Scent of Magic (The Healer Series)

Book was great. Loved the characters and the trouble Avery always managed to get herself into. It's funny, sweet, exciting, and everything a book should be. Highly recommend reading this series and all as all of Maria Snyder's books.

My review in "Touch of Power" summed up my feelings about this series, and as I stated, it's a case of diminishing returns. For sure, I didn't enjoy this book as much as the first entry in the Healer series.

Yes, things happened in this novel, but it still had the whiff of "filler" about it. I felt too much of the novel was spent on Avry in hiding, doing military maneuvers. It's not until the very end that the plot really ramps up. And well done to MS for the twist at the end. It was well executed, and one I didn't see coming.

Avry's sister Noelle was introduced in the first novel, and just as in the first book, I wanted to smack Noelle just about every time she came on canvas. If the intention was for me to almost loathe a character, Maria Snyder succeeded with Noelle.

By the end of the book, I wondered how much longer MS could contrive to keep Avry and Kerrick apart. [As it turns out, they don't reunite until near the end of the novel, but what a lovely reunion it was].

But, as I said, this novel was just a placeholder for the final book.

Maria freaking V. Snyder does it again! Scent of Magic is another excellent book in the Healer series, which I am totally in love with. Maria V. Snyder does fantasy so perfectly–if you’re looking to read a fantasy book, you must read Maria V. Snyder. And oh my, Scent of Magic was just too good.

To be honest, I was a bit worried, because in the blurb, it says “And she must do it alone, as Kerrick, her partner and sole confident, returns to Alga to summon his country into battle.” When I saw that, I went NOOOO, because I adore Kerrick, and I wanted more of him and Avry. They FINALLY got together at the very end of Touch of Power, and it made be so happy. But it’s not only the romance I love about them. The author writes them in a way that is so perfect–it’s the way they work together, how they’re so kick*** and strong independently and together that really appeals to me. The Healer series is not a romance, but a fantasy book with romance in it. Which is perfect for me!

Okay, okay, back to me being worried. Was I worried? Yes. Did I need to be worried? Absolutely not. Imagine my surprise when I saw after chapter one the word KERRICK at the top of the page! Yes, we get Kerrick’s POV! Technically, it’s third person, but who cares? We get to see Kerrick’s side of the story, since he and Avry don’t get to physically be together. Avry is believed to be dead by everyone, and only Kerrick knows differently. And they have to use this advantage to fight against Tohon, the evil, intriguing megalomaniac. Avry must go back to find her sister while Kerrick must go to meet up with Prince Ryne to make battle plans.

I loved reading Kerrick’s POV, and learning more about him since we didn’t get very much in the first book. I like the way he thinks, the clever way he plans everything. He’s a very straightforward man, and his top priorities are Avry and helping Prince Ryne defeat Tohon. He makes me swoon so freaking hard. Love this man.

Avry is equally fantastic as well. While trying to make amends with her sister, Avry disguises herself and joins Estrid’s army (who is an ally of Ryne). She integrates herself into the soldiers’ lives, becoming familiar with them, and even developing friendships. Avry also has to teach these soldiers how to successfully move about silently while out on the battlefield. I was glad to see that Avry and Kerrick still managed to be grow independently, and does a lot of growth in this second novel. I admired her even more–she can heal people and fight people with her swords!

Scent of Magic is just divine. But fair warning, there is a KILLER cliffhanger at the end! Other than that, this book is definitely not a disappointment for fans of the first book. It’s an excellent sequel, and the plot is just brilliant! Twist after twist that I did not see coming, and there’s non-stop action.

Originally posted here: [...]

When I reviewed TOUCH OF POWER, the first book in the Healer trilogy, my verdict was: good, but not great. I was interested enough in the story to continue the series, and upon finishing SCENT OF MAGIC, I have the same verdict: good, but not great.

Here’s the thing. There just isn’t a lot of important stuff that happens in SCENT OF MAGIC. If the last book of the Healer trilogy was out, I probably could have skipped this entirely and not been too lost. Good thing, because a few days after finishing and I can’t remember most of SCENT OF MAGIC.

Unlike TOUCH OF POWER, which was told entirely from Avry’s point of view, SCENT OF MAGIC has Kerrick’s POV as well. This is necessary because Avry and Kerrick split up early on, going separate ways and doing different things. Avry infiltrates Estrid’s army, supposedly to gather information and work on her relationship with her sister. Kerrick returns to Ryne, to prepare for the battle against evil Tohon, but ends up being captured by the northern tribes. I swear that every chapter in this book ended on a mini cliffhanger.

Avry and Kerrick both spend plenty of their chapters worried about each other. At the end of TOUCH OF POWER, they acted on their attraction to each other, becoming a couple. I don’t know if the little time they had together was enough to really develop a relationship strong enough to stand such separation. Because I felt like all the two of them did was a) worry about the other or b) think the other was dead, over and over again.

Tohon is probably the most interesting character in the series for me. He’s certifiably insane, a megalomaniac with lots of power. He has no conscience, and does everything from reanimate dead soldiers to use his magic to try and seduce Avry against her will. Tohon was good because I was never sure just what he would do next. As for Avry… I don’t know. I liked her more in the first book, but here, she makes some odd decisions. She decides it’s better if everyone thinks she’s dead, but as soon as she infiltrates Estrid’s army, people start guessing her secret left and right, but always cover it up for her. And instead of using her abilities as a healer, she decides to teach army men how to move silently in the woods.

Overall, SCENT OF MAGIC was okay while I was reading it. But it’s not a series that I’ll remember in a month, or even a week from now. I’d recommend the Healer series for fans of Maria V. Snyder, and readers who want YA-esque fantasy.

Scent of Magic was an exciting and thrilling sequel in the Healer series. We continue to follow Avry on her many challenges and adventures, but she is separated from Kerrick as he follows his own path. Kerrick’s POV is also told in this story and I enjoyed seeing what he had to deal with as well.

After the ending of Touch of Power, Avry decides to go undercover as she wants to see her sister again. Her plans change when she decides to enlist in Estrids army, so that she can teach them how to be stealthy in the forest and they may have a better chance of surviving an attack from Tohon. It was a clever tactic, but it also bought her into the spotlight, especially when her old friends return, Belen, Loren, Quain and Prince Ryne, because they are unaware of her return.

Kerrick has many obstacles to overcome as well. He returns home and has to deal with some issues in regards to his family. He leads an army to the north as the tribes are attacking and are either slaughtering or driving the villagers away. The time away from Avry makes it hard, but he is the type of man who takes his position seriously and defeating Tohon is a priority.

Learning more about the Lily’s is a great aspect of the book. They are a vital piece in the war and Avry is determined to figure it out. We learn a lot about them throughout this book; who they take, why they take them and further uses for the toxins.

There was a lot of planning, action and betrayal throughout the plot and it was a definite page turner. I was never quite sure of the direction of the story and I liked how it kept me guessing. The return of a few characters put a few twists into the story and the realisation of who holds power. Avry seems to build strong relationships with people who then begin to trust her actions. There was a bit of an exciting ending in Scent of Magic, and I’m keen to see how things go now in Taste of Darkness… it is going to be an exhilarating ride!!

I received a copy of this book from Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review.

This book really redeemed this series for me and I'm so happy it did! I had some problems with Touch of Power and while I enjoyed it I had a hard time connecting with the story or the characters. You can see that review here: Touch of Power Review. Scent of Magic really manages to make up for it and I enjoyed it much more than the first.

The plot kicks off almost near the point Touch of Power leaves off and gives you a nice little recap that helped me remember most of the first book before jumping right back into the story. I could tell right away that this one was going to be a much faster paced novel than Touch with much more action through out it, because it starts off strong and I'm happy to say it ends the same way. The war between Tohon and the Realms really gets started in this one and thanks to the two point of views from Avry and Kerrick you get to see two separate conflicts . I have a love/hate relationship with pov shifts because I'm usually more interested in one point of view than the other and being forced to shift over to the least interesting one irritates me, Scent of Magic doesn't have that problem. Each POV shift is strong in it's own way and they all kind of end in a way that leaves you dying for more, so it was easy to get lost in both of characters' stories without feeling like I was being forced to do so. The Lilies are explained more in this one and the mystery surrounding them gets a little lighter but a few more questions are raised at the same time. Kerrick's pov gives some fantastic insight on the northern tribes that were glossed over in the first book and we find out more about Danny. We also get to see more of Avry in action as well and the political intrigue is definitely thick in this one. Just when I thought everything would be fairly straight forward Synder would add a twist and it would set my mind reeling again.

The characters seemed a bit deeper in this one and I had no trouble connecting with Avry this time around. It seemed like her emotional range really broadened and she didn't try to play off situations like they were nothing, it seemed like whatever wall was between me and her came down. There is also some great character growth in this one for both Avry and Kerrick, as well as the side characters like Danny. A few people you don't expect to see much of in this book make a full come back and people really start showing their real potential. The relationship between Kerrick and Avry is one that I can truly get behind now that Avry has opened up more, and with the added tension of the war you can't help but want the best for them. Tohon is still one of my favorite characters...I love to hate him. He's so charming and pretty, and at the same time he's a megalomaniac and a monster. I find myself understanding Avry's unwilling reaction to him; pure revulsion mixed with a kind of magnetic (and wholly unwanted) attraction.

