Poison Study

I thought the world and the magic were interesting and there were a lot of good story elements, but there were some elements that made it hard to fully enjoy the book.

I thought a prisoner having to become the poison taster was an interesting concept, that made sense for the story. I liked Yelena and her recourcefulness and determination. I also liked the friendship she developed with some of the commander's soldiers. The plot was engaging and I was entertained by the book as long as I tried to ignore some of the issues I was having.

"warning": I'm going slightly into things happening later in the book in my review, I don't think it's spoiler-y enough to cover, mostly things you can guess if you're familiar with this type of story, but maybe don't read it if you don't want to know anything about the book.

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(At first) I though Valek was an interesting character. Yelena and his growing closeness was interesting to me until I realised how old he must be and that they were supposed to have a romantic relationship. Based on the information we get about him killing the King like 15 years ago, he must be like twice her age! She's 19 I think, and he's like mid 30's? That's just creepy. Not to mention that the way he fell for her and communicated that didn't feel like something a 30-year old adult would do. Couldn't he have just been like a mentor figure? I feel like that could still have been the close relationship she needed and would inspire the loyalty the story needs, but without the romance, this book didn't need it and it made the story worse.

Also, maybe I understood it wrong cause the author was very vague, but I feel like it was implied that they had sex when they were hiding for some hours to escape the prison. This would be after they had been captured and locked up for 2 days, and Yelena had been very sick for like a whole night and was covered in bodily fluids from that at some point. That being the first time they had sex is a weird writing choice.

Another thing is that I am unsure how we are supposed to feel about commander Ambrose. Yelena seems to like him and feel some loyalty to him and he has his kind moments. But he also orders all magicians in the country to be killed, which are usually children, to protect his secret, that's he's actually (born as) a woman, which I'm not sure if the commander is supposed to be a trans man or is just hiding his/her gender to be a more convincing leader? . And while his country's system seems to promote equality, he doesn't seem to actually make sure everyone is treated fair and that the people he appoints to lead are good people. Including the whole 'no murder for any reason even self-defense' rule. Plus the whole carving a letter on Valeks's chest as a reminder of his loyalty is weird.

Speaking of Valek, there's a similar two-facedness there. He seems relatively kind in the book and does some good things, like allowing that kind of wrongly imprisoned man to start a new life and helping Yelena of course, but of-page seems to have done horrible things, like killing innocent children because the commander says so (maybe we'll find out he actually didn't kill them but sent them to the other country or something, but still, Yelena is already "passionately in love" with him despite that). The author just seems to gloss over some of the more horrible things that happened before or during the book in general. Maybe that's just because it's a young adult book and they want to show the bleak history of the main characters without being explicit, but that just makes it feel like it's not being taken that seriously at times.

While writing this review I started to doubt my 3 star rating, but I think it does make sense, the overall story I'd probably rate slightly higher, there were a lot of interesting elements and it read easily. I'm mostly just not sure how much I want to take away from my rating due to the in my opinion problematic elements.. I'll keep it like this for now

There were many things I enjoyed about this, but I'm not sure I care enough to read the next book. I liked the characters, wasn't surprised with the outcome of the butterfly poison, but I think maybe I wasn't in the mood for magic and medieval times.

I really liked this but my reading was so broken up so I couldn't enjoy it in its entirety.

I agree with all the people who said Throne of Glass should have been like this though. I made so many parallels between Celaena and Yelena and it was insane

3.5 stars!

I couldn't put this book down. It was a fun read. I'm curious of where the story will go.

Over 15 years of having this book on my TBR and I finally picked it up...
Really enjoyed this and I am interested to see where this series will go.

This was unexpectedly good. The character growth was on point.

Very silly and shallow, but fun and great against reading slumps.

