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And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dust--and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison.
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...
Yelena, convicted of murdering the son of a powerful gneral, awaits execution. But with only a few hours left, she is offered an incredible reprieve -- and agrees to become the new food taster for Commander Ambrose, the military leader of Ixia. Living in a palace and eating only the best meals is a dramatic change for Yelena, who spent the last year locked up in a rat-infested dungeon, eating gruel. But she soon realizes that she has more to worry about than ingesting potentially lethal poisons in the commander's meals. The general whose son she murdered has vowed bloody vengeance, and everyone in the commander's retinue look at Yelena as an untrustworthy criminal. The longer she stays alive, however, the more she begins to understand her own perplexing abilities -- all of which will be put to the test when cunning rebels plot to take control of Ixia.
While many genre-blending novels seem to unintentionally dilute the literary domains involved, Poison Study is both a riveting romance and a spellbinding fantasy. The richly historied and vividly described realm that Snyder has created is completely convincing and large enough to encompass (hopefully) many more novels featuring Yelena, an enigmatic heroine with so many secrets and so much promise. Paul Goat Allen
Locked in darkness that surrounded me like a coffin, I had nothing to distract me from my memories. Vivid recollections waited to ambush me whenever my mind wandered.
Encompassed by the blackness, I remembered white-hot flames stabbing at my face. Though my hands had been tied to a post that dug sharply into my back, I had recoiled from the onslaught. The fire had pulled away just before blistering my skin, but my eyebrows and eyelashes had long since been singed off.
"Put the flames out!" a man's rough voice had ordered. I blew at the blaze through cracked lips. Dried by fire and fear, the moisture in my mouth had gone and my teeth radiated heat as if they had been baked in an oven.
"Idiot," he cursed. "Not with your mouth. Use your mind. Put the flames out with your mind."
Closing my eyes, I attempted to focus my thoughts on making the inferno disappear. I was willing to do anything, no matter how irrational, to persuade the man to stop. "Try harder." Once again the heat swung near my face, the bright light blinding me in spite of my closed eyelids.
"Set her hair on fire," a different voice instructed. He sounded younger and more eager than the other man. "That should encourage her. Here, Father, let me."
My body jerked with intense fear as I recognized the voice. I twisted to loosen the bonds that held me as my thoughts scattered into a mindless buzzing. A droning noise had echoed from my throat and grew louder until it had pervaded the room and quenched the flames.
The loud metallic clank of the lock startled me from my nightmarish memory. A wedge of pale yellow light sliced the darkness, then traveled along the stone wall as the heavy cell door opened. Caught in the lantern's glow, my eyes were seared by the brightness. I squeezed them shut as I cowered in the corner.
"Move it, rat, or we'll get the whip!" Two dungeon guards attached a chain to the metal collar on my neck and hauled me to my feet. I stumbled forward, pain blazing around my throat. As I stood on trembling legs, the guards efficiently chained my hands behind me and manacled my feet.
I averted my eyes from the flickering light as they led me down the main corridor of the dungeon. Thick rancid air puffed in my face. My bare feet shuffled through puddles of unidentifiable muck.
Ignoring the calls and moans of the other prisoners, the guards never missed a step, but my heart lurched with every word.
"Ho, ho, ho...someone's gonna swing."
"Snap! Crack! Then your last meal slides down your legs!"
"One less rat to feed."
"Take me! Take me! I wanna die too!"
We stopped. Through squinted eyes I saw a staircase. In an effort to get my foot onto the first step, I tripped over the chains and fell. The guards dragged me up. The rough edges of the stone steps dug into my skin, peeling away exposed flesh on my arms and legs. After being pulled through two sets of thick metal doors, I was dumped onto the floor. Sunlight stabbed between my eyes. I shut them tight as tears spilled down my cheeks. It was the first time that I had seen daylight in seasons.
This is it, I thought, starting to panic. But the knowledge that my execution would end my miserable existence in the dungeon calmed me.
