Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Review of Shadow Study by Maria V. Snyder

Read for: the love of this series and characters (and an upcoming requested review)
 
Synopsis: "Once, only her own life hung in the balance…

When Yelena was a poison taster, her life was simpler. She 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, dissent is rising. And Valek’s job—and his life—are in danger.
As Yelena tries to uncover her enemies, she faces a new challenge: her magic is blocked.And now she must find a way to keep not only herself but all that she holds dear alive."


My Review: I am so happy to be back with Yelena & Valek! While I did enjoy the branch off series, this is where I am happiest. It took me a while to get back into the setting, remember past plot points and straighten characters out but it wasn't as bad as I was expecting. I really enjoyed the look deeper into Valek's past than we have ever gotten before, though it was a little odd how his memories distracted him so much, that was a little out of character for him. Speaking of characters, we got to revisit so many favorites and they all still shone with their individuality. We also meet a couple of new characters that are very interesting and I look forward to reading more about them. The political intrigue gets very interesting and while I was wondering how long it would take to come to some of these ideas, I am still super happy to see the progression. Oh and the ending! I can't wait to start Night Study!
  
 
My Rating: I can't say how happy I am to get back to Yelena & Valek, they are some of my favorite fantasy characters from the past several years. This was a great continuation of the series and it really didn't miss a beat. I give it a rating of Four Paws!

2 comments:

  1. I have not read one of Snyders books! Not one! Seriously need to get going on that!

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    1. How is that possible?! I love her books so much better than the Throne of Glass books. I hope you take the time to check out the Study series, it is so worth it.

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