Book Title: Magic Study
Author: Maria V. Synder
Series: Study #2
Series: Study #2
Date Started: April 14th 2014
Date Completed: April 15th 2014
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Adventure, Action, Mystery
Rating: Three stars
Review:
Magic Study was very similar to the first book in the series in my opinion: good enough but unremarkable and quite forgettable. I was hoping that perhaps after setting up the world and situation in the first book, the plot would become more complicated and dangerous, but instead it once again felt like a filler book for what is yet to come.
After fleeing from a death sentence in Ixia, Yelena finds herself suddenly reunited with the family she didn't think existed. But they don't seem to believe she's the daughter they lost fourteen years ago, and when she's ambushed on the way to the Citadel to begin her magician's training she realises that escaping Ixia didn't include escaping her knack to causing trouble.
Snyder's writing is nice and easy to get through and does a good job of telling the story nice and straightforwardly. However, in this genre, I really like more detailed and mysterious styles that reveal plots and world building etc slowly. I feel like I'm always harsh on Snyder's writing - but I just read so much amazing quality in the hardcore fantasy section, it's hard to compare the two.
I didn't feel like there was much personality in the narrative. This was disappointing because Yelena is such a feisty and sarcastic character, she could have really made an interesting monologue.
The story was thrown on a little too fast for me. I was left a few pages in trying desperately to remember what had happened in the previous book. I eventually gave up because the first book was quite forgettable for me and I was kind of lost until the book started its own plot.
On the other hand, I really liked the sibling relationship. It was complicated, and realistic and added a new depth to the story that I really think was needed to make it different from the last book.
The action and adventure parts of the book were the best for me - well written, exciting, engaging and needed in the story. Unfortunately there wasn't much of this until the very end, however it did make me eager to read on.
But, overall, I think there was just too much happening. There were loads of little threads of story that were mentioned once and ever elaborated on. It felt like Synder had planned this huge complicated, amazing story, but then wast able to follow through and weave all the little threads together. Maybe I'm just impatient, and need to wait until the next book, but for now, it disappointed me a little bit.
Established characters in Snyder's world are easy to like, but new ones always seem to disturb the flow of writing a little. This pattern appeared for me because I loved all of the characters from the first book, not so much the new characters.
Yelena is a good protagonist. For me, she isn't that different to the common female heroine: strong, stubborn, sarcastic etc. But she performed her part in the story well and she really tries the whole story together.
I really love Valek, partly because he's actually a very dark character when you think about it, and he really is dangerous and fiercely in love with Yelena. Although, his unwavering loyalty to her seems a little out of place considering his intelligent and calculating personality.
Cahil was a new type of character that I really liked. Snyder didn't fall into the trap of creating a new male interest to make yet another typical Young Adult love triangle. Instead she made an opportunity for Yelen to change, but strengthen her character by letting her resist.
I did really like Leif, because he was really torn the whole time and you could tell he was hurting and he just wanted his sister back and he was just really sweet actually.
Ari and Janco are my favourite characters because they're lovely, funny, protective, able, independent, sarcastic etc.
The pacing is a little hard to describe. I got through this book very quickly, so for me it was generally fast-paced. However, story-wise, I think it fluctuates a little: there's fast parts, but then slow ones where it gets a little repetitive. But overall, due to the reasonably easy reading nature of the writing, pacing isn't an issue.
I did like this novel, I was just under-welmed at what it could have done, compared to what it actually achieved. I would recommend Magic Study to anyone coming into the fantasy genre. It's a nice easy thing to get your started off and light an interest in these kinds of stories, however there are more intricate versions out there for the more experienced fantasy lovers out there.
Image Source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17875517-magic-study
Magic Study was very similar to the first book in the series in my opinion: good enough but unremarkable and quite forgettable. I was hoping that perhaps after setting up the world and situation in the first book, the plot would become more complicated and dangerous, but instead it once again felt like a filler book for what is yet to come.
After fleeing from a death sentence in Ixia, Yelena finds herself suddenly reunited with the family she didn't think existed. But they don't seem to believe she's the daughter they lost fourteen years ago, and when she's ambushed on the way to the Citadel to begin her magician's training she realises that escaping Ixia didn't include escaping her knack to causing trouble.
Snyder's writing is nice and easy to get through and does a good job of telling the story nice and straightforwardly. However, in this genre, I really like more detailed and mysterious styles that reveal plots and world building etc slowly. I feel like I'm always harsh on Snyder's writing - but I just read so much amazing quality in the hardcore fantasy section, it's hard to compare the two.
I didn't feel like there was much personality in the narrative. This was disappointing because Yelena is such a feisty and sarcastic character, she could have really made an interesting monologue.
The story was thrown on a little too fast for me. I was left a few pages in trying desperately to remember what had happened in the previous book. I eventually gave up because the first book was quite forgettable for me and I was kind of lost until the book started its own plot.
On the other hand, I really liked the sibling relationship. It was complicated, and realistic and added a new depth to the story that I really think was needed to make it different from the last book.
The action and adventure parts of the book were the best for me - well written, exciting, engaging and needed in the story. Unfortunately there wasn't much of this until the very end, however it did make me eager to read on.
But, overall, I think there was just too much happening. There were loads of little threads of story that were mentioned once and ever elaborated on. It felt like Synder had planned this huge complicated, amazing story, but then wast able to follow through and weave all the little threads together. Maybe I'm just impatient, and need to wait until the next book, but for now, it disappointed me a little bit.
Established characters in Snyder's world are easy to like, but new ones always seem to disturb the flow of writing a little. This pattern appeared for me because I loved all of the characters from the first book, not so much the new characters.
Yelena is a good protagonist. For me, she isn't that different to the common female heroine: strong, stubborn, sarcastic etc. But she performed her part in the story well and she really tries the whole story together.
I really love Valek, partly because he's actually a very dark character when you think about it, and he really is dangerous and fiercely in love with Yelena. Although, his unwavering loyalty to her seems a little out of place considering his intelligent and calculating personality.
Cahil was a new type of character that I really liked. Snyder didn't fall into the trap of creating a new male interest to make yet another typical Young Adult love triangle. Instead she made an opportunity for Yelen to change, but strengthen her character by letting her resist.
I did really like Leif, because he was really torn the whole time and you could tell he was hurting and he just wanted his sister back and he was just really sweet actually.
Ari and Janco are my favourite characters because they're lovely, funny, protective, able, independent, sarcastic etc.
The pacing is a little hard to describe. I got through this book very quickly, so for me it was generally fast-paced. However, story-wise, I think it fluctuates a little: there's fast parts, but then slow ones where it gets a little repetitive. But overall, due to the reasonably easy reading nature of the writing, pacing isn't an issue.
I did like this novel, I was just under-welmed at what it could have done, compared to what it actually achieved. I would recommend Magic Study to anyone coming into the fantasy genre. It's a nice easy thing to get your started off and light an interest in these kinds of stories, however there are more intricate versions out there for the more experienced fantasy lovers out there.
Image Source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17875517-magic-study
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