Magic Study

Written by Maria V. Snyder

Narrated by Kristin Atherton

You know your life is bad when you miss your days as a poison taster . . .

With her greatest enemy dead, and on her way to be reunited with the family she'd been stolen from long ago, Yelena should be pleased. But though she has gained her freedom, she can't help feeling isolated in Sitia. Her Ixian background has changed her in many ways -- and her newfound friends and relatives don't think it's for the better . . .

Despite the turmoil, she's eager to start her magic training -- especially as she's been given one year to harness her power or be put to death. But her plans take a radical turn when she becomes involved with a plot to reclaim Ixia's throne for a lost prince -- and gets entangled in powerful rivalries with her fellow magicians.

If that wasn't bad enough, it appears her brother would love to see her dead. Luckily, Yelena has some old friends to help her with all her new enemies . . .

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Mar 1, 2024
• ISBN: 9781038917836

Maria V. Snyder

Maria V. Snyder is the New York Times bestselling author of the Study series, the Glass series, the Healer series, Inside Out, and Outside In. Born and raised in Philadelphia, she earned a Bachelors of Science degree in Meteorology from Penn State and a Master of Arts degree in fiction writing from Seton Hill University. Unable to part ways with Seton Hill, Maria is currently a teacher and mentor for the MFA program. Find her on the Web at MariaVSnyder.com.

Reviews for Magic Study

[rozziereads · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

So far this is a series I would re multiple times.

The first book had an old world feel to it. But at the same time I don't know if it's just me or not, but it kind of gave me an Alice in Wonderland feel. When I say that I don't mean the trippy colors, creatures talking, flowers singing, and all that. No, but it did give me that impression. Could just be me, but I loved it.

So in Magic Study, she's in a whole new land. Completely different. Almost as if you Canadian going to Peru. Different cultures, and different rules, is something you learn pretty fast. You meet Yelena's family, and her "tribe" (clan is what they're called in the book, but some of the clans were more of a tribe than a clan. I know that doesn't make sense but to me it does. HA!)

Anyways, she meets her tribe, and her long lost brother. Only to have his announce that her soul is stained by the blood on the people that she has killed and she doesn't feel like his sister anymore. Yea, fourteen years in different countries had nothing to do with that. Especially with all that she went through... So right off the back you think, "Wow, her brother is a D-Bag." The only thing that saves you from hoping he dies, is the fact that he uses his magic to find criminals.

- BONUS ROUND -

Her mother helps find the criminals too. Her mother is a little odd. She reminds me of someone but I can't put my finger on it. Perl, the momma, creates perfumes and is little clingy and emotional. I think with a dash of eccentric, not sure though. :P (I'm so bad with words, I can't never remember the real word I'm looking for til it's too late.) So the perfumes that perl creates are to help jog memories. Sometimes, hearing, feeling, or smelling certain things with bring back a memory. So, they use this technique to help the victims remember stuff about their killer.

Yelena's father, is a neat character that I would really like to see him integrated into more of the future story. I would like to see him in cross country relations, that would be a HEA idea. He is a man who believes they can find anything they need in the forest. That the forest provides all. (forgot to mention, their tribe lives in the forest. ) He finds plants in the forest and uses them to find out what they can help or destroy. And also he supplies the flowers and stuff for the perfumes.

So Yelena gets into A LOT OF TROUBLE again. I really like how everything goes down. Some of the books that I've read over the years, where there's kidnappings, murder, and espionage, the scenes arn't written smoothly. Now, when I say that I mean about roughly 25% of them are like that. I'm not saying the other books are bad, I'm saying this story flows perfectly. From meeting everyone, to the build up of their distrust/love, to abushes, to magical attacks, to mental plane linking (i don't even know what to call that, but that's close enough), it all runs very well together. Your anticipating what's going to happen, at the same time, it's like watching an action movie. Your guessing who the bad guy is, knowing every other corner something is going to {insert magical blow, sword fight, sneaking around, getting caught, chase scene... here

This book reminds me of traveling. Like it's some creepy subliminal thing. JK LOL. But just not realizing the chance the enjoy what you have when you have it. Oh, and to not be selfish. Even from the first book that's something you know about Yelena. She has always put herself in danger, with nothing more than the thought of others.

Can't wait to read the next book!!

[lauren2013_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Magic Study
4 Stars

Exiled from Ixia, Yelena travels to Sitia for a reunion with her family. Unfortunately, things aren’t all rosy as Yelena soon finds herself struggling with the difficulties of getting to know parents who are virtual strangers and a brother who resents her return. Upon beginning her studies at the Citadel, Yelena learns some troubling truths about her magic and a sadistic serial killer sets his sights on her. As she becomes embroiled in an age old struggle against evil, Yelena’s strength and ability will be put to the test.

