In Poison Study, Yelena is on her way to hang for murder; instead, she is offered an alternate fate. If she would prefer, she can have a permanent position in the palace with all of her needs taken care of. The catch is that she'll be working as the food taster for the Commander until one of his meals becomes her last. Yelena seizes the opportunity but finds the position less tenable when Valek, the chief of security, poisons her with Butterfly's Dust - only a daily dose of the antidote will keep her alive. With no chance of escape, Yelena discovers that her life is in danger from even more sources: her past still haunts her and a plot involving magic (in a country where magic is illegal) seems to center around her. Yelena must work fast to keep one step ahead before she ends up dead, one way or another...
In Magic Study, Although Yelena's fate has changed dramatically after the events in Ixia, she still has plenty of people out to kill her: an execution order is in effect in Ixia because of her magic, but the magicians training her will kill her if she cannot learn to control her abilities sufficiently. Meanwhile, her parents welcome her with open arms, but not all southerners are willing to accept her so quickly, including her brother. Rumors that she is a northern spy and assassin follow her all the way to the Citadel where students train as magicians. Plots crop up at every turn and suddenly, Yelena discovers that there are just as many complications awaiting her in Sitia as she had left behind. Luckily, she's up for a challenge.
I'm definitely enjoying this series - it's original and intriguing. The characters are well thought-out and the plot is complex but not confusing. I did feel as though some of the character relationships in the first book were a bit forced and unnatural and also that some of the plot in the second book seemed a little repetitive. Overall, however, I like these books and would recommend them to other fantasy readers - particularly those looking for something with a little political intrigue and 'spy work' or for something a bit out of the ordinary.
The third book in the series, Fire Study, is set to release in March 2008. For more information and excerpts from all of these books, you can visit Maria V. Snyder's homepage.
- If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Spirit Fox, Song of the Lioness Quartet, or The Last Apprentice
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