This is definitely a step up from Touch of Magic and the ending is one of those that make you want to give the evil eye to the author. It's such torture having to wait to find out what's going to happen! Needless to say I can't wait for the third novel to come out!

In compliance with FTC guidelines, I received this book through Netgalley.com

This review will contain spoilers from Book # 1: Touch of Power

The end of Touch of Power left us with the death of Avry as a result of healing Prince Ryne of the plague. Then she was brought back to life. Now you're caught up.

In Scent of Magic, Tohon is on a destructive murderous mission to become ruler of the 15 realms, leading his army of dead to crush anyone who gets in his way. Taking advantage of everyone thinking she's dead, Avry infiltrates Jael's camp to get information and look out for Tohon spies. She's SUPPOSED to be laying low as she promised Kerrick. But that doesn't work out so well. Meanwhile Kerrick goes back to Ryne's camp to assist with war plans and runs into some difficulties of his own.

As far as sequels go, this one was pretty good. I didn't like it AS much as Touch of Power but it's a must read for fans of this series.

Kerrick and Avry are separated for about 80% of Scent of Magic. The supporting characters that I grew to love in the previous book don't show up as much. I missed their interactions and back and forth quibbling. I also missed the romance between Kerrick and Avry. There's a lot of action in this book, but it's more focused on war strategy.

That said, Avry as a main character was able to stand on her own and continues to kick butt. At 21, Avry is brave, independent and a skilled fighter. I love to see strong female characters kicking butt and taking charge and Avry does just that. As difficult as it is to be separated from Kerrick, Avry doesn't take the woe-is-me-I'm-nothing-without-my-love attitude. Which is a good thing because her focus needs to be on using her skills to help stop Tohon and his dead from taking over.

The point of view switches back and forth between Avry and Kerrick. This was vital to making the story more interesting. Let's face it, Kerrick's my favorite and I especially love the parts with him in it. The story's just going along, going along, la-de-da, not bad. I get to the last 20ish pages or so and then BAM. CLIFFHANGER CITY! WHAT the WHAT!?! What's going to happen next?? EEP!

Immediately drawn back in.

Bottom Line: A solid sequel, if for nothing but the last 20 pages. 3.75/5

Out of the three books in the Healer Series, this one was probably the best. Most of this book was about Avry's journey as a healer. She was strong and focused during this book. She did not spend most of the book sad and disturbed about Kerrick, who as usual was not around to help her. I disliked Kerrick even more in this book than in the first one. Tohon, while evil, has more passion for his cause and for his obsession with Avry, than Kerrick ever displays. I think it speaks volumes about character development, when the reader likes the villain more than the male hero, lead.
There is a lot of action in this book and it did help the story to read a little more quickly. I will probably read the final book in the trilogy just to see if Kerrick redeems himself, or if Avry finally realizes Kerrick is a weak and indecisive fool, and picks one of the other male characters to love.

As the second in Maria Snyder's healer books, Scent of Magic is the typical in-between book. Leaving the heroine on the brink and ending with a cliffhanger that will be sure to make sure readers buy the final installment.

Avry, is a do-gooding, naïve, idealist with the courage of a lion. After recovering from death she is now determined to find and save her sister but she must go behind enemy lines in order to do so. She must also leave her love, Kerrick behind. When Avry finally finds her sister, Noelle. Avry discovers that Noelle blames her for her life and the death of her mother. As she faces betrayal after betrayal Avry must also contend with a truly evil `dead' army commanded by a narcissistic madman. A man who wants to control Avry.

This was a great adventure read in the vein of Tamora Pierce, except for a slightly more adult audience. Adults as well as YA will devour this book if they like anything in fantasy and plucky heroines. Avry will amaze the readers with her resourcefulness and her ability to keep her integrity. I liked that Avry keeps trying even when the chips are down. The sections concerning her storyline were an enjoyable, tense read. The sections concerning her significant other, Kerrick, not so interesting - I admit to skimming some of those sections! As the second book, a lot of things are left hanging. And if you are the type that really gets involved in the characters you might want to wait until the third book comes out before reading the second so you don't feel so frustrated. I also wished Kerrick and Avry had more time together in the book. I am big a fan of Maria Snyder, you can't help being charmed by any of Maria Snyder's fantasy heroines. However, I still like her poison series the best.

Besides the cliffhanger ending, I enjoyed this action, fantasy, and adventure. I will definitely be in line to read the last book in the trilogy.

Avry survived her first run-in with the evil King Tohon. Well, kind of. Technically she died, but was saved by a plant that may be way more important than she though. She also managed to fall for Kerrick, her traveling partner. However, things are not looking good for the good guys, so Avry and Kerrick part ways for the better good. Avry goes undercover in the army of her sort of ally Estrid while Kerrick goes home to get the aid of his kingdom that he kind of abandoned. Both of them will run into peril and surprises around every corner. If they can manage to stay alive, they might be able to just might be able to figure out how to win this war.

I was really excited to read this book because I loved the first one in this series. I found the beginning to be a little clunky though. I know it's hard to write enough so that a new reader knows what's going on while still moving the story forward, but this seemed a bit awkward. Luckily things smooth out fairly quickly, and once the story gets past the introduction it hums along at a fairly quick clip. There are two main stories here when Avry and Kerrick split up at the beginning. They are both full of peril, and there are plenty of twists and turns for both of them. I really enjoyed the surprises. There were several I did not see coming, so that was really fun. Avry was still a capable and awesome character. She is very determined and wants to make sure she takes care of as many people as possible. Kerrick's parts of the story were fairly short, so I didn't feel that I knew him quite as well. It was still an interesting addition to the overall story.

I guess by nature of being a middle book, it was very dark for the most part. There weren't a lot of happy points, but that helped make the few bright spots even better. Overall the book kept my interest throughout, but the ending was killer. I hate cliffhangers though, and this was a big one. Did it pique my interest for the next book though? Absolutely. Mission accomplished there. This is a great fantasy book, and I really can't wait to read the next one in the series.

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Spoilers for first book!

I adored the first book in this series, Touch of Power, last year, speeding breathlessly through every little scene. So yes I was excited for this second book...except I remembered how much I loved Poison Study while being disappointed with its follow-up. What if the same thing happened here?

I'll admit that at first I was a little listless and picking this book up to read just a chapter or two. It was certainly not as gripping as the first book...but after maybe about halfway through, I was hooked again and racing through to the cliffhanger ending!

When we pick up this book, pretty much everyone thinks Avry is dead, a situation she decides to take advantage of by disguising herself and ingratiating herself with Estrid's army to see what they're facing against Tohon. Her lover Kerrick is against this plan but accepts her decision to do this while he returns to Prince Ryne. This time the book mostly focuses on Avry with every one of her chapters being followed by a few pages detailing Kerrick's adventures.

As a big fan of their romance, I was disappointed that Avry and Kerrick spent most of the book apart. Another sadness was the lack of favorite characters from the first book-they're all mentioned and they're on Avry's mind but she's busy meeting a lot of new people, who I fortunately found to be charming additions. I really loved Avry being undercover, attempting to avoid drawing attention to her unique healer powers but still driven by compassion in addition to her cunning. At this point, I think I might like Avry more than Yelena (maybe).

As for Kerrick's story, I was surprised by how much I ended up liking it. For those who have read, his scenes with Danny up north were killer. I loved the short glimpses we got of Danny growing and learning about what his future might be like.

Cover: Just now as I was typing did I realize that Kerrick was on the cover. Before I had only seen thumbnails, I guess, and focused on Avry with her yellow pouch (I assume it holds the seeds, which makes much more sense than my original conception of them as being the size of huge pumpkins and wondering about their portability.)

Reviewed by: Danielle
Book provided by: NetGalley
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book

: Scent of Magic, which picks up the plot from where Touch of Power ended, was an excellent continuation of the Healer trilogy. The plot of Scent of Magic was interesting; however although there were few unexpected plot twists throughout the novel what were clearly meant to the main surprise plot twists were actually extremely easy to predict from the early chapters.

The first book in the series had solely followed Avry whereas Scent of Magic allows readers a glimpse in Kerrick's mind with regular switches between the characters' point of views. Although it was interesting to understand Kerrick better and see the events unfold from his point of view the scenes told from his perspective did not seem essential to the main plot. In fact, unless the characters introduced within the scenes viewed in Kerrick's perspective are vital to the final novel in the trilogy, the main purpose of these scenes seem to be to provide an explanation for the pieces of information regarding his welfare told to Avry later in the novel.

Avry continued to be an extremely interesting character for the novel to follow and although Kerrick did not add significantly to the plot he also continued to be a very intriguing character. Some of other the main characters in the first novel of the trilogy had very minor roles in Scent of Magic; this was disappointing as these were extremely interesting characters whose presence was an excellent component of the first novel. There were a few rather interesting characters introduced in Scent of Magic however these characters were not explored fully and added only slightly to the plot.

