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Powell's Q&A, Q&A | June 24, 2009

Colum McCann: IMG Powell's Q&A: Colum McCann

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  1. $17.50 Sale Hardcover add to wish list

    Let the Great World Spin

    Colum McCann

Poison Study

by Maria V. Snyder

Poison Study Cover

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

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

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 clearand#133;.

Synopsis:

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

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… .

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What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 5 comments:
BookwyrmChrysalis, January 30, 2009 (view all comments by BookwyrmChrysalis)
Awaiting execution for murder, Yelena is given the choice of dying tomorrow or a life

After committing murder, Yelena is given the choice of death by execution or a life of constant risk as the Commander's food taster.

Yelena decides to choose the risky life, because at least she'll be alive, but she quickly finds there is little chance for escape as she must daily receive the antidote to a slow acting poison that the Commander's spy master (and her food tasting teacher) gave her as her first lesson. Without the antidote, she'll die painfully in a few days.

Now Yelena must deal with the ghost of the man she killed, battle foreign magicians, gain control of her illegal magic, not fall in love with the enemy, and stay alive to keep fighting the next day.

This was my first all nighter book of the new year. I'd been putting off Poison Study despite hearing wonderful things, intending to read it once all three books were out, because there's nothing I hate more than having to wait after a cliff hanger. And I was right to wait, as each book ends with Yelena starting her next adventure. Even now, the third book is out, but it seems difficult to find (I think they are rereleasing it in a new paperback edition, since the other two books just came out as such), and I had to order a copy on Amazon. Thus, to fill the few days until I get the third one (yes, I had to get it on 2 day, instead of waiting till free shipping got around to getting it to me), by writing this review.

Snyder does a wonderful job of blending characters and plot with world building and magic creation, so I can clearly picture the world and society, yet never felt like I was lectured to. So many magic heavy books need to spend pages explaining the world to the character, and while there were a few spots where Yelena had to learn what the reader and she didn't know, the spots flowed so smoothly between the story, I barely noticed.

If I had one complaint, it's that I felt like Snyder didn't really describe the characters. We heard some distinguishing traits, hair color or eye color, but not much to really tell me what they looked like. In fact, I thought that one of the main characters (Valek) was old when he first showed up, like in his 50s, cause all the descriptions she gave matched more the wise old man than young (30s) handsome love interest. And part of that could be that I don't always pick up subtle descriptions, but the character's narration voice just made it hard for me to be sure what things looked like, unless it was something she really spent a lot of time describing, because most of the time it was just a trait or two.

Read in depth review at Bookwyrm Chrysalis - http://yafantasy.com/ poison-study/
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chattering_bee, December 28, 2007 (view all comments by chattering_bee)
Yelena has commited a crime. She has killed. Worse still, she has killed a General's son. And for that she is given a choice-either become the Commander's food taster or be executed.Needless to say, she chooses food taster. Soon she is spun into her new life.A life filled with intrigue and romance. Maria Snyder's novel is superb-especially for a first novel. The novel flows, Yelena's adventures are exciting and the characters memorable.
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linds007, November 25, 2007 (view all comments by linds007)
Poison Study is an amazing book filled with adventure. Yelena is about to be executed for murder when she is offered a reprieve, she can become a food-tester for the commander. Yelena accepts this offer and is spared from that death but the chief of secutity deliberately gives her Butterfly's Dust. She must show up daily for her antidote or suffer a painful death.
Poison Study is a mind-numbingly addicting book. The characters are well rounded and easy to relate with.
Snyder's second book, Magic Study is even better than the first and more addicting.
I can't wait for the third, Fire Study, to come out and i'm sure it will be better than the last two.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780373802579
Publisher:
Luna
Subject:
Magic
Author:
Snyder, Maria
Author:
Snyder, Maria V.
Subject:
Fantasy - General
Subject:
Fantasy - Epic
Subject:
Imaginary places
Copyright:
2006
Edition Description:
Mass market paperback
Publication Date:
September 2006
Binding:
Paperback
Grade Level:
General/trade
Language:
English
Pages:
432
Dimensions:
6.63 x 4.19 in
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