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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
I was tossing up a 2.5 for this one, but as the ending did get better and I do like Maria V. Snyder's other work, I settled on a 3. Grudgingly.
Sadly, I was disappointed by this one. I had absolutely loved the Poison Study series and was so excited to get back to Yelena and Valek, but Shadow Study let me down.
Firstly, I hated, HATED that Yelena was written in first person and Valek and Janco were written from third person. I also thought Yelena was a bit useless in this novel, though Janco was funny as usual!
Valek's story served practically no purpose but to give background info, though I actually think that was my favourite part of the story. I disliked how he kept drifting off in his thoughts; there would have been other ways to get the info across with a more interesting method (like him being imprisoned and his memories rifled through and then he escapes, etc.)
Another dislike for me was just the writing style. I found it jarring that the majority of the time the language used was appropriate for fantasy, but then occasionally the characters would use words like 'chicky' or 'scooch'. It bothered me so - very - much.
I also went in to this one not having read the storm glass series, but because of that I didn't get a lot of the references. Looking at the reviews in here, others felt the same. I wish there had at least been a bit more review paragraphs or a prologue stating what had occurred in that series.
Finally in the dislike section of my review, I guessed the final twist brought out in the last page by chapter five... Aaaand I guessed that was why. Which is not very original at all *sigh*.
Now to the things I did like!
As previously stated, Valeks reminiscing was my favourite aspect of the novel and I kind of wish this book had been a prequel, just showing the whole 'Commander rises to power' saga. I also liked the sub plots involved Maren, Onora and the Commander. Also, the second half of the novel sped up (compared to the dull, dreary BORING first half) and there were a few unexpected twists that I enjoyed, especially the revelation on who the leader of the smuggling operation was.
Soooo clearly the list of dislikes far outweighs the list of likes, and if I'm being perfectly honest, I nearly put this book down on about ten separate occasions. The only reason I continued on was because of friends' rave reviews. So, while it did pick up, it is not an outstanding read in my opinion. I will likely read the rest of the series to find out what happens, but I can't say I would recommend it...
Sadly, I was disappointed by this one. I had absolutely loved the Poison Study series and was so excited to get back to Yelena and Valek, but Shadow Study let me down.
Firstly, I hated, HATED that Yelena was written in first person and Valek and Janco were written from third person. I also thought Yelena was a bit useless in this novel, though Janco was funny as usual!
Valek's story served practically no purpose but to give background info, though I actually think that was my favourite part of the story. I disliked how he kept drifting off in his thoughts; there would have been other ways to get the info across with a more interesting method (like him being imprisoned and his memories rifled through and then he escapes, etc.)
Another dislike for me was just the writing style. I found it jarring that the majority of the time the language used was appropriate for fantasy, but then occasionally the characters would use words like 'chicky' or 'scooch'. It bothered me so - very - much.
I also went in to this one not having read the storm glass series, but because of that I didn't get a lot of the references. Looking at the reviews in here, others felt the same. I wish there had at least been a bit more review paragraphs or a prologue stating what had occurred in that series.
Finally in the dislike section of my review, I guessed the final twist brought out in the last page by chapter five... Aaaand I guessed that was why
Spoiler
Yelena loses her magicNow to the things I did like!
As previously stated, Valeks reminiscing was my favourite aspect of the novel and I kind of wish this book had been a prequel, just showing the whole 'Commander rises to power' saga. I also liked the sub plots involved Maren, Onora and the Commander. Also, the second half of the novel sped up (compared to the dull, dreary BORING first half) and there were a few unexpected twists that I enjoyed, especially the revelation on who the leader of the smuggling operation was.
Soooo clearly the list of dislikes far outweighs the list of likes, and if I'm being perfectly honest, I nearly put this book down on about ten separate occasions. The only reason I continued on was because of friends' rave reviews. So, while it did pick up, it is not an outstanding read in my opinion. I will likely read the rest of the series to find out what happens, but I can't say I would recommend it...
Finally I gathered my wits and decided to write this review. Knowing that Maria V. Snyder had decided to write a sequel series to her most famous Study series, I was able to get a paperback!
I did review the previous series as audiobooks and I was glad that Yelena, Valek and the rest of the gang were introduced again!
Six to seven years after the events of "Fire study" Yelena still works as the liason between Ixia and Sitia, fighting villains and sharing her precious time with Valek. From the first page an assassination attempt causes Yelena's powers to disappear.
And from there a new adventure begins, in which old enemies arise and new friends join the story! What I loved in the book? Triple POV! First for Yelena and third for Valek and Janco. I was glad that I got to see Valek's thoughts; there was also a reveal about his past and how he came to meet with the Commander as also how his feelings for Yelena grew.
On the other hand, Janco was the funniest character! His abilities on fighting and his distaste for magic was know to me but through his eyes it was much better.
There is action and comedy, intense romance paired to gether with the fantastic world building of Maria's writing. The ending was a happy surprise, which I hope to be a good ending for Yelena and Valek. Despite their almost 20 years of age difference I loved their scenes and how they are able to work together! I can't wait for the next book in which I hope problems to be solved and good news to be delived!
I did review the previous series as audiobooks and I was glad that Yelena, Valek and the rest of the gang were introduced again!