The relationship between Kerrick and Avry was mostly ignored during the novel, due to their separation for the majority of the novel, with the exception of when either character thought about the other's welfare. This was unfortunate since the chemistry between the two main characters was one of the best components of the first novel in the trilogy.

Overall, although Scent of Magic was an excellent novel it did not quite live up to the extremely high expectations generated from the trilogy starting with an amazing first book due to some of the best components of the first novel being missing from the sequel.

(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Harlequin (UK) Limited and Netgalley.)
This is the second book in the `Healer' series, and kicks off where book 1 `Touch of Power' left off.
**Warning - some unavoidable spoilers for book 1 `Touch of Power'**
Following her healing by the peace lily, Avry decides that the best thing for her to do is to allow her enemies to believe her dead, so that she may work under cover. Leaving Kerrick, even though they have only just admitted their feelings for one another, Avry travels back to `Mom' (who we met in the first book) who helps her with a disguise. Avry then infiltrates the army, and begins teaching them Kerrick's tricks for moving through the forest unheard.
Avry's plan is to not only aid the army against Tohon's army (and zombies - which they don't believe her about), but also to try and reconnect with her sister Noelle (who tried to kill her in book 1 - slightly nuts).

Kerrick on the other hand travels home (I think?) to give people the news that Avry is dead and rally his own army, but gets ambushed by some large zombie ufas on the way and then gets jumped by the person leading the ufas - Cellina, but she lets him go and lies to the king that the ufas killed him (not sure why she does this).

Now Avry is intent on stopping Tohon's zombies, and figuring out exactly what he has been doing with the death lilies. But how long will her disguise fool people for? How will Avry react to the news that Kerrick is dead? And will they triumph against Tohon's armies?

This book confused the hell out of me, and the last two lines were an absolute killer!

I really liked the first book in this series, I often have problems keeping up with the storyline in fantasy novels, but I didn't really get that with the first book. It seems that all the confusion was being stored up for this book though! It's not even that long since I read the first book, it's only about 5 weeks, and I still got confused!

Avry basically wants people to think that she's dead so that they're not looking for her and trying to kill her - good plan if you ask me. What I didn't really get was why she was so intent on making up with her sister when the last time she saw her she tried to kill her! I mean, why not just leave well alone? Especially when you're trying to not get killed, and the woman your sister works for is also trying to kill you!
Anyway, Avry can't possibly just go into hiding or something, so instead she finds the army, talks her way in, and then begins training them to walk quietly. I sort-of understood that part, but Kerrick's journey? Not a clue I'm afraid. He got attacked by some zombie ufas, and the girl controlling them (Cellina) took his sword and told king Tohon that the ufas had killed him. What happened to him after this? I don't know, I got seriously confused. Why did Cellina cover for him? Not sure on that one either. Who were the other people he ended up running into and helping? Not a clue.

Anyway, there were parts that I understood and liked! I kinda liked the way King Tohon managed to turn Avry on just by touching her, I liked how once again the lilies and their venom was a key part of the story, and I liked how Avry and Kerrick eventually found their way back to each other.

The storyline overall was a bit bland though, and in my opinion this book had a serious case of middle book syndrome, it seems that even Avry can't cure that. The ending though? Oh my! This bland, confusing story hit us with one hell of an ending. Ms Snyder - those final 2 sentences made me want to scream!!! `No!' How can you do that?! To Avry and to us?!
Let's just say that those final 2 lines had more impact on me than the entirety of the second book, and now I might have to read book 3!

Overall; a fantasy story that was unfortunately a little bland and difficult to get through, with a major cliff-hanger at the end.
6 out of 10.

After the fantastic and slightly evil ending to Touch of Power, I couldn't wait for this book! I love Maria V. Snyder...and Kerrick...and Avry....and Kerrick and Avry together...and Kerrick and Avry separated and miserable...OK, I'd better stop rambling and get to the actual review.

I loved this book, but it wasn't quite as good as Touch of Power. I loved the characters (have I mentioned that already?) and I really loved where the story went (sorry, no spoilers), but it seemed almost rambling at times and some scenes were just a little disjointed. I really, really loved the book, but it didn't flow in that beautiful way I've come to expect from Ms. Snyder's novels.

Early in the Scent of Magic, Kerrick and Avry split up. I actually really liked that, which surprised me. Having them apart didn't hinder their romance so much as enrich it. Separate, they could focus more on the individual things they had to do, yet they were always in the back of each others minds no matter what. Still, I am hoping that in book 3 there will be more time for them to spend kissing.

The rest of the band that adventured together in Touch of Power were in fine form, particularly Belen and one who managed to surprise me in quite the delightful fashion. Since they all believed Avry dead at the end of the first one except for Kerrick, watching them meet up again was massively entertaining.

All in all, this was a lovely sequel though not quite as magnificent as the first book, and I would highly recommend it. Enjoy. :)

I received an advance e-copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

'm confessing right now, these books (as in, ANY Maria V. Snyder book) are my guilty pleasures. Are they the best stories in the world? No. Are the main characters terrible Mary Sues? Yes. But are they fun and fast reads anyways? Hell yes. If you're looking for the most beautiful, amazing fantasy you've ever read, this isn't it. If you're looking for a fun, fast read in which you can sit back and just enjoy a goofy story... this is for you. I would absolutely send these books along and share them with people I know would enjoy them. Are they the people who read things like Tolkien or George R. R. Martin? Abercrombie or Cook? No. Are they the kind of people who enjoy authors like Condie, Meyers and Evonavitch? Yes, and that is not a criticism.

If you have not read TOUCH OF POWER (BOOK 1)
do not read this review, there are spoilers.

the store Synopsis:
As the last Healer in the Fifteen Realms, Avry of Kazan is in a unique position: in the minds of friends and foes alike, she no longer exists. Despite her need to prevent the megalomaniacal King Tohon from winning control of the Realms, Avry is also determined to find her sister and repair their estrangement. And she must do it alone, as Kerrick, her partner and sole confidant, returns to Alga to summon his country into battle.
Though she should be in hiding, Avry will do whatever she can to support Tohon's opponents. Including infiltrating a holy army, evading magic sniffers, teaching forest skills to soldiers and figuring out how to stop Tohon's most horrible creations yet: an army of the walking dead--human and animal alike and nearly impossible to defeat.
War is coming and Avry is alone. Unless she figures out how to do the impossible...again.

Characters:
Avry: Main character, and as the last line of the the synopsis implies... a bit of a Mary Sue. I have to admit, so far I enjoy Avry... despite Snyder repeatedly writing dreadful Mary Sue girls, they are usually likeable, which is their saving grace. I feel like Avry is a bit more toned down than some of Snyder's other heroines... but then, this is only book 2.

Kerrick: The leading man, Prince of his own realm, mage of the forest and all around smouldering love interest. He's off having adventures of his own this time, and I appreciated the split chapters.
Noelle: Avry's sister, introduced in book 1 as blaming Avry for abandoning her... a big part of Avry's mission in this book is winning back her sister's love.

Tohon: Still a dick.

Ryne: The prince that Avry risked her life for in the last book spends his time earning it this book. Ryne is still a bit of a vague character, but he is likeable.

Belen: Ol' Papa Bear returns and you find yourself enjoying his company once again.

The Monkeys: Now assigned to guard Prince Ryne, the Monkeys really haven't changed... at all.

Ursin: Leader of "The Jumping Jacks", one of Estrid's troup of soldiers, he is the first one that Avry really deals with as she tries to be covert, but he's got a secret of his own that doesn't help her stealthiness at all.

Estrid: Leader of the main army opposing Tohon. She seems fair and intellegent, even if she's got a bit of over the top religious fervor.

Cellina: Tohon's lackey

Noak: Son of the leader of the people from the Wilderness. He takes Kerrick and Danny prisoner. He also has a strange "Winter Magic" that he uses against Kerrick.

Danny: Young boy rescued by Avry in the last book, has healing potential because he survived the Death Lily Toxin. Sneaks along with Kerrick, thus getting Kerrick in a lot of trouble, but proves useful as a non-magical healer, because he wants to follow in Avry's footsteps.