Where to begin here? I finished it, and hence the 3 stars! Maybe I've been spoiled by incredible in depth character development and world building of Marie Rutkowski, Sarah J Maas, Leigh Bardugo, etc., but this story lacked any chemistry mostly because it felt like a sketch. The story bones are good, premise is intriguing, but the narration is so lackluster. I get so easily invested in stories, and honestly I couldn't care less about any of the characters because I didn't know who they were, what made them tick, what were their thoughts, their complexities, their conflicts. Things seemed so black and white. Bad guys were bad, good guys were good. No struggle aside from the main character, who at least had some page space to reflect on her inner demons. The writing was not bad but also not engaging on an emotional level, and it spent so much time telling me how things are rather than letting me come to those conclusions by showing me how they are. “They kissed passionately” vs going through the motion of actually writing a passionate love scene. Telling me the character is “conflicted” rather than discussing and showing me how they process that conflict. A lot of that resulted in me feeling very removed from this world and it's inhabitants. It's a shame because this is exactly the type of story I love to read and it had the makings of an instant hit. Sadly, it accomplished the rare feat of missing the mark for me, so I'll be wrapping up the series with this one.

I found the characters enjoyable. The plot was great but not well executed.
I would caution that this is it a book for younger readers.

Fantastically refreshing fantasy. Captivating works creation and character development. There is some romance, but the characters maintain a strong sense of self and independence.

I loooooved this book. Really, binge read it in one sitting (did had to sleep). Riley from Riley Marie on Youtube mentioned it in one of her video's and I decided to pick it up. So, thank you, Riley, for giving me my new favourite book!

Iam obessed with it.
I just published my whole thoughts about in my blog
https://noorlightwoodbts.wordpress.com/2019/01/25/poison-study-by-maria-v-snyder-my-review/

I was worried that this would be a little too YA for me, and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. This book is about an orphan named Yelena who was taken in by a wealthy General and raised in his household. The story starts with Yelena awaiting her execution for murder. Just before her execution, she is offered a choice: die now, or become the food taster for the Commander of Ixia. Of course, Yelena chooses to live. The job may sound easy, but she will be tested along the way. This is such a great story! I especially loved the characters. I have to get the rest of the series.

“But joy was like a butterfly alighting on a hand; a brief rest before flying away.”

I only found this book by accident while browsing for others and was intrigued by the premise. Yelena has been a prisoner in the dungeons of Ixia for almost an year waiting to be executed as a murderer. When the day arrives, she is summoned by the security chief of the kingdom Valek himself and offered a choice – take the noose or take the position as the Commander's personal food taster. For her, it's a simple choice because she wants to live. But she doesn't realize how tough her job is going to be; there are always going to be people who want to kill the Commander, but seems like there are people who want to kill her too. Additionally, Valek's training regimen also involves poisoning her food and asking her to identify it, if any. Escaping General Brazell's assassins, honing her skills, making friends and uncovering the biggest threat to the kingdom in a long time are just some of her accomplishments through the remainder of the book.

“Maybe if I stayed here long enough, my heart would turn to stone. Then betrayals, tests of loyalties and poisons would have no effect on me.”

I loved Yelena's character. Initially, we can see that she is troubled by her past and has nightmares. We only get to know the truth slowly, as she is coming to terms with the abuse and torture she was subjected to. We realize why she had to commit the murder but she tries to justify what she has done because despite the truth, she still feels guilty. Slowly, with attacks coming from all sides, she decides to take matters into her own hands and takes up self-defense lessons. Death is staring at her everyday, but she still tries to help whoever she can and always regrets leaving others behind in the past. The way her magical powers form an intrinsic part of her is well described in the book and we can feel the way she uses it when she is desperately in need. Her character growth is exceptional and the writing is so impeccable that we feel ourselves on the same journey of growth as her.

“But you've slipped under my skin, invaded my blood and seized my heart.”

Valek initially seems like a loyal advisor to the Commander but a psychopath because he torments Yelena. However, we get to know him better through her eyes and he grows on us just as she understands his motivations and his personality. He is extremely brave, loyal and a master strategist and what I loved most about him was that he never left her behind. He was always there for her when she needed him and encouraged her to be self sufficient in case he couldn't be. As she falls for him, I did too and it just felt right. The romance angle was very subtle in the book but still gave me all the feels. Yelena also befriends Ari and Janco, Captains in the military and they grow so protective of her that they don't hesitate to put themselves in danger to protect her. I really hope to see more of them in the next book.

“Sieges weathered, fight together, friends forever.”

On the whole, this book really surprised me. It wasn't the usual fantasy story. There was a lot of discussion about politics in a military establishment, the injustice in the proclamation of blind justice that doesn't take intention into consideration, the fact that abundance of opportunities don't necessarily compensate for curtailed freedoms and the guilt that ravages the heart of a rape and abuse survivor. We see all this and more through Yelena's eyes and find the flaws and faults that can exist even in a kingdom run by an efficient Commander. The characters are great, the plot is mysterious and the writing very imaginative. I really look forward to reading all the books in this series as soon as I can.

