alindstadtcorbeax
Written on Jan 13, 2020
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.
A CHRONICLES OF IXIA NOVEL
'A compelling new fantasy series’ – Rhianna Pratchett, SFX on Poison Study
- ISBN13 9781848453630
- Publish Date 12 March 2015 (first published 1 January 2015)
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country GB
- Publisher HarperCollins Publishers
- Imprint Mira Ink
- Format Paperback
- Pages 416
- Language English
- URL http://harpercollins.co.uk
Reviews
Chelsea
Written on Aug 19, 2016
I think just about everything will fit under this section. I really missed Yelena and Valek and I’m really glad that I got to go on another adventure with them. You know how sometimes when a series gets longer or when an author adds another series it can get long and tedious? That doesn’t happen here. Especially if you read the three series in the correct order. You don’t have to read them in order but I think it really helps. I could read about Yelena and Valek all the time because they’re just such great characters and there’s so much we still don’t know about them!
I’m going to take a brief pause in my review to explain this series order to you. Basically there’s three series (so far) that are all based in the same fantasy world. The first series (Study Trilogy) is where we first meet Yelena and Valek (plus others). That series is three books long. After that there’s the Glass Trilogy where we follow Opal. That nice part about this series is that even though we’re following a different character, we still see Yelena around sometimes and stuff that happened in the first series has affected things in this series. This book is a part of the Soulfinders Trilogy which is the last one as of right now. We’re following Yelena and Valek again but we also see Opal from the second series! All of these series can be read by themselves or in a different order but I HIGHLY recommend you read them in the order I just mentioned. It’ll be SO much better.
I also love how this plot is so different from the other books! We’ve met other characters along the way in the previous series but now they actually get to be a part of this one! It’s nice because everyone trusts each other so they can all work together effectively and this group of people always gets into trouble. There’s more people our beloved characters can rely on but there’s just as many as they can’t trust. What I really love about this series is how some things that happened in the previous series have carried over. The characters haven’t forgotten what has happened and it’s mentioned sometimes. I hate it when previous books are basically forgotten and never mentioned again.
I was especially excited because we saw a lot of Valek’s back story and he’s one of my favourite characters. If you’ve read the previous series then you have that to look forward to!!
It’s hard for me to review this book because I don’t even want to give you the smallest detail. It’s so much better going into it blind! I can tell you that I loved it from page one and couldn’t put it down the entire time.
What I Didn't Love
The only thing I could possibly put under this section is the fact that the whole series didn’t come out all at once so I could binge it all. It’s that addicting.
Who I'd Recommend To
I’d honestly recommend this to anyone because I love it so much. Keep in mind that the previous two series were young adult but this one is more of a new adult series since our characters have aged along with us! I think fantasy lovers will especially love this one because it combines all the best parts of a fantasy book.
See the full review at Books for Thought
nitzan_schwarz
Written on Feb 23, 2015
WARNING: GUSHING
Oh, wow. Where do I even start?!
I was a latecomer to the Maria V. Synder bandwagon. She was one of those author constantly on my tbr but I never seemed to get there. And when I finally did last year, ALL the books were already out. Or so I thought. The groundbreaking announcement over the new series and the return to the Ixia/Sitia world came soon after I finished Fire Study and brought my inner fangirl much delight.
I needed more Valek and Yelena.
My inner fangirl reared her #sorrynotsorry head when I got approved for an e-arc via Netgalley. She was shouting THANK YOU SO MUCH MIRA INK for all the world to hear. The neighbors were complaining? who cares!? more Valek and Yelena to go around!
Okay. The actual book. Right.
At first, I was a bit confused. The only first person pov is Yelena's, while Valek and Janco's are told in third person. It took me a couple of chapters to adjust to it, but once I did I was able to swiftly devour the book *insert evil laughter here*
I didn't even pause when references to events that happened in the short stories I haven't read popped up. While I had no idea who these characters were, Snyder did a great job filling in the gaps so I had no trouble grasping the gist of things. But if short stories are your thing, you might want to give them a shot before jumping into this one.
Now, I know you probably didn't hear a word I said after Valek's pov. But yes; the swoony master assassin (never thought I'd say that) and Yelena's heartmate lets us peek into his head in this installment. Which was just... incredible.We got to experience how much Yelena truly means to him and OH THE FEELS. We knew he loved her, of course, but my view of him was slightly affected by her belief that she would always be second to the Commander in his eyes. She is so wrong *melts into a pile of goo*
And did I mention we get to explore his past? Because we do. And if you say you're not intrigued by the events that turned him into the King-Killer then you're lying. In Shadow Study we get all the juicy details; young Valek. Valek in training. Valek and the Commander meeting. And of course, the event that gave him his nickname.
Wait--What? Already gone to get the book? I didn't even get to the part about the emphasis on Valek's relationship with the Commander, a theme bound to continue to the second book at the very least. And let's just say I'm very curious at how it will proceed!
And of course... JANCO. If you don't love Janco, then... then... inconceivable! And if you do love him... he stars in this book, alongside a new character called Onora. Janco and Ari are always going to be the Power Couple of this universe, don't worry, but I kind of ship Little Miss Assassin and the Rhyme Master, ain't gonna lie.
And of course, there was Leif, Ari, Opal & Devlen, Reema, Kiki... there was no shortage of awesome characters, awesome interactions, awesome situations, and a great story-line that keeps you guessing and intrigued, with every chapter ending in a way that makes you need the next one.
And that ending... Let's put it like this: I KNEW IT and I am freakin' happy and excited!
ORIGINAL GIFY REACTION:
Because I can't post my review until next month (I'm part of the tour y'all!), I'm going to gif it to you straight:
When I got approved for the arc on Netgalley
Starting the book
Being inside Valek's head. Being inside Janco's head. Seeing Valek's Past. Reading of the Janco and Onora antics.
The Valek x Yelena FEELS
The Ending
And finally...