Ever since being kidnapped from the Illiais Jungle as a child, Yelena Zaltana's has been fraught with peril. But the recent loss of her Soulfinding abilities has endangered her more than ever before. As she desperately searches for a way to reclaim her magic, her enemies are closing in, and neither Ixia nor Sitia are safe for her anymore. Especially since the growing discord between the two countries and the possibility of a war threatens everything Yelena holds dear.
Valek is determined to protect Yelena, but he's quickly running out of options. The Commander suspects that his loyalties are divided, and he's been keeping secrets from Valek...secrets that put him, Yelena and all their friends in terrible danger. As they uncover the various layers of the Commander's mysterious plans, they realize it's far more sinister that they could have ever imagined.
My Thoughts :
I am a huge fan of Maria V. Snyder and was extremely happy to have Yelena and Valek return in the Soulfinder books. Their story was far from being over and it is getting more and more complicated and interesting with each book. I say complicated because I find it hard to keep up with everything and remember what happen in the previous books. I could really do with a 'Previously on...' section at the beginning ;)
Despite my ability to remember all the details, I enjoyed this new installment as much as the others. There are, as always, some challenging developments and interesting twists. The plot is always captivating and the world the author has built to house her characters is always a pleasure to visit.
I can't wait for more from the series. There are so many possibilities and outcomes for all involved and I am interested to see what the author has in store for them all. Especially as the characters develop and grow. Oh and we are not only talking personal growth here. The amount of characters keeps growing too with some very surprising additions this time around.
Well worth checking out if you like Fantasy and magical elements. This is a Game of Thrones on a smaller scale and no dragons. A very well thought out world with so many wonderful aspects to be in awe of.
Oddly enough, when Yelena was a poison taster, her life was simpler. But she'd survived to become a vital part of the balance of power between rival countries Ixia and Sitia. Now she uses her magic to keep the peace in both lands and protect her relationship with Valek.
Suddenly, though, they are beset on all sides by those vying for power through politics and intrigue. Valek's job - and his life - are in danger. As Yelena tries to uncover the scope of these plots, she faces a new challenge: her magic is blocked. She must keep that a secret - or her enemies will discover just how vulnerable she really is - while searching for who or what is responsible for neutralizing her powers.
Yes, the days of tasting poisons were much simpler. And certainly not as dangerous.
My Thoughts :
Your eyes do not deceive you! After all this time Yelena and Valek are back and I couldn't be happier! I am sure all the fans are rejoicing about this comeback or they missed the memo and will be surprised when they come across this new installment. The question is - Does Maria V. Snyder manage a good comeback? The answer is - hell yes!
At first I felt a little lost. Of course I remembered the main points but if I had had the time I would have re-read the previous books before starting Shadow Study. It would have made things easier if my memory was completely refreshed but as it was the author managed to help me along with her short memory jogs. As things progressed I fell back into the wonderful world that Snyder built for this amazing series and once again I found myself being pulled into the magical twists and turns.
I don't want to go into the story too much because I could end up giving something away. What I can tell you is that Shadow Study is the perfect continuation of the series. There is everything and everyone you could wish for plus a few other bits and pieces you will be happy to read about. The story is as original and special as all the books before it so I doubt anyone will be disappointed.
My only regret about this book is figuring out the solution to a major twist/cliffhanger ending very early in the story. So, for me, the cliffhanger didn't pack the punch it should of. I felt a little annoyed at myself more than anything but maybe for others it isn't as obvious. Although it does mean that there will have to be another installment!
Any fan who has read Maria's books will be eager to read this new addition and they shouldn't wait too long to get a copy. The chances of spoilers ruining the book is high and to be honest there isn't any way that anyone who has read the Study and Glass books will be able to stay away from this one for long. Get a copy and snuggle up with it. Take the day off work or phone in sick, this book needs to be read as soon as possible.
She's fought death and won. But how can she fight her fears?
Avry knows hardship and trouble. She fought the plague and survived. She took on King Tohon and defeated him. But now her heart-mate, Kerrick, is missing, and Avry fears he's gone forever.
But there's a more immediate threat. The Skeleton King plots to claim the Fifteen Realms for his own. With armies in disarray and the dead not staying down, Avry's healing powers are needed now more than ever.Torn between love and loyalty, Avry must choose her path carefully. For the future of her world depends on her decision.
My Thoughts :
Maria V. Snyder's books are exceptional and I have enjoyed reading each and every one of them. However Taste of Darkness, the third and final book in the Healer trilogy was not my favourite.
