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Fire Study
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Fire Study
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Fire Study
Ebook439 pages6 hours

Fire Study

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this ebook

The Apprenticeship is Over. Now the Real Test has Begun.

When word that Yelena is a Soulfinder--able to capture and release souls--spreads like wildfire, people grow uneasy. Already Yelena's unusual abilities and past have set her apart. As the Council debates Yelena's fate, she receives a disturbing message: a plot is rising against her homeland, led by a murderous sorcerer she has defeated before .

Honor sets Yelena on a path that will test the limits of her skills, and the hope of reuniting with her beloved spurs her onward. Her journey is fraught with allies, enemies, lovers and would-be assassins, each of questionable loyalty. Yelena will have but one chance to prove herself...and save the land she holds dear.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateAug 15, 2012
ISBN9781459248281
Author

Maria V. Snyder

Maria V. Snyder is the New York Times bestselling author of the Study series, the Glass series, the Healer series, Inside Out, and Outside In. Born and raised in Philadelphia, she earned a Bachelors of Science degree in Meteorology from Penn State and a Master of Arts degree in fiction writing from Seton Hill University. Unable to part ways with Seton Hill, Maria is currently a teacher and mentor for the MFA program. Find her on the Web at MariaVSnyder.com.

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Reviews for Fire Study

Rating: 3.806171713018322 out of 5 stars
4/5

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  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Am I under a spell or something? Because this is the third series I read this year whose third book just ruins the whole thing (the other two? The Hunger Games & Gemma Doyle trilogy) Damnation! Well…I’m overreacting, Fire didn’t ruin the Study series for me, nothing could. Better: nothing could ruin Poison Study‘s total awesomeness, and after all, I always think of it as a standalone – somehow I can’t really make a connection between the first book and the other two, and while Magic was still fun to read, Fire…well, let me just say I wish someone had told me to start reading at page 200, because I wouldn’t have missed a thing if I had, and besides, that’s when Valek shows up.I’m mortified to admit, but I can’t really say what goes on in this book. It’s so…confusing. I read the synopsis when I finished it and said to myself Really? This is what happened? (*.*) I know Yelena, Leif and Moon Man travel to Ixia – why, I don’t have the faintest idea; I think someone evil chases them, and then there’s some trouble with the Vermin, and this weird powerful guy called Fire Warper (or that’s not his name, and just what he his/does? I don’t know…) wants Yelena to do something for him or else he’ll burn to ashes everyone she cares about; at some point the wannabe king (or how I like to call him: the village idiot) Cahil comes in and starts his annoying I’ll destroy you Yelena! act, but ends up helping her; AND THEN…(*starts laughing uncontrollably*)…suddenly…(*laughing*)…a bat shows up (!!!) glues itself to Yelena…(*laughing & laughing*)…and she can’t get it off of her! (You know I’m still laughing...full review at: Cuidado com o Dálmata - Fire Study
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I was going to start by saying this book was a disappointment, but that is not quite right. I started reading this with (very) low expectations, after being more than warned that it was bad. But it was worse than I thought.This book starts badly. The first half of it is filled with recaps from the previous two books in the form of infodump (and even though I didn't remember that much I only needed a little prodding to get my memory), inane and pointless chitchat between minor characters and a plot that is told more in a fashion of a book plan than of an actual book. I mean, it seemed to be the early stages, with plot holes appearing to be badly covered on the next paragraph. This all meant that I regarded the first 150 pages or so as a complete waste of paper and ink.But eventually it got better. Or I got used to it. I'll choose to believe it got somewhat better. There was more action, and a more logical flow of events. Characters from the previous books appeared and for a short while it seemed it was shaping up to be alike the previous adventures. It was just a short while, and it was then that I realized what the problem was. Yelena. It wasn't only that the main character simply didn't captivate me anymore, but she bore little resemblance to her previous incarnations, and worse of all, had become a Mary Sue.So, no longer liking the main character, I focused on the story, because there was some mystery regarding the Magic of the Ixia/Sitia world and some hints about Valek. My mind was going around and around trying to solve these problems. I shouldn't have done that.Regarding the Magic, about where it all came from and its nature, when it was explained, I got this nagging feeling: “Where have I seen this before?” And then it hit me. Final Fantasy VII. And done so much better. Only then there were some things that didn't quite add up, namely the fate of the big bad guys. Although I could have misread the entire thing based on wishful thinking that it would be as awesome as FFVII.As to Valek, there were so many little hints and comments, that I conjured a big mystery about his immunity to Magic, something that happened in his past. The inane chitchat of completely unimportant stuff should have warned me that the little hints would mean nothing. The real reason was nowhere near where my mind went, and in my opinion, pretty lame. But then again, it was dealt with in a couple of dialogue lines, and that was it. So at least there was no waste of paper there.In the end, I was just happy I was done with this book. I should have heeded my friend's warnings that it would be bad. This is a book that could have been half its size without losing anything, that could have had a little more thought put into it, and where the best character is a horse, only this time it is because the others were really bad.Also at Spoilers and Nuts
