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Foz Meadows's Reviews > Poison Study
Poison Study (Study, #1)
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It's official: Maria V. Snyder has rekindled my love of classic - by which I mean, non-urban - fantasy.
There is so much to love about this story. As the narrator, Yelena speaks with a uniquely strong voice, despite what her character has been forced to endure. Her reactions throughout are realistic, and though describing a damaged protagonist, Snyder is never tempted to fall back on melodrama to make her point, creating a realistic balance between her strengths and weaknesses. Valek, too, is an intriguing character, and while we never see inside his head, his behavioural cues are clear enough to the reader - if not, for reasons that are plausible and well-established - to Yelena. The description of life as a poison taster is fascinating, and the plot moves forward briskly without rushing. In many ways, this is a dark story, but never graphic: part of me is retrospectively surprised to see it shelved as young adult, when in truth it could belong with equal ease in (adult) Fantasy/SF sections, particularly given Yelena and Valek's ages (19 and 33, respectively). For me, it is Snyder's inclusive writing style that tips the balance towards YA.
What I appreciated most about this book is the worldbuilding: specifically, the fact that there are no easy answers as regards society. Yelena lives in Ixia, where the monarchy has been assassinated and replaced in the recent past by a military regime. Rather than write a flat-out Good vs Bad, Hail The Conquering King scenario, Snyder has elected to add depth and intelligence to her setting. The military Commander, for instance, has introduced gender equality along with society-spanning uniforms, encouraging meritocratic policies even as he orders all magicians killed. There are monsters among his council, such as Brazell, the primary villain, but also many shades of grey, forcing the reader to examine their preconceptions and think about what it means to make laws as well as live with them.
As evidenced by the fact that I stayed up until 4am reading it, this is a book I highly recommend.
There is so much to love about this story. As the narrator, Yelena speaks with a uniquely strong voice, despite what her character has been forced to endure. Her reactions throughout are realistic, and though describing a damaged protagonist, Snyder is never tempted to fall back on melodrama to make her point, creating a realistic balance between her strengths and weaknesses. Valek, too, is an intriguing character, and while we never see inside his head, his behavioural cues are clear enough to the reader - if not, for reasons that are plausible and well-established - to Yelena. The description of life as a poison taster is fascinating, and the plot moves forward briskly without rushing. In many ways, this is a dark story, but never graphic: part of me is retrospectively surprised to see it shelved as young adult, when in truth it could belong with equal ease in (adult) Fantasy/SF sections, particularly given Yelena and Valek's ages (19 and 33, respectively). For me, it is Snyder's inclusive writing style that tips the balance towards YA.
What I appreciated most about this book is the worldbuilding: specifically, the fact that there are no easy answers as regards society. Yelena lives in Ixia, where the monarchy has been assassinated and replaced in the recent past by a military regime. Rather than write a flat-out Good vs Bad, Hail The Conquering King scenario, Snyder has elected to add depth and intelligence to her setting. The military Commander, for instance, has introduced gender equality along with society-spanning uniforms, encouraging meritocratic policies even as he orders all magicians killed. There are monsters among his council, such as Brazell, the primary villain, but also many shades of grey, forcing the reader to examine their preconceptions and think about what it means to make laws as well as live with them.
As evidenced by the fact that I stayed up until 4am reading it, this is a book I highly recommend.
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Reading Progress
June 13, 2010
– Shelved
Started Reading
June 14, 2010
–
Finished Reading
