Saturday, December 31, 2011

Magic Study, by Maria V. Snyder

In case you didn't read my post on Poison Study you should know that I loved it. And the ending was perfect too-it rounded out nicely for someone who doesn't read the sequel, but it left me starving for more.

At the beginning, Magic Study struggled to stand up for itself as more than a sequel to Poison Study, but not until the action started was it more than a long epilogue. Yelena, who has gone through more than most 20 year old girls have, is finally meeting the parents she was stolen from years ago. Her parents are great, but her older brother is not so happy about losing his only child status and tries to tell everyone that Yelena is a spy. No "Welcome home sis!" for her. Then she gets to the school type place where she is supposed to learn to use her magic and not accidentally blow everything up and apparently she is way more powerful than she realizes (duh-she's the main character) and the last person with her powers turned to the dark side. And there's a whole mystery which has the same flavor as the one in Poison Study just less political intrigue and more Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Through all this, she also has to deal with a guy who thinks he's a long lost prince and has a crush on her and try not to stand up for her boyfriend because everyone thinks he is the epitome of evil.

Finally an author invents a world with magicians/wizards/sorcerers/whatever you want to call ems with magic I approve of. It isn't too simple but it isn't too hard to understand. There aren't many loopholes and most of all it MAKES SENSE!!!!!!! All magicians have a power which comes naturally to them. Some can also learn to do other magic, some hone their one or two skills. Those skills also branch out and let them do other cool stuff but I'm woozy so I can't elaborate more.

How old is Valek? I'm just wondering, because if he's over 35 than this whole series has officially creeped me out. And Blogger thinks that "creeped" isn't a word.

Lesson: Never trust your brothers. 

4.99 stars. There was just something missing.


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