Rakel: Noak's sister, has mysterious "Summer Magic"

Story:
Yet another fun, quick romp through one of Snyder's worlds... this book is a fast read and for the most part, enjoyable.
The book starts out with Avry and Kerrick parting ways. At the end of the first book, we saw Avry survive the "unsurvivable" and learn that the Lilies had more of a part to play than anyone realized. Kerrick is going to reunite with Ryne and get the army moving while Avry is going to find her sister and go undercover in the world, since it's now believed she's dead.
Kerrick ends up in the North, facing an invasion from the Wildmen, and finding out that what he thought to be true might not be.
Avry, on the other hand, takes up her mother's name and becomes a Sergeant in Estrid's army, where she's quickly outed as having magic and being a healer. As is the way with most of Snyder's leading ladies, subtle isn't really her thing.
This story spends a lot of time without a lot of action. There are extensive training sequences, and a lot of "putting the pieces in place", but other than that, not much really happens until the very end. There is a constant referring to the fact that Tohon has *got* to have spies in camp, but no real effort to figure out who they might be. People who were pretty evil in the last book seem a bit distracted in this one, and in general everyone is pretty forgiving of Avry, since they're mainly just glad she's alive (whether because they were her friend, or because she is the last known healer EVER).
More strange things occur with the lilies, some of which I'm not entirely clear on myself... and then there is "the death". The author kills off a character and I'm going to be honest... I don't understand why. Unless there's going to be some magical resurrection, which I don't think there is. It was just such a pointless death... and I have to wonder, IS there a plan, or did the author just get sick of writing that angle of the plot? It seemed unfinished. Based on reading Snyder's other stories, I could make a comment here... because this is a "death" that she seems to fall back on a lot, to try to really make the reader feel for the main character... but this time I just didn't buy it. It was too ill-placed in the story, too abrupt and really, it made the whole earlier story and anything referencing the relationship just seem like a real waste of my time. In other words, it pissed me off, but not in an "invested, emotional reader" way. More like in a "Wow, what a waste of time" way... and that's never good.
There were also some really, really, really awful cheesy lines. One that comes to mind, "My man has eyes that change colors with the seasons"... or something equally vomit-worthy. This happens a couple of times in the books, and I couldnt' help but thing, "Ew... would Avry really say that? And people didn't laugh at her?" I don't know... it's just over-the-top stuff like that where I really think Snyder is missing the mark on being a great author vs. a guilty pleasure read.

All in all, though, it's still a fun fast read, and I'll be picking up the next one on April 1st. The stories are cute, and the time investment is small, so yeah, despite my grumblings... Snyder is going to win my hard earned dollars in the end, because it's still a fun, fast romp through girlie fantasy fiction.

Scent of Magic picks up right where Touch of Power left us, with Avry and Kerrick recently reunited but still on the run from Tohon. Now that people believe she's dead Avry wants to use that to her advantage. She wants to infiltrate Estrid army's camp, and learn all she can before Ryne arrives with his own troops. But it means separating from Kerrick for who knows how long. As fate would have it, it turns out to be a long time indeed. Kerricks meets with Ryne only to hear the kingdoms in the north have been invaded by the northern tribes, it is now up to Kerrick to stop them. Avry has a hard time keeping her identity secret in the war camp, and with Tohon's spies infiltrating the camp it isn't easy to tell friend from foe.

In this riveting sequel to the Healer Series, Maria V. Snyder brings on the action, the humor, and the romance to whole new levels. With both Avry and Kerrick's POV in the mix, this book is seriously unputdownable.

Avry is as resourceful and clever as ever. One thing I remember loving from Snyder's Study Series was the `army humor' and the close bonds between the characters. And that happens here too, as Avry has to win the troops and the other sergeants trust as she trains them. But though she shows a brave face to the world she's also scared of Tohon and keeps having nightmares about him. She knows she'll be in big trouble if he ever finds her again.

I can't even begin to tell you how ecstatic I was when the narrative suddenly changed to Kerrick's POV. I squealed a bit, swooned a bit, and I think it made this sequel that much more exhilarating. The only bit that I didn't like, is that the timelines don't match. Like, for example, on one side we leave Avry on day four of her adventure, but when it switches to Kerrick he's still on day two, and so on. It took a little brainwork to keep the timelines straight, but honestly, I was way into the story for it to become a major bother. Anyways, Kerrick was just awesome in this book. He's brave, and just, and still learning that just because he orders it to be so, it doesn't become so. Haha. Dany and Zila certainly are a handful.

Secondary characters worth mentioning, aside from the regular crew of the first book, are: Ursan and Saul, two sergeants of Estrid's army who become friends with Avry. Dany, who disobeys Kerrick but turns out to be a great asset with the northern barbarians. And Great-Aunt Yasmin, because at ninety she still kicks ass.

A lot happened in this sequel, lots of things put in motion than I'm sure will be touched upon in the next book--like the northern tribes strange magic, and the Skeleton King on the south, but a whole bunch of other things. That ending chapter...Well first, it left me reeling. I could not believe that twist. I'm talking jaw dropping, cursing out loud, and reading the paragraph five times kind of event. I did not see that coming and for a moment I thought everything was lost. Then the ending-ending, meaning the very last page, broke my heart. Waiting for book three is going to be torture!

Summary:
Told in two different perspectives, this book begins with Avery and Kerrick splitting to take care of their own special parts in the war for the territories. Avery tells her story as she travels to Estrid's army, disguises herself, and begins training fighters. Kerrick tells his story as he heads up north to Ryne. Unfortunately, Kerrick ends up in a battle of his own with the tribal people. Battles eventually break out and things don't end up quite as planned (of course). Total surprise ending that leaves us breathless for the next installment of the series. The trip is well worth taking.

My thoughts:
Well, these spilled out a little in the summary. I've loved Snyder since Valek. He is my ultimate favorite male character of all time. It's very hard to find a character that I think comes even close to him. Hello, hot assassin that also is protective and sweet and yummy! Anyways, Kerrick doesn't hold a candle to him, but I love Kerrick anyways. Snyder has a way with developing characters. I like Avery. She's strong, coming into her own, stubborn, and independent. The women that Snyder portrays have this spark about them, but the men far outshine the women. Kerrick is easy to fall in love with in the first book, so getting his perspective in this one is a lot of fun. I'm rushing through Avery's chapters to get back to his voice.

The romance is put on hold through most of this book because they are both doing other things, but I think it makes each character stand out as an individual instead of a couple. Also, I'm so happy that Avery is not a whiny brat when Kerrick isn't around. I dislike romance novels where the female is so attached to the male that all individuality and life stops because they are not there. Snyder is so good at not letting her characters go off the deep end when they are in love. Each female has goals that they are going to reach with or without the hottie!

Anyways, this is a slight dip in the series because there is a lot of set up for the war; however, the end will lead us right into a much anticipate conclusion to her trilogy. I just can't wait!

Scent of Magic by Maria V. Snyder
Steph's Rating: 4 stars
Dani's rating: 5 stars
Overall rating: 4.5 stars

Steph's Review:
Maria...Maria...this could've been so much better. I fell absolutely in love with the Healer world after book 1, Touch of Power. The characters were amazing, the plot was stunning, the romance was smoky. Perfect! I just have to say that I love book 1 a lot more than Scent of Magic. Book 2 left me a little disappointed.

Scent of Magic starts off right where T.O.P. left off, when a Peace Lily saves Avry from almost certain death. The world thinks she is dead, since there has never been a survivor of the lethal plague. Avry finally gets the reprieve she's longed for, sort of. She can move around much more freely than before, as long as she hides her infamous healer face. Using this to her advantage, she splits with Kerrick and goes to infiltrate Estrid and Jael's army against Tohon, while Kerrick returns to his own kingdom to rally his army.

Rewind. She splits with Kerrick. This is one of the points that made Scent of Magic disappointing in my opinion. I don't mean they broke up or anything, but they aren't seen together for almost all of the book. I missed the sarcastic banter and sweet romance between them. It was one of the things that absorbed me into T.O.P. so much. The original gang I loved is in shambles. Flea dead, Belen, Loren, and Quain are in one direction, Kerrick in the other, and Avry in yet another!

Scent of Magic is told in dual POV's by Kerrick and Avry. There are basically two plots going on, one with the main character Kerrick, and the other with Avry. They're on two completely different agendas, which kind of irked me off because I wish they had some show time together. If you haven't read S.O.M. yet, you might be squealing your head off right now hearing about Kerrick POV. I know I was. Yes, he is one swoony boy, but not exactly the best narrator. Don't say I didn't warn you. I actually was dreading to read Kerrick POV sometimes because all of the interesting stuff happens in Avry's story. His narration was actually quite dull in comparison.

Okay now onto the good stuff. As I said before, all of the interesting stuff happens in Avry's POV. She infiltrates Jael's army, who is her arch-nemesis, and it's really interesting watching Avry trying evade Jael finding out her true identity! There were lots of close calls that honestly left me shaking a little. I especially liked how Snyder basically ended each Avry chapter with a mini-cliffhanger! I think she has earned herself the title: 2nd Queen of Cliffhangers (after JLA of course :D). It made me want to read the next chapter so badly, which is probably why I found Kerrick chapters bland. Along with trying to fit in, Avry is trying her best to win her sister Noelle over again (I do not like that girl). There was a huge twist in the plot right at the end, and I did not see it coming! Actually there are several twists, but there is one biggy that left me completely reeling for the next book. I'm also wondering about Tohon's feelings for Avry...real? Or just ambition? Scent of Magic is full of intrigue, and will keep your mind spinning in all directions!

While this was a little disappointing, I will continue to read this series. The final installment, Taste of Death will be out at the end of 2013, and I am eager to see how Maria V. Snyder will conclude this series!