As with the first book in the series, Magic Study contains harsh themes including rape and torture. As such, it might not be suitable for younger or impressionable readers despite its apparent categorization as Young Adult.

While not as fast paced or original (not unexpected as this is a sequel) as Poison Study, Yelena is an engaging and resourceful heroine, and accompanying her as she begins her magical training and investigates a series of brutal crimes is quite entertaining. She does seem to get ambushed, kidnapped, tortured and beaten several times and one hope she would be more careful but apparently not...

The secondary characters are an interesting mix from Yelena’s agoraphobic mother and obnoxious brother to the arrogant heir to Ixia’s throne and the enterprising street urchin who comes to Yelena’s aid on more than one occasion. There are also other more familiar faces: the Commander is as enigmatic as ever and Yelena’s camaraderie with Ari and Jenco is wonderful. It is, however, disappointing that Valek takes his time putting an appearance, but he is ultimately well worth the wait and things heat up in more ways than one upon his arrival.

One a final note, Gabra Zackman's narration is very good although she does sound older than Yelena's 20 years. Nevertheless, this doesn't bother me as Yelena is very mature for her age.

All in all, an enjoyable installment and I look forward to continuing with the series particularly as Snyder is planning additional books.

[jdifelice-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Well, now that was a good book! It was well-paced, with excellent world building, and awesome characters! Super enjoyed it :)

[hunybadger · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

After loving Poison Study so much, I tore into Magic Study. I hoped it would be as wonderful. Magic Study had moments when it lived up to my expectation but in the end, I felt it just didn't strike the same high note. The plot felt off. The ending was too open and was rushed to find a good stopping point for the third book.

SPOILERS ****
I have a gripe with Fantasy genre with lead female characters..actually two gripes. Either they are too tough as nails and headstrong (Parrish Plessis in Nylon Angel) or they're no logic, puppies that are taken advantage of (Dany in Game of Thrones, Bella in Twilight). I had hoped Yelena would be a nice combo of both, with enough kick@ss to hold her own but have a soul-searching side as well.

However, I got frustrated with Yelena's headstrong insistence on doing everything herself, even when she knew she shouldn't. It annoyed me too that she was "saved" a lot more by others in this book. I suppose this was Snyder's way of showing Valek's love for Yelena but once again the Fantasy genre fails women, a heroine is unable to save herself and must have others, especially her love interest, do it for her (i.e Twilight series). Why can't Yelena be strong enough to handle the situations she encounters herself? Why can't she choose to ask for help, instead of getting in over head and needing the help?

I didn't feel Yelena grew as much in this 2nd novel. She could have, especially when it came to understanding (not just using) her powers and it would have been a richer ending. Her relationships with her family and the other Master Magicians barely scratched the surface. Why? Why include them at all, if they are not important to the book?

All in all, for all my gripes, I still enjoyed reading Magic Study. I just had higher hopes for it and was disappointed when they were left hoping for more.

[cathishaw · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the second book in the Study series by Snyder and I loved it as much as the first! And that's saying a lot when it comes to books in series (usually I'm disappointed with the second book).What I liked the most was that we got to follow Yelena's continuing story, with some familiar characters along with a whole group of new characters. As with her first book in the series, Magic Study is a fast paced read. There is plenty of action and tense moments. That, along with Yelena's development as a character made it hard for me to put down. I was keen to see what would happen.One of the questions I get when reading a series is whether the first book is essential to understanding the second book. I think that I would recommend you read the first book, for sure, but that it isn't required to enjoying and understanding what happens in the second book.This is one of my favourite series at present. I would strongly recommend you check it out!

[sszkutak_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

i loved Poison Study, but this book wasn't as strong. The plot line in this one was a little too predictable. Still a good story though and I am interested in seeing what happens next. I do recommend this series to young adults and gown-ups who like young adult books.

[heatherlinc · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

"Magic Study" continues to follow the adventures of Yelena, the apprentice magician. Back in Sitia with her family, Yelena manages to find herself in all sorts of situations where her life is at risk. In a completely different world with new characters, adventures and magic, this book failed to captivate me in the way "Poison Study" did. Sadly, the wonderful relationship between Yelena and Valek is missing. Whilst Yelena remains the feisty heroine of the first book, Yalek's character is severely lacking. In "Poison Study" he was a fabulous hero, but in this book he has been robbed of the humour, strength and passion that made him so attractive originally. He only appears in the second half of the book and is too syrupy sweet for my liking.However, despite my disappointment in "Magic Study" I intend to read the final book in the series in the hope that it delivers in the same way as the first book did.

