Poison Study

Once ruled by a King, Ixia has been overtaken by the Commander. All magic has been outlawed and any found to possess it will be put to death. A new Code of Behavior has been put in place, and while it may seem like a harsh world to outsiders, everyone has their place in the newly built society. And the new Code has saved Yelena’s life, allowing her a slim chance of freedom. Imprisoned for murder, Yelena is sentenced to death. But as she is led to the gallows she is given a choice. As the next slated for execution she can either proceed to her appointed death or become the new poison taster. Grasping at the chance to live, Yelena agrees to become the new taster. But there are those who will never forget the murder she committed. As Yelena must stay on guard against poisoned food, she must also protect herself from those who would exact their revenge.

Poison Study is a unique story, where much of the politics and back door deals are heard in snippets from Yelena’s viewpoint as she taste tests the Commander’s meals. Some of the political drama does involve her directly, and as such she runs into quite a few mishaps. But she is determined to stay alive and is quick to think on her feet. It also helps there is a mystery surrounding her and the circumstances that forced her to commit murder. With each new encounter, she finds ways to strengthen her resolve and build her skill set. Yelena refuses to be easily overtaken.

Readers will also spend time with Valek, one of the Commander’s advisors. Maria V. Snyder does a fantastic job building up a harsh character who follows a strict moral code. His defenses are high, and very few are able to see beneath the rough exterior. Yelena and Valek are well matched and their clashing provides entertaining animosity. While Yelena tries to push the rules, seeing where there might be the tiniest of cracks, Valek is quick to snap back and try to keep her in line. If only to keep the poison tester alive long enough to not have to train another one.

The one downfall of this novel was the way Yelena built a romantic relationship. It seemed to snap in place without much of a lead into the reasons behind it. Yelena’s flustered feelings were quite easy to depict, but the other party needed a few more hints to drop. Body language, or some sort of dialogue scattered throughout the story to leave a bit more of a breadcrumb trail to what was going to happen. Whereas the friendships she formed took time to develop, over the course of missions and shared pursuits. I quite enjoyed Yelena participating in training with her friends and sharing sarcastic jabs with them.

This is a high fantasy story driven by loads of character development and it does not have an overdose of politics. Yelena is a strong female lead to follow and I was pleasantly surprised by the representation in it. I first read Poison Study 12 years ago and I easily enjoyed it just as much as I did the first time.

Full Review

I don't know what else to say to you other then the fact that this book was good and that I will definitely be getting the sequel...but I'll try.

Sitting in a dungeon in Ixia our heroine, Yalena, awaits her execution for a crime that she does not regret, murder. She knows what she did, why she did it, and that it was wrong, but there is nothing she can do about it. Even if the murder was an accident or a matter of self defence the consequence is the same – death. But Yalena is in luck because she is next in line for the hangman's noose she is also the chosen candidate to be the Commander of Ixia's food taster. And because she is no fool she takes the job and all the risks that come with it.

Filled with political intrigue, assassins, and acrobatics Poison Study was a fast paced refreshing read that I hadn't encountered in a long time. It's not your typical YA where romance normally tends to take centre stage leaving the rest of the story in the background but a story I believe that has a little something for everyone - humour, action, and yes, even romance.

Recommended for fans of The Darkest Powers series by Kelley Armstrong.

I really liked this book. The world building was facinating and the characters are enjoyable. I would like to run into Janco or Ari in real life. I did not even mind the formulatic feel at the end. To be honest Yelana was strong without being willful, interesting without being overbearing. Valek was strong with a hidden charitable streak. The chemistry between these two characters is probably why I liked it so much. I am nervous about reading the next book because I liked this one so much. I can't really see Yelana keeping my interest without Valek but I guess I will have to dive in and read the second one to see how it goes.

A couple months ago I had a Borders Gift Card burning a hole in my pocket and as luck would have it, there's a big fat Borders store a short walk from where I work. So I was browsing again and came across this title. I'm much better about impulse buys than I used to be so I checked out the comments on Amazon before snagging it. Well, as of this writing it's rated 4 and a half stars out of 5 from over 200 reviews. And sure enough, I was hooked by the second page. The plot concerns a young woman named Yelena sentenced to be executed for murder. But she's given an option: die by execution, or become the Commander's food taster, a life-long position (which is currently available since the last food taster died from poisoning.) Yelena chooses not to die and then gets caught up in the political intrigue surrounding the land known as Ixia. It's a breeze to read and the pace rarely flags although the rest of the story is not as strong as the first third. This book can stand alone but there are two more “Study” books featuring Yelena. They're on my list. 4 stars.

Jeg kjøpte denne boka uten å ha hørt mer om den enn navnet. Dermed hadde jeg ikke veldig store forventninger, men ble veldig positivt overrasket. Det er litt fint å lese om en hovedperson som ikke er vellykket og flink i alt. Yelena vet at hun har begått mord, og prøver ikke å bortforklare det hun har gjort. Historien drives framover med stadig nye situasjoner hun havner opp i (særlig etter de første par kapitlene). Karakterene har veldig særegne personligheter, og man får fort en følelse av hvem man liker og ikke liker. Boka er spennende, skummel, romantisk og satt i en annen verden – kan det bli bedre?
Jeg skal i alle fall skaffe meg bok to ganske så fort!