Dani's commentary:
I disagree with Steph on some of her points. I didn't find Avry and Kerrick's separation terrible to read about because of the amazing plot. I didn't find Kerrick's half of the plot bland at all. I loved to see the world from Kerrick's perspective and laugh about all the people and things he found annoying. One of the funniest parts in the entire book is when he is bickering with his brother! It was so cute and romantic when both were pining and dreaming about each other in consecutive chapters. Kerrick constantly calculated the amount of days it would take to travel from his current location to where Avry was. <3

To elaborate about the "amazing plot", both embark on similar yet completely different quests. New characters and new information are introduced. Avry finds new companions in a Estrid's army and Kerrick meets "the tribes", a new people with different culture, rituals, and a completely new type of MAGIC. I don't think that "all the good stuff happens in Avry's POV" as Steph said. Um, Steph, is torture (in Kerrick's POV) boring to you?

I do agree that Snyder is the Queen of Cliffhangers. There's not much that I can say about the plot without spoiling anything, but I will say that in Scent of Magic we readers learn so much more about the Peace Lilies and Death Lilies! These giant lilies are the most unique and complex creation that I have ever read about! *Applauds Ms. Snyder*

--Steph and Dani @ AWOW

After using her healing abilities to cure Ryne Avry came very close to death, in fact most of the world believe that she did die so she decides to use that to her advantage. Kerrick is the only one who knows the truth and Avry has sworn him to secrecy. While Kerrick must return to his homeland to rally more troops for the war against Tohon Avry heads straight into the danger zone determined to do what she can to train the soldiers to fight Tohon's army of undead. Neither of them are going to have an easy time of it, they will both face shocking betrayals and also find unexpected allies but can they survive long enough to meet again before Tohon really raises the stakes?

I absolutely loved Touch of Power so I had high expectations for Scent of Magic, I was nervous that Maria V. Snyder wouldn't be able to recreate the magic of the first book but I needn't have worried because I loved this second instalment just as much if not more. Everything I loved about the first book was continued in the second, we have fantastic world building, great characters, surprising plot twists and shocking events that took my breath away. My only disappointment was that Avry and Kerrick spent so much time apart during this book, I absolutely love the chemistry between them and the dynamics between them, Belen, Quain Loren and Flea was one of my favourite things about the first book so I missed that during this one. Even though I missed seeing the pair of them together I still enjoyed following their separate journeys and I could see why it was necessary for them to take different paths. It just made the time that they did spend together that much more special too.

We get to catch up with characters we know and loved from the first book but we are also introduced to a great selection of new ones. The story moves along at breakneck pace and was practically impossible to put down, I was so immersed in the world that I didn't want the book to end. Maria V. Snyder has a way of pulling me in and making me so connected to her characters that I feel their emotions right alongside them. Throughout the course of Scent of Magic I went through a rollercoaster of fear, worry, despair, grief, anger, shock, hope, happiness, relief and love. I had my heart broken and ripped into tiny little pieces one minute only to have it stuck back together the next. Shocking twists and betrayals kept me on the edge of my seat and have left me desperate to get my hands on the next book Taste of Death.

I'm sure that anyone who has read Touch of Power has been waiting to get their hands on Scent of Magic and I'm pleased to say that it was worth the wait. I wouldn't recommend starting the series with this book though so if you haven't read the first instalment then you need to do that immediately - this is a series that high fantasy fans will not want to miss.

With everyone believing she died from the plague, Avry goes undercover in order to help further the quest to bring the tyrannical King Tohon and his undead army down. Despite the pain it causes her, to keep her cover she has to leave her lover, Prince Kerrick behind. She sets herself up to be of use to one of Tohon's opposing armies to hopefully get some insider information, and get one step closer to her estranged sister. Training soldiers by day and learning trade secrets by night all while trying to maintain her secret identity, and suddenly Tohon isn't the only thing causing her stress. Still she's determined to stay her course and see him and everyone else who would seek to use her stopped once and for all.

Just as in TOUCH OF POWER, it is the characters that truly made SCENT OF MAGIC a stellar read. In addition to the great cast from the first book, a whole new bunch was added. In fact, I'm rather impressed with Maria V. Snyder's ability to incorporate such a large group of characters without any of them fading to the background. Each and every single one had their own unique voice and were fully three dimensional. Of course I did have my favorites, namely Avry and Kerrick, but that's mostly because I am a romantic at heart. In fact, my only real complaint I can give this book (aside from the ending which I'll get to in a bit) is that the two of them had to spend so much time apart. But I guess in order to further the plot and keep the angst there, it had to be that way, but I still would have wished for just a little bit more time together as they make such a great couple, especially when you consider how they started out.

I was really impressed with the rotation of perspectives in SCENT OF MAGIC. If you have read a lot of my past reviews, then you know that I am really picky when it comes to changing focuses in character perspectives. I greatly prefer first person narrative, but I don't mind the dual third person standard in paranormal romances, although I have to be in the mood for them. It isn't like my "tried and true" first person preference. That being said, SCENT OF MAGIC held the best of both worlds as the majority was told from Avry's first person perspective, but there were also sections that were told from Kerrick's view in third person. Without Kerrick's perspective, I felt a lot of important details would have been missed. Also, by throwing Kerrick's seperate journeys in there, there was a good bit of foreshadowing that the reader knew about, but Avry didn't. It was kind of nice having that insider information, because honestly I would have been just as devastated as she was several points throughout the book without it. Definitely a case of perspectives done right.

As much as I enjoyed the first installment in the series, I can't remember it making quite as much as an impact on me as SCENT OF MAGIC did. I was absolutely riveted from the very start of this book as I just couldn't put it down. Also, I do not remember being this desperate to get my hands on the next installment, of course that could be largely due to SCENT OF MAGIC ending on a brutal cliffhanger. The torture is only made worse when you consider the fact that the final installment won't be out until near the end of 2013. Nasty cliffhangers aside, SCENT OF MAGIC is a stellar read that will keep you up until the wee hours of the morning. Maria V. Snyder knows how to craft a well told story that is not to be missed!

A journey to discovering secrets, making new friends, as well as reconnecting with old friends. With lies, and deception, and an imposing war, that include vile creatures, and zombie like soldier's, Fantasy fans will enjoy the next phase in the healer series, and will be left yearning for the the next book.

The second installment of the Healer series picks up right where the first one ends, Avry has escaped Tohan's deranged hand, none to well. Lay dying, she is saved by Kerrick and he has brought her back from the brink of death, but as Kerrick is the only one whom knows what has happened to Avry, the others in her group are left to fear she has succumbed to her injuries, Kerrick comes up with a plan so only Avry and himself know she is alive, as they continue to fight Tohan and is soilder's.

Now, Avry must hide her identity, with magic as she ventures through part of the Nine mountains, alone, having parted ways with Kerrick, so they keep up their rouse, of her being dead, he must too, venture alone back to his kingdom, and the others whom await word from him, as to what direction needs to be taken as far as Tohan and his army goes.

Avry, knowing the only person left of her surviving family, whom despises her, is still alive, has left Avry with the need to save her, as well as trying to save another young girl, she heads off to where both girls are at, a place where Tohan has not yet acquired, in his journey to take over and rule all the kingdoms of the land, Estrid's Army.
Keeping her rouse Avry, becomes Irnia, as she squirms her way into the army of Estrid's company, and explains to them she can teach them to move through the forest without detection, a valuable skill, they allow her into the army as she is now Sergeant Irnia, of the Gubkin Realm. Becoming close to the groups of leaders of the army, proving her worth leaves her with allies, as she teaches them the skill that was once taught to her by Kerrick, she knows this skill will come in handy while battling the army of the dead.

Kerrick in the meantime has to keep up his rouse of Avry's death as he is left to journey in the opposite direction as her and return to his kingdom to become what he is destined to become, King, a role he is not interested in. He also must keep up his rouse, and lie to his small ban of soldier's whom, have journeyed with both Avry, and Kerrick in the first book. These men have grown to love Avry, like a sister, and Kerrick whom also loves Avry, but as more of a woman, must fake being sad, and lie to them about her being alive. Saddened, the small group has now separated and have their own duties in the role they play in the fight against Tohan and his army of the dead.

Because so much happens in this book, I'm not going to spoil it for you, but I will say that once you get into the story it does develop well and I enjoyed it more and more as the story continued. The last half of the book, had secrets revealed, battles, escapes, unlikely friends, and surprises, as well as death, hardship, and more. As the ending shared more than one surprise we are left with a cliffhanger, the next book in the series Taste Of Death, won't be released until 2014, oh woe is me....

Told in dual pov's throughout the book left me confused at first, as well as picking up from the last book, I felt I needed a refresher in the beginning, but once I got used to switching over of the POV's and I remembered the events from the last book, this one started to flow well at about the 40% mark is where I would say I started to enjoy this book. Being that Kerrick and Avry where not together, like in the first book, I wasn't too sure I would enjoy the direction Miss Snyder was heading, but she proved me wrong, and I did enjoy the story, as well as the many new characters throughout the book. As it seems the impending war has yet to begin fully, in this book it seems to be a slow build up to achieving friends or foe's who will stand up to battle and face Tohan and who will side with the evil monster. Miss Snyder has left me wondering, wondering what direction she will take the Healer series, and I highly anticipate the third book to be epic, as this book seems to be a stepping stone of sorts.