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Having loved both Poison Study and Magic Study, I put off reading Fire Study because I didn’t want the series to end! But I must confess that I am disappointed with it. Fire Study lacks all my favourite elements of books one and two, but includes all the things I didn’t enjoy in them. One of the strongest aspects of the previous books are the amazing characters and their relationships, but Fire Study is much too focussed on Yelena and doesn’t allow for the growth of the supporting cast at all.I love the way Yelena tells her story – I have always enjoyed her ‘voice’. However, in Fire Study she becomes the leader of her group of rebels, and unlike in previous books, her friends don’t seem to ever have any advice to give her. So we have the unlikely situation of an untrained orphan-girl, with hither-to unexplained magical powers, leading a group of hardened and battle-tested warriors and trained magicians. Her leadership role causes Yelena to question the nature of her magic and eventually to fear it, until she can come to terms with being a Soulfinder and all that it entails.This is the driving force behind the plot and I think that Yelena’s confusion is brilliantly brought to life. Although she vehemently opposed Roze, the First Magician, when in a leadership role she is forced into some difficult decisions and makes the same choices Roze did in the past, which makes Yelena question whether her powers are dangerous. The conclusion to the story is satisfactory and feels realistic: the issues between Ixia and Sitia aren’t solved but each country has an increased understanding of the other now.I understood the separation of Yelena and Valek in Magic Study and thought it was skilfully handled. However, the conspicuous absence of not only Valek, but Ari and Janco for large parts of this novel made me skip over parts just so I could see if they ever made an appearance. Valek’s role has been further diminished from the strong warrior he was in Fire Study. He still performs some heroic acts but is so mellowed out that I have a hard time he can still inspire the fear he used to in others. The relationship between Yelena and Valek is still realistic, however, and I think the tension between them, caused by her magic, was well played out.Over all I can safely say I enjoyed Fire Study the least out of the whole trilogy, but it is still a great book and concludes the series well. I will be reading the sequel trilogy as soon as possible!You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I'm reviewing this (expanding my original notations) a few weeks after reading it, so it's not based on fresh impressions so much as what stayed with me.After her adventures in Poison Study and Magic Study, Yelena is starting to settle (albeit uncomfortably) into the Magicians' Keep in Sitia. Her magic is exceptionally strong, and she could be nominated to be a fifth Master magician - if she can learn to control her magic; the element of fire being especially elusive to her.Her enemies interrupt her studies, however, with (from their point of view) unfinished business from the previous book, and - teaming up with her Ixian friends again - she finds herself hunting them across the lands of Sitia and Ixia. In the process, she tries to work out which land and culture she fits into as she no longer conforms to either mould.Although the story arc of [Magic Study] was completed within that book, I found the plot of Fire Study rather similar to the second book; Yelena and friends chase the bad guys across the land, while they torture girls to increase their magical power and only Yelena's unique magical talent can stop them.I must confess that I'm not so keen on the relationship with Valek. Though we don't see it directly in the stories, he is a ruthless assassin who has killed even children in a cause he believes in, but Yelena is infatuated with him because … I still haven't worked out why. The May-December romance makes me a bit uncomfortable, mainly because I can't help feeling there is a bit of Stockholm syndrome about it.I borrowed the books in this series because I inadvertently bought the second book of the second series (there was no indication on the cover or inside that it was part of any series), and I'm reading them so that I can read my book within the sequence. However, it's not one of my favourite series.3 stars
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    *Originally Reviewed at Witchmag's Boekenplank*Once again Maria V. Snyder has written an intriguing and captivating story, even when I enjoyed Fire Study not as much as Poison- and Magic Study. The writing style felt a bit too objective, too distant, to get fully into the story and this annoyed me at times. It also made it harder for me to understand, to bond with Yelena. In the end it prevented me from fully creating a vivid image in my head. There was just not enough words spent on emotions and feeling. The pacing was too high, too. Such a shame, cause the story was amazing!Yelena, too, made me sigh at times. What a transformation! I almost did not recognize the almost dauntless heroine from the previous books! After one “scary” event she suddenly turns into this scaredy cat! Suddenly she’s so scared that she makes wrong decisions, one after the other. She’s pushing everyone away, even Valek and makes bad situations worse… Yeah, it was really frustrating to see this happen, time and time again, 300 pages long. At times I was even amazed that I kept on reading instead of throwing the book away…However, the plot and the marvelous world that Maria V. Snyder has created, were too good to put it away. It has fire benders, unknown enemies (or are they friends???). Double spies and traitors. It was never boring. Add to this a huge dose of unfamiliar magic, a hilarious horse and you’ve got something to look forward too, even with flat characters and a main character that keeps working on your nerves.Conclusion3 HEARTS. I liked Fire Study less than the earlier books. The almost business like manner of writing did not make me very happy. I missed “feeling” everything. Yelena, too, was not one of my favorite characters in this book with the way she behaved. Fortunately there is still a fantastic story and a magical world that will keep you attention and prevent you from slapping Yelena, hard.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A satisfying conclusion to a very enjoyable series.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Ever had that sinking feeling when reading a saga or trilogy and thinking that each one is not as good as last? I had that with series - to begin with. But, as this book passed the halfway mark it began to get better. Why? I've no idea really it just did. By the time it reached the end I felt that it had truly concluded as planned. I'm not sure I want to read any more by the author but I probably will at a later date.
    If you are looking a decent read look no further than this 'study' trilogy it's well worth a go.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Excellent series. I'll be moving on to the Glass series very soon. This one started out much more slowly for me. It took a while before it really captured my attention.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A good 3rd book. It ended satisfactorily but I felt a sense of loss when I read that the author is writing about a second trilogy about a different character from this series.

