Maria V. Snyder

“But joy was like a butterfly alighting on a hand; a brief rest before flying away.”

I only found this book by accident while browsing for others and was intrigued by the premise. Yelena has been a prisoner in the dungeons of Ixia for almost an year waiting to be executed as a murderer. When the day arrives, she is summoned by the security chief of the kingdom Valek himself and offered a choice – take the noose or take the position as the Commander’s personal food taster. For her, show more it’s a simple choice because she wants to live. But she doesn’t realize how tough her job is going to be; there are always going to be people who want to kill the Commander, but seems like there are people who want to kill her too. Additionally, Valek’s training regimen also involves poisoning her food and asking her to identify it, if any. Escaping General Brazell’s assassins, honing her skills, making friends and uncovering the biggest threat to the kingdom in a long time are just some of her accomplishments through the remainder of the book.

“Maybe if I stayed here long enough, my heart would turn to stone. Then betrayals, tests of loyalties and poisons would have no effect on me.”

I loved Yelena’s character. Initially, we can see that she is troubled by her past and has nightmares. We only get to know the truth slowly, as she is coming to terms with the abuse and torture she was subjected to. We realize why she had to commit the murder but she tries to justify what she has done because despite the truth, she still feels guilty. Slowly, with attacks coming from all sides, she decides to take matters into her own hands and takes up self-defense lessons. Death is staring at her everyday, but she still tries to help whoever she can and always regrets leaving others behind in the past. The way her magical powers form an intrinsic part of her is well described in the book and we can feel the way she uses it when she is desperately in need. Her character growth is exceptional and the writing is so impeccable that we feel ourselves on the same journey of growth as her.

“But you’ve slipped under my skin, invaded my blood and seized my heart.”

Valek initially seems like a loyal advisor to the Commander but a psychopath because he torments Yelena. However, we get to know him better through her eyes and he grows on us just as she understands his motivations and his personality. He is extremely brave, loyal and a master strategist and what I loved most about him was that he never left her behind. He was always there for her when she needed him and encouraged her to be self sufficient in case he couldn’t be. As she falls for him, I did too and it just felt right. The romance angle was very subtle in the book but still gave me all the feels. Yelena also befriends Ari and Janco, Captains in the military and they grow so protective of her that they don’t hesitate to put themselves in danger to protect her. I really hope to see more of them in the next book.

“Sieges weathered, fight together, friends forever.”

On the whole, this book really surprised me. It wasn’t the usual fantasy story. There was a lot of discussion about politics in a military establishment, the injustice in the proclamation of blind justice that doesn’t take intention into consideration, the fact that abundance of opportunities don’t necessarily compensate for curtailed freedoms and the guilt that ravages the heart of a rape and abuse survivor. We see all this and more through Yelena’s eyes and find the flaws and faults that can exist even in a kingdom run by an efficient Commander. The characters are great, the plot is mysterious and the writing very imaginative. I really look forward to reading all the books in this series as soon as I can.

“Everyone makes choices in life. Some bad, some good. It’s called living, and if you want to bow out, then go right ahead. But don’t do it halfway. Don’t linger in whiner’s limbo.” show less

I’ve been trying to get ahold of Snyder’s “Poison Study” after hearing so many positive reviews about it. However, it’s proving to be a tricky book to find, so I thought I would pick up “Touch of Power” and see how I liked her writing. Let me say this: I have been reading fantasy novels almost religiously my whole life. It is my favorite genre, and I always love finding new fantasy authors and books to delve into. But there’s a particular sort of fantasy book I’m always a show more sucker for. You know- the kind with a quest that takes the characters across a world or a realm; the kind with magicians and mages and witches who have fantastic powers; where there are bizarre new creatures; forests full of dappled sunlight and strange plants...Just a really beautiful, fascinating, new world of fantasy with strong characters and plenty of adventure.
That is this book!!

Honestly, a huge chunk of the reason I liked this book was just because of the fact that I love fantasy story like this, and I fell in love with the characters. Those were the two big driving forces for me. The story was just plain FUN! There was always something happening, and the journey felt very realistic and natural. The passage of time was clear, and I really connected to each of the characters and felt like they were built up nicely.
I was super pleased that there was no “love at first sight”, or weird romantic tension, despite the fact that a romance does develop. But “develop” is the key word. The two characters who do end up with feelings for each other go through a lot of turmoil and difficult situations, and they get to know each other before any romance begins. That was so nice to see, instead of just a random insta-love relationship.
Also, Avry was such a fun and strong female lead, and I enjoyed her character growth. I saw some people wrote that she felt annoying at times, and I agree, but I also would say that that made her seem more real and showed how she changed throughout the book. Avry isn’t perfect- she gets tired quickly and isn’t some “invincible” girl, she has an attitude at times, and she makes some poor choices. In the end, however, Avry uses both her magic skills and the skills taught to her by the group and uses them in a positive and mature way.