Scent of Magic was one of those books that definitely weren't bad, but could have been so much better. It was enjoyable, but compared to Touch of Power, I probably expected more.

The main issue for me was the plot. In Touch of Power I was enchanted with Belen, the "monkeys", Kerrick, and Flea's interactions. I loved the action, chases, spells, and the magic portrayed in the book! In Scent of Magic, due to some plot events, the crew was split up, taking that charming family away from each other. As for the plot, for the majority of the first half of the book, instead of magical battles I got a lot of talking and training. For me, it wasn't boring, but considering the excitement I loved in the last book, I guess I wanted more action...

The second half of the book, however, was more exciting. There was more action on Avry's part, and some of the original group got back together (: There's also some mystery & investigating on Avry's part, which might come as shocking, although there are some small hints!

Unlike its predecessor, the story is told in both Kerrick and Avry's POV. You get to go into Kerrick's mind, which I enjoyed, but I felt like the plot itself was a bit insignificant in relation to the whole plot. In fact, it seemed like the type of story that would do well as a novella. And this might not be fair judgement from my point, but I didn't like that Kerrick and Avry split up. For one, both of them whined a lot more about each other, even though the readers knew that both characters were actually okay. And again, I missed their friendly banter that I enjoyed in the first book.

Of course, Avry is still a kick-ass heroine, with her wits and strength! Even though I mentioned that the plot's action was slightly lackluster, Avry was the reason why I was still entertained - her firey personality and self reliance pushed me to keep on reading. And while I admired her strength, bravery, and smarts in almost every situation, her vulnerable side when it came to her sister Noelle still shown through. My one complaint is that when someone important to her dies, it never seems like she shows a lot of emotion. Sure, she talks about it for a while, but it didn't seem like her grief was actually shown.

One of my biggest problems with the book, however, was its writing. Maybe it's due to the formatting of the eARC I received, but the changes between Avry and Kerrick were very abrupt. One sentence, they would be talking about Avry training the soldiers, and the next talking about the Krakowa tribe. Throughout the book, I had to reread a lot of sections just to figure out which POV we were in. The ending was also very rushed, although I admit this is a problem in a lot of books. The dialogue was rushed, and the "final battle" was also pretty short. There's also a huge cliffhanger which I didn't quite mind, although now I'm impatiently waiting for the next book!

But one more thing - the so-called villain, Tohon, also didn't seem as threatening anymore. He seemed... weaker I guess? It seemed like it was too easy for Avry to take advantage of him sometimes, and he didn't seem like a true threat anymore. Maybe it's because of the eventual plot development at the end, but he didn't seem as strong.

Overall, Scent of Magic, compared to Touch of Power, wasn't as exciting for me. While it wasn't a train wreck, I still was a bit disappointed :/ Nevertheless, I enjoyed the second half of the book, as well as the cliffhanger (ugh!), so hopefully I'll fall in love with Taste of Death! Fans of the Healer series may enjoy this book, as some have, although I still feel like it would be important to read the second installment if you plan to read the whole series, since there still were some pretty important plot developments.

*Thank you to Harlequin & NetGalley for the review copy of this book*

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

I've been a fan of Maria V. Snyder for a while. I stumbled upon her Study series sort of by accident, as I would not call myself a fantasy reader by any means, and I found I really enjoyed it. I know when I read one of her books that I'm going to be getting compelling characters and very complete, detailed world-building. Sometimes I have found the attention to detail tedious, but I think that's more me than Snyder.

Scent of Magic is the sequel to Touch of Power, which I read last summer and really enjoyed. I was looking forward to reading more about Avry, Kerrick and their friends in their quest to bring peace to the realms. While I did enjoy this second installment, it definitely suffers from "second book in a trilogy syndrome." A lot of the things that I loved about the first book unfortunately do not show up either at all or much. Avry and her band of merry men, for example, aren't together but briefly in Scent and reading about their journey together in Touch was one of my favorite parts. Also, Avry and her interaction with the villains, Tohon and Jael, which was lots of fun in Touch, is pretty minimal here. Perhaps most disappointing was that the newly in-love Avry and Kerrick are apart for 99.9% of the book. I needed more kissing!

I did like that Snyder continued to build the world and the war seamlessly. Lots of detail and little specifics that made it very easy to visualize. I found many items very creative and unique, such as the continued use of the lilies, Tohon's dead army and the various magical powers, and they added a lot to the experience. The characters are also still great, though because they were spread out in location throughout the book, it appeared that Snyder didn't have a chance to devote a lot of growth to any one of them. I also want to point out that I LOVE that Snyder puts women in positions of power. Having Jael serve as a general in Estrid's army and involving many female sargents was something I really appreciated. There is a lot of action here and we're left with a pretty big cliffhanger, so I'll definitely stick around to read the conclusion!

3/5

A journey to discovering secrets, making new friends, as well as reconnecting with old friends. With lies, and deception, and an imposing war, that include vile creatures, and zombie like soldier's, Fantasy fans will enjoy the next phase in the healer series, and will be left yearning for the the next book.

The second installment of the Healer series picks up right where the first one ends, Avry has escaped Tohan's deranged hand, none to well. Lay dying, she is saved by Kerrick and he has brought her back from the brink of death, but as Kerrick is the only one whom knows what has happened to Avry, the others in her group are left to fear she has succumbed to her injuries, Kerrick comes up with a plan so only Avry and himself know she is alive, as they continue to fight Tohan and is soilder's.

Now, Avry must hide her identity, with magic as she ventures through part of the Nine mountains, alone, having parted ways with Kerrick, so they keep up their rouse, of her being dead, he must too, venture alone back to his kingdom, and the others whom await word from him, as to what direction needs to be taken as far as Tohan and his army goes.

Avry, knowing the only person left of her surviving family, whom despises her, is still alive, has left Avry with the need to save her, as well as trying to save another young girl, she heads off to where both girls are at, a place where Tohan has not yet acquired, in his journey to take over and rule all the kingdoms of the land, Estrid's Army.
Keeping her rouse Avry, becomes Irnia, as she squirms her way into the army of Estrid's company, and explains to them she can teach them to move through the forest without detection, a valuable skill, they allow her into the army as she is now Sergeant Irnia, of the Gubkin Realm. Becoming close to the groups of leaders of the army, proving her worth leaves her with allies, as she teaches them the skill that was once taught to her by Kerrick, she knows this skill will come in handy while battling the army of the dead.

Kerrick in the meantime has to keep up his rouse of Avry's death as he is left to journey in the opposite direction as her and return to his kingdom to become what he is destined to become, King, a role he is not interested in. He also must keep up his rouse, and lie to his small ban of soldier's whom, have journeyed with both Avry, and Kerrick in the first book. These men have grown to love Avry, like a sister, and Kerrick whom also loves Avry, but as more of a woman, must fake being sad, and lie to them about her being alive. Saddened, the small group has now separated and have their own duties in the role they play in the fight against Tohan and his army of the dead.

Because so much happens in this book, I'm not going to spoil it for you, but I will say that once you get into the story it does develop well and I enjoyed it more and more as the story continued. The last half of the book, had secrets revealed, battles, escapes, unlikely friends, and surprises, as well as death, hardship, and more. As the ending shared more than one surprise we are left with a cliffhanger, the next book in the series Taste Of Death, won't be released until 2014, oh woe is me....

Told in dual pov's throughout the book left me confused at first, as well as picking up from the last book, I felt I needed a refresher in the beginning, but once I got used to switching over of the POV's and I remembered the events from the last book, this one started to flow well at about the 40% mark is where I would say I started to enjoy this book. Being that Kerrick and Avry where not together, like in the first book, I wasn't too sure I would enjoy the direction Miss Snyder was heading, but she proved me wrong, and I did enjoy the story, as well as the many new characters throughout the book. As it seems the impending war has yet to begin fully, in this book it seems to be a slow build up to achieving friends or foe's who will stand up to battle and face Tohan and who will side with the evil monster. Miss Snyder has left me wondering, wondering what direction she will take the Healer series, and I highly anticipate the third book to be epic, as this book seems to be a stepping stone of sorts.

Scent of Magic was one of those books that definitely weren't bad, but could have been so much better. It was enjoyable, but compared to Touch of Power, I probably expected more.

The main issue for me was the plot. In Touch of Power I was enchanted with Belen, the "monkeys", Kerrick, and Flea's interactions. I loved the action, chases, spells, and the magic portrayed in the book! In Scent of Magic, due to some plot events, the crew was split up, taking that charming family away from each other. As for the plot, for the majority of the first half of the book, instead of magical battles I got a lot of talking and training. For me, it wasn't boring, but considering the excitement I loved in the last book, I guess I wanted more action...

The second half of the book, however, was more exciting. There was more action on Avry's part, and some of the original group got back together (: There's also some mystery & investigating on Avry's part, which might come as shocking, although there are some small hints!

