Tiny Reviews: Study Series (Short Stories) by Maria V. Snyder

ASSASSIN STUDY (Study Series # 1.5) is a short story about the trouble Valek is involved in while Yelena is in Sitia.

Yelena, the heroine of Maria V. Snyder's stunning debut novel Poison Study, is on her way to her ancestral homeland of Sitia to be reunited with her family and to learn more about her magical powers. An order of execution hangs over her head should she ever return to Ixia. But her true love, Valek, quickly learns that an assassin has taken it upon himself to make sure Yelena doesn't reach her destination.

As Ixia's chief of security, and a highly skilled assassin himself, can Valek track down the killer in time to save Yelena's life?

Assassin Study takes place right after Poison Study while Yelena is in the road to reach her home to Sitia. To save her life Valek takes off to Sitia to stop an assassin from succeeding.

This story was about Valek. We get to see the spy in him more profoundly than we did in poison study as it's written from third person prospective. Short but feels in some void about Valek. Even though it felt like he became a secondary character in the next two books.

POWER STUDY (Study Series #3.5) is about Ari and Janco as they deal with a Sandseed Magician and a cocky young soldier.


Ari and Janco deal with a Sandseed Story Weaver and a cocky young soldier while Valek is off helping Yelena.

Power Study is all about Ari and Janco. And trust me when I say this, THERE CAN NEVER BE ENOUGH OF THOSE TWO! Okay I am calm. It's that just I loved the duo on the first book and not catching enough of them in the sequels was really sad but fortunately there is a short story where Ari and Janco deals with an hot headed soldier. Short, but sweet nicely done.

ICE STUDY (Study Series #4.0) is a short story about Yelena and Valek as they race to keep the powerful ICE MOON from a rogue magician.

Ice Study is basically based after Valek and Yelena. This is a short story but gives a little closer to what has happened to this two after they have conquered the evil, mostly anyway. Valek and Yelena finally are able to establish a relationship without too much sneaking around. Yes there are still some sneaking around but in these sort story it's mostly from the bad guys. Nicely done.

Overall I loved all three. If you are a Valek fan most definitely read Assassin Study, if you liked Ari and Janco you gotta read Power Study and I would personally suggest Ice Study only to those readers who have read both Magic Study and Fire Study. After finishing Magic Study and Fire Study, trust me you will need it.

They are available for readers at Maria V. Snyder's website.

 

Study #1 Poison Study

Study #1.5 Assassin Study 

Study #2 Magic Study

Study #3 Fire Study

Study #3.5 Power Study

Study #4 Ice Study

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

Review: Fire Study by Maria V. Snyder

Fire Study by Maria V. Snyder

Series: Study #1

Poison Study

Study #2

Magic Study

Study #3

Fire Study

Genre: Adventure, Romance, Mystery

Released: March 1, 2008

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Synopsis from goodreads

The apprenticeship is over, now the real test has begun.

When word that Yelena is a Soulfinder—able to capture and release souls—spreads like wildfire, people grow uneasy. Already Yelena's unusual abilities and past have set her apart. As the Council debates Yelena's fate, she receives a disturbing message: a plot is rising against her homeland, led by a murderous sorcerer she has defeated before....

Honor sets Yelena on a path that will test the limits of her skills, and the hope of reuniting with her beloved spurs her onward. Her journey is fraught with allies, enemies, lovers and would-be assassins, each of questionable loyalty. Yelena will have but one chance to prove herself—and save the land she holds dear.

My Thoughts

I don't regret reading this book. But I still wish I hadn't though. This book follows some times after Magic Study. Revealing more about the magical ability of Yelena and her quest to find more about her powers of a Soulfinder. 

This book didn't introduce as many characters as it did in Magic Study but still I missed my two favorite soldiers Janco and Ari, there can never be too much of these awesome duo. Yelena travels back to north so we get to see a lot of old characters return from Poison Study. Yelena is wanted by the council of Sitia and her magic is not safe to even safe herself. Valek plays an important part in Yelena's quest but still I missed the Valek I had seen in Poison Study. 

Overall better than Magic Study, doesn't live up to the expectation of Poison Study though.

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 

 

Review: Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder

Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder

Series: Study #1

Poison Study

Study #2

Magic Study

Study #3

Fire Study

Genre: Adventure, Mystery

Released: December 1, 2008

Buy Links

Amazon

Barnes & Nobel

Audible

Book Synopsis from goodreads

You know your life is bad when you miss your days as a poison taster...

With her greatest enemy dead, and on her way to be reunited with the family she'd been stolen from long ago, Yelena should be pleased. But though she has gained her freedom, she can't help feeling isolated in Sitia. Her Ixian background has changed her in many ways—and her newfound friends and relatives don't think it's for the better...

Despite the turmoil, she's eager to start her magic training—especially as she's been given one year to harness her power or be put to death. But her plans take a radical turn when she becomes involved with a plot to reclaim Ixia's throne for a lost prince—and gets entangled in powerful rivalries with her fellow magicians.

If that wasn't bad enough, it appears her brother would love to see her dead. Luckily, Yelena has some old friends to help her with all her new enemies...

My Thoughts *MIGHT HAVE SPOILERS*

After reading something as good as Poison Study my expectation for this series was YAY high, but unfortunately my expectation for the sequel was actually too high. Magic Study mainly focused on Yelena's magical ability and training her while figuring out who is out to kill the young magicians in Sitia.

Magic Study introduced allot of new character and I felt like they kept appearing to fill the void of the other character from Poison Study. Yelena seem to find her entire family and they all live in the trees and jump from one branch to the other like Tarzan. Yelena's brother has some deep problems  with her returning. He even seem to believe his sister is the spy from Ixia. Yelena's parents were very interesting, specially her mother. I was reminded of Disney's Tarzan far too many times while reading about Yelena's family.

If you have read Poison Study you already know Valek, the master spy, lethal killer, chief of security for commandeer Ambrose, he can assassin with his pinkie and also happens to be in love with Yelena. I missed this amazing character in this book. The only time he appears is when he is sneaking in Yelena's guarded room to have sex! I mean yeah sure they are together it fine and dandy but where the heck did that lethal killer go? Valek was purely a mental support for Yelena without being there physically in this book. I missed their sparing very much.

Overall I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone. I say if you read Poison Study stick to that no need to read this one and have the image ruined. I am going to continue this series anyway, I am still interested to know how this will play out in the end and I have no expectation from the third book so I know I won't be disappointed even if it is total failure.

I give this

half because some parts actually made me laugh. 

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 

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

Amazon

Barnes & Nobel

Audible

 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