    Possibly because I know that the characters who were the main interest here will only be making guest appearances in new books.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I read this a long time ago, but really enjoyed the story and the characters.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I enjoyed the wild ride of the first two in the trilogy but I could not get into the whole Fire Warper thing in this one. Other than that this was a very interesting series.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Fire Study... Hmm. Fire Study. I'm not sure how I feel about this book. I didn't love it, I didn't hate it. Having just finished it a minute ago, my strongest feeling is a huge sigh of relief; things ended in a way I was okay with and I felt like every single loose thread had been tied up.

    I was prepared to despise this book- I'd read some reviews and hadn't really enjoyed the middle book either. Maybe it was expecting the worst that kept me from getting bogged down by things I didn't like. I'm not sure.

    Anyway, if you like to see a series through to the end, you won't regret reading this. There is non-stop action and at about 30% through, the book becomes hard to walk away from. The plot "twists" and surprises are pretty transparent, but it's not a big deal. Yelena inadvertantly walks into trouble as much as ever and counters it with dumb luck, occasional intelligence and frequent help. All in all, I'd say it was middle of the line. There was no brilliance here, but after the second book and all the reviews I'd read, I was prepared for much worse. Therefore, I am satisfied. I doubt I'll ever read it or think about it again, but the part of me that likes closure is appeased.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Fire Study was not quite as enjoyable to me as the previous two, but it was still enjoyable. This book is filled with action, and I think that was part of the problem for me. In previous novels, the story was more character driven while this novel is more focused on the action. I'm more of a character driven kind of person.It is really a continuation of Magic Study and Yelena's path there, although much of this novel is her being scared of her powers (understandable, but still annoying). This is also a very tragic novel, so be prepared for that. I recommend this to those who enjoyed Magic Study.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    So, how does this series end? Pretty damn well, actually. I liked that the events in this book were at least consistent with the previous book. Even if both of them are unrecognisable from the first book. I'm still pissed about the lack of Valek but at least he was in this one more. Although, I did feel like he was being treated as a secondary character, not the main character he really is.

