Katie's Book Blog!!

Yelena has finally found her escape from the hell she has been in for the past year. Instead of being hung for murder, she is now the food taster for the Commander of Ixia. Some might not think that is the greatest idea but for Yelena it finally gives her the hope that someday she might be free again.Valek, the Commander's master spy, is in charge of Yelena which means that he is in charge of helping her stay alive. At first, it seems like the only thing threatening Yelena's life are the poisons she is supposed to be checking for but then strange messages begin to show up. At every turn, Yelena's life seems to be threatened by a new person. And at every turn, Yelena seems to be growing closer to the people who are most threatening to her life and her heart.Maria V. Snyder has created a whole new world in Poison Study. Ixia and Sitia are wonderful countries set in a whole dfiferent time period, with many different characters. There are magicians, spies, warriors, and commoners.Yelena is a wonderfully developed character who grows more and more throughout the book. Her emotions and characteristics are so deep and visual. Everything that Yelena goes through, the reader goes through. She is just so easy to sypathize with.Valek is also a fantastic character. As the book begins, you see nothing that you might like about him but as the book progresses, so do Valek's good characteristics. He finally begins to show some emotions and some good traits that show why he is so important to the commander.The whole story that is Poison Study is just too amazing for words. Poison Study marks the beginning of what promises to be a glorious new trilogy. Maria V Snyder has gone above and beyond in creating wonderful characters and stories that transport you to an alternate world. This trilogy shows promise to be an unforgettable, unputdownable new story.