Magic Study (Soulfinders)

by Maria Synder

From New York Times Bestselling Author Maria V. Snyder

Beyond Ixia, the roots of magic run deep...

After the discovery of her magical abilities leads to an execution order, Yelena has no choice but to flee to Sitia, her long-lost birthplace. There, she has the chance to meet the family she never knew. But Sitia is unfamiliar, and she's treated with suspicion and even hatred by the people she thought she could trust--including her own brother.

Then Yelena is given the chance to travel to Sitia's capital. In the Citadel, she'll have the chance to hone her magical abilities under the tutelage of master magicians. As she learns the laws of magic--Yelena also discovers those who will do anything to break them. And when a rogue magician who targets young female victims emerges, Yelena must put her life at risk to stop him.

Will her newfound magic save Yelena--or will it be her downfall?

The Chronicles of Ixia Series by Maria V Snyder

Book One: Poison Study

Book Two: Magic Study

Book Three: Fire Study

Book Four: Storm Glass

Book Five: Sea Glass

Book Six: Spy Glass

Book Seven: Shadow Study

Book Eight: Night Study

Book Nine: Dawn Study

• ISBN10: 0778327124
• ISBN13: 9780778327127
• Publish Date: 25 November 2008 (first published 1 September 2007)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: CA
• Imprint: Mira Books
• Edition: Reissue ed.
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 448
• Language: English

Reviews

[nightingalereads]

Still good, but I didn't absolutely love this book like I did Poison Study. I get that she was expanding our knowledge of the world, but I missed the setting in Ixia and didn't enjoy this storyline as much. I spent most of this book pining for the first one.

[Leigha]

The second installment to the Soulfinders series finds Yelena learning more about her family, her culture, and her magic as she travels to her homeland of Sitian.

I finished this book by the skin of my teeth. I hate to admit that the series is losing my interest. While Snyder has created a really wonderful mystery in an intriguing setting, it's hard to be enraptured when you don't care about the main character. Yelena is a strong and capable heroine, but I'm having trouble connecting to her. Her spontaneity drives me insane. I feel like half of the events of this book could have been avoided if she just took some time to consider all her options. Honestly, I'm having trouble connecting to any of the characters in this series. The romance was once again lacking in this installment, but the very little intertwined with the narrative was really well-written. I'm unsure if I will continue with the rest of the series.

tl;dr Perhaps a great read for people interested in fantasy books with mystery.