    There was tonnes of action in this book, even if the sheer amount of it was a little overwhelming. I've got to say it about this series, I alternated between these books and The Huger Games, and the fact that they could even compare speaks volumes about these books to me.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    For me, the weakest of the three. It was nice Yelana finally figured her path in life, but it felt repetitive after a while.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The magic world building by Synder was still wonderful and creative. The twists and turns still had you wondering if really your favorite characters had finally met their match.Yet, while we continued to delve into Yelena's knowledge of magic and her capabilities, this novel felt flat. The spark that made Valek, Janco, and Lief come alive in the other books was missing. The witty and sharp dialogue was weak and sparse. Valek was reduced to a insipid lovetoy, Janco a rhyme machine and Lief, a wishy-washy hothead who had neither insight nor stamina for Yelena's quests.And Yelena...when will she ever learn that she needs to play with others and not jump into everything on her own? I was wishing this lesson would eventually come to her here in the last book. Proving you are strong, resilient and capable doesn't always mean you do all the hard lifting. Although there was character building for Yelena in here, this was still missed.In the end, I enjoyed the book but it dramatically lacked the inspiration that the other two had. It felt rushed and not thoroughly fleshed out. Ideas felt tossed in to bolster a storyline but not given real meat to be interesting.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Well, I'm really sad to say I found the finale to a series that started so originally and strongly to be quite a disappointment. Yelena herself felt off to me in a way during Fire Study not seen in the first two books and there was just so so much unnecessary goings-on and fights and betrayals and traveling... it got a bit old round about the 250 page mark. I was actively waiting for the end of this drawn-out escapade to mercifully come something interesting to happen and I got more back-and-forth, more Yelena making harebrained decisions (pushing Valek away, her "plans") and less of what I loved so much from the first novel.I will right away admit I'm very happy with the direction of Cahil's storyline. I was interested in the Wannabe King from the start (uninherited claimants are so medieval history) and was glad he wasn't just foisted off as easily as say, Ferde. While I love that Ferde wasn't a repeating villain for the last two books as I had initially feared at the conclusion of Magic Study, I did dislike his easy, unremarkable demise. Quick, and almost glossed over in the narrative, I was pretty disappointed by the lack of resolution that came with the end of a major antagonist for the company. I had hoped for a little more to Ferde's end as an active player in the novels and Yelena's story - what happened seemed too easy and lacked satisfaction for such a gruesome plot-line as his was. I was disappointed with the turns the relationship between Yelena and Moon Man takes: she is only further encouraged by their poor communications that only Yelena knows best or can ever do anything to help. I also admit that the magic aspects of these novel continue to evolve and change in an unpredictable manner: Opal's magic (and the revelation's about the Commander) were both interesting and handled well. I appreciate the imagination and thought that went into crafting the magic aspects/details (the bit at the end with the 'blanket' and the souls? Brilliant twist!) is consistent and never content to rest on the creations of the previous novel.But most importantly and constantly in my mind were these thoughts: Where were Ari and Janco? Where was Yelena's mentor and friend Irys? Where was Valek, for the last two books? And while we're on that subject, what happened to Valek's individual personality and fire? He went from being just as much of a main character as Yelena to a backup singer in a chorus of dozens, if one that is immune to magic. I missed the rounded characters I met in the first book, Poison Study. Largely gone for much of this third and final novel, I missed the power twin's lively additions and dialogue. (Thank goodness the short story Power Study [Study #3.5] is pretty much just the two of them in fine fettle!) The personalities introduced in the later books (Cahil, Goel, Tauno, Star) feel much shallower than their earlier, much more interesting predecessors. But seriously: what the hell happened to the charming, devious, rounded personality that Valek had at the beginning of his relationship with the Soulfinder? Poison Study-era Valek was in command, intelligent and not just used as a blue-eyed deadly deux-ex-machina for all so many of Yelena's mishaps/miscalculations. I missed that first Valek, the one who stood toe-to-toe with Yelena instead of hastening to do her bidding; I think I'll pretend these later novels never happened to my cool-eyed Assassin. Through the last two books in this fantasy series, I've learned I like Yelena much better with a company of characters than on her own - she is much more likeable in a cast.I'm very conflicted over this series. The