Yanked to my feet again, I followed the guards blindly. My body itched from insect bites and from sleeping on dirty straw. I stunk of rat. Given only a small ration of water, I didn't waste it on baths.
Once my eyes adjusted to the light, I looked around. The walls were bare, without the fabled gold sconces and elaborate tapestries I had been told once decorated the castle's main hallways. The cold stone floor was worn smooth in the middle. We were probably traveling along the hidden corridors used solely by the servants and guards. As we passed two open windows, I glanced out with a hunger that no food could satisfy.
The bright emerald of the grass made my eyes ache. Trees wore cloaks of leaves. Flowers laced the footpaths and overflowed from barrels. The fresh breeze smelled like an expensive perfume, and I breathed deeply. After the acidic smells of excrement and body odor, the taste of the air was like drinking a fine wine. Warmth caressed my skin. A soothing touch compared to the constantly damp and chilly dungeon.
I guessed it was the beginning of the hot season, which meant that I had been locked in the cell for five seasons, one season shy of a full year. It seemed an excessively long time for someone scheduled for execution.
Winded from the effort of marching with my feet chained, I was led into a spacious office. Maps of the Territory of Ixia and the lands beyond covered the walls. Piles of books on the floor made walking a straight line difficult. Candles in various stages of use littered the room, singe marks evident on several papers that had gotten too close to the candle's flame. A large wooden table, strewn with documents and ringed by half a dozen chairs, occupied the center of the room. At the back of the office a man sat at a desk. Behind him a square window gaped open, permitting a breeze to blow through his shoulderlength hair.
I shuddered, causing the chains to clatter. From the whispered conversations between prison cells, I had determined that condemned prisoners were taken to an official to confess their crimes before being hanged.
Wearing black pants and a black shirt with two red diamonds stitched on the collar, the man at the desk wore the uniform of an adviser to the Commander. His pallid face held no expression. As his sapphire-blue eyes scanned me, they widened in surprise.
Suddenly conscious of my appearance, I glanced down at my tattered red prison gown and dirty bare feet roughened with yellow calluses. Dirt-streaked skin showed through the rips in the thin fabric. My long black hair hung in greasy clumps. Sweat-soaked, I swayed under the weight of the chains.
"A woman? The next prisoner to be executed is a woman?" His voice was icy. My body trembled on hearing the word executed aloud. The calm I'd established earlier fled me. I would have sunk sobbing to the floor if the guards weren't with me. The guards tormented anyone who showed any weakness.
The man tugged at the black ringlets of his hair. "I should have taken the time to reread your dossier." He shooed the guards away. "You're dismissed."
When they were gone, he motioned me to the chair in front of his desk. The chains clanged as I perched on the edge.
He opened a folder on his desk and scanned the pages. "Yelena, today may be your lucky day," he said.
I swallowed a sarcastic reply. An important lesson I had mastered during my dungeon stay was never to talk back. I bowed my head instead, avoiding eye contact.
The man was quiet for a while. "Well-behaved and respectful. You're starting to look like a good candidate."
Continues...
Excerpted from Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder Copyright © 2005 by Maria V. Snyder.
Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Anonymous
Posted December 7, 2007
Magic Study is the book that you see in the store and you think ...hmmm cool name way better cover art than the rest of my SF/Fantasy collection...I wonder. You pick it up, flip through the pages, don¿t really read any and decide it is probably a gimmick. Then you buy it anyway because the cover is Sooo pretty (and maybe hate yourself a little for being so shallow). You go home, sit on the sofa then read the first page. After than you can't possibly move for the next few hours and finally come up for air with a horrible neck cramp and the utter satisfaction that comes with being in the middle of a great story. You decide that it was your amazing subconscious book-radar that led you to your purchase, not a pretty cover. It has enough of the regular markers of the genre to make it a comfortable read but it is told in such a fresh way with very original twists that make it completely new and enjoyable. Yelena's is a world you will not want to leave. The story continues at full speed through the sequel Magic Study which tells a very new tale but still upholds the quality of the first. The third book Fire Study should prove to continue this tradition upon its release.