[avoraciousreader · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

4.5*Book source ~ Purchased from AudibleGuest Reviewers A ~ My 17-yr-old daughterT ~ My 15-yr-old sonK ~ My 14-yr-old sonYelena has vanquished her enemies and is on her way to Sitia to meet the family she doesn’t remember and learn how to control her magic. But growing up in Ixia and being the Commander’s food taster has made her ways strange and suspicious to the people of Sitia. Still, she perseveres. However, soon she is embroiled in a bad situation and must use her newfound abilities, her new friends and the unexpected arrival of old friends to get ahead of the game. And stay alive. Will her life ever be simple?While not as rousing as the first book, this story has a decent plot with a new world, new enemies, new friends and an appearance of old friends. Everyone still likes Yelena and Valek is still a favorite. Though T said Yelena and Valek having sex all the time is bad. I had to laugh because they aren’t doing it like bunnies. In fact, it’s closed door, not described at all and it’s only a few times. It’s just the fact that when Valek is around they do what couples in love do especially since they’ve been separated for months, but it’s not to the detriment of the plot. LOL Anyway, the magic is fascinating and the Sitia world is interesting. We all loved having the Power Twins back for a bit and the addition of horses is cool. T & K love that the horses call Valek “Ghost.” An apt name indeed. No one likes Yelena’s brother Leif. I agree that he’s an ass though by the end of the book he’s a bit better. T likes Yelena’s dad Esau because he knows so much cool stuff about the jungle. And everyone wants Cahil to die. That would be nice. We’re looking forward to book 3, Fire Study.Favorite quotes:“Pushing magic toward the candle, I willed it to light. Nothing happened.Irys made a strangled sound and the candle burned. “Are you directing your magic to the candle?”“Yes. Why?”“You just ordered me to light the candle for you,” Irys said in exasperation. “And I did it.”********************************************************************************“I gave him a bored look. I had been threatened many times before and had learned that the men who didn’t make verbal threats were the most dangerous.”******************************************************************************“Of course, you didn't want our help. Now I have to go beat up some soldier just to keep my ego intact.”

[mathewbridle · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

That’s part two of the Yelana Zaltana trilogy read. Much like its predecessor: fun, fast paced and a few good twists to keep it interesting. I have but one complaint though. There is an instance where the characters are searching through a citadel and the distance is given in blocks (twice). Now, if you are an American, living in a city that would be fine, except most of the world are not. The real issue with this measurement is that it is so out of place it spoils the moment. That aside this is a very worthy sequel / continuation as it picks up right where the last one left off.
I shall now go and read the last one in the series: Fire Study.

[cynical_ames · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a wonderful sequel to [Book:Poison Study], which I read this from start to finish in one session. The natural progression of the story as well as great character development hold this book to the same standards as it predecessor.

Janco and Ari who appear in the first book provide the comic relief in this one, a new character Cahil provides some mystery and becomes a short-lived love interest, and new friend Dax who loves to tell Yelena of the astounding rumours about her as they crop up.

I loved Yelena's close relationship with Cahil's horse Topaz and her own incredibly loyal horse Kiki and their love of apples and peppermints.

I felt the Commander was ingenious in his/her disguise as an Ambassador visiting Sitia, with only Yelena knowing the truth of his/her identity. I also liked the way the Commander handled Yelena's order of excution - a very wise decision was made.

Valek was as ruthless as always still protecting Yelena the best he can at risk to his own life. Yelena's ability to get below Valek's tough magic-immune exterior is nice but we still do not know much about Valek's past for me to truly love him as a character.

As for Yelena herself, her Soul-Finder status was brilliantly put across. Her compassion towards the beggar boy Fisk and his friends, the way she reached the catatonic Tula when others had given up on her, her ability to forgive her brother Leif and helping him heal his soul and her extraordinary ability to comfort and heal others is what makes this book worthy of all the praise it deserves.

[margaraawr-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

“Living is a risk...Every decision, every interaction, every step, every time you get out of bed in the morning, you take a risk. To survive is to know you're taking that risk and to not get out of bed clutching illusions of safety.”

I still liked this book! I devoured it pretty fast because it was that good! Yeah, Poison Study is better than this one but that does not mean that this is a bad book. I just felt like there is just too much happening and one thing is not even finished or solved and then there's another something going on, etc. It was action-packed like seriously but I wish the author gave me time to breathe.