“Everyone makes choices in life. Some bad, some good. It's called living, and if you want to bow out, then go right ahead. But don't do it halfway. Don't linger in whiner's limbo.”

The main character is a girl, Yelena, about to be executed for murder, but is given the option to be the Commander's food taster. However, his right-hand man, Valek the chief of security, poisons Yelena and only a daily antidote will keep her alive, so she can't escape. There is intrigue about possible magics used in Ixia - where it is forbidden after a takeover by the military over a corrupt monarchy who imposes very totalitarian and sparse dictatorship - and attempts on the Commander's life/mind.

I found the aspects of the military dictatorship interesting, as there are rules where everybody has a job and in order to transfer to another town, there has to be proof from your employer and proof there is a job waiting in the new town. Papers, as it is. There are also soldiers in each town who recognize their regular citizens and can arrest strangers or loiterers. Also, nobody is taught anybody beyond what their job entails, so learning for the sake of learning is frowned upon - viewed with suspicion - and libraries are in disuse. Religion is banned, and music is scarcely allowed. However, after the corrupt monarchy and nobility allowed their men to go and kill unjustly and used magicians to torture “lesser” citizens on the whims of nobility, I suppose the rules - “the Code of Behavior” - is favored by a lot of their citizens. I wish there was more expanded on this from the public's general feeling, but I do know this book was meant to introduce Yelena to us. Perhaps the third book will delve more into this when Yelena returns to Ixia.

objectively this was not a great book.

the writing was a little clunky and the tropes obvious.
Girl with special powers survives horrors and beats the odds to become extra special.
Also the thing with the mentor.

But this is exactly why I love Tamora Pierce, so I enjoyed this anyway

Mostly not annoying characters. Interesting world. Easy to read and fast-paced story. No love triangles. And for that, I liked this book a lot.

2018 re-read
Love this book pretty much the same as when I first read it. Funny how it has been almost 2 years since I read this! Unbelievable... I can't remember what I got sidetracked with which led me to forgetting to read the rest of this series. This time I will finish it all!

Also, I'm pretty sure Yelena is 19 not 18 like I said before. I'm still confused on ages, but still LOVE how the romance is done <3

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2016 original review:

Oh my goodness YES!

I've read a few books this year by Maria V. Snyder and with each book I love her more and MORE. This book has succeeded in putting her on my favorite authors list. While this book isn't a favorite it is so close to being there. With the next few books in the series maybe it will make it there.

There is threat of death, character growth, magic, some character diversity (transgender), and good mix of characters. Oh! Also, the romance isn't shoved into the reader's face. I thought it was subtle but, enough that I giggled and smiled at the development of feelings. I SHIP IT! although I wasn't sure of anyone's age so... besides Yelena who is 18 I don't actually know anyone's age... I know Valek, the Commander, etc. So, it made it a little difficult in figuring out what people looked like or age gaps in the romance. I honestly wasn't even sure they could be together.... I just assumed... anyhow I'm still not sure how I really feel.

I'm excited to learn more about the magic in the next book. I think it will be a great development and interesting to figure out. I want more rules haha.

I really enjoyed the story. While it was a bit obvious what was going on, it was obvious to certain characters but, like me they are unsure of the specifics so, it was fun to read.

Yelena!! She is great. I just wanted to mention one more time that I'm excited to see how much she will grow and which paths she will take :)

I definitely recommend this to fans of YA and fantasy. Leaving it vague because I think more people should check it out ^_^

One of the best books I've read so far this year!

Absorbed in seconds and only really put it down to sleep. It's just too good to stop reading! I've read it a few times already, but just had to read the series again so I'm up to speed for reading Shadow Study.

Where to start?

CHARACTERIZATION
The main character lacked depth, explaining about her tortured background does not make her a deep character. IMO Yalek has more depth than Yelena. The side characters such as Ari, Janco and even Rand, were likable and I was happy to read about them whenever they appeared. The Commander's “secret” is a very thinly disguised attempt at incorporating an element of LGBT to the story. That, and the passing remark from the seamstress that Valek was thought to maybe be gay... that is until Yelena appeared of course.

