Fierce, determined, dangerous. No wonder her soul called to his. As Chief of Security of Ixia, Valek has spent the last fifteen years keeping Commander Ambrose and his citizens safe. With his complex network of spies, informers, and soldiers, it’s his job to hunt down and capture criminals, including the intriguing Yelena. Sensing there is more to the story of why she killed a general’s son, Valek arranges for Yelena to become the Commander’s new food taster, training her in the delicate art of detecting poisons. As mysteries and a devious plot to harm the Commander unravel, Yelena’s presence becomes crucial. Will her intelligence, stubbornness, and survivor instincts be a help to Valek’s investigation, or a hinderance? A companion novel to Poison Study (starred review from Publisher's Weekly), The Study of Poisons reveals Valek’s side of the story. Return to the world of Ixia and discover just how the lovely Yelena got Valek’s cold heart pumping!
"Bestselling author Maria V. Snyder returns to the fantasy world of Ixia with an action-packed adventure filled with magic, danger, and romance. Fans of Poison Study will love revisiting the story from Valek's point of view and watching him navigate his conflicted feelings for Yelena and loyalty to the Commander." New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Estep
Oh my goodness, this story was an absolute joy! It has been over a decade since I first picked up the book, “Poison Study”. I remember it grabbed me from the first page and I have considered it one of my top 10, all-time favorites ever since. So when I realized this book takes us back into that amazing world - but from Valek’s (the male MC) POV, I couldn’t wait!
And it did not disappoint one iota. It is absolutely fabulous! And weirdly, I think everyone, whether they have read the first book recently, haven’t read it in forever or have never read the Poison study series, will thoroughly enjoy this story. For me, it had been so long that I remembered the characters and their personalities but didn’t remember the exact plotline enough to know what was coming next, so it was like catching up with old friends but learning all kinds of new stuff!
I was especially impressed, considering it is being told from a male POV, at how well it actually read like a male! That might sound odd, but so many times when an author writes a book from the male POV, the voice still sounds female (or from the author’s voice… which is often female). This one doesn’t do that. Valek’s thoughts, his actions etc. read exactly how one would expect a man in his position to think and act. For instance, we don’t get a lot of flowery descriptions, it is facts and explanations of the events, period. Valek doesn’t spend time waxing poetic, he brushes over stuff like what everyone looks like in every meeting he is in. He doesn’t know how to “win” Yelena so he often says things that come across as harsh, yet he doesn’t apologize. It is who he is. Still, we see his thoughts and they are filled with concern, care and eventually love. He also acknowledges that… to himself.
