Book 1), Poison Study (Study

In love with Yelena and the world building excited there are more to read. The character development was fun and believable. I like that the romance wasn't all consuming to the narrative and that Yelena free and developed in many ways.

(Originally posted on my blog, That Artsy Reader Girl. I bought my copy from a seller other than the store.)

Much like Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games, I was really worried about this book. I don't usually like books where the main character(s) are violently mistreated. In both instances, I read the back of each book and skeptically thought, "Who on Earth could enjoy such a violent and tragic storyline?" However, I'd heard AMAZING things from friends and fellow book-a-holics that I trusted. I loved The Hunger Games, so I dove right into this book with the same expectations. I loved this one too!

Yelena lives in the land of Ixia. She has been convicted of murder, and is therefore sentenced to death by hanging. While lying in her dark, grimy, rat-infested dungeon cell she awaits the noose made especially for her. After living in that cell for just under a year, a guard comes and scrapes her emaciated body off the floor and takes her away. She can only assume it's her turn to die. However, she is presented with a way to live--a new life. There's a catch, though. If she's going to live, she has to do it as a servant in the Commander's home as his food taster. The previous food taster has died, and since the favorable method of assassination is by poison, the commander needs a new food taster immediately. The code states that the next person in line for the noose has to be offered the position. She accepts, thinking that surely there will be opportunity for escape in the future. Valek, her new handler, takes her through an extensive training curriculum, even poisoning her in the process. She comes through with a complete knowledge of all the poisons and begins her job.

Brazell, the father of the man Yelena murdered wants her dead. Her life becomes an obsession of his and she has to fight him and his guards off along the way. Not only is he after her, but so are some of the other servants she lives with. On top of that, someone has noticed some special powers she possesses and insists on either killing her or training her. If she does not learn to control these powers, she could cause major trouble for not only herself, but the world she lives in. This makes life difficult, obviously, and Valek, takes her into his suite so he can protect her. Along with Valek, she finds a few friends in the castle who help her and teach her new things.

When a conspiracy arises against the Commander, Yelena is forced into the middle of all of it. She has to face the man who drove her to kill, the demons of her past, and the man who just might ruin her future. She also has to quickly discover her true potential in order to help protect those she is bound to by vow and bound to by love. Throw in a ton of suspenseful scenes, some menacing characters, and a love interest or two, Yelena is in for a bumpy ride on the road to self-discovery, love, loyalty, and friendship.

I really enjoyed the unique storyline and cast of characters. Yelena is so spunky. You'd think that with the crappy past she had and the dismal life she ends up surrendering to, she'd be all whiny and woe-is-me all the time. She's a fighter! She takes no crap and she kicks butt a few times! It's really entertaining and refreshing to see such a strong female character. Here's this skinny, weak little thing fighting off some of the strongest and most evil people ever. There's a few lessons I think I need to learn from her. I loved Valek from the beginning. He's got that hardened, cold, stand-offish persona but you just know there's a teddy bear in there somewhere. That kind of man is very appealing and you'll know what I mean if you've read about a man like him. The other characters were also likable. Really, the only ones I did not like were the villains (go figure). The storyline was so unique to me that it really pulled me in. I was constantly turning pages wondering how the author would treat the subject matter. It took me way too long to read, since I was on vacation, but it kept calling to me from my carry-on bag or my suitcase.

I could not give the book 5 stars, just because I really hated how horrible some of the people in this book were treated. I had a hard time hearing about the sad life of Yelena, as well as the people from her past. I loved the suspense, the little bit of romance, and the unique storyline.

I bought this as a "Tweener" while my wife finished the book i wanted to read next. 3 books later I had read the whole trilogy non-stop. But that does not make it a great book or series. The entire series is wall to wall action and Poison Study, the first in the series introduces us to the heroine. She has about every form of good and bad fortune that can be crammed into a shortish novel. Despite the over the top strains on our willingness to believe, she is an engaging girl and the whole story is fun. So if you are traveling and want some non-stop action, this will do just fine.

"This book is a fantastic start to an exciting series! I loved the characters and the many plot twists. Also, having extensively studied Soviet Russia, the political and practical aspects of Ixia were fascinating. It struck me as what a young Lenin had hoped for, before things became corrupted. Order, efficiency, everyone with a purpose, not a perfect world, but not necessarily a bad one either. Wonderfully imagined!"

