Friday, August 31, 2012

Friday's Forgotten Gems: Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

Sometimes I feel like I've missed out on some of the "older" YA books. By older I mean books that were published in the early 2000's. From today on out Friday's will feature older books that can be read by way of a library or a used books store. This reviews will be a bit shorter then normal, though. They will also not included a star rating. 

Title: Poison Study
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Publisher: Mira Books
Publication Date: June 1, 2004
Source: Library
Add to your shelves 

Summary: Choose: A quick death…Or slow poison…

About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace—and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.

And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dust—and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison.

As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can't control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren't so clear…

Review: Poison Study caught me by surprise. I'd heard of it before and I knew that it was supposed to be really good. So when I saw in at the library I jumped at the chance to read it. Little did I know that this book would blow me away with its creativity.

Other then the characters what I loved most about Poison Study was the world. Ixia is a strange place, but one that I loved. Snyder describes the transition of Ixia from a world full of magicians and kings to a harsh world with a Commander and generals beautifully. Sometimes I think fantasy worlds are overdone and boring but Ixia is a refreshing one, and I can't wait to go back.

Yelana is a character that I had to warm up. Though, after the first couple of chapters I was invested in her. She's a quick learner and one that isn't afraid to do what she believes is right. I loved seeing Yelana grow stronger both physically and as a character in Poison Study.

The romance in this one is delectably slow but the plot line is fast paced and engaging. I loved both of these aspects and they made this book all the better.

Poison Study is a new favorite of mine and I'm dying to get my hands on the second book!

1 comments:

Lisa said...

I've heard good things about this book too. I'll have to see if my Library has it.

Have I told you lately how much I like this feature!

Post a Comment

I love getting comments! They make my day! Thanks for stopping by. This is an award free blog!

Related Posts with Thumbnails
 
Blog Design By Use Your Imagination Designs Inspired by Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater