Title: Magic Study (Study #2)
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Genre: YA/Fantasy
Date Read: 28/03/2017 – 06/06/2017
Rating: ★★★☆
Review:
Like the first book in the series, this one was easy to read and offered an intriguing plot. However, once again, I wasn’t invested in the romance and some parts went on a bit long.
Magic Study is set in Sitia, the country neighbouring Ixia, where Yelena grew up. She is reunited with the family she hasn’t seen in 14 years, and begins to study magic and learn to control her powers, but a rogue magician and a brother who doesn’t know how to deal with the return of his lost sister are causing havoc.
I really enjoyed the expansion of this world. The set-up in Book 1, with the Commander’s takeover of Ixia was interesting, but now we see it from the POV of the Sitians, who can’t understand the Commander’s methods, and who see him and Valek as little more than power-hungry murderers. Yelena finds it hard to reconcile the people she knows and loves with the Sitian attitudes towards them. I really enjoyed that this was so messy and complicated, and that there was no black and white about these circumstances.
I still wasn’t especially invested in Valek and Yelena’s relationship, and I actually enjoyed the story a lot more before Valek turned up again. I also thought the climax and resolution were a little too dragged out; the action was good, but went on a bit long. Overall, though, I felt this book was on a par with this first one in terms of readability and enjoyment value, and at the moment, I’m still keen to continue with the series.
A Keyboard and an Open Mind 
2 thoughts on ““Many have tried to kill us. All have failed.” // Review of “Magic Study” by Maria V. Snyder”