Magic Study is the second installment of Maria V. Snyder Poison Study series. I must say that I loved this book even more than the first!Yelena is finally reintroduced to her family. Her mother and father are delighted at her return but her brother doesn’t seem as thrilled. In fact he doesn’t seem to like her at all. She isn’t left much time to spend with her family as she must go into her magic training with Irys.Her brother has other plans for her. He is sure that she is a spy sent by her former home Ixia. So sure that he leads her into an ambush by Cahil, who believes he is the true King of Ixia. But knowing Yelena she doesn’t have any problems getting herself into trouble or out of it.When she finally makes it to the Citadel to begin her magic training she is faced with instructors who don’t seem to trust her of her new found abilities. On top of that a rogue magician is taking the lives of numerous young girls. Yelena of course joins in the hunt for the killer, but is pleasantly surprised when a diplomatic mission from Ixia arrives, with Valek in disguise.Yelena continues to impress me as does the writing of Snyder. I couldn’t put this book down! I love these characters! ( )

Having foiled an assassination plot against Commander Ambrose and conquered some of her own personal demons, Yelena is on her way to Sitia to reunite with her family and be trained as a magician. Her clan welcomes her with open arms, except for her brother Leif, who is sullen and distant. She then travels to the Magician's Citadel to begin her magic training with Irys. However, matters are soon complicated by the arrival of Cahil, a claimant to the Ixian monarchy (and thus a challenger to the Commander's power). There is also a violent criminal at large who kidnaps, rapes, and tortures girls, then steals their souls. Yelena must face not only a delegation from Ixia (among whom are a few familiar faces), but also the animosity of warring Sitian clans, the evil power of this serial killer (which is the main plotline of the novel), and of course the development of her own magical talent. I didn't find this quite as suspenseful as Poison Study, but there was definitely enough to keep me interested, and I'm eager to read Fire Study next.

The only complaint I'd have about this book is that there are several points where there is a "recap" of stuff from the first book in the series. Since I read the books back-to-back, this was a bit annoying, but would be useful if one hadn't read them so close together.

The story is engaging and unpredictable. You care about the characters and want things to work out for them. It is a fantasy series with a female protagonist written with adults in mind and yet there is no obscenity or graphic sex.

Perfect!

I'm starting Fire Study next and have myself on the pre-order list for Snyder's next series... ( )

The continuing adventures of Yelena. This time she's come South to train as a magician, and meet her family and the like.

There is a wonderfully alive and different culture, and the mismatch between Yelena's expectations and background and what she finds in Sitia is beautifully handled.

Of course, this being Yelena, things don't go smoothly. First, although not bad for her, her magic abilities seem odd compared to most and that takes some adjustment.

But then Yelena gets called in to try and help the victim of a rape who is in a coma. She finds evidence of a serial rapist and heads off to take care of it. This brings her into conflict with the Sitians, who tend to sit around and discuss things first whereas her Ixian background tends to turn her to direct action. This leads to a number of collisions with her mentor and the like, and high adventure.

There are sub-plots too - she meets the Ixian heir to the throne, her romance with Velak continues apace and so on.

A good romping read. A bit light, but that helps it romp along faster. ( )

Note: Magic Study is the second in a trilogy. This review assumes you've read the first book, Poison Study. For my recommendation, skip to after the asterisks.

Yelena is on her way home to Sitia to meet her family after a fourteen-year separation. Because she was kidnapped at the age of six, she has no memory of her early childhood. The trip is bittersweet: Although she will soon know what it is like to have a family and a clan, Yelena has left her lover, Valeck, and friends Ari and Janco behind. And once she's seen her homeland, she will leave it to enroll in the magic school at the Citadel to study with her mentor, Irys.

Life in the south is not good for Yelena. While she is learning to hone her magic skills and is discovering some of her talents, she is met with hostility--even from her older brother, Lief--and is accused of being a spy for Ixia. Her classmates and teachers are jealous of her skills, a group of rebels are threatening to invade the north, young girls are being raped and murdered, and Yelena is being stalked by at least one enemy. She barely has a peaceful moment, and her burdens are heavy.

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Magic Study focuses on a transition in Yelena's life, from enslaved child to independent woman. The exploration of her personality, magical abilities, and relationships with others is strong. Unfortunately, many of the characters introduced in this book seem to lack depth. I was disappointed that her family was not more fully developed. I'm not sure I understand Yelena's mother and her odd behavior, and Lief's motives were weak. Teachers at the Citadel seem to be either good or bad, and we don't learn much about them.

On the other hand, I like the spirited, strong Yelena and will definitely finish off the trilogy (with Fire Study). This is not a complex fantasy world filled with numerous creatures and cultures. Instead the books tell the story of one young woman and her struggles to overcome adversity and find her place in the world.

Magic Study could have used a stronger editor; the abundance of similes is sometimes annoying. In this Harlequin publication, romance is neither in the forefront nor excessive.

I've listened to the first two entries in the trilogy via audiobooks, read by Gabra Zackman. The narration is clear and nicely done. ( )