I could not believe how quickly this book hooked my attention. It was definitely one of the best fantasy/romance books I've read in a very long time...
The poisons really made the book intriguing to me. I've been interested in this kind of assasin/espionage plot line since The Belgariad and Mallorean (Eddings).
The romantic plot line was also very well-written... and it wasn't necessary obvious that a relationship would develop, which keeps it interesting.
READ THIS BOOK!

Yelena was ready to die. She committed the crime of murder and she was more than willing to pay the price. After nearly a year of being imprisoned she was ready to accept her fate and welcome the noose.

By killing the General's son, she stopped his abuses on her. But more importantly she stopped him from unleashing his cruelty on the other orphans - her sisters. And she would do it all again.

But when the dictates of the land allowed her the choice to become Commander Ambrose's next food taster instead of being immediately executed, she decided that living was worth the risk.

Even if her days would be spent living in fear of being poisoned. Even if she had to live with the constant threat of being killed by the General's men for what she did to his son. Even if it meant that any friendships she made would be short-lived. And even if it meant she would be living without a soul.

But being the taster was more than Yelena bargained for. Poisoned so that she would remain bound into service, tested so that she would stay sharp, pursued by unknown enemies and betrayed by someone she trusted, made her question her choice to live. Because what she was doing didn't feel very much like living.

And when she learned something about herself, a dangerous secret that, if it were ever discovered, could cost her not only her life but her heart, it made execution start to sound like a much better option.

***

Poison Study is an enchanting adventure and a thrilling mystery filled with action, danger, excitement and suspense from start to finish. With characters that are immediately captivating, a strong heroine with an unbelievably heartbreaking story who becomes even stronger, and an unlikely and surprising hero, Poison Study will charm readers and entrap them in this tantalizing world the author has created.

Yelena is a girl sentenced to death for killing General Brazell's son Reyad. She gets a stay of execution by becoming a food taster for the Ixian Commander as is her right under their Code of Behavior. While it's not much of a choice, it does mean she avoids the noose and gets a chance to live, for a little while longer at least. The choice is hers. And even after all the years of torture and cruelty she endured, she still chooses life.

As she first learns to become an expert on recognizing poisons and then learns what it means to hope and to live and to love, Yelena discovers that she wants more than just to survive and that she is more. More capable, more powerful and more dangerous than even she knew.

But life as a taster is not without risk, and being a murderer does not leave her without enemies. As Yelena tries to regain her strength and learns how to trust, to fight and to live, she must not only keep the Commander safe but she must also keep and eye out for those who want her dead.

With known and unknown enemies after her, a job that puts her life in danger with every meal, and a secret she's keeping that could mean instant death at the hands of someone she cares about, Yelena must find a way to escape before she is either killed or her secret is revealed and her career as a taster ends up being a short one.

Maria V. Snyder created an absolutely lovable character in Yelena and an absolutely magical and intriguing world and story. Each twist in the story will keep readers glued to the page, each moment that Yelena is under attack will keep readers on the edge of their seats and each dead end Yelena comes up against in solving the mystery or in trying to find a way to break free is a nail-biting and utterly nerve-wracking experience.

Poison Study has an amazing flow, the story is totally bewitching and the characters are incredibly varied. They're a wonderful mix of lovable and charming, mysterious and intriguing, fierce, deadly and unbelievably sexy, endearing, warm and fiercely protective, and evil, detestable and downright despicable.

It's a story that is unputdownable and will be impossible to break free of even after the last line. It's a world that readers will be intrigued by and will want to return to instantly for the next installment in the series.

There is no complicated love triangle. There is no gigantic cliffhanger. But for readers who are looking for a story with characters that are a bit older, for a setting that feels like its gone back to a time of magic and castles and kings, and for a story with an incredibly courageous and remarkable heroine and a fiercely loyal and intelligent and strong hero, then Poison Study is an absolute must devour.

Personally I love books with just the right amount of magic. Something that can be explained and isn't just a plot device with glowing girls dancing around. Prison, politics and control are all present in this book and it is great. And this is the start to the series.I also love that you can get this book for just the shipping price from used sellers in great condition.

Enjoyable, somewhat predictable. Neat description of an alternate world that borrows from both feudalism and early 20th century military/fascist societies. Does contain some detailed descriptions of torture and some tasty descriptions of food.

