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Assassin Study
(Poison Study #1.5)
by
Yelena, the heroine of Maria V. Snyder's stunning debut novel Poison Study, is on her way to her ancestral homeland of Sitia to be reunited with her family and to learn more about her magical powers. An order of execution hangs over her head should she ever return to Ixia. But her true love, Valek, quickly learns that an assassin has taken it upon himself to make sure Yele
...more
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ebook, 15 pages
Published
March 1st 2008
by MIRA Books
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Read for free here: http://www.mariavsnyder.com/assassins...
This was very reminiscent of those ‘choose your own adventure’ books, which is probably simply due to the whole ‘letting the readers chose what happens next’ thing the author did. I will say that it’s a very bad idea to get on Valek’s bad side though!
...more
This was very reminiscent of those ‘choose your own adventure’ books, which is probably simply due to the whole ‘letting the readers chose what happens next’ thing the author did. I will say that it’s a very bad idea to get on Valek’s bad side though!
...more

This was a short and sweet novella, and while it’s told from Valek’s point of view, it was a pretty unnecessary addition to this series. However, considering how obsessed I am with Valek at the moment, it didn’t really bother me all that much!
Is it bad that I ship Valek with myself? ;) I want a sexy and protective blue-eyed assassin!!! <3
Is it bad that I ship Valek with myself? ;) I want a sexy and protective blue-eyed assassin!!! <3

Jul 05, 2019
Dannii Elle
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantastic-fabrications,
young-adult-books-read
Actual rating 3.5/5 stars.
This is the first of three short stories that intersperse the Study series and is available to read here: https://www.mariavsnyder.com/assassin.... It takes place directly after the events in book one, Poison Study.
Protagonist of the series, Yelena, has returned to her ancestral home and left both the kingdom of Ixia and Valek behind her. Unfortunately, the danger that dogs her every move is not so eager to leave her and it is only Valek who can stop it.
It was interesti ...more
This is the first of three short stories that intersperse the Study series and is available to read here: https://www.mariavsnyder.com/assassin.... It takes place directly after the events in book one, Poison Study.
Protagonist of the series, Yelena, has returned to her ancestral home and left both the kingdom of Ixia and Valek behind her. Unfortunately, the danger that dogs her every move is not so eager to leave her and it is only Valek who can stop it.
It was interesti ...more

This was way too short, but it has cemented my love for Valek and my absolute need for more of this series!

Jan 25, 2016
Maggie ☘
rated it
really liked it
Recommends it for:
Hardcore fans *like me* of Study Series
*3.5/5 stars*
This short story is fast and pretty entertaining. Must read for fans of Study series and to those who are in love *like me* with a certain assassin!
“Knife fighting was his forte, but he wouldn’t have time to have a proper match. Pity.”
You can find it on Maria V. Snyder's website, here: http://www.mariavsnyder.com/assassins... ...more
This short story is fast and pretty entertaining. Must read for fans of Study series and to those who are in love *like me* with a certain assassin!
“Knife fighting was his forte, but he wouldn’t have time to have a proper match. Pity.”
You can find it on Maria V. Snyder's website, here: http://www.mariavsnyder.com/assassins... ...more

I would’ve given this book page a lot less than 3 stars if it wasn’t 15 pages. Valek, the bae of all baes, is trying to catch up to an assassin who caught the order of assassinating Yelena, and is willing to kill her to be the commander’s second in command.
A few bumps in the road, a new ally, and I guess that’s it…?
I don’t even get why I’m writing a review on a novella that is 15 pages. Well, the basic reason was to explain why it got 3 stars not less.
So guys read it just to waste time, I guess ...more
A few bumps in the road, a new ally, and I guess that’s it…?
I don’t even get why I’m writing a review on a novella that is 15 pages. Well, the basic reason was to explain why it got 3 stars not less.
So guys read it just to waste time, I guess ...more

GrowingUp YA
I think I had an excitement attack (this usually involves flailing arms) when my friend told me about Maria V. Snyder's novella, Assassin Study
It took me less than a second to find the short story on Snyder's blog and then it was don't talk to me or I'll murder you, Valek style. Okay, so maybe it was more like this:
Anyhoo, as someone who experiences occasional pangs of Poison Study withdrawal, I definitely had my fix with this novella.
Assassin Study is a very quick read that takes p ...more
I think I had an excitement attack (this usually involves flailing arms) when my friend told me about Maria V. Snyder's novella, Assassin Study
It took me less than a second to find the short story on Snyder's blog and then it was don't talk to me or I'll murder you, Valek style. Okay, so maybe it was more like this:
Anyhoo, as someone who experiences occasional pangs of Poison Study withdrawal, I definitely had my fix with this novella.
Assassin Study is a very quick read that takes p ...more

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

This review was originally posted on The Moonlight Library
A short review for a short story found at http://www.mariavsnyder.com/assassinstudy.php
Yelena has left Ixia to return home to her long-lost family and learn to control her magic, but someone’s taken her execution order and is determined to follow it through. Can Valek, master assassin, save the love of his life without revealing himself?
I quite liked this story told from Valek’s point of view. I love his sense of duty and how he and Yelen ...more
A short review for a short story found at http://www.mariavsnyder.com/assassinstudy.php
Yelena has left Ixia to return home to her long-lost family and learn to control her magic, but someone’s taken her execution order and is determined to follow it through. Can Valek, master assassin, save the love of his life without revealing himself?
I quite liked this story told from Valek’s point of view. I love his sense of duty and how he and Yelen ...more