Unlike its predecessor, the story is told in both Kerrick and Avry's POV. You get to go into Kerrick's mind, which I enjoyed, but I felt like the plot itself was a bit insignificant in relation to the whole plot. In fact, it seemed like the type of story that would do well as a novella. And this might not be fair judgement from my point, but I didn't like that Kerrick and Avry split up. For one, both of them whined a lot more about each other, even though the readers knew that both characters were actually okay. And again, I missed their friendly banter that I enjoyed in the first book.

Of course, Avry is still a kick-ass heroine, with her wits and strength! Even though I mentioned that the plot's action was slightly lackluster, Avry was the reason why I was still entertained - her firey personality and self reliance pushed me to keep on reading. And while I admired her strength, bravery, and smarts in almost every situation, her vulnerable side when it came to her sister Noelle still shown through. My one complaint is that when someone important to her dies, it never seems like she shows a lot of emotion. Sure, she talks about it for a while, but it didn't seem like her grief was actually shown.

One of my biggest problems with the book, however, was its writing. Maybe it's due to the formatting of the eARC I received, but the changes between Avry and Kerrick were very abrupt. One sentence, they would be talking about Avry training the soldiers, and the next talking about the Krakowa tribe. Throughout the book, I had to reread a lot of sections just to figure out which POV we were in. The ending was also very rushed, although I admit this is a problem in a lot of books. The dialogue was rushed, and the "final battle" was also pretty short. There's also a huge cliffhanger which I didn't quite mind, although now I'm impatiently waiting for the next book!

But one more thing - the so-called villain, Tohon, also didn't seem as threatening anymore. He seemed... weaker I guess? It seemed like it was too easy for Avry to take advantage of him sometimes, and he didn't seem like a true threat anymore. Maybe it's because of the eventual plot development at the end, but he didn't seem as strong.

Overall, Scent of Magic, compared to Touch of Power, wasn't as exciting for me. While it wasn't a train wreck, I still was a bit disappointed :/ Nevertheless, I enjoyed the second half of the book, as well as the cliffhanger (ugh!), so hopefully I'll fall in love with Taste of Death! Fans of the Healer series may enjoy this book, as some have, although I still feel like it would be important to read the second installment if you plan to read the whole series, since there still were some pretty important plot developments.

*Thank you to Harlequin & NetGalley for the review copy of this book*

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

I've been a fan of Maria V. Snyder for a while. I stumbled upon her Study series sort of by accident, as I would not call myself a fantasy reader by any means, and I found I really enjoyed it. I know when I read one of her books that I'm going to be getting compelling characters and very complete, detailed world-building. Sometimes I have found the attention to detail tedious, but I think that's more me than Snyder.

Scent of Magic is the sequel to Touch of Power, which I read last summer and really enjoyed. I was looking forward to reading more about Avry, Kerrick and their friends in their quest to bring peace to the realms. While I did enjoy this second installment, it definitely suffers from "second book in a trilogy syndrome." A lot of the things that I loved about the first book unfortunately do not show up either at all or much. Avry and her band of merry men, for example, aren't together but briefly in Scent and reading about their journey together in Touch was one of my favorite parts. Also, Avry and her interaction with the villains, Tohon and Jael, which was lots of fun in Touch, is pretty minimal here. Perhaps most disappointing was that the newly in-love Avry and Kerrick are apart for 99.9% of the book. I needed more kissing!

I did like that Snyder continued to build the world and the war seamlessly. Lots of detail and little specifics that made it very easy to visualize. I found many items very creative and unique, such as the continued use of the lilies, Tohon's dead army and the various magical powers, and they added a lot to the experience. The characters are also still great, though because they were spread out in location throughout the book, it appeared that Snyder didn't have a chance to devote a lot of growth to any one of them. I also want to point out that I LOVE that Snyder puts women in positions of power. Having Jael serve as a general in Estrid's army and involving many female sargents was something I really appreciated. There is a lot of action here and we're left with a pretty big cliffhanger, so I'll definitely stick around to read the conclusion!

3/5

Reviewed by SUZANNE & posted at Under the Covers Book Blog

I liked that she [Maria V Snyder] has created a genuinely strong female lead who manages to not only save herself most the time, but to protect the people around her; too often supposedly "strong" female characters still need the male to come along and save the day. ~ Under the Covers

Avry is the last Healer in the Fifteen Realms, making her valuable to friends and enemies alike, but with the exception of the man she loves, Kerrick, they all think she's dead. But the insane King Tohon grows more powerful, especially as he can command an army of the dead and Avry must come out of hiding and do all she can to help stop him despite her fear of him. Meanwhile rumours of another invasion abound and Kerrick must return home and do all he can to stop it, leaving Avry all alone...

In Touch of Power the first book in this series, I remember it being very similar, too similar, to her Study series, the characters and the story were too close and although I enjoyed it I was a little disappointed. However, I am glad I carried on reading as although the similarities are still there Scent of Magic seemed to breakaway and form its own identity.

What I really enjoyed about this book was the story, Touch of Power was just a warm up to get to the real action in this book, I found couldn't wait to see what would happen next and what the characters would do as war starts to break on the Fifteen Realms. What was also great was the characters, especially Avry, I liked that she has created a genuinely strong female lead who manages to not only save herself most the time, but to protect the people around her, too often supposedly "strong" female characters still need the male to come along and save the day.

This book also switched POVs from Avry to Kerrick, and although it was essential and interesting to see what was happening on the other side of the Kingdom, I felt that it switched over far too often. You would just be getting into what was happening with Kerrick and then it would go back to Avry and although I feel the switched POVS did add to the story, it was frustrating as they felt so short.

I really liked this book and am really getting into this series, it has all the things I love about books, fantasy in particular, adventure, magic, great storytelling and romance. I can't wait to read what happens next!

*ARC provided by publisher

I really enjoyed the first book in Maria V. Snyder's new Healer series, when I read it last year so I was excited to receive a copy of Scent of Magic.
Beginning just a few days after the final scenes in Touch of Power, Avery, who is presumed dead, and Prince Kerrick are forced to separate. While Kerrick must return to his kingdom and rally his subjects to fight King Tohon, Avery is determined to find her sister despite the risk that she may be exposed.

Snyder shifts between Avery and Kerrick's perspectives throughout the Scent of Magic as they pursue their different paths. Hoping to repair her relationship with her sister, a disguised Avery infiltrates Estrid's camp by rendering her assistance to the soldiers unprepared, due to Estrid's arrogance, to face Tohon's living dead army. Not just content with training Estrid's troops, Avery continues to puzzle over the role the Peace and Death Lily's play in Tohon's magic, eventually discovering a way to defend against the zombies but not before the camp is ambushed by Tohon and Avery is forced to capitulate to him again.

Meanwhile Kerrick returns to Alga to gather his troops to meet with Prince Ryne only to be captured when the warriors of the Northern Wildlands attack. Held prisoner, along with Danny, Kerrick is desperate to escape and rejoin Ryne and Avery, but is unable to defend himself against Winter's Curse - a magic wielded by the tribe's leader.

I'm not sure I liked the dual narrative approach as Avery is the stronger character for me and I was less interested in Kerrick's journey. Avery is actively engaged in the fight against Tohon, her storyline provides plenty of action and intrigue, and reunites her with Ryne, Belen and the monkeys. In contrast, Kerrick's storyline is passive and seemed like a stalling tactic.

While I did enjoy Scent of Magic I felt it was a weaker story than Touch of Power. There is little advancement in plot or character though the mix of action, drama and suspense as well humour and romance creates an easy to read page turner. I'm hoping that the third book, Taste of Death will prove to be stronger.

I was eager to read this book having thoroughly loving the first book. Book 2 picks up right where book 1 left off. Although I loved reading the continuation of Avry's adventures, the delivery seemed off.

This story was captivating like its predecessor, but a bit scattered because there was just so much going on. The story has evolved, grown, and expanded. Avry and Kerrick have missions in different parts of the land sending them in opposite directions and we get to see both of them on their separate but intertwined adventures. Also, it was a bit jarring to read from Avry's POV in first person and then read from Kerrick's POV in third person--it was inconsistent.

Avry is still a great heroine to read about. She's still trying to solve the mystery of the plague and the lilies. She's tough but still a girl. She knows her limits and works with them and around them. I loved that we get to spend time with Kerrick and the merry band of friends. I loved that even though Avy and Kerrick have declared themselves, they haven't changed who they are. Avry is still just as stubborn, and Kerrick is still just as determined. They don't live in each other's pocket, but they have separate adventures.

Even with my hang-up about the delivery, I really liked this story. It made me want to read it all from the very beginning again...which I did. I just had to read book 1 again. And really, it all comes down to that fact: You know it's a good read when it makes you want to revisit the entire series from the beginning again.

I really can't wait until the next story comes out: I'm just so glad that there will be more.

The Healer Series
Touch of Power
Scent of Magic
Taste of Death (1/1/14)

From Nyx @ [...]
I'm not exactly sure how to write this review, but I'll give it my best try. As my rating of 4 stars indicates I reallly liked this book, just not as much as the first one.

