Showing posts with label Poison Study. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Poison Study. Show all posts

Book Review : Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

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Poison Study (Study, #1) by Maria V. Snyder

Product Details
  • Paperback: 416 pages
  • Publisher: Mira; Original edition (December 1, 2008)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0778327116
  • ISBN-13: 978-0778327110
  • Available on Amazon / Barnes & Noble

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About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace-- and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.

And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dust and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison. As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can't control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren't so clear....

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I simply cannot express how much I love this masterpiece. Thrilling and suspenseful, this novel keeps readers guessing what will happen in the next chapter. It infuses me with anticipation and fear for the main character, Yelena, who seems to be facing a lot of trouble and perils, with herself at the center of them all. I prayed for her survival, and was curious how would she solve the problems.

Her handsome and strict mentor, Valek, is an assassin. Being a master of basic survival and combat, Valek possesses extraordinary wit and fighting skills. As the master-apprentice relationship between Yelena and Valek evolves into something more passionate, they also find out that one of the generals in the country is secretly planning a Coup d'état to overthrow the current leader of the country --- the Commander.

As the story goes on, secrets are unveiled and hidden pasts rediscovered. I'm in awe of the author's excellent storytelling skills and her creativity in weaving such a wonderful story filled with twists and turns. Trust me, you must read this book - it's awesome!

Pros: Everything about this book is good, I can't wait to read book 2!
Cons: None that I can think of.

Rating:
5

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Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Maria V. Snyder attended 12 years of catholic school before going to Penn State University to study Meteorology. Earning a Bachelors of Science degree in Meteorology, Maria discovered, much to her chagrin, that forecasting the weather wasn't one of her skills. She found employment in the environmental field as an air quality scientist, and it was during those years that she began writing. After writing many science fiction short stories, Maria started Poison Study, her first novel about a food taster.




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Achievements of note for Poison Study include:

  • Won the 2006 Compton Crook Award for best debut novel from the Baltimore Science Fiction Society
  • Won the 2006 Reader's Choice Award from the Salt Lake County Library System
  • Won Cover Cafe's 2007 Cover Art Contest (Trade paperback edition)
  • Won Paperback of the Year from the Wirral Schools in the United Kingdom (wirral-libraries.net)

Best of 2010: Best I've Read

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This post features the best books I've read in 2010. It is not necessary that they are published this year, as long as I read them between 1st January - 31 December 2010. If you have a post with the similar theme, please tell me in the comments section and I'll check it out! :)

Deadly Little Secret (Touch, #1)
Deadly Little Secret (Touch, #1) by Laurie Faria Stolarz (Read my review)
Reason: Bone-chilling, suspenseful and unexpected.

The Kite Runner
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Reason: Love, lies, betrayal and redemption. Outstanding characters and a powerful story. Thought-provoking.

Devoured
Devoured by Amanda Marrone
Reason: A creatively-fabricated retelling of Snow White.

Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, #2)
Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, #2) by Suzanne Collins (Read my review)
Reason: Gruesome, gripping and horrifying.

Forgive My Fins (Fins, #1)
Reason: Quirky, cute and funny. Absolutely lovely!

The Chosen One
The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams (Read my review)
Reason: A girl's fearless attempt to resist her fate of marrying her 60-year-old uncle. Brilliantly plotted and very convincing.

The Iron King (Iron Fey, #1)
The Iron King (Iron Fey, #1) by Julie Kagawa (Read my review)
Reason: Awesome writing style and an exciting plot.

The Iron Daughter (Iron Fey, #2)
The Iron Daughter (Iron Fey, #2) by Julie Kagawa (Read my review)
Reason: More adventures and surprising outcomes.

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Shanghai Girls by Lisa See (Read my review)
Reason: Heartfelt, palatable and an extraordinary literary prose.

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