Veena’s review of Shadow Study (Soulfinder, Book 1) by Maria V. Snyder
Fantasy Romance published by MIRA 24 Feb 15
Towards the end of last year I was in a bit of a panic as no book seemed to appeal to me, and for the first time I had Cs and Ds and DNFs littering my reviews. I am so glad that this trend is reversing itself, because I would be lost without good books. Ms. Snyder and this book have happily become a part of the new-to-me authors and series that I wish to add to my good-books list. If this trend continues, I might actually have to cull that list, but that would be a tale for another time. Except for a few rare twinges, I really didn’t miss not having read the earlier books in the series, while I totally lost myself in this fascinating world and even more fascinating characters.
From the opening page there is nonstop action as the story unfolds. Yelena is subjected to a magical attack, the aftermath of which leaves her without her magic. She didn’t get even one single whiff of her attacker and her lover Valek, who is an assassin of the first order and fails to find her attacker as well. Stripped of her magic, Yelena sets out to find out who organized the attack and what type of poison she’s been infected with. As she consults her allies and sets out on her quest, the attacks on her are relentless.
Valek has his own challenges to face during this time. After a long absence from his overlord, he finds that things have changed dramatically during his absence. As plots and counterplots unfold, it seems like there’s a conspiracy to keep him away from Yelena and to challenge his own position of power. I, for one, definitely enjoyed his walk into his own history and how he came to be who he is and where he is. It is fascinating to watch him put together the pieces of the puzzle that he’s been presented with and come up with the right answers.
I applaud the author’s imagination as she sweeps me out of my bedroom into the streets and plains of Ixia and Sitia, where I met the most fascinating characters. I enjoyed the journey with Yelena as she deals with the challenge of finding herself without the magic that has been so much a part of her life for a very long time. I empathize with her grief at losing her means of communication with her best friend and protector Kiki, her special horse.
I can’t wait to see how this story will evolve from the cliffhanger that ends it here.
Grade: A
Summary:
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…