The evil characters, on the other hand, were clearly all trained in the same school of unoriginal hunt/torture/rape plots. It's a wonder Yelena made it alive up until the end of the book. Every other page she's either captured/kidnapped, hit in the face, stabbed at or shackled. That is, of course, until one of the strapping young men amongst her friends list turns up “just in the nick of time” to save her poor defenseless self (Read here: very thick sarcasm). My major annoyance throughout was Yelena's relentless dizzy spells and vomiting whenever it got a bit too stressful. For someone who doesn't eat all that much, she sure does vomit a lot.

PLOT
What plot? This book was supposed to be about poisons, precisely a food taster to the higher up of Ixia (the Commander). The topic of poison was touched upon in the first half of the book (maybe I'm generous here, I think it may have been the first 10 chapters). After that, the storyline changed from a very scientific “poison tasting” plot to a predictable “let's play with magic” one. Before this could happen though, Yelena goes through a third plot change known as the “I'm going to become a pro fighter”. All is well here when Ari, Janco and Marren help her out by having little training sessions in the basements. However, even though our heroine is clearly able to ward off her three friends, whenever the action gets serious outside she suddenly loses her abilities and has to really on gasp Valek! Who just so happens to be EVERY WHERE.

LOVE AND OTHER PLOT HOLES
Ok, of course she has to hook up with someone. From the description of the book, I had gathered that she would develop a thing for the Commander. However, after reading a few reviews I learned that Valek was to be the love interest. I followed his every move in the book to see how this could happen. Well, it kinda happened all in one go. Sure he helps and protects her in dangerous situations, but that doesn't mean anything really. Then Yelena gets drunk one night and sticks her hands in his pants and I'm like “whoa girl, calm yourself. Aren't you a torture/rape victim? Shouldn't you be weary of men, especially sex?”. Then nothing else happens for the rest of the book until at the end we mysteriously have a love declaration from the man himself, whilst being trapped in a dungeon waiting for death... very credible if you ask me.

HOLE #1 I thought there was a no nonsense policy about killing in Ixia? You know, the iron clad rule of “if you kill someone, even if accidental or in self-defense, you must hang”? Weeeeeell, I guess that doesn't apply to Yelena and Valek, seeing as the collectively kill about 10 people in the book. Also the killings themselves are odd. I would expect Valek not to flinch, he's a trained assassin, but Yelena? She killed once before in self-defense, after years of abuse. That is very different from fighting of palace guards and crushing their windpipes/bashing in their heads. She doesn't even blink or feel remorseful. Yelena is a psychopath. Not Valek, definitely Yelena. (Actually, declaring her a psychopath makes my skin crawl, she isn't actually psychopath in the clinical terms but, to use the exact words from the book, I chose this diagnosis. IMO she has an affective disorder, my bet is on depressive with a touch of anxiety)

HOLE #2 Criollo couldn't affect Valek because he is impervious to all things magical, but why would Yelena be spared from its effects? According to Irys, this substance in small quantities is used on students of magic to help them open their minds. If that's the case. Then Yelena should have had a similar reaction to it as the Commander (because she ate just as much as him). Somehow, she is spared. Let's just chalk it off as “she's the main, she can do anything and all the rules ever established don't apply to her”.


All in all, it's a very easy read, (two days for me) and, if you can look past the bad plot and characterization, then you could find it enjoyable in a mind numbing sense. If you want to relax your brain after reading something complicated then, my suggestion is “Poison Study” for a quick, painless read.

Loved it!

I wouldn't read it again. I had issues with the writing and I groaned audibly during many scenes. I did like the premise and I enjoyed some of the secondary characters enough to say I liked reading this book. But overall I was unimpressed and disappointed.

Great book. Loved the story line. Can't wait to read the others in the series.

Don't be fooled by the Luna insignia on the spine, Poison Study is not a romance thinly disguised as a fantasy novel. When Yelena, a convicted murderer, is given a stay of execution in return for becoming the Commander's new food taster, she has no idea how complicated her life is about to become. Yelena faces death from all sides, from the General whose son she killed, the southern magicians who fear her uncontrolled hidden magic, and the poison in her body, used as a means of keeping her from escaping. Her frantic attempts to survive, told in Snyder's entertaining first person narration, will keep you turning pages and leave you reaching for the sequel.