When I finished reading it, it left me with an overall hallow feeling, which doesn't make sense with that kind of ending. At first I just couldn't put my finger on why I felt like that, but after reading a friend's review I finally figured it out.

She pointed out how the interactions between the group wasn't prominent at all. It's still there every now and then but just not enough in my opinion.

She also pointed out how she didn't like the switching of POVs. And I agree with her, my main problem lies with the switching of the POVs for a couple of reasons.

1) It really interrupted the flow of the story with the whole going back and forth, especially because of the way how each one ended. I understand the importance of how what happened to Kerrick is gonna play a big part in the final fight but still,I think it could have been handled differently.

2) This book could have made me feel so much more than it did, if it weren't for the fact that the reader knew that Kerrick was still alive and *well* for the most part. So whenever the 'big news' would come to Avry or Ryne, it just fell flat, because it just wasn't shocking at all. So instead of wallowing in grief with Avry for Kerrick's death, I would just fell detached from the whole thing.

With all that said, that's the reason this was a 4 star and not a 5. The writing was still splendid, the plot was great and there was always something going on, there were a few surprises and Avry was still kickass, after all she has gone through, the girl deserves a medal!

Will be waiting * patiently* (yeah, right) for the final installment in this trilogy.

This series has been my first Maria Snyder experience and definitely will not be my last. I love her writing style as well as this story. The first book Touch of Power was wonderful and intriguing and so was Scent of Magic. This story pretty much takes off where the first one left off. Kerrick has gone back to his kingdom to make sure all is well, which it is and isn't thanks to his brother Isak. Isak is standing in for Kerrick and has made some really dumb choices, in regards to their kingdom, wanted to throttle him sometimes. He does mean well, just a little naive. There is rumored that the Northern tribes are moving south, Kerrick goes off to check things out, and finds all sorts of trouble along the way. I really like Kerrick he is chivalrous, kind, stubborn, handsome, has awesome magical talents, humorous, and he loves Avery. Avery more than has her hands full as she tries to help Queen Etried and her army conquer and defend against King Tohon, heal the injured, try and figure out who is spying for Tohon, get back in the good graces of her sister Noelle, worry over the well being of her soul-mate Kerrick, and find away to stop the undead creatures those things give me the creeps gross. What is up with Tohon thinking it is no big deal to use dead humans and make them the undead. Can't he see this is not going to endear Avery to him, yep he has lost his mind. The funny thing is I want to like him there are moments where he comes off so honest and sincere, gets that he is a total mess thanks to his dad, then he goes and does psychopathic things. His character is written so well the guy you love to hate:) All of our favorite characters are back, and won't you be surprised about some of them. Avery does figure out who the traitor is, oh my. The ending was perfect, tied up the loss ends, and sets up nicely for the third book. This has become one of my all time favorite series.

Mild language
clean read

I adore Maria Snyder's work. My favorite is still her Poison Study series, but Touch of Power really struck a cord with me and was similar in so many ways. Since Maria is on my must read list, it was a no-brainer that I would be reading this one.

I love how take charge Avry is in this book. She readily makes decisions for herself and follows through with them. I never felt like she made any hasty decisions. Some wrong ones yes, but always in the hope to get to the bottom of things and find answers. I also love that fact that its obvious she loves Kerrick (and he loves her), but their feelings for each other do not get in the way of what they both feel they have to do. I was intrigued by Avry's thoughts on the Peace and Death Lilly's. Everytime she lets one of the flowers take her, I always hold my breathe a little bit that it might be the time that they don't let her go. I found that theory that the flowers are attracted to the potential of magic to be particularly fascinating because it plays such a huge surprising role in this book.

The story isn't particularly fast paced, but it's action packed. There are so many different things going on. Avry is busy with undercover work in Estrid's Army. I love that she teaches them how to move through the woods just like Kierran taught her to do. Kierran is trying to stop a vicious northern tribe from annihilating his homeland. But to do that, he has to go home to the people and family he's left behind. And while a lot of his story seems to just complication the plot, I wonder the greater purpose. Especially the tribe...I think they might come in handy in the future.

I'm most curious what King Tohon's next move is. I know what he wants, but he seems to be playing around at getting it. Although what he did with his undead army was just awesome. I want to see how this can all possibly wrap up in the next book...

Maria has done it again. This next instalment of the Healer series is just as amazing as I've come to expect of her writing.
I love the world that she's created. It has magic elements, but I can totally see myself a part of what she describes. There are beautiful descriptions as well as awesome emotional detail that pulls me in and has me invested in the characters. When something happens, whether it is tragedy striking or a moment of joy, I want to celebrate or cry right along with them.
I loved being in Avry's head, and the use of 1st person POV. She has such a great voice and she amuses me with her wit and awes me with her intelligence. It is always a pleasure to watch her interact with Kerrick, Belen, the monkeys as well as some new and intriguing characters she finds herself surrounded by. She commands respect, even if it is not at first glance. She knows her craft, and I enjoy that confidence.
We also get to be in Kerrick's head, and that is also quite a perspective. The only thing that threw me, was the switches in POV and perspective. It was fine mostly going from 1st to 3rd person, but in the arc, there was really no indication that it was switching and I would often be confused until I realized that the perspectives had switched. This is an easy fix, and I am hoping that the finished copy will have something more distinctive.
Anyways, back to more of what I loved. There was so many things going on with the plot, and Avry kept finding new ways to get herself in the thick of action, "in trouble again." This book is in no way a filler, there was so many major events that happened, as well as new trials and plots that bring more to be resolved in the next book. Speaking of, I cannot wait to get it in my hands and find out what happens next.
Bottom line: I love this series, the characters and Maria's writing.

Oh, Maria V. Snyder. I keep reading your books, hoping something will match the brilliance of POISON STUDY and no, not yet. SCENT OF MAGIC, like its prequel, is entertaining enough and a fast read. All of Snyder's trademarks are here, the good and the bad. I love the worlds Snyder creates, and Avry's world of the Fifteen Realms is no exception. Snyder never relies upon a stereotypical medieval setting to build her fantasy world. On the downside, there's usually some jarring "anachronisms". I know it's a fantasy world, but every so often, a government system or a line of dialogue or an object won't quite fit within the world of fantasy. She's got her female protagonist with a unique gift and knack for getting into trouble (usually somewhat willingly) and a surly, protective love interest, although this time, the love interest takes a turn narrating the story too. There's a fun cast of supporting characters, and I always enjoy the friendships that arise between the female protagonist and some of the men of the group. It's something that Snyder does well. There's a slightly insane villain. Snyder's writing, as always, is questionable at times, but the draw of Snyder's books is always her unique worldbuilding. SCENT OF MAGIC is another read that is sure to delight fans of Maria V. Snyder. If you're new to her books, though, don't start here. Start with TOUCH OF POWER (the first book in this series) or with POISON STUDY, which is unrelated but definitely her best book.

This review will contain spoilers from book one so be warned!

On the run, and happily under the radar, Avry has a new mission. She must find her sister Noelle, help save the kingdoms from Tohon and place herself in greater danger than she's ever known.

I don't want to give away too much but let's just say it's such a great read.

Full of twists and turns, I followed Avry and Kerrick closely, each on their own path. No one is safe and our main characters face dangers like they have never seen, including Tohon's army of walking dead, and the threat that he will make everyone into them.

The book moves fast, even faster than book one. So much so I had to re-read certain parts. There's pain, grief, love and betrayal. The ending is full of surprises, good and bad. And what a cliffhanger!

My only nudge was the constant back and forth between Kerrick and Avry. Avry's story is still in first person narrative, and Kerrick's storyline is told in third person. It was a bit jarring going back and forth. I understand why we saw both story lines, and Kerrick and Avry are apart for most of the book, but every time we jumped back, it took me out of the story. I would have liked maybe third person through the whole book, just to even out the flow? That's my only real gripe.

I wanted to call in sick to work so bad! The days were longer and I couldn't wait to get home and read.
A solid addition to this series. I can't wait until Book Three.

After reading the first few chapters I actually went back and double-checked that it was indeed written by Snyder. It seems to lack her natural flair and intricate world-building ability. The beginning was confusing and the end was what I would expect of a novice storyteller. Only the main body of the book seemed to have an essence of what Snyder is capable of. It is almost as if she has taken a step back from the series.
Knowing what an incredible abundance of creativity and character development she usually packs into her books, I was more than a little surprised.

Avry is back from the dead and eager to go undercover to defeat Tohon. The boundaries between life and death are at the very least not a black and white issue anymore. What was alive is dead and yet still walking around and what is supposed to be dead seems to be quite alive. This state of affairs is linked to a secret substance created by Tohon.
The return of the healer is met with suspicion and mistrust by even those closest to her. That makes it harder for Avry to identify friend or foe.
I would like to see Snyder delve a little deeper into the connection of the plants with Avry, who has become a bit of a Lily-whisperer.
Her relationship with Kerrick was completely secondary to the plot and even the strange attraction to the evil one himself took more of backburner during the story.
What Snyder did focus on was the war and the surrounding tribes, possibly with an eye on future conflicts to come.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for my review.