{Review} Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

Poison Study
by Maria V. Snyder
Series: Study #1
Pages: 409
Release Date: March 1, 2007
by Mira

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Choose: A quick death…Or slow poison...

About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace—and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.

And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dust—and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison.


As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can't control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren't so clear...

*REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS*

They are whited out so you can only read them if you highlight the text

I have definitely read this book way more times than I can count but have never written a review for it. I'm honestly ashamed. Everything about this book—the premise, the action, the characters, the relationships— is perfect. It's way harder to write a long, positive review than it is to write a negative review, but here I go.

What I like most about Snyder’s writing style is how direct it is. She doesn't mince words, she doesn't write long, extensive, descriptive paragraphs, she gets to the point. It feels like we, the reader, are receiving a report on our surroundings and situation, which fits into the professional setting of the book. It helps elevate the experience of reading, sucking us into the situation. When there is need for more description, like during high-action or fight scenes, Snyder becomes a little more long-winded and descriptive, but she still does it with an air of efficiency. I have never seen writer who moves the story along quicker than she does. She will skip hours, days, or weeks in a single sentence with no flourish, she just wants to get to the next point. Her writing isn't the most refined or eloquent, but that’s not her brand. She writes to move the story along, and as someone who rereads this book pretty much every year, that is something I greatly appreciate since I don’t get bored.

The series of events that make up this book all flow perfectly. It all builds effortlessly on itself, one action leading to another. There is no leap of faith necessary between events, it all connects perfectly and without question. Snyder is a genius because she thinks up these very precarious situations, and then comes up with a completely unquestionable solution to the problem. I have never seen such an accurate, reputable writer when it comes to captures and escapes. It all just makes sense. It's realistic. It’s airtight. It’s practical. I think what it is, is there are few elaborate rescues. It always comes down to something the characters do themselves, whether it’s pick the locks, play dead, or hide behind a door. Those dramatic, last minute rescues take away from the credibility of the book because come on, how often does that actually happen? It’s way more realistic and empowering for the characters to be their own rescuers.

And the characters are really what make the book special. Yelana is a woman of color and sexual abuse survivor who suffers from PTSD and is haunted by the ghost of what she has done. She feels alone in this world and feels her soul has left her, that she has no spark left. But she does. She still has that will to live. She takes the steps to better herself, to protect herself. She never wants to be the victim again, never wants to rely on others to protect her, never wants someone else to endanger themselves to keep her safe. She stands up and fights for herself, and that is so incredibly respectible. She has her weaknesses, like how she needed to learn to stand up for herself, but that just makes her stronger and more relatable. She is such an incredible woman.

We don’t really get to know much about Valek in this book but since I’ve read the whole series, I know all about his tragic backstory. But in this book he is portrayed to be this unfeeling murderer whose loyalty to his Commander is the core of who he is. Let me tell you, I love this dude so much. He was closed off and cold and then this firecracker of a girl came into his life and he was done. Yelena and Valek perfectly match and balance each other. Yelena stood up to Valek, and he knew he had finally met his match. They bring out the best in each other.

What I find really special about this book, and this series, is the representation of platonic love. Ari, Janco, and Yelena all love each other very deeply, are completely devoted to each other, and would do anything for each other, but there are absolutely no hints or undertones of romantic attraction. Not even a whisper. Their relationship is built solely on respect and loyalty. [SPOILER: When Yelena wanted them to train her to fight, she didn’t ask for their help, she made a trade. When Ari and Janco trained her, they treated her like an equal.] Their relationship is built off mutual respect, and it’s so refreshing to see. Yelena deserves to have these relationships, to be surrounded by people who love and respect her.

The fact that Snyder was able to build these characters and relationships, reveal Yelena’s tragic past, document her recovery, stage her continued growth, and write awesome action sequences while building an entire evil plot in the background, is truly impressive. I feel Snyder was only able to achieve this because of her no-nonsense writing. I am endlessly impressed by her mind and this series is seriously one of the best ever written, in my humble opinion.

5 stars

Other Editions


Q. Which edition do you like best?

Other Books by Maria V. Snyder
            

Magic Study (Study #2) - Goodreads / Purchase / Review
Fire Study (Study #3) - Goodreads /Purchase /  Review
Shadow Study (Study #4) - Goodreads / Purchase / Review
Night Study (Study #5) - Goodreads / Purchase / Review
Dawn Study (Study #6) - Goodreads / Purchase / Review
Touch of Power (Healer #1) - Goodreads / Purchase / Review
Scent of Magic (Healer #2) - Goodreads / Purchase / Review
Taste of Darkness (Healer #3) - Goodreads / Purchase / Review
Storm Glass (Glass #1) - Goodreads / Purchase / Review
Sea Glass (Glass #2) - Goodreads / Purchase
Spy Glass (Glass #3) - Goodreads / Purchase
Inside (Insider #1-2) - Goodreads / Purchase / Review

Q. What did you think of the book? Have you read her other books?