10 out of 10 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Librarian-Next-Door
Posted March 16, 2010
This is still, since I read it last year, one of my favorite stories. I read a review on it and gave it a go, with trepidation. "ANOTHER magic book...well, okay," is what I opened the book thinking. The next few hours went by without my knowledge. I eventually had to apologize to my family for neglecting them, and again, when I was grumpy because I didn't get a wink of sleep that night. When people tell me something is THAT fantastic, I am almost always disappointed, because I build it up as something amazing in my head. So I say this hoping that doesn't happen to you, "Read this book. You'll be better for it. I was not disappointed." If you need to fall in love with an idea, a character, a thought, a rather hot hero, then this series is it. It will inspire you to be more brave and take chances in your own life.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted November 24, 2007
Poison Study is the first of the three book Study Series. The life of a woman sentenced to death is hard. But even harder is the life of a woman saved from the hangman's noose. In the land of Ixia where protecting herself from harm landed Yelena in prison. Just when she thought her life was about to end Valek, Ixia's Master Spy/Assassin to the rescue. But like every thing else in life there is a catch. The noose might have been a kinder death. Valek only saved her in order for her to become the Commander's food tester. A job that could be a death sentence itself. If someone tried to kill the Commander by poisoning his food she would be the first to go. Yelena's plan to except the food tasters job and then escape to a better life is soon foiled by Valek. When Yelena is poisoned by a substance known only to Valek, she is forced to stay in order to get the daily antiote, that with out would mean her death. Yelena is soon caught up in the intrigue of palace life. With an enemy around every corner. As life wasn't hard enough Yelena begins to show tell tale signs of being able to use magic. Which in Ixia is a death sentence in itself. She is forced to trust Valek in order to survive. Yelena and Vaelk fall in love. But can there be a happy ever after. A magic using food taster and the spy of Ixia, death could be around the corner for either of them. A climatic set of events unfold that shows to the world that Yelena is able to use magic. The Commander then sentences her to death, and then gives her time to escape. With Irys the forth magician of Sitia she escapes to Sitia to find out about herself, and her life before she was kidnapped fourteen years ago. Can love survive magic and a death sentence. With a standing order of death for Yelena in Ixia and and order of death for Valek in Sitia can their love survive. Check out Magic Study and Fire Study 'coming March 2008' to find out.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This book is amazing!!!!! When i first saw it at B&B, i was like 'eh, i'll give it a try i guess', but WOW! This book is about a girl named Yelena and how she is origanlly sent to be hanged, because she killed MD-5 General's son, Reyad, but is given a chance to live as being the food taster for the Commander. When she decides to take this opportunity, she is given lessons by Valek, to learn all the different poisons so in any case if the commander's food is poisoned she would know what type of poison it is. But as the story goes along, she gains enemy's that is out to get her, inculding the General. And during this whole time she starts getting feeling's for Valek. This story has many twist that you will never see coming, and you would want to read this story over and over again. Plus seeing the romantic twined of Valek and Yelena come is extremely sweet. Trust me you will love this series!!!!!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted November 23, 2007
Poison Study is an entrancing novel by budding author Maria V. Snyder. The fantasy setting and charismatic characters capture the reader as the plot follows the adventures of Yelena, a criminal who barely escapes execution and becomes poison taster for the Commander, ruler of the country of Ixia. The story is a wonderful brew of action, magic, and romance as Yelena struggles to come to terms with her past and the growing attraction to her employer, the notorious assassin Valek. Every reader of young adult fiction and fantasy should read this exciting novel, as well as the sequel, Magic Study. Magic Study is a wonderful follow up to the first book, with its complex plot that keeps you on your toes and hungry for more.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted February 9, 2012
Hope she writes more with Valek and Yelena!!!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted January 19, 2012
The book has enough twists, turns, and suspense to keep anyone entertained. Murder, poison, magic, love, intrigue...it's got it all.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted January 6, 2012
I couldnt put it down the first time reading it and still cant when i rearead it! Its my fave book of all time and always will be.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted January 1, 2012
The premise is marvelous ad even the story itself is interesting amd woven well. However, the writing itself is terrible. Since this is a debut novel, I'd like to be forgiving, but I'm not ur i hav it in me for this one. This work has no sense of subtlety, is too dependent on forced dialogue, fails to
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.9384008
Posted September 28, 2011
One of my all time favorite series. The studies are rich in character, detail and personality. I laughed and cried and fell in love with many of the characters. Maria is an amazing author and I have read all her work to date cant wait for her next book!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Maria's writing makes rainbows spring from my head. :) This book was different, empowering, and captivating! I would recommend this to all the fantasy, scifi, and dystopian fans.
