Jan 12, 2012

Review: Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
Series: Study #1
Poison Study
Study #2
Magic Study
Poison #3
Fire Study
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Adventure
Released: October 1st, 2005
Buy Links

 Book Synopsis From Goodreads
Choose: A quick death…Or slow poison…

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 food 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…

My Thoughts *HAS SPOILERS*
After a lot of probing and poking I finally caved and picked up the book. My first thought. I LOVED IT.
Study series isn't your average romance novel and I had hard time deciding if it's young adult or adult genre. Then I decided it's better not putting it under either of those label. It's a good adventure and a bit romance novel and that works for me. 

I love Yelena's character and how she fights to survives when there is no hope. She hadn't grown up in a loving environment and after hitting puberty it wasn't a good experience for her being one of General Brazel's lab rat. After being  brought out from Commander's dungeons for killing Brazel's son she is offered either death or be the the official food taster for the Commander of Ixia. Yelena's will to live makes her accept the offer. Yelena is in no way out of danger as she enters the life of the being food taster for Commander.

Valek, is .. I don't know how to describe it. But I didn't expect him to be a love interest for Yelena that's for sure. Mainly because of the age difference but who cares. Valek is AWESOME! He used to be an assassin and now the chief of guard for Commander Ambrose. He is ruthless killer, skillful tracker, takes out four men with his fighting skills. There has been no men or women that defeated him in a fight to become him second-in-command. So when someone so powerful like Valek confesses his love for Yelena. I am floored, weeping with joy fist-pumping in air while screaming' I KNEW IT I KNEW IT'.

Somethings that confuses me in this book is that you can't guess which century it's based on. So I stick to a very alternate universe and time where some technology is available while they still live in the Renascence. 

Recommended to all who loves reading adventure books.

I give this




Maria V. Snyder author of Study Series, Glass Series, Insider series, Healer series. Find out more about  Maria V. Snyder from her website / blog / goodreads 




2 comments:

  1. Great review! I enjoyed this one too. I've got the sequel, but some iffy reviews had me pushing it further back on the pile.

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  2. I've had this book sitting on my shelf forever. I really want to read it soon. Just need to get through those review books first.

    I love the new grab button and blog design by the way :)

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