Brief Summary:

Yelena was on her way to Sitia because magicians are not welcome in Ixia. She was looking forward to training in the Magician's Keep for her to learn to control her powers and maybe, she can meet her family, too. She did not want to be away from Valek but she have to. But what she found in Sitia is not what she expected. She met all kinds of people, good or bad, funny or annoying, and soon, she saw herself kind of softening to Sitia.. Some evil things happened and she dies everything that she can to help. But some people are stopping her. And sometimes she wonders if she should trust these people's plans or just trust her own instinct...

The Characters:

Yelena. Ha. This girl is always looking for trouble! She is so stubborn that sometimes I want to shake some sense in her. Yeah, she does those things for others but I just wish she would listen for once! But I don't know.. sometimes, I liked her recklessness. It was making things interesting.

How cool is it that she can communicate to horses? I just adore Kiki, Yelena's horse. I wish I could feed her peppermints myself. Haha.

I liked how Yelena helped those poor beggars without just giving them what they want. She helped them, taught them how to move and function on their own. It was touching.

Valek. Ehhhh. Though he was not in the book most of the time (and just appeared in definitely unexpected and cute moments), I appreciate his presence nonetheless.

“When I carved this, my thoughts were on you, love. Your life is like this snake's coils. No matter how many turns it makes, you'll end up back where you belong. With me.”

Valek is confident, cocky, mischievous, reliable and many other things. I like all of them about him.

Cahil. Duuuude, I want to strangle this guy. He was so annoying! Gaaah. -_- But, I pity him actually. I think he was just being used as a pawn of other people to pursue their personal agendas.

Leif. He is Yelena's older brother and he is another guy that I wanted to choke to death. But.. before I do that, I wonder about some things.. It was not explained why he was experiencing so much guilt, why he is living in so much pain. I want him and Yelena to restore their relationship.

The other new characters that are introduced are pretty interesting! They absolutely add spice to the book, making it more entertaining.

The ending was okay. I was excited to see where will Yelena go from here. ;)

“My future appeared to be a long twisted road fraught with knots, tangles, and traps. Just the way I liked it.”

Final Rating: 3.5/5 stars

[lyssa73 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A solid 6/10 because I had as many problems with the story as things I enjoyed.

It's a page turner and the plot keeps moving enough to keep you interested. But it had been over a year (maybe a year and a half?) since I'd read Poison Study and to be honest, I remembered next to nothing of the first book (which I really enjoyed) probably because I had read Graceling around the same time and there were a lot of similarities. Anyway, I only remembered bits of Poison Study after Yelena would refresh my memory, and this probably kept me from getting annoyed that the storyline was so similar.

I like when mysteries and pasts are uncovered, so I liked the baseline for Yelena returning to her roots. I thought the release of her childhood memories was suspiciously uncomplicated, though.

The biggest problem I had was that the villains were all so one dimensional: sick, twisted evil maniacs who favor torture and rape. Evil exists in many forms and to many degrees and this just got old.

I still don't understand the commander. I just don't get it.

I appreciated Valek's presence, though I'll agree that his role was very limited. If I only had one night left with my soul mate, I don't think I'd spend it on sex and sleep, but hey that's just me. I still don't understand how he escaped the noose. Or how he is able to give all of his energy or whatever to Yelena. These are things I felt were shoddily explained at best.

I thought Cahil's sudden flip to jealous admirer and then back again to lethal, suspicious enemy was unbelievable. And why wasn't Yelena suspicious? He asks her to accompany him to a ball *what?* and then she's all, -freeze, taken aback- giggle, what do I wear? *I.Can't.Even.*

I agree with other readers that Yelena got herself into too many disasterous predicaments and frequently seemed to escape thanks to dumb luck.

I can't think of any specific thing that was well done. The one thing I can say, though, is that I don't regret reading it. I requested the book from my library and then read reviews and decided that when I got the book, I'd probably just return it; it sounded like it would be a waste of time. But I did end up reading it, and I'm glad. There were things that bugged me, but not enough to impede the flow of the story line, making me too frustrated or angry to get caught up in it. In the end, I just feel confused. I will read the last book because, although I have a bad feeling about it, I am interested in seeing what Yelena becomes.

[rosecrossed · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I was really impressed with this novel. It is very different from the first, but has an interesting plot and wonderful new characters (as well as old ones!) I think I might have even liked it more than the first, mainly, I think, because we learn more about Sitia in this book which I really enjoyed. Sitia is absolutely fascinating. Yelena learns a lot about herself and her family in this book. Self-discovery is weaved throughout. There is also much danger and action, of course. Yelena never seems to have it easy! I loved this book and recommend it fully to others.