This short story was sort of OK, I guess. 🤨 If you miss it, you don't miss anything at all. I read it because it is just ~30 pages long (available to read on Maria V. Snyder's website for free), but basically it adds nothing new to the story. Oh, and Valek... he is not himself in this novella, it was a little weird for me. Valek is a badass assassin, not this lame guy. 😒 I'm not sure I will read the other short stories in the Study Series.
...more

Update 6/4/15:
So good, this was the perfect pick me-up when I was having trouble sticking to a book that wasn't from this series.
Original review 10/4/14:
The second that I saw Maria V Snyder had a novella out it was on my kindle, and the second I realised it was from Valek’s POV my head snapped down and I was engrossed. I can’t get enough ofValek the Study Series and Assassin Study was bound to be a hit. The way that fans had voted on the outcome of the chapters was actually a great idea and I o
...more
So good, this was the perfect pick me-up when I was having trouble sticking to a book that wasn't from this series.
Original review 10/4/14:
The second that I saw Maria V Snyder had a novella out it was on my kindle, and the second I realised it was from Valek’s POV my head snapped down and I was engrossed. I can’t get enough of

enjoyed valek's view and the promise paves way to new possibilities n a future plot
...more

This is an extra available on the author's website here:
http://www.mariavsnyder.com/assassins...
Apparently it was written in installments, and at the end of each section, Snyder gave her readers two choices for how things could go in the next section (b/c the endings were rather abrupt and cliffhanger-like).
This was probably the best part, b/c of the two choices given, one would be the prudent, logical thing to do, and the other would be the who-the-hell-cares/guns-blazing option . . .
Every, si ...more
http://www.mariavsnyder.com/assassins...
Apparently it was written in installments, and at the end of each section, Snyder gave her readers two choices for how things could go in the next section (b/c the endings were rather abrupt and cliffhanger-like).
This was probably the best part, b/c of the two choices given, one would be the prudent, logical thing to do, and the other would be the who-the-hell-cares/guns-blazing option . . .
Every, si ...more

After all the 2-star reviews about this, i thought i might be sorely dissapointed after reading the novella, but it was fine. Yes, it was short and completely pointless to the plot but hey, it's about Valek and his POV!!! and because it's short it can't have an omg-its-so-good plot. i liked it.
But that's probably because i love Valek too much for my own good XD ...more
But that's probably because i love Valek too much for my own good XD ...more

I liked Valek in Poison Study, but seeing reviews of sequels made me doubt I will like him with further reading. This novella proved me right, because he is so out of character in this one, acting stupid and falling into obvious traps. That kind of behaviour would never get him the position of Commander's right hand nor would he be so famously impossible to beat in a fight.
...more

Nice little novella about Valek, which I appreciated a lot but didn't throughly love.
...more

I loved this short story and finally getting inside Valek's head! (I haven't read the new Soulfinder books yet but knowing that they have Valek's P.O.V makes me so excited to read them!). It was set a day after Yelena leaves Ixia to go to Sitia. I really enjoyed reading how Valek's mind works and his thoughts on Yelena (as he isn't always forth coming with his emotions in the main novels). I wanted to see more interactions with him and the other characters in the main novels but enjoyed seeing h
...more

Waste of time.
Here's the plot in case you don't want to bother reading this:
(view spoiler)
There's no re ...more
Here's the plot in case you don't want to bother reading this:
(view spoiler)
There's no re ...more

I'm really starting to like Valek ❤️
...more

That was fun!
Assassin Study is a short novella from Valek's perspective that comes right after book one.
Valek learns that there is an assassin hunting Yelena as she travels to Sitia.
Valek won't stand for the danger his love is in.
So he begins hunting the hunter, so the hunter becomes the hunted.
I loved seeing from Valek's point of view!! It was quite beautiful to see how Yelena inspired positive change in him and the ways his love for her altered his persona!
Quick and enjoyable read. I would def ...more
Assassin Study is a short novella from Valek's perspective that comes right after book one.
Valek learns that there is an assassin hunting Yelena as she travels to Sitia.
Valek won't stand for the danger his love is in.
So he begins hunting the hunter, so the hunter becomes the hunted.
I loved seeing from Valek's point of view!! It was quite beautiful to see how Yelena inspired positive change in him and the ways his love for her altered his persona!
Quick and enjoyable read. I would def ...more

Assassin study is a short and sweet novella that tells the beginning of Poison Study from Valek’s point of view, but it does not add anything to the series, and it is not necessary to read it before reading Magic Study. It is nice to have more insight into Valek’s thoughts though and he is a character that I adore so it was fun to have more of him.
Poison Study ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 ...more
Poison Study ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 ...more

God, I love Valek much!
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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gutted. | 7 | 44 | Oct 08, 2014 09:17PM |
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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Poison Study
(6 books)
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“He huffed in amusement. She had the unique ability to attract danger even when in benign situations. Perhaps he should amend his plan and just watch her.”
—
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“Valek's thoughts returned to Yelena. An icy finger of loneliness touched the emptiness inside him. She was in Sitia, where she needed to be to learn aboout her magical powers, but she had taken his heart with her.
Cursing himself for being melodramatic, he concentrated on the grim task at hand.”
—
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Cursing himself for being melodramatic, he concentrated on the grim task at hand.”