Shadow Study Review by Sceona

Shadow Study (Soulfinders Series #1)
By Maria V. Snyder
10 out of 10 Muddy Crowns

Overview

New York Times bestselling author Maria V. Snyder wowed readers with Poison Study, the unforgettable story of poison taster Yelena. Now she's back with a new tale of intrigue.

 

Once, only her own life hung in the balance….

Oddly enough, when Yelena was a poison taster, her life was simpler. But she'd survived to become a vital part of the balance of power between rival countries Ixia and Sitia. Now she uses her magic to keep the peace in both lands—and protect her relationship with Valek.

Suddenly, though, they are beset on all sides by those vying for power through politics and intrigue. Valek's job and his life are in danger. As Yelena tries to uncover the scope of these plots, she faces a new challenge: her magic is blocked. She must keep that a secret—or her enemies will discover just how vulnerable she really is—while searching for who or what is responsible for neutralizing her powers.

Yes, the days of tasting poisons were much simpler. And certainly not as dangerous….

Review(kind of):

I, for one, was ecstatic when Maria V. Snyder announced that she was going continue Yelena and Valek's story with a new series called Soulfinder's. I'll admit it, I cried. After being introduced to the Study series in 2009, I was heartbroken when it ended. I needed more Yelena and Valek. Maria and the series quickly became my favorite of all time and pushed J.K. Rowling and the Harry Potter series to number two. 

 

With that being said, Shadow Study did not disappoint. Maria brought back a few of our favorite characters Yelena, Valek, Ari, and Janco, and also brought in favorites from her Glass series, plus a few new characters that I quite enjoyed. The book is written through Yelena, Valek, and Janco's point of view, and usually I don't like that writing style (like Gone Girl), but it worked so well with this story line. I highly recommend that you read the Study series first, just because you would be cheating yourself out of discovering a magical world full of love, action, intrigue, humor, and so much more. 

~Sceona

Meet the Author

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.