Justine's Thoughts: Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

Poison Study (Study #1)
By Maria V. Snyder

Source: Library
Pages: 361
Book Description:

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....

A quote:

“...you’ve slipped under my skin, invaded my blood and seized my heart.”

“That sounds more like a poison than a person.”

Any thoughts:

I have never encountered such an extraordinary book like Poison Study. I can honestly, truly say that. It is so wonderful and I adore it to pieces.

The first minute I started, I realized that it isn’t the usual type of books that I read. For one, it takes place in a society with punishments, a “Code of Behaviour”, military districts and murder. Its detailed setting illustrated the tone and atmosphere as well as illuminated Snyder’s magnificent writing. That was the second thing. Snyder’s writing is efficient and has a sense of maturity and grandeur. I became easily used to her choice of words only after the first chapter. It is needless to say that I was instantly hooked.

Our heroine, Yelena, is now one of my favourites, ranking in my top three. She is a character I never disliked. Instead, I admired her ability to stand strong, make decisions in tough situations and gather strength in times of desperation. In short, she is a heroine that can kick villain butts.

The plot overall was full of exciting events. I could not -- for even one minute -- stop reading! I stayed up late until my eyes closed shut and the next morning, I picked it up without doing much else. With a mix of action, secrecy, loyalty, magic, friendship and acrobatics, Poison Study is without a doubt a splendid fantasy book. Not to mention that there is romance (although it doesn’t come till later on), which then officially and ultimately claimed my love for this book.