The second novel in The Poison Study series by Maria V. Snyder, Magic Study picks up where Poison Study left off, with Yelena going back to her home country of Sitia to learn how to control her magic. Along the way, she meets her family, finds a brother who doesn’t want her, meets her spirit guide, and, of course, there are people trying to kill each other and take over this country.
Snyder is a fantastic writer whose prose carry you along and make it very hard to put her books down. Not only that, but Yelena, Valek, Janco and Ari are just such compelling characters, along with the new characters. The pacing is well done considering EVERYTHING that happens in this novel.
Really, this is just a fantastic adventure novel, with magic and a bit of romance. I adore Valek, and I really enjoy that Snyder doesn’t have perfect characters. They have done various levels of bad things in their pasts, and many of them have very complicated pasts to boot, but they are people who do have redeeming qualities to them.
If you are looking for a true romance novel, this isn’t the best choice. But, other than that, this series (so far) is a hands down recommendation. Strong, compelling characters, and interesting plot line, and so well written.