last two books leave so much to be desired after the fun and inventiveness of the first novel. While each novel in this series successively in turn degraded in quality, I still mostly liked what I was reading; I just wanted more depth to the later characters, more ingenuity like what was shown in the first novel with the Districts, the poison-taster position, etc. Just less typical fantasy elements (constant traveling and bickering between Leif and Yelena, the betrayals, the hidden pasts of villains) would've been appreciated; it's not that I don't like all those things, but that they were so overdone and that this series started off very well without such. I've recently read and enjoyed Maria Snyder's latest novel, Touch of Power, but now I find I'm very wary for the following sequels, if they trace the same trajectory as this series.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I'm not sure what happened when it came to writing Fire Study, but it is something of a mess. Actually, it reminds me of a few fan-fiction writers I was familiar with in Harry Potter fandom 5 or 6 years ago, and the way their very good stories would get too convoluted by the end.You see, everything happens in Fire Study and it happens fast and it's really good world-building and description and fights, but there's very little downtime for the reader to pause and relax with the characters. It's like the book is trying to get as close to grimdark as it can without actually being grimdark. And in the process, the characters suffer. One of the strengths of Poison Study was the characterization and how very few were truly one-dimensional. With Fire Study, even some of the depth that was created in Magic Study got flattened out for almost everyone, and new characters (or newly reintroduced) were very cardboard feeling.It was also frustrating that Yelena knows very little and can't trust hardly anyone, yet she is the person we see the world through. While it makes for a good story and character growth for her, it's frustrating and doesn't help with the rushed feeling of all the plot happening back to back to back. But even so, Yelena's narrative kept repeating things already mentioned or implied, so I felt like I was reading something that had previously been a serial. There were also a lot of redundant references to the previous books, though those are more understandable since I read them all together instead of spread out over several years.But that's not to say I don't like the book - I did enjoy it quite a bit, though it felt a little draggier than the other two (almost certainly because of the cramped rushed feeling of the plot). I liked a lot of what Snyder was doing with the different factions and fighting and magic, though some of it got to be a bit much or too grimdark for the sake of it.I'm conflicted on whether or not I'll continue to the Glass series, but I might. I enjoyed the Study series well enough.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    3.5/4 starsAfter being a little disappointed with Magic Study, I hoped that this one would finish the series the same way it started it: brilliantly. Unfortunately, it didn't quite manage to do that. Fire Study and I got off to a little bit of a rocky start and there were hiccups along the way. Having said that, this book was still pretty good.Fire Study picks up where Magic Study left off. Soulstealer Ferde has escaped and First Magician Roze is looking for any opportunity to have Yelena executed. Yelena must find a way to recover Ferde and keep the two nations from becoming embroiled in war, all the while ensuring that she herself does not end up in prison.I had a few issues with this book, most of which had seeped through from the second one. Actually, they didn't just seep through; they had a very thick presence. One of these was the transition of events. Things would suddenly happen, or Yelena would be suddenly be in a different place, or Valek would suddenly appear, with no details to smooth it over. Because of that, Synder skipped over key information which I felt should have been focused on more compared to other, minor details. We also lost Yelena's emotional responses in the process, which detached me slightly from her character. It made for quite a disjointed book.Something that really frustrated me was Valek and Synder's portrayal of him. In Poison Study he was an amazing character, with so many different facets that I was forced to surrender a piece of my heart to him. He played a significant role within the book and the relationship between him and Yelena was present and flourishing. But in Fire Study his presence was sudden and minimal, and we only saw one side of his character. Don't get me wrong, I love the way he's so willing to help Yelena and just generally be there for her. But I missed seeing the other sides to him. And anything that Yelena couldn't solve, he became the solution, a way to help her solve the situation. It was all very convenient.Another convenience was Yelena's magic. This was an aspect of her I found a little irksome. I realised way before she did that she relied on it far too much, and was consequently neglecting all the other skills that we saw in the first book, all of which made her a great heroine. This was something I found difficult to come to terms with. I loved who she