Snyder, Maria: Magic Study
Magic Study
Writer: Maria V. Snyder
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 392
I'm really bad about putting off reading the sequels to books I really enjoy. Part of it is the asinine need to keep reading new-to-me authors. So while I've had this book on my shelf since, I don't know...JANUARY, I didn't give it much thought until I signed up for my January residency modules and selected one by Maria Snyder. I know there's a chance, however slim, that she might refer to her own work during the lecture, and I'd rather not be spoiled. Besides, this made for a great break from the non-fiction I've been plodding through.
Spoilers ahead.
Just as I expected, this was an enjoyable, fast read. Exactly what I needed.
Magic Study picks up pretty much where Poison Study left off, and while it's been over a year since I read the first volume, it didn't take me too long to get re-acquainted with the story and its world and characters. Especially since Yelena is learning so much. After one book focused on Ixia, we now get to learn about Sitia, and meet Yelena's family in the process. It should be a happy homecoming, but it's not: Yelena's got a brother who hates her and thinks she's an Ixian spy. And the more she learns about Sitia, the less she feels at home.
The book does a great job and keeping up the pace. You do not want to plan on stopping at a chapter break with Snyder's books, because they're almost always cliffhangers. It's better to stop in the middle at a scene break, but even then, the book's hard to put down because Snyder's style is so light and easy to read. Yelena is fun and feisty, and the narrative is so casual that you don't notice the number of pages flying by. One minute, you're starting the book. The next, you're almost done. At least, that's what happened with me. I finished this book in less than twelve hours. Which is, you know, insane.
Snyder also adds to her colorful cast of characters. There's the rather complex Leif, who seems two-dimensional but has more beneath the surface than one would think, and Cahil, who you really want to like and do at the beginning but grow to dislike by the end. Though in Cahil's defense, I don't blame his 180. Once the Ixian delegation arrived, Cahil became more paranoid, and he snapped when he realized that Yelena's heart-mate is really his arch-enemy Valek. Cahil's actions make sense, but they sadden me, because he really could've been a noble character. And hey, there's still room for improvement, because he's obviously going to play a role in the third book.
I groaned when it was discovered that Yelena could "talk" to horses via a mental connection. Talking animals seems like such a cliche in this genre, as does mental links between people and animals. But after my initial cringing, I could roll with it. Snyder obviously had fun with the horses' voices, and I couldn't help but grin during those scenes. And I should note, the horses don't LITERALLY talk, but mentally talk. Just to be clear. And it's cute. They aren't wise and noble creatures, but fun and smart and sassy. Just like real horses. ;)
I really, really like Yelena's father, and I liked Dax. Oh, and Moon Man, no doubt. Very awesome, and I hope we see more of him in book three as well.
But I REALLY loved seeing Ari and Janco. I forgot how much I enjoyed their antics in the first book, so getting reacquainted with them was a delight. And I adore Valek. I've heard some readers express a serious dislike about him, but you know what wins me over? His ability to sneak up on Yelena when she isn't expecting it, his willingness to trust her completely, even when it comes to magic, and most important, the fact he calls her "love." GAH! LOVE that last bit. It makes my heart patter every time.
The love scenes were actually more prominent in this book and a little more suggestive, which I didn't mind at all. And the great thing is that they're still vague enough that the passages aren't too risque for YA readers. In fact, this series so far would be great for YA, and I can see why the UK is releasing both adult copies and YA copies. I'd happily pass this along to any teenaged girl.
The plot was sometimes a little fuzzy, at least when it came to the twists. I got what was happening, though sometimes my subconscious had a problem with the logic as it was presented on the page. Then again, I read in this in LESS THAN TWELVE HOURS, so maybe that's my fault? Overall, the story progressed in an interesting fashion, and I liked seeing how book one related to the events in book two, and how book two is a springboard for the events that will likely unfold in book three.
Overall, I'm a pretty happy camper. Like I said, it's a fun, fast read with a casual voice that pulls you along, and Yelena, though bordering a bit on Super!Girl syndrome (though she can't do everything, that is made clear in this book), is a feisty character worth whose adventures are worth following. Snyder does a good job at contrasting the culture of Sitia with that of Ixia, and painting where Yelena fits in the grander scheme of things.
Reading this makes me want to re-read Poison Study, but I'm really looking forward to the next book in the series, which is Fire Study, which will finally be available next spring. FINALLY. But I'm glad I read this one now. It was a lot of fun, and exactly what the doctor ordered. :)
Next up (unless I need another fiction break): The Ends of the Earth: An Anthology of the Finest Writing on the Arctic and the Antarctic edited by Elizabeth Kolbert and Francis Spufford