[katie1802 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

So as a sequel to a great book, how does it compare? Not as good as I would have hoped. Don't get me wrong, its great, but I just don't like how different it is to the first book. It's set in a completely different place, the nature of the story has totally changed and an army of new characters are introduced, not all of them that interesting. However, I do like getting really far into Yelena's background, one she didn't even know she had.

The real problem though? Way too little Valek. I know it makes sense considering how events in the last book finished, but still, hes a favourite, he needs more pages devoted to him.

[ahnya-2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really like where the author is taking the story. The first part was a little slow, but it got better once all the good characters came back. Can't wait to see how it ends.

[iris0boekenplank · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

*Originally Reviewed at Witchmag's Boekenplank*As soon as I finished reading the first book, Study of Poison, I ran to the library to get my hands on this book. I just had to know how the story continued. After a couple of pages, it was obvious that I, once again, had found a real page-turner! I even took it with me when I went to visit my sister, so I could continue to read. It was so hard to put this book down! Maria V. Snyder has yet again managed to write a captivating story about a most intriguing world. This time you’ll get to discover the South. To Sitia, the place where Yelena was born and magic has not been banned. No, instead it is embraced and encouraged. However, something is wrong. A ruthless murderer is on the loose, leaving lifeless bodies of young girls in his wake. Then there is Cahil, the cousin of the dethroned king of Ixia…Despite everything thrown her way, Yelena stood tall, but sometimes took on too much. She was also focused too much on fixing things by herself. I understand that for years she has been on her own and that her trust was shattered and stomped on. Still, not everyone is out to be your enemy. Sometimes it comes in handy to share things cause some people might know more than you. So why not tell them? The worse that could happen is one scary and life threatening situation less, so why not go for it?Notwithstanding Yelena’s behavior at times, it was a delight to discover new characters and re-acquaint the old. I was especially happy to see Janca and Ari, Yelena’s “big brothers”, again. Their antics always make me smile. While reading, though, I noticed something: we hardly get a detailed description of the characters. At first I thought I must have missed them, but with every new character Yelena encounters there was still no description. Even though my mind has already created an image, I’d still like to have some handles, something more than the most beautiful blue eyes she’s ever seen or a bunch of blond curls.I also noted that I could not really feel the connection, the emotional bonds between the characters. There are not many words spent on describing the emotions Yelena feels, the focus here is more on the adventure. A vast difference between all the Young Adult and New Adult books I’ve read, where feelings are THE most important thing. It’s not annoying, though, just different. Still, at some points I totally wished I could see a bit of her real feelings. It felt a bit dull now (I think you understand WHICH scenes I’m talking about don’t you? *wiggles eye brows*).Conclusion4 HEARTS. Although it looks like I did not enjoy the book much, with my focus on less stellar moments, as I said in the beginning, I LOVED reading this book! Yelena continues being an amazing and strong woman, who is not afraid to make her hands dirty. She has some control and trust issues, but she’s learning to cope with them ^^ It was great to return to my beloved characters and meeting new ones. There are some things I noticed, like the lack of a detailed character description, but they did not have any influence at all on the joy I felt while reading. Therefore I can heartily recommend this book to anyone who likes a good adventure with a strong female lead. Now on to the next book!

[humouress · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the second book in Yelena's story, and events follow almost straight on from the end of Poison Study (so I'm trying to write this review without spoilers for the first book). Yelena is taken, along with the survivors from her 'orphanage', to find her family and - since she must learn to control her magic before it kills her - to study with Master Magician Irys. She finds herself in an unfamiliar situation with people who are not sure of her motives.Yelena not only studies magic at the Magicians' Keep - it would have been nice to see more of her life there - but learns about different types of magic practices in different parts of Sitia. She discovers that she is strong in a magic that has not been seen in a long time, which makes people more suspicious of her. She also meets the last member of the royal family of Ixia who, having escaped the assassination of his family, wants to use Yelena to help him get his throne back.While she is at the Keep, she is asked to try and help a girl who has been horrifically treated, and is the only surviving victim of an unknown killer. Yelena, and the magicians, then do everything they can to save the girl and catch the killer before he strikes again.I thought this was a stronger book than the first one, though the plot was more straightforward and not quite as interesting. The world-building is quite solid.Although I picked this up from the YA section of the library, I should warn you that, once again, the evil magician gets his powers through torture and rape. Though we are not given gruesome details, we do get told about some of the devices and the torturers' intents.This was fun to read, and was more detailed than Poison Study. I liked meeting Yelena's family, although her mother did have an annoying habit of disappearing up the nearest tree when stressed. This series is not a 'must read' for me, but rather 'if I see it on the library shelves, I'll pick it up'.Three and a half stars.