was in Ixia - independent, resourceful, strong yet vulnerable. In Sitia she transformed into being dependent and someone who took too long to accept her responsibilities. While I felt sorry for her because of all the expectations people had of her, I felt she took too long pushing people away and refusing to act on the reality that those same people were looking to her for action and a continuation of the strength and courage she had so far possessed.However, it wasn't all bad. There were some brilliantly-crafted action moments, and the ending was beyond satisfactory. Every time I thought this book was an OK read and nothing more, she surprised me with something fast-paced, energetic and engaging to read. Because of that, she managed to conclude this series very well. By the end of it she almost had me squealing with delight and reawakened my love for Valek. I also loved seeing Ari and Janco again. These two hadn't changed a bit from the first one, and had me smiling and laughing along with them.On the whole, this was a good book, though sadly not of the high standard that this series started out with. Information that I thought would have been good, if not important, to include was skimmed or skipped over. We don't get fully reacquainted with Valek when he suddenly appears, nor do we see Yelena's reaction on seeing him for the first time in ages. The book was somewhat disjointed and the protagonist's character not quite what it had been originally, as with Valek. Yet for all that, the book was interspersed engaging sections that heightened my appreciation for it. Plus, the ending more than made up for the bad parts. Overall, it's definitely worth the read; I just wish that Snyder's ability to craft something engaging at the very least was constant.This review is also posted on my blog.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I found the story less interesting than Poison Study or Magic Study.The flashback explanations meant for readers who had not read the first two tomes had me really annoyed at times. So my rating is down one star for this book.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Yelena has discovered that she is a soulfinder, able to capture and release souls and she's in danger, both from her enemies and from people who fear her abilities. Her homeland is in danger and she has to work to stay alive and help those she cares for.Interesting, and the characters leap off the pages, however it didn't engage me as much as the first one.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    It's like all of Maria V. Snyder's writing talent just flew out the window when she started writing this book. Still had a few good moments, but those moments really don't make up for the rest of the cluttered, badly written mess. Snyder definitely should've stopped after Poison Study and moved on to a new batch of characters.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    What a fantastic series- and what a fantastic author! If you are a lover of fantasy- you need to read this series!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Enjoyed it, but not so much as the other two. It seemed to go off pace a little in the middle. Having said that, thoroughly enjoyed the trilogy & would definitely recommend to anyone who loves a bit of fantasy!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    My least favourite of the 'Study' trilogy, mainly because the middle section of the book seems to slow down. Yelena finally discovers the extent of her new powers as she must battle the true evil in Sitia. A solid finale to the trilogy with lots of possibilities for further adventures in this nicely realised world.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Synopsis: After the events of Magic Study, Yelena is now considered to be a Soulfinder; one who guides souls to their final resting place, or sends them back to their bodies. She's still training with Irys to help explore her new abilities and learn more about magic. However, Cahil and Ferde are still at large after being freed at the conclusion of Magic Study and they are very much in the back of Yelena's mind.Her learning then is cut short after getting a mysterious message from Moon Man, her storyteller, saying he has found what they are looking for. The Sitian council, with Roza holding them back, is not deciding anything without more information so she informs the Master magicians that she is traveling to meet Moon man.Yelena, Moon Man, Leif, Marrok, and Tauno (a Sandseedwho I screamed Traitor! at many times before it actually happened) travel all over Sitia to try and find Cahil and Ferde. On her search Yelena encounters the Fire Warper, a soul from the underworld who wants to get to the sky so he can control Sitia and Ixia. (Yelena is afraid of fire, and as a magician, she can't control it unlike her brother Leif).A clan of magicians is using Blood magic is trying to take over the Citadel and they will kill anybody that stands in their way; including Moons Sandseed population. But with the possibility of someone close to her being a traitor and the added stress of finding out what it means to be a Soul finder Yelena may not be able to stop the Fire Warper from taking control of Sitia and Ixia as well as herself.Gede Sandseed shows up on the scene after his clan is massacred and is