Finally presented with the last installment of another original and captivating story made me want to read it straight away. However I took my time and waited till the holidays were coming around because I knew I would have more time to read Taste of Darkness without many distractions and with more time to give it the attention it deserved. In retrospect maybe I should I have began this one as soon as I received it because I ended up having to take a break halfway through because it was not at all what I expected.
I am not giving this book a bad review, I am just saying that this time around I wasn't feeling the story and characters. I couldn't follow the story, there was so much going on. Add the fact that I forgotten most of the story due to the length of time between the books being released. Such stories with so much depth are hard to follow with long pauses and this is one series that needs to be read after another to be fully enjoyed. Little things but still they made their mark.
However, what I think ruined the book for me was that the copy I was given to review had no chapters and no breaks. This meant I didn't even know when the POV was changing until a paragraph or so later. It gave me a headache and can't believe publishers would give reviewers such a bad edition of the book to read. I ended up having to back track and re-read a lot of the book to figure out the when, where and who. It was frustrating and made the story practically unreadable.
So any fans who are reading this review, don't take my words too seriously. I think anyone who has been following Avry's story will enjoy this book and be happy with the way it ended. There were some special moments, some interesting twists and of course the concept is just wonderful. Maria gets another thumbs up for creating yet another unforgettable world, set of characters and plot. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.
If you haven't already had the pleasure of reading Maria's work then I suggest you start with the Study Series. Still one of my all time favourite reads and one I make sure family and friends get a copy of.
As the last Healer in the Fifteen Realms, Avry of Kazan is in a unique position: in the minds of her friends and foes alike, she no longer exists. Despite her need to prevent the megalomanical King Tohon from winning control of the Realms, Avry is also determined to find her sister and repair their estrangement. And she must do it alone, as Kerrick, her partner and sole confident, returns to Alga to summon his country into battle.
Though she should be in hiding, Avry will do whatever she can to support Tohon’s opponents. Including infiltrating a holy army, evading magic sniffers, teaching forest skills to soldiers and figuring out how to stop Tohon’s most horrible creations yet; an army of the walking dead—human and animal alike and nearly impossible to defeat.
War is coming and Avry is alone. Unless she figures out how to do the impossible ... again.
My Review :
I am a huge fan of Maria's work and when I got hold of this ARC I couldn't wait to start it. However I kept myself in check and got through a few other to be read books before rushing to this one. However when I started it I realised I should have found time to re-read the first book, Touch of Power, before diving back into the world I haven't been to for a year. I was completely lost.
After a few chapters I started to warm back up to the world and the main characters but I still couldn't place all the other characters. It was hard, especially as they had all split up and were going their own way. In the previous book everyone stuck together and it was easy to know who was who. This time around I admit I felt a little out of my depth.
By the halfway mark I had to take a break. Not because the story was bad but because the Kindle ARC I received had no chapters and no breaks in the text. So I was reading along and finding I was suddenly back to Avry's perspective when I had just been following Kerrick's and vice versa. It was very annoying and it meant I often had to stop and go back to read places (where I can only assume were chapters or breaks in the story) again.
However when I went back to the book I was in the loop and extremely hooked. The last half flew by and before I knew it I had come to that horrible ending. Yes I will call it horrible and Maria, once again, deserves to be boo'ed at for the way she insists on leaving us with such nasty endings. Although I have to also give her credit for the amazing way she ends her books, making me sure to come back for more.
All in all this was once again a super Snyder book. I love the characters and the concept which is developing quite nicely. There should be some really interesting events to come in book three and even though this second part wasn't as good as the first it was still well worth reading.
If you haven't already read any of Maria's work then I highly recommend you do. Even if it doesn't sound like something you would like you need to start with the Study series. I didn't think I would like it but I loved it and it will always be one of my favourite reads.
Scent of Power is due for release at the end of the month.
However that isn't that much fun....so I also decided to give a copy of the top three books away to three lucky Amberkatze's Book Blog newsletter subscribers!
So the votes are in. It is time to see what books did well and which ones didn't do so well...
7th place - This one was in my top 5 favourite reads but it seems you guys are fans. Sympathy for the Devil By Justin Gustainis comes in second from last with only 2.54% of the votes!
6th Place - Even if it only got 6.78% of the vote I hope you will still try Forsaken By Jana Oliver . This is a really special series and I can't wait for more.
5th Place - Not a lot of Steampunk fans here? Heartless by Gail Carriger is full of paranormal wit and fun but it only got 8.47% of the vote.
2nd Place - A big name in the genre and a well deserved place in the top 3 with 15.25%! The Gathering By Kelley Armstrong was a brilliant read and I can't wait for the sequel to come out later this year.
