Shattered Glass by Maria V. Snyder

Title: Shattered Glass
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Series: Glass Series (Also Chronicles of Ixia or Poison Study Series)
Genre: Fantasy/Young Adult
Page Count: 86 Pages (Kindle)
Published: April November 19th 2016 by Maria V. Snyder
Rating: 5/5

While trying to teach her adopted daughter, Reema, how to work with molten glass, Opal receives a letter from Master Magician Zitora Cowan requesting Opal's immediate help.

Zitora resigned from the Sitian Council over two years ago to search for her lost sister, and no one has heard from her since. The letter is probably a trick, but Opal refuses to pass up the opportunity to help her mentor, who may be in genuine trouble. Good thing Opal isn't that easy to fool. With her two soldier friends Nic and Eve providing backup, the three travel to a small town in the Jewelrose Clan. But can they rescue the Master Magician without being caught in the same trap?

My Review:

I can't believe that I never posted this review! Shattered Glass is an essential short story if you are reading the new Yelena/Study books. This one should be read before Dawn Study. Opal receives a message from Zitora that is most likely a trap, but she has no choice but to answer the call for help. Great short story with Opal and her friends from the Glass series. I was happy to find out where Zitora disappeared to and to spend a little time with Opal again.

I had the honour of working with Maria to create the cover for this novella and it was a dream come true for me. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to her daughter's friend Araella's medical expenses. Her world was shattered back in August when she was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer - she's just 18 years old! :(

My Rating: 5/5

You'll like this series if you liked

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder, Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas or Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Links 4 More:

Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder

Title: Touch of Power
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Series: Healer #1
Genre: Fantasy
Page Count: 390 Pages (Paperback)
Published: December 27 2011 by Mira Books
Rating: 5/5

Magician, heal thyself.

Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan absorbs their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Fifteen Realms, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.

Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her life....

My Review:

It's no secret that I am a huge fan of Maria V. Snyder's writing. Whenever I'm asked for book recommendations her books are on the top of my list.

I read this series a while back and didn't have the time to review it, but I had it on my list and am finally taking the time because everyone should know how great Touch of Power is.

If you liked the Poison Study series you will undoubtedly like this one also. It's not set in the same world, but the blend of magic, medieval and adventure is the same.

Avry is a healer who is forced to hide her gift or face death. She gets wrapped up in a war not of her choosing and makes friends and enemies as she is brought on a dangerous journey to heal a dying prince. She is a great heroine that I was rooting for the whole time.

There are other powers that come into play, and magical elements that are unique to the world Maria created in this series. The love story that is started in Touch of Power is woven through delicately so that it doesn't overpower the plot but sucks you right in with all of the feels.

A great adventure story and the start of an amazing series. If you haven't already added this one to your to-read pile, you definitely should!

Fav. Quotes (minus the spoilery ones):

“Kerrick gave him a tight smile.
'You mean I'm not omnipotent?'
'You're not even semi-potent.'
'Is that even a word?' Kerrick asked.
'He probably means you're impotent,' I offered.”  

"I can't decide what's worse. Losing family members or not having a family member to lose."

My Rating: 5/5

You'll like this series if you liked

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder, Graceling by Kristin Cashore, or Queen in Exile by Donna Hatch.

Links 4 More:

*As a side note: I was given an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, but since I missed the publication date I purchased the whole series on amazon. 

Best. Decision. Ever!

Poison Study Blog Hop

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder is still one of my all-time favourite reads, and to honour it's 10th anniversary she is host a blog tour. Find out more here.

Study Series = A Fantastic Adventure!

Title: Study Series
Books: Poison Study, Magic Study, Fire Study
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Adventure
Page Count: 416 - 448 Pages
Rating: 5/5

The Study Series:

I got Storm Glass and Sea Glass by Maria V. Snyder (The covers grabbed my eye from the book section at Wal-Mart) but was waiting for Spy Glass to come out to start reading them. Some may think it strange but I do that all the time, I hate cliffhangers! I was so happy when NetGalley gave me the ARC for Spy Glass to review. Imagine my chagrin when I opened Storm Glass and found out it was a sequel series! Now with 60 days before the timeout on the ARC, I had to read all 6 books, not a big deal for full-time reviewers I suppose, or you crazy fast readers out there, but a huge YIKES! for me. I’m now in the middle of Sea Glass and am so happy for this little mistake because I really loved the Study Series and wouldn’t have found them if Opal hadn’t called to me from that bookshelf!

