, I am babbling! Let me get this review started!

In this episode, Yelena is pregnant and still magic-less and she is working really hard with her merry gang to put down Owen, his control over the commander, the Cartel and all of theirs enemies before they manage to rob every magician in Sitia of their powers, or worst. All our favorite characters are involved and they are in great danger, facing so many unknown factors and poisons they don't know how to counter. They have to play smart and we can only hope they all survive this dire situation. The whole endeavor is action packed from cover to cover and will leave you breathless! 

Snyder knitted her plot seamlessly and every twist and turn kept me in high alert. When you think there's no way out of a situation, our favorite characters bounce back and when you think things are finally starting to get together, something else comes up and messes everything. It's highly frustrating, but oh so addictive. I was glued to kindle and devoured every page.

I was satisfied with the ending and with how Snyder tied every thread for this final novel. I must say I wish the epilogue was longer. I am not ready to let go *cries* which is why I am praying for a spin-off series. I love these characters so much and I hope we get to see Yelena and Valek a couple of years from now. Hopefully living their happily ever after.

If you haven't read this series yet, I urge you to do so! The first installment is Poison Study and you can find the perfect reading order on Maria's website.

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Posted by Tynga at 02:57

 Fantasy, Magic, Maria V. Snyder, Mira, Netgalley, Review, Study, young adult  1 Person left their mark

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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Posted by Tynga at 00:07

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

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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Posted by Tynga at 00:15

 Harlequin, Healer, High Fantasy, Magic, Maria V Snyder, Maria V. Snyder, Mira, Netgalley, Review  4 People left their mark

Novella November: 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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Posted by Tynga at 01:05

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