1st Place - And the winner is...Touch of Power By Maria V. Snyder!!!! Wooohooo!!! I can't say I am surprised that this amazing read made it to the top three but I didn't expect it to win over all the others! Well done Maria! You are the Best of 2011!!!
Congrats to all the authors! And thanks to all of you for voting! I hope all the books have either found their way onto your reading pile already or are on your wishlist. They really are the ones you shouldn't miss out on.
However now it is time to announce the winners of the giveaway!
As promised I am giving away a copy of the top three books! Because third place was a tie I am allowing the winners to pick which one they want from the top four books. Working on a first come first served basis. So if your name is one of the three winners picked...be fast and email me your choice ;)
So congrats to the newsletter subscribers with the emails beginning with :
naomi.chino!!
samnstacy!!
quixoticdreamer!!
Keep reading to find out how to claim your prize!
Didn't win this time? Check out the Monthly Giveaway! Once a month I let you vote and win! Sign up for the Newsletter and you won't miss out on an opportunity.
Please contact me via email - Amberkatzes_book_blog at gmx dot eu within the next 7 days to claim your prize. Your claim will go quicker if you send me your address. If you won a contest where you can choose your prize, then please make sure you state in your email which book you would like. This will help things go alot quicker! If you won an e-book please make sure you send me the email address you would like the book sent to!
If you email me and don't get a reply within 48 hours please post on the blog letting me know. Some email gets eaten by my spam filter. However please don't send me more than one email unless you really don't get an answer within 3 days. I am not online 24/7 ;) Sometimes it takes a little longer to reply.
If a prize isn't claimed after 7 days I will, if the author agrees, pick another winner.
Please also note that I can not be held responsible for prizes that come direct from authors. I will check with them for you if you haven't received your prize but I can not hunt down your mail! Any prizes that come from myself could come from a 3rd party eg. Amazon or Bookdepository. If I am sending a prize myself please be aware that it could take a few weeks to reach you as it is coming from Europe.
Post about this giveaway somewhere on the internet eg. Facebook, Myspace, Twitter etc. Make sure you post the link here so I can confirm your extra entry.
Email your friends about this giveaway. Make sure you add my email address so I also get a copy and can confirm your entry. Amberkatzes_Book_Blog@gmx.eu
2011 had a lot of good books in it. Unfortunately I didn't read as much as I wanted to and didn't meet my goal of 175 books. It was close though. Just had a few too many distractions and I hope 2012 will be a better year for reading.
Now the year is over (as far as reading is concerned) and instead of a December Monthly Giveaway it is time for the Best of 2011 Giveaway! Here is your chance to win one of the top three books I read in 2011 and you all get to help choose which books were the best!
I have spent quite a bit of time going through all my reads from last year and picked out 10 books that, for me, stood out and I would say were the best. Of course there are loads more I would have loved to add to this list but I have limited myself to ten and it wasn't easy! I would have given some honourable mentions but that list started to get very long. So if you want to see all the books I read in 2011 then check out the Goodreads widget at the bottom of this post.
What is the Best of 2011 Giveaway?
I have picked ten of my favourite reads from 2011 (sorry no ARCs are included!) and now you guys go to the poll and vote for the book you want to win or the one you think deserves to win!
If the book has (Series) next to it then the winner can also choose another book in that series if they are missing it (Unless I can't get hold of it from bookdepository or Amazon). I have done this because some of the books I read eg. Spider's Bite and Soulless were a part of a series that had more recent release in 2011.
Remember! You may not actually win the book/series you voted for.
Here is a little info about each book on offer (in no particular order!). Just click on the book title and author to see my review -
Well in the sidebar <--- there is this poll. You vote for the book you would most like to win. Because this is the end of year giveaway I am actually going to give away a copy of the top three books! So the three books with the most votes will be the prizes. The winners get to pick which one they want from the three on a first come first served basis. So if your name is one of the three winners picked...be fast and email me your choice ;)
To subscribe to Amberkatze's Book Blog all you have to do is use the box in the sidebar <--- or at the bottom of this post. Everyone who is already subscribed will be entered in the contest as well as new subscribers. If you have not confirmed your email address then you will not be added to the draw!!! The poll will stay open for votes until Tuesday 10th of January 4pm (all times are in Central European Time). The winner will be announced later than day.
For more chances to win -
Post about this giveaway somewhere on the internet eg. Facebook, Myspace, Twitter etc. Make sure you post the link here so I can confirm your extra entry.
Email your friends about this giveaway. Make sure you add my email address so I also get a copy and can confirm your entry. Amberkatzes_Book_Blog@gmx.eu
Use the Bookdepository or Amazon links/banners to keep the prizes coming! Oh and advertise Amberkatze's Book Blog wherever you can ;)