The reason I’m holding back from 5 stars is mainly because of the writing style. Although I adored the story itself, at times the way Snyder wrote was a little casual and informal. And that’s not to say writing can’t be sometimes, but it felt very out of place in this world.
For example, Avry constantly referred to her traveling companions as “the guys”. Like “the guys walked over to me” or “the guys began making dinner” (not exact quotes, but along those lines). It just felt weird. Also, at one point the characters meet up with a woman who simply says, “Call me Mom.” MOM?? The repeated use of this word felt awkward, especially when the characters would refer to her and say things along the lines of, “We could go back to Mom” or the like.
Secondly, I thought that there could definitely be more creative imagery. This is a fantasy book, so I really wanted to see more vivid descriptions of the forests, towns, people, and magic use. Snyder tells us what is around the characters or what they see, but I felt like there was a lack of inventive imagery. An example being when Avry and Flea go into the market and Avry describes the scene:
“[...] Children dashed between legs. The general noise of voices arguing and haggling blended together into a happy, prosperous hum. I basked in to market’s energy, filling my lungs with the heady smell of fresh bread.” (page 131 in paperback ed.)
That scene of description, along with others, just felt stilted and a bit uninspired, as if Snyder were just writing a stock image of a medieval market. Although it set the scene, I just felt as if the descriptions paled in comparison to the vibrant story.

I was a teeny tiny bit miffed that the book ended as quickly as it did- I thought the last 8 chapters or so could have used more attention and fleshing out. BUT I know there is a sequel, and that being considered, it doesn’t bother me too much. If this had been a standalone I would have been very frustrated, but it’s not, and I can’t wait to read the next one!
I’ve added “Touch of Power” to my favorites shelf, too. This is one I’m going to be reading again and again. :) show less

I finally got around to finishing this series, and I am glad I did. While the series sometimes seemed to drag on and on, and I often found Opal's character frustrating, she finally figures out her own purpose in life in the final book, as well as ties up all of the loose ends of her life.
Forgiveness seems to be a central theme in this series, but most especially in the final book with Opal's interactions with Devlen's character. While I am still conflicted over their relationship, I tend to show more take the position that if the main character is happy with it, I'm happy with it, too. Devlen's changes seem to pose the question: Do people really change? We like to believe they do in theory , but when it comes to those who perform the really evil crimes, few people are willing to accept that it's truly possible. Opal actually did finally believe this about Devlen, which makes her a rare individual.
Opal's character can be quite confusing at times - she can be very emotional and reactive, but at the same time she has endured unimaginable circumstances and has made herself into a battle-hardened warrior. How many females today can do what she can - even without the magic included? She has certainly earned the right to make her own decisions - and handle whatever consequences come along.
I loved the two children she picks up along the way, and how they help her to understand her own magical abilities. They bring out the maternal instincts in her, which I always appreciate in literature of this nature. The cult that these two were members of fits the stereotype very well, at times both disgusting me and making me want to jump in and rescue those poor people myself.
The coolest part of the book was when Valek taught Opal how to be a proper spy - it reminded me of the Study series by Maria V. Snyder that I loved so much. Valek is such an enigmatic character that he deserves his own trilogy! show less

For some reason, I'm struggling to sum up how I feel about this one. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy it - just not as much as the first and I'm not sure why - hence the struggle. I actually suspect I just missed some of my favourite Ixian characters from the first...

The story moved from Ixia to neighbouring 'country' Sitia which was fantastic for a couple of reasons. One: there was a lot of character development as family members were discovered and relationships developed; two, there were show more (and forgive the potential over-analysis going on here) some really interesting political points being made.

Upon arriving in Sitia's main city, our favourite lead female encounters a group of beggars and fails to grasp the concept - why? Because it seems beloved Ixia is in fact a communist state - where "basic necessities are provided to all by the Commander's military". The Sitians fail to comprehend how this is possible because the beggars surely were just lazy and got themselves into their plight? Add into this some discussions on the nature of crime and punishment - Ixia: all judged by the Commander with capital punishment prevalent; Sitia: all judged by a group of officials with high-tech prisons the norm. All of which led me to love the book all the more - not just your average fantasy fodder!

Political undertones aside, this novel is also brilliant as a fantasy tale - the magic element is the focus here and the mix of new characters and old favourites is perfect! Again, we have a truly bad 'baddy' - a serial murderer/rapist no less - and it makes parts of the story really strong.

Overall: A fantastic sequel for those who loved the first -again, prepare for more than just light and fluffy magic spells - it gets dark but it's awesome for it! Roll on #3: Fire Study. show less