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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
I felt this book gave Surface level depictions of its characters and had some very underdeveloped world-building. Whilst I’m usually a sucker for the tropes that this book employs I felt like everything it did lacked depth and care.
This book was awesome. The world was so great and even though the world building could be a bit much sometimes, it was still so good.
I loved Avry. She was so awesome and I thought her healing powers were awesome and the fact that when she would heal someone, she would take their wounds or sickness as her own was awesome but sad as well. I also liked that she was 20 years old. A good mature are to be going to battle.
I also really enjoyed Kerrick. Even though he was an asshole for so much of the book, he was the brooding asshole. I thought he was great and his development over the book was so much fun to read. He was also 25.
I also loved Papa Bear, Balen. He was my favourite out of the boys. He was so sweet and such an adorable character. Balen was close to 30 years on in this book.
I loved that everyone was so much older that what you would normally have in young adult books, that was enjoyable.
Great book and I am excited that I'm reading the next one.
I loved Avry. She was so awesome and I thought her healing powers were awesome and the fact that when she would heal someone, she would take their wounds or sickness as her own was awesome but sad as well. I also liked that she was 20 years old. A good mature are to be going to battle.
I also really enjoyed Kerrick. Even though he was an asshole for so much of the book, he was the brooding asshole. I thought he was great and his development over the book was so much fun to read. He was also 25.
I also loved Papa Bear, Balen. He was my favourite out of the boys. He was so sweet and such an adorable character. Balen was close to 30 years on in this book.
I loved that everyone was so much older that what you would normally have in young adult books, that was enjoyable.
Great book and I am excited that I'm reading the next one.
I've never read a book by Maria Snyder, but I was intrigued enough about the premise to check out a new-to-me author. There was enough about this book that I liked that I might consider going back and reading some of the author's other works, but most likely only if I checked them out of the library. This story just didn't do it for me; it's a fine fantasy novel with an interesting idea at its heart, but sometimes I found myself knowing what was going to happen before it did, simply because I've read a lot of fantasy and this novel seemed to follow that genre pattern. It's a *good* pattern, but ...
The Death Lily is an interestingplantbeast. I hope in future books more is told about this and its powers (because you know there's more), and I hope we learn more about the Healer's Guild. If the next book comes my way, I'll give it a shot, but I won't search it out.
I received this as a digital ARC from Netgalley.
Spoiler
when the book is titled Healer #1, you can be pretty sure there's going to be another book, therefore the main character is probably not going to die horribly as is thought the entire timeThe Death Lily is an interesting
I received this as a digital ARC from Netgalley.
Avry, a healer on the run after a plague nearly destroyed several cities, is captured by Kerrick who wants her to heal his former king, Ryne, now in stasis. As the group moves towards Ryne, they encounter deadly opposition from Ryne s foes, especially Tohon, who has a reanimated dead army. Much like her Study and Glass series, this book is full of action and insight into the characters.
A different world and an amazing sacrifice can't wait for the story to continue
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
I'm still not sure how I feel about this one. On one hand, I thought the idea was interesting, but on the other, I got bored rather quickly, and predicted most of the book.
The weird part is, I missed the Ixian world, and it's familiarity. At the same time, the reason I guessed so much was because of that world. How different is Valek from Kerrick? Especially in the end; again, which is why I was dismayed to have it end that way.
However, I loved the Yelena/Valek story. I don't know why I'm not entirely sold on the Avery/Kerrick one.
Either way, I'll be reading the sequel when it comes out. I did enjoy it, but in a backwards way. I love Maria Snyder's characters and peppy dialogue too much to not like this book. It's just not my favourite.
2 1/2 stars
I am and will always be a huge fan of Maria V. Snyder’s first novel, [b:Poison Study|60510|Poison Study (Study, #1)|Maria V. Snyder|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170542921s/60510.jpg|1180409]. In fact, this is a little bit embarrassing but…I’ve read it three times. And I’m still not tired of it.
I’ve also read every single book that she’s published, but nothing has ever reached the level of that first love for me. I like the Glass series, but I don’t love it. The Inside/Out series is a cool sci-fi dystopian departure for her and I like it for that, but again...don’t love it. So when I saw that the initial reviews for this one were positive, I couldn’t have been more excited to read it.
Unfortunately, this is another case of “like but don’t love.” Except, I feel like this one is even more of a let-down, because it’s so similar to [b:Poison Study|60510|Poison Study (Study, #1)|Maria V. Snyder|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170542921s/60510.jpg|1180409]. Avry is sentenced to die, but is “rescued” and asked to perform a job that may also lead to her death. She becomes part of a band of soldiers/men who train her in knife throwing and survival. The love interest is cold and calculating, and dedicated in service to a progressive leader. There’s even a scene where Avry must play hide and seek in the woods and camouflages herself with clay. Avry and Yelena also have a very similar voice, in my opinion.