almost immediately told that he will be Yelena's new trainer and Story Teller. (Don't trust him! I screamed. Ok, I have an overactive imagination from reading too many of these novels and trust issues as well.)Her mage mentor, Irys Jewelrose aka the Fourth Magician, is still on her side, but the First Mage of the land, Roze Featherstone, is emphatically not and wants her dead and gone; which she tries by manipulating Marrok into lying to the council. After reading Magic Study, you could just stand up and scream that Roze was not what she appears to be; especially after she tried to force herself into Yelena's thoughts.In this book, that realization comes to fruitation in a big way. Roze Featherstone is later revealed to be the leader of the Daviian clan. She's the one who freed the Fire Warper and learned how to use blood magic in order to take over the council and go to war with Ixia.Valek is almost completely absent from the book (even more so than in Magic Study). I'm sure the reasoning was that this was Yelena's story to tell, and she will either crash and burn, or be the heroine we expect her to be. Sure, Valek plays a part in the story line, but doesn't appear until page 200. Yikes. What would I have liked to see more of? Yelena's 71 day journey to the underworld with the Fire Warper. I'm giving this book 3.5 stars and will consider reading the glass series sometime soon.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This was the least enjoyable of the Poison study books. Still compelling, but the repetitive plot grated a bit. A 3.5 rating this time, since I simply didn't get enough of my favourite characters from the series. A good conclusion though!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    An excellent end to an excellent series. I thoroughly enjoyed the magic of this series. Yelena is a strong protagonist surrounded by good friends and great characters. I was so tense throughout most of the book because I was really unsure how it was going to wrap up, but it came together beautifully. Yelena's unusual abilities cause fear in many people and she is ultimately to be arrested on site in Sitia which causes her to flee to Ixia. Will Yelena be able to figure out what is controlling the Council in Sitia? Or will she end up in the Shadowlands to keep the Fire Warper from teaching anyone else his evil?Just so good...
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Since this is a trilogy, I am reviewing all the books together. The three books of this fantasy adventure series -- Poison Study, Magic Study, and Fire Study -- tell the story of Yelena, who is awaiting execution for murdering the son of a powerful general. As she is being walked to the gallows, she receives a surprising job offer: to be the food taster for the country's military dictator, who lives in constant fear of being poisoned. The job is a hazardous one, but Yelena accepts almost immediately. Yelena's characterization is what kept me reading through series' slightly uneven writing. An orphan and a rape survivor, Yelena must work through her difficulties trusting others and standing up for herself, and her journey from abuse victim to a capable, independent woman was realistic and riveting. The first book of the series was marred by awkward dialogue, but this hardly mattered when most of the book took place in Yelena's head. The second book suffered heavily from an overly mechanical plot and a simplistic treatment of challenging emotional subjects, but the third redeemed itself completely. Not only does Yelena realistically face down more of her demons, the plot kept me constantly on the edge of my seat as she battled her way through constantly growing and very plausible dangers. I would recommend this book to anyone loves who strong female characters,but there is one caveat -- the author doesn't shy away from honest descriptions of rape, violence, and physical abuse, so the material could be triggering for some readers.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This is the third and supposedly final book in the Study trilogy by Maria V. Snyder (supposedly as there are short stories continuing from this one available on the authors website/blog). I mainly chose to read this book as I had read the first two and wanted to finish the series. I enjoyed the first book (Poison Study) and found the characters quite likable and intriguing. However, as sometimes happens, the second book (Magic Study) did not live up to Poison Study but was still enjoyable. As to Fire Study, I have to admit that at first I really did not enjoy this book and found it very difficult to continue with it. But I am glad I persevered. The main reason I found it so difficult to read at first, is due to a mistake many relatively new authors make, they re-hash the characters and details of the previous books far too much, as if cover all details for somebody who may have gone straight to book 3. Well my view is, if you have not read the previous books in the series, then tough! Why should I have to read through pages I have read (and paid for) before?!! However, about half way through the author seemed to drop this idea and actually moved on with the current adventure (thank God). In the end this turned out to be an enjoyable adventure with some good twists and turns that finished the trilogy nicely.