[yona-414000 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Everything I said in comment about Poison Study holds true here. This is my favorite adventure to date. I liked Poison Study better but that by no means is a negative comment on Magic Study. I'm very much looking forward to Fire Study - already on order at B&N. I should have it this week.

[ritastradling · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book started slow but it picked up in the middle. I would have liked more detail about her studying magic... which was barely even a sub-plot. At times I was engrossed, but mostly not.

[jaguar897 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I give this one 4.5 stars. I found the story captivating, but a few things annoyed me in this one that weren’t present in the first book. Yelena is still a kickass heroine but now that she has some control over her magical abilities and has become a great fighter her attitude has become much cockier. I understand having confidence in her abilities, as she should have but going off on her own because she’s thinks she’s the only one that can defeat the enemy is just stupid, especially when she is surrounded by powerful magicians who have been around much longer than her. At times I felt that Yelena needed a huge slice of humble pie to go along with her stubbornness.

Another thing that annoyed me was Valek or rather his speech. I loved him in the first book as well, but in this book he’s developed a highly annoying habit of saying “love” all the time when speaking to Yelena. “Yes, love?” “Do you need me, love?” “Take anything you need, love” Keep in mind he’s a trained assassin, who has killed hundreds on command. All of a sudden he’s mush because he’s in love? It just didn’t come off as realistic to me. I liked how their relationship was more developed in this book though. But, I would have liked a little more background on Valek. I’m hoping we learn more about him in the third book.

Some things that I did enjoy: I loved Yelena’s family! They’re so cool. I won’t say more on them because I don’t want to spoil. I also loved getting to know Sitia and the different cultures. I thought the world was pretty well developed. I also love some of the secondary characters, like the Blue Man and Kiki the horse. And best of all Ari and Janco make an appearance. I love those two!

[erincathryn · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

An enjoyable sequel, misused words and all. Not a fantastic book by any stretch, but it was OK.

There are a few things that drive me mildly bonkers.

1) Yelena's hair is described as being varying lengths. If it is only just shoulder length, it would be very difficult to braid and then twist into a bun. My hair is longer than that and I can barely braid it and twist it into a bun.

2)The soul stealing bit is getting old.

BOOK ONE SPOILER: 3) Yelena's relationship with Valek. I am not one to judge, but he always read as being much older than her. He doesn't respect her wishes. i.e. killing Alea, killing Goel And yeah. I just don't like their relationship all that much.

4) Why does Roze hate Yelena so much? And what the heck is up with spelling it "Roze"?

[keristars_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

As a follow-up to Poison Study, Magic Study sees Yelena go to Sitia to learn about her magic - because if she stays in Ixia, she will be killed. They've a zero tolerance policy there regarding magicians, of course.But even in Sitia, Yelena isn't safe. People are suspicious of her and she isn't having as much success as she'd hoped in learning to use her magic. And then she learns of a rogue magician - or someone - who is ritually murdering teenage girls in order to amass power, and when she tries to help find him, Yelena becomes a target again.Or...something like that. I found that the book ended somewhat unsatisfactorily and rushed to read the next one, so my memory of the plot for Magic Study blurs with that of Fire Study. But they're really the same book split into two.I don't think that Magic Study is quite as good as Poison Study in that the world-building feels a little haphazard and overly coincidental, and almost too much happens. There aren't many places to pause and catch up. The writing style itself is also a little awkward - while some of the clumsy sentence structure I noticed in the first book was improved (I didn't notice it nearly as often), it seemed like once Valek appeared, every other sentence he spoke towards Yelena ended in "love" which nearly drove me up a wall.But, again, although it isn't necessarily the best fantasy book, I found myself intrigued and continuing to read despite the problems, just like with Poison Study. Snyder does know how to capture my interest, even if I think there are many ways to improve the book.

[bduke_15 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I could go on quite a why-I-hated-this-book rant, but other people have done it far better than I can. It was so ridiculous. And I can't figure out why we are supposed to like Valek as a hero. He's a mass murderer, for heaven's sake. I wasn't really drawn to any of the characters, and the plot was very weak. Seriously didn't like this book!

