{Review} Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder

Touch of Power
by Maria V. Snyder
Series: Healer #1
Pages: 390
Release Date: December 20, 2011
by Mira (an imprint of Harlequin Teen)


Goodreads / Purchase

Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan assumes their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Territories, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.

Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her life....

Note: This is my new, updated review. I re-read this book and since my first review sucked I decided to write a new one :)

Words just cannot describe my love for this series. It is absolutely wonderful, amazing, awesome...words, I need more words to describe. Ugh.

I will admit, at times the writing was kind of choppy and disconnected and juvenile, but everything else in this book completely made up for it. That is such a small thing when you think about the story and word that Maria V. Snyder managed to create. Creating a fantasy world is very difficult, I think, and somehow Synder made this word seem like a real place. Her world-building and history was so well done and not boring at all, but we got all the details that we needed. This story is so complex and everything has to match up and have a plausible answer or reason to it. Somehow, Synder managed to make every single event, revelation, or info dump make sense. Sometimes in books when a character is in a difficult situation, such as being trapped in a castle with a dangerous magician, the escape is seethrough, flimsy, and too easy. In this book, however, every escape was thrilling, complex, and made perfect sense. The thing that really impressed me was not only Synder's ability to write amazing characters, but also her ability to stage things throughout the book. There were some twists in this book that literally had me screaming at the top of my lungs and certain scenes between a certain couple that shall remain unnamed (wink wink) that made me melt.

Synder always finds a way to create an amazing cast that I just fall in love with. First off, Avery. Can I be her? Please? Because not only is she strong and independent, but she can throw knives. It doesn't get much cooler than that. I really love her character, the fact that she's extremely stubborn and sarcastic, but still has the ability to really care about the “boys” as she calls them, and her ability to sacrifice. Plus she has Kerrick. So you're argument is invalid.

Yes, let's talk a bit about Kerrick. WHY CAN'T HE BE REAL?! Huh! Why? Every single freaking time I read one of Synder's books I always fall in love with the love interest. Why do you torture me like this, Maria?! Yes, Kerrick was horrible in the beginning of the book. But by the end of it I was screeching and swooning when him and Avery were together.

Then you have the supporting cast, Belen, Quain, Loren, and Flea. I love every single one of them, especially Belen. He is just the sweetest man ever. He seems just like a doting mamma bear, only he's a guy, haha. Loren and Quain are “the monkeys” and basically make a joke out of everything. Flea is the youngest of the group and probably has the most troubled past. Every single character in this book is just so interesting and well developed and deep.

I really say enough how amazing Maria V. Snyder's books are. (Almost) every single one I've read I've loved, and I've even given them to my friends and they've loved her books too. She really shows off her ability to write deep, complex stories...and make readers drool over fictional characters they can't have.

 5 stars