Poison Study: Chronicles of Ixia: Study, Book 1

When Yelena was 16, the happy girl's home she lived in took a sinister turn. Subjected to trials and tests for evidence of magic, she is pushed to the edge by cruel and vindictive Reyad and his father. After an encounter which leads Yelena to kill Reyad, she is imprisoned and awaits death. In an unexpected turn of events, Yelena is chosen from other prisoners to be executed to serve as the Commander of Ixia's food taster, following several assassination attempts.

She is taught by Valek, the Chief of Security, to identify poisons by smell and taste, and soon proves herself to be an able student. She plots to escape Ixia, though is unable to owing to a poison given to her by Valek. She must report to him every day to receive the antidote, or face a painful death. The relationship between Yelena and Valek begins to evolve, each trusting each other more as time passes.

Yelena faces attempts on her life from numerous quarters. Will she survive, or will the poison finally kill her. Maria V. Snyder develops engaging characters in the somewhat saturated genre of Young Adult Fantasy. Yelena is strong and defiant, Valek dark and mysterious.

I very much enjoyed reading this. The writing was succinct and descriptive, without over indulging. I enjoyed the subplot and secondary characters and particularly liked the dynamic between Valk and Yelena. The world building is detailed. I read this book in less than a week and am keen to read the next instalment in this series. I would recommend it for those who enjoy fantasy and like to escape within a book. This absorbed me completely.

Submitted by Noreen