[danielle4montgomery · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This second installment was better than the first! I was very impressed by Maria Snyder's writing style and her incorporation of all the characters from the previous novel.In this second book, Irys takes Yelena away from Ixia, to the Citadel in Sitia where Yelena is to learn the ways of magic. On the road to the Citadel, Yelena reunites with her loving parents and guilt ridden yet spiteful brother, Lief, who conspires to thwart Yelena's chances of becoming a trained magician, saying she is a spy sent by the Commander in Ixia in order to glean information to conquer Sitia.Once at the Citadel, not only are the current students jealous of her powers and her close ties to Cahil, the heir to the Ixia throne, but they are also envious of her link with Irys, a Master Magician who has never seen fit to mentor a student until Yelena. While making friends and enemies, a young girl is brought to the infirmary, beaten within an inch of her life and driven out of her mind. Now Yelena, with the help of her friends, must race against time to keep the killer from kidnapping another girl. And ultimately Yelena must decide if she's willing to walk into the killer's den and sacrifice herself to keep the killer from striking again...What I Liked: The best part about this book is that there are no love triangles!! Woot woot!! So many YA novels nowadays incorporate a love triangle that is totally unnecessary. I'm so happy that Yelena stayed strong and true for Valek, and he the same for her. Yelena is INDEED a strong heroine and I absolutely love her resolve to help people no matter the threat to herself. She's very self sacrificing and I like her character all the more for it. I'm also very glad that Ms. Snyder brought back Yelena's friends from the first book as well as added new friends in this one.A big aspect that struck me in this novel was that no matter where Yelena goes, she always has a strong "mentor"-type person that aids her in whatever adventures she has. In the first novel, it was Valek while in this novel, it was Irys. Plus, Yelena always seems to make cheery friends whom I absolutely adore *giggle*. I love Yelena's interactions with everyone. LOVE IT!What I Didn't Like: There wasn't a thing I didn't enjoy about this novel. The story flowed well and the characters stayed true to form. Ms. Snyder is indeed a master story weaver and I loved every moment of it.Great book! Get it!5 stars out of 5.

[fyrefly98 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Summary: Yelena, exiled from Ixia despite her service as poison taster to the Commander, journeys south to Sitia, both to be reunited with her family, and to learn to control her magic at the Keep. But as tough as Yelena is, things in Sitia might be more than she can handle: the sudden reappearance of doting parents she can't even remember and an older brother who hates her; the southern prejudice against Ixians in general - and her lover, Valek, in particular; the constant suspicion that she's actually an Ixian spy; the palpable hostility from the head magician and the other students; and the separation from everything she's ever known. On top of all that, young girls are disappearing from their families in Sitia, and turning up horribly tortured and murdered. This hits Yelena too close to home, and she vows to stop it, whatever the cost, despite not yet being fully trained... or trusted.Review: I had a better time with Magic Study than I did with Poison Study, although in retrospect, I liked the plot somewhat less. Either Snyder's writing style has improved, or I had just gotten used to it over the course of the two books, but it bothered me less in the second book. It'll never be my favorite, but at least it wasn't particularly intrusively noticeable this time. I also found Yelena less annoying than I had previously, although her interactions with the secondary characters - particularly her newly-rediscovered family - didn't really win me over, and I found myself missing Valek, Ari, and Janco. (The one character whose introduction I wholeheartedly approved of was Kiki, the horse, who was thoroughly charming, and provided some lighter touches in what was once again a fairly dark book.) The plot wasn't bad, and although it felt fragmented at times it all came together in the end fairly well, but I thought it lacked the freshness and originality of the condemned poison-taster plot, which was one of my favorite parts of the first book. In sum, while I'm interested enough in the story that I'll read the third book, Fire Study, I'm just not in raptures over the series the way some people seem to be. 3.5 out of 5 stars.Recommendation: Better than Poison Study in some ways, not as good in others, it's different enough from the bulk of YA fantasy that the series is at least worth checking out, even if it has yet to blow me away.

[alcarinqa_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

After being exceptionally impressed with Poison Study, I eagerly dove into Magic Study. I must say it is, if anything, better than its predecessor. Magic Study still has all the things I loved about Poison Study - great characters, riveting plot, lots of action and romance - and improved upon the previous book because of the level of world building. Yelena's return to Sitia and her family opens up Snyder's world so that the politics of Ixia and Sitia can be compared. To be honest, I see the merits of both types of political system and didn't mind one bit that Yelena stood up for the old home.I thought that Valek and Yelena's separation would play out like similar situations in YA, but Snyder minimises any sappy pining and ensures that no stupid decisions are undertaken through a feeling of abandonment, and most importantly, that Yelena never even glances at another man. Their eventual reunion was much-anticipated for me, and I was gratified to find that Valek's regard for Yelena had not dimmed. However, his ready acceptance of Yelena's magical powers after dedicating his whole life to eradicating magicians continues to mystify me, and I hope this aspect will be examined in the next book.The long-awaited reunion of Yelena with her family is one of the most interesting aspects of the novel because it examines how she deals with the familial burdens that are suddenly thrust upon her. The destructive hatred her brother harbours for her is offset well with the easy and open relationship Yelena cultivates with her father. I loved the gradual development of love and trust between Yelena and her family, but also liked that some members (like Nutty) easily accepted her.Overall, Magic Study is a great follow-up to Poison Study, and a book I thoroughly enjoyed. I still don't agree with it being marketed as YA, and believe many fans of more traditional, adult fantasy will enjoy this series as well as young adult readers.You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic.