I do love the imaginative magic system; although, the healing is again similar to [b:Poison Study|60510|Poison Study (Study, #1)|Maria V. Snyder|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170542921s/60510.jpg|1180409]. (Yelena also heals Opal by assuming her injuries.) I really like the history of the plague: how the grief of the populace, fueled by rumor, could turn to hatred of the healers. I love the feuding “boarding school for nobles” graduates. In fact I would say that the world-building is one of my favorite aspects of this book. But there’s not much else here.
It’s like reading a version of [b:Poison Study|60510|Poison Study (Study, #1)|Maria V. Snyder|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170542921s/60510.jpg|1180409] that’s been bleached of all nuance and drained of all emotion. A cold, matter of fact voice worked very well for damaged, solitary, and ruthlessly independent Yelena, but makes absolutely no sense for Avry, who’s a self-sacrificing, altruistic healer. I never felt anything past the very surface of emotion for these characters. I wasn’t affected at all when they triumphed, suffered, died, loved…. The romance is so completely dry. In many ways, this feels like the outline of a book: all the bare bones of story, action, and dialogue are there but little else.
Perfect Musical Pairing
ABBA – S.O.S.
I still have hope that this author can publish something that will reach me at the same level as Poison Study. But until then, all I have to say is…
What ever happened to our love? I wish I understood. It used to be so nice; it used to be so good.
I am and will always be a huge fan of Maria V. Snyder’s first novel, [b:Poison Study|60510|Poison Study (Study, #1)|Maria V. Snyder|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170542921s/60510.jpg|1180409]. In fact, this is a little bit embarrassing but…I’ve read it three times. And I’m still not tired of it.
I’ve also read every single book that she’s published, but nothing has ever reached the level of that first love for me. I like the Glass series, but I don’t love it. The Inside/Out series is a cool sci-fi dystopian departure for her and I like it for that, but again...don’t love it. So when I saw that the initial reviews for this one were positive, I couldn’t have been more excited to read it.
Unfortunately, this is another case of “like but don’t love.” Except, I feel like this one is even more of a let-down, because it’s so similar to [b:Poison Study|60510|Poison Study (Study, #1)|Maria V. Snyder|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170542921s/60510.jpg|1180409]. Avry is sentenced to die, but is “rescued” and asked to perform a job that may also lead to her death. She becomes part of a band of soldiers/men who train her in knife throwing and survival. The love interest is cold and calculating, and dedicated in service to a progressive leader. There’s even a scene where Avry must play hide and seek in the woods and camouflages herself with clay. Avry and Yelena also have a very similar voice, in my opinion.
I do love the imaginative magic system; although, the healing is again similar to [b:Poison Study|60510|Poison Study (Study, #1)|Maria V. Snyder|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170542921s/60510.jpg|1180409]. (Yelena also heals Opal by assuming her injuries.) I really like the history of the plague: how the grief of the populace, fueled by rumor, could turn to hatred of the healers. I love the feuding “boarding school for nobles” graduates. In fact I would say that the world-building is one of my favorite aspects of this book. But there’s not much else here.
It’s like reading a version of [b:Poison Study|60510|Poison Study (Study, #1)|Maria V. Snyder|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170542921s/60510.jpg|1180409] that’s been bleached of all nuance and drained of all emotion. A cold, matter of fact voice worked very well for damaged, solitary, and ruthlessly independent Yelena, but makes absolutely no sense for Avry, who’s a self-sacrificing, altruistic healer. I never felt anything past the very surface of emotion for these characters. I wasn’t affected at all when they triumphed, suffered, died, loved…. The romance is so completely dry. In many ways, this feels like the outline of a book: all the bare bones of story, action, and dialogue are there but little else.
Perfect Musical Pairing
ABBA – S.O.S.
I still have hope that this author can publish something that will reach me at the same level as Poison Study. But until then, all I have to say is…
What ever happened to our love? I wish I understood. It used to be so nice; it used to be so good.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The more I re-read it, the more difficult it becomes. The story is really great, I love Avry.
The story line, though... Some much thing is happening but nothing is really described? It is like, sometime, the author is enumerating facts and not feelings, etc. "He is now dead and everyone is grieving. We walk for 7 days without talking" I didnt really feel any emotion . I just wished thing would have been more feeling-described.
The story line, though... Some much thing is happening but nothing is really described? It is like, sometime, the author is enumerating facts and not feelings, etc.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Hate crime, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Genocide
The pros: It was an epic adventure, there was always trouble and something to be done about it. It was a good story, good plot, very consistent and fast paced, it kept my attention and I could not put it down. It was funny, and I loved all the guys.
The cons: It got predictable after a while, the hero always showed up to save his Damsel in Distress. I have issues with constant macho man things. The love interest could have swung in any direction and I have mixed feelings about her choice. Overall, I think the protagonist is a bit of an idiot.
The cons: It got predictable after a while, the hero always showed up to save his Damsel in Distress. I have issues with constant macho man things. The love interest could have swung in any direction and I have mixed feelings about her choice. Overall, I think the protagonist is a bit of an idiot.