Book Review | DAWN STUDY by Maria V. Snyder

January 31, 2017

MIRA

DAWN STUDY is the much-awaited conclusion of the Study Series by Maria V. Snyder. Although I am very sad to say goodbye to this series and its characters, I can’t help feeling contented on how everything came together in the end.

Sitia and Ixia are still on the verge of war. In spite of Yelena’s magicless status, she and her enigmatic husband, with their motley crew, must find a way to defeat the rogue magicians, overturn the Cartel, and free the Commander from the influence of Owen Moon. On top of that, they are desperate to keep their family together by avoiding assassins and bring their child safely into the world.

I just love reading how our power couple, Valek and Yelena, grew equally dependent on each other’s guidance, yet remains to be independent powerful individuals. The turn of tides -Yelena being magicless, while Valek just gained his- brought forth more of themselves and marveled at those revelations. They both remain strong and trusting despite the odds and challenges in every turn. I like how Ms. Snyder inserted certain qualities that working couples should learn and keep. That’s one of the interesting elements in this series, there’s always a lesson here.

I will also (of course) miss the rest of the gang. This series introduced a number of characters, every one of them are truly unique and fun. They dragged us through different adventures with their quips and cranks that drove us crazy but kept us asking for more. I definitely will not forget about them. 

Thank you, Ms. Snyder, for this wonderful series.

And needless to say, I  do recommend this series. Don’t miss out on the fun!

Book details:

Title:  Dawn Study
Series:  Study Series #6
Author:  Maria V. Snyder
Publication:  January 31, 2017; by MIRA
Genre:  Fiction, Fantasy
Rating: ★★★★

*Study Series
#1 Poison Study
#2 Magic Study
#3 Fire Study
#4 Shadow Study
#5 Night Study
#6 Dawn Study

*Thank you, Mira, for the galley.

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Book Review | NIGHT STUDY by Maria V. Snyder

January 26, 2016, MIRA 

New York Times bestselling author Maria V. Snyder transports readers back to the realms of Sitia and Ixia in an exciting new Study novel full of magic, danger, and intrigue. ~ Amazon.com

Similar to Shadow Study, I dropped everything I’m reading to start on NIGHT STUDY straight away. To my regret, it ended much too soon. I was so enraptured with the events that I literally hate to stop. Night Study picked up pretty much where Shadow Study left off, followed by a series of twists and turns. Everything just keeps on pushing forward. There is no such thing as “downtime” in this installment.

Yelena is still struggling without her magic, but it’s not stopping her from hunting Owen and his band of miscreants. And this time, Valek is mostly there to tackle the challenges with her, while facing his own issues.

I am really wound up how this series is turning out.  The thrilling adventures accompanied by a set of very remarkable characters with their perpetual squabbling and wit makes for an incredible read. I love everything Ms. Snyder did in this installment. I can’t wait and read how she’ll fuse everything together in Dawn Study.

I highly recommend that you read this too!

Book details:

Title:  Night Study
Series:  Study series #5

Author:  Maria V. Snyder

Publication:  January 26, 2016, MIRA 

Genre:  Fantasy, Fiction

Rating: ★★★★★


*Thanks to Netgalley and Mira Ink for the e-galley in exchange for this review.

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Book Review | SHADOW STUDY by Maria V. Snyder

  

Mira, February 24, 2015

Once, only her own life hung in the balance.

Oddly enough, when Yelena was a poison taster, her life was simpler. But she'd survived to become a vital part of the balance of power between rival countries Ixia and Sitia. Now she uses her magic to keep the peace in both lands and protect her relationship with Valek. 

Suddenly, though, they are beset on all sides by those vying for power through politics and intrigue. Valek's job - and his life - are in danger. As Yelena tries to uncover the scope of these plots, she faces a new challenge: her magic is blocked. She must keep that a secret - or her enemies will discover just how vulnerable she really is - while searching for who or what is responsible for neutralizing her powers. 

Yes, the days of tasting poisons were much simpler. And certainly not as dangerous.

A week ago, I browsed through Netgalley and found this available for early viewing. I dropped everything I was reading and immediately started on this. I was that excited. I read the three previous books from the Study series, including the three novellas.  To find out that Maria V. Snyder wrote three more books to add to Yelena’s stories is beyond happy for me.

This installment is alternately from Yelena, Valek, and Janco’s point of view. A lot has happened since the third book, but Ms. Snyder still managed to draw her readers back into the magical world of Ixia and Sitia that she created since Poison Study through a seamless plot. In spite of the long gap, she’s still able to keep the fast-moving narrative, romance, and action. It is wonderful reading previous characters are back, along with some very interesting new ones.

Huge twists are being maneuvered for these next three books. I am sure that readers will be kept guessing for what will happen next. The cliffhanger at the end of this installment is a great indication of that.

I highly recommend SHADOW STUDY. If you haven’t started on this series yet, you still have ample days to pick up the last three books before this comes out on February 24.

Book details:

Title:  Shadow Study
Series:  Study Series #4

Author:  Maria V. Snyder

Publication:  Mira, February 24, 2015

Genre:  Fiction, Fantasy

Rating:  ★★★★★

* The same review appears on Goodreads, Shelfari, and Tumblr.

Thank you, Mira and Netgalley for lending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

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