[dasuzuki · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

After waiting soooo long to read Poison Study I loved it so much that I dived into Magic Study right away despite my toppling pile of other books I need to read and review. While I enjoyed it I still think Poison Study was by far the better book.I was dreading that we wouldn’t see Valek as much being as Yelena was going back to her homeland where Valek is pretty much viewed as a demon. I was happily surprised to see Synder managed to work him in and have some interaction with Yelena. The other aspect of this series that had me worried was the fact that I had already read the Glass series and everyone told me that meant I would know basically how the story ends and who are the characters are. This actually added an interesting twist to the story for me. I had this picture of how some of the characters were like Zitora and Leif and then seeing them “introduced” in this book was so different from what I came to expect from them. Leif was the biggest shocker to me. I almost didn’t recognize him because he was such a huge jerk towards Yelena and did not match up at all with how I remembered him.Snyder certainly has a way with developing her characters including the ones who don’t play as major of a part. I love Yelena’s parents and really wish I could see her mother climbing up that tree every time she began to worry about Yelena. I’m certain it would be a interesting sight. Ari and Janco make minor appearances as well and my only complaint would be not seeing as much of them as I would have liked.The story line was somewhat interesting but I didn’t feel like much progressed in the bigger picture. Maybe it will all come together in book three and I really promise not to wait another couple years to get to it!

[thenightbookmobile · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What can I say about Magic Study that I didn't already say about Poison Study? I read many reviews in which readers claimed that Poison Study was the superior book and Magic Study fell short of their expectations, but for me that was not the case. This book was certainly different from its predecessor and had something different to offer but I found that refreshing.All of the old characters we fell in love with in Poison Study were back along with a cast of new characters who didn't disappoint. We are given a tree climbing mother, a bitter "king" without a throne, "talking" horses, a family of glass blowers, head magicians, etc.While Poison Study was a book primarily composed of "Who can Yelena trust?" moments and endless intrigue Magic Study presented us with a story about family and a Hogwarts-esque magic school. In this sequel Yelena had all of her old friends (and her lover) from Ixia to support her.One of my favorite parts of the book was Yelena's ability to communicate with horses. I adored Kiki and Topaz and thought they added a necessary lightness to the book and to Yelena's otherwise complicated and dangerous life. I highly recommend this book and will continue on with the series. I've already got Fire Study, the third and final book in the series (not including its spin off series "Glass" that is), sitting in my to be read pile.

[harpua_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Book 2 of this series from Maria V. Snyder moves forward with the story of Yelena and her coming to grips with coming back to her homeland and learning of her magical abilities. In my opinion, this book is much better than book 1 (Poison Study). While much was the same, there was more excitement in this one. And for good or bad, I'm an action oriented reader, so this was much easier to read and held my interest much longer. At the end of the first book, I was intrigued, but not overwhelmed with excitement for this series. Now, I can't wait to finish book 3 (already a few chapters in) to see how this all plays out. I could do without the romance, but it really is just a sidebar to the main story and not very detailed so good for the youngins. I think I may end up recommending this series as it is entertaining and worthy of the time to read through it.

[ladycato · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Yelena was raised in an abusive orphanage and grew to become the commander's food taster. She discovered two things: she was not an orphan but kidnapped, and her growing skills in magic are illegal within her adoptive home of Ixia. She travels to the south to a homeland she can't remember. Her reunion with her family isn't all joy and mirth, nor is she openly welcomed as a student of magic in the capital. A series of murders draws her attention and she applies her magic in tracking the killer... unless he tracks her first.Like the first book, POISON STUDY, this is a fast read. It's off-Earth fantasy in first person, and reads more like urban fantasy than epic. Yelena's confidence has grown and she's a spunky heroine, witty and skilled in physical defense. However, I found myself missing a lot of the elements I loved in the first book, though, such as the roles of the poison and her training in identifying them. That initial hook is gone as she Yelena becomes more powerful in her magic and outright brash. There were two points of aggravation, too: Yelena chooses to stay willfully ignorant about her family and what a Soulfinder is, something was convenient for the plot but seemed contrary to her intelligence; also, I get tired of there being a man in every book who wants to rape her. I'm not sure if I'll continue with the series since it has changed from what initially attracted me, but the books have been an enjoyable read.