Yelena has been convicted of murder is literally dragged from her own death-by-fire and offered an alternative to a fiery end - a lifetime position as the Commander's food-taster/poison checker. She chooses poison tasting and is immediately given some starter poison to work with. She'll need to turn up for work each day to receive her daily dose of antidote. The previous food-taster lasted about 6 months before succumbing to poison so she won't have long to dodge the wrath of General Brazell, the father of the person she killed.

Yep, this is a page turner.

Valek, the Commander's right-hand-man, teaches her to identify poison (ideally by not eating it) and the two form a begrudging friendship. Yelena is smart and driven, not merely content to wait for her poisonous doom or General Brazell to end her days. She takes every opportunity to research a permanent antidote to her current poison problem. And she plots her escape by training with a handful of the Commander's elite troops. There are also hints that Yelena may have hidden talents beyond her ability to sniff out well-hidden food additives.

This is the first book in what will likely turn out to be a trilogy (don't they all?) by a first-time author. It starts strong and I felt the whole poisoned poison-taster angle was refreshingly original. Her relationship with Valek is unique and engaging - he poisons her, saves her repeatedly, cares for her, but clearly would have no issue with slitting her throat if the need arose. It looses some of it's originality in the second half as it starts to track more closely to a traditional fantasy tropes - group of friends with unique powers battling evil. But it's still a strong and intriguing start.

3.5 stars

An intriguing romance novel in fantasy-sheep's-clothing. I gave it a go, even though it is very far from my usual fare. The romance was a bit too pat and played out as a very predictable, by-the-numbers romance including the usual "no one has ever infuriated me as much as you do therefore I love you" declaration.

But the romance isn't the reason for the low rating — there are just too many moments where allegedly intelligent characters act stupidly just to drag out the plot. Some of the examples

- At the feast: Yelena falls asleep, has a notably bizarre dream, wakes up to find a character with a known shady past smirking at her, and Valek says that he detected magic being used at that exact moment. Yet Yelena doesn't think to connect the dots and at least raise the possibility that maybe the sinister guy maybe was the source of the magic? Like, not even to investigate him more?
- When meeting Irys: Irys asks, "Do you know why the king is acting so totally weird?" What Yelena said: "I couldn't tell you." What Yelena should have said: "I'm not really sure but I caught a creepy sinister guy with the Commander and the Commander had a totally vacant stare. Dunno if it is related or not but figured I'd mention it just in case."
- Valek: "I'm suspicious of this new dessert. You should stop eating it, Commander, while we investigate it." Commander: "You're my chief of security but I am going to overrule you because this dessert is really good."

Also: Are you really trying to tell me that Valek couldn't command two soldiers to guard Yelena day and night? The only option was for her to move in with him? Really?

Also, again: in a world where the Rules of Behaviour are so iron-clad and ruthless it is amazing that the repeated "attempted kidnap and murder of the King's Poison Taster" is continually swept under the rug with no repercussions.

This fantasy/romance was an enjoyable read. Yelena escapes the hangman's noose by becoming the food taster for The Commander. Possibly an even trade off as Yelena is trained to recognize the taste of different poisons. Author does a great job at developing the story and the characters. Looking forward to following Yelena's progress in Magic Study!

Poison Study is a great book, and I highly recomend it to fantasy lovers everywhere, for many reasons! These are just a few of them. From the very begining of this book the author hooks you in. There is no way you can not be intrigued from the very first page! The plot is fast moving, but its by no means a too short book. The characters have enough time to shine without taking too much time away from the plot, and I was interested and invested in this book until the very end. Poison Study is deep enough, so we have something to think about, but action packed enough so we dont get bored. All I can say is that if you are looking at this book and cannot decide wether to read it or not, do! You will not be dissapointed.

Dark fantasy is my favorite. Geroge R.R. Martin, Joe Abercrombie, come to mind first and reading the reviews here I took a chance on this book. This is my first book by Maria Snyder and I enjoyed it so much that I purchased the entire series. I must say that the final two books were not as good as Poison Study was but they were good enough that I am looking at getting her new book. I rate this book 4.5 out of five.

I made the mistake of reading Magic Study before Poison Study but it still did not keep me from enjoying this book a lot. I think the character of Yelena is very dynamic and although she does seem a bit older than 18 or 19, that is easily explained by the difficulties she faced in her young life. I think that anyone who enjoyed this book will also enjoy the sequel and I personally am eagerly awaiting the third!