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Posted September 4, 2011
Good book, cant wait to read the other books in this series.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.ParchmentNQuill
Posted August 23, 2011
Love this book! I've read the three books in the series about 5 times already. The first book, "Poison Study", hooks you from the very beginning by getting you to identify and pity the heroine, despite her past. "Magic Study" has the same quick-paced plot, laced with intense twists and turns, just like the first book. And "Fire Study" is just as intense, tying it all together. The reader really connects with the Heroine, Yelena, in a way that most novelists can't anymore: emotionally. I find myself looking for Snyder's characters in many of the books I read now, but nothing really compares. I never read anything "science-fiction/fantasy" until I picked up this series. It's opened me to a whole new world of things other than the H.G. Wells/Bradbury/Asimov types of sci-fi.
If you like dystopian novels, realistic fantasy, a bit of science-fiction, or a mixture of all three, you're going to love this series!
9399613
Posted August 20, 2011
I read this over a year ago and it's still my latest favorite read! Unfortunately the sequels weren't nearly as good in my opinion...
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted August 15, 2011
I love love loved this book! the entire series is fantastic! i couldn't put any of the books down! I can't wait to read them again
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted August 10, 2011
An exciting story line with characters that are well developed and that you grow to know throughout the whole book.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.So, I first purchased this book in hardback several years ago. I am just now reviewing it because I realized any book that you are drawn to reread over the years is worth a little praise. I've loaned this to friends who have loved it, and this is one of the series that I go back to when I can't find anything interesting in the new releases. Yelena is a wonderful, strong character with a great story. The plot is moved by external conflict so that the relationships that form in the first book are not destroyed in the sequels like you see in some other series. If you are able to download a sample of this book, I recommend doing so. You should be hooked in the first few pages.
Premise: We first meet Yelena in the Commander's dungeons, awaiting execution. The country of Ixia is under military rule where a Code of Behavior is strictly adhered to, but many of the citizens still remember what it had been like before the take-over. Because the former royal family had been a group of corrupt magicians, Ixia is now magic-free under the Commander. Part of the Code of Behavior states that the job of the Commander's food taster must be offered to the next in line to be executed. Thus, Yelena is given a choice: risk daily poisoning as the food taster or enjoy a swift execution. As the story progresses, we learn more about why Yelena was set for execution, and since the food taster must be trained by the Commander's trusted head spy Valek, we also learn much about the political intrigues of Ixia.
8770359
Posted July 22, 2011
I loved this book, totally transported me to her world, all her books are wonderful!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.IntoFantasy
Posted July 13, 2011
This book is unbelievably awesome. The characters are easily likable, even Valek and his "psychopathic" self, in fact, you might just fall in love with him. Anyway, it is a great start to the series. I'm currently reading the second book, Magic Study and i can't tear my eyes way from the page, but i have to. I would suggest reading the short story "Assassin Study" after reading this book, it's an in-between story of book 1 and 2. It's free on the author's website.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.7002099
Posted July 11, 2011
Great plot and characters. Well written.
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Overview
ABout to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooma in the palace--and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dust--and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison.
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 ...