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Scent of Magic

(Healer #2)

Maria V. Snyder (Goodreads Author)

4.12 · Rating details · 23,333 ratings · 1,502 reviews

Hunted, Killed—Survived?

As the last Healer in the Fifteen Realms, Avry of Kazan is in a unique position: in the minds of her friends and foes alike, she no longer exists. Despite her need to prevent the megalomanical King Tohon from winning control of the Realms, Avry is also determined to find her sister and repair their estrangement. And she must do it alone, as Kerrick, ...more

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Paperback, 414 pages

Published December 18th 2012 by Harlequin MIRA

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Oct 02, 2011 Rachel (The Rest Is Still Unwritten) marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: i-own, i-own-but-havent-read-yet, harlequin-sent, for-review, publisher-sent

Please excuse me while I go and cry in a corner about having to wait so long for this book. Those who loved the first should totally understand how I feel.....

*goes and wails pitifully*

UPDATE: *stares zombie-like at the cover* Ooooooh. Purdy!!!

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Oct 28, 2012 Katy rated it really liked it

What?!? Why?!? Maria V. Snyder!!! How could you?!?

I had the opportunity to read the ARC of "Touch of Power" over a year ago and absolutely loved it. Avry, Kerrick, Belen, Flea and the monkeys had such great chemistry, and their adventures really sucked me in. Although, I would have to say I loved the first book way more, but worry not because this one far from disappoints.

First of all, I really liked how Snyder found a way to continue the concepts from the first book. The gang has to fin ...more

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Dec 08, 2012 Mitch rated it it was ok

Update 12/21: Check out my interview with Maria V. Snyder where she takes my questions about Scent of Magic on my blog.

I'm disappointed, really disappointed. I've heard of Maria Snyder's sequel 'curse', but I've never experienced it firsthand, having never read any of her sequels. Though that's probably a good thing, because from what I can tell, Scent of Magic is Magic Study all over again: a letdown that wastes much of the promise of the first book.

I hate to say it, but everything I loved abou Update 12/21: Check out my interview with Maria V. Snyder where she takes my questions about Scent of Magic on my blog.

I'm disappointed, really disappointed. I've heard of Maria Snyder's sequel 'curse', but I've never experienced it firsthand, having never read any of her sequels. Though that's probably a good thing, because from what I can tell, Scent of Magic is Magic Study all over again: a letdown that wastes much of the promise of the first book.

I hate to say it, but everything I loved about Touch of Power has been completely leeched from this sequel. When I first met Avry, she was this awesome character, on the run from everyone, the last healer in the Fifteen Realms. She had me at that first scene when she was agonizing over whether to heal that little girl, and scene after scene after that, as she's facing her impending execution, slowly building relationships with Kerrick and his gang, deciding whether to heal Rhyne, facing off against Tohon, I just kept thinking, wow, she's such an enormously complex and conflicted character. Well, no more, because Scent of Magic drops all that in favor of plot development which barely treads water, and I'm sorry to report that there's almost zero character development. Where's that girl who impressed me with her inner turmoil over her role in a world destroyed by plague? I never found her, because this entire book is just Avry doing whatever the plot mandates, mostly by Tohon's machinations, occasionally by someone else, Jael, the soldiers Avry's training, or, when she has the time, angsting over Kerrick. Avry's few scenes with her sister, one of weaker parts of the first book, provide one of the few glimpses into her character and just left me deeply unsatisfied.

Part of it is also Snyder's choice to split up Avry from Kerrick, and the two of them from everyone else. The camaraderie of their little group was one of the highlights of the first book, and I highly question Snyder's decision to send Kerrick off to do his own thing in alternating chapters of third person point of view, while separating Avry from Belen and the others - who we barely see - and introducing new characters who just couldn't fill the hole left in the group dynamic. It's not like Kerrick's mission was all that integral to the plot of the story - I can see how it'll turn out as a Gondor calls for aid type situation in the next book, but the whole thing felt oddly out of place in this book, in the fight against Tohon, like Snyder’s saying, here’s some new stuff that doesn’t fit with anything else but it’ll be important later, trust me... but it only ends up making the chapters focusing on Avry's 'plan', training Estrid’s army against Tohon’s undead while undercover, really really repetitive and boring, like she’s in a holding pattern. Then there are the parts where Avry thinks Kerrick is dead, and her reactions when she gets news about him is just unbelievable and weird. Actually, the emotions just never felt right – including with a big spoiler concerning the status of a favorite character from the last book. Oh, and the constant cliffhangers every time the point of view changes gets really old really fast.

Worse still, Scent of Magic highlights a lot of the weaker aspects of the first book I'd been able to brush aside previously, but really can’t ignore anymore. Setting has never been this series’ strong suit, but it’s pretty obvious now the heavy character focus really carried Touch of Power. Because the first chapter of this book? A recap of the world building done before, and it really shows how shallow the Fifteen Realms are, with the characters just reciting a bunch of names, lines, and dots on a map. What sets Kazan apart from Sogra? What’s unique of Pomyt? These are the little details that make reading sentences basically saying we’ve just spent X days getting to town Y on the map fun, well, unless the characters make the journey enjoyable, but this time around, they didn’t, they were just traveling. And Tohon... I’m appalled, he was a serviceable villain in Touch of Power, but now... I’m embarrassed from him. He lets Avry get away with way too much without any rational reason – basically, he’s only a threat because Avry’s got too much of a conscience to actually kill him. The handling of the Death and Peace lilies too, there are some new developments and mysteries but I don’t think I learned anything new about how they work, that, Tohon’s undead, the fill in the blanks geography made worse by the ‘training’ and the ‘patrols’, the slow pacing at the beginning and the almost blink and you’ll miss it resolution of an ending, it really shatters the fantasy immersion.

Hmm, the only thing that doesn’t bother me is the cliffhanger ending. If you pay attention to the writing, what we know about Death and Peace lilies, and particularly the foreshadowing, it’s quite obvious what’s going on. But... I don’t know what to say, between the incompetent villain, the flat setting, Kerrick’s mess of a B-plot, the supporting gang almost vanishing into thin air, and Avry losing every interesting aspect to her character, Maria Snyder, what happened? ...more

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Jan 27, 2012 Jrsim marked it as to-read

OMG THERES A SECOND ONE?

"healer #2" *click*

*scrolls down*

Expected publication 2013

* what the — ! *

UPDATE

Phew, It's been changed to December 2012!

But still.......
WHY CAN'T THE BOOK BE ALREADY PUBLISHED :( ...more

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Jan 27, 2013 Ferdy rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: abusive-hero, magic, awful-love-interest, rubbish, cringey-romance, fuck-off, fucked-up-romance, wtf, hero-dick-to-heroine, martyr-heroine

Spoilers

I wasn't planning on reading this since I disliked the first book.
When I saw it at the library I decided to give the author another chance (I'm nice like that) since I loved her Study trilogy so much. I also reasoned that it couldn't possibly be as bad as the first book. Thankfully, it wasn't. However, it wasn't any better either. So, I guess that's something — right?

I had a lot of issues with this… I think it's easiest if I just list them below in a disorganised and ranty way:

-The wri ...more

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Nov 26, 2013 Elise ✘ a.k.a Ryder's Pet ✘ rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, 3-stars, read-in-2018, royalty, fantasy, read-in-2013, reviewed, pn-romance, read-more-than-once, pn-witches-magic

⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱*Can't beat book one*⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱
This review is purely for me and might contain spoilers and facts from the book to keep myself in the known at all time. It's also long and somewhat detailed.

Re-read: 07.06.2018
We're back with Avry of Kazan (21), who is a healer; she absorbs their wounds and diseases into herself by laying hands upon the injured and dying. She and Kerrick split up to do different things; Kerrick has to meet up with Ryne, while Avry needs to find her sister, and whil ...more

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Apr 25, 2012 Jessica rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favourites, review-books

Review: Once again I was swept into the world of Avry, Kerrick, and the rest of the characters as they experience love, loss and many adventures. I almost wish I had waited to read this second book of the Healer trilogy until the third book was out, just because of the way this book ended!

Scent of Magic starts off with Avry and Kerrick going their separate ways in hopes of being able to get a bigger army together to go up against Tohon and his army. AT first I was worried this meant way les ...more

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Jun 08, 2012 Joie marked it as to-read

Saw the cover.....
was like this:
description

Saw the publication date
was like this:
description

Also:
does this mean no Kerrick?!?! Noooooo! ...more

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Jun 03, 2016 Elise (On The Bookshelves) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

On The Bookshelves Full Review

Scent of Magic is the second book in the Healer series by Maria V. Snyder and it was a fantastic read. Second book slump? Not for this book as it was equally as entrancing as the first!

In the first novel, Touch of Power, we meet Avry of Kazan who possesses the ability to heal.. well, more like transfer the injuries to herself and then heal more quickly than others. However, after a plague tore through the land, the healers were blamed and now very few healers are On The Bookshelves Full Review

Scent of Magic is the second book in the Healer series by Maria V. Snyder and it was a fantastic read. Second book slump? Not for this book as it was equally as entrancing as the first!

In the first novel, Touch of Power, we meet Avry of Kazan who possesses the ability to heal.. well, more like transfer the injuries to herself and then heal more quickly than others. However, after a plague tore through the land, the healers were blamed and now very few healers are left. Her power becomes needed by a band of rogues who have been after a Healer to cure Prince Ryne of the plague, who has been in a magical stasis to prevent it worsening.

The group encounter many setbacks in the journey to Prince Ryne and Avry is stubborn against saving him, because she knows it would kill her life. But as their journey continues, she grows closer to them and they soon become her friends. With threats far greater to Avry's world, she makes the decision to heal Prince Ryne, but the magic in her world saves her as it's not done with her just yet.

When it comes to picking up the sequel to a book, I always go into it very hesitantly because very often the second installment can be very disappointing after such a fantastic opening. I felt this way when starting Scent of Magic as this was the first series I had read by Maria V. Snyder, so I had no prior knowledge about what to expect. However, as I gradually read further into the book, I realised this book was equally as good as the first!

The book opens with Avry and Kerrick together - I quite like this couple and it's cute that they both have powers (healer and a forest mage) and somehow they make each other stronger! Avry is back from the dead somehow and soon the two are discussing what to do next. They decide to reluctantly part ways - Avry is to go find her sister and Kerrick is to join Prince Ryne. Naturally, of course, things don't go to plan and Avry finds herself joining Estrid's army as a sergeant. I loved this whole plot of Avry joining the army to train them to 'go silent' within the forest and the other characters that were present during this were fantastic - lots of banter, fun and tension.

Since Avry and Kerrick are separated in this book, each chapter is from Avry's point of view and at the end of each one, there's about 5 or so pages from Kerrick's POV which contains what's going on with him. With some books, POV's can come off as the same 'voice' which really irks me and I usually end up hating it. However, Snyder has given the two characters their own individual voices and I found it great to be reading Kerrick's POV so we knew what was happening with him and being captured by the tribes.

At first I wasn't really sure about the whole Death and Peace Lily concept when reading Touch of Power, but now it seems more interesting after learning more details about what Tohon was doing (attempting to create healers like Danny and Zila) and now discovering that the Peace Lily has preserved Flea and he lives! It's very interesting that Flea seems to have some kind of power and I hope to see what it is exactly in the next novel.

This novel kept me on my toes and I was shocked about some of the twists that Snyder incorporated, such as the end scene with Avry, Tohon, Kerrick and Cellina. I definitely wasn't expecting it at all and it makes me really happy when I don't go guess what's going to happen early on and at the end go 'so I was right', even though it's quite satisfying knowing you were right.

Overall, I really like Snyder's writing. It flows so well, the storyline is interesting and the magic concept is fantastic. I'm intrigued to try one of her other series and see what they are like. Even though Snyder was around first, if you're a fan of Sarah J Maas, I think you'd really like this series to read whilst you're waiting for the next book release. It's also very refreshing to still be reading YA books and have the main character be older (Avry is 21). I think it causes the character to feel more developed and creates a better storyline. I have no complaints about younger protagonists, because that's what YA usually is, but I just think once in a while, it's nice to have a bit of a change. ...more

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Dec 23, 2014 Katerina rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy

Ah,Kerry.You've found your heart.

And I lost mine with that ending...

I get it,life isn't fair,not even in books.But I suppose that's what makes them realistic,if there is no pain and agony they don't resemble reality.Still,Avry and Kerrick had their fair share of troubles and sorrow.After her fake death,Avry wanted to spend some time being someone else,she wanted to make amends with her sister and gather intelligence on their allies' whereabouts.The real reason though behind the decision that took her away from Kerrick was that she feared Tohon's reaction to her survival.Pretending she was an army sergeant,she changed her appearance and tried to contribute to a war that seemed like a lost cause,since Tohon's walking dead were not easy opponents.Meanwhile,Kerrick returned to the north to help Ryne and fight the tribes that attacked his kingdom.As much as he wanted to hold Avry in his arms again,he couldn't leave his country defenceless against the barbarians,who turned out to be quite fascinating people.

Betrayals,huge revelations,backstabbings and so many plot twists made Scent of Magic a unique novel.It was more intriguing than the first and narrated in dual POV and for that I am thankful since Avry and Kerrick were separated during most of the book and made my heart ache. My man has eyes that change color with the seasons .They didn't deserve all these hardships.The war was ruthless,cruel,you could not guess anyone's loyalty or motives,only waiting in utter frustration and desperation their next move,their next plan and the next obstacle.Maria V.Snyder did a great job setting the reader on edge,there were times I was shaking and could not properly breathe.I hate Tohon,he is one of the worst villains because he actually thinks he is doing the right thing.His jealousy over Kerrick is so sick and twisted,he gave me goosebumps!I suffered with my heroes,their deaths and their heartbreaks and mostly when Avry and Kerrick were not together.Kerrick has become one of my most beloved heroes,he was willing to sacrifice himself to save others,and his affection towards Danny was heartwarming!I missed the dynamic between the original gang but this made their scenes even more precious.Scent of Magic was a wonderful second book in Healer series,and I hope I will not bawl like a baby in the finale.Highly unlikely,but a girl can dream. ...more

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Jan 10, 2013 Kat Kennedy rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: romance-romance-romance, kat-s-book-reviews, fun-fantasy

I am so very, very glad I picked up another Maria V. Snyder book by getting my greedy little hands on Touch of Power, because I so very much love Avry and the world Snyder has constructed in Healer. The question is, can it hold up to the first book? Maybe it depends on the type of reader you are. For me it almost did, but not quite. That’s not to say that it wasn’t still a pretty damn enjoyable book.

There was much less of the long walking scenes in this novel and much more of Avry doing what she I am so very, very glad I picked up another Maria V. Snyder book by getting my greedy little hands on Touch of Power, because I so very much love Avry and the world Snyder has constructed in Healer. The question is, can it hold up to the first book? Maybe it depends on the type of reader you are. For me it almost did, but not quite. That’s not to say that it wasn’t still a pretty damn enjoyable book.

There was much less of the long walking scenes in this novel and much more of Avry doing what she should be doing. Avryfying the world with her badassery. Allow me to list the good things about Scent of Magic:

1. Avry rocks.

2. Kerrick’s around but he’s not (Yup. You can see why I’m such a well-regarded reviewer, right?)

3. Kerrick becomes like 20% cooler. Like he went from being Douchetastic to likable. It was amazing, actually. Like magic.

Magicness!

4. The shit that happened that I can’t tell you about because – Spoilers! (Doctor Who fans, just imagine I said that in a River Song voice with a cheeky wink.)

So this book is a lot more suspenseful and has a whole lot of new characters – which is the plus. Less walking, also a plus.

But it wasn’t perfect. If you’ve already read the reviews then you’ve likely heard the desperate pleas of fans for the ending which was just… no. I refuse to speak of it. That ending? Gah!

But the issue with the book was inherent in Touch of Power too, so it’s a little silly to complain about. But those Death/Life lilies are turning into a deus ex machina – and they were already a little bit like that in book one. However the magical discoveries of this majestic plant keep cropping up. It’s weird. You’re immersed in a magical, high-fantasy world where a woman can absorb people’s injuries but these freakin’ lilies seem unrealistic?!

Anyway, end result is that I am definitely reading the next one. This series isn’t perfect but there is addictive qualities to it as well as my not-insignificant crush on Avry.

The review, and others like it, can be found on my blog, Cuddlebuggery Book Blog.