**** the following may be a spoiler ****

I like Valek, especially because, if you really read the book, you can quickly see that many of the things he supposedly did were actually not done by him but he lets everyone think they were to add to his reputation. I think he even says something like "if people think you're willing to do something, you usually won't have to..." although that is not a direct quote, you get the idea. Plus, many of the acts he did commit were largely justified. It's hard to be too judgmental of someone once you know why they've done something (psychopaths excluded, of course).

There is some nice foreshadowing in this book as well, there are times when you can figure out something before the characters, even without having read the sequel first. I like when authors let you wonder when certain things will happen. The reader realizes how Yelena feels about Valek long before she does, for example.

**** end of spoiler ****

I think I read another review that said that certain comments pulled them out of the story because of "modern" references. I don't think this world the author created is meant to be medieval, it's more alternate reality where the societies have not developed much "modern" technology, at least as we understand it. That said, the problems I had were when Yelena would describe certain things as being "like the finest wine" or describe colors in a way that felt out of character for her, she was supposed to have been raised in an orphanage, granted, in a very rich man's house but still an orphanage.

It is a great story that, with very little suspension of disbelief, kept my interest and made me hope for the heroine and the hero to survive the adventure and live happily ever after. But what fun would THAT be for the sequel??

:)

The characters were very realistically depicted and likeable. Yelena is an admirable character but not Mary Sueish. Valek is an impossible to look away from hero. Both have a very well-developed history and background that adds to the realism.
The plotline was excellent. None of the parts seemed rushed or impossible.
The romance was a perfect balance. Not too little to make it barely there and not too much to make it sappy and cliche.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in fantasy and magic.

Unexpected pleasure. Well developed characters with just the right amount of development.
Just finished the second book blends well with just enough back story. Will loose characters along the way but it keeps it real.

I could not put this novel down. It intrigued me with its premise and mesmerized me with the imagery. I needed a good escape and this novel delivered. Wonderfully powerful. The author never let you get too far ahead of the story but gave you enough to think you had figured it out on your own. You don't want to miss this one!

I stumbled across this series a few years ago and was instantly hooked! Every time I read it I am just as enthralled as I was the first time.....you finish one and instantly want to start the next book in the series!

This book is my favorite book. I absolutely love the characters, and the plot is amazing. If you are looking for a book that is a relatively easy read but can be re-read as many times as you want and still get something out of it, this is a book for you. I would recommend this book to those who have liked any other Maria V. Snyder books in the past.

I loved this book! The story was wonderful, strong characters and fun twists. I tend to be conservative in my reading so I would say 17 and older because of some of the descriptions of sexual torture ( not too detailed, and fitting of the story, but still troubling for younger audiences).

I completely loved this book! It was such a great find! The character of Valek is probably my favorite character I have ever read. He is mysterious, strong, an tender. It was so good, I couldn't put it down!

This book had an amazing writing style and engaging plot. I'm a slow reader and I'm devouring the series. It's a nice, fast, anf quickly enagaing read with few slow parts and plenty of mystery. I've already convinced a few people to read it too. It's lovely.

I really loved the unique concept behind Poison Study. I enjoyed this YA novel so much. I am looking forward to the next book in the series. I can great writing and great characters in this book and its full of action and romance.

This book was very well thought out. The story sucked me in from the very first page. I almost didn't buy it because the brief description did not sound that impressive. But after reading the reviews I gave it a try. Very glad I did. Well worth the money.

The first book of this series was tremendous. I would give it a 5 star review. The next two books started to bore me. Each more than the next. SPOILER: The author took wonderful characters (Valek, Janco, Ari, the commander) and replaced them with some insignificant ones (the 4 magicians, various members of the Zaltana clan) and kept on going with the whole magic thing. I really miss the action, suspense, poison, 'knowledge' gained, and excitement of the first book in the next two. The magic didn't ruin the first book. It was just there. But it did get annoying in the next two books. IF anyone has a recommendation for a book similar to poison study but not magic or fire study, I would love to know.

The plot was interesting, but I HATED the first person POV. It was one of the obstacles I chose to overlook while trying to start the book. I found it to be a simple read, nice, but simple. I would have preferred more description and detail put into scenes. I won't continue this series, but this book was enjoyable.