Six to seven years after the events of "Fire study" Yelena still works as the liason between Ixia and Sitia, fighting villains and sharing her precious time with Valek. From the first page an assassination attempt causes Yelena's powers to disappear.
And from there a new adventure begins, in which old enemies arise and new friends join the story! What I loved in the book? Triple POV! First for Yelena and third for Valek and Janco. I was glad that I got to see Valek's thoughts; there was also a reveal about his past and how he came to meet with the Commander as also how his feelings for Yelena grew.
On the other hand, Janco was the funniest character! His abilities on fighting and his distaste for magic was know to me but through his eyes it was much better.
There is action and comedy, intense romance paired to gether with the fantastic world building of Maria's writing. The ending was a happy surprise, which I hope to be a good ending for Yelena and Valek. Despite their almost 20 years of age difference I loved their scenes and how they are able to work together! I can't wait for the next book in which I hope problems to be solved and good news to be delived!
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
If you're a fantasy reader and is still waiting for a certain King Killer to kill some king (any king) then this is a nice substitute as a quarter of the book is Valek's memory of his juvenile years, from the moment he decided to kill the King until he accomplished the quest and moved on.
Another quarter of the book is Valek's daily job as Chief Security for the Commander, he read reports, wrote procedures, apprehended villains, all the while daydreaming about a retirement with Yelena. What I mean to say is that it's kind of boring and plot-less.
The 3rd quarter of the book is of course Yelena, our reckless Soulfinder, who lost her magic right from the very first chapter of the book. WTF? 400 pages down, still don't know why she lost it. I admit, I already know why she lost her magic prior to reading this book, and the reason is so cute I actually decided to read the book. While as usual, Yelena did a lot of running around aimlessly, I enjoyed Yelena's POV nevertheless. The author's writing has recovered from its death bed in Study #3 and Yelena's world is now filled with friends and family.
The last quarter of the book is fans' wish-come-true, a story from Janco's POV, coupled with a new character exploded on to the scene. Yeah, she's literally jumped out of nowhere. Plenty of sneaking and fighting as expected from Snyder.
Overall, this book is more like a collection of fan-fictions for the die-hard fans of Ixia & Sitia. There is no plot and no big bad wolf, yet. It's more of a mystery/thriller/detective genre than fantasy. The last few chapters are pretty good when all loose ends come together and suddenly there is a plot.
Another quarter of the book is Valek's daily job as Chief Security for the Commander, he read reports, wrote procedures, apprehended villains, all the while daydreaming about a retirement with Yelena. What I mean to say is that it's kind of boring and plot-less.
The 3rd quarter of the book is of course Yelena, our reckless Soulfinder, who lost her magic right from the very first chapter of the book. WTF? 400 pages down, still don't know why she lost it. I admit, I already know why she lost her magic prior to reading this book, and the reason is so cute I actually decided to read the book. While as usual, Yelena did a lot of running around aimlessly, I enjoyed Yelena's POV nevertheless. The author's writing has recovered from its death bed in Study #3 and Yelena's world is now filled with friends and family.
The last quarter of the book is fans' wish-come-true, a story from Janco's POV, coupled with a new character exploded on to the scene. Yeah, she's literally jumped out of nowhere. Plenty of sneaking and fighting as expected from Snyder.
Overall, this book is more like a collection of fan-fictions for the die-hard fans of Ixia & Sitia. There is no plot and no big bad wolf, yet. It's more of a mystery/thriller/detective genre than fantasy. The last few chapters are pretty good when all loose ends come together and suddenly there is a plot.
I didn’t like this as much as the others. I didn’t feel the compulsion to continue reading, and I simultaneously really didn’t like that it had multiple perspectives and was okay with it. I don’t really like the way the relationships developed and character interactions went.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
3 stars★★★
Poison Study series:
✿ [b:Poison Study|60510|Poison Study (Study, #1)|Maria V. Snyder|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388519019l/60510._SY75_.jpg|1180409]★★★
✿ [b:Magic Study|46202|Magic Study (Study, #2)|Maria V. Snyder|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388350824l/46202._SX50_.jpg|1254584]★★★★
✿ [b:Fire Study|1966969|Fire Study (Study, #3)|Maria V. Snyder|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1357064290l/1966969._SY75_.jpg|1970128]★★★★
✿ [b:Shadow Study|16130758|Shadow Study (Soulfinders #1; Study, #4)|Maria V. Snyder|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1418523881l/16130758._SX50_.jpg|21956111]★★★
So much disappointment especially the ending
I was even going to boycott the next book as protest but I have no self control and I do want to know what happens next (slightly reluctantly thou)
It's a good book but not that great
I miss the old books and poison study and in this book she's 27??? And Valek is apparently like 38????????????
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Never disappointed with Maria V. Snyder books. This one was just as awesome as I was expecting, with a mix in POV's between Yelena, Valek and Janco. <3 <3
Fans who have been waiting for another Study novel will not be disappointed. Shadow Study does a great job of reintroducing the characters we all know and love, while raising the stakes for the rest of the series.
You can read my entire review on my blog
You can read my entire review on my blog
I love these books, but I wasn't thrilled with Yelana not having magic. The parts with Valak and the commander were the best parts.