Review copy provided for me by Harlequin AU for reviewing purposes. No money or gifts were exchanged for this review. Only love. Sweet, sweet loving. ...more

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Jun 20, 2018 Eleanor (bookishcourtier) rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, one-star, read-in-2018

Nope nope nope nope nopity nope. Guys, you may want to buckle in for a (possibly) long rant, because I have a lot to say, and none of it is good. This is by far the worst book I have read by Maria V Snyder, and makes me hesitant to ever pick up another of her books again. And this was so disappointing because I enjoyed the first book! Sure, it wasn't a masterpiece, but it was addictive and there were things I liked about it. I had a great time reading it. I was looking forward to finishing Nope nope nope nope nopity nope. Guys, you may want to buckle in for a (possibly) long rant, because I have a lot to say, and none of it is good. This is by far the worst book I have read by Maria V Snyder, and makes me hesitant to ever pick up another of her books again. And this was so disappointing because I enjoyed the first book! Sure, it wasn't a masterpiece, but it was addictive and there were things I liked about it. I had a great time reading it. I was looking forward to finishing the series. And now I don't know if I ever will, because this book destroyed anything I ever liked Touch of Power . And I don't want to have to go through this experience again in the last book. It was painfully bad, okay? Ugh. *shivers*

T H O U G H T S

- OK, so by far the worst thing about this book has to be the writing itself. I don't even know how to describe it - it is just appallingly bad . It is just so ineloquent, the vocabulary choices are poor, and the whole thing just needs a load more editing. It honestly feels like a fist draft, because there are awkward sentences, bad structure and it is just so poorly executed. Snyder also uses jarringly modern phrases in such a medieval world. The constant use of "too bad" at the beginning of a sentence began to make my eye twitch towards the second half of the book. And using titles like "mom" or "poppa bear" in a fantasy world just - argh. It just throws the whole thing off. And the speech was so cringe worthy, and the reveals/cliffhangers at the ends of chapters just felt so clumsy and awkward. And even when I'm not twitching with annoyance at every sentence, the writing itself is very basic and simplistic, and I'm not sure why this is at all marketed as an adult fantasy. It has none of the maturity or complexity of an adult book.

- However, I really hate the characters now too. Which is sad because I actually liked them in Touch of Power. But Avry is so cocky and just knows everything. She can just work everything out and draw conclusions from things that don't entire make sense or you're not sure how she got there, but it is a way to progress the plot. And she just wants to heal everyone. She feels so plastic and fake and I just can't deal with reading from her perspective. And her attempts at badassery are just laughable - and not in a cute, awkward way. In a "i think i'm sooo cool" way when we all know she actually isn't. And we also got landed with Kerrick's POV chapters and can I just say that this added nothing to the book? I honestly could not care less about him and Avry pining for each other the whole time. (view spoiler) And the side characters? Um? Bye? Everyone just speaks so immaturely and act so immaturely and I CAN'T.

- The book is so weakly plotted. Things happen that almost don't fit into the rules of the world, or rather, this wasn't something that we were told about until it was needed to make something happen. This whole thing with Death Lilies and Peace Lilies feels so random and out of place, makes no sense, and is literally just a way to make a nonsensical plot happen and make Avry look clever. Some of the events just seem so disconnected and random and almost unrealistic. The characters are also in and out of character depending on what the plot is doing. So, thanks. And the whole thing with Tohon is literally the stupidest thing I have ever read. Please can we just stop with this? There is no reason for him to be attracted to her! Oh, and lastly, this book makes a half-hearted attempt at being feminist, but it just doesn't pull it off.

Okay, so this was a disappointment and actually made me pretty angry. I don't give out that many one star books. I save 2 star ratings for books that I don't care about, and 1 star ratings are for books that make me angry, or that I hate with a burning passion. This...is one of those books. Yay? I don't know whether I'll read the last book. I'm not going to go out of my way to read it, that's for sure. If I see it in a library somewhere...maybe. If I don't have other books to read. And if I can even bear to ever read from Avry's POV again. Now, that's a tricky one. ...more

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Jul 16, 2011 Renée rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, maria-v-snyder

Finishing thought: "Loved it, but hated it at the same time... Maria what are you doing to me!?"

Review:
Once again MVS takes us into a fast paced, action filled, epic fantasy story.

One thing is unlike the other stories. Kerrick gets some chapters to tell his part of the story as well! I've read this story in one amazing sitting, i just couldn't put it down.

Writing 5/5
Since MVS is my favorite writer in the whole universe. And I've loved everyone of her stories till this one, it shouldn't surprise ...more

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Nov 15, 2017 Irene Sim rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audio, fantasy-sci-fi, romance, 2017-read

I refuse to accept this ending and demand immediate rewritting of the story or else I'll stage a strike or something.

#FansOfKerrickUnite ...more

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Feb 16, 2013 Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies rated it liked it

This book was such a disappointment to me. I had high expectations for this new series, the world is intriguing, but there is too much going on, the action is too spread out, and there are way too many characters involved. My head positively spins trying to keep track of everything.

