Poison Study

This book draws you into its own, unique world right from the first page. You immediately meet the main character in unusual circumstances—not where you might expect a protagonist to be found. Yet the author does a wonderful job of slowly showing you past events that brought the character to this place, and you find yourself hoping she will find a happy ending. I love the way the author draws you into the story so that you feel like you are experiencing what the main character feels.

To avoid execution, Yelena becomes the Commander’s food taster. Under the tutelage of the Commander’s spy and assassin, Valek, she learns about poisons, subterfuge, and how to fight. She also finds herself developing magic, which she must keep secret because it is outlawed in her country. This novel is dark and full of political intrigue, with Yelena battling inner demons and unsure who to trust. The gray morality is interesting, as neither the country of Ixia nor its enemy Sitia are particularly sympathetic. The slow-burn romance between Yelena and Valek is sexy and well-done. While Yelena spends most of this… show more.

The first 100 pages weren’t so exciting, but afterward, I could hardly tear my eyes off the book, making me sacrifice my precious sleep. Yes, there were some things that got my eyes rolling, but those were mild ones, and it was never because of the protagonist. Her personality is likable, and so is the chemistry between her and the one who feeds her poison.

It’d been quite a few years since I’d found a heroine and a world that really spoke to me, and the opening chapter of Poison Study hooked me right away. Yelena is slated to be executed when she’s offered a choice: become the new royal poison tester or death. No fool, she chooses a chance at life in court and all the intrigue and conspiracy it offers. I loved her complicated romance and the myriad challenges she faced, all set against the looming threat of death with every day and every meal that passes. That tension was something I loved.

I haven’t always been into reading fantasy. Particularly, YA fantasy was a genre I knew not well. Not until I read Maria V. Snyder’s Poison Study. 

I was intrigued by the main character Yelena and her less-than-ideal and superbly dark situation. The book opens with Yelena in prison and about to be hanged. But then she is given an offer (by a rather dashing and sexy older gentleman called Valek *obvious cough*) to become their ruler’s food taster. To protect him from poison that may be in his food. Seems like a good offer right? All Yelena has to… show more.

This is a classic. Fantasy, literal fantasy. Caught by the King’s army, Yelena is given a choice: death or food tasting for a senior officer – her worst enemy. Gruesome! The man’s right-hand who deals with her daily is cold, conceited but highly intelligent and she cannot help noticing him. Anyway, people say he doesn’t like women. While at first, he shows no interest in her something grows between them, something he defines as poison corrupting him to his very soul. Seems like neither of them will be able to resist… The depiction of food is a real plus.