I’m going to split up the review for the 3 books and give quick sum-ups and reviews for each instead of clumping them together. So here we go…

Poison Study:

Book’s Description:

Choose: A quick death . . . or slow poison . . .About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve.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 . . .

My Review:

Yelena had her reasons for killing Reyed, but in the land of Ixia the penalty for killing is death, regardless. She is about to end her year-long stay in the dungeon with her hanging. That is until she is given the choice between execution and becoming the food taster for the Commander (ruler of Ixia). She takes her chances with this new dangerous job and has to live day to day wondering if the next meal would be her last.

The story was interesting enough with just the concept of Yelena’s battle for how and when she would die, but then interwoven was the aspect of the banned magicians and Yelena’s awakening to that magic. Great characters and world building made for a story that I got totally lost in (in a good way). As always I loved the twists in the story and was quite pleased with how it turned out.

A word of caution; this series has a lot of violence (especially toward women) and the graphic nature may be disturbing for younger teens or people with a sensitivity to reading about sexual and physical abuse. Obviously there is a reason for it and it’s paramount to the story but I know some people who would want to have a heads up.

My Rating: 5/5

Magic Study:

Book’s Description:

If you haven’t read Poison study yet there will be spoilers from here on out…

Yelena is a survivor.Kidnapped as a child, held prisoner as a teen, then released to act as a poison taster, she is now a student of magic.But these magic skills place her in imminent danger, and with an execution order on her head, she has no choice but to escape to Sitia, the land of her birth.But nothing in Sitia is familiar.Not the family to whom she is a stranger.Not the unsettling new facets of her powers.Not the brother who resents her return.As she struggles to understand where she belongs and how to control her powers, a rogue magician emerges -- and Yelena catches his eye.Suddenly she is embroiled in a situation not of her making.And once again it will be her magical abilities that will either save her life . . . or be her downfall.

My Review:

Now in the land of her birth, Yelena must learn to accept and learn to use her powers. With girls going missing and people making her out to be a spy, every minute counts. In this second book of the Study Series we get to see many different clans and their villages all over Sitia as Yelena tries to help track down the kidnapper.

This one kept me guessing even more than the first. It had a unique feel to it with more dominance being put on the magic aspect of Yelena’s training over the physical training in the first book. We get introduced to a whole new array of characters but of course the main characters from the first book make appearances along the way. Great read, I ate this one up!

My Rating: 5/5

Fire Study:

Book’s Description:

If you haven’t read Poison/Magic study yet there will be spoilers from here on out…

The apprenticeship is over— now the real test has begun.When word that Yelena is a Soulfinder—able to capture and release souls—spreads like wildfire, people grow uneasy.Already Yelena's unusual abilities and past have set her apart.As the Council debates Yelena's fate, she receives a disturbing message: a plot is rising against her homeland, led by a murderous sorcerer she has defeated before.…Honor sets Yelena on a path that will test the limits of her skills, and the hope of reuniting with her beloved spurs her onward.Her journey is fraught with allies, enemies, lovers and would-be assassins, each of questionable loyalty.Yelena will have but one chance to prove herself—and save the land she holds dear.

My Review:

Turns out there is something that Yelena is afraid to face...herself

Again, I loved this one. Maria had me hooked 'till the last word. Set mainly in Sitia Yelena tries to discover her own powers while battling a seemingly endless list of people who want her dead. She starts to wonder if the Commander was right to try and destroy magic all along. Now that she had grown to love both Sitia and Ixia, can Yelena choose between them in the war that is brewing? With lots of twists thrown in along the way I couldn't put it down.

This is the final book in the trilogy and it ends well enough that Maria could leave Yelena’s story or come back to it after the Glass Series (I just posted the review to Storm Glass, the 1st book in that series. I know I posted backwards oops!). Fantastic series! I’m so glad that I found it!

My Rating: 5/5

You'll like this series if you liked:

The Glass Series by Maria V. Snyder, The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien, Graceling (The Seven Kingdoms Trilogy) by Kristin Cashore, or Eragon
by Christopher Paolini.