Thursday 24 November 2011

Poison Study Review

Poison Study
Maria V. Snyder
October 1st 2005
Mira Books


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...



So. Guys. I finally read Poison Study. And, if you have been on Twitter in the past 3 days, you will know how much I freaking LOVED this book. Seriously, I did not thing I would like this as much as I did, despite everyone telling me that it was amazing. I know, stupid right?! I think I pretty much loved everything about this book. And I'm converted to Maria V. Snyder. I neeeeeeeeed Magic Study and Fire Study, regardless of whether they're as good as Poison Study or not. And then I need the Glass series, and then I need to read Touch of Power... And I think you get the jist. 


Yelena is one of my favourite characters of the year. She's had a lot of crap done to her, and it's clearly affected her pretty badly, but it doesn't really get her down. If anything, it encourages her to stop it from happening to other people. She was so strong! And while she was a little bit hopeless at the beginning, being that she was about to be executed and all, she developed a lot over the book into and strong independent woman.


And Valek. Oh, my goodness, do I love Valek! I probably shouldn't, considering he's 18 years older than me and fictional, but hey ;) I love how he was kind of built up to be the broody, serious type of guy, but that he had way more depth than that, and I loved his relationship with Yelena, and how they were both equals. He didn't condescend her at all, and the progression of it was so natural and just perfect. 


The writing style wasn't complex, but it wasn't simple either, it just sort of flowed along with the story, and the descriptions were awesome. For some reason, whenever I go into a fantasy novel, I just kind of expect reams and reams of descriptions about trees and hills, but there was none of that here. I loved the world that Maria created, and how it was fantasy, but not SUPER fantasy, 'cause I don't really get along with that all that well... *stares at Eragon*


The plot wasn't difficult to follow, and while it never really took me by complete surprise (except for that one bit about the Commander. Was NOT expecting that!) I still really, really enjoyed it. And the side characters were wonderful too! I only really didn't like the characters that I wasn't meant to like, which is a good thing, right? Ari and Janco were amazing, and I hope that neither of them die in the next 2 books... That'd KILL ME. They're just so lovely! Mogkan and Bravell were skeevy and creepy and just plain nasty, and their underhanded tactics at trying to take control were sly and malevolent, and they were the perfect villains. I hated them. *shudders*


Poison Study is an amazing book that I can't believe has taken me until now to read! I now desperately need to seek out every Maria V Snyder book ever. 


Also, Happy Thanksgiving to all my US followers! *gives you all turkey* 

3 comments:

  1. Great review! I really want to read this one and it's been o my wishlist forever so I really should get it! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is such a fab series! I'm glad you liked it, and yes, you must go out and get magic and Fire study straight away! I promise you they are just as awesome :)

    ReplyDelete

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