The first book was bad enough, but in this one, the action is so split that I found it hard to keep track of where everyone is. Even harder is keeping track of WHO everyone is. From the enemies to the enemies-turned-f ...more

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Dec 03, 2018 majo rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy, year-2018, fantasy-high-fantasy, 3-stars

I don't want to say I'm disappointed in this book...but I'm a little disappointed in this book. I feel it suffered from the middle book syndrome a little. Hopefully the next one is better! ...more

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Aug 30, 2011 Jessie (Ageless Pages Reviews) rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, arc, netgalley-arc, ya-fiction, blah-blah-blaaahhhh, reviewed, series-completed, reviews-2012, 2012-reads, sequel-syndrome-strikes-again

Read This Review & More Like It On My Blog!

2.75 out of 5

A swing and a miss for veteran fantasy author Maria V. Snyder. The first novel, Touch of Power, was a great introduction to the newest series by this prolific writer, but much like what happened for me with her Study series, the sequel left a lot to be desired. It took me a while to sort out how I felt about this novel after finishing it, especially deciding on the rating. 3 stars? 2.5? I just split the difference and settled with 2.75/5. W Read This Review & More Like It On My Blog!

2.75 out of 5

A swing and a miss for veteran fantasy author Maria V. Snyder. The first novel, Touch of Power, was a great introduction to the newest series by this prolific writer, but much like what happened for me with her Study series, the sequel left a lot to be desired. It took me a while to sort out how I felt about this novel after finishing it, especially deciding on the rating. 3 stars? 2.5? I just split the difference and settled with 2.75/5. What I have decided is that this is a far cry from its action-packed predecessor. All the key elements are here - Avry, Kerrick, their chemistry [for the 30ish pages they're together...], the monkeys, the new spin on magic. Where Scent of Magic fell apart for me was the slower pace, and the complete and utter lack of any actual plot momentum. I was bored for a lot of this read - and for a novel that clocks in at a hefty 416 pages, that's a lot of time to be bored.

I had to sit and think on this, but I seem to see a pattern with Snyder's inability to follow-up awesome first novels. It's a shame, because this series, with these likeable, usually interesting characters, has a lot of potential. I was frustrated with so much of what ~~doesn't~~ happen over the duration of the book. There's a lot of Kerrick missing/worrying about Avry, and her the same about him. EVERY CHAPTER, it must be stated how worried one is about the other - give me a break. It feels like filler, and it doesn't help that in the first 120 pages, nothing important happened. I distinctly remember thinking, "C'mon, Snyder, you're better than this." Another irk for me was the POV shifts from Avry's first-person to Kerrick's third person. They go their separate ways early on, and while I can see why Snyder's used multiple POVs to show the larger story at play, I will never be a fan of such rapid, and vastly different POV styles.

For all the POV headjumping, all the trekking around from one place to another, the endless woods-training and all the hidden identities and secrets and foul play, not much of note happens in Scent of Magic. While the characters can pick up some of the slack, there isn't a whole lot of evolution going on for them, either. It's unfortunate, but it doesn't seem like Avry or Kerrick or anyone else really grew or changed from the version shown of them in the first novel. Avry is well-written and a strong female character in a fantasy world (which are few and far in between), but her trials and tribulations seem small - except in the case of her sister. Kerrick, whom I loved in the first book, was somewhat..... wooden and flat in this. He had moments of brilliance and interest, but I didn't invest in him the same way I had before. Sequel syndrome struck with a vengeance here, for both plot, characters, pace, and momentum. It's a shame, because this series (still) has the potential to be awesome. I'll hold out hope for book three - Taste of Death - but not my breath.

I always want to like Maria V. Snyder's novels, but I can't help but see patterns and similarities the more of them I read. Even characters can read reminiscently of ones from before (like the "monkeys" from this series and Ari and Janco from the Study series, or Valek/Kerrick). Snyder really seems to struggle and end up disappointing with sequels after a promising first novel (see also: the Study series rapid decline from awesome to blah to baaaad). With so much potential and so many plotlines to engage with, it's a shame that Scent of Magic fails to live up to its predecessor and fails to advance the plot in any meaningful way. So - 2 stars for fun, interesting - if stagnant - characters, and .75 for all the ~~mess~~ rest. ...more

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Jan 21, 2018 Lexy rated it it was amazing

Oh, my gosh scent of magic was more intense then touch up power was with a lot more action than the first book.

