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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Reviewed by: 

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

The Wonder of All Things by Jason Mott

This is a paranormal story that straddles many worlds.  The worlds of magic, supernatural or religion could be what's behind the strange happenings around this little town.  As events unfold,  people around the world seem to have their own explanation for what has happened.   At the center of it all, a young girl barely into her teens, has the eyes and hopes of the world on her.

As a story, overall, it's not too bad.  It's evenly paced in that it gives the reader a bit of breathing room between the larger scenes.   It makes use of some very familiar tropes in the relationships between fathers and daughters or sons and also with long time friendships.  These are well written enough to where one may not notice them right away.  The overall arc of the story is a bit more unique and brings up some real interesting questions.  Not the least of which is: what is our obligation to those around us and how much should each of us be required to sacrifice for others.  Just because somebody can do a thing to help others, does that mean they must do that thing.  If nothing else, this book could certainly start a lively discussion on such matters.

The characters are well developed.  The people in this book were complete enough that I was able to feel great empathy not only for Ava but for her friend Wash as well their families.  There's a case to be made that Ava and Wash are a little too good to be true.  They are young and live in a small town so, a little naiveté is to be expected.

The Wonder of All Things is more than just a story about a girl with hidden abilities.  It is also a story about love, family, redemption and sacrifice.  It is a very entertaining read and a nice addition to libraries of those who like paranormal stories mixed with a some philosophical underpinnings.  There are some brief PG13 moments but, for the most part it's a good Young Adult book.

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Posted by Tynga at 02:00

 Jason Mott, Mira, Paranormal, Purchased, Review, young adult  3 People 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

Daughter of the Spellcaster by Maggie Shayne

Lena ran away after Ryan, her Prince, broke her heart. He has nothing of a prince in this life, but once upon a time, in another time and place, he was her Prince. Now she's pregnant, and when he learns 8 months later that he is the father he wants to help her raise their child, but can she really trust him?

Daughter of the Spellcaster, book two in The Portal series, was a fine read, but it wasn't extraordinary. The main flaw is its predictability. Honestly, there was no suspense whatsoever, I just knew everything that would happen right from the start, so it was kind of a let down. It wasn't a bad story, but the 'hints' were so obvious, Shayne left nothing to the imagination.

Lena and Ryan were two lovable characters and I enjoyed watching their relationship grow. It was nice to witness their coming together once more and the doubts and insecurity they felt made their story that much more believable. I particularly liked how Ryan took to fatherhood so easily, investing himself in the room decoration and what not. It was just really sweet.

I often found myself wishing this novel was more in continuity with the first book, Mark of the Witch. Indira made an appearance, but it would've been nice for her to play a bigger role in the story, and I hope both 'sisters' will be more present in the third novel, Blood of the Sorceress.

Despite its misgiving, I enjoyed this novel and plan to read the next installment. It's a simple, no-brainer, romance and it feels good in read one such book from time to time :)

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Posted by Tynga at 01:50

 Adult, Harlequin, Maggie Shayne, Magic, Mira, Netgalley, Paranormal Romance, Review, The Oracle, Witch  Leave your 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: The Choice by Jason Mott

I've always been interested in "What-If" scenarios, and so The Returned really appealed to me as a reader. The Returned is all about getting a second chance at life and making your own choices. The Choice is one of three e-novellas that serve as a companion to The Returned and it definitely delivers. This novella really gives readers a feel for the poignancy and raw emotion that Jason Mott writes with in The Returned.

I definitely enjoyed reading this story, but my problem was that it was way too short for me to form emotional attachments to the characters. How can I care about a character if I spend less than 30 pages with them? It's an extremely daunting task to enable readers to empathize with your characters in such a short span of time and Mott never really takes his characters to the next level. The characters in The Returned aren't one dimensional perse, but they still could have used some more development. I really wanted to care about Peter and Tracey, but I felt like the reader never spent enough time with them to give a hoot about their relationship. I really feel that if there were an additional 10-15 pages in The Choice, I would have enjoyed it so much more.

The Choice is a great way to help you decide: "Is The Returned a book that I would enjoy?" Instead of immediately jumping into The Returned, I would highly suggest reading The Choice because it's a short, sweet and captivating story. Also there's a short excerpt of The Returned at the end of The Choice which is definitely a nice treat. The Choice is a great tease to build buzz for The Returned, but it didn't really impress me. I really hope that The Sparrow and The First, the next two Returned novellas catch my interest more!

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Posted by Tynga at 00:00

 Free, Harlequin, Jason Mott, Mira, Novella November, Review, The Choice  Leave your mark