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Nov 06, 2015 Maggie ☘ rated it really liked it

Shelves: witches-magicians, charismatic-characters, magic, amazing-reads, high-fantasy, intriguing-world-building, great-reads-2015, underrated-gems

*4,5 stars*

“We don’t take orders from you, Sergeant,” Quain said. “Your man tried to assassinate—”
“He isn’t mine. My man has eyes that change color with the seasons.”
Loren laughed at Quain’s perplexed expression. “Oh, man, you’re not very observant, are you.”
“Wait,” Quain said. “Whose eyes change color?”

Scent of Magic is better than the first book, more fast-paced, even though Kerrick's chapters were sometimes slower, I liked him better than in the first book (But still, he's not Valek). Plus th ...more

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Aug 25, 2012 Navdha rated it really liked it

Shelves: i-am-so-excited-to-read-it

EDIT:

You.did.not.just.leave.me.with.that.ending... Grrrr!!

Apart from my strong resentment towards the cliffhanger, this book had so much to deliver. Gotta sleep on it and then write a review.

Prior-to-release-edit:

Is that...Is that hot guy in the background Kerrick? I had imagined longer hair but HOT dayum!

...more

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Feb 13, 2015 Sophia Sardothien rated it liked it

AHH THIS BOOK THE ENDING MADE ME WANNA TEAR THE ENTIRE GALAXY APART I literally swear under my breath xD I didn't enjoy this book as much as I did with the first one, I thought the plot really drags on a lot. But I still like it :) ...more

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Sep 08, 2017 Tushar Patel rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance, people-with-ability, kingdom

4.25 Star

This is a second book in this series as fist book this one is also a great book. In the star feel bad for avry and kerrick, they have to goes different way. In this book story flow great, some twist and turn appear on path take U down by surprise. In this book to much going on in the story. I like that that Snyder find a way continue her story to grow this beautiful world of healer. The main characters development is good as well as new addition of characters. Snyder has done good Sync ...more

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Nov 13, 2011 AH rated it really liked it

Shelves: zombies, magic, fantasy, young-adult, arc-netgalley, zzread-nov-2012, mages

OK - 4 stars, despite that ending!

I’m the kind of reader that appreciates a short recap of events of an earlier book. Usually by the time I’ve reached the next book in a series some time has passed and a memory jog is helpful. There is a fine art of doing this right and in the case of Scent of Magic, the massive info dump at the beginning of the book was a little distracting. It slowed down the narrative for the first few chapters. Once all the recapping was over, Scent of Magic became an incred ...more

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Apr 16, 2012 D.G. rated it really liked it

Shelves: reviewed, re-read, fantasy

**Re-read Jan 2016

I confess I was apprehensive before starting this book. I liked Touch of Power so much but I’ve heard from friends that Ms. Snyder’s series start great but tend to fizzle in the following books. I was afraid this would happen here; however, my fears were totally unfounded.

Scent of Magic was exciting, fast paced and with so much action that I had my heart in my throat at the end of every section. Each chapter is told alternatively from the points of view of Avry (in first person **Re-read Jan 2016

I confess I was apprehensive before starting this book. I liked Touch of Power so much but I’ve heard from friends that Ms. Snyder’s series start great but tend to fizzle in the following books. I was afraid this would happen here; however, my fears were totally unfounded.

Scent of Magic was exciting, fast paced and with so much action that I had my heart in my throat at the end of every section. Each chapter is told alternatively from the points of view of Avry (in first person) and Kerrick (in third person) so we can follow both as they move about in the Fifteen Realms. Besides fighting Tohon, this book is about their separation and the hurdles they face before they are together again.

It was really good to have Kerrick’s POV. First, it allowed the reader to know him better and second, it helped us understand the depth of his feelings for Avry. For her part, Avry couldn’t be a healer for a good chunk of the book (which was really good for her health) but also allowed her to take other responsibilities that really helped to round out her character.

There were some unexpected developments that added some richness to the tale because they touched upon conflicts between different groups and how each side interprets historical events in whatever manner is more convenient to them. How are we to move forward if we cling to past hostilities that have no bearing in today’s world? How can we change and adapt to present circumstances and try to see things from a different point of view?

I didn’t like some things. It was somewhat disappointing that Tohon still gave Avry too many chances. Not as many as in the first book but more than enough for her to get the better of him. I guess that’s what happens when you make such a powerful villain that you need him to act in crazy ways to give the main characters a chance to overcome him. At this point though, he definitely should have learned his lesson so I really hope I won’t see any of that in the last book.

I was also a bit mad with the way the book ended. We know there’s lots to come in the third book and nothing much was resolved regarding the conflict with Tohon so I didn’t see the need to leave us with that bad taste in our mouths. How will we wait a year to know what happens!

Overall, a really strong second book full of exciting action. I’ve already started counting the days to see how it all ends!

Check out this review and others at badassbookreviews.com

Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin for providing a review copy of this book! ...more

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Apr 07, 2021 Lauren rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Firstly let me scream about that ending! AAAAAAAAAAH

OK, now that had better not be true as Avry cannot have to deal with that again. I am glad the final book is here next to me.

The plot is brilliant. We get the dual POV of Avry and Kerrick and every chapter so it seems ends on a cliffhanger. There were no slow moments either, it was a great pace. There are many shocks and betrayals and lots of plotting that is revealed throughout. I did have to flick back to recap what had happened once or twice ...more

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Nov 01, 2011 Emily Blake rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: EVERYONE!

Shelves: best-fantasy-books, own, fantasy-kick-ass-fighting, re-read, fantasy, love-the-cover, 2012, signed, for-review, finished-copy-for-review

Originally Read: December 14-16, 2012
Re-Read: December 18-20, 2013

*A copy was provided by Maria Snyder for review purposes*

I'm not sure how to even begin this review. This is the kind of book that is hard to find the right words for. Amazing would be one, I guess.

This book was very different than the first book, Touch of Power, in that it was written from to POVs, Kerrick's and Avry's. This was a good thing and a bad thing, in my opinion. Well I guess they're both bad in a way. The good/bad thi ...more

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Nov 27, 2011 Sarah (saz101) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, 2012-releases

There’s a comfort returning to the pages and world of a favourite author: a sense of familiarity and trust that where she leads, you will follow. With this firmly in mind, I enter any Maria V. Snyder novel with excitement, and, in Scent of Magic, was well rewarded. With romance, intrigue, magic and war, I was thrilled, but even more delighted to find myself surprised.

After healing the dying Prince Ryne at the cost of her life, no-one’s more surprised to find herself alive than Avry of Kazan. We ...more

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Aug 20, 2015 Maria Dimitrova rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 24, 2016 Maye rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

"He isn't mine. My man has eyes that change color with the seasons.”

Actual rating is 3.5/5 stars.

This book was confusing as hell. The Death and Peace Lily thingy and all that jazz about the plague just went in and out of my head without understanding anything. Well, no, I think I was able to grasp a few things.

Anyway, like I said in my review of the first book, I really enjoyed Kerrick and Avry's romance. And holy crap, this book had me shipping them so hard. Their circumstances were so frustrat ...more

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Jan 27, 2020 Siobhan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Scent of Magic is the second book in Maria V. Snyder’s Healer series, and I devoured it in no time at all. As soon as I was finished with Touch of Power, I jumped in and I was unwilling to put it down until I knew how things developed.

With Scent of Magic, the world we were introduced to in the first book develops in interesting way. We get to follow both Avry and Kerrick, as their stories take us in different directions. As much as I loved the little insights into what was going on with Kerrick, ...more

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About Maria V. Snyder

Maria V. Snyder

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When Maria V. Snyder was younger, she aspired to be a storm chaser in the American Midwest so she attended Pennsylvania State University and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology. Much to her chagrin, forecasting the weather wasn’t in her skill set so she spent a number of years as an environmental meteorologist, which is not exciting...at all. Bored at work and needing a creative out ...more

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Healer (3 books)

Books by Maria V. Snyder

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Quotes from Scent of Magic

“We don't take orders from you, Sergeant." Quain said. "Your man tried to assassinate-"
"He isn't mine. My man has eyes that change color with the seasons.” — 61 likes

“You had me tied in knots. You saved Belen's life, and I wanted to kill and thank you all at the same time. And during those nights when we didn't know if you'd live or die, I went from being angry, to worried to frustrated to scared all within a single heartbeat